The First Lady of Waikiki

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Beach at the Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort & Spa

Our story is about the very first elegant hotel to be built in Hawaii, the Moana. It is located on Waikiki Beach on Oahu, and is aptly nicknamed “The First Lady of Waikiki.”

Early Waikiki

In the later part of the 19th century, not a single hotel was to be found on beautiful Waikiki Beach. There were, however, a number of stately beachfront homes owned by successful families. One such owner, Walter Peacock, theorized that the location of his seaside abode would be the perfect spot to build a hotel that would attract moneyed people from North America.

Committed to his belief, Peacock moved his home and began construction on the Moana Hotel – it would be the first luxury hotel on the most famous stretch of beach in the Pacific.

The Moana Hotel by Starwood Hotels — The Original Moana Hotel

The 75-guestroom Moana opened its doors to the public on March 11, 1901.

They came

Moana Surfrider beach view of Diamond Head

The Moana Hotel was designed to appeal to the rich and famous who could afford to sail to Oahu on steamships. In those days, only the affluent could manage the time for the long sea voyage to reach the paradise that was Hawaii.

Before the advent of the Moana Hotel, the wealthy were obliged to stay with friends or in one of the few minimally acceptable hotels in nearby Honolulu.

Vacationers of independent means sought out Waikiki to enjoy the sandy beach, tropical climate, and stunning vistas of Diamond Head. The new beachfront Moana Hotel suited them perfectly; it was a fashionable structure with élan that fit nicely into a simple tropical setting – a tribute to astute architects and builders.

A pleasant aloha

Sporting tall Ionic columns and a fashionable porte-cochère to greet carriages, the Moana was indeed an elegant lady.

The inside of the hotel was every bit as inspiring as the exterior. Arriving guests were welcomed in a spacious lobby that was full of colorful native plants.

Unusual for the time, almost every guestroom in the Moana had a telephone and private bath.

Hawaii’s first electric elevator was put in service in the Moana to lift the hotel’s early lodgers between the lobby and residence floors.

Be sure to explore the Moana Museum at the top of the magnificent white wooden staircase that greets all visitors in the Banyan Wing of the hotel entrance.

Edward before Wallace

In 1920, the young Edward, Prince of Wales, reaffirmed the hotel’s standard when he stayed at the Moana as part of his world tour. The list of distinguished guests that came before and followed Edward included many other royals and iconic figures from all fields of endeavor – names such as, Amelia Earhart, Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, Joe Di Maggio, Frank Sinatra – and scores more.

Time and change

After decades of sometimes-dramatic physical changes, the Moana was closed for restoration in July 1987 and reopened in March 1989. The objective of the exercise was to restore the hotel to its original appearance. It took 20 months of painstaking research and care to bring the hotel back to its 1908 glory. The rework also restored the 1918 addition of two elegant wings – what an exquisite revival! It was so successful that we could use recent photos to depict the hotel in earlier times.

In 2007, there was yet another multi-million dollar renewal – this time the hotel re-entered the anxiously awaiting tourist market as the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa.

Today's Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort & Spa by Starwood Hotels

Today’s Moana Surfrider.With the increase to 726 guestrooms and suites, and the addition of enhancements and amenities that brought the Moana up to contemporary luxury standards, it is every bit the grand and glorious hotel it was 110 years ago.

The guestrooms

The original guests of the Moana Hotel would be envious of what is available to vacationers in the 21st century. Each room is outfitted with premium pillow-topped Westin Heavenly Beds and traditional décor with a relaxed touch of the islands. Of course, each room has a large flat screen TV, fitting bath amenities, and wi-fi access.

The famous Banyan tree

In 1904, a Banyan tree was planted immediately to the rear of the new Moana Hotel. The hope was that the ficus species, native to India, would prosper in the beach soils of Hawaii – and indeed, it did.

The Moana Banyan Court tree has been the centerpiece of hotel and Hawaiian history as so many activities and events have been sheltered by its gigantic 150-foot canopy.

The majestic old Banyan has been an onlooker to two world wars, witnessed the incoming aircraft during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and celebrated generations of weddings and important social events.

Moana Surfrider Banyan tree, pool, and beach.

The tree also provided the backdrop for the Banyan Court “Hawaii Calls” radio show that aired across America for 40 years from 1935 to 1975. That’s quite a resume for one tree.

World War II

By 1941, the Moana had been joined on the beach by the bigger Royal Hawaiian Hotel built just to the west. The Royal Hawaiian, is often referred to as the “Pink Palace of the Pacific.” During the war, it was leased to the U.S. Navy as a Rest and Recuperation Center for submariners, while the Moana remained a commercial hotel for the duration of the conflict.

During the war, Moana guests wanting to take an ocean plunge had to navigate rows of barbed wire that stretched across all of Waikiki beach. Nevertheless, these were busy and prosperous days for the hotel.

Only oceanfront spa on Waikiki

There are spas, and there are spas, but we have found few that can compare to the 18,000 square foot Moana Lani Spa, at the Moana Surfrider – it is a destination within a destination.

Couple's therapy room overlooking beach — Couple’s therapy room overlooking beach

Before being indulged with a Hawaiian-style deep massage in a breathtaking ocean view couple’s therapy suite, we took a tour of the fabulous facility.

The tranquil Moana Lani Spa is decorated in pleasing colors and is complete with comfortable post-therapy relaxation rooms that overlook the beach below. What a pristine meditative setting.

Guests are invited to luxuriate in separate male and female state-of-the-art facilities. We concluded that with steam rooms, saunas, soothing whirlpool tubs, and 16 treatment rooms – including two oceanfront couple’s massage rooms with large soaking tubs, this spa would be the ideal place to gather for the morning after a big event, or the perfect spot to just unwind and re-balance.

Each treatment in the Moana Lani Spa is preceded by a beautiful Hawaiian ritual designed to relax the incoming guest. Each spa visitor is invited to leave his or her worries in a ceremonial wooden bowl filled with Alaea salt. The salt remains in the therapy room soaking up cares and woes until the guest departs. It is then collected, and at the end of the day, thrown into the ocean so that the guest’s troubles are simply carried out to sea.

The entire experience will afford you a quintessential touch of deep relaxation and peaceful indulgence.

Eating at the Moana Surfrider

The period Veranda, which spans two sides of the Banyan Court and overlooks the hotel’s freshwater pool, is a great place to enjoy breakfast and afternoon tea. We learned that tea at the Moana is an enduring Hawaiian tradition enjoyed by guests and locals alike. We can add that comfortable seating and relaxing views are enhanced by the refined Victorian setting.

The Beachhouse at the Moana

The Moana has always been a preferred dining spot for locals and vacationers with discriminating palates. Over the years, the hotel’s extensive menu has evolved with the tastes of its patrons, and today the Beachhouse Restaurant serves some of the best regional dishes in Hawaii. The Beachhouse kitchen features both fresh and seasonal ingredients from paradise – true epicurean delights – each with its own unique identity.

Our dinner experience

We stepped across the threshold of time and were seated at a most satisfying table at the end of the familiar veranda that overlooks the Banyan Court and the blue Pacific. This is the scene of countless historic photos – and we are happy to report that the exceptional setting was only exceeded by a truly spectacular meal.

Our appetizer consisted of a uniquely prepared Caesar Salad that was immediately followed by a main of tender Moyer Farms Filet Mignon and Wailua Asparagus with citrus hollandaise sauce. D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

The dessert was a trio of mini Hawaiian chocolate pot de crème with Chantilly, macadamia-crusted carrot cake, and vanilla bean gelato. It was hard to choose between that and the guava cookie crust lemon cheesecake, with roasted pineapple star anise relish, and caramel sauce. OMG!

As we savored dessert, we watched the sun slip slowly below the far horizon and listened to the island music and the waves lazily curling along the sand. It occurred to us that anyone having an opportunity to experience a dinner such as this, in a place so famous and outstanding, was indeed fortunate.

Avoid disappointment – be sure to make a reservation.

Great place for a wedding

During our visit, there was a seemingly endless parade of beautiful brides and handsome grooms walking the wide hallways of the great hotel. It is obvious that wedding planners appreciate the Moana Surfrider as a perfect venue for a never-to-be-forgotten tropical wedding.

Stay at the Moana Surfrider

Originally, the Moana catered only to the very wealthy, but today the Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort and Spa is available to anyone who appreciates fine living.

The Moana Surfrider is the grand dame of Waikiki Beach – just as she was over a century ago. New hotels spring eternal in Hawaii, but none can match the majesty, style, and sophistication of the First Lady of Waikiki. She alone can reflect on the indelible vistas of the once remote white sand beach that rests at her doorstep and under the gaze of the ageless Diamond Head.

To spend even a very small portion of one’s life in one of the guestrooms or suites at the Moana Surfrider is to become part of the legend – and an opportunity to appreciate Victorian elegance meticulously restored and maintained. This is an idyllic hotel for discriminating travelers with a taste for history. On Waikiki Beach, it is simply the place to be.

If you go

The Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Spa is located on fashionable Kalakaua Avenue on Waikiki Beach and nine miles from Honolulu International Airport. For more information, check out their website here.

Want to learn more about the historic Moana? We recommend a short, but informative book by author Stan Cohen entitled “The First Lady of Waikiki.” The book is available from Amazon.

Happy travels!

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

We flew from California to Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines.

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Travel Insurance.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Photos © by Wayne and Judy Bayliff – unless indicated otherwise.

Great Reasons to Book Your Next Cruise Out of the Port of San Francisco

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard 1

,: Flying along the bay side of San Francisco

San Francisco is an outstanding port city with great cruise itineraries, and a super selection of pre- and post-cruise attractions and lodging

Imagine spending a vacation touring the fabulous attractions of San Francisco and then boarding a luxury cruise ship bound for another remarkable destination like Hawaii, Mexico, or Alaska.

: The Golden Gate Bridge

If you have sufficient time and money to both explore the many sites of San Francisco, and then sail off on a cruise that begins with drop-dead gorgeous views of the City by the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge – that’s a combo vacation that is hard to beat.

How the bayside of San Francisco became a tourist Mecca

Soon after the infamous 1989 earthquake, the City made a very wise decision to remove the always hideous and then dangerous freeway that separated the iconic Ferry Building from the rest of San Francisco. Before that time, except for the stretch between Fisherman’s Wharf west to the old Presidio military installation, the bay front was not a place favored by tourists.

: Pier 39

The freeway teardown was the continuation of the amazing renaissance of the San Francisco waterfront that began in 1978, when the ever-popular Fisherman’s Wharf was joined by a new and exciting Pier 39 to its east. West of the piers, in 1994, tourism benefited from the conversion of the beautiful Presidio into public use land.

It just kept getting better

: The Ferry Building

Next, in 2003, the historic Ferry Building was brought back to its original glory and reintroduced as the centerpiece of San Francisco’s waterfront. Taken together, the city did a brilliant job of revitalizing the San Francisco Bay scene. This area, once run-down, is now safe and alive with entertainment, walkers, joggers, and tourists from all over the world.

: Alcatraz Island

Embarcadero Avenue, which runs all along the waterfront, offers visitors and residents outstanding views of the Oakland Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, Angel Island, and Alcatraz. Go further west along the water and enjoy Ghirardelli Square and the Presidio National Park.

The Oakland Bay Bridge

Enjoy a day at a park

Fun on the Marina Green

Beyond Ghirardelli Square, there is the Marina Green with its vistas of the famous St. Francis Yacht Club, and Golden Gate Bridge. Try your hand at kite flying in sight of the historic Palace of Fine Arts, and Coit Tower.

: Oracle Ball Park – Home of the San Francisco Giants

The icing on the cake is the spectacular Oracle Ball Park – home of the SF Giants – right on the bay, where boaters anxiously wait to fish out home run balls beyond the park’s right field wall in McCovey Cove.

: McCovey Cove

About our cruise

We took a 15-day round-trip cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii on Princess Cruises. For our part, we did a pre-cruise stay at the fabulous Embarcadero Hyatt Regency Hotel at the foot of Market Street and directly across from the Ferry Building. This Hyatt is an iconic venue that is very close to the cruise terminal.

: Atrium of the San Francisco Hyatt Regency Hotel

Inn at the Presidio Hotel

We also stayed one night at the converted officer’s quarters that is now the upscale Inn at the Presidio. This is a must-do if you enjoy luxury accommodations mixed with volumes of fascinating military history.

The Cruise Terminal in San Francisco

And what a terminal it is. Just a short walk to many of the city’s best attractions. The terminal boasts ample room to accommodate today’s jumbo ocean liners and to handle thousands of passengers arriving and departing the terminal.

Cruise lines and destinations

At the time of this writing, familiar cruise lines such as Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Celebrity, Norwegian, Viking, and Oceania all book cruises sailing from San Francisco.

: Alaskan Glacier

Typical destinations are Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Panama Canal, but cruises also depart for Asia, the South Pacific, and the world.

Summary

: So much to do in the City by the Bay

A holiday in San Francisco followed by a round-trip cruise out of the port of San Francisco to another great vacation destination like Hawaii or Alaska is the stuff getaway dreams are made of, and we highly recommend it.

If you go

Click on the title for information about Princess Cruises , the San Francisco Embarcadero Hyatt Regency, and for the Inn at the Presidio.

Happy travels!

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Global Assist travel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Photos © Judy Bayliff

You can see the world with Google Maps. http://maps.google.com/

Hawaii Bound on Holland America’s Koningsdam

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

In January, when it’s a bit chilly even for us living in Southern California, we decided to escape for 18 days in the sun on a relaxing cruise aboard the Koningsdam, heading to the Hawaiian Islands.

The Koningsdam set sail on a round-trip journey from our nearby port, San Diego, at 5:05 p.m. on January 28, 2025, carrying 2,503 guests and a crew of 956, with Honolulu as our first port of call.

Six Days at Sea

We watched part of the Super Bowl and ate popcorn in the ship’s theater with several hundred other passengers. We finished watching the last quarter on the TV in our stateroom. A funny moment was when the theater audience got really excited and clapped loudly—it happened when we lost the broadcast signal during the halftime show. Cruise passengers are harsh critics.

Then, as planned, we arrived in Honolulu on February 3 for a two-day stay.

The Pacific crossing was smooth and relaxing, but many passengers were eager to dive into the excursions they had signed up for before the cruise.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

And so it was for each of the four islands we visited—Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii (the Big Island). It was a wonderful cruise full of cultural experiences.

Trivia time: Why stop in Mexico?

According to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886, every cruise ship not built or owned in the United States that sails with an international crew and departs from a US port must visit a distant foreign port sometime before returning to a US port.

For international cruise ships sailing to the Hawaiian Islands from the US mainland, such as the Koningsdam, the obligatory foreign port is typically Ensenada, Mexico.

Google says the purpose of the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 is to protect the US maritime industry by requiring that intra-US sea passengers be carried on US-flagged, US-owned vessels.

The law is both obsolete and burdensome. The last cruise ship built in America was The Pride of America in 2000. However, the company building the ship went bankrupt in 2001.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the “Pride‘s” incomplete hull and had it towed to Germany, where the ship was completed and inaugurated in 2005.

So, the Pride was primarily built in Germany, not America. The last truly American large passenger liner constructed entirely in the US was the SS Argentina in 1958.

We sailed on the Pride of America in 2010. Unlike most cruise ships, the Pride had an all-American cabin and serving staff. Unfortunately, the service was so substandard that we decided not to write about it at the time.

Happy travels!

******************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Travel Insurance.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Photos © by Wayne and Judy Bayliff – unless indicated otherwise.

Post-COVID Changes on Holland America

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Cruise vacationing has experienced a significant resurgence after several challenging years due to the pandemic.

Our first post-COVID cruise was in November 2024, when we sailed on Holland America Line’s (HAL) Koningsdam. We set sail from San Diego to San Francisco for a one-day visit before heading south to Mexico for six days in the sun. We enjoyed the experience so much that we immediately booked an eighteen-day cruise for January 2025 on the same ship, this time sailing from San Diego to Hawaii and back. More on that after that cruise.

We were pleased to find that Holland America’s service standards remained high post-COVID. This 14-day HAL cruise quickly got us back into the rhythm of enjoying three fantastic meals each day and indulging in all the services designed to pamper vacationers at sea.

Some nice changes to the dreaded Life Boat Drill

Cruise ships have become much larger, creating challenges with boarding and disembarking. However, HAL has effectively adapted and significantly improved its loading and unloading procedures. It took no longer to board the Koningsdam than it did to board much smaller ships in the past.

Once on board, Holland America Line (HAL) has dramatically simplified the often-dreaded lifeboat drill for all passengers. There is no longer a need to carry bulky life vests through crowded hallways to your assigned muster station. Passengers no longer have to wait on windy decks for everyone to arrive at their stations or wait for hard-to-understand loudspeaker instructions; the process is now much more streamlined.

Today, on Holland America, the mandatory safety drill starts in your cabin. To watch your cabin TV, you must first sit through a boat drill video, which lasts several minutes. Like an old episode of “The Outer Limits,” your TV is returned to your control only after you watch the mandatory safety video. A nice way to make sure passengers are aware of safety.

Speaking of health and safety

HAL has taken precautions regarding germ control across all its ships. Day and night, we observed crew members wiping down staircase banisters and public room tables and chairs. It was a comforting feeling.

Holland America has also instituted passenger protections in the casual buffet restaurants on board. The majority of food stations have safety glass separating the guests from the food. Eager servers behind the glass are ready to plate your selection of food. You do not need to use the serving utensils used by other guests if you do not want to. Diners no longer need to rely on their fellow guests’ hygiene.

Additionally, there are now hand-washing machines at both ends of the Lido Market, the casual dining venue on all HAL ships.

Coincidentally, in contrast, we were recently on an Oceania cruise (more on that in a future article). Although the food was excellent, we were greatly disappointed that on our cruise, they were still using group-serving utensils and expecting guests to serve themselves directly from the kitchen food trays without protective glass partitions. Hopefully, they will see the light before we cruise on them again. Here is a photo of the Oceania casual dining room sans glass protection.

About the Koningsdam Captain

We chatted with the Master of the Koningsdam during our voyage. His name is Arno Jutten, and he hails from the Netherlands. He has been at sea for 30 years. He started as a cadet with Holland America Lines and became a Captain in 2012. Arno graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Navigation and Marine Engineering from the Nautical University in the Netherlands. Our affable ship’s master and his family enjoy traveling, cycling, swimming, and the great outdoors. We appreciate Captain Jutten’s time.

A small disappointment

Alas, the steak-and-lobster night is no more on Holland America. Lobster pricing in the cruise industry is a guarded secret, but our sources reveal that a major contract for Maine lobster yields a price around $10 a pound, with many variables, such as seasonality and transportation logistics.

The Pinnacle Grill

Our favorite specialty restaurant on Holland America ships is the Pinnacle Grill Steakhouse, and they serve lobster! The menu features a delicious selection of steaks and seafood, complete with all the right accompaniments. The cost to dine there is $55 per person. However, there is an additional $20 charge for lobster, depending on its size. Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity automatically added to all bills at the Pinnacle Grill. It’s a wonderful dining experience, but if you’re on a budget it is a bit pricy. If you still want to enjoy lobster, there is another way to do it.

Holland America food hack

Holland America offers lobster as a specialty item in the main dining room every night. The upcharge is approximately $20. That’s a very reasonable price when you are craving lobster.

Happy travels!

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Global Assist travel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Corfu: For Your Eyes Only

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

In October 1980 a Hollywood crew descended on the quiet Island of Corfu located between Italy and Greece in the Ionian Sea. The production company filming the 12^th James Bond movie, “For Your Eyes Only,” had secured the elegant Achilleion Palace Casino for an important sequence in the film.

Thank you James Bond

The viewing public is always treated to marvelous vistas and glamorous settings all skillfully woven into every James Bond movie. However, some of the iconic structures introduced in Bond films are unfamiliar landmarks that had interesting histories long before they were 007 venues. The Achilleion Palace is one such landmark.

The story

Our story begins with a murder-suicide. In 1889 Crown Prince Rudolph, the only son of Empress Elisabeth of Austria was the heir apparent to the throne of Austria/Hungary when he murdered his mistress and committed suicide.

The event so upset the Empress that she withdrew from the royal court, traveled, and eventually found solitude on her favorite vacation island of Corfu.

There she had constructed a marvelous palace as a refuge from the public. She named the palace Achilleion in tribute to Achilles – a tragic character in Greek mythology.

Elisabeth had written, “I want a palace with pillared colonnades and hanging gardens, protected from prying glances – a palace worthy of Achilles, who despised all mortals and did not fear even the gods.”

An unusual theme

Her wishes were carried out and are evident throughout the palace and gardens. There are many statues on the grounds of the palace but only two are world-famous. The first is a work in marble of a Dying Achilles purchased by Elisabeth in 1890 and symbolic of her personal grief and pain over the loss of her son.

The statue of Dying Achilles depicts the now mortal Achilles looking toward the heavens asking his goddess mother Thetis for her help, which she could not give. Many believe the Empress of Austria felt empathy for the goddess-mother because she shared a similar experience with her own son.

An untimely end

After the death of her son Rudolph, Elisabeth became reclusive and preferred anonymity when she traveled – a trait that would lead to her untimely death at the age of 60. In 1898, the Empress was walking with a friend and unaccompanied by security on a street in Geneva. An Italian anarchist recognized the Royal, attacked and stabbed her, inflicting a mortal wound.

A charitable benefactor

The entire continent mourned the senseless assassination. Elisabeth, affectionately called “Sissi,” was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in Europe, but she was more famous for her generosity.

After her death

Achilleion was purchased from Elisabeth’s heir by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany in 1907. The Kaiser and his family used the palace as a summer retreat until the start of World War I.

A commemorative statue of Sissi was respectfully placed at the front entrance so the Empress could forever greet palace guests.

It was at that time that the Kaiser commissioned the second famous statue found at Achilleion, a magnificent 26-foot tall brass Achilles. It depicts Achilles as a strong warrior/god on guard overlooking the City of Corfu. The Kaiser had inscribed “To the Greatest Greek from the Greatest German.” The inscription was removed by the Greek people after WWII.

The war years

During the First World War, the palace was conscripted as a military hospital. After the conflict, the palace reverted back to Greece as part of war reparations.

In the 1920s the palace was used as an orphanage and later as government offices until the start of WWII when it was seized by the Axis Powers for use as a military headquarters. After that war, the palace came under the control of the Hellenic Tourist Organization (HTO).

The palace remained closed to the public for 17 years following WWII.

Days as a casino

In 1962 the HTO leased the palace to a private company that ran it as a casino until 1983. At the end of the lease, the palace reverted back to the HTO. Fortunately, it was still a casino in 1981 when James Bond paid a visit.

Today, the palace is a public museum and the most frequented attraction on the island of Corfu.

If you go

The Achilleion Palace is located about 6 miles south of the colorful city of Corfu.

It is situated on a plateau overlooking the city and Ionian Sea.

Corfu is accessible by air and sea.

There are many Corfu tours that include the palace and grounds. You can find a selection here.

When we arrived on Corfu, the palace gardens and grounds were open to enjoy the statuary, but the museum was closed for cleaning and maintenance.

A great disappointment we hope to rectify on our next visit.

Safe travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

A Glimpse at Ephesus and What It Can Tell Us About the Lifestyle of Ancient Greeks and Romans

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Ephesus was a Greek city founded approximately 3,000 years ago in Asia Minor in what is now western Turkey. A visit to Ephesus gives the imaginative global traveler a sense of what life was like in the golden age of Greece and Rome.

The rise and fall of a great city

In the time of Christ, the now uninhabited city of Ephesus was a thriving seaport. It is now almost 6 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. Centuries of silting has completely closed off Ephesus from the coast.

However, back in the second century AD, Ephesus was the largest city in Roman Asia, and its population ranked fourth behind Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. Its decline took a thousand years, and when the Crusaders entered Ephesus in 1300, the once great seaport was little more than a small mosquito infested village on a marshy plain. The city was totally abandoned about the time that Columbus made his voyage to America.

The deserting people of Ephesus left behind the largest collection of Roman ruins east of the Mediterranean.

As one walks through the vast remains of vanished glory, it is hard to imagine that only about 15% of this enormous city has been excavated.

A leader in its time

Because Ephesus was an early citadel of women’s rights, the ancient city’s society was considered quite avant-garde for the region. Mark Anthony and Cleopatra made a trip to Ephesus in 33 BC. On the darker side, from 100 BC to 100 AD, Ephesus was the capital of a flourishing slave trade.

Legend also has it that the first commercial brothel was introduced to the public in Ephesus, as were public restrooms.

There were apparently few private moments in the public toilets of the day, as evidenced by the photo.

There are three especially significant ruins among the hundreds in Ephesus. The Library of Celsus, the Temple of Artemis, and the Grand Theater of Ephesus.

The Library of Celsus

A world recognized icon that was built by the son of the Roman governor of Asia to honor his father in 117 AD. The Library of Celsus is an excellent example of how the Greeks influenced Roman public architecture for the period. The library is thought to have housed more than 12,000 written scrolls. The interior and its contents were destroyed during a Gothic invasion in 262 AD. Only the exterior of the library survived.

The Temple of Artemis

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. History records that the Temple of Artemis was constructed over an earlier Bronze Age temple ruin in 550 BC. It took 125 years to build. After surviving for almost two centuries, it was destroyed in 356 BC – on the very day that Alexander the Great was born. It was rebuilt to even greater glory before being destroyed yet again in 262 AD by the Goths.

There are few visible remains of the once great temple, with little more than one lonely column to mark the site. However, standing near the excavation invites the mind to imagine the enormity and magnificence of the once great ancient structure.

The Grand Theater of Ephesus

The Grand Theater seated 25,000 spectators and was the largest outdoor amphitheater of its kind in the ancient world.

It was the site of popular Greek plays and games, as well as Gladiator exhibitions in the later Roman era.

Ephesus is a historian’s delight, a photographer’s joy, and an architect’s text book. All visitors are awed by the imagery and magnitude of what was once a grand city of shining marble and untold riches. Ephesus is definitely worth a place on the global traveler’s bucket list.

If you go

Tours of Ephesus leave from all major Turkish cities and ports, and comfortable accommodations are readily available throughout the region.

Ephesus is located approximately 13 miles from the Turkish port city of Kusadasi, which plays host to many cruise ships. The Adnan Menderes Airport, in Izmir is about 35 miles north of Ephesus. Everything at the Izmir airport is very expensive, so buy all your sundries before you arrive.

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

You, the Stars, and Vasquez Rocks

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

With the Covid virus keeping us housebound for a year, and judging by the huge increase in streaming TV subscribers, we have all viewed more than our share of TV shows and movies. It’s time to get active.

We know from past correspondence that many of our readers are interested in the locations where movies are filmed. When we ran across an unusual LA County Park where dozens of movies and TV shows were made, we wanted our subscribers to know about it. It’s in the high desert of Southern California, and for us, it was an easy drive from our winter home near Palm Springs.

The place is the 932-acre Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park located in Los Angeles County, California. This park and its unique rock formations may be the one outdoor spot listed on the National Register of Historic Places where more movie stars and entertainers have clocked in for work than any other non-studio location.

100_2079 The photos of the landscape should be familiar. Throughout the years, the “Rocks” have appeared in films when rough, desolate, and foreboding terrain is required as a backdrop.

The park’s TV credits are impressive

Here are just some of the Who’s Who of westerns and adventure series that have filmed episodes at Vasquez Rocks:

CSI, The Medium, Monk, 24, NCIS, Alias, Saving Grace, Twilight Zone, Buffy, The Lone Ranger, Wild Wild West, Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Man from Uncle, Maverick, The Rifleman, Mission Impossible, Bonanza, Outer Limits, The Fugitive, Alias Smith and Jones, Hunter, MacGyver, Rat Patrol, Charmed, Friends, Fear Factor, Lassie, Las Vegas, Logan’s Run, Zorro, Voyagers, Daniel Boone, Alien Nation, Rin Tin Tin, The Big Valley, The Cisco Kid, High Chaparral, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Battle Star Galactica, Street Hawk, and of course – Star Trek.

How’s that for a walk down action TV’s memory lane!

About the movies filmed at the park

We did some research to try to find when the first movie was filmed at the Rocks. We read several articles asserting that a silent action movie starring Rudolph Valentino was made there in 1905. Unfortunately, the reports are all false since Valentino was born in 1895. We never did identify the first movie.

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We do know that the classic 1931 Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, was filmed in part at the Rocks, and was followed by dozens of other notable movie productions such as, Apache, Hondo, Cheyenne, Laramie, Laredo, and Blazing Saddles. Also included – Werewolf of London, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Austin Powers IMM, The Flintstones, and Short Circuit.

Let’s not forget the music videos

Music producers also find Vasquez Rocks a worthy setting. Michael Jackson did a famous dance sequence with American Indians at the Rocks for the hit music video Black or White, in 1991.

Millions of years in the making

The park’s ominous looking 45-degree toothy rock outcroppings are siblings to the San Andreas Fault. They were formed by a series of violent earthquakes over many millions of years. The jagged peaks rise 150 feet above the surrounding sandy desert floor.

If you decide to go

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Vasquez Rocks Park is off the beaten path, but its raw beauty is worth planning a day trip to visit when you are in the Los Angeles area.

If you would enjoy a walk where Hollywood celebs have walked, the Rocks are the place. Park your car in the lot and take a short hike. Enjoy the desert beauty that has inspired the stars.

A few words of caution: There are scant facilities at Vasquez Rocks. The weather is subject to rapid change, so be prepared. Take great care if you plan to wander beyond the parking lot – there’s a lot of inhospitable desert out there.

The park is open to the public year round. There are several hiking trails, and the cliffs are accessible to climbers.

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The park is located just north of Los Angeles, at 10700 Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce, California, Take the Hwy 14 exit from Interstate 5, and drive about 20 miles east.

Happy travels!

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“Get out there, but be prepared.” Wear a mask and social distance when it makes sense to do so.

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

A Tribute to Cruise Line Passenger Attendants

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Did you know that the people in the travel industry have suffered greater financial losses than any other organized group during the pandemic?

Thanks for the memories

This article is a special tribute to the hard working cabin and service attendants of the cruise industry. Delightful people who hail from faraway places like Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Mexico and Bulgaria.

These industrious people are so grateful for work that they spend most of the year away from their loved ones so they can earn a living to support their families thousands of miles away.

Ever behind the scenes

They clean our cabins, wash our clothes, bus our tables, serve our food, take our pictures, and make funny towel animals to amuse us – all the while managing to remain virtually invisible so they do not intrude upon our ocean-going vacation.

Service above self

Cruise attendants are generally courteous beyond norms and ready to smile regardless of their personal burdens. They take a lot of abuse because there are people in this world who give it. They genuinely strive to please those that are placed in their care, week after week, month after month, cruise after cruise.

Waiting to serve

They are home now. Waiting for the end of a pandemic that has severely impacted their dreams.

They are from poor countries and therefore their suffering is greater than those of us from wealthier nations might ever imagine.

There are tens of thousands of these honest and diligent men and women waiting for the cruise industry to get back on its feet.

Awaiting your welcome

While we pray for an end to the pandemic so we can get back to pleasures like world cruising, let’s all look forward to greeting our next stateroom server’s smile and that first “hello, my name is…” and remember when it comes time to tip at the end of the cruise — be generous.

Happy travels!

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Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

A Post Covid-19 Luxury Adventure

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

When you decide you are again ready for a new travel adventure, and you have already tried sky diving, hot air ballooning, and maybe white water rafting – look to the sea, and consider swimming with the sharks.

After you read our story and are raring to go, check out the new entry protocols required by the Islands in the Bahamas. You will find them at the end of this article.

Our personal favorite locations for diving with the sharks are off the beautiful islands of the Bahamas, which are an easy plane ride from the US mainland. We particularly like the island of New Providence which is home to the town of Nassau where 80% of the Bahamians live. At the opposite end of the island from Nassau is Stuart Cove’s Dive Center – one of the very best in the business.

Distinguished divers

Stuart Cove has been involved in the making of many underwater film segments including those from the popular James Bond series, For Your Eyes Only, and Never Say Never Again. Stuart personally certified Sean Connery (who lived in the Bahamas) and Kim Bassinger for their underwater scenes in the latter movie.

Through the years, Stuart has been host to a long list of celebrities and prominent world figures including Diana Princess of Wales, and the Princes William and Harry.

Friendly sharks

Next to the stingrays in the Cayman Islands, the Caribbean Reef Sharks in this part of New Providence waters are probably the closest thing to a trained fish that you will find anywhere on the planet. They are fed regularly by the shark dive tour operators and know exactly when to congregate for feedings.

During a shark feeding, all divers are required to kneel on the bottom in a semi-circle with their arms folded. The divemaster, outfitted in a chain-link suit, kneels in front of the group and dispenses large pieces of fish to the swarming sharks from a bucket via a metal pole. The process is often quite orderly with each shark waiting its turn for a tasty gobble. The rhythmic motion of the feeder and sharks is somewhat reminiscent of a matador finessing a cape across the horns of a passing bull.

Not for everyone

Organized shark feeding is not without its critics. There are those that believe that any form of unnatural feeding of animals in the wild should be banned. However, we have never observed any behavioral differences between these local sharks and those of the same species in waters where there are no recreational feedings. We hasten to add, however, that we are not naturalists or shark experts.

A thrill like no other

As interesting as shark feedings are to watch, we have the most fun well before the feeding when we swim among the gathering sharks. Their eerie luminescent lime green eyes follow divers as they swim past. They seem to be as curious about humans as we are about them.

Fear dissipates quickly when you swim among sharks and learn to appreciate their grace and beauty.

Pick your sharks carefully

Of course, not all sharks are created equal. The favored Caribbean Reef Shark runs in size from five feet to nine feet, is olive-gray to grayish-brown in color, and is quite inquisitive, but not particularly threatening.

Play it safe and dive with experts

If you decide to try a shark dive holiday, your expectation and affirmation of safety lie in the fact that professional dive tour operators have been dispensing electrifying experiences to eager divers for years – and as far as we know – there have been no tragic consequences.

You need to be a certified SCUBA diver in order to participate in shark dives, but most warm-water resorts – and many cruise ships – offer certification courses that will have you trained and ready for action within a few days.

If you want more information

Check out Stuart Cove’s website at Special Offers – Stuart Coves – Bahamas Dive Shop & Tours. Then read and be ready to comply with the following important government rules.

The Islands of The Bahamas just announced streamlined entry protocols that will enable visitors to better and more seamlessly enjoy a Bahamas vacation experience. For detailed information regarding the new requirements please visit https://www.bahamas.com/pressroom/islands-bahamas-announces-updated-travel-and-entry-protocols.

The short version: Effective 1 November 2020, The Bahamas require all travelers to:

Obtain a COVID-19 RT PCR test five (5) days prior to arrival.
Apply for a Bahamas Health Travel Visa at travel.gov.bs.
For the duration of the visit, complete a daily online health questionnaire for symptom tracking purposes.
Take a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test on Day 5 of the visit (unless departing on day 5).
Always wear a mask and always social distance in public places.

In addition, since 14 November 2020, all visitors are required to opt-in to mandatory COVID-19 health insurance when applying for their Health Travel Visa. The insurance will cover travelers for the duration of their stay in The Bahamas.

Please visit https://www.travel.gov.bs/ for your Health Visa Application and information.

Persons experiencing issues with completing/submitting the travel health visa application should call 1-242-502-0839 or email healthvisa@bahamas.com.

Happy travels!

Photos © Wayne and Judy Bayliff

The Future of the Hagia Sophia

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

The Hagia Sophia shrine in Istanbul is a breath-taking religious and cultural icon that has stood the ravages of time, disease, and conflicts for over 1500 years. It is venerated and visited by millions of tourists each year – but that may change.

If you haven’t seen the Hagia Sophia, it is truly inspirational and worthy of your Bucket List.

The story about what you will see

The tale of the Hagia Sophia is an essential part of the tumultuous history of two of mankind’s great religions, Christianity and Islam.

It is interesting to note that the time intervals between significant events in the story of the Hagia Sophia encompass many human lifetimes and world developments.

In the beginning, Emperor Constantine the Great proclaimed Christianity a free-state religion of the Holy Roman Empire in 313 AD.

He also moved the seat of his one-third control of the Roman empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 AD. Having evolved into a corrupt social state, the city of Rome fell to Germanic tribes in 476 AD, but Constantinople survived to become the biggest and wealthiest city in Europe for the next 800 years.

Millions of people of all faiths have worn down the mosque entrance over 1500 years.

It was the dream of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I to build a prominent cathedral in the capital city of Constantinople. The construction of the Hagia Sophia cathedral, whose name translates to Holy Wisdom in Greek, was completed in 538 AD, 32 years before the birth of the prophet Mohammed.

For 600 years the Hagia Sophia served as an Eastern Orthodox Catholic church. However, in the year 1204, Roman Catholic Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade plundered Constantinople and looted the treasures of the Hagia Sophia. The cathedral remained under Roman Catholic control for just 57 years before the Eastern Catholics retook Constantinople from the weaker army of Rome.

The Roman Catholic Fourth Crusade broadened the growing schism between the Roman Catholic Church centered in Italy and the Eastern Orthodox Catholic church of Constantinople – the weakened alliance made the entire Catholic empire more vulnerable to its enemies.

The Muslim conquest

Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II conquered Christian Constantinople in 1453 and turned the Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque and a grand symbol of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. At the time, many of the Christian icons in the Hagia Sophia were covered over with plaster.

Through the intervening centuries, the mosque had many renovations and significant reinforcements were made to the structure. During the renovation of 1739 Sultan Mahmud I, had most of the remaining Christian mosaics covered over with other art.

In the mid-19th century, eight striking calligraphic roundels with the inscribed names of Allah, and Muhammad and his grandsons were installed prominently under the dome.

In 1931 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the new secular Republic of Turkey commissioned famed American archeologist Thomas Whittemore to locate and restore the medieval Christian artwork in the Hagia Sophia.

The Hagia Sophia as a museum

When the work was completed in 1935 Atatürk opened the Hagia Sophia as a museum and a symbolic union between Islam and Christianity. The world celebrated Atatürk’s great gift for eight decades. Millions of tourists annually visit Istanbul and its incomparable and historic Hagia Sophia.

Typical of today

In 1935 Turkey’s first president Atatürk wanted to demonstrate to the international community of nations that the new republic of Turkey was taking a worldly turn – and all were welcome.

On July 10, 2020, the highest administrative court in Turkey declared that president Atatürk’s 1935 conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a secular museum was illegal. It ruled that the Hagia Sophia should immediately be returned to its prior status as a mosque.

Highly supportive of the court’s decision, on July 24, 2020, the nationalistic president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended Muslim prayers in the reinstated mosque for the first time in 85 years.

To his credit (and in light of the negative global outcry), president Erdogan has assured other nations that the Hagia Sophia will remain open to foreign visitors during non-prayer hours. The Christian art will be covered during prayers, but available to be seen afterward.

The change back to a mosque was a disappointment to secular non-conformists and cultural globalists, but it could have been worse – just look at the world around us.

For many years secularism thrived in Turkey. During our visits, we found the Turkish people most cordial and generous of spirit. Islam was evident all around us. We are not Muslims but we saw no evidence of religious bias. We felt welcome. Turkey was an excellent host and the country is eminently rich in history and culture.

See it if you can.

Safe travels.

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“Get out there, but be safe and prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

The Past and Future of Airline Travel

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

We read an interesting front-page article in the Wall Street Journal on the subject of the challenges facing the airline industry and likely new rules as airlines ramp up to serve the flying public during the coronavirus.

We should disclose that airlines are our least favorite travel partners. As frequent fliers, we have sadly watched the airlines take away even the smallest of creature comforts from economy coach passengers. Consequently, we have little sympathy for the financial plight of airline executives during these trying days of Covid-19.

An industry of greed

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when airlines competed for business by offering value-added “perks” such as extra legroom and non-stop service.

Nevertheless, throughout our travel writing careers, the airlines have made it increasingly more difficult for economy passengers to enjoy flying.

The airlines have reaped tremendous profits from an unhappy public forced to endure “take-aways” and comply with evermore-burdening airline rules and policies. These practices are designed to enhance revenue and reduce airline costs – with nary a thought to adding value and improving the customer’s experience.

Fun of flying

Many of our older readers will remember when flying was actually part of the enjoyment of taking a holiday. 9/11 greatly contributed to the decline in air travel fun, and through that experience, the airlines quickly discovered that the public will fly no matter the level of inconvenience in the terminal – or on the aircraft.

Airlines executives analyzed the needs and wants of the flying public. They encouraged the elite business traveler to spend more of their company’s money in exchange for “free miles” for family vacations. Yet, even those programs have been diminished over time and are no longer easy to use.

At the same time, the airlines found they needed no enticements to attract the average family wanting to holiday in destinations too far to drive to for a short vacation. The leisure travel economy passenger proved they would endure almost any discomfort, and the airlines piled them on.

RIP

Free ticket exchange, bereavement fares, free checked baggage, chicken, beef, or lasagna, blankets, pillows, magazines, and newspapers, and the biggest takeaway of all, space for your body. Body space has been systematically reduced to the bare limits of human endurance of discomfort.

More recently, it was discovered that even more can be squeezed from those least able to pay for the new “amenities” of air travel. To obtain the lowest possible economy fare – no overhead baggage, no seat selection, and a particularly cruel twist, separated family seating. Is there anything more that a customer can endure? Keep reading.

Government bailout

Is it any wonder that so many question any taxpayer bailout beyond the absolute minimum to keep this industry alive. If it were not for the fact that airlines are public companies whose stock is held in many retirement portfolios and 401K programs; the airlines should be left to reap what they have sown in negative public opinion.

All may change and add insult to injury

For example, temperature checks before boarding have been discussed, but what about obviously ill passengers that do not have a temperature?
Will priority boarding for elite passengers remain? Probably not. First-class aisle passengers won’t like brushing shoulder to thigh with coach passengers heading for the back of the plane. It’s much safer to board from the back of the plane forward in small groups. Probably a good idea to bring sanitary wipes for the back of your headrest if you are in an aisle seat since many passengers touch the seat tops as they navigate down the aisle.
In the future, deplaning may be from front to back in small groups to avoid jamming the aisles. First-class passengers will benefit here. It may take up to twice as long to exit an aircraft.
Expect fewer direct flights as the airlines attempt to build traffic and fill seats. On the point of filling seats, the airlines realize the public will have a new fear of traveling in the confined space of an aircraft. It is expected they will keep center seats empty for a time. We fully expect the airlines will find a way to capitalize on selling premium seats next to an empty center seat in the near future.
Bathrooms aboard aircraft will be another problem. The airlines will need to find a way to keep what we once heard described as “dirty tiny stalls,” more sanitary than in the past. It may not be unreasonable to post a flight attendant on duty to sanitize a lavatory after each passenger use. By the way, lining up in the aisles to wait for a biffy is surely to be verboten.

Our recommendations

Follow safe practices, but if you believe life is a risk worth taking, get out and enjoy the summer. However, stay home if you are totally risk intolerant.

Consider a drive-to vacation instead of flying where you cannot easily practice social distancing.

Consider taking your vacation later in the year and after the summer crowd has subsided.

We bet there are relatively safe and close outdoor locations and interesting attractions you haven’t seen in years, if ever.

Now’s the time to live and enjoy your freedom.

Happy and safe travels.

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Armchair Travel – A Safe ‘Vacation’ During the Coronavirus Quarantine

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Are you missing the unbridled freedom of travel during these long days of lock downs? So are we.

For the common good we must comply with the self-isolation mandates, but Spring is coming and our wanderlust will soon be in full bloom.

Here’s an idea

In addition to challenging games of rug-putt golf, we decided to organize several arm-chair vacations. Think of it as a variation of the “staycation” idea so popular during the last recession.

Like us, we bet you have lots of digitized photos from past vacations and events.

Organize your photos

We have all our photo files on our computer in Google’s Picasa 3. We like the way Picasa organizes photos and have used it for years but unfortunately Google no longer supports it. If you don’t already have your digitized photos on your computer or in the cloud, check the internet for other places and programs to store photos. Make sure whatever program you choose has a “slideshow” feature.

Having taken tens of thousands of pictures during our 15+ years of travel writing, we have now corralled all the digitized photos from each trip and put them under one descriptive file such as “Oahu.”

As an added benefit of the process we have eliminated thousands of redundant images and really spruced up our photo presentations.

We then organized each trip under a category, country, or state destination heading such as “Hawaii,” or “Cruise – Mediterranean”.

Sit back and enjoy

Now, when we want to take a virtual “trip” we just select an album like “Cruise – Eastern Europe,” select “slideshow” from the “view” tab, set the display time we prefer for each image, and click “go.” We can pause the slideshow whenever we want to reminisce about a specific image.

For even more fun, we set the slideshow feature to “random sort.” and try to guess where and when each variable photo was taken — stimulates the brain cells.

Memory Lane is a great place to visit when you are house bound. Like Sinatra sang, “It’s oh so nice to go trav’lin’ but it’s so much nicer, yes, it’s so much nicer to come home.”

Happy virtual travels and stay safe. We can get through this.

Note: There are also virtual tours on the internet to visit places you haven’t been. For starters, check out the US National Park Systems website. The parks are physically closed, but not to your computer.

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Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Cruise Food: Is It As Good As It’s Reputed to Be?

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Absolutely! We have been cruising for decades in all manner of ships. One thing that has been consistently good throughout is the food. Yes, we have experienced an occasional disappointment along the way, but far too few to mention among the hundreds of wonderful meals we have enjoyed at sea.

A picture is worth a thousand words so enjoy a small assortment of our images of mouth-watering vittles from just four family cruise lines, i.e., Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess.

Yes, even breakfast is special.

Our hats off to the thousands of creative chefs and servers that make the dining experience at sea so unforgettable.

Bon Appetit!

Breakfast cereal at home never looks like this.

And special kudos to our favorite Italian Executive Chef Ottavio Bellesi of Princess Cruise Lines

Cruise lines — thank you for the memories!

Happy Travels

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Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

A Historic Luxury Inn In Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

The scenic Litchfield Hills in northwest Connecticut is home to several historic inns and restaurants. One of the very best is the Hopkins Inn.

Overlooking the northern shore of beautiful Lake Waramaug and the Berkshire Mountain foothills, the Inn was opened as the Hopkins Place, a summer boarding house, in 1847.

It operated as such until 1941 when it closed for the duration of WWII. It reopened again as the Hopkins Inn in 1945 and has been providing delicious meals and comfort to travelers ever since.

Congenial owners Franz and Beth Schober have operated the inn for over forty years.

The Inn’s Victorian dining room has sweeping views of the lake and mountains. In good weather, guests can enjoy al fresco dining on the Inn’s expansive flagstone terrace comfortably sheltered beneath a grand chestnut tree.

And the food

In season, the dining room is full of guests from near and far all gathering to savor Franz Schober’s authentic Austrian cuisine. However, there are also many menu selections that are distinctly American in tradition and flavor.

The menu and wine list are deep, and we only wish we had time to sample all that they offer. However, you can read what we missed by perusing the menu *here*.

As we waited to be seated for dinner, we enjoyed a cleansing libation in the Tavern Room where the roaring fire provided a cozy atmosphere for chatting with fellow guests.

The dining room was busy, but our table was promptly ready for our 7 pm reservation.

Selecting an entrée from the dazzling menu was difficult, but Judy chose the Broiled Halibut with pineapple salsa served with vegetables and wild rice.

Wayne also selected from the sea and had Broiled Sea Scallops in a garlic butter sauce joined by a medley of perfectly cooked vegetables.

Since neither of us had chosen an authentic Austrian main dish, we felt obliged to try the homemade Apple Strudel with vanilla sauce. Delicious!

After dinner, it was back to the Tavern Room for a nightcap and pleasant conversation with a charming German couple touring Connecticut for the first time.

Note: The restaurant is open from late March to January 1 each year. In the offseason, the inn operates as a bed and breakfast.

The nearby winery

The entrance to the Inn and restaurant is on the right side of the building. A few hundred feet from the lantern is the delightful Hopkins Winery.

It is a separate enterprise not owned by the Innkeepers, but how nice to have a winery as a neighbor!

We did not partake of any offered samples, but judging by the number of customers at the winery’s sample bar, the harvest must have been quite exceptional.

The beach

It was chilly during our visit so we did not venture down to the lake, but the Hopkins Inn has a private beach on the lake and just a short distance from the inn. We are certain the sandy beach, and the refreshing lake provides the perfect place to pass a warm summer day in Connecticut.

The guest rooms

Twelve guest rooms and two apartments are open all year.

Our room was number 15. It was charming and immediately won us over with its elegant simplicity. Exactly what we had hoped for in a pre-Civil War era roadhouse on the back roads of tony Litchfield Hills.

The period furnishings hearkened us to an earlier time, and as we stood gazing at the lake from one of our four windows, we wondered who else, from a long-gone era, might have stood in this very spot captivated as we were by the lovely view.

The bed was superbly comfortable, and we fell asleep listening to the leaves rustling in the autumn breeze.

If you go

The Hopkins Inn is at 22 Hopkins Road, Warren, CT 06777. The Inn is about a two-hour drive from New York City and about two hours and forty-five minutes from Boston. Either is a lovely drive.

For more information and reservations look to the Inn’s website at http://www.thehopkinsinn.com

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

After 200 Years Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania Reaches Tourism Pinnacle

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

There’s a little village in the heart of the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains that has seen more than its share of booms and busts during the course of its 200-year history. We recently visited the charming town for a second time. This time during its annual autumnal celebration.

Fall Foliage Festival

When we called the Innkeeper of the Inn at Jim Thorpe, Dave Drury, and told him we planned to do a sequel to our story about the town of Jim Thorpe and needed a one night room on a Friday night in October he was silent.

We hadn’t thought about the fact that it was leaf peeper time in the Poconos. The weather was forecasted to be splendid AND we were asking for space on a Friday night when thousands of visitors descend on the borough to enjoy the fun and festivities of the Fall Foliage Festival. Ergo, SOLD OUT – everywhere.

Disappointment

We were resigned to forgo the pleasure of sharing new images and writing more about how centuries-old Mauch Chunk prospered by providing anthracite coal for the industrial revolution and subsequently suffered when oil replaced coal as the chosen fuel of industry.

However, like the fortunes of the town, our luck took a turn for the better. Dave Drury emailed that one room had come available at his building at 44 West Broadway, just a few blocks from his famous Inn at Jim Thorpe. He said it was a very small room, but we gratefully assured him it would do fine. We actually found both the Victorian building and the room absolutely delightful. Thank you, David! On with the story.

Strange name

Mauch (pronounced “mock”) Chunk means “Sleeping Bear” in local Native American parlance and is named so because the town rests alongside Bear Mountain and next to the Lehigh River. The resultant topographical gorge makes for outstanding scenery and abundant outdoor activities.

Evolution of Mauch Chunk

In the early days of settlement, Mauch Chunk was a prosperous town indeed. In fact, during the good times of the 19^th century, when there were only 26 millionaires in the entire United States, an astonishing 19 of them had homes in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania.

Even as the town lumbered in the sooty coal and railroad businesses, early thrill-seeking tourists started to come to Mauch Chunk to ride the gravity railroad named the “Switchback.” The railroad ran coal cars from the mines at the top of Summit Hill to waiting coal barges in the Lehigh River far below. Converted coal cars provided an early roller coaster experience for adventurous 19th-century passengers – for a price.

Unfortunately, the Switchback ended during one of the town’s economic struggles. Today, the roadway remains a popular hiking and biking venue for the hale and hearty.

Another setback

Notwithstanding earlier booms and busts, the Great Depression took the heaviest toll on Mauch Chunk and many of the town’s old buildings fell into disrepair.

It is the world’s good fortune that during these struggling times the town was too poor to demolish dilapidated structures. Today, some of those buildings make up Jim Thorpe’s quaint restaurants, shops, and lodgings.

An inspirational story of survival and revival

The people of Mauch Chunk have always been survivors. Coal miners are a hardy lot, and not to be deterred from feeding their families when times get tough.

It was in just such an economic atmosphere that the people of Mauch Chunk decided to boot-strap a resurgence of their town.

Becoming Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe was an extraordinary athlete. You can read about his many achievements in our original story, A Town and Hotel Remember the Greatest Athlete of the 20^th Century.

When Jim Thorpe died in 1953, two small towns in Pennsylvania – located 100 miles from his old Carlyle school – wanted to capitalize on his fame for tourism and commercial purposes. They made an agreement with Thorpe’s widow and in 1954, the neighboring boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, merged to become Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

The new municipality entombed Thorpe’s remains, and erected a stately monument with two statues in his memory. The monument sits on soils from his native Oklahoma, and from the Stockholm Olympic Stadium where he won his gold medals.

Did the Jim Thorpe maneuver attract tourists?

Not really. The fame of the Greatest Athlete of the 20^th Century faded quickly after his death and by the 1960s and 1970s many in the new generation had never heard of Jim Thorpe.

However, more importantly, the name change had excited and motivated the leaders and people of the borough, and the proud little town became noticed for its architectural revival, restaurants, trendy shops, abundant scenery, history, planned events, and excellent outdoor activities. By the 1980s Jim Thorpe was on a tourism roll and has never looked back.

If you go

Jim Thorpe is a two-hour drive from New York City. Google maps can plot your course from wherever you begin your journey.

For tourist information about the town of Jim Thorpe and its many activities and events, check out the dropdown menu tabs at www.jimthorpe.org and read our previous story *here*

Our favorite place to stay in Jim Thorpe is the historic Inn at Jim Thorpe. You can also read more about the Inn in our previous story.

A note of caution: If you plan to spend any part of a weekend in Jim Thorpe, book well in advance to avoid disappointment. Do as we say, not as we do.

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

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Best Places to Stay Along the Oregon Coast: The Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

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Who doesn’t like a lighthouse? Artistic sentinels of the past and present that conjure up thoughts of tumultuous seas and shipwrecks along craggy coasts. For some, a lighthouse may bring visions of a peaceful life with the siren call of gulls and foghorns. Adventure to some, serenity to others. Who lived such a life and how did they live it? There’s a great way to find out, if only for a day or two.

Stay at a historic lighthouse bed and breakfast

There are not many American lighthouses with guest facilities, but there are a few. One of the best is the often-photographed Heceta Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon. The old lighthouse keeper’s home is just a few minute’s walk from the lighthouse and is now a thriving B&B with one of the most scenic outlooks of the rugged Oregon coast.

A brief history

In 1891 President Benjamin Harrison reserved a coastal headland known as Heceta Head, in Lane County, Oregon, for the sole use of a lighthouse, which was subsequently constructed and dedicated three years later.

The lighthouse boasts a 1.2 million candle power light — the most powerful on the Oregon coast. It can be seen from far out at sea, and also, from various points along US-101.

The last keeper left when the giant light was automated in 1963. Thereafter, the keeper’s notably unique residence went vacant.

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The house on the left was razed in 1940, the one remaining was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Twenty-two years later in 1995, Lane County opened the building for tours and a six guestroom B&B. What a wonderful idea!

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We had the privilege of spending two nights in the Mariner II guestroom at the Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast.

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Our room was one of three with an en-suite bath. If you would enjoy traveling back in time to the early days of lighthouse keeping, this is a place you will not want to miss.

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Painstakingly furnished with period antiques, the vintage Queen Ann style keeper’s house is a giant step back to the late 1800s.

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The house is reputed to be haunted, and the setting is perfect for the phenomenon, but alas, we did not see any apparitions.

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The view from our room was inspiring. The windows were like a powerful lens through which our expectations of the beauty of the rugged Oregon coastline became a reality.

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A stay at the Keeper’s home includes a house tour, lighthouse tour, wine and cheese social, and a gourmet breakfast. All worth the price of admission.

See the lighthouse in daylight and after dark

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It’s a brief walk from the keeper’s house to the lighthouse atop the craggy knoll.

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There is also a cliff trail that rises above the lighthouse.

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The view from that vantage point invites your gaze over the shimmering ocean and the southern aspect of the Siuslaw National Forest and its rocky shoreline.

A flashlight is provided in every guestroom in the inn, along with encouragement to climb the easy trail after dark.

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At night the lighthouse is showcased in the dramatic glow of its illuminated Fresnel lens, which tirelessly scans the sea under the gaze of a million stars.

Do not miss breakfast

Original innkeepers Mike and Carol Korgan are both certified executive chefs. They are retired now, but their successors have upheld the tradition of fine dining at the house.

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A seven-course day-opening meal awaits each guest. At this table, delicious food keeps coming until every guest is fully nourished and satisfied.

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Accompanied by rousing coffees and teas, the multi-plate tapas style breakfast was a great way to start the day. The experience was further enhanced by the congeniality of our fellow guests.

Our recommendation

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For those heading to Oregon and ready for an authentic 19th-century lighthouse keeper’s experience accompanied by a gourmet-envy seven-course breakfast, we think you will enjoy the Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B. Learn more about it here.

Because this vintage B&Bs has very few guestrooms, be sure to make reservations several weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.

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If you go

The Heceta Lighthouse is located just off US-101 on the central Oregon coast and 12 miles north of Florence, Oregon.

Portland is the nearest major airport, and Eugene is a good choice as the closest regional airport that has direct service to cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.

Happy travels!

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“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Travel Insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Best Places to Stay Along the Oregon Coast: The Magnificent Overleaf Lodge in Yachats

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Over the last several months we have written about some wonderful places to stay along the scenic California coast. Today we introduce another outstanding lodge, this time in Oregon.

The ocean before us

The Overleaf Lodge rests on the edge of the Pacific Ocean; so close that you can easily hear the waves thumping the rocky shoreline.

The Overleaf seems large for its small-town surroundings. However, it has the advantage of a location that is situated well off busy Hwy 101 and the entire property blends well with the local flora.

A caring staff

We arrived at the lodge mid-afternoon and were immediately greeted by the very sociable and attentive General Manager Heather Tincher-Overholser, a 22-year veteran at the Lodge.

We later learned that Heather was the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Oregon Hotel and Restaurant Association Employee of the Year Award. We could understand their choice! We also thought the Lodge must be a pretty fine place to work based on our experience with other members of the staff.

A family-owned enterprise

Heather gave us a tour of the entire property. There are actually three distinct lodging groups on the site, all owned by the same family.

The Overleaf Lodge with 54 room and suites; Overleaf Village with eight cottages that are not on the ocean, but close and ideal for group or family vacations; and the Fireside Motel which is not quite as elegant as the Lodge, but close, and certainly more than adequate – and it’s pet-friendly.

Notable features at the Lodge

The Overleaf Lodge is a view with rooms. Every room boasts sweeping ocean vistas.

It has a fine Spa with a pool that overlooks the Pacific.

There appears to be a calibrated strategy to attain a comfortable sense of informality throughout.

The Lodge sits on the site of the historic 804 Trail, which was once an oceanside County Road before Hwy 101 made it obsolete in 1936.

It’s an invigorating one-mile ocean walk to the scenic little village of Yachats.

A healthy and hardy breakfast is included.

There’s a charming Picnic by the Sea option.

A separate conference center building is ideal for weddings or other gatherings.

The Lodge has a complimentary laundry – now that is unusual!

We liked it

We found the Overleaf Lodge to be a perfect getaway.

It is a rustically posh hotel that infuses just the right amount of opulence into the local culture.

The Inn is a very cozy place to relax and enjoy each other’s company while being serenaded by the sea.

If you go

Yachats is located in the middle of the Oregon coast. It is approximately 200 miles north of the California border, and 160 miles south of the Washington border. Portland is the nearest major airport, and Eugene is a good choice as the closest regional airport that has direct service to cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.

However, if you have the time and inclination, it’s a beautiful drive along Hwy 101 from any direction.

For more information about the Overleaf Lodge and its amenities, click *here*.

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

A Five-Star Experience at the Hayfield Manor in Cork, Ireland

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

Hayfield Manor is an elegant boutique hotel near the city center of Cork. When you combine a spectacular attraction like Blarney Castle with an extraordinary hotel like Hayfield Manor, you have brewed up a “must do” itinerary while visiting the Emerald Isle.

“Leave the hectic pace of city life and enter the tranquil country garden setting of a magnificent manor house.”

The circular drive of Hayfield Manor is reminiscent of grand houses everywhere – and in the axis of the driveway, you will find an eager and friendly door attendant waiting to serve you. As you exit your vehicle, you instinctively know you are about to experience the uncompromising elegance for which the manor has earned its high rating.

The accommodations

There are 88 bedrooms and suites in the hotel – all with unique vintage furnishings, exquisite floor coverings, and tasteful window styling. Each sleeping room has modern amenities readily available, but all are seamlessly woven into the room and suite’s decor – from complimentary high-speed internet access to a 32″ flat-screen TV with DVD

Tradition dominates throughout

After our tour of the manor, the congenial General Manager, Ettienne Van Vrede, asked, “How old does the manor feel?” We missed its age by a country mile. We replied that the hotel had the ambiance and appearance of a mid-19th-century manor house. We were astonished to learn that the present structure had replaced a centuries-old manor just over 20 years ago in 1996.

Extraordinary dining

Be sure to enjoy the special culinary experience of dining at the Orchids Restaurant. The Hayfield’s gifted expert chef prepares a nightly medley of Irish victuals to excite and delight the most discerning international palate. For less formal dining, there is Perrotts Garden Bistro. Located in the bright and airy hotel conservatory, the Bistro offers standard fare such as scrumptious salads and tasty burgers.

A rather unusual private dining room for up to 30 dinner guests is located in the manor’s cellar. The “Vine Wine Cellar” provides a unique atmosphere surrounded by the manor’s extensive selection of vintage wines.

The meeting rooms

The Hayfield has four meeting rooms – the largest is capable of seating 110. All are fully fortified with the latest in technology.

Health and Beauty

The spa at the Hayfield Manor is a destination in its own right. Each of the treatment rooms is designed to ensure that guests have the opportunity to relax, refresh and rejuvenate surrounded by luxuries such as glistening chandeliers, vintage perfume decanters, and antique-style furnishings. Select from the extensive Elemis treatment menu and you are sure to come away with a renewed sense of well being.

We recommend the Hayfield Manor Hotel for global travelers planning to visit the famous Blarney Castle or have other reasons to be in Cork. By staying at the Hayfield, you will be in distinguished company. The past guest list includes Prince Andrew – the Duke of York, Henry Kissinger, Pierce Brosnan, Edsel Ford, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, John Cleese, the King of Malaysia and the Prime Minister of Canada.

If you go

Cork is a delightfully cosmopolitan city in Southern Ireland and is only a short 20-minute drive from fabled Blarney Castle.

The Hayfield Manor Hotel is located at Perrott Avenue, College Road, Cork, Ireland. It is just up the hill from University College Cork. For more information, and to read all that the hotel has to offer, check out their website at https://www.hayfieldmanor.ie/ or email: enquiries@hayfieldmanor.ie

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Best Places to Stay Along the Northern California Coast: The Luxurious Rustic Inn at Newport Ranch

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

The latest subject in our series of articles about luxuriously uncommon coastal lodgings in Northern California is unique in many respects. This coastal cattle ranch covers 2000 remote acres chock-full of forests and plains. It’s the perfect location for a wedding, corporate gathering, or a romantic getaway.

The property stretches along a mile of picturesque bluffs overlooking the Pacific, complete with magnificent rock formations that rise from the sea and have endured ions of pounding by the wild California surf.

Hard road to reality

It’s not easy to get permission to build anything anywhere along the California coast. The several buildings that make up the Inn took years to plan and develop. The result is an unusual architectural oasis anchored by a signature cypress tree in a vast meadow of rolling grass.

What we missed that you shouldn’t

We visited the ranch during a storm with just minutes of rain abatement between downpours. The inclement weather kept us from experiencing what the ranch had to offer outdoors – a sad state of affair indeed. Consequently, we missed the all-terrain vehicle tour and opportunities to hike or bike the 20-miles of trails that traverse the property.

What we didn’t miss

The inside of the rustic/elegant inn is both interesting and inviting. Immediately upon entering, you are greeted by a magnificent map of the ranch.

With your back to the map, there is a delightful gathering room complete with comfortable ranch furniture and a warming fire.

Exploring further, the smaller room opens up to a grand room which is adorned with more relaxed seating, a small bar, and game table.

Everything is situated for maximum enjoyment of the custom rock and boulder fireplace.

During nice weather, guests can enjoy a splendid wrap-around deck and BBQ pit.

Our fellow travelers

There were ten people staying at the inn during our visit. We met all of them at the Fireside Happy Hour between 6 and 7PM over hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary first glass of wine, beer or cocktail.

After friendly self-introductions and some pleasant chat, we all retired to the Newport dining room for a highly anticipated dinner at the communal table.

The dining room was warmed by a large, walk-in fireplace.

Dinner at the inn

When you make your reservations at the Inn at Newport Ranch they email you an invitation to join them in the Newport dining room for a gourmet dinner. Just a day or two before your visit, the inn will email a choice of menu main dishes for the day of your arrival. They request that you email or call with your menu selection(s) by 11 AM on the day of your visit. The price of the three-course dinner service at the time of our stay was $65 per person.

Our choice of mains included one of the following:

Local Ling Cod with soy ginger glaze, spicy kale slaw, pickled turnips and delicata squash.
For the beef lover, they offered Beer Braised Covelo Beef with porter braised onion, ale braised farro, pickled onion, and mostarda.
The poultry choice was Seared Chicken Breast with smoky tomato risotto, chard, lemon-parsley pan jus.
Lastly, there was a Roasted Garlic Panisse with beet and kale slaw, roasted garbanzos, and herb tea.

We both chose the Beer Braised Covelo Beef, and it was delicious!

The opener was Onion Soup, and all mains were followed by an aptly-named Chocolate Decadence.

No hotel sameness at this inn

There are only seven guest rooms and suites at the ranch, and all are unique.

There are three guestrooms in the main building, and four rooms in two other buildings.

The owner’s four-bedroom oceanside vacation home “Sea Drum,” is also available and provides sleeping for up to ten.

Our suite

Our accommodation was the Birdhouse Suite. An unusual name for a really different sleeping room arrangement.

The Birdhouse Suite is located on the second floor of the Redwood building. Courtesy umbrellas kept us from getting wet, but we dashed most of the 500 feet (or so) from the main building anyway. What we found when we opened the door to our temporary home made the potential soaking worth it.

The rustic-luxe Birdhouse Suite is hard to describe, so we will let the pictures do most of the talking.

If one could afford it, this suite could be livable space for any duration.

It comes with rural-cozy appointments, a complete well-furnished kitchen, a sauna room,

a super little pot-bellied stove, and a deck with a grill and an excellent view.

It felt very private even with two other guest suites located in the building.

The Fireside Spa and a conference room are also located on the first floor of the building.

The bed was super comfy and we enjoyed listening to the howling wind while snuggling under the warmth of an old-fashioned quilt. At that point we didn’t care how bad the weather got outside – we slept soundly.

Morning came too early

It was still storming, but we were on a schedule, so we reluctantly did an early rise and shine.

Complimentary breakfast at the inn starts with a pastry bar at 7:30.

A full ranch breakfast is served an hour later.

Hospitable innkeeper Patricia Hunter stops to chat with some guests.

If you go

The Inn at Newport Ranch is remote and provides exceptional access to the beauty of the northern California coast. It is 11 miles to Fort Bragg on Highway 1, and 21 miles to Mendocino.

If you would rather not navigate the winding coastal roads leading to the ranch, the inn can arrange helicopter service with Butterfly Aviation. It’s a quick 40+ minute ride from San Francisco, and 30+ minutes from Santa Rosa.

For electric car aficienados, the ranch is equipped with a charging station.

For more information, pictures, and reservations check out The Inn at Newport Ranch or call 707-962-4818

Hint: Planning a wedding or an important event? It is possible to rent the entire Inn. However, plan early to avoid disappointment.

Happy Travels!

*********************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in the article are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Heading for the Mexican Riviera – Consider the Comforts of Cruising

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Wayne and Judy Bayliff Standard

It’s been a rainy winter at our home on the Oregon coast, so we decided to hunt for some sun and sand on the western coast of Mexico.

There’s a lot of ways to get to the famous Mexican Riviera. We decided on a Princess Cruise, and we are so glad we did.

Our cruise featured a total of ten wonderful days of relaxation – first aboard the Grand Princess and then in the warm sun of four exciting south of the border ports – Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Manzanillo, and Cabo San Lucas.

Our ship was the Grand Princess, and our cruise departed from San Francisco, always a nostalgic bonus for two ex-San Franciscans.

It didn’t take long

We pointed our car south on scenic Hwy 101, and within a few days, we were standing atop the uppermost deck of the Grand Princess as she glided under the Golden Gate Bridge. Click here to watch and listen to the excitement.

The ship’s horn was blaring, the automobiles on the bridge were honking, and hundreds of excited passengers were waving their arms and cheering. What a thrilling exit from everyone’s favorite City by the Bay.

What to write about

We knew we wanted to write about this vacation, but what aspects would our readers enjoy most. Hmmm.

There are thousands of travel articles written about each of the ports-of-call we would visit on our cruise. Type the word “Mazatlán” in Google Search, and you will get over 130 million results in .62 seconds – how do they do that!

So, rather than add to the mountain of available information about the ports of the Mexican Riviera, we will instead share our views on why we think cruising is the best way to get there.

Here are some reasons to take a cruise

“Unpack once to see the world.” A favorite reason – it’s easy. No packing and unpacking as you move from place to place on vacation.

A cruise ship can be a vacation destination. You might be surprised at how many seasoned cruisers never get off the ship for the entire cruise. To these devoted folks, the cruise itinerary is far less important than being on a favorite ship or cruise line. Everything they look for in a great vacation is right there on board.

Cruising is a great way to visit places you have never been before. Port stops are usually just long enough to get a flavor for a locale. Think of it as Visit 101. If you find a place you like, you can fly back when you have more time to explore it in-depth.

Binge or budget

Cruise lines cater to every wallet and expectation. Like an airplane, everyone on a cruise ship gets to the destination at the same time. However, the cost of a ticket on either mode of travel depends greatly on where you are on board. On a cruise ship you have four options, inside cabin with no window, outside cabin with window, outside cabin with a balcony, or an outside suite with extra room and a balcony.

Something to think about

It is possible that a budget cruise vacation with all the food you can eat – plus entertainment and other bennies, might very well be less expensive than just the cost of daily meals in a nice hotel restaurant on land.

Free stuff

Of course, everyone knows there is a lot of free stuff on a cruise – well, not really, but it feels that way after you have paid for your ticket. Food is free and available all over the ship. Yes, it is very easy to overindulge. Think of the temptation as a good test of your inner strength.

Entertainment is also free, and has improved dramatically over the years. Shipboard theaters are comfortable, and live musical productions are first-rate and on a par with the finest Vegas hotels.

The swimming pools are a great place to lounge, the library to read and relax, seminars at sea to learn – all for free.

High seas internet

It wasn’t long ago that it was expensive and an ordeal to get internet service on board a cruise ship. We are happy to report that things have improved greatly – at least on Princess.

There were three internet plans to choose from on our voyage. None were overly expensive, and the connections were commendable throughout the trip. We had a choice of guest computers in the Internet Lounge, or we could use our own devices from just about anywhere on the ship.

Cruising with electronics

There is one improvement we would ask of cruise ship designers. Please add more electrical outlets for guest use. The balcony staterooms on the Grand Princess have a total of 3 easily accessible outlets – but not all are usable at the same time if your devices have large plugs.

Here’s a little secret. If you look closely behind the TV in most cabins, you will find an open outlet. Not easy to access, but it’s there.

Tip: We always travel with a small travel surge protector/extension cord. Ours is a GE #14015 available from Amazon for about $15. It has three outlets and 2 USB rapid charging ports. There’s even a handy cord-wrap feature. Ideal, and problem solved.

Dining options

Princess has anytime dining or fixed reservation dining in the main dining rooms. We chose the fixed reservation early sitting because we like to eat early, and have ample time to get to the theater for the first show of the live productions.

We got to sit at the same table every night. Luckily, it was a window table and we could watch the waves go by as we waited for our 4-course dinners to begin.

At a fixed reservation table, you are served by the same team every night. In our case it was Sandra and Sarai, both from Mexico – so in addition to excellent service, we had the best tourist tips for all the ports of call.

Our wait team was backed up by our Head Waiter who hailed from Turkey. Everyone says that, “Our dining room team is the best,” but ours really was! They knew the menu, and their recommendations were always spot on. Never an empty water-glass or a crumb on the table. Three great personalities that after 10 days felt like part of our family. Can’t offer a better compliment than that.

Dress

Dress codes for the main dining rooms are much more lenient than a decade ago, but still a little stricter than for the truly casual dining venues on board. On land we would call it “Smart-Casual.”

Depending on the length of the cruise, there will be one or more formal nights in the main dining rooms. These dress-up dinners are opportunities for the ladies and gents to strut their finer stuff. One of these nights is usually when that savory lobster entrée is on the menu.

If you prefer to eat in shorts and flip-flops the entire trip, you will always be welcome for any meal at the Horizon Buffet, or at any of the poolside food stations serving delicious pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream cones, etc.

The Horizon Buffet is a casual restaurant with everything from American comfort food to exotic international dishes. At times it can be difficult to find an unoccupied table, but just ask anyone that has empty chairs if you can join them. We have never heard “no” for an answer.

On two of our nights, we ventured into one of the two specialty restaurants aboard the Grand Princess. There is an extra charge to eat at a specialty restaurant, but to celebrate an occasion, or pamper your palate, they are well worth the extra expense.

The specialty restaurants aboard Princess are the Sabatini Italian Restaurant and the Crown Grill Steakhouse. We have some great pics of our gourmet experiences aboard the Grand Princess, but we’ll save them for another story.

More to come

There is so much to write about a fantastic cruise. So we will end here with a promise of future articles describing our delightful spa treatments, luck in the casino, movies under the stars, beverage packages, bar services, room services, and our experience at the specialty restaurants.

We also look forward to telling you about the fun and nostalgic Princess welcome aboard program, our thoughts on the virtual end to sea-sickness, and the updated changes to the safety procedures on board Princess Cruises.

Ready to cruise?

For more information check out Princess.com

Happy travels!

*************************************

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

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Author Archives: Wayne and Judy Bayliff

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The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

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The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

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Best Places to Stay Along the Oregon Coast: The Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast

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A Five-Star Experience at the Hayfield Manor in Cork, Ireland

Best Places to Stay Along the Northern California Coast: The Luxurious Rustic Inn at Newport Ranch

Heading for the Mexican Riviera – Consider the Comforts of Cruising