My Travels

I'm staying in Carson at the Doubletree Carson  on and off for the next few months. This Doubletree is the exact opposite of the San Pedro location. The hotel is situated next to the civic center and not much in the immediate area for walking expeditions. The hotel has upgraded its facilities inside with carpet and furnishings. The hotel bar and restaurant is full service and appears fairly active in the evenings. There is a nice outdoor lounge attached to the restaurant/bar that would make you think you are not in Carson and the pool is fairly large. The breakfast here is also full American buffet with a cook to order omelet station. I was surprised to see the number of Indian clientele this hotel attracts. The restaurant carried a number of Indian specific foods in the morning. I don't know if TVs have changed recently but I am using the flat panel screens in hotels to view my laptop and watch Netflix and such. I am finding that the TVs are able to switch inputs easily and...

Staying in San Pedro for a week and checked into the Doubletree San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles . One of the few full service hotels in the South Bay that doesn't charge parking is a great thing especially since this Doubletree sits on the marina. The hotel is a little dated and could benefit by upgrading the interior. Overall, I like the location and the facility. As a Diamond member, I am able to have breakfast and this particular Doubletree allows for the full American buffet rather than just continental. I appreciate that since it is nice to have something hot in the morning. The hotel also offers complimentary shuttle service within the local area but it is also very easy to walk around San Pedro itself. Compared to Long Beach, San Pedro is quieter but prettier. In general, I don't make many housekeeping comments but this particular hotel actually tries to conserve the toiletries in the bathroom. You always see the signs in the rooms to "be green" and reuse to...

I'm about to begin a cycle of hotel stays in the upcoming months due to some personal home construction. Coming back from Baltimore, I opted to stay by the LAX area and made a one night stay in Hawthorne. After waiting for almost an hour, I was able to get on the airport shuttle for the Hampton Inn Los Angeles International Airport/Hawthorne . The hotel shares the shuttle with other hotels in the immediate area so you have to look for a shuttle with an assortment of hotels ranging from Choice to Holiday Inn. In the future, if you are in the Terminal 7 at LAX you want to be under the Hotel Courtesy stop that is closest to Terminal 6. The shuttles don't drive past the entire stop and will leave you if you are at the wrong end of the stop. The hotel is relatively new and the interior greatly contrasts with the neighborhood. I was surprised to see that there were no tubs in the bathroom, it was a full shower with seating. The parking is secure but you have to get the code first ...

Headed out to charm city for a conference on this trip. I took a red eye flight on United Airlines and landed into Baltimore International Airport (BWI). I did do a pit stop at George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport  and grabbed a breakfast taco from Pappasito's Cantina . Normal taco but I was surprised to see that pico de gallo and jalapenos are not considered condiments and is an additional charge. On this trip, I decided to get a rental car and found a great deal through Priceline and ended up at Avis with a Kia Rio. I think my daily parking charge is more expensive than the rental rate. Headed to downtown Baltimore and decided that I wanted to visit Dangerously Delicious Pies for lunch. So I detoured from the hotel to the Pie shop first and ordered a slice of chicken pot pie and mobtown brown a la mode. The mobtown brown is your basic pecan pie drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauces. The pies were pretty good, there was a salty aftertaste to...

I seem to be making up for lost time and made another visit to Phoenix. Left with some friends over the holiday weekend to Phoenix. It was an uneventful road trip to Phoenix with some easy pit stops at Carl's Jr and truck stops along the way. Checked into the Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel. I haven't stayed at a Westin but it looked fairly new from the website. The location in downtown is super convenient to Chase Field. Unfortunately, the Arizona Diamondbacks were not in town. The rooms are huge and very comfortable. The pool was a little small for my taste but I was not here in this hotel because of the pool. The parking is a bit steep at almost $30 but expected given the location. Westin Phoenix Downtown Guest Room After checking in, made a visit to some relatives and stopped by Urban Cookies Bakeshop for some treats to bring. They did sell cupcakes but the theme was peach and it isn't a flavor I usually like in baked goods. The cookies were delicious, I had the...

I haven't been to Phoenix in awhile. Took a road trip for a quick overnight trip to Phoenix. Headed out early morning and discovered a great Mexican restaurant in Banning, California. Consuelo's Home Style Mexican Food at 1046 E Ramsey Street off the 10 Interstate at the Hargrave Street exit. You wouldn't see it right away but I had a great Chile Verde breakfast burrito. Something to keep in mind if you go to Morongo Casino or Palm Springs. Hampton Inn King Room Checked into the Hampton Inn Phoenix Midtown Downtown Area. I haven't been to this particular Hampton Inn in a few years and they implemented a few new changes since my last visit. There are designated Diamond parking spaces by the front of the hotel, cookies in the afternoon, and the welcome amenity is a choice of snacks. I especially like the power outlet/USB station on the night desk next to the bed. Overall, a very nice stay. Charging station on night stand at Hampton Inn The burrito earlier sti...

It seems to me that it has been awhile since I have gone to Las Vegas. Made a roadtrip to Sin City over a three day holiday weekend. Since I wasn't travelling in normal "rush hour" traffic to Las Vegas, I was hoping for an easy road trip. On the way to Las Vegas, I made a pit stop at Kick Back Jacks for breakfast with friends. The signature dishes are large pancakes - I think it was bigger than 12 inches in diameter. Great local breakfast chain in Inland Empire. Living room of 2 bedroom suite at Elara Checked into the Elara Hotel. Originally, I intended to be part of a large group and had booked a two bedroom suite. Plans fell through but the room remained the same size. Ironically, the hotel was not able to pair down the room to a one bedroom suite even though they could take the studio room. Since I was on a promotion, I would think the hotel would be happy to get an extra room back on a sold out weekend. The hotel was fairly strict in maintaining the check i...

I came out to this part of the country for work. I actually have family nearby and decided to combine this work trip with personal business. I flew out on United Airlines and it was an easy flight. This flight will be my first for 2014 and I have forgotten what domestic planes are offering. I was in the new Boeing configuration and appreciated the new chair and lighting design. The drawback was the lack of entertainment. It must be a trend to get rid of the TVs in planes now and I ended up being unprepared to entertain myself on this flight. I will not be making this mistake on my return. I am not sure if the airport underwent any renovations since the last time I have been in New Orleans but it felt relatively refreshed in décor. The rental car facility appears new and is not a remote location. I know that some airports have opted to remove the car rental facilities to an offsite location and it was nice to know that you can walk to your rental car after you land in New Orleans. Lu...

Headed out to Palm Springs for a quick getaway with friends. In this trip, I stayed at the H yatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.  Not my usual choice of hotel chain, I do enjoy the Hyatt brand. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised of the freshness of the resort. With some resorts, one can never tell if the age starts showing up on the interior furnishings and/or design. On the way to Palm Springs, we made a pit stop at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets aka Cabazon Outlets to do some retail therapy. I haven't been in years but I know others who regularly shop at this outlet. The construction put a small damper on the shopping experience as it made for a more crowded feel. All in all, not a bad pit stop. Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa Double Room Upon arrival at the Hyatt, I can tell that the hotel was sold out as the self parking was not available. Luckily, the hotel charged self parkin...

Hopped on a United Airlines flight to London for the holidays. With the news going crazy about the possible weather shut down for the East Coast, my layover in Houston became a pretty popular option for other travelers. United had allowed for free changes due to the possible storm which made my chances for an upgrade to nil. So I opted to change my flight to go through Newark and guarantee myself the business class upgrade at the same time! At least my flight eastbound had individual TVs and power ports. I'm not convinced I like the plane equipment that Continental Airlines had and less enthused that the new United is embracing these planes. Perhaps it is just a transition period as they absorb all these planes from Continental. Landed into Heathrow Airport   without much ado. In some ways, it reminded me of landing into the US. They don't seem particularly concerned at customs of anyone and I was surprised to see that they don't stamp you when you leave the country. ...

Travelled up to the bay area to catch a college football game. Being on a roadtrip, I opted to drive as long as possible on Interstate 5 and checked into the Hampton Inn Livermore. The location off the 580 and being reasonably priced made this Hampton an ideal location for such a short trip. The rooms were spacious and the parking was plentiful. The hotel is maintained well and the continental breakfast was your typical Hampton breakfast selection. Hampton Inn Livermore After spending the day in Berkeley, had dinner at The Front Porch . Featured on Diners, Dives, & Drive Ins , I tried out the restaurant's offerings. I enjoyed the jalapeno bacon deviled eggs with my shrimp and grits entrée. I was not a fan of the biscuits or mac n cheese. The other entrees, fried chicken and burger, were ok but not worth the price. I've had better fried chicken especially for $18. I assume that San Franciscans don't really know true southern food if the raves on Yelp is any indic...

Just after leaving Manila, I went to DC for a conference. Ironically, I left one rainy area for another while having the federal government in shutdown mode. I flew into Dulles Airport on United Airlines uneventfully. I was hoping with the shutdown that DC hotels had lower occupancy rates and I would be able to get into my room earlier than norm. Unfortunately, the Hampton Inn & Suites Reagan National Airport was not able to do so. At least breakfast was still being served and I was able to hang out in the restaurant and business center until the room was ready. The front desk girl was nice enough to track me down and let me know the room was ready. After settling in, I headed out to the conference at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel . Being in Arlington, I was two stops away on the Yellow line which made the commuting time around 20 minutes. The good thing about the hotel is it sits above the L'Enfant station. The hotel's options for eating is limited but the promenade level...