The Polite Traveler

Healdsburg Inn Hilton Tapestry Leaves Me Wanting More I hope you’re enjoying your summer, my polite travelers.  It’s been a scorcher, just about everywhere.  What’s not hot is the Healdsburg Inn, a Hilton property.  Yes, it has many of the amenities one would want in a summer getaway, like a pool and games—chess, checkers, cornhole, and Jenga.  But they don’t have a fitness room, and the self-serve laundry is in a different hotel.  Weird.  It’s also disappointing that this hotel is similar to the Tapestry in Sonoma: small rooms, the ADA room is lacking, and the reception room is…well, pretty much all there is.  It is where guests sign in, grab packaged food, and purchase overpriced beer and wine on tap.  It’s not Hilton quality.  Comparing this property to the Sacramento Tapestry leaves me shaking my head in disbelief.  The one bright spot is the people.  The staff is engaging, efficient, and pleasant. ADA Room 424—...

  Hawaiian Airline Lounges, Honolulu: Crowded & Limited Refreshment Choices My dear polite travelers, Two lounges welcome the few departing passengers who qualify for entry when flying Hawaiian Airlines from Oahu. This qualification could be the price of the ticket, a specific credit card, or a daily/hourly fee.  Both lounges are accessible, non-smoking, and offer newspapers, free Wi-Fi, restrooms, and televisions.  Welcome to The Plumeria Lounge Well...hmmm...  The Plumeria Lounge is a tossup of good and yikes.  If arriving early, it’s not terribly busy.  But it’s also not incredibly interesting— food selection is limited.  By 10:00 am, this small space is packed, and noisy, as hot food and wine finally arrive.  Yes, it’s pleasant to have a semi-private place to sit with a computer, and a restroom nearby.  Still, I’m not a fan of small, crowded   spaces in the never-ending pandemic age.   Not a fan. Premier C...

Dining in Waikiki My dear polite travelers, When traveling, I sometimes feel that we are always searching for our next meal .  Is this place good?  Does that place serve wine?  Well, for our most recent trip to Waikiki, we decided to revisit one of our favs and test the waters on a few more.     Hula Grill: The View & So Much More For those of you who follow me, you know how much I love the Hula Grill.  It’s a great combo of good food, affordable prices, friendly staff, and one of the best views in Waikiki.   For this trip , we kept it simple with bar food: a hamburger with fries, battered portobello mushroom, and Hula Grill Tacos.  Every dish was good, not great, but good—with one exception.  The battered portobello mushrooms were excellent—crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside with an enticing, earthy flavor.  Hula Grill;  2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 203 Cheaper Than a Flight to Italy: Arancino di Mare...

  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, 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...

  My dear polite travelers, Arg!  This property was incredibly difficult to find on this road trip through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State, even with navigational assistance.  Whew!  So, after going in circles—multiple times—we finally found this haven.  Still, read on for a caveat. Room #518 I love this room!  It is smartly designed for comfort and yet offers those who travel for work everything they will need, such as ample outlets, extra storage, and a workable desk and chair.  For those of us who would rather shower, open a bottle of our favorite wine, and veg, it’s all that too.  I appreciated the comfortable seating, comfortable bed , updated bath, fridge, and microwave. The Hotel Upon entering, we found this Hilton Garden Inn to be beautifully appointed, and just plain ‘Wow!’  We don’t typically find this type of contemporary gem in a non-resort setting.  It was a real find, especially considering the...