My most recent travels include: Los Cabos, Yosemite, North Carolina, St. Martin, Hawaii, Florida, Rhode Island, Colorado, Kentucky, Arizona, New York, California, Canadian Rockies, Las Vegas and London.
In July 2001, Will and I traveled to Los Cabos, Mexico. We stayed at the Hacienda Beach Resort. It was a wonderful hotel, close to town and the staff was very helpful and friendly. We would definitely stay there again. While we were in Cabo, we rode ATVs and went deep sea fishing for the first time. It was so much fun! I recommend fishing on your first day so that you will have plenty of fresh fish for the rest of your stay. Almost all of the restaurants will prepare your fish for a nominal fee. The restaurant at the Hacienda Beach Resort fixed us a lovely, romantic dinner one night with our fresh tuna. I would also highly recommend eating at Edith's when you are visiting Los Cabos.
St. MartinIn June of 1999, Will and I traveled to the Caribbean for the first time. We went to Anguilla and St. Martin with our friends Jennifer and Glen Burchers. The trip was wonderful! We stayed at Villa La Nina in St. Martin. It was a beautiful Villa perched high on the side of a mountain overlooking the ocean. St. Martin has some wonderful beaches and we had a lot of fun exploring the island.
HawaiiI wouldn't even know where to begin to talk about Hawaii. Our most recent trip to Hawaii was in June 2003. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Kauai for 5 nights. The hotel is absolutely fabulous. It was hard to leave the property and explore the island. Luckily we had been to Kauai before, so we only ventured out a couple of times to see the sunset at Bali Hai and eat at The Beach House, our favorite restaurant in Kauai. I would definitely stay at this hotel the next time we visit Kauai.
In 1998, Will and I went to Hawaii for our 1 year wedding anniversary and had a fantastic time! We stayed in Maui for 2 nights and Kauai for 5 nights. We stayed at the Marriott Resort on both islands - mainly because the room was free because Will had accumulated so many Marriott points on business travel! Both resorts were very, very nice and being free was just a big bonus for us! If you are planning a trip to Hawaii, please feel free to write me and I will tell you some of the great places to go and sites to see.
If you are planning on going to Kauai, the best tip I can give you is to buy The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook by Andrew Doughty & Harriett Friedman. There couldn't be a better guidebook than this one! We used it on both of our trips to Kauai and found it very useful. It is a must!
FloridaWill and I travel to Florida quite a bit to vacation in South Beach, act like kids at Disney World, and visit with Will's brother and his family who live in the Tampa area. Yes, we have been to Disney World many times and always enjoy it! We are, after all, just big kids. Our most recent trip to Disney World was in October 2003. We stayed at the Yacht Club and rode the new Mission Space ride at Epcot.
In December 1997 Will and I took the jet skis from Houston to Key West. Unfortunately it was unusually chilly in Key West that weekend, but that didn't stop us from putting on our wet suits and riding around the island. Key West was a lot of fun! Because it was so chilly, we mostly toured Key West from the land. Everything was a short walk from our hotel, the White Street Inn, but we rented scooters one day and road all over the island.
In November 1998, I met up with 3 of my friends in South Beach - Miami for Girls' Weekend. We left the men at home and had a blast. The nightlife in South Beach is unbelievable - it is a town that never sleeps. We stayed at The Clevelander Hotel in the middle of the art deco district. We will definitely have to have Girls' Weekend again very soon!
Las Vegas Viva Las Vegas! On June 17, 1997, Will surprised me and took me to Las Vegas. He picked me up early from work, packed a bag for me, and unexpectedly flew me to Las Vegas to get married! It was wonderful! It was my first trip to Las Vegas and, no doubt, one that I will never forget.
The new hotels in Las Vegas are stunning. We stayed at the MGM Grand (at that time, the largest hotel in the world - certainly surpassed by some other monster by now) and the Mirage. We also toured the New York, New York hotel and casino which makes you feel as though you are actually in New York City - you can even walk across the Brooklyn Bridge! I highly recommend taking some time out from the casinos and relaxing poolside at the Mirage or going shopping at the Forum Shops in Ceasar's Palace.
The Canadian Rockies In April, 1997, Will and I took a short trip to Calgary and the Canadian Rockies. We landed in Calgary and drove to Banff and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. In Lake Louise we stayed at Chateau Lake Louise, a beautiful hotel which is owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The lake was still frozen, but the scenery was still spectacular. We also drove along the Transcanadian Highway and took in some of the sites. We stopped at Spiral Tunnels and relaxed in the hot spring pool in Radium Hot Springs. In Banff, we stayed at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge and walked the main street which is lined with shops and restaurants. We also took the aerial tramway to the top of Sulpher Mountain and toured the Banff Springs Hotel and Bow Falls.
In June 1996, Will and I flew to San Jose. We visited a friend in Santa Cruz, and also drove to Monterey, Carmel, San Francisco and the wine country during our trip. While we were in Napa, we visited Cyril Chappellet at the Chappellet Winery. His family's wines were featured with the dinner and wine tasting we attended on my birthday at the Pyramid Room at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. Cyril Chappellet was the featured speaker at the dinner and we met Cyril at that time. The Chappellet Winery is situated on the side of a hill in Napa Valley and is a must see when visiting Napa. The view from the winery is spectacular and the wine isn't bad either!!
In March 1999, we went back to San Francisco and the wine country. This time we visited both the Napa Valley region and Sonoma Valley. We visited many of the wineries in both regions, including: Domaine Chandon, Opus One, Grgich Hills Cellar, Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, Sequoia Grove Vineyards, Sterling Vineyards (take a tram ride up the hillside to the winery where you can overlook the entire valley) and Silver Oak in Napa and Chateau Souverain, Ferrai-Carano Vineyards & Winery (their gardens are a must see! and their winery is gorgeous), Geyser Peak Winery, Murphy-Goode Estate Winery, Kendall Jackson, and Simi Winery in Sonoma. Silver Oaks, Sterling, Niebaum-Coppola, Ferrai-Carano and Chateau Souverain were our favorites. We also ate at some fantastic restaurants while we were in the wine country.
In January 2001, Will and I moved from Houston, Texas to Northern California. We had been to Northern California many times in the past, but we have really had a chance to explore the area since we moved here. In addition to the places we had visited in the past, we have also explored Yosemite, Tahoe, Big Sur, Half Moon Bay and some of the northern regions in the wine country. We thoroughly enjoy California!
Half Moon Bay: If you love live music, you won't find a better venue than the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay. Check out their calendar for upcoming concerts. The concerts are performed at the Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach. The Beach House is a rustic beach front home with beautiful, unobstructed views of the Pacific. Pete Douglas is the founder and concert manager of the Bach Society. If you are in the area, stop by - he is a great host!
Sonoma County: After visiting the California wine country many, many times, I would have to say that Sonoma is my favorite. My favorite bed and breakfast is by far the Haydon Street Inn in Healdsburg. Pat and Dick are wonderful Inn Keepers and make you feel as though you are visiting family. They will assist you in making your wine country visit unforgettable. We have stayed in the Turret and Rose rooms in the main house and in the Pine and Victorian Rooms in the Victorian Cottage. All of their rooms are so lovely and comfortable. On a recent visit, we stayed at the Vintner's Inn in Santa Rosa. It is a small hotel with a bed and breakfast feel and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Whether you stay at Vintner's Inn or not, don't miss their terrific restaurant, John Ash & Co., which is situated right next door (and within walking distance) to the Inn. A few of favorite wineries in Sonoma are: J Wine Company (they offer food and wine pairings in their magnificent tasting room), Jordon (by appointment only), Lambert Bridge, Unti Vineyards, Yoakim Bridge, Rochiolli Vineyards (wonderful whites), Pezzi King (their grounds are beautiful and the patio is a great place to relax or have a picnic), and Limerick Lane.
New YorkWill and I spent New Years Eve 1999 at Times Square in New York City! To say the least, it was very exciting and a memorable experience. We stood two blocks from the ball between the MTV studio and the ABC studio and celebrated New Years Eve for different countries all around the world every hour from eleven o'clock in the afternoon until midnight when the ball came down on the Year 2000 in NYC!
In April, 1996, I won a all expenses paid trip for two to New York from a local radio station, KDGE. The trip included tickets to see Sting in his Rainforest Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall. Elton John, Don Henley, James Taylor, Robin Williams and Diana Ross also performed. It was a fantastic experience! We also had time to visit the many tourist attractions in the Big Apple. It was a great trip....and the price was right!!!
KentuckyDuring the summer of 1995, Will and I traveled to Kentucky to visit my family and took the Yamaha Wave Raider. While in Kentucky, we visited Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake. The scenery there is spectacular and the water is crystal clear. A great vacation whether you are a boater or not, but these lakes are a must for avid jet skiers! We also travel to Kentucky every year in December to spend the Christmas holidays with my family.
On one or our trips to Kentucky, we also stopped in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. We toured the historic Bath House Row in Hot Springs and did a little two steppin' at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville. Of course we took a detour though Memphis and drove by Graceland - one of those things you do once and you never have to do again!
ColoradoWill and I often travel to Winter Park, Colorado to visit Will's family. Naturally Winter Park is spectacular during the winter months, but it is also a great place to visit any time of the year. The new Zephyr Mountain Lodge is wonderful - winter or summer, with plenty of activities within walking distance of the Lodge! We also went to Vail in February, 1998 and it was also a gorgeous winter get-a-way.
Spontaneity is your friend...
I subscribe to SmarterLiving.com. They will send you an email once a week notifying you of fantastic savings on last minute web fares from any destination you select. Many of the trips that Will and I have taken were planned at the last minute using this service. If you can travel on short notice, this is a wonderful way to take some short trips to some great destinations - cheap!
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Copyright © 1996 Karen Patton - All Rights Reserved.
