The Polite Traveler

Probably best known for its connection to Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, Monterey is a delightful blend of funky, sublime, and an ode to the working class.  Funkiness abounds on Cannery Row with its quaint, stuck-in-time business facades simmering in a cannery atmosphere.  There’s no escaping it nor would anyone wish to.  It’s just downright fun. Of course, there’s much more to Monterey than that one street with the cannery influence and that is why we chose this area of Monterey, and more specifically, Pacific Grove.  We chose Pacific Grove for its quiet and focus on nature , which excelled excellently.  As for this small portion of Monterey, well... Recently while watching Obama’s new docuseries, Our  Great National Parks , we learned that the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the largest in the continental U.S.  It’s a mind-blowing 6,094 square miles with 276 miles of shoreline.  As a native C...

Beautiful, but Too Crowded! Dear Polite Travelers, Widely recognized for its natural beauty and spiritual qualities, Sedona has always been one of my bucket-list items.  So once Covid took a break—and we’re both triple vaccinated—we hopped into our trusty Honda and drove 800 miles southeast to the land of crimson mountains.  The Drive from Flagstaff to Sedona Since we live in California, we drove Interstate 40 east to Flagstaff, AZ.  If visiting Arizona, please stop in this lovely city.  It’s greener than most of the state, the people are young and as vibrant as the landscape, and there are a couple of Starbucks just waiting for those like us.  Besides the interesting locals—and caffeinated beverages—our junction, Highway 89A/17 South, for Sedona is conveniently located in Flagstaff.  Drive Slowly & Enjoy Highway 89A South Warning, this is a winding, slow road, but one you are guaranteed to enjoy.  Still, it’s not wise to drive in th...

The Tale of Our Trip to Palm Springs Dear Polite Travelers, At least 5000 years, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians inhabited Palm Springs before white people came to claim large portions of it for themselves.   Due to presidential decree, they are—again—considered the largest landholder of the land they previously roamed unincumbered.   This back and forth of the land, people, and culture are just three of the unique qualities of this majestic, dramatic site.   And I couldn’t resist a visit, especially since tourist information boasted its measures to curb Covid.   For me, this was a let’s-travel-slam-dunk.   Information Stop Our first stop was the visitors center right off highway 111.   It’s a small historic building with a dramatic San Jacinto Mountains backdrop.   I was looking for information about the Rat Pack I grew up with from the early ‘60s.   Yes, I’m that old.   We learned their influence was everywhere, es...

Dear Polite Travelers, After more than a year of hiding out from a mega virus and feeling travel deprived, we decided to drive eight hours from our hamlet in Davis, Ca to America’s Riviera : Santa Barbara. Typically, we would scout out all must-sees in the city and perhaps take a tour to learn more.   Not this time.   We had a scant two full days and felt we needed less educational input and more pure bliss.   Santa Barbara certainly delivered on that. Soak in the Fresh Ocean Air Arriving late in the afternoon, we decided to spend our first few hours in our hotel: Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort .   Our lovely room included a balcony with a peek-through ocean view and heady scents from the gardens down below sedating our over-busy minds.    Freshening up, we headed to our hotel’s beachfront restaurant, The Set.   While observing the mesmerizing ocean scene, we leisurely enjoyed a light dinner with wine until our stress utterly melted a...

This Coastal Town is More Than a Big Rock   Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, Road trip!!  For our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, we decided to make it a road trip, traveling south from Davis, CA to stay in San Luis Obispo before landing in Hollywood and then Morro Bay on our homeward bound jaunt.  Since our stay in San Luis Obispo was only one night, I don’t have anything to report.  This isn’t the case for the lovely and approachable Morro Bay . 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.    Before staying here, I only knew the town as one overshadowed by a very large rock.   Within a few hours of visiting, I found it is much, much more.    It’s a place dedicated to memorializing the fisherman who have lost their lives to the ...

Stay, Relax & Rejuvenate Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, To celebrate a special occasion, we chose to stay in  Gaige House  + Ryokan , a boutique hotel in Glen Ellen, Sonoma, CA.  Focusing on all things “Zen”, there are 23 lovely room spread out on their fertile, lush grounds along the Calabazas Creek.  Ours was so comfortable, I didn’t want to leave.  However, the property and town are too lovely to stay inside this well-appointed room. 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. Inside the main building were several inviting common rooms decked out in comfortable furniture and intricate details begging guests to settle in, read a book or play a board game.    A variety of tea and coffee were available all day in the dining room and ...

Wandering the City of Weird & Loving It Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, Powell's Bookstore is a book lover's dream.  We authors love it too!  Now to get my books on their shelves. 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. One day of our Portland visit, my hubby and I took a walk across the Burnside Bridge to the other side of the river to walk that side first.  We crossed the Hawthorne Bridge to return.  It was a great walk. It seemed that every time I mentioned our upcoming Portland visit, people would tell me I had to visit Voodoo Doughnuts.  Okay, we did.  The place is interesting while the doughnuts are not.  My advice, take pictures, leave the doughnuts.   Please share your experiences!! Happy travels!! Continue with a Tour of Po...

Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, My husband and I chose to spend a few days in this land of weird—our first visit and decidedly, not our last.  We began our first day with a  city tour .  In this tour, our guide Kat taught us quite a bit about Portland’s history and the city’s values, such as environmental sustainability plans and publicly-funded art.  I wholeheartedly recommend a city tour, as it gives the tourist a better understanding of the city.  (Please read my post on  Portland ) During this tour, we found that Portland has a deep devotion to renovating downtown historical buildings.  Many of the older buildings have a European flair, in fact, much of the city does.  The city founders were straight from various European countries, so it makes perfect sense.  We also learned about Portland’s, er... most interesting mayor: former pub owner Bud Clark (in office 1985-1992). No...