The Polite Traveler

  Comfy & Quiet Comfort Suites Bakersfield Dear Polite Travelers, We needed a hotel stay near highways 58 and 99 in California.   Luckily, we found  Comfort Suites in that exact spot for a good rate.   Since it’s so near a major junction, it was surprisingly quiet and very comfortable.    Basic in appearance, this hotel offers quite a bit for the money .   For one, the rooms are large and well-equipped with the typical microwave, fridge, and coffee maker.   But more importantly, it was spacious, clean...and quiet.   The hotel itself was adequate with a pool, hot tub, outdoor seating area, breakfast room, and fitness center.   The lobby was small but, again, adequate.   The real star here was the breakfast.   For one, it’s the only place I’ve visited that provided gloves for our protection while using the buffet serving utensils.   Although, most did not use them or wear masks in the breakfast room.   Gr...

Not Worth the Price  Dear Polite Travelers, Hampton Inn by Hilton is not known for luxury.  But at Sedona’s exorbitant hotel rates, one would expect a tad more than this hotel offers.  Perhaps real glasses and ceramic coffee mugs??  At least the rooms were well-appointed.  Somewhat, anyway.  The Room Below The Parking Lot Since the hotel is located directly on Highway 89A, I asked for a quiet room instead of the second-floor room with a highway view they had reserved for us.  Upon first look, it appears clean, updated, but simple.  Once we settled in, we found it was indeed clean, with the standard microwave, flatscreen television, coffee maker, and fridge.  But the place needs some maintenance.  The tub has been painted and is peeling, and the toilet makes noise all night.  For the most part, it is comfortable and has adequate free Internet.  The worst part of this room—and the entire first floor—is it is roughly fo...

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...

Imagine a trip to a tropical island.   The air is fresh with smells of the ocean, sand, and something that can’t be put into mere words.   It is more of a feeling, rather than something that can be simply discussed or splashed down on a cold page.   Now, imagine Hawaii.   If you’ve never been, you are probably picturing swaying palms, sandy beaches, and tanned bodies lying everywhere.   Even if you’ve been to some of the Hawaiian Islands, you may be visualizing this right now—great vision to invoke mid-winter.   Keep this vision as we move on.      The big island, Hawaii, always held great interest for me since I was a young child because of the many romantic stories about the cowboys on the biggest cattle ranch in the US, the Parker Ranch.   Of course, in Hawaii, those cowboys are called Paniolos.   So here I am, a much older version of that little girl swooning over ranch life and horses and expecting to see cattle roaming ...

  Discounted Four-Star Accommodations and Wine Tastings Equals Heaven in Northern California Dear Polite Traveler, Exciting two-day travel escapes are easy for those of us living in Northern California.   Napa, Sonoma, and San Francisco are one to two hours from home.   So ... where to go?   Our choice was Sonoma County, more specifically the Santa Rosa/Healdsburg area to taste wine, indulge in the beautiful landscape, and to lodge at the Vintners Inn , Santa Rosa.    With a package purchased through Travelzoo we saved 50 percent on four-star accommodations and received coupons and vouchers for reduced price or free wine tastings, breakfast, and more.   Road Trip! Our first stop was the charming town of Santa Rosa to walk the downtown core and to surrender to my mocha addiction at Starbucks inside a local bookstore.   Brimming with unique shops and restaurants surrounding a perfectly maintained park, Santa Rosa seems the perfect place to ...

My Top Five Favorite Foods of Paris My Dear Polite Traveler, The streets of Paris are lined with food vendors, which as a small business owner always looking for the best bang for my small-budget buck appreciates greatly.   Most offer excellent food at amazingly affordable prices, especially my favorites.   Those who love chocolate , butter, and ham – not necessarily at the same time – should appreciate my list of favorites as well.   Get ready to drool. #5 C roque Monsieur As Paris is the land of ham and cheese, it's a no-brainer they would have a killer grilled ham and cheese sandwich.   Jambon, French for ham, appears on almost all menus in one form or another and of course, cheese is...well, everywhere.   My favorite Croque Monsieur is the less heavy open face version.   This is a piece of toasted dense bread coated with a slight touch of mustard, crumbled cheese—such as g ruyere— followed with a slice of ham and finished with the cheesy béchame...

  Eight Great Traveling on the Cheap Tips Jet-leg confusion can cause travelers to do some pretty silly things, but overspending shouldn't be one of them.  Careful planning and some insider tips can help you save, even when traveling to the city of lights--Paris, France.  For my small business, I need to adhere to a strict budget and use the same philosophy when traveling.  Follow me as I share some of my favorite money-saving tips.   Rent an Apartment With a little due diligence, a couple can stay in Paris on the cheap and have a kitchen to boot.  Of all the tourists we interviewed,  Vrbo  was the most popular sites for finding great rentals.  For example, we found a cute, newly remodeled ground floor apartment in the quiet, but famous Montmartre neighborhood – five minutes from the Moulin Rouge – is € 500 per week plus a € 50 cleaning fee.  Shop for Hotel Deals For our most recent vi...