The Polite Traveler

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,...

  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 ...

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, 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...

  My dear polite travelers, On day four of our road trip through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state, we finally reached Port Angeles—known as the “heart of the Olympic Peninsula”, and the "gateway of the Olympic National Forest” (according to “Visit Port Angeles”).   And I couldn't agree more.  Its location is excellent for park day tripping and just hanging out on the dock.  Best yet, we were lucky enough to find the perfect place to do just that with the bonus of the best ocean view in Port Angeles. Room #215 This is an old hotel with old hotel issues, like size and storage.  Still, we were treated to two walls of windows, one of which overlooked the bay.  Sure, it’s old, but it was clean  and had a microwave, fridge, comfy bed, desk, and a decent size television.   The bathroom is also tight, but that didn’t seem to matter.  A real plus was the two chairs right outside the room to sit and look out over ...

  My dear polite travelers, In truth, on this exceedingly long road trip, we chose this Comfort Suites   Hotel   based on its proximity to my oldest grandson who lives in Eugene—such a lovely person.  Not surprisingly, I liked this hotel very much.  Choice Suites tend to be comfortable, and this one is just that.  A list of hotels and a map of our journey.       Room #322 Upon opening the door, I noticed the clean smell.  It was also neat with a couch, desk, adequate storage, comfy bed and best of all: lots of outlets!  Woohoo!!  The view wasn’t the best, but the area is a quiet enclave of hotels. We had no trouble sleeping peacefully throughout the night.  The Hotel Due to our road trip schedule, we truly had little time for picture-taking.  Plus, my main goal was to hurry up, get out, and see my grandson.  Nevertheless, there are  plenty of   exceptionally good pictures on the hote...

Dear Polite Traveler, How does a hotel visit become a long-lasting memory?  Well, for me, it’s one where a guest feels the hotel has exceeded all expectations and is comfortable at home minus the chores. Cambria Hotel Sonoma Wine Country is that and more.  Attention to detail in all aspects and the warm, welcoming staff make a visit like an exciting cross between Independence Day and Christmas.  And I’m ready to give it a go again.  Spacious, Welcoming, and Bright, The Lobby is Where It’s At Driving up, I found the hotel to be a contemporary beauty.  The choice of paint colors and design is delightful, calming, and extremely attractive.  My first thought is that I want this for a home.  Like now, please.  What I found slightly odd, though, is that much of the parking lot is also a street—not a busy street, but still... Odd.  Upon stepping into the lobby is a definite ‘wow’ moment.  Yes, I have seen more magnificent lobbies, b...