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S is for Six Sunny Hours in Seattle

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When the sun shines in Seattle, you want to be where the action is: anywhere near the water with a view of the mountains.

One way to take in a panoramic view of the region is to head west on the 520 floating bridge towards downtown Seattle. From the bridge deck you’ll have a 180 degree view of the Olympic Mountains, with “The Brothers” peaks straight ahead, Mt. Rainier to your left, and Mt. Baker on your right. At the west end of the bridge, look for the University of Washington Husky Stadium. Go Dawgs!

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Photo courtesy of Loco Steve – flickr

Next, take a couple of hours to stroll through Pike Place Market on Elliott Bay for a sampling of outstanding produce, flowers, and crafts from the Pacific Northwest. Be sure to check out the restaurants and shops on both sides of the street and on each of the market levels. Leave with a souvenir watercolor painting of the city or a photo of yourself atop the Market Pig. Shop for jewelry, teas and spices or a stack of magazines from around the world and stop at the original Starbucks store for a cup of your favorite joe to go. Don’t leave without trying your hand at catching a flying fish from the fun-loving guys at The Fish Market.

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Photo courtesy of moohaha – flickr

When you’re ready to take a break from shopping, you can select from any number of restaurants at the Market for lunch – or you can hop back in your car for the drive to Ray’s Boathouse, Seattle’s premier waterfront restaurant, for a delectable meal of fresh seafood, like salmon, calamari, jumbo shrimp, scallops or crab cakes. Mmm . . .

What are your favorite places on a sunny Seattle day, wanderboomers?

BY Nancy Mueller 9 Comments

F is for Farmers Market Destinations

Hong Kong Farmer’s Market – Photo courtesy of Crossroads Foundation – flickr

One of my favorite pursuits when traveling is visiting the local Farmers Markets to get an authentic, sensory feel of my destination.

Here I can discover fresh local produce, sampling and tasting as I saunter along from vendor to vendor, smiling while the farmers compete among themselves for my attention and pocketbook. I can get lost in listening to the music of a foreign language, learn where locals like to eat and how to prepare an evening’s meal from unfamiliar ingredients.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market

Even when home in Seattle, I can visit several different neighborhood markets to find unusual teas, melons and spices.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market

And can I ever leave without purchasing a bouquet of flowers or gifts of indigenous handicrafts? Hardly.

Little Red Riding Hood & Friends from Brazil Farmer’s Market

Not a bad way to spend a few hours . . .

What’s your favorite farmer’s market, Wanderboomers?

BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments

Girlfriend Getaway: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama

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If you’re looking for a great girlfriend getaway for Winter or Spring Break, head to Gulf Shores, Alabama, short-listed as one of America’s Coolest Small Towns 2013 by readers of Budget Travel Magazine.

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Why Gulf Shores? Well, if 32 miles of sugar-white sand beaches and plenty of sun aren’t reason enough, how about historical attractions, outdoor activities like swimming, fishing, golf, or sightseeing along nature and wildlife trails? There’s always shopping, of course, and at the end of a day of play, you’ll find fabulous dining and entertainment experiences.

Accommodations

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First, you’ll need a place to stay. For the ultimate in spacious accommodations, two lodgings that get my vote are the Kiva Dunes Resort, located on a championship golf course, and Turquoise Place, featuring luxurious gulf-front condominiums.

Our whopping 1663 square foot three-bedroom, three-bath condominium in Kiva Village had its own private balcony with golf and water views, a wet bar and a gorgeous kitchen. But it was the water view that got our attention as we stood on the balcony, sipping our morning coffee.

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Besides the one duck leisurely paddling the perimeter, something else came swimming towards us. What is that? we wondered, peering more intently as the object moved closer into view. At first, we could only make out the eyes just above the water, then the dark scales on its back. Ohhh, yeah – that would be an Alabama alligator! Very cool. Just be sure not to confuse this body of water with one of the three outdoor pools at the resort, though it’s good to know that the duck, at least, did not seem bothered by the company.

Stroll the walkover to enjoy the indigenous flora and view of the 30-foot dune protecting the site before heading to more than 3,000 feet of sugar-white sands and stunning ocean view. With additional amenities like tennis courts, fitness room, restaurant, golf shop – and let’s not forget the Tiki bar – you could easily hunker down here for your entire visit.

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But if your taste runs more to lavish beach condominiums that overlook the Gulf of Mexico, Turquoise Place could be just the ticket for your girlfriend adventure. Not only does the resort include indoor and outdoor heated pools, a lazy river, tennis courts, fitness rooms, steam and sauna rooms and spa services, and the condos, gourmet kitchens and designer furnishings; but the condo balconies (ranging from 403 – 1092 square feet) include gas grills or outdoor kitchens and hot tubs, plus you get the sweeping Gulf views, all from the comfort of your home away from home.

Coming Up Next: Favorite food adventures for your Gulf Shores & Orange Beach escape . . .

What’s your favorite place to stay along the Gulf Shore, Wanderboomers?

BY Nancy Mueller Leave a Comment

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

With so many choices available in Waikiki Beach, how’s a wanderboomer to choose where best to stay? Fortunately, I had the chance to try out the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa for a couple of days on a recent vacation. Here’s why the resort ranks high on my list for solo and family travelers:

Location, Location, Location

The resort lies at the southernmost end of Kalakaua Avenue, the main road through Waikiki. Kuhio Beach Park is right across the street, for easy beach and ocean access, with Diamond Head and the Honolulu Zoo close by. Even the Waikiki Sand Restoration Project, well underway during this visit, couldn’t diminish the pleasure of having the beach just footsteps away, since most of the beach still remained accessible.

The good news is that the restoration is now complete!

Ocean View

Guests can book a room in one of two towers at the resort: the beautifully renovated oceanfront Kealohilani Tower with its own private balconies or the older Paoakalani Tower. Can you guess which one gets my vote?

Bright, tropical colors and cozy down comforters inside sheeted duvets define the look and feel of rooms in the Kealohilani Tower. Having reading lights mounted into the headboards is a welcome touch, along with outlets and connecting jacks for electronic devices.

Cultural Connections & Activities

So much of why I love to travel is wrapped around learning about and experiencing different cultures. The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort rests on land that was once the summer palace of Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. To honor her legacy, the resort renamed the twin towers, together translated as “heavenly fragrance,” to represent her two homes.

Lucky VIP guests can book the Queen Liliuokalani suite, thoughtfully designed to include her love of flowers and music composition.

In a further nod to the Queen’s musical background, nightly entertainment at the resort presents authentic Hawaiian music. What a treat to sit in the warm open-air of Moana Terrace overlooking Waikiki Beach, listening to music masters George Kuo, Martin Pahinui (slack key guitar) & Aaron Mahi (bass)!

And if watching hula dancers is on your must-do-in-Hawaii list, you’ll be happy to know that performances are presented throughout the day in the resort’s enormous main lobby.

Active wanderboomers can also take advantage of the Surf Package offered by the on-site Pro Surf School Hawaii, owned and operated by professional surfer Kai Sallas. For $244./night, guests can stay in a deluxe room with balcony, and receive a two-hour lesson with professional surfers and a two-day surfboard rental. Classes are offered at all levels in how to surf, stand up paddle and bodyboard.

Amenities

With 1,310 guest rooms, 5 dining facilities, plus Seattle’s Best Coffee House, two outdoor pools and whirlpool, a free 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center and a spa salon, is it any wonder that staying at the resort feels like living in a small village? Oh – and don’t forget over 55,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space and a Business Center (if you must work while you’re here), plus a host of places to shop throughout the property, including the always popular ABC Store.

Hawaiian Hospitality

Maybe it’s because the ever-present sun and timeless, natural island beauty bring out the best in people. Whatever the reason, the spirit of warm hospitality runs deep in Hawaii. From the fragrant floral leis presented to visitors at airport arrivals to the heartfelt expression of “Aloha” in greetings and partings, Hawaiian hospitality is legendary. A little bit of kindness extended by chef Chuck and server Janice in the Kuhio Grill, for example, went a long way in making this WanderBoomer a happy camper.

* Special thanks to the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa for hosting a portion of my stay.

There’s still time to enter our special Travel Writing Contest, Wanderboomers! Win a 5-night stay (and fantastic extras) on Hawaii Island at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. For details, click here:

http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/2012/hawaii-island-travel-writing-contest-announced

But hurry – entries must be submitted by September 14, 2012 11:59 p.m. PST!

BY Nancy Mueller 22 Comments

Top Travel Guidebook for Hawaii

Whenever two or more seasoned travelers are gathered, you’re bound to hear the one question on everyone’s mind: “Where are you going next?” or “What’s your next trip?” Wanderlusters love to share their travel tales, for better or worse, and inspire each other to keep on moving.

We also love to talk about our recommended guidebooks.

For my recent trip to O’ahu, I browsed through the selection at my favorite travel bookstore in Seattle, Wide World Books & Maps, before settling on two: DK Eyewitness Travel Hawaii (in the hopes that I’ll be visiting the other Hawaiian Islands in the not-too-distant future) and DK Eyewitness Travel Top 10 Honolulu & O’ahu, which also comes with a nifty fold-out map in the back pocket.

The store employee suggested I might also want to consider O’ahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond. I took a quick peek but stuck with my first choices. I love the compact size of the DK Eyewitness series and their photos are second to none. Plus, I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of packing yet another guidebook in my carry-on bag.

A few days later a friend offered to loan me her travel guide for O’ahu. The title? You guessed it. O’ahu Revealed. Okay, fine. I decided to take another look. Boy, am I glad I did.

This became my guidebook of choice for the entire weeklong stay on Hawaii’s most famous island. Here’s why:

The author, Andrew Doughty, provides a candid, personal assessment of attractions, restaurants, hotels and activities. You know you’re in good hands when the guidebook writer “lives” his book as he tell us in the introduction.
I appreciated (and needed) the highly detailed maps with suggestions of best routes to local destinations, despite what the road signs say.
The author’s vivid descriptions of specific locations on the island tell it like it is. Here’s one example any of us could relate to describing the difficulty of capturing an aerial photo of Turtle Bay Beach & Resort on the Northshore due to wind turbulence:

“Trying to hold the camera steady and flying the pitching aircraft while screaming and crying for mama is a bit awkward . . . “

Once on O’ahu, we found copies of O’ahu Revealed everywhere, outnumbering any other guidebook, including the popular Lonely Planet series. Having referred to the guide throughout our stay on the island, I can highly recommend it for your future travels to Hawaii. The good news is the series extends to The Big Island, Kauai and Maui. My hopes were dashed, however, to find that the series only extends to Hawaii. The rest of the world will have to wait.

What’s your favorite guidebook to the Hawaiian Islands, Wanderboomers?

S is for Six Sunny Hours in Seattle

F is for Farmers Market Destinations

Girlfriend Getaway: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

Top Travel Guidebook for Hawaii

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