Recommendations from the places I've been, as well as suggestions from family and friends.
Golf course rankings are in green. To find a place, just select Find in the Edit menu of your Web browswer. And to print just a small section, highlight what you want with your mouse and then choose the Selection option in the Print dialog box.
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Aruba
Aruba has great people and beautiful beaches, but can get pretty windy
Best Lodging
- Radisson
- Hyatt
- Marriott
Restaurants
- Sunset Grill, Radisson, great steaks
- Tuscany, Hyatt, great italian
Bars
- Dancing at Ezone, Club Havana and Bahia
- Fun evening rasta party bus tours by Little Dick at Kukoo Kunuku
Activities
- Take Jeeps thru desert along water to lighthouse
GOLF
- Tierra del Sol, A, beautiful, hard and windy
Australia
SYDNEY
--- all areas below are walkable in one fun day
- Circular Quay, main ferry station
- Opera House
- Rocks, interesting shops
- Darling Harbor, food and cool monorail
- Harbor Bridge, optional walk over the top
- Cafe Sydney, great fancy food in the Customs House
MOSMAN
--- just North of Sydney
- Balmoral beach, small and very nice
- Bather's Pavilion, great brunch/food on Balmoral beach
- The Oaks, fun pub/billiards in town
- Taronga Park Zoo, koalas, kangaroos and more, start at the top and take the gondola back up the hill
BEACHES
- Coogee, great beach with just enough people watching and food options, go to the pub in center of beach to cook your own BBQ
- Manly, popular built-up beach, great fancy food at Le Kiosk on Shelley beach next to it
- Bondi, popular but crowded beach
- Cronulla, less crowded beach further South, fun local town with good Italian food at Bella's
PORT DOUGLASS
--- casual beach town that's convenient to both the Reef and Rain Forest, it's about 1 hour bus ride North of Cairns (say cans) airport (CNS) which is 3 hours North of Sydney (SYD)
* Dec-May is Monsoon and Cyclone season in Port Douglas area, probably best to avoid this time although we got lucky with beautiful weather
Hotels
--- staying in town seems like the best option, note that the Mirage, Treetops and Thala Lodge are all not in town
- Peninsula Hotel, great boutique hotel near beach and shops, built in 2000, no kids under 13, includes shuttle to CNS and breakfasts, pool and restaurant on-site with very nice staff, fun BBQ on Tue and Thu, Tricia is owner, $330/night, 011-617-3876-4644
- Beaches and Reflections also looked nice
Restaurants
- Mango Jam, great interesting food
- Iron Bar, recommended seafood, plus toad races
- La Marina, recommended italian, wharf area
Barrier Reef
--- great day trips for snorkeling and diving on the Reef
- QuickSmart, 50 person catamaran, the best, quicksmart-cruises.com.au
- Poseidon, 50 person catamaran, recommended second choice
- QuickSilver, 300 person catamaran, too big but recommended if winds are over 15 knots
Rain Forest
--- can be a little hot/humid but worth it, bring bug spray
- Tony's Jeep tours, recommended different day trip that includes a Daintree river cruise, Rain Forest hike, swim in Cooper Creek, Cape Tribulation, and Daintree Ice Cream factory
Other Recommendations
- Blue Mountains, 1 hour from Sydney, hiking
- Hunter Valley, 2 hours from Sydney, wine tasting
- Ayers Rock, plane from Sydney, hiking
- Melbourne, plane from Sydney, cool city
- Mossman Gorge, Port Douglas, hiking and swimming
- Low Islands, Port Douglas, sailing and snorkeling on the Wave Dancer
- Hayman Island, recommended private fancy resort
Cape Cod
- Chatham, great area on elbow of Cape, activities include big state beach, quieter Pleasant Bay, great shops in Chatham, bike rides, fishing boats coming in late afternoon, etc, check-out the Impudent Oyster in Chatham and the roadside clam place on the way to the state beach
- Hyannis, a little touristy
- Provincetown, far end and is fun but can get a little crazy, worth a day trip though
Carmel/Monterey
Directions from SF: 280s or 101s-85s-17s-1s
Lodging
- Hyatt Highlands Inn, beautiful, $500, 800-233-1234, highlandsinn.hyatt.com
- Old Monterrey Inn, great fancy honeymoon b&b, $300+
- Hyatt Regency, big and basic but nice just not in downtown area, $125, 831-372-1234
- Wayfarer Inn, downtown Carmel, small and basic but nice in downtown area, $125, 4th/Mission, 800-533-2711
- Quail Lodge, fancy with golf, $300+, 624-2888
Other Lodging
- Bernardus Lodge, highly recommend fancy resort, 888-648-9463
- Spanish Bay, highly recommended fancy resort/golf
- Lodge at Pebble, less fancy but golf access, $400+, 800-654-9300
- Post Ranch Inn at Big Sur, fancy/beautiful, www.postranchinn.com
- Ventanna, fancy/beautiful
- Cobblestone Inn, downtown Carmel, recommended, $100+, 625-5222
- Highlands Inn, fancy b&b on cliffs, now a Hyatt timeshare
- Seven Gables Inn, fancy b&b
- River Inn, basic b&b with floating chairs near Big Sur, 800-548-3610
Dog-Friendly Lodging
- Cypress Inn, recommended, $200, 831-624-3871
- Tradewinds Inn, recently renovated, $325, 831-624-2776
- Vagabonds House Inn, $200
- Sunset House, $200, 831-624-4884
Restaurants
- Tarpy's Roadhouse, cal cuisine, our favorite place, near Carmel airport, 831-647-1444
- Montrio, great italian, Monterey, 648-8880
- Roys, great cal seafood+, near Pebble Beach
Other Restaurants:
- California Market at Highlands Inn, on the deck
- Pacific's Edge at Highlands, fancy
- Lugano's, german/fondue
- Cafe Cardinale, best coffee, Carmel
- Katy's Place, brunch, Carmel
- Tuck, tea, Carmel
- Forge in the Forest, dog friendly cafe, Carmel
- Nepente, casual with firepit, great for sunsets, Carmel
- Fresh Cream, dinners, Monterey
- Mission Ranch, great food and fun atmosphere, beef and views, owned by Clint Eastwood
- Covey at Quail Lodge, 831-624-2888
- Adrian's Gourmet Kitchen, local lunch place, 831-624-1494
Bars
- Lallapalooza, martinis
- Cibos, jazz, 649-8151
- Mucky Duck, pub, 655-3031
- Viva's, bands, 646-8383
Activities
- Downtown Carmel is called Carmel by the Sea, great shops
- 17 mile drive, great views and Pebble Beach Lodge
- Point Lobos State Reserve, morning hikes
- Monterey Aquarium, definitely worth a visit
- Fisherman's Wharf, good but a little touristy
- Cannery Row, ok shops but can be skipped
- Kayaking, near Big Sur, views of wildlife, 800-649-5257
- Point Lobos State Reserve
- Big Sur, supposedly great hiking and views 15 minutes south of Carmel, but we always have a tough time actually finding it :)
Whale Watching season is Dec-Feb:
- Monterey Sport Fishing, whales, 800-200-2203
- Sams, whales, 831-372-0577
GOLF
Pebble Beach Courses
- Pebble Beach, A, $450
- Spyglass, some say it's better than Pebble
- Cypress, private
- Poppy Hills, B, public, $160 or $60 with NCGA
- Quail Lodge, B, nice older course, 888-828-8787
Pebble Beach Alternatives:
- Pasatiempo, A, Santa Cruz, $140-160, Golf Digest Top 100 1999, 831-459-9155, Directions: 280s, 17s, Pasatiempo Drive
- Fort Ord-Bayonnette, Monterey, A
Charleston
Lodging
- Fulton Lane Inn, very nice B&B, 803-720-2600
Bars/Restaurants
- Rooftop Bar, pre-dinner drinks, overlooking harbor
- Smokehouse Brewery, very nice brew pub and pool hall
- Wild Wings, fun wings place and bar
Restaurants
- Magnolias and Blossom, very nice/quaint
Activities
- Mansion Tours
- Marketplace area shops
- Horse and Buggy Tour, fun
Isle of Palms
- fun beach area
- Windjammer, beach bar/music
- The Boathouse, great seafood/steaks
GOLF
- Kiawah is the best but many other great options
- Dunes West, A
- Wild Dunes Harbor, A
- Charleston National, B, 843-884-7799
- Coosaw Creek, B
- Pine Forest Valley, B
- Seabrook, Crooked Oaks, B
- Crowfield, C
Colorado
Ski season is Nov/Dec thru Mar/Apr, and summer season is Jun-Sep, be careful of mud season Apr/May and Oct
When traveling from DEN airport, the Chart House is about 40 minutes from airport and great for dinner, also try exit 234 with Starbucks, discounted ski clothes and big-horn sheep (seriously)
BEAVER CREEK
- 30 minutes from EGE airport or 2 hours from DEN, great ski village/plaza with food, shops, ice skating and skiing
- easy to ski from Beaver Creek to Bachelor Gulch (exclusive area) to Arrowhead (moderate area)
- Park Hyatt and Hyatt Vacation Club Resort, great hotel and condos right in village, Allegria spa, great fire pit for cocktails and/or smores, 970-949-1234
- St James, very nice condos in village, 888-485-4317, 970-845-9300
- Beano's Cabin, fancy dinner on mountain, take 45 minute horseback ride
- Timber Lodge, very nice rustic restaurant on mountain in Cordillera
- Dusty Boot, fun/family tex-mex
- Gas House, fun/family steak place
- drive thru Glen Canyon on 70 and exit at Hanging Lake for challenging but beautiful 1.5m hike to lake and spouting rock
- mountain bike at ski resorts or on Berry Creek or Lake Creek trails off of exit 16
GOLF
- Cordillera (Summit/Mountain/Valley), A
- Sonnenalp, B
VAIL
- next to Beaver Creek, fancier ski village
- Russels, good steaks/seafood
- Minnturn CC/Saloon, grill-your-own dinners outside of town
BRECKENRIDGE
- 2 hours from DEN, nice ski village, little more laid back
- Base 9 condos, nice and can walk to ski lift
ASPEN
- 5 minutes from EGE airport or 4 hours from DEN, nice town, less of a ski village
- Hyatt Grand Aspen and St. Regis are both wonderful and at base of mountain next to lifts and ice skating, spa at St. Regis
- Wild Fig, best dinner
- D19 and Jimmy's, trendy dinner spots
- Gusto, very nice italian, great off-season discounts
- Blue Maize, tasty mexican
- Big Wrap, best lunches/salads
- Breakfasts: Paradise Bakery better than Weinerstube or Poppycock's
- Maggie Moo's, ice cream
- Belly-Up, good live bands
- Bars: Bentley's (bloody marys) and Little Annie's (burgers)
- Ute Trail Hike, great challenging hike, walk back thru Ute Park and Wheeler Ditch Trail along river
- Hunter Creek Hike, easier hike off Red Mountain near huge homes
Connecticut
- Greenwich CT - beautiful expensive area, high-end shopping downtown, huge homes to the north
- Madison, quiet nice town with small downtown and great Hamonasset state beach, tasty fried seafood at Clam Castle on Route 1, also Guilford and Saybrook are nice towns nearby
- Essex, nice quaint New England town on water, nice downtown shops and restaurants, near CT River and beaches
- Mystic, nice but touristy New England maritime area/museum, worth a day trip
GOLF
- Sterling Park, B, Stamford
- Manchester Country Club, B, Manchester
Recommended CT Golf (Special contribution from Brendan McCarthy)
1. Fox Hopyard, A, East Haddam, $95
2. Wintonbury, A, Pete Dye, Bloomfield
3. Great River, A, Milford, $125
4. Yale, A, alumni only, New Haven
5. Gilette Ridge, A, Bloomfield, $80
Dallas
Restaurants
- Babe's, Roanoke, a dive but great fried chicken or chicken fried steak with home style sides for $10 pp, BYOB at gas station
- Mi Cucina, fun mexican in Grapevine
- Bob's Chop House, fancy with great steaks, Dallas
Bars
- Cool River, fun bar and restaurant in Irving on Macarthur
- Cowboy's Red River, across from Texas Stadium in Dallas, 214-352-1796, dance lessons early, house band late, mechanical bull all night
- Deep Ellum, edgy area in Dallas, go to Monica's for fun mexican, the Bone and Green Room for music, Sambucca's for jazz and Elbow Room for a good hang-out bar
- Forth Worth Stockyards, fun bars, Joe T Garcia's (joets.com) for drinks and Billy Bob's western bar (billybobstexas.com)
Lodging
- Doral Tesoro, near Fort Worth Speedway, 12 miles from Sabre on 114W, nice golf course too
Disney
- stay in park if possible for convenience of the Disney transportation and earlier opening times in parks, there are high-end hotels like the Grand Floridian, Dolphin and Swan but moderate hotels like the Caribbean and Port Orleans are nice too
- get a Park Hopper pass and if you are there for more than a couple days, split time between different parks each day so you don't wear yourself out
- character breakfasts are a lot of fun for kids and adults
- definitely take advantage of Fast Pass to get on the top rides, stop by the best rides first thing to get your ticket and time to return
- stay left in every line...it works
- Epcot, very good, full day, adult-oriented rides, exhibits and good restaurants, lake tour of countries, evening light show fun too
- MGM, very good, half to full day, adult oriented rides and good restaurants
- Magic Kingdom, good, half day, classic kids rides
- Blizzard Beach, very good, half to full day depending on weather, water park and beach, much better than the other Disney water parks
- Pleasure Island, fun Disney night spot, 10+ bars and restaurants with different themes and New Year's Eve every night, adults only
- Universal, not part of Disney but a very good park with a variety of rides, exhibits and food, nice change of pace from Disney
- St. Augustine's 1-hour north, nice old town and shopping
GOLF
- Osprey Ridge, B
- Magnolia, B
- Eagle Pines
- Palm
- Lake Buena Vista
- Shades of Green, military course
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Hawaii
- great guidebooks are Maui Revealed and Kauai Revealed
- check-out BestofHawaii.com and BestPlacesHawaii.com too
High season is Jan-Apr and Jul-Aug, avg high temps are 70-85 year-around
MAUI
Maui is probably the best all-around island. Wailea on the South coast is a very nice area with a great coastal trail that connects the hotels. West coast also has nice spots like Kapalua.
Maui Hotels:
- Grand Wailea, great big resort on beach walk, kid friendly but have nice adult pool and amazing pools/slides, best breakfasts are at Kula Cafe, $750+, 800-888-6100, www.grandwailea.com
- Four Seasons, great resort, very classy, celebs, 808-874-8000
- Fairmont Kea Lani, great resort, more intl crowd, 808-875-4100
- Marriott Wailea, Renaissance and Outrigger, nice but a step down from the three above
- Maui Prince, also nice, slightly more remote in Makena near Wailea
- Wailea Villas, for small groups check-out great villa options at Wailea Point (www.waileapoint.com), Makena Surf (www.drhmaui.com) and www.mauiblue.net as well as the new Wailea Beach Village right next to the Grand Wailea
- Kapula Ritz/Villas, the Bay villas are outstanding, Ritz is a little dated, best for golfers
Maui Restaurants (in order):
1. Ferraro's, Four Seasons, great Italian and stunning views, fancy
2. Sarento's, Kihei, great Italian and views, fancy
3. Longhi's, Wailea Shops, great Italian and sunsets, fun
4. Nick's Fish Market, Fairmont, great seafood and views
5. Humu, Grand Wailea, very good seafood
6. Cheeseburgers & Mai Tai's, Wailea Shops, great casual burgers
Other Recommended Maui Restaurants:
- Joe's Bar and Grill, Wailea
- Hali-imaile General Store, breakfasts
- Roy's, Kihei
- Mamma's Fish House
Kapalua Restaurants:
- Vino, italian tapas
- Longhi's, original
- Plantation House, very good
- Old Lahaina Luau, fun and surprisingly good food
- Waveriders, Lahaina, fun bar
Maui Activities:
- Golf/Tennis, great options available in Wailea/Makena
- Sunset Sailing, a lot of fun and good chance for whales in winter, Alii Nui highly recommended
- Snorkeling Trips, morning is best time, Molokini crater and Turtle Town are best stops, Alii Nui and Paragon both highly recommended, as well as Kai Kanani at Maui Prince which is closer to Molokini
- Beach Snorkeling, couple cool spots in Wailea/Makena, check free map at Maui Dive Shop
- Wailea Shops, great upscale shops and restaurants
- Lava Fields, Makena near Wailea, worth a drive or short hike thru
- Iao Valley State Park, hiking trails
- Mount Haleakala, national park and volcano crater, hiking and views, check weather first, easy early morning 30m bike ride, stop for waffles at Kula Lodge
- Road to Hana, we're not huge fans of this, just too long a trip, but beautiful waterfalls
- Spa, Grand Wailea seems to have the best spa, go early and check-out the hydrotherapy pools
KAUAI
Kauai is probably the prettiest and quietest island but there is also plenty to do despite what some say. All the green comes at a price as rain showers are pretty common. Great hiking. Sunniest spot seems to be Poipu on the South coast.
Kauai Hotels:
- Hyatt Regency, big resort in Poipu, considered the best and really nice but a little bit of a step-down from Grand Wailea in Maui, $600/night, 808-742-1234, kauai.hyatt.com
- Princeville Resort, big resort on North shore that seemed similar to Wailea area in Mauai
- Kiahuna Plantation, nice condo options in Poipu area
Kauai Restaurants:
- Roy's, Poipu Shops, great fun Asian/Seafood fusion
- Beach House, Poipu, great seafood and sunsets
- Mermaid Cafe, Kapa'a, amazing ahi rolls/wraps
- Brick Oven Pizza, Kalaheo, great pizza on way to Waimea Canyon
- Jo Jo's Clubhouse, Kalaheo, best shaved ice on way to Waimea Canyon
- Kilauea Pizza, very good island-style pizza on way to lighthouse
- Kalaheo Cafe, great breakfast wraps and cinnamon knuckles
- Poipu Beach Broiler, ok food
- Dondero's, Hyatt, ok Italian
- The Dock Poolside, Hyatt, really bad
Kauai Activities:
- Waimea Canyon, incredible views and great hikes
- Napali Coast, worth seeing by boat or helicopter in good weather only
- Ke'e Beach, hiking options at end of highway: long Napili hike has great views in good weather, and Tunnel Beach has great views of big wave surfers
- Queen's Bath and Hideaway Beach, fun short hikes to remote beaches
- Need to rent a jeep/convertible to get around island
BIG ISLAND-HAWAII
Lots of lava. Not a lot to do. Kona is main town. Good hiking and camping. Resorts on Northwest shore seem best.
- Orchid Hotel, recommend
- Waikoloa Outrigger, recommended
- Four Seasons, recommended and considered the best resort in all of Hawaii
- Volcanoes National Park, buy flashlight and hike the dark lava tube, also a challenging 4m sunset hike to active lava
GOLF
MAUI
1. Kapalua, Plantation-A, Village/Bay-B
2. Makena, North-A, South-B
3. Wailea, Gold-A, Blue/Emerald-B
(all these courses are great with amazing views, just that Plantation, North and Gold are the best options)
KAUAI
1. Kauai, Lagoons
2. Poipu Bay-A
3. Princeville Resort
Lake Tahoe
see Tahoe section
Las Vegas
Best Hotels (the A's): Belaggio, Four Seasons, Mandalay Bay, Venetian
Very Good Hotels (the B's): Ceasar's, Hard Rock, Hooter's, NY-NY, Palms, Paris, Rio
Not So Much: Luxor, Tropicana, Monte Carlo
SOUTH STRIP
(near airport, a little quieter than main Strip, free monorail connects Mandalay Bay to Excalibur)
- Four Seasons - quiet and fancy, great for couples, easy access to Mandalay, 702-632-5000
- Mandalay Bay - upscale, great spa, beach, wave pool and lazy river, great restaurants: Aerole, 3950, Trattoria Lupo, plus Red Square and Rum Jungle for drinks, House of Blues with bands and gospel brunch, new upscale shops in Mandalay Place, "Mama Mia" show, 877-632-7000, also have new trendy Hotel with suites with plasmas
- Luxor - have rooms and some large suites, tower rooms better than pyramid rooms, good spa, Ra niteclub is mostly locals, good food court and video arcade, fancy Steak House, 702-262-4000
- NY-NY - big and crowded, great roller-coaster and video arcade, very good restaurants: Il Fornaio, Chin Chin, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, "Lord of the Dance" and "Zumanity" but other Cirque du Soleil shows are better, 702-740-6969
NORTH STRIP
- MGM - big poker room and sports book
- Monte Carlo - free tram to Bellagio, good Brew Pub and fancy Blackstone's steakhouse, 702-730-7777, www.monte-carlo.com
- O'Sheas, older smaller fun casino
- Barbary Coast, older smaller fun casino, live bands
- Aladdin, nice but dead, great Desert Passage shops
- Paris - really nice with good room specials and great location, Mon Ami Gabi is fun outdoor cafe, 702-946-7000
- Bellagio - big and upscale and great location, fun free evening fountain show, very good restaurants: Olives, cool Caramel bar and Light club, "Cirque du Soleil, Eau" show, great shops, 702-693-7111
- Caesars - big and always good, Forum shops are very upscale
- Venetian - all suites, great shops, gondolas on the canals, the best high-end restaurants: Valentino, Royal Star, Delmonico, Lutece, Postrio, Zeffirino, Grand Lux, cool V Bar lounge, 702-414-1000
- Mirage - very good sports book
- Treasure Island - very good sports book, good place for $10 tables, fun free evening pirate ship show, cool Mist bar, 702-894-7111
OFF STRIP
- Rio Suites - big suites, Toscano's deli is convenient and good, Bikini's club, Voodoo Lounge rooftop bar is good equivalent to Palms Ghost Bar with shorter line, great pool area with $300/day rentable cabanas, walk to Gold Coast for cheap gambling, 702-252-7777
- Hard Rock - cool change of pace, hip crowd, Body English is late-nite club, The Joint for bands, 702-693-5000, www.hardrockhotel.com
- Palms Casino - hip crowd, Ghost bar on roof and Rain club in basement both great but crowded, poolside bar called Skin, www.thepalmslasvegas.com
- Hooters - behind MGM, former San Remo, surprisingly nice casino, friendly staff, small but accessible poker and sports book, great burgers at Pete&Shorty's, great wings at Hooter's, great nachos at The Dam, fun pool area
- Green Valley Ranch - recommended resort and sports book, in Henderson
STUFF
- Downtown Las Vegas, old Vegas is cheesy but fun and good evening light show, try Fitzgerald's casino or Binion's for poker
- Strip, traffic is real bad in prime time, avoid car rentals and go with taxis or walk or tram
- Fashion Outlets, great designer outlets at North end of Strip
- In-N-Out Burger, always worth a stop, on Tropicana Ave
- Red Rock Canyon, beautiful hikes and picnics about 30 minutes outside Vegas
- Black Canyon River Raft Tours, fun 10am-3pm motor raft tour down the Colorado river from the Hoover Dam, $65, 702-293-3776, rafts.com
- Hoover Dam, hardhat tour if still offered is great
- Lake Mead, 600 mile coast for boating, etc.
GOLF
1. Paiute-Snow/Wolf/Sun, challenging, great shape, 45 minutes away, 702-658-1400
2. Dragon Ridge, challenging, great shape, 20 minutes away, 702-614-4444, dragonridgegolf.com
3. Arroyo Red Rock, challenging, tough layout, great greens, 10 minutes away
4. Siena, challenging, great shape, 20 minutes away, 702-341-9200, sienagolfclub.com
5. Tuscany, Henderson, challenging, great shape, 30 minutes away, tuscanygolfclub.com
6. TPC Canyons, best desert target style course, 702-256-2000
Other Golf
- Shadow Creek and Cascata, the best but semi-private and $500+
- Bear's Best, highly rated top Nicklaus holes
- Reflection Bay, highly rated and popular, 877-698-4653
- Bali Hai, looks great and on strip, $200-300, waltersgolf.com,
- Revere, highly rated, 877-273-8373
- Angel Park and Legacy, well rated
- Silverstone, near Pauite, offers 27-hole package
Not Recommended Golf
- Rio Secco, for Rio guests only, nice course but too expensive/unfriendly for $225, 888-867-3226
- Stallion-Secretariat, rough in bad shape, waltersgolf.com
- Bad Lands, target style, bad condition, 702-363-0754
- Painted Desert, short and tight with lots of houses
- Las Vegas National, muni feel
Tee Time Services
- BK's Golf, Brian Kannon, 866-LVT-TIME, check-out www.lvteetimes.com
Lewisburg, PA
Lodging
- Bucknell University, 570-577-2000
- Country Cupboard, 570-524-5500
- Lewisburg Hotel, 570-523-7800
- Days Inn, on route 15 next to Perkins
Transportation
- East Wind Tour Bus, Kathy/Sharon, 570-742-0425, $85/hour plus tip
Bars
- Bull Run Inn, Lewisburg, Steve Butler, 570-524-2572
- Town Tavern, Lewisburg, Brady Fisher, 570-524-0821
- Front Street Station, Northumberland, frontstreetstation.com
- Cellblock, Williamsport, thecellblock.com
- Mustang Sally's, Bloomsburg, mustangsallysonline.com
GOLF
- Bucknell University, A, 570-523-8193, 7 days in advance
- White Deer-Challenge, B, 570-547-2824
Mendocino
Lodging
- Stanford Inn by the Sea, very nice property with ocean views, great breakfasts, gardens, llamas, canoes, bikes, pool and spa, dog-friendly, $230-290, 707-937-5615, stanfordinn.com
- Auberge Mendocino, nice upper suite in barn with two queen beds $275 including breakfast, or little river cottage with two bedrooms and ocean view $350, fomerly Rachel's, 707-937-0088
Other Recommended Lodging:
- Albion River Inn, ocean views, $225-$325, 707-937-1919, albionriverinn.com
- Seal Rock B&B
- Elk Cove Inn
- Sea Ranch Inn
Restaurants
Albion River inn, great local food, go early for ocean/sunset view, 707-937-1919, albionriverinn.com
- Mooose Cafe, great food/atmosphere
- Cafe Beaujolais, great food but mixed reviews and avoid the the flies on the atrium, 707-937-5614
- Ravens at Stanford Inn, very good vegan dinners/breakfasts, 707-937-5615, stanfordinn.com
- Macallam House, also recommended
Activities
- Mendecino Art Center
- Botanical Garden, great ocean walk
- Glass Beach, dumpy beach but covered in beach glass, take Elm St in Ft Bragg
- Fort Ross, former Russian outpost
- Skunk Train, fun train ride, 707-964-6371
- Mendocino Theater, 707-937-4477
- Hike in Russian Gulch
- Catch A Canoe, canoe/bike rentals at Big River
Sites On The Way
- Navarro vineyards, nice light wines, Philo
- Apple Farm, former French Laundry owner, just south of Navarro, Philo
- Armstrong Redwoods near Guerneville in the Russian River, 707-869-2015
Mexico
CANCUN
Lodging
- Fiesta Americana Coral Beach, great
- Hilton Ceasar Park, looks great
Restaurants
- La Joya, great fancy mex
- La Distileria, great fun mex
- Carlos n Charlies, crazy fun mex
- Mango Tango, good caribbean with fun dinner show
- Vida del Mar, great breakfast buffet
- Downtown Area, late-night bars
Activities
- Xcaret, fun natural water park with underground river and beach, 90 minutes
- Playa del Carmen, fun beach area further south, 60 minutes
- Tulum, half-day ruin tour and fun beach area
- Chichen Itza, all-day ruins for die-hards only
- La Isla, indoor shopping mall
GOLF
- Playacar, A, Playa del Carmen $100
- Hilton Ceasar Park, B, $70
- Pok Ta Pok, $70
- Moon Palace, new Nicklaus course
LOS CABOS
Lodging
- Las Ventanas Al Paraiso, one of the world's best resorts, lasventanas.com
- Twin Dolphin, great resort on Sea of Cortez
- Esperanza Resort, sounds great, beautiful spa
- Edith's, highly recommended dinner spot
ACAPULCO
Lodging
- Acapulco Princess, great hotel with good golf course, 011-52-74-691-000x703
- Las Hadas is a nearby recommended resort
Restaurants
- Acapulco Hacienda, great mexican dinners
- Acapulco Posadita, best buffet breakfasts
- Senor Frogs/Carlos Charlies, crazy fun mex
Activities
- La Quebrada, famous cliff divers
- Aca Tiki, fun sunset cruise with tequila shooters
PUERTO VALLARTA
- not our favorite, little too local/touristy, but Punta Minta north of Puerto Vallarta sounds nice
Napa Valley
see Wine Country section
New Jersey Shore
AVALON / STONE HARBOR / CAPE MAY
2 hours south of NYC, great beaches/towns
Restaurants
- Sylvester's, fun casual seafood, 21st, Avalon
- Avalon Seafood, great take-out, Avalon, 732-967-7555
- Sea Grill, ok seafood, 21st, Avalon, 732-967-5511
- Via Mare, good italian, Avalon
- Uncle Bills, great breakfasts, Avalon
- Brians, great breakfast, Avalon
- Luciano's, great fancy italian, 98th, Stone Harbor, 609-967-9115
- Backyard, fancy, 81st, Stone Harbor, 609-368-2627
- Luigis, good italian, 79th, Stone Harbor, 732-368-5155
- Bradys, good hoagies, Stone Harbor, 68th
- Peace A Pizza, ok, 97th, Stone Harbor, 732-368-3990
- Springers, best ice cream, 94th, Stone Harbor
- Blue Claw, fancy seafood, Wildwood
- Two Mile Landing, fried seafood, Wildwood
- Peaches, fancy, Cape May, 732-898-0100
- Mad Batter, fancy, Cape May, 732-884-9619
Bars
- Octopus Garden, 21st, nice outdoor happy hour/sushi
- Jacks, Greaseband on Sunday's, 37th, Avalon
- Windrift, fun beach bar, great pm Tuesday's, 80th, Stone Harbor
- Freds, local dive bar and liquor store, 96th, Stone Harbor
Other
- Church Bingo, Tuesday's at 10am, 45th, Avalon
- Bud's Grocery, 83rd, Stone Harbor
- Florist, 97th, Sone Harbor
- Bike Rentals, 98th, Stone Harbor
- Stone Harbor Kayak, rentals, 96th
- Wetlands Institute, marsh tours, Stone Harbor, 732-368-1211
- Cape May Zoo
GOLF
1. Stone Harbor, A, private, Stone Harbor, 609-465-9270
2. Sand Barrens, A, 3 9-hole courses, $100, 10-day advance, Avalon, 609-GOLF-555 sandbarrensgolf.com
3. Twisted Dune, A, $89, 10-day advance, Egg Harbor, 609-653-8019, twisteddune.com
4. Shore Gate, A, $106, 14-day advance, Ocean View, 609-624-TEES, shoregategolf.com
5. Harbor Pines, A, $105, 14-day advance, Egg Harbor, 609-927-0006, harborpines.com
- Galloway, A
- Sea View, A, 609-748-7680
- Cape May National, B
- Avalon Golf Club, C
BAY HEAD
1 hour south of NYC
Lodging
- Gables Inn, fancy, 732-892-9844
- Conover's Bay Head Inn, very nice, great location, 732-892-4664, $175
Restaurants
- Grenville, breakfasts
- Dennis Foys, fancy
- Muellers, great bakery
Bars
- Tikki Bar, beach bar
New York City
Major Sites
- Empire State Building - quick and fun view of the city
- Times Square - walk around Broadway in the 40s to see all the sites and shows
- Madison Avenue - great shopping in the 40s and 50s with Rockefeller Center at 50th
- Central Park - beautiful and safe with History/Sciences museum on west side and Met and Guggenheim on east side
- Greenwich Village and SoHo - walk north of Houston St on west side and then south of Houston on east side for a variety of small shops, galleries, restaurants and sites
- Chinatown and Little Italy - can't miss these neighborhoods near SoHo
- Statue of Liberty - good Circle Line Tours but avoid the wet and chilly days
Restaurants (since 1998)
- Tao, cool asian drinks, 58th/5th, 888-2288
- Hudson Cafeteria, tasty/trendy drinks/dinner, 57th
- Alley's End, fun dinners, 17th, 627-8899
- Chase, gay bar, 55th/8th, 333-3400
- Ruby Foos, trendy asian, Broadway/49, 212-489-5600
- Lattanzi, fancy italian, 46/8-9th, 212-315-1980
Restaurants (pre 1998)
- Allegria, 9th/43rd, great theater italian
- America Grill, 6th St, loud American
- Anglers Writers, Hudson/St. Lukes, great café
- Benny's Burrittos, 212-633-9210, Greenwich Ave/13th, best
- Bowlmor Lanes, University/12th, late nite bowling
- Riodizio, 529-1313, 417 Lafayette/East 4th, all you can eat meat
- Bowery Bar, East 4th, big fun bar
- Bryant Park Grill, 212-840-6500, 40th/5th-6th, fancy food and happy hour
- Cafe Centro, 212-818-1222, 45th/Vanderbilt, very good lunch in Grand Central
- Carmine's, 212-221-3800, Broadway/44th, best family style italian
- Carnegie Deli, 57th, best NY deli
- Ci Vediamo, 212-650-0850, 1431 Third Avenue/81st, great Italian
- Cottage, best Chinese places
- Eamon Dorans, 2nd Avenue/52nd, irish pub
- Fresco, 212-935-3434, 52nd/Park/Madison, great italian
- Gallagher's, 228 West 52nd, 212-245-5336
- Grammercy Tavern, 212-477-0777, 42 East 20th Street/Park Ave South, fancy and charming
- Isabellas, 77th/Columbus, great brunch
- Joe Allen, Broadway/46th, very good casual theater dinner
- La Granita, 212-717-5500, 3rd/77th, best local italian
- McSorley's, 212-473-9148, 15 E. 7th/2nd-3rd, irish pub
- Mesa Grill, 212-807-7400, 5th/15th, great southwest
- Moomba Lounge, 133 Seventh Ave South/Charles, trendy bar
- Limelight, 6th and 20s, huge club
- Pisa Pizza, 212-249-9600, 1457 Third Avenue, Bruno, best local pizza
- Rachels, 9th/43rd, great theater dinner
- Rays, best pizza places
- Royal Canadian Pancake, 51st/2nd, huge brunch
- Soup Nutzi, 48th between Lex/Third, classic soups
- Tatoo's, Upper West Side, dancing
- Typhoon Brewery, 212-754-9006, 54th/5th, fun thai brew pub
- Virgils BBQ, 44th/6th-7th, very good bbq
Food and Wine Recommendations, Jul 2001
- Artisanal, cheese friendly
- AZ, asian fusion
- Craft, a la carte menu
- Tasting Room, wine friendly
- Banjara, indian
- Le Zinc, late night
Lodging
- Casablanca, midtown, reasonable
- Marriott Marquis, Time Square, convenient, reasonable
- Millenium, Times Square, convenient/reasonable
- Paramount, Time Square, cool
- Mercer Hotel, cool
- Hudson, cool
GOLF
- Bethpage Black, A, Long Island, public, 516-249-0700
- Island Hills Golf Club, B, Sayville, semi-private, 516-589-2200
- Saxon Woods, Scarsdale, public, C, 914-593-4653
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Palm Springs
Towns:
- Palm Springs, PS, most activity and charm
- Cathedral City, CC, least nice, more commercial
- Rancho Mirage, RM, central and nice but quieter
- Palm Desert, PD, some activity
Lodging:
- Parker Meridian and Givenchy Spa, formerly the Merv Griffin Resort, 4200 East Palm Canyon Drive, PS, nice older resort, pools, spa, fitness, tennis, 760-770-5000, www.parkermeridien.com/ps
- Ritz Carlton, RM, fancy cliffside resort, pool, spa, 760-321-8282, ritzcarlton.com
- Marriott Desert Springs, RM, big resort, pools, spa, fitness, tennis, golf, miniature golf, 760-568-2727, marriotthotels.com/pcpca
- Westin Missions Hills, RM, big resort, pools, spa, fitness, tennis, very good golf, great for business meetings
- Marriott Shadow Ridge, PD, nice smaller resort
Restaurants
Palm Springs:
- Zin, great Cal cuisine, fun staff, good specials
- Purple Monkey, hip poolside drinks/food
- El Mirasol, fun mexican drinks
- Las Consuelas Terrazza, fun mexican drinks/music
- Tylers, great burgers, lunch only, outdoor
- Koffi, great local coffee, dog-friendly courtyard, 555 N Palm Canyon Dr
- Chop House, very good steaks
- LGs Steaks, very good steaks but bad service
- Viceroy, hip poolside cocktails
- Copeley's Cary Grant hand-out
- Melvyns, old school martini's
- Hunters, gay dance club
Rancho Mirage:
- Las Consuelas Neuva, fun mexican drinks
- Roys, always good Hawaiin fusion
- Piero's Aqua Pazza, great Cal cuisine at The River
Palm Desert:
- Castelli's, great family italian
- Marriott (Tuscany/Sea Grill/Mikado) all OK with fun gondola ride, also have dance club
- Mama Gina, El Paseo, good italian
- Sullivans, El Paseo, great steaks
- CCs, El Paseo, great lunch spot
Shopping:
- Cabazon outlets, 20 minutes west, unbelievable shops!
- Palm Springs, charming downtown
- The River, RM, new shops/restaurants
- El Paseo, PD, upscale shops/restaurants
Activities:
- Tram, PS, fun ride and great view, be careful of weekend evening crowds, $20pp
- Jeep Tour, fun drives and hikes, Palm Oasis tour is best, also Santa Rosa Mountains, Spirit Canyon, Celebrity Homes, 5 Star Adventures, 760-320-1500, ask for Will
- Balloon Rides, beautiful, 5:30am or 2:30pm
- Street Fair, PS, fun evening walk, only on Thu 6pm-10pm
- Living Desert, good desert zoo
- Knotts Soak City, PS, water park
- Follies Show, ok musical in PS
- Joshua Tree Park, good drive and picnic spot
- Casino, best is Morongo at the Cabazon outlets, nice Italian restaurant too
GOLF
- Dessert Willow, A
- Mission Hills, A
- Marriott Desert Springs, A
- Marriott Shadow Ridge, A
- Desert Dunes, A
- Desert Falls, B
- Rancho Mirage, B
- Tahquitz Creek, B
Also Recommended:
- Landmark
- Trilogy
- PGA West
- Stand By Golf, great tee time service, call after 4p, 760-321-BOOK
- Tee Times Tomorrow, 877-825-6045
San Antonio
Activities
- Riverwalk, definitely do the 30-minute boat ride, lots of fun restaurants along the walk, most shops are in the La Villeta area as well as the nearby mall, nice hotels seem to be the Watermark, Marriott and Hyatt (great $20 brunch)
- Alamo, close to the Riverwalk and worth a walk-thru but don't plan a full day around it
- Sunset Market, fun area for cocktails/mexican
- Fredericksburg, fun German town in hills 1 hour away, great food, shops, LBJ home, Pocketfull of Posies quilt shop
GOLF
- The Quarry, recommended
San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter
--- fun area, downtown between 4th-6th and E-J Streets, - Fio's, italian
- Royale Brasserie, great french food
- Tupelo's, good cal
- Cafe Sevilla, highly recommended fun spanish tapas/drinks
- Dakota Grill, fun drinks
- Yard House, great casual food/beer
- Seaport Village, nice views and touristy shopping
- Confidential, best club ever, just tell them you know Mike Daly
La Jolla
--- 10 miles north of downtown, beautiful spot
- Coastal Walk, view, seals
- Harry's, breakfast
- Trattoria Aqua, italian
- Karl Strauss, microbrewery
- Jose's, frozen drinks
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Steven Birch Aquarium
Lodging
- Hyatt Regency, walking to Gaslamp and Marina, very nice
- Bahia, Mission beach, beach bay front private cottages, swimming, tennis, near ocean and park, but a little rundown, 619-488-0551
- Hotel del Coronado, Coronado island, renovated and really nice, 619-522-8000
- Loews Coronado, very nice resort
Activities
- San Diego Zoo, great, do bus tour first
- Seaworld, good but go early to avoid crowds, see shows like Shamu, Cirque de Mer and Pirates, good place to splurge for the $100 VIP pass
- Old Town, good for Mexican food
- Balboa Park, nice walk, cafes, museums: art, sports, man, aerospace, natural history; science center and IMAX
- Coronado, pretty town, great beach, beautiful views from bridge, dog beach
- Pacific Beach, great with good restaurants
- Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument, ocean and city views, mountains
- Coastal Highway, La Jolla to Carlsbad, great drive
- Carlsbad, 20 miles north of La Jolla, LegoLand opening 3/99, flowers in spring
- Del Mar, Carmel-like, ocean views, Earthsong and Esmeralda bookstores, Il Fornaio restaurant, horse racing in summer, Del Mar Fair in June
GOLF
- Torrey Pines, the best but tee times are hard
- Maderas, recommended Troon course
- Aviara, great but expensive
- Steel Canyon, good and warmer but further
- Carlton Oaks, good back-up
San Francisco (also check-out Pete's San Francisco Restaurant Picks)
Weather
- Apr-Oct are the nicest times in the 60s to 80s
- Summer can get foggier
- Nov-Mar are in the 40s to 60s and more rainy
- the key to San Francisco weather is layers: shorts/pants, t-shirts/sweaters and the all-important pull-over/jacket
Recent Picks
- Ghost Hunt, $20 walking tour of haunted places, sfghosthunt.com
- West Coast Live, SF performance radio, Sat 10a-12p, 415-664-9500
- Elephant Seal Pups, Mar-Dec, parks.ca.gov
- Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, every day physics are broken, mysteryspot.com
check out sfvisitor.org and sfgate.com for current calendar of events
Lodging
Union Square Area:
- Cartwright Hotel, small but very nice with great service/extras and about $200/night
- Hotel Adagio, recently renovated and about $200/night, 800-228-8830
- Hotel Juliana, nice
- Hotel Monaco, nice
Other Areas:
- Hotel Vitale, newest hip place, on Embarcadero, 888-890-8688
- W, great hip place, near Convention Center, ball park, MOMA, etc.
- Fairmont, fancy and traditional, Mason, 415-772-5000
North:
- Inn Above Tide, Sausalito, 415-332-9535
- Waters Edge, Tiburon, 415-879-5999
South:
- Sofitel, fancy, Redwood Shores, $300, 650-598-9000
Major Sites
- Alcatraz - great cell house tour, ferry from Fisherman's Wharf, call ahead for tix, other ferry options are Angel Island (hikes), Sausalito or Tiburon (drinks/lunch at Sams or Guayma's on the water)
- Napa or Sonoma, 60-90 minutes north, target 3-5 vineyards for tour and tastings, great lunch or picnic spots (see other picks for those spots)
- Carmel and Monterey, 90-120 minutes south, shopping in downtown Carmel, drive along 17 mile drive and Pebble Beach, stop for fresh vegetables along the way (see other picks)
- Pacific Coast Highway, route 1, beautiful drive along coast especially just south of San Francisco, stop at Taco Bell (seriously) or Moss Beach Distillery on water
Neighborhood Highlights
- Downtown - take MUNI down Market Street, shop in Union Square, fun trolley car ride up Powell Street, touristy Fisherman's Wharf with sea lions and Ghiradellhi chocolates and ferrys to Sausalito/Tiburron/Alcatraz
- North Beach - walk-thru Chinatown on Grant Street and North Beach/Italian on Columbus Street
- South Beach - shop at gourmet Ferry Building, walk around ATT Park, visit SF Moma museum
- Pacific Heights - walk along fancy shops on Union Street, drive-by large homes on Pacific Street, don't miss curvy Lombard Street
- Marina - walk along Chestnut Street shops and the Crissy Field waterfront, checkout events in Fort Mason area
- Haight - walk around Haight Street and Hayes Valley on Haight Street, a little edgy at night
- Castro - fun gay area, walk around Market and Castro Streets
- Noe Valley - very nice quieter neighborhood, take J Muni from Castro/Market, walk along 24th Street
- Mission - mexican neighborhood, main area is Valencia between 16-20th, a little edgy at night
- Sunset - Golden Gate park is beautiful and huge with plenty of sites, amazing hikes on Ocean Beach and Coastal Trail, hike either on trail or down on the rocks, great views
Tours
- Golden Gate Bridge bike tour, rent bikes at Blazing Saddles in Fisherman's Wharf, ride to Fort Point, over Golden Gate Bridge, photos at Marin headlands, down to Sausalito, lunch/drinks at Horizon's, take ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf, about 10 miles and a little hilly but great
- North Beach walking/eating tour, Sat 10a, $75, gaw@sbcglobal.net
- ChinaTown walking/eating tour, highly recommended, 10a-1p, $40, www.wokwiz.com/tours/index.html#daily
- Big Sur/Carmel bus tour, 7a-7p, Starline, $80, www.buysanfranciscotours.com/tours/ore_pacific_coastal_tour.html
- Crossing the City on Foot, best route is Pier 17 to Baker Beach, sfweekly.com
- Victorian Home walking tour, victorianwalk.com
Hikes
- Coastal Trail - PCH 1 past GG park and Luis diner, park in lot, long hilly/rocky hike along coast from Ocean Beach to Baker Beach and GG bridge, awesome views
- Fort Funston - south of city near Lake Merced, hang gliding off cliffs, horses, spectacular views, dog-friendly beach
- Tennessee Valley - 101n over GG bridge, Stinson Beach exit, follow road, bear left at sign and fruit stand onto Tennessee Valley Road, all the way to the end and parking lot, 1.5 mile easy hike to secluded beach, longer trails north and south
Stuff for Kids
- Sony Metreon has IMAX theater, Wild Things exhibit and arcade
- Yerba Buena Gardens near Metreon has Carousel and children's Zeum
- Cable Car rides downtown to Fisherman's Wharf sea lions, arcade and ferry rides
- Exploratorium hands-on science museum near Palace of Fine Arts
- SF Zoo near Ocean Beach and Carousel hot dog diner
- Bay Area Discovery Museum, indoor/outdoor kid's museum in Marin
- Jelly Belly Factory, tours, near Sacramento
- Six Flags Marine World amusement park in Vallejo has orcas, zoo and lots of rides, sixflags.com
GOLF
San Francisco
- Harding Park, A, renovated in 2003, $35-125, 9 hole Fleming course is $30 walk-on, 415-664-4690 (4-4), www.harding-park.com
- Presidio, A/B, $40-100, 415-561-4653, www.presidiogolf.com
- Lincoln Park, B/C, 34th/Clement, $20, 415-221-9911
- Golden Gate Park, 9 hole par 3, 415-751-8987
- SF Golf Club, A, private, 415-469-4122, Ed Campos, pro
- Olympic, Skyline Blvd, private, 650-587-8338
Marin
- Hiddenbrooke, A, Vallejo, $80 , best new course in 1996, 707-558-1140, www.hiddenbrookegolf.com
- StoneTree, A, Novato, $85-115, 415-209-6090, www.stonetreegolf.com
- Sonoma, A, $70-110, 707-996-0300
- Mare Island, A/B, Vallejo, $80, old Coast Guard base
- Bodega Harbour, A/B, $40-100, top 10 1998, links/ocean/fog, 707-875-3538
- Chardonnay, A/B, Napa, $45-85, 707-257-1900
- San Geronimo, B, $30-80, 415-488-4030
- Silverado, B, Napa, $125, private, 800-362-4727,
- Mill Valley, C, $25, 415-388-9982
- Peacock Gap, C, San Rafael, $55, 415-453-4940
- Meadow, Fairfax, private, 415-453-3274
- Indian Valley, recommended, Novato
- Windsor, Santa Rosa, recommended, 707-838-7888
- Fountain Grove, Santa Rosa, recommended, 707-579-4653
Penninsula
- Half Moon Bay, Ocean A, Old A/B, $75-150, top 10 new course in 1998, 650-726-4438
- Crystal Springs, B, Burlingame, $30-90, public, $30-85, 650-342-0603
- Sharp Park, South San Francisco, public
- Palo Alto, public, 650-856-0881
- Cinnabar Hills Golf Club, San Jose, A, $100, 408-323-5200, www.cinnabarhills.com
- The Ranch Golf Club, San Jose, highest slope 152 in Bay Area, $100, 408-270-0557, www.theranchgc.com
- Saddle Creek, Copperopolis, top 10 1997, 888-852-5787
East Bay
- Shadow Lakes, A, Brentwood, $75, 925-516-2837, www.shadowlakesgolf.com
- Poppy Ridge, A, Livermore, $100 or $35 with NCGA, 925-455-2035
- Wente Vineyard, A/B, Livermore, $100, 925-456-2475
- Stevinson Ranch, Gustine, 2 hours from SF, 877-752-9276
- Bridges, recommended, 925-735-4253
Scottsdale
Weather
- Jul-Aug, hot and rainy
- Sep-Oct, hot but nice
- Nov-Jun, awesome
Lodging
- Fairmont Princess, A, TPC golf/tennis/spa/water slides, 7575 E Princess, 480-585-4848
- Scottsdale Plaza Resort, A, tennis/spa, 7200 N Scottsdale, 800-832-2025
- Phoenician Resort, A, tennis/spa, 480-941-8200
- Boulders, A, fancy/spa, recommended
- Camelback Sanctuary, A, fancy/spa, recommended, 800-245-2051
- Radisson Spa, B, tennis/spa, 7171 N Scottsdale, 480-991-3800
- Marriot Mountain Shadows, B, golf/tennis, good for biz mtgs, great par-3 course
Restaurants
- The Grill at TPC, best steaks
- La Hacienda, at Princess, great fancy mexican
- La Marquesa, at Princess, great mediterranean
- Remingtons, at Plaza, fancy dinner spot, jazz bar and patio
- Elements, fancy asian with views/bar, 480-607-2300
- Roys, nice asian, 480-905-1155
- Pinon Grill, roadhouse, drinks, patio, 480-948-5050
- Italian Grotto, great/fun, in Old Town
- Old Town Tortilla Factory, fun drinks on patio, 480-945-4567
- Kaz Wine Bar, fancy wines, 480-946-3004
- Cafe ZuZu, Hotel Valley Ho, banana pancakes
Activities
- Old Town, fun tourist shopping
- Mt. Camelback, fun but hard 1 mile climb to the top, go early and bring water, park in Echo Valley parking
- Piestewa Peak, another fun/hard hike, park in lot at first driveway on left in Phoenix Mountains Rec Area
- Casino Arizona 101, basic
GOLF
- Grayhawk, A $160, 480-502-1800
- TPC Stadium, A, site of Phonenix Open, 480-585-4334
- Kierland, B $100, 480-922-9283
- Marriott Mountain Shadows, B $20-80, great exec par 3, 480-948-7111
Other Recommendations
- Troon North Monument/Pinnacle, A $145, 480-585-7700
- Talking Stick, A 480-860-2221
- Boulders, A
- Wildfire, A
Seattle
Lodging
--- a good area to stay is 4th/Spring where Hotel Monaco, W and Four Seasons are located, convenient to Waterfront, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square and Downtown
- Hotel Monaco, trendy, 4th/Spring, Monte Carlo suite, king and separate area with fold-out queen sofa, $355 standard, $175 agent rate, 800-715-6513 (ask for a goldfish)
- Gas Light Inn, beautiful B&B in Capitol Hill area which is quieter, 206-325-3654
- The Woodmark, Kirkland area 7 miles from Seattle on Lake Washington, nice hotel with spa but quiet, 425-822-700
Restaurants
- Il Bistro, market area, very nice, 206-682-3049
- Cafe Camagne, market area, very French casual cafe great for lunch, 206-728-2233
- Queen City Grill, very nice in fun Bell Town area, 206-443-0975
- Winslow Way Cafe, in Bainbridge, fun ferry ride and nice local town, breakfast good but not amazing, 206-842-0517
Other Restaurants
- Alligator Soul, new cajun place, 206-985-2303
- Sazarac, Hotel Monaco
- Marco's Supper Club and Lush Life are two good places in Bell Town
Activities:
- Coffee, lots of it, Starbuck's, Tully's and Seattle's Best on every street corner
- Pike Place Market, really fun morning, great foods, flowers and arts/crafts, be sure to touch the "bronze pig"
- Seattle Acquarium, a good quick stop, lots of different--many frightening--sea creatures, near market
- Shopping, nice downtown area with two upscale malls
- Float Planes, exciting aerial tours of the city, can be a little scary, $50
- Space Needle, ok if you have the time, take the monorail
- Pioneer Square, restaurants with some shops and galleries
- Underground Seattle, 90-minute tour leaves from Pioneer Square under the city streets
- Victoria Clipper Whale Watching trip to Friday Harbor, beautiful but bring warm clothing, $100-200
Sedona
- 1 hour south of Flagstaff airport (take 189As) or 2 hours north of Phoenix airport (take 17n to 179n)
Lodging:
Hyatt Pinon Pointe, One North Highway, 89A, 928-204-8820
- pool, hot tub, fire pit, entertainment center, tennis, walk to Sedona
Restaurants
- Dahl & DiLuca's, best northern italian
- Cucina Rustica, great med italian, sister to D&D
- Cowboy Club, very good, saloon
- Elote, gourmet mexican
- Javelina Cantina, fun mexican and margaritas
- Heartline Cafe, very nice lunch
- Savannah's, fancy
- Enchantment, very good fancy resort/lunch with great views
- Wildflower, Hyatt bakery/breakfast
Spas
- Sedona Rouge Spa, great, resort, sedonarouge.com
- Amara Resort Spa
- Sedona Day Spa, nice casual, sedonanewdayspa.com
- Tuwa Tiva Spa
Hikes
- Sugarloaf, fun short hike with views
- Slide park, West Fork, route 89 milepost 384, 3 mile nice hike
- Crescent Moon Ranch
- Red Rock park
Activities:
- Chapel of the Holy Cross, worth seeing
- Pink Jeep Tours, greak 2-hour tour, Broken Arrow, little bumpy
GOLF
- Sedona Golf Resort, A, $90, 928-284-9355, sedonagolfresort.com
- Oak Creek, private
- Seven Canyons, private
Sonoma Valley
see Wine Country section
Tahoe
Jan-Mar and Jun-Aug are busiest times
Directions
- To North Tahoe: 80e and either 89s to Tahoe City or 267s to Kings Beach or Incline
- To South Tahoe: 80e, 50e or 580e, 5n, 88e
- 3-5 hours from San Francisco, depending on traffic/snow
- or fly into Reno which is 45 minutes from Tahoe
Areas
- Donner, nice area 20 miles northwest of lake
- Truckee, quaint little town between Donner/Lake
- Incline, nice upscale area on north shore, near Northstar/Mt Rose
- Tahoe City, more commercial area, near Squaw/Alpine
- South Tahoe, more commercial area, near Heavenly/Kirkwood
- 72 mile lake drive, don't miss Emerald Bay on south shore
Realtors
- best Tahoe realtor for cabin or house rentals is Jim Winterberger at Tahoe Getaways, tahoegetaways.com
Skiing
*** Squaw, north, big, upscale village, squaw.com
*** Alpine, north, big, skialpine.com
*** Mt. Rose, north, smaller and local, mtrose.com
- Northstar, north, big, village, northstartahoe.com
- Heavenly, south, biggest, upscale village, heavenly.com
- Kirkwood, south, smaller and local, skikirkwood.com
- Royal Gorge/Soda Springs, x-country trails, royalgorge.com
- Boreal, 10 miles before Truckee, smaller skiing and sledding
- Tahoe Dave's, best ski and snowshow rentals, King's Beach, Tahoe City, Truckee, tahoedaves.com
Lodging
- Hyatt Regency, north, Incline, great, casino, spa, beach, 775-832-1234
- Cal-Neva, north, ok, casino, spa, 775-832-4000
- Sorensen's Resort, south, in beautiful Hope Valley on 88, a dozen small authentic log cabins and one larger home (some pet-friendly) x-country ski, snowshoe rentals and hiking right at the resort, great little cafe, 800-423-9949, sorensensresort.com
- Squaw Valley Resort, north, fanciest spot, 530-583-1576
Dog-friendly info at tailsbythelake.com
Restaurants
- Lone Eagle Grille, near Hyatt, great dinner and Sun brunch, expensive
- La Fondue, near Hyatt, fun and cozy, 831-6104
- Tomato's, near Hyatt, good pizza delivery, 833-2200
- Ciao Mein, at Hyatt, ok but bizarre asian/italian
- Caliente, King's Beach, best Mexican by far
- Jason's, King's Beach, fun, good bar food, Irish Fries!
- Log Cabin, King's Beach, great breakfasts
- Post Office, Tahoe Vista, great breakfasts
- Sol y Lago, Carnelian Bay, great appetizers and drinks, good dinner but pricey
- Garwoods, Carnellian Bay, crowded happy hour, good dinner but pricey
- Old Range Steakhouse, Tahoe City, great steaks, pretty casual
- Viaggios, Reno, fun family-style italian
- Hornblower lake and dinner cruises, 530-541-3364
GOLF
- Incline CC
- Tahoe Donner CC
- Edgewood Tahoe, beautiful, 702-588-3566
- Lightning Woods, private
Tampa Bay
Restaurants
- Carrabba's Italian Grill, US19, 727-787-8910
- Hooters, US19, 727-789-4668
- Wing House, US19
- Greek places in Tarpon Springs
GOLF
Innisbrook Golf Resort, Tampa, 727-942-2000
- Copperhead, A
- Island, A
- Hawk's Run, B
- Eagle's Roost, B
World Woods, Brooksville, 352-796-5500
- Rolling Oaks, A
- Pine Barrens, B
- Saddlebrook, Wesley Chapel, 800-729-8383
- TPC, Tampa, 813-949-0090
Vancouver
Lodging
- Four Seasons, downtown, fancy, $350, 604-689-9333
- Pacific Palisades, Kimpton hotel, ctr of Robson St shops, dog-friendly, $200, 604-688-0461
- Fairmont Vancouver Hotel, downtown, older/classic
- Fairmont Waterfront, very nice, near convention ctr
- Bay Westin, near park and water, looks nice too
Robson Street/Downtown Area
- great shopping and restaurants on Robson Street
- great Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Vancouver
- Vancouver Art Gallery is nice
- Great italian at: Cafe de Medici, Piccolo Mundo, Zefferelli's, Villa del Luppo, Cin Cin
- Lift, fancy/trendy drinks/food and sushi, liftbarandgrill.com
- Oak Mill Bistro, fun/casual waterfront bar on Cordova
Stanley Park
- beautiful park, rent bikes at Spokes near entrance for 5m loop around park on the sea wall
- Vancouver Acquarium in park is very good with killer whales, white belugas and otters
Yaletown
- emerging yuppie area with some good bars and restaurants
- Blue Water Cafe, highly rated seafood, 604-688-8078
- Yaletown Brewery, casual
Gastown
- touristy area, Steam Clock worth just a quick drive-by
Granville Island
- great farmers market and crafts area
- good casual coffee/breakfast in the market area
Grouse Mountain
- 15 minutes north
- SkyTram, nice on clear days
- Capilano Suspension Bridge, fun
Whistler
- awesome ski resort 2 hours North, beautiful drive
- stop at Roadside Dinner before Shannon Falls for nice lunch/breakfast
- at Whistler stay at Westin Spa and eat at The Rim
Victoria
- cute downtown and great 3-hour whale watching in large or rubber boats (May-Sep)
- Cuda Orca Spirit, 350-995-2832, 888-672-6722, whalewatchingadventure.com
- get there via Harbour Air harbour-air.com (30 minutes) or BC Ferries bcferries.com (3 hours)
- great Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress
* save hotel and shopping receipts to redeem for 7% GST refund
GOLF
- Furry Creek, A, but 45 minutes north of Vancouver, beautiful mountain/lake scenery
Wine Country - Healdsburg
Directions: 101n to central Healdsburg exit which is after Santa Rosa
Less crowded wine country north of Sonoma/Napa, main regions are Russian River and Dry Creek
Recommended Wineries (on the square)
- Seghesio, fantastic zin and italian wines, nice tasting room, best food pairings, must see
- Dry Creek Road, best road for scenic wine tasting
- Dry Creek Olive Oil Company, great olive oil tastings, free fresh flowers
- Rosenblum, great zin
- La Crema, chardonnay
- Selby, reds
- Thumprint, organic reds/port
Restaurants
- Zin, excellent sandwiches/fries, Healdsburg
- Dry Creek Kitchen, fancier, Healdsburg
- Ravenous, Healdsburg
- Manzanita, Healdsburg
- Willi's Wine Bar, Santa Rosa, 707-526-3096
- Zazu, Santa Rosa, 707-523-4814
- Downtown Bakery, Healdsburg
Lodging:
- Hotel Healdsburg, trendy new inn/spa in up-and-coming town, $350+ with 2 queen beds plus breakfast, 707-431-2800, www.hotelhealdsburg.com
- Duchamp, Healdsburg, cool new inn with cottages, $300+with 1 king bed only, 707-431-1300, www.duchamphotel.com
- Camellia Inn, Healdsburg, sounds great, $175, 433-8182
- Applewood Inn, $200, 869-9093
Activities
- Must visit Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa just off 101, great Peanuts exhibits/store/cafe/ice rink
See San Francisco Golf
Wine Country - Napa
Directions from SF: 101n to 37 to 121 to 29 (about 1 hour north)
Silverado Trail is more scenic road, cut-over at Trancas to avoid the traffic on 29
Oakville Grade connects to Sonoma (30 minutes)
Visitors Bureau 707-226-7459
Wine Country Concierge 888-946-3289
napavalley.com/lodging
Wineries
Carneros (South to North):
- Roche, Carneros, generous tastings
- Viansa, Carneros, great snacks, free tastings, 707-935-4700
Silverado Trail (heading South to North):
- Plumpjack, trendy spot, 707-945-1220
- Silver Oak, unique barrel tasting room, great cab, closed Sun, 707-944-8808
- Mumm, sparkline, great tour and terrace, 707-942-3434
- Sinsky, great reds/tastings
- Rombauer, great chard, 707-963-5170
- Clos Pegase, cool art and cave tour, 707-942-4981
- Sterling, fun sky tram and tasting tables, 707-942-3344
- Chateau Montelena, beautiful grounds
Route 29 (heading North to South):
- Freemark Abbey, great reds
- St Supery, great tour/tasting, Doug/Lee, 963-9733
- Mondavi, great tour/tasting, $20 reservations, 226-1395
- Niebaum-Coppola, beautiful grounds, $15 tasting, 968-1161
- V.Sattui, great picnic area, 1m north of Zinfandel Lane, 963-7774
- Prager, great port in basement, 963-7678
- La Familigia, Mondavi italian winery in mountains
- Domain Chandon, beautiful, sparkling, 944-2280
Lodging
- Vintage Inn, Yountville, honeymoon, $300+, 707-944-1112 (dog friendly)
- Scarlett's Country Inn, 3918 Silverado Trail, Calistoga, 942-6669, Camelia Suite, charming, $200 (dog friendly)
- Silverado, Napa, fancy but older resort, $300+, 707-257-0200
Other Lodging
- Villagio Inn/Spa, Yountville, newer nice inn, and they can book at French Laundry, 800-531-1133, villagio.com,
- Wine Country Inn, St. Helena, very friendly, pool and hot tub, nightly wine reception/snacks, breakfast, get room in outlying buildings, $400-600, 707-963-7077
- Harvest Inn, St. Helena, fancy, $500+ 707-963-9463 (dog friendly)
- Auberge du Solei, fancy, $500+, 707-963-1211
- Meadowood, fancy, $500+, 707-963-3646
- Lavender Hills Spa, Calistoga, $100 per couple, 707-942-4495, Christopher's Inn is across the street
- Last Minute Rooms 800-946-3268
Restaurants
- Tra Vigne, best italian, 707-963-4444
- Piatti, fun italian, St. Helena, 707-944-2070
- Auberge de Solei, fancy, views, 707-953-1211
- Mustards, fancy diner, 707-944-2424
- The Diner, casual breakfasts, St. Helena, 707-944-2626
- Cindys Kitchen, great, St. Helena, 707-963-1200
- Taylors Refresher, great burgers/wine
- Wappo Bar/Grill, fun food, Calistoga
- Hydro/Surfwood, drinks and bands, Calistoga
- Pancha's, Yountville, good margaritas
- Miramonte, St. Helena, the Mustard's chef, 707-963-1200
- Bistro Don Giovanni, recommended 707-224-3300
- Napa Valley Grill, Yountville, recommended America food and wines
- French Laundry, Yountville, the fanciest, 707-944-2380
Activities
- Wine Train, 707-253-2111
- Balloon Rides, 707-944-2822
- Must visit Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa just off 101, great Peanuts exhibits/store/cafe/ice rink
See San Francisco Golf
Wine Country - Sonoma
Directions: 101n to 37 to 121n to 12n
Arnold and Warm Springs are the more scenic roads
Oakville Grade connects to Napa (30 minutes)
Sonoma Square area is very nice
Wineries
Carneros (South to North):
- Roche, Carneros, generous tastings
- Viansa, Carneros, great snacks, 707-935-4700
Sonoma (Square to North):
- Sebastiani, great wines, good prices
- Ravenswood, great reds and dessert
- Ledsons, on square, great wines, generous pours
- Glen Ellen, nice gifts
- Valley of the Moon, nice whites, convenient, gifts
- Imagery, interesting wines, great gifts, picnic area, 877-550-4278
- Bizenger, Glen Ellen, fun tractor tour, 707-935-3000
- Kunde, Kenwood, good reds, cave tour
- Chateau St. Jean, Kenwood, 707-833-4134
- Ledsons, cool castle, picnic area
- St Francis, good reds
- Matanzas Creek, nice but pricey wines and long drive thru hills
Lodging
- Bungalows 313, charming cottages right off Sonoma Square, fresh pastries, $240
- Sonoma Mission Inn, fancy resort/spa, ,Sonoma, $500+/night, 707-938-9000, fairmont.com/sonoma
- Thistle Dew Inn, recommended B&B on Sonoma Town Square, $180+/night, 800-382-7895, thistledew.com
- Bear Flag Inn, recommended B&B, Calistoga, $200+/night, 707-942-4432, bearflaginn.com, Cottage suite has 2 queen beds
- Glenelly Inn, casual but nice b&b, $150+, Glen Ellen, 707-996-6720, glenelly.com
- El Dorado Hotel, not recommended, Sonoma Square, $200+, 996-3030
- Flamingo Hotel, not recommended, Santa Rosa, $150+, 545-8530
- Last Minute Rooms 800-946-3268
Restaurants
- El Dorado Kitchen, former Piatti, started by French Laundry founders, fantastic, Sonoma Square, 707-996-3030
- Cafe La Haye, fantastic, Sonoma Square, 707-935-5994
- Girl and the Fig, great wine country food, weak service, Sonoma Square, 707-938-3634
- Cheese Factory, free samples and picnics, Sonoma Square
- Garden Court, best sandwich take-out, Glen Ellen
- Maya, good mexican, Sonoma Square, 707-935-3500
- General's Daughter/Estate, good fancy inn, 707-938-4004
- Mission Inn, good fancy resort, 707-938-9000
- Ramekins, cooking school with restaurant, also recommended
Activities
- Must visit Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa just off 101, great Peanuts exhibits/store/cafe/ice rink
Jack London State Park, 3 mile hike in woods to home, little museum and gravesite, for Jack/hiking fans only
See San Francisco Golf
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