The Polite Traveler

Ah Hawaii, warm breezes, friendly people, and many lodging opportunities. Some are elegant, some are shabby, and some are just so-so. For the most part, my dear hubby and I have found our stays comfortable, but not always…perfect. What is perfect anyway? In Hawaii, perfect could simply mean looking out a clean window.  For this trip, we traveled and stayed in Waikiki. We know Waikiki well. It’s easy to maneuver through town, and it’s comfortable for my hubby, who is now living with mobility issues. Yep, a complete bummer. Still, we have found ways to help him enjoy—or sometimes simply tolerate—travel. (More on traveling by air in another post) As for our hotel stays, well, that requires a bit of finesse.  The Room Across from a Jet Engine--Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki  We’ve stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki multiple times but never in an accessible room. We chose this hotel based on its location and price. It’s not fancy or elegant. This Hilton is the typica...

Beautiful But Needs Adjustments to its Accessible Rooms My Dear Polite Travelers I recently read about a new Hyatt House and since I needed a short brain-tidy-vaca near my home base in Davis, CA, I ventured twenty miles west to the sprawling city of Vacaville, the shopping mecca of our general area.  The Lobby/Bar/Restaurant Walking into the lobby, I noted calming tones, striking art, décor, and welcoming faces.  The registration staff was delightful and efficient.  The attractive bar and eating area are tastefully decorated and have ample seating areas. In fact, the entire area was so lovely that I brought many of those decorating ideas home with me.  The restaurant’s menu was limited and similar to what is typically found at bars: hamburgers, pizzas… etc.  I ordered a hamburger which was delivered overcooked.  Grr… Accessible Room 133 First off, this is a gorgeous room filled with outstanding artwork.  It includes a kitchenette, small ...

Dear Polite Travelers, We had limited time during our last outing, so we chose to stay close to home and focused on the Santa Rosa area.  Lucky for us, Sebastopol is a close neighbor, and we were thrilled to visit, if only for a few hours.  Tucked away in an interesting set of what had been apple warehouses, is the Barlow, right off Highway 12.  We stopped in at the co-op style market, which sells only the freshest organic foods and natural products.  Besides the market, there are various other shops, breweries, and restaurants sprinkled around the property.  One exceptional example is Sarmentine , and just as its name implies, it’s all about French pastries and bread.  Yum.  Our choices were so scrumptious , that I scarfed up most of it before realizing I needed a picture.  They also serve excellent espresso beverages.  This is our new must-stop when traveling south.  I hope you do too! Happy Travels, my Polite Travelers...

My Dear Polite Travelers, Our first stay in a Hyatt was less than stellar.  In fact, it’s more of a mixed bag of frustration and comfort.  The hotel was beautiful, don’t get me wrong.  It was just … incomplete.  Really? Room #281 is considered accessible ? We booked an accessible room due to my hubby’s back issue—a typical old-person problem.  Typically, an accessible room would naturally have a shower with ease of entry.  In room #281?  Nope.  Getting into a tub requires some dexterity that a mobility-challenged person may not have.  This is a major problem that should be addressed.  I hope Hyatt is listening.  Other than that oversight, there were no towel bars in the bathroom — strange.  Plus, it would have been logical if there was at least one hook for clothing/robe in the bathroom as well.  And, speaking of robes, robes are an accessory in these rooms.  There were none.  In fact, I had to call down f...

  Snapshot of my latest one-day visit to Napa, including our overnight stay in the Embassy Suites, Napa.

  Icy Cold Embassy Suites My dear polite travelers, I’m a huge fan of Hilton properties and have stayed in comfortable, and sometimes special, Embassy Suites.  In comparison, Hilton’s Napa property is a mixed bag, especially when visiting during the cold winter months.  Guest rooms are accessed from an outdoor corridor, except those in what’s called “The Atrium.”  And that room is huge, comprised of a large—albeit beautiful—dining area, restaurant/bar, and meeting room.  So, even Atrium rooms, are accessed by an open walkway looking out over this enormous unheated area.  Baby, it’s cold inside! Guest rooms are not heated unless the old-fashioned boiler is turned on.  Really.  Not kidding.  When my hubby and I arrived midday, it was 42 degrees outside and 60 degrees inside with no heat.  Yep.  That’s right.  None.  We adjusted the thermostat to 80 degrees with hopes to heat the room quickly, to no avail.  ...