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...

Old, Needs Update, but Perfectly Located Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, I’ve always wanted to visit our central coast, an ocean town known for its big rock.  Staying in a hotel one block from the coast...dreamy.  The Comfort Inn Downtown is central to just about everything and overlooks a majestic bay with, yes, a huge rock.  This hotel is adequate, and the staff is accommodating .  Most importantly, it is inexpensive for this area, especially considering the view.  Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   Also, during the pandemic, some amenities may not be available.  Please remember, this is only temporary. The Positives Proximity to the shore, the wharf, and Morro Rock Fitness center/gym equipped with up-to-date machine Guest laundry Free hot breakfast: limited Free WIFI Free on-site parking Interior corridors—excellent for cold weather C...

Sleeping with Martians in Arizona After a long drive, a motel sign welcoming “Aliens” brings a smile to my road-weary face.  Stopping for only one night, we found this  Quality Inn  exactly that: quality focused.  Why?  Follow along. The Location One of the biggest benefits of this and many other Choice properties is that guests can find the properties easily.  To search for the night’s bed after a day on the road is never fun.  An additional benefit is that it is near the freeway, but also quiet. The Lobby and Dining Room A spaceship could probably land in this lobby it is so large.  It is an interesting motel, as it serves—buffet-style—most of the breakfast in the lobby, but dining is in a spacious, comfy upstairs loft with large windows which allow guests to enjoy a view while munching on scrambled eggs, sausage, and waffles.  There are many other food items available as well.  Coffee...

Our Room in the Comfort Inn Carmel by the Sea, CA Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, Since this was our last stop of our California road trip—for now—we didn’t want to spend much on a hotel room when we would only be in town for two days.  Thus, we chose an inexpensive hotel near downtown Carmel.  It was much more important to us to be within walking distance of everything than to be surrounded by extravagance for such a short amount of time.  This Comfort Inn lived up to our expectations.  It is old, a bit tired, but adequate. Note : Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.    First things first: the location. To absorb everything this top-10 rated city in the U.S. has to offer, it is best to get out and walk it making this motel choice perfect.  This small hotel is located on the main street that travels directly to the ocean.  Ocean St. is lined with numerous unique boutiq...