The Polite Traveler

Wailua River Cruise & Fern Grotto Tour Revised 4/2021 Seventeen years ago, my hubby and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary by vacationing in Kauai.  While there, we went on a river cruise to see the famous Fern Grotto.  Unfortunately, I was in a wheelchair at the time.   Because the trip into the Fern Grotto included a trek through the forest, therefore inaccessible, I was tied to the boat.  Now that I am not chair-bound, I am excited to jump ship.  Will it be worth the price of admission?  Read along to find out. Note : Follow Hawaii and CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. The Riverboat Cruise Located on the east side of the island in the beautiful town of Wailua, is Smith’s Tropical Paradise.  It isn’t too far from Lihue, but it is off the road a bit.  Once there, we parked, when inside the building, and purchase our tickets for the riverboat ride which also includes a Fe...

The Room Over The Power Plant Revised 4/2021 The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas offers guests beautiful rooms, which include kitchens or kitchenettes, outdoor grills, and a number of pools.  Most often, it includes an excellent restaurant, poolside bar, and small store.  A large grocery store is within walking distance as well.  Thus, the theory is that guests will not have to leave the property once they cross the big pond to reach it. Great theory, but that’s not necessarily true when the only on-site restaurant is closed.  Add to that the incredibly loud room...well, let’s just say I needed a break from the property at times.   Note : Follow Hawaii and CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. May we just see the room we should have had? After an exceptionally long journey that included a broken plane and a rushed connection—not to mention airport security—we were surprised to find that our ...

Sales Pitch: Vacation Ownership is not a Timeshare – And, Pigs Fly Revised 4/2021 Ah Hawaii...land of pineapples and gentle ocean breezes.  Honestly, I cannot get enough of that warm Pacific air.  Moreover, add a touch of rum to those juiced pineapples and I am in heaven.  I enjoyed both on my last visit to the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai.  The only glitch in this trip to paradise was our first room at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.  Well, there was that bit of sleight of hand too. Note : Follow Hawaii and CDC guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public. If a deal is too good to be true...well, you know. I begin by sharing, what I believe to be a slight bit of deceit.  My husband, who is an excellent trip planner and always does his homework, received an “invitation” to learn more about Westin’s resort in Kauai.  The price was too good to pass up.  However, he was skeptical.  T...

Exploring The Hogwarts Castle & Riding The Forbidden Journey Revised 4/2021 Recently, I visited Universal Orlando to celebrate a particularly special, benchmark birthday.  Heck, for a woman, every birthday is special.  That aside, as a serious Potter Head, I especially wanted to immerse myself in the Harry Potter experience.  (Please  read  all my travel and reviews on this park) Note : Follow CDC and park guidelines.  Wear a mask at all times. Most HP fans are drawn to the Hogwarts Castle like a moth to a flame and I was no different.  The castle is amazing and true to the books and movies.  Also true to the movie, “Goblet of Fire” is the Forbidden Journey ride found inside the castle/school.  Because of the ride, and the magnificent replica of the Hogwarts School, lines can be ridiculously long to enter.  Was it worth the long wait?  Follow along as I take you with me through the...

Four Hours Visiting The Grand Canyon Updated 4/2021 I have an idea why the Grand Canyon is called “Grand”.    I theorize it’s because “Awesome Canyon” sounds more like stoner talk.  Joking aside, it is quite awesome and grand.   Recently, I was lucky enough to have a few hours to gaze wide-eyed at our big hole in the ground.  Since we (hubby & I) had only four precious hours, please follow along with what I found most important to see.  Note : Follow CDC and all park guidelines when visiting.  Wear a mask and social distance.     First Stop The first place to stop for those with limited time would be the visitor’s center.  Don’t worry about missing it.  There are plenty of signs pointing the way.  There, we found information offering park rangers, giant exhibits (displaying the entire canyon, trip planners, canyon-related history, and science), and a movie theater...

Who Are the Navajo of Arizona? I recently had the extraordinary opportunity to teach a few business-etiquette workshops at  Dine' College  in Arizona, which is deep in the heart of the Navajo Nation. Upon hearing about my workshops -- and where -- many contributed their impressions of what type of people the Navajo would be. Many also shared stories about driving on the reservation--beware the reservation police. After spending a few days with the lovely students and staff of Dine', I found most of what I heard to be untrue. Therefore, I would like to share my experiences with you. The Navajos ride skateboards and play hacky sack too! Stereotyping is common and I found it rampant when others commented about who the Navajo are. Many had mentioned that the Navajo are an isolated people, distant, quiet, and reserved. Some suggested that they do not typically partake in most things current, like today's music, television shows, and fashion. Yes, it is true that they hono...

Updated 4/2021 New Orleans is a city of contrasts, some amazing, some ...well, not.    Most of the positives, I expected as well as some of the negatives.    However, I hadn’t counted on finding this one particular negative in any American city in these current times.    To find out more, let’s explore the good, bad, ugly, and amazing New Orleans together.  Note : Due to Covid, it's best to check Louisiana Covid and the business's websites before visiting.  Always wear your mask and social distance.  Follow CDC advice. The architecture is beautiful!   Some of the buildings are a mixture of styles and types, like a townhouse built in a Greek Revival Style.  This is one of my favorite styles.  With wide round columns and double galleries, these buildings are quite lovely.   More common though, is the Creole style.  It is a combination of styles seen in other cultures, Spanish, French, and ...