The Polite Traveler

Solvang: The Denmark of the West Revised 4/2021 Recently, my dear sis wanted to spend her sixth birthday with the fam in Disneyland ( review ).  Never one to miss a chance of sharing time with the crazy clan, my hubby and I packed up our Honda—including plenty of dark chocolate peanut M & Ms--and sped out of our cozy hamlet of Davis, CA for the long 400+ miles to the gray skies of Anaheim.  Note : Follow CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. On the Slow Road After our Disneyland visit and sad farewells, my husband and I decided that instead of jumping back on I-5 north and drive straight home the next day, we’d opted for a slow road trip home beginning with breakfast in the quaint, must-see Danish town of Solvang.   Thus, early the next morning, we drove the 128 miles northwest—mostly on the scenic highway 101.   Famous for many reasons, Huffington Post recognized Solvang as the number two “Place to Travel to Europe Without L

What’s so Special About Buellton, CA? Revised 4/2021 Buellton is one of those—blink and you’ve missed it—quiet California hamlets nestled in between more well-known touristy locations like Solvang and Santa Barbara.  In fact, if one didn’t know any better, one would think it is a suburb of Solvang, as it is a mere six miles away.  Most pass it by on their way to nearby wineries, which was our focus when we decided to overnight in this quaint little Santa Ynez Valley town. Note : Follow CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. Wine anyone? Best known for the famous Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant   and the Hitching Post –made famous by appearing in the movie “ Sideways ” -- Buellton is a perfect place to begin a Santa Ynez Valley wine tasting tour.  If that is your pleasure, take a short drive to the artsy, historic Los Olivos —home to art, wine and all things beautiful.  After exploring this lovely town and if time allows, jump on the Foxen Canyon

Comfy, Clean and Exceeds Expectations Revised 4/2021  On a road trip, what does a person really need in a motel?  I suppose the answer begins with “It depends.”  The populace is typically satisfied with the standard room consisting of a clean room, clean bed, ample bathroom, and a television.  Nevertheless, it’s always great to have extras thrown in at no extra cost, such as free Wi-Fi and free breakfast.  Fold in an in-room microwave, coffee maker, and minifridge and I’m not ready to leave the next morning.   Well, this is what my husband and I experienced when we stayed at the Quality Inn Santa Ynez Valley located in the small town of Buellton.  Note : Follow CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. Our Comfy Room As I mentioned above, our inexpensive room included a coffee maker, microwave and refrigerator.  Reflecting a recent renovation, it was also squeaky clean and appeared new.  The bed was divine. Besides the room extras, this motel also

Stay and Rest Comfortably in The Comfort Inn Near Grand Canyon Revised 4/2021   When driving hundreds of miles each day, a quiet place to lay one’s head is heaven on earth.  With that in mind, I was a bit concerned about our future stay in a hotel so near the Grand Canyon.  What if a group of rowdy young men settled in next door or a baby cried all night?  After all, I slept so little the night before in a noisy room in our last motel choice— Quality Inn on Historic Route 66 in Barstow.  Sigh.   Well, I was about to be surprised! Note : Please follow CDC and state guidelines to be safe from Covid.  Always wear your mask. Our Greeting Since I was so tired from my sleepless night before, all I could think about was to race to the next hotel room, shower , and jump into bed.  Unfortunately, it was only 3 pm when we arrived, which meant our room was not ready.  The receptionist was very gracious about our room condition and offered restaurant options with directions stating tha

Tale of  Two Completely Different Visits On one hand, we have an oasis in the middle of the desert.  On the other...well, it’s less so much an oasis and much more a dump.  How can this be?  Well, follow along for the story of the good and bad of the Quality Inn in Barstow, CA.  Why stay in Barstow and why at this motel? When traveling through the desert, usually for business, I look forward to a shower and rest.  A glass of wine doesn’t hurt either.  That said, why would I choose dry, windy Barstow? Barstow is the only in-between spot to stay when traveling to Arizona from our home in Northern California.  It is also the only town for over a hundred miles—if staying on highway 40—with a Starbucks.  Gotta have my afternoon mochas.  In addition, lodging choices are slim in this part of California.  Finding a clean, quiet hotel/motel is difficult.  Lastly, we stay at this particular Quality Inn because our rooms in the past have been adequate and the free breakfast exemplary—a proper b

Overall Impression of Disneyland as a 60 + Year-Old Revised 4/2021 Because my dear sis wanted to celebrate her 60th  b’day at Disneyland, my husband and I drove the 400+ miles from our Davis CA hamlet to Anaheim.  I must love my sis immensely to drive in the LA area.  Traffic jams are legendary, proved once again as we spent our last two hours on I-5 creeping a mere 20 miles.  Yep, two long wasted hours sitting on a smoggy—cough, cough—stretch of highway.  Nevertheless, I love my sis, so we drove and ventured into the park the next day.  Note : Follow CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. It had been well over twenty years since my last visit , so I was anxious to revisit my favorite Disney classics.  Having visited the ultra-modern and ever-changing Universal Orlando recently, I expected Disneyland (the happiest place in the world) to have updated those classics.  If not, I hoped that the park was, at least, as exciting as it was twenty+ ye