GETTYSBURG, PA – So you’ve been roped into an educational vacation – a trip to visit the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  And wondering whether you can possibly have any fun in what appears to be a one-trick tourist town.  I was the same.  I’ve been trying to expose my British husband to all sorts of Americana, and a [...]

LAS VEGAS, NV – Man, do I love Vegas.  I love the cheesiness, the non-stop party and the promise of naughtiness around every corner.  I used to get there 3 times a year back when I was a Californian but, sadly, now only make it there about once every two years or so (including one trip to have my wedding [...]

  PATTAYA, THAILAND - Civil unrest, political coups and floods… if you’re a frequent visitor to Thailand, chances are, you’ll probably have the unfortunate experience of encountering one or more of these dramas.  For me, it was the Red Shirt Protests, whose leaders chose to make Ratchadamri, my neighborhood at the time, their very own ground zero for all red activity. [...]

  CARMEL, CA – Miles removed from Highway 1, Carmel Valley Ranch is like a hideout amidst the trees.  As we drove into the Carmel Valley – seemingly miles off the beaten track – I said to my husband, “Man, this sure is far from everything.  I hope it’s worth the trek.”  It is. Carmel Valley Ranch sits atop a [...]

  SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Everyone should stay at the Madonna Inn at least once in their lifetime – especially those souls who have a sense of humor and an appreciation of retro irony.  Why?  Because it is a truly singular experience. Located just off the 101 Freeway in San Luis Obispo, Madonna Inn is essentially a motel (the [...]

  BANGKOK – Love, love, LOVE the Metropolitan Bangkok’s Met rooms:  super spacious and modern, with soothing earth tones; big comfy beds (and lovely sheets to go with), huge bathrooms (shower, tub and silky smooth robes) and a full-on entertainment system (to watch all those pirated discs you ‘didn’t buy’).  The rest of the hotel – service, pool (which annoyingly, [...]

  BANGKOK – Excellent service and NONE of that colonial attitude one gets at its so over rated sister motel in Hong Kong or at other so called ‘top’ establishments in Bangkok make this one of our favorite hotels in Bangkok.  Whether you’re checking-in; tanning by the pool; boozing at their Bamboo Bar; getting done at the spa; or being [...]