The Polite Traveler

  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...

  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 Travelers, Conflicting visits have stained our view of the Basque Boulangerie and it’s a shame because our previous experiences were memorable.  Pity.  On our most recent visit, we shared only one pastry and it was anything but memorable.  In my opinion, scones are not filled with jam...or anything gooey, even if it tastes slightly like fruit.  Our “apricot scone” was dry on the outside with a gooey gelatinous apricot filling.  Actually, I didn’t see any pieces of apricot.   My tea was fine, but not memorable and my hubby’s coffee was bland.  Will We Return? Nope.  We’ll drive up the highway to revisit Les Pascals in Glen Ellen instead.  This is not to say you shouldn’t try it.  Our experience may not be yours.  I noted several in the shop who appeared to like their meals . More by The Polite Traveler There’s more than excellent coffee at Black Oak Coffee Roasters Why The Olive Garden in Rohnert Park, C...

  Dear Polite Travelers, During our last trip to Rohnert Park, CA, we decided to take a short drive to nearby Healdsburg.  It’s a lovely small town with a quaint downtown filled with unique small shops.  Luckily, we discovered one of our new favorite coffee shops right here. Black Oak Coffee Roasters is a small shop with adequate, comfortable indoor seating.  Service is quick and personable.  And even though the name implies only coffee, they provide a variety of sweet and savory food options besides beverage options as well.  Our choices that day were a chocolate croissant , for me, and a blueberry scone for my hubby.  We both thoroughly enjoyed each bite.  Please don’t let the dark coat of the croissant fool you.  It didn’t taste overbaked.  In fact, it was simply perfect: flaky on the outside with gooey chocolatey goodness inside. If you are in the area, check it out.  I highly recommend it. More by The Polite Trave...

  Dear Polite Travelers, An expensive, albeit worth it, trip to France isn’t necessary if all you want to do is experience authentic French bakery items.  At Les Pascals —founded and managed by a French husband and wife team—that’s exactly what you get.  Last year, my hubby surprised me with a trip to Glen Ellen and a stay in the unique Gaige House —a member of the Four Sisters Inns .  It was a great visit by the way.  While there we enjoyed several pastry items at Les Pascals and have revisited that moment often.  So, it was only natural, while driving home from our most recent trip to the nearby Rohnert Park, to make a short detour for a revisit.  And we were not disappointed.  In fact, my croissant and hubby’s apple raisin cinnamon roll were so delish, we decided to add this to our ‘must revisit often’ list.  Please check out the pictures and decide for yourself.  It’s worth the drive and many agree.  The line for thi...

Hello Polite Travelers, Well, we’re on the road again.  This time, we stayed close to home visiting Sonoma County, more precisely Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park, CA.  After checking into our contemporary digs ( Cambria Hotel Sonoma) we walked a short distance to the nearby Olive Garden.  Hey, a girl’s gotta eat and I love Italian food. This restaurant is in a shopping center—near the 101 freeway—with several dining options nearby.  Still, I’m an Olive Garden fan and this visit didn’t disappoint. Since it was early in the evening, we were the first visitors to the bar area.  Unless for a special dinner, we tend to prefer this seating due to the smaller, less crowded seating.  Plus, we tend to receive better, more personalized, service. Great Choice for the Light Eater Just in case I haven’t shared this enough, my hubby and I are on the older side, as in our third chapter.  Thus, we eat less.  And Olive Garden is a great place for people like...