The Polite Traveler

An Accessible Room with an Ocean View?  Really? My Dear Polite Travelers, At times, my hubby and I find ourselves regretting our need for an accessible room due to my husband’s mobility issues.  It’s not that the rooms are not comfortable, but often there is no view.  That’s not the issue with our luxurious room at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. Room 307 Review Room 307 not only had a semi-ocean view, but also a lanai.  We had the sliding glass door open for the warm Hawaiian breezes all night—felt like heaven.  However, there’s more.  Since this hotel, er… resort , is on the higher end of the quality scale, our room showed it with its large flat-screen TV, sofa, quality hygiene products, Keurig coffee maker, and breathable cotton robes.  I nearly squealed with joy when I noticed Hyatt included an electric kettle in the room.   I do love my tea .  Don’t Miss Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Review This Hyatt Place ...

Tropical Plants, Hilarious Tour Guide, Wooden Art, Oh My! My Dear Polite Travelers, Traveling around an island might lead to questioning the types of exotic vegetation one might see.  As an avid—and sometimes irritating—questioner, I always have tons of questions.  So, a visit to the Maui Tropical Plantation was a perfect fit for me.  The Maui Tropical Plantation is part farm, part shops/market, and offers unique activities and dining options.  The best part, in my opinion, is the tour.  The Plantation Tour The Tropical Express Tour is a 40-minute tram ride through the plantation grounds.  Throughout the tour, guests are introduced to the farm’s vegetation: trees, plants, fruit, and their uses.  We’re also treated to some great humor.  Our guide was hilarious and educational.  Along the ride, we stopped for a coconut husking demonstration.  It was particularly interesting.  Of course, our guide interjected humor at just t...

  Simple room with no view, but I’d choose it again. My Dear Polite Travelers, You know how it is when we're traveling and tired.  Sometimes, we just want simple—a simple room with ample amenities like a television, microwave, and fridge.  Fold in a comfy bed and a clean bathroom, and it’s a travel-day win.  Well, that’s what we found at a new favorite hotel, Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore.  Room W309 Since my hubby is mobility challenged, we chose an accessible room.  This one didn’t disappoint: grab bars, toiletries at chair height, a shower wand, a pull-down shower seat, and a walk-in shower.  Additionally, there were no cabinets under the sink vanity for wheelchair users.  All good. The room was comfortable, with temperature control easy to manage and ample light.  Of course, the room included a coffee maker, coffee, and tea .  The large, smart, mounted television allowed for easy streaming—great for after-...

  You Can’t Get This in a Lower-Cost Maui Hotel…or can you? My Dear Polite Travelers, When many people think of a Maui vacation, they probably imagine lying on a sandy beach near a luxurious hotel—perhaps holding a tropical cocktail.  That’s a great vision, and one I share often.  Still, this is rarely our exact reality when staying in a lower-cost hotel .  Or so we thought. After a long day of traveling, we arrived at the Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore.  From the front of the hotel—directly off a main, very busy road—the hotel doesn’t scream high-end or even comfy.  But that’s not why I chose this hotel.  I chose it for its proximity to the airport and considered it a good two-day resting place before moving on to the west side of the island for the remainder of our visit.  And perhaps we could also explore the area.  Don’t Miss! Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Review : Art, Excellent Service & Penguins...Oh My ...

Art, Excellent Service & Penguins...Oh My My Dear Polite Travelers, Maui has experienced some horrific natural disasters, including a devastating fire and, more recently, torrential rain that caused severe flooding.  However, none of that was visible during my last visit.  The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort is a huge, richly landscaped, multi-building beauty.  It includes a 40-acre oceanfront lagoon and a waterslide into a children’s splashpad.  However, I saw many more adults enjoying the splashpad than children.  It did look inviting.   Directly adjacent to the lobby is a penguin den.  Guests are invited to watch a daily penguin presentation.  I enjoyed watching them play.  They are quite adorable.     Dining & Shopping In the main building, you’ll find multiple shops, including a gallery filled with unique and quite excellent art.  My favorite shop was actually Honolulu Coffee .  As a family-owned,...

Palm Springs Activities Hello, my Polite Travelers, As an older couple, we often just want to relax and enjoy our favorite places at a leisurely pace. This was the case during our recent revisit to Palm Springs. For the most part, we explored downtown, stopping for coffee and chatting with the locals. Additionally, we embarked on a few other excellent adventures. Agua Caliente Cultural Museum As a Smithsonian Affiliate, I found this museum to be outstanding.  This museum is a mixture of immersive video, sound, and visuals (including lifelike exhibits) to tell the story of America’s rich—and many times heart-wrenching—indigenous story.  The permanent gallery begins with the 360-degree immersive video of the Agua Caliente “Creation & Migration” story.  The quality of their digital animation and sound is impressive—there’s even a screen on the floor.  I found their creation story to be fascinating. Don’t Miss! For the Love of Art! Don’t Miss The Palm Springs Art M...