We loved everything about Mackinac Island, but the Butterfly House was one of our favorites. Tom got a great shot of one of the many butterflies perching on my finger.
A Summer Getaway to Chicago
Winter is not a pleasant time in Chicago. The bitter wind whistles off frozen Lake Michigan and cuts through pretty much any item of clothing so residents of the Windy City spend the winter hurrying along city streets, hunched over against the wind, rushing to get home and get warm. But summer in this beautiful city nestled on the shore of the lake is a different story. Those same winds become cool, refreshing breezes which make any hot, sultry day cooler and more refreshing. The best place to be in mid-summer in Chicago is near the lake and luckily, the Hyatt McCormick Place is located within an easy walking distance of the water.
Book a room as high as possible and on the lake side for the best view of the lake and the city – we had a corner Executive Suite and enjoyed a 180 degree view of both out of two huge windows. With a walk-in closet, two big flat screen televisions, a small fridge, and a separate living room and bedroom area, it’s a great room to use for your getaway. Plan at least one meal at Shor, one of the restaurants in the hotel, a contemporary restaurant that serves delicious steaks and seafood.
Read the rest of this article on Ky Doc Magazine HERE.
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Wallowing in Luxury at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle
It was when we stepped into the suite at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle that we knew.
We knew we would never again, in all our travels spanning the globe, ever again have a suite quite this spectacular.
When the desk clerk checked us in, she looked at the computer screen, then smiled at us and said how much we were going to like our room.
OK, fine. That’s nice.
We smiled pleasantly in return, not particularly excited.
We do like a nice hotel room. And we have stayed in some pretty spectacular ones in some pretty awesome locations. So we may be just a trifle jaded when it comes to hotel suites. She handed us our keys, made sure we knew how to insert them to turn on the power – why, yes we do because we saw that same power saving option in Europe – and we headed up to our suite.
We stepped in, took one look, and dropped our luggage so we could take a closer look. First we noticed the dining room table which could seat 8 people.
There were 2 of us.
Why, yes. Yes, we have a DINING ROOM.
Going Green in Seattle
We were astonished to learn on our recent visit to Seattle that the roof of the Hyatt at Olive 8 is made entirely of fresh, green, growing grass. It’s not the only green rooftop in Seattle, one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the United States, but it’s one of the largest at 8, 355 square feet. In a city that prides itself on being “green”, the Hyatt at Olive 8 is the only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotel because of their achievements in energy reduction, sustainable building practices and use of renewable energy.
We were surprised to be reminded about the room key-controlled switches to keep the electricity on when you are in the room – something we had not seen since our last trip to Europe and an easy and effective way to save energy. The hotel is focused on saving the environment in many ways, but it’s also a lovely, luxurious, and airy property with a beautiful and modern lobby. Because we were writing about the property, the hotel kindly placed us in the largest room in the hotel which is the 1600 square foot Presidential Suite. Sprawling out on a top floor in a corner of the building the suite has windows all around which overlook every possible view of the city, a full kitchen, dining room, living room, office complete with a computer, bedroom and two bathrooms. Needless to say, we were extremely comfortable during our stay!
Read the rest of this article on “Living Well 50+” HERE
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Photo Friday: Eagle Rock in the Grand Canyon
Everything about the Grand Canyon amazed us but the Skywalk and the view of Eagle Rock were at the top of the list. Tom got this great shot from beside the Skywalk, since no cameras are allowed on the Skywalk itself.
A Day in SoBe – South Beach, Miami
One of the most important things I learned when I was in South Beach, Miami for a day recently is that if you are “in the know” you call it SoBe. If you find yourself in SoBe for a day and you like to shop, eat and lounge on the beach, here’s what I did to give you some ideas.
You have some choices when heading to SoBe from another part of Miami, but one of the cheapest and best ways to get there is on a city bus. We were leery when the hotel concierge suggested this, but I found the Miami buses to be clean, air-conditioned and comfortable. They also run on time, operate all over the city and are very reasonably priced. We walked to the airport near our hotel, then hopped on a bus to SoBe for only $2 each way.
If you are up for shopping, one of the first places you should go is Lincoln Road. Located between 16th and 17th street (the bus will stop right in the shopping area – you can’t miss it), this is SoBe’s premiere shopping area. It’s an open-air shopping mall with tons of shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and bars. The area is closed to traffic and you can find everything from kitschy tourist junk to the latest designer fashions. You can buy a book, get a massage, sample a delicious ice cream cone, or take in a flick – Lincoln Road has you covered.
Read the rest of this article on Travelhoppers HERE.
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Photo Friday: Athena’s Toes in Nashville, TN
There is an amazing and astonishing replica of the Parthenon in Nashville and inside is this monstrous statue of Athena. Tom got a great shot of just her sandals and toes.
How to Choose the Perfect Stateroom
In a photo from my very first cruise, I am standing in my stateroom with an excited grin on my face and my arms akimbo, stretched out to both sides to show how difficult it is to contain my joy at setting out on a Caribbean cruise. I can’t help but laugh when I see that photo, not because of my delirious excitement but because my hands come close to touching the walls of my stateroom on each side — it was just that tiny.
Since that first experience and my subsequent love affair with cruising, I have booked inside staterooms, outside staterooms, staterooms with verandahs and even a huge, sprawling one-bedroom suite on one ship. And with all that experience, I have also learned how to choose an ideal stateroom.
Which deck are you on?
The higher the deck on a cruise ship, the more you are going to pay. This means that the large suites with the choice locations are going to be on the highest deck. This may sound like the perfect, ultimate location to have your stateroom but this is not always the case. On the Disney Wonder, I had the largest stateroom I have ever experienced. With a completely separate bedroom, two full baths, a huge living room with dining area; I almost swooned with delight when I saw it. Until we set sail and I realized I was under the busiest deck on the ship. Right above was a ping-pong table, and an activities area where passengers proceeded to run, jump and play pretty much around the clock. It was one of the worst cruise experiences I’ve ever had. Carefully check a diagram of the ship before you choose your stateroom and look to see what will be directly above you.
Read the rest of this article on Travel + Escape HERE.
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Lunch at a Neighborhood Restaurant: Agrodolce, Seattle
Before we even entered the lovely and charming Agrodolce restaurant in Seattle, we were enchanted with the Fremont neighborhood.
Funky and artsy, there are lots of interesting shops and restaurants in this neighborhood, located right by the beautiful Lake Union. We had some time before our reservation, so we decided to stroll around a bit. We found a path which led down to the lake so we headed down there and were instantly amazed by the houseboats moored there.
Apparently these houseboats inspired the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” and we absolutely couldn’t believe how truly huge and lovely some of them were.
Then there were some that were just cute and kitschy.
There was a whole neighborhood of houseboats – it really made me want to stay in one on our next visit! We walked under the George Washington Memorial Bridge, marveling at the fact that this beautiful lake was so accessible to everyone in the Fremont neighborhood.
We spent a few minutes watching one of drawbridges on the Lake Union Ship Canal as it rose up to let a boat pass underneath.
Finally, it was time for lunch and we meandered back up the path to 35th Street and the eclectic neighborhood where Agrodolce is located. This lovely little restaurant featuring Italy’s coastal cuisine as well as delicious handmade pasta, is owned by Maria Hines, the winner of the James Beard Award for the best chef in the Northwest in 2009 and also the Iron Chef winner in 2010. Maria owns several restaurants in Seattle and was kind enough to meet us and welcome us to Agrodolce. The restaurant features organic and sustainable ingredients from the Pacific Northwest and the fresh flavor of everything we tried was truly incredible. Read more
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Photo Friday: Muir Woods
We were astonished that this incredible forest exists right on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Tom got this amazing shot looking up at the sky.
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