The Polite Traveler

  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...

Hyatt Place Delano, CA, and Room #303 Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we’ve had a fantastic, fun-filled week in Palm Springs, and are now traveling home to Davis, CA.  To break up the long drive, we’re staying one night in the Hyatt Place in Delano, CA.  So far, so excellent. The Spacious Accessible Room #303 This room appears brand new, as if no one has stayed here yet.  Everything is clean, neat, and warm.  We’ve been assigned a lovely corner room away from the nearby freeway.  Across the street is a huge shopping center with restaurants and shopping opportunities.  Since this is an accessible room, there’s plenty of room between furniture and grab bars a’plenty in the bathroom—near the toilet and in the shower.  The sink is outside the toilet/shower room--love it.  The walk-in shower features an adjustable shower wand and pull-down seat.  Perfect!  There is no microwave, but one can be requested.  Alternatively, th...

Hilton Palm Springs Hotel & Room #191 Review Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we finally made it to Palm Springs, CA.  It’s great weather, even in early December.  Palm Springs is a unique place: quirky with a side of cinema history.  And even though it’s a tourist favorite, it feels homey and welcoming .  There are numerous lodging options, but we chose the Hilton Palm Springs Resort.  We stayed here four years ago and found it to be a mixed bag: a great layout, but in need of some remodeling.  Now, it’s a tad better…with caveats.  Accessible Room #191 For the most part, this room is accessible : a walk-in shower, plenty of grab bars, a fold-down shower seat, and a low-mounted shampoo bar.  Still, the toilet is at regular height.  Those with mobility issues require taller toilets.  The bathroom sink is excellent, with counter space and no cabinets underneath.  Although I didn’t measure the sink height, it appears to be a...

Hyatt Place Bakersfield and Room #312 Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we’re on the road traveling from Davis, CA to Palm Desert.  Midway, we’re staying at the Hyatt Place Bakersfield.  It’s not far from CA 99 and very near highway #58, which is exactly the road we need to jump onto tomorrow morning.  It’s also directly across the street from a shopping center with restaurants and…drumroll… Trader Joe’s .  The room is spacious and accessible.  The bathroom features numerous grab bars, and the space between furniture is ample.   This room has a bathtub, so those requiring a walk-in shower should request a different room.  The tub also didn’t have a shower wand or pull-down seat.  Many with mobility issues require these.  The shampoo and conditioner were ‘fairly’ low enough, but could have been lower. Don’t Miss! Choose This Comfort Suites When in Astoria, OR Why We’ll Skip Embassy Suites Napa in the Winter Look Closer at the ...