The Polite Traveler

  My dear polite travelers, After days of driving through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, we’re now on our way home.  Lucky for us, we have arrived in Astoria, Oregon baby!!  Woo-hoo!  To label the views of the city as beautiful, or exceptional, would be modest.  The Columbia River is precious.  And our choice of hotel, for this visit, is perfect:  Comfort Suites Columbia River. Room #321 Our room overlooks the majestic and wild Columbia River.  Songs of sea lions made it even wilder, especially at night.  Yep, they sang all night.  This wasn’t an issue for my hubby or me, but it might be for you.  Other than the pinniped serenade, the room was clean  and had two queen beds—even though we booked a king—a desk, extra counter space, storage, plenty of outlets, and adequate seating.  A refrigerator and microwave rounded it all up.  It was a comfortable room after a long drive.  The Hotel B...

  My dear polite travelers, Ah, the allure of the open road...  Uh-huh, considering the lighter traffic of past decades that adage seemed positive.  Today?  Not so much.  Still, sometimes magic appears beyond a mountain ridge.  Sometimes, it’s just another detour.  Our most recent road trip north from Davis, CA through Oregon, and Washington to Port Angeles—the northwestern tip of Washington—was tiring but rewarding.  There were plenty of surprises on this rushed eight-day journey.  Most of which was spent in hotels and on the highway.  What follows is a snapshot of our trip.  Note Our ultimate goal was to see, at least some of, the Olympic National Forest before returning home.  Due to our ‘seasoned’ age , it is uncomfortable to travel more than 5 to 6 hours each day, resulting in staying one night in each city.  The only exception was Port Angeles—our only two-day stay.   Note A list of hotels and ...

  My dear polite travelers, Finally, the last hotel before we return home to Davis, CA.  It’s been a long journey ( link ), even though it was only eight days.  Eight days of driving is a tad too much for us oldsters.  Still, spending the night in another Hilton Garden Inn is worth the milage, especially since management has promised the restaurant will be open.  Note A list of hotels and a map of our journey. Room #420 The room was typical of Hilton Garden Inn, with the clean , contemporary upgrades: walk-in shower, extra storage, extra counter space, microwave, and refrigerator.  The desk area was exceptional with a comfy chair and plenty of outlets.  The view wasn’t the best—freeway. Still, we didn’t hear anything during the night.  The Hotel This hotel is remarkably similar to the Hilton Garden Inn in Olympia, Washington ( link ) we stayed in recently.  The décor was contemporary and clean with intuitive seating throughout...

Time for a Road Trip We began our trip from the bicycle capital of the U.S., Davis, CA.   Our goal was to explore the Washington  Olympic National Forest  & everything in between.  It was a tiring, but fantastic trip.  Over eight days of driving, we stayed in seven different hotels: ~ Comfort Inn & Suites Ashland, OR       ~Comfort Suites Springfield, OR ~ Hilton Garden Inn, Olympia, WA          ~ Quality Inn Uptown Port Angeles, WA ~ Comfort Suites Astoria, OR                  ~ Comfort Suites Newport, OR ~ HiltonGarden Inn, Medford, OR         Read about our road trip restaurants.   ~ Road-Trip Restaurants YouTube:  ThePoliteTraveler  Instagram: ThePoliteTraveler Facebook: ThePoliteTraveler Twitter: @PoliteTravels Please Subscribe!

  My dear polite travelers, When on the road, one doesn’t always have the luxury of finding the best eats in town, especially when so many are closed, for example on Mondays, and due to Covid-triggered limited staffing issues.  Because of that, I have made a list of those we chose on our long road trip , and why you might want to try or skip each. Bon Appétit. Note A list of hotels and a map of our journey. Louie’s Ashland, Oregon Well, hmmm...this one is a bit of a conundrum.  The food was passable.  Since I didn’t want the typical huge burger and I don't eat fish, I chose the recession hamburger.  Well, it reflected a recession, as it was thin and tasteless.  The fries were also dry.  In contrast, my hubby chose salmon and brown rice.  His dish was great.  The actual—don’t return—issue was the wine.  They had few choices of white wine, and none were good.  As a result, we decided on the house wine, Recession White, and...

My dear polite travelers, A small town most known for its Shakespearean plays and majestic mountain views; today we are in Ashland Oregon.  This is our first stop on a long road trip through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state to explore the Olympic National Forest.  For this segment of the trip, we decided to stay one night in the Comfort Inn & Suites in Ashland, OR.  It’s a moderately priced hotel right off I-5, but quiet. Room #220 On the surface, it’s clean , neat, and spacious.  Dig a bit deeper, and there is one element that isn’t the best: the shower is like a dark closet.  The positive is the adequate supply of hot water and the pressure is good.  Since this is considered a suite—somewhat—it is larger than the typical hotel room and includes a bar sink, seating area, dining area, and extra counter space.  Of course, the room also provides a microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, flat-panel television, and refrigerator....

  My dear polite travelers, We’re nearing the end of our long road trip through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state.  It’s been a long seven days. Imagine staying in a hotel one block from the untamed Pacific Ocean—with its migrating whales and ocean-loving fowl—and having access to all the amenities one would desire.  Perhaps the image you have in your mind might just be close to what we found in the Comfort Inn, Newport, Oregon.    Room #331 Well, to call this room a suite is a real stretch.  It’s a bit tight, as is evident by the upholstered chair and no couch.  It’s stuck in a corner overlooking the bed—not the television. Interesting.  The bathroom is tight as well, with the sink counter too small to hold much at all.  Other than the tightness of the room, there are compensations.  It is a corner room with a peekaboo view of the ocean--such a delight.  Plus, it’s always a plus to have extra natural lig...