Category Archives: Travel

I like to travel, especially to the cities with great food and unique culture. Among all the great cities I’ve been to, I especially enjoy visiting Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, San Diego, Las Vegas, Taipei, and Shanghai.

This Travel category has a collection of posts on my travel experiences and my favorite hotel properties.

All Posts, Fashion, Travel

My Winter Outfit for Whistler, Canada

I decided to take an unplanned trip from Seattle (where I live) to Whistler, Canada. Whistler is an upscale ski resort located about a four-hour drive due north of Seattle. Just before Thanksgiving, one of my girlfriends and I had dinner together. On the spur of the moment, I asked her what she was doing on the weekend following Thanksgiving. She said she had no plans so we decided to go to Whistler, in part because my friend had never been there before.

We drove from Seattle to Whistler on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. After we got into Canada, we stopped for a late lunch in Vancouver, Canada (just above the Washington-Canada border). After lunch, we decided that rather than spend the day in Vancouver, which although is a very nice city, is one we’ve both been to many times, we’d continue on to Whistler.

We arrived in Whistler about 8:00 in the evening. Expecting this scenario, I had made a hotel reservation at the Fairmont. We checked in and then ate dinner at the very fancy Bearfoot Bistro restaurant in the Whistler Villager.

Fast forward to Sunday at Whistler. I hadn’t planned on any activities in particular. But my friend and I decided to take the peak-to-peak gondola ride from Whistler to the neighboring Blackcomb ski resort area. For the trip I wore True Religion skinny jeans with crystal accents, a J.Crew pink cashmere sweater, a pair of UGG short boots, a knitted hat and a pair of Lululemon gloves that I bought in Whistler, and an Eddie Bauer jacket.

I brought my latest Lois Vuitton Alma red bag with me, mostly because I had already checked out from the hotel and didn’t want to leave it at the Bell Desk. That was not necessarily a great idea, but it turned out well because I was able to store all my accessories when they weren’t needed.

MyWinterOutfitForWhistler_Canada_1

Even though I hadn’t planned much, I was very happy with the way everything turned out!

MyWinterOutfitForWhistler_Canada_2

All Posts, Food, Travel

The New Upscale “Starbucks Reserve” Cafe in Seattle

I live in the Seattle, Washington area. Seattle is home to several large companies, including Starbucks. Starbucks is constantly trying new products and new approaches. This weekend (as I write this post), Starbucks debuted a new upscale cafe called Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in downtown Seattle (the Capitol Hill area), not far from their original cafe.

StarbucksReserveExterior2

On their first Sunday, I decided to visit. I went there about 3:00 in the afternoon. Parking anywhere near downtown Seattle is always a mess, but I was able to find a lot with an open stall not too far away.

The place was packed and there was a line out the door. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait too long and got inside soon. Once inside, I found myself in a waiting foyer area. A host explained the history of the building and the layout of the store. I waited in the foyer only a few minutes. Then I was allowed to enter the actual cafe. Inside, I first walked around a bit and checked out their merchandise; many items are available only at this one store.

StarbucksReserveMerchandise
Starbucks Reserve Merchandise

Next, I looked at the roasting area, where coffee beans are actually roasted. Then I got in line to order some coffee and pastries. Many of the drinks are unique to this store. I ordered an unusual iced coffee drink. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I’d order it again. Instead, I’ll probably order a standard coffee item.

I also ordered a potato scone and a macaroon cookie to eat. After ordering, I found a seat. My drink and food order was delivered to me. I was a bit surprised that they found me — I’m not sure how they did that.

StarbucksReserveFood
Starbucks Reserve Drinks and Pastry

My bottom line is that the new Starbucks Reserve is a great place for friends to meet and get together. My guess is that the “Reserve” concept will be a success and you might see these establishments where live, in the no-too-distant future.

All Posts, Food, Travel

The Bearfoot Bistro Restaurant in Whistler, Canada

Recently, my friend and I decided to take a quick, impromptu weekend trip to Whistler, Canada. Whistler is a fantastic ski resort area about two hours north of the Washington (state) border. On our first evening in Whistler, we decided to eat at the Bearfoot Bistro restaurant, Unlike most upscale restaurants in Whistler, the Bearfoot Bistro is not located inside a hotel; it is a standalone establishment.

Overall, I’d give our experience a rating of 8 out of 10. Both the service and the food were very good but not amazing.

I’d describe the Bearfoot Bistro as a modern restaurant with no particular emphasis. To cut to the chase, out total bill, including wine, was about $115 per person — certainly a bit pricey, but not crazy expensive.

My friend and I both had a five-course meal. My meal started with albacore tuna tartar, garnished with spicy octopus/calamari. This was followed by foie gras and chicken liver parfait. It was good but not exceptional. Next was wild mushroom risotto with parmesan cheese; I added scallops and it was excellent! My fourth course was braised lamb with Brussel sprouts and squash puree. It was light and not gamey and I liked it a lot. My fifth and final course was my dessert; I had the pecan and bourbon ice cream tart. It was very good.

Albacore Tuna Tartar - w. Octopus
Albacore Tuna Tartar – w. Octopus

If you’re ever in Whistler, Canada, I recommend that you give some consideration to the Bearfoot Bistro. It’s a bit pricey, but overall, well worth the experience.

Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait - with Fig Puree
Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait – with Fig Puree
The Bearfoot Bistro Restaurant at Whistler, Canada
Wild Mushroom Risotto with Scallops
Praised Peace Country Lamb
Praised Peace Country Lamb
Pecan & Bourbon Tart - w. Pear & Bourbon Tart
Pecan & Bourbon Tart – w. Pear & Bourbon Tart
All Posts, Food, Travel

Breakfast at the Tableau Restaurant in Las Vegas

Las Vegas has some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world. But I’ve always been sort of surprised that there aren’t too many super nice places to eat breakfast in Las Vegas. Las Vegas isn’t really much of an early-morning city.

There are plenty of places to eat breakfast in Vegas but most of them are either buffets or very casual cafe-style restaurants. Probably my favorite restaurant to eat breakfast at is the Tableau restaurant in the Wynn hotel. Tableau has a great menu, great service, and great ambience.

The menu has the basic breakfast items such as eggs with bacon or sausage, and pancakes. But Tableau also has some special items. I love Tableau’s orange and chocolate French toast. And the special Tableau breakfast potatoes are like little potato pancakes.

Tableau4

Breakfast at Tableau, Las Vegas

The presentation at Tableau is always just right. The jams come in elegant little ceramic containers, and there are cute little salt and pepper dispensers. The service at Tableau is a perfect balance of semi-formal and casual.

If you are a breakfast person, the next time you are in Las Vegas, consider making a reservation at the Tableau restaurant in the Wynn hotel.

For more restaurants in Las Vegas, read “Five of My Favorite Places for Breakfast in Vegas” and “Top Ten Restaurants in Las Vegas“

All Posts, Fashion, Travel

Traveling Outfit for My California Trip

After being in the rain in Seattle for weeks, it’s really nice for me to go to sunny Orange County, CA, to visit my brother and sister-in-law and my niece.

Last night while I was packing I knew exactly what I was going to wear to the airport! I wanted something light, layer-able, and that would keep me warm while I went to work in the morning, and then would make me comfortable when I flew out in the afternoon .

For my top, I wore a short sleeve light gray t-shirt and my most recent favorite cashmere hoodie sweater. I also wore a moto faux leather jacket that I bought last Spring. I always love the combination of hoodie weathers with a short jacket/blazer. It’s a casual and stylish combination.

For bottom, I worn my new Citizen of Humanity skinny jeans in black. They’re so comfy; almost like a legging. Usually I prefer True Religions with crystals for skinny jeans, but the comfort  of this new Citizen skinny made it an easy choice for me.

Citizens of Humanity Skinny Stretch Leggings – $178 via Nordstrom

Citizens of Humanity Skinny Stretch Leggings

For shoes, I wore my Vince Blair 5 slip-on sneakers in black. If I really want to upgrade my look after I arrive to Orange County I can always take off my cashmere hoodie and put on my red slingback Christian Loubouton.

Vince Blair 5 Slip-on Sneakers – $195 via Nordstrom

Vince – “Blaire 5″ Slip-on Sneaker in black

Of course, my outfit is not complete without a handbag. Since my clothing and shoes are all in neutral gray and black, I wanted something to brighten it up. I choose my Louis Vuitton Alma in the new Cerise – bright orange color.

Now, I am really ready for the sunny California!

Louis Vuitton Venis Alma in Cerise

All Posts, Food, Travel

The Julian Serrano Tapas Restaurant in Las Vegas

One of the reasons why I like going to Las Vegas is the incredible number of great restaurants there. One problem with this is that on any given trip to Vegas, there’s only time to eat at two or three of these amazing restaurants.

This summer I was in Las Vegas and had some great restaurant experiences. One afternoon, I was in the mood for good food, but wasn’t quite hungry enough for a full meal. I decided to go to the Julian Serrano tapas restaurant in the Aria hotel.

Tapas restaurants became very popular about four years ago. Instead of a traditional menu, tapas restaurants typically serve several appetizer-style dishes instead of one large meal. The Julian Serrano is one of the best tapas-style restaurants anywhere.

For my late-lunch / early-dinner meal, I had two different kinds of “albondigas” (meatballs in Spanish). One was more or less normal, but very tasty, and the other (“Bomba”) was non-traditional and quite spicy.

Bombas

I also had “Brava Potatoes”. These are hard to describe; sort of cubed, broiled, and accompanied by a nice tomato-based sauce. I also tried “Pintxo de Chorizos”. This was spicy sausage, along with a flavorful Spanish sauce and pureed potatoes.

Chorizo

I ate at Julian Serrano before going to see the Cirque du Soleil “O” show, a couple of hotels away at the Bellagio. My meal was absolutely a perfect pre-show meal — not too much and not too little.

The next time you’re in Las Vegas, if you’re anywhere near the middle of the Strip in the late afternoon, and you’re hungry, but not too hungry, consider the Julian Serrano tapas restaurant in the Aria hotel.

All Posts, Food, Travel

Pool Cabanas at the Aria Hotel

A few weeks ago I stayed at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. It was the middle of summer time and the weather was hot. Very hot — about 95 degrees F. I decided I’d rent a poolside cabana for the day.

Hotel1

A Cabana at the Aria Hotel

I know it sounds kind of snobbish, but when I go to a pool at a Las Vegas hotel, I really don’t enjoy having to compete with other hotel guests for lounge chairs, towels, and good positions (meaning not too sunny or not too shady). Renting a pool cabana eases those minor annoyances.

Hotel2

View of Pool from Cabana

The price of Vegas pool cabanas varies daily, according to supply and demand. My cabana at the Aria was $200 for the day. That’s quite a bit of money, but, for me at least, it was a good value. I checked in at the cabana reception at 10:00 in the morning. My attendant, Sarah, had just graduated from Boise State.

The cabana had a TV, a refrigerator stocked with fruit, vegetables, soda pop, and bottled water, and chips, and licorice on the table — all included in the price of the cabana. I had a wonderful relaxing day at the Aria pool. The next time you visit Las Vegas, you might want to consider renting a poolside cabana.

All Posts, Travel

My Favorite Regular Las Vegas Hotels

Some time ago I posted a blog that describes my favorite upscale / luxury suites in Las Vegas. But I don’t always get to stay in upscale rooms; I sometime stay in what I’ll call ordinary hotel rooms (even though Las Vegas is far from ordinary).

So, here are my current top 10 places to stay in Las Vegas, assuming I’m not going to stay at a luxury suite of some sort.

Wynn_Encore_Hotels

  1. Encore – I love the Encore Hotel. It’s at the north end of the Strip which means I can’t walk to a lot of venues, but other than that, Encore is just about perfect. It’s hard to describe, but the Encore just feels right. The prices here are a bit higher than most hotels, but well worth it in my opinion.

  2. Wynn – The Wynn and the Encore are practically the same — the two hotels are connected and many times are referred to as Wynn/Encore collectively. I love the Wynn, especially the restaurants, which I think, as a group, are the best of any hotel in Vegas.

  3. Bellagio – The Bellagio has a different feel than the Wynn and Encore — it’s hard to describe, but the Bellagio is a bit more conservative in some ways, mostly the décor I think. I’ve noticed that staying at the Bellagio either before or after staying at the Wynn/Encore makes the experience at all three hotels seem even better.

  4. Palazzo – The Palazzo has great rooms — essentially all suites. And the Palazzo is directly connected to the Venetian which has a lot of great restaurants and shopping.

  5. Aria – The Aria doesn’t seem to have one characteristic that makes it really stand out, but the property is good in a lot of ways. Nice location near the center of the Strip, nice rooms, good restaurants, and one of my all-time favorite bakeries (Jean Philippe).

  7. The Venetian – Every time I stay at the Venetian I recall one of my all-time favorite shows, The Phantom of the Opera. I like the rooms at the Venetian (all 700+ square feet), and the shopping arcade with restaurants by the indoor canal.

  8. Cosmopolitan – The Cosmopolitan is a nice hotel, but clearly a notch below the hotels I’ve listed above. The Cosmopolitan tries a bit too hard to be trendy, but it’s still a good hotel, and much better than older properties like the Luxor and the Tropicana.

  9. The MGM Grand – the MGM is maybe one of the best values in Vegas. On the downside, MGM is near the very south end of the Strip which makes it impractical to walk to many other places. But the MGM has a lot going for it, and I’ve often stayed there.

  10. Mandalay Bay – The Mandalay Bay is a good hotel, but not in the same league with my top five Vegas hotels. Mandalay has good (but not great) restaurants, good (but not great rooms), good (but not great) service, and so on.

Palazzo Hotel at Las Vegas
Palazzo Hotel at Las Vegas

 

 

All Posts, Travel

The Sky Suites at Aria Hotel in Las Vegas

Where did you stay the last time you went to Las Vegas? I go to Vegas quite often and have some favorite hotels. But I also enjoy trying new places. On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I stayed at the Sky Suites at Aria hotel.

Many hotels in Las Vegas has special sections, for example, MGM Grand has Skyloft suites and Wynn has Tower Suites. When I arrived in Las Vegas I had arranged to be picked up by the Sky Suites limo. The driver took me to a private entrance separate from the main Aria entrance. From there the doorman showed me to the private Sky Suites lobby area, where I checked in to the room.

Overall, I’d rate the Aria Sky Suites with eight out of ten. I especially liked the complimentary refreshments throughout the day; it was at least as good as any of the other special suites I stayed in Las Vegas. The hotel design and the décor was modern and sophisticated, but I slightly prefer the Wynn/Encore and Bellagio suites.

From a value point of view, the Aria Sky Suites offers slightly larger rooms and a slightly lower rate compared to my favorite specialty suites, the Wynn/Encore, MGM Skyloft, Bellagio suites, and the Palazzo. The Sky Suites at Aria are really nice, but the Tower Suites at Wynn/Encore are still my favorites. However, the next time you are in Las Vegas consider the Sky Suites at Aria.

Aria Sky Suites - One Bedroom Aria Suite
Aria Sky Suites – One Bedroom Aria Suite
Aria Sky Suites - Bedroom
Aria Sky Suites – Bedroom
Aria Sky Suites Private Lounge
Aria Sky Suites Private Lounge
Aria Sky Suites Complimentary Refreshments
Aria Sky Suites Complimentary Refreshments
All Posts, Travel

My Favorite Upscale Las Vegas Hotel Suites

Which hotel do you stay when you visit Las Vegas? I’ve been going to Las Vegas frequently for business and pleasure for the past ten years. And my friends and I have stayed at many of the hotels on Las Vegas Strip.

I hate to sound snobbish, but I really enjoy staying at high-end Vegas hotel rooms and suites. Here are my top six favorites with a few highlights. In future posts, I will provide more details.

My number 1, top suite in Las Vegas is Wynn’s Tower Suites. When I am at Wynn, everything is just right. The service, the restaurants, the room itself, and amenities like a private pools area are just perfect.

Number 2 on my list is the Encore Tower Suites. Wynn and Encore are almost the same property, but Encore has a slightly different feel. When I want a more private experience, Encore is my choice. Like the Wynn, everything is just right.

Tied for number 3 and 4 on my list are the Skyloft at MGM Grand and the Sky Suites at Aria. At the MGM Grand’s Skyloft, I love the semi-private entrance and the dedicated room butler. The Aria’s Sky Suites do not have a room butler, but I like their private lounge with complementary Continental breakfast in the morning and snacks and beverages throughout the day.

At number 5 on my list is the suite at Bellagio. The Bellagio has a more European feel than the other places on my list. I especially like the overall experience at Bellagio.

Finally, the Prestige Suites at Palazzo are on my favorite list. The Prestige isn’t quite as special as other property on my list, but they still provide a much better experience than a normal room in Las Vegas. The Prestige Suite has a private check-in and a private lounge that provides snacks and beverages. It’s not that Prestige isn’t good, it’s just that they are not quite up to the standard the other places on my list.

For your next trip to Las Vegas, I recommended you take a look at these upscale properties.

Wynn and Encore Hotel in Las Vegas
Wynn and Encore Hotel in Las Vegas
Wynn Tower Suites Entrance
Wynn Tower Suites Entrance
Complimentary Chocolate for Tower Suite Guests
Complimentary Chocolate for Tower Suite Guests
Aria Sky Suites - One Bedroom Suite
Aria Sky Suites – One Bedroom Suite
Aria Sky Suites Private Lounge
Aria Sky Suites Private Lounge