Why I Will NEVER Use Orbitz Again

Signature at MGM Grand: Traveller Reviews

re-posted from Trip Advisor on March 06, 2012.

“Customer Service Saved my Holiday”

Orbitz may have just shaved years off my life when I found out that they never confirmed the hotel portion of the travel pkg I booked in May 2011 for travel this month...and when I contacted their so called ‘customer service’ ppl about it, TWICE they told me it was all fixed and said "don’t worry your room is confirmed" but both times, when I called the MGM Signature to corroborate the info, the hotel said that they told Orbitz that they had still no rooms left, just like they already told them back in MAY!!! Good thing the asst. mgr. at the MGM Signature knows what customer service actually means and my family holiday wasn't ruined. No thanks to Orbitz who didn’t do anything to make me feel like I can trust them with another vacation ever again. They even tried to take credit for the eventual booking that I MADE MYSELF…they sure DIDN’T!!! And after a grand total of 1hr30min on hold waiting for the only dept. they have that can supposedly help me…they suddenly HUNG UP after 10 minutes of conversation and of course, never called back. All they have acknowledged so far is that I experienced an ‘inconvenience’. It’s funny how much an ‘inconvenience’ actually feels like a heart attack ;-)

Down with Orbitz! Hooray for the MGM Signature!!

Take the Long Way There

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference." ~Robert Frost

Recently, I had a long-weekend free on my schedule and thought of taking yet another quick road-trip from Vancouver to Seattle, but how could I make a more interesting itinerary out of the drive than the usual 3 hour bomb down the I-5? I turned to one of my favourite travel planning companions, Google Maps, for inspiration, and after entering my starting and ending points into the Driving Directions feature, I simply dragged and dropped the suggested driving route off of the mainland highway and onto the neighbouring Kitsap Islands to reveal an excellent alternative route. It would take me first through Fidalgo & Whidbey Islands, then across the Salish Sea to the quaint town of Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, and then over a floating bridge onto Bainbridge Island and finally, directly into downtown Seattle across Puget Sound on the second of two ferries along the way. But was it scenic? Oh yeah.

 

Of course the obvious benefit to taking super-highways and freeways are that you will get where you are going faster, but maybe taking a little extra time to drive the scenic route can turn your journey into something unexpected - maybe something even better than the intended destination. After all, isn't adventure one of the great payoffs of travelling? Isn't the true joy of life, the trip?

Here's a look at the route plus some photos and descriptions of the great spots I found along the way:

As you can see the overall trip took about 3 hours longer than if I'd taken the I-5 all the way from Bellingham. However, in exchange for my time, I was given the opportunity to enjoy some really great places and attractions that I would not have otherwise known about. For example, if you are lucky enough to cross over Deception Pass at just the right moment when the fog lifts, it's a sight that cannot be matched along the I-5 corridor, that's for sure!

Deception Pass

Next, I drove down through Fidalgo Island and stopped at a place called Lavender Wind Farm on Whidbey Island.

After buying some lavender hot chocolate and lavender cookie mix and taking a stroll through the local artisan's fair that happened to be taking place at the farm that day, I got back in the car and headed down to the Port Townsend-Keystone car ferry for the 35 min ride across the Salish Sea, over to the Olympic Peninsula where we disembarked into scenic Port Townsend. As I did still want to arrive at my hotel before happy hour ended, I vowed to return next summer and spend more time exploring this quaint seaside town.

copyright Scenic Port Townsend

Port Townsend-Keystone Ferry

After the ferry, I drove down the coast of the peninsula and across the Hood Canal Floating Bridge which took me over the Squamish Harbor and eventually onto Bainbridge Island, the location of my next stop.

Hood Canal Floating Bridge

I had one more stop to make before taking the ferry into downtown Seattle and that was a gem of a spot called Bainbridge Distillers, Washington state's first distillery of USDA Certified organic vodka, gin and whiskey. :-)  I had toured several wineries and a few breweries before but never a distillery so I enjoyed the full tour and tasting and I can safely say that I, being a gin LOVER! have never tasted anything even remotely like the Bainbridge Heritage Organic Doug Fir Gin and their Battle Point Organic Whiskey and Legacy Organic Vodka were also very memorable.

copyright Bainbridge Distillers

Bainbridge Distillers have recently extended their summer tasting hours to 12-5 everyday from June to September and have also added a tasting patio on the sunny side of the building helping to make this a great stop to linger, longer. ;-)

After a second relaxing ferry ride, this time across Puget Sound, it was a quick & easy 20 minute drive to my favourite hotel chain, Embassy Suites (the Bellevue, WA location), just in time for the daily Manager's Special happy hour to start. All you can drink (yes, that's what I said) from 5pm to 7pm and plenty of snacks and inexpensive appys to keep you happy well into the evening. In the morning I took advantage of the hotel's free parking leaving the car behind to take the complimentary hotel shuttle to the local bus loop and then public transit into Pioneer Square to finally join Bill Spiedel's Underground Tour. Well worth the admission money, I learnt all about the original "Crapper" toilet and Seattle's contribution to it's invention.

Pioneer Square, Seattle WA

Underground sidewalks

An original Crapper toilet

The next time I take a roadtrip to Seattle,  I plan to join the night-time 'Underworld' tour to learn more about the history of Seattle's underground...sewing industry...?? and even though I could take the I-5 I also plan to journey through the Kitsap Islands again and "take the long way there".

This Year, Why Not Put Your Contribution Dollars Towards “Charitable Traveling” to Japan or New Orleans?

From a recent report by the Associated Press:

Lady Gaga says that if you want to help Japan recover from its tsunami disaster, come visit. The flamboyant pop star was in Tokyo for a benefit concert for tsunami victims, and said in an interview with The Associated Press that she’s making a point to get out and enjoy the city and its food, and that her fans should do the same thing.

“I can’t say enough to people all over the world that the majority of Japan right now, Japan in general, is very safe,” she said. “It’s fine to come here. It’s beautiful. The most important thing, and the best thing, we could do for Japan right now is to boost tourism, and so everyone come to Japan and come enjoy the beautiful country,” she said.

Lady Gaga poses for photographers with a tea cup with a message in Japanese "Pray for Japan" during a press conference to promote of MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo. Lady Gaga said that she will sell the tea cup at auction and donate the money for the tsunami-hit north-eastern Japan. ~ Associated Press

A recent story by Lonley Planet on the current state of tourism in Japan had the following to say:

Earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear radiation: could anything make Japan a more unappealing destination? After the devastating 9.0 quake of 11 March that left about 26,000 people dead, and the horrendous coastal destruction in the northern part of the archipelago, the Japanese have had to cope with the threat of fallout from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Japan suffered a 50% drop in visitors in March, and half a million hotel cancellations. But radiation fears have eased substantially since explosions first rocked the plant. Aftershocks have subsided too. The US government, drawing on the opinion of experts, says travel to Japan outside the 50-mile zone surrounding the Fukushima plant presents low risks. However, those worried about radiation levels can check those of Tokyo online and compare them with other cities (the Japan National Tourism Agency has a list here).).

There is a growing consensus that it’s safe to travel to Tokyo (many of the other major cities in Japan – Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto– are not really affected). Foreign governments have eased their travel restrictions and Japan’s capital is slowly getting back on its feet, with Tokyo Disneyland reopening in April to a queue of 10,000 after liquefaction of its parking lot and electricity shortages.

Tourism will be an important part of Japan’s recovery and a way to strengthen the country’s economy, just as tourism was for New Orleans’ recovery following Hurricane Katrina and the Levies breaking.

Myself, I took the opportunity to Travel to New Orleans in March of 2008. That particular destination was actually an added bonus, as the original reason for the holiday had been to take a Caribbean cruise. But when I saw that one of the possible embarkation port options was ‘Nola’, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit. So I booked a 7-day Central American/Mexican cruise and then spent 4 days in New Orleans afterwards. It wasn't too long after Katrina & the Levies breaking, so the prices were still low, and just as Japan does now, the city really needed the tourism. I’m glad I didn’t listen to all of the negative hype I was hearing about how the city was “still in ruin” and that the “crime rate is through the roof” and “it’s just not safe to go there”. One of my favourite memories is trying to peer down one of these looooong walkways that separate the houses in the French Quarter…one gets the feeling that there are amazing yards back there, but they are completely hidden, so mostly you stand near the gates listening to hear tell-tale sounds of running water or wind chimes, to help you imagine what the yards might look like...but the people there were so incredibly friendly and happy to see tourists returning to their town (which by the way, showed no sign of any damage or the haenous crime etc that we had heard so much about) that they invited us into their homes off the street so we could see the architecture and the elusive 'hidden yards'. One guy even called his neighbours across the street to see if he could bring us over to their place so we could see the difference between a renovated yard and an original one with ivy growing up the stone walls. All that was asked of us in return was to tell people it’s OK to come to New Orleans.

Hey Everybody! It’s OK to go to New Orleans. In fact, it’s fack-wagging fantastic to go to New Orleans. You should book it. J

Jimi Hendrix's Grave - TripAdvisor Review

Re-posted from TripAdvisor - Jimi Hendrix Grave Site: Traveler Reviews

For those who are interested in Jimi Hendrix, his gravesite is a neat thing to go and see. Open from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, Greenwood Memorial Park at 350 Monroe St. NE. in Renton, Washington is the 2nd resting place of Jimi Hendrix. He was previously moved from another area in the same graveyard, (not from the graveyard in which Bruce Lee is currently buried in, as has been reported). Jimi now rests with his father, step-mother and grandmother in a large structure that you can see from the cemetary parking lot. It's a short distance from there and even affords wheelchair access right up to the altar. The polished granite mausoleum has bench seating, (which can get pretty wet with the rain) but there are many places to leave flowers where the water collects. Even the most dedicated fans who bring music (low volume only due to groundskeepers) and leave such items as guitar picks, flowers and herb, will only need about an hour tops to complete their pilgrimage. Otherwise it's a 15 minute photo-op at most.

Requiescat In Pace

Want to quit smoking? Go on vacation!

If you want to quit smoking, but live or work in a "smoker's environment", where everywhere you look, someone just lit up another one...then maybe a Carnival Cruise is just what the Travel Doctor ordered! Below is a letter, which I received from Carnival the other week, regarding my upcoming cruise and their new, smoke-free policy. It was interesting to find out that almost 90% of people who cruise with them, don't smoke. Now that's my kinda crowd ;-)

June 15, 2011 Hi there! We know your bags aren't packed yet, but it's not too early to start thinking about your cruise. So, we'd like to take this opportunity to inform you of some important information. We recently conducted guest surveys covering a wide range of topics. The feedback we received indicated the overwhelming majority of our guests prefer a smoke-free environment. In fact, nearly 90 percent of our guests are non-smokers, with only less than five percent opting to smoke in their staterooms. Accordingly, as part of our ongoing commitment to keep in line with the personal preferences of our guests, we will be changing the smoking policy across our 23-ship fleet. The new smoking policy will be rolled out in two stages: Effective today, cigarette smoking in public venues will only be permitted in Carnival's dance clubs as well as in designated areas within the casino and casino bar. Smoking (including cigars) will be permitted in designated exterior open deck areas of all our ships. Additionally, smoking will also be allowed in the jazz clubs of the following ships: Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Splendor. Effective December 1, 2011, smoking will be prohibited in all guest staterooms. Guests in balcony staterooms may smoke (including cigars) outside on their balcony. However, Spa suites and staterooms, inclusive of the balconies, will remain an entirely smoke-free environment. Guests who smoke in their staterooms will be assessed a $250 cleaning and refreshing fee on their Sail & Sign account. Information on this fee is included in Carnival's ticket contract. Decisions like these are never easy and we realize some of you may be affected by this change. We sincerely hope this won't affect your ability to have a fun and memorable cruise vacation. In fact, we are hopeful you will see this as an enhancement to your on board experience and have an even better time sailing with us. Please know we are committed to providing a clean and healthy environment for all our guests. We thank you for your understanding and appreciate your cooperation in adhering to our new smoking policy. Most importantly, we look forward to welcoming you aboard! Sincerely, Vicky Rey, CTC Vice President - Guest Services

Now, people who know me, know that I swear by balcony cabins. I still cite sea-sickness as the main reason for this, even though I found an over-the-counter-pill that mitigates the effects years ago ;-) because as far as I am concerned there is no other way to get the most out of a cruise experience. For a myriad of reasons, I think balcony cabins are the only way to go. Therefore, the new smoke-free policy at Carnival wouldn't neccessarily affect me on-board, if I were a smoker that is. However, I will still chalk it up as yet another reason why balconies are worth it!

Can't wait for my next cruise in 86 days <3

Restaurant Review - Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, NV

The best meal I ever had was at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, NV. The reason I ended up here for dinner was due to having purchased a Caesar’s Palace Dinner Theatre combo package, which included either an early or late dinner seating at one of five Caesar’s Palace restaurants, plus tickets to Bette Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On (I wasn’t really crazy about most of her radio songs before this, but I left the show a total fan). Shortly after being seated at the best table in the house we were presented with a complimentary Bette Midler show program and we were given a special Chef’s Table Three-Course Menu to order from, that was only available to our table. The theme was corn. The Best. Corn. Ever.

 

CHEF’S MENU

FIRST COURSE– with wine pairing

Romaine Salad with Chorizo, Cotija Cheese, Pulled Croutons + Roasted Garlic Dressing

Tiger Prawn + Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with Corn-Cilantro Sauce

Tiger Prawn + Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with Corn-Cilantro Sauce

and Romaine Salad with Chorizo, Cotija Cheese, Pulled Croutons + Roasted Garlic Dressing

SECOND COURSE with wine pairing

Coffee-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Ancho Chile sauce with Corn

and Fire Roasted Veal Chop with Horseradish-Maple Glaze, Wild Rice Tamale + Sage Butter

Coffee-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Ancho Chile sauce with Corn

and Fire Roasted Veal Chop with Horseradish-Maple Glaze, Wild Rice Tamale + Sage Butter

THIRD COURSE

Roasted Strawberry-Gooseberry Shortcake with Vanilla Bean Whip Cream

and Chocolate Cornbread Pudding with Dulce de Leche + Crème Fraiche Anglaise

Roasted Strawberry-Gooseberry Shortcake with Vanilla Bean Whip Cream

and Chocolate Cornbread Pudding with Dulce de Leche + Crème Fraiche Anglaise

In this case, the pictures say a thousand words more than I ever could about how incredibly DELICIOUS everything was, but I will say one thing; the things that Bobby Flay did with a simple side dish of corn…are probably only legal in Las Vegas. For me, the only thing crazier than going all the way to Vegas for a side-dish of corn at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, is NOT going all the way to Vegas for a side-dish of corn at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. The Best. Corn. Ever.

Definition of Staycation plus a Daytrip to Vancouver

According to the urban dictionary, a Staycation is:

A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that the home and one's home environs have to offer.

For the purpose of this blog, the label staycation shall refer to utilizing one’s own home as a hotel while touring all the surrounding areas via any transportation means available. So if you return to your home-hotel for the night, just as you would return to your hotel while on vacation, then that qualifies the Travel in question, as a staycation.

Also used in this blog is the Travel label Road Trip. The urban dictionary defines a road trip as:

When a bunch of kids get in a car (most likely a VW Bus, most likely with tons of drugs), and drive to an exotic destination (like Vegas or New Jersey). It happened more in the 70s. As in “Dude, let's go to Vegas! Hell yeah! Road Trip!!”

While this does sound like fun, in this blog the term Road Trip will refer to any Travel that is ‘local’ enough that it can be accomplished without leaving the ground in an airplane. Hence the term, ROAD-trip. It also requires staying away from home for one or more nights, otherwise the Travel in question would be considered a staycation.

Since I live in Vancouver I will focus mainly on staycations and roadtrips to places which are relevant to Vancouverites. Here is one such idea for a staycation daytrip near Vancouver, BC:

Take transit or arrive early and park at Granville Island for the day. This fantastic waterside shopping area, replete with Public Market, was originally built on what was thought to be undesirable land for the purpose of providing walk-to shopping for some of the city’s less-than-privileged set. Since then, Granville Island has garnered such a loyal mass of regular patrons and daily visitors that it has become one of the most sought-after areas of real estate and tourism in all of Greater Vancouver. And it’s no wonder when you consider how much there is to do and see (not to mention eat) once you're there.

Granville Island is an ideal base for a staycation daytrip because after experiencing all the Island & Market have to offer, you can easily hop on an Aquabus (a fleet of small, privately operated ferry boats) and visit several other destination spots in an around False Creek such as:

• Downtown Vancouver
• Yaletown & Davie St
• The Edgewater Casino
• Science World
• Stamp’s Landing to visit Monk McQueen’s Fresh Seafood & Oyster Bar.

Another boon to being at Granville Island is that there are several types of rental boats available at places like:

• Granville Island Boat Rentals
• Granville Island Marine
• Blue Pacific Yacht Charters
• Jerry’s Boat Rentals.

My personal favourite watercraft rental option is a small speedboat, fraught with fun and excitement. After a quick basics-of-boating lesson, you and your group can, (for a reasonable fee and with a credit card deposit and valid driver’s licence of course ;-) ) set sail with the yummy drinks and foodstuffs which you of course, purchased earlier at the Market. Once you get past the safety buoy, drop the hammer, go under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, head east up Indian Arm, and in less than an hour you can Travel all the way to Port Moody. You could also choose to head north and duck into beautiful Deep Cove in North Vancouver or, if a wild, high-speed ride is more your style, you could choose to speed across the open waters of The Strait of Georgia towards West Vancouver. Any way you play it, a Travel daytrip spent at Granville Island is sure way to save your soul!