Henderson Beach Resort is a New England- style luxury complex in Destin, Florida. Photo Credit: Destin-Fort Walton BeachGuests at Henderson Beach Resort and Henderson Inn enjoy a private, spacious beach that runs along the coastline of Henderson State Park. Photo Credit: Destin-Fort Walton Beach
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Disclosure: I was a guest of Destin-Ft. Walton Beach and partners, including Henderson Beach Resort. As always, the opinions here are my own.
I was invited to be a judge at the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament Restaurant Week and Festival to learn how we can best fight the lionfish invasion one delicious bite at a time. I grew up fishing with my dad in Kentucky and vacationing on the Florida Gulf. Also, I enjoyed editing articles about sea creatures for A-Z Animals and believe that adults — not just students — should be able to write an essay titled “What I Learned on My Summer Vacation.” So after some research and a Zoom call, my response was a no-brainer. “I’m in!” Now I’m obsessed with lionfish and I’ll explain why (stay tuned).
For over a decade, solo travel has been my go-to when I need to rest and reset, but I knew that returning to a place with so many memories of vacationing with family and friends would be bittersweet. After many years away, I wasn’t surprised that Destin is off the chain with so many locally owned businesses, but it’s also now a major hub for global brands. Destin Commons alone has over 85 stores and restaurants. See where to eat and drink — iconic hangouts and new finds — listed at the bottom of this post. In the next post, I’ll share my adventure on the World’s Largest Charter Fishing Fleet in the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village and “Little Adventures” with a Mom Squad to help parents choose what’s age-appropriate and of interest to their children. Orlando may be the “Magic Kingdom” with Disney and Universal Studios, but Destin-Ft. Walton Beach is Florida’s kid-centric beach “Wild Kingdom.” As a new grandmother, I love that.
I also LOVED Henderson Beach Resort. Its location makes it a great home base to explore all that the area offers but be warned. It’s like Hotel California (in a good way). You can check out anytime you like, but you may never leave.
Smitten at First Sight
My 72-hour stay was booked from Thursday through Sunday. My flight was scheduled to arrive by noon, giving me the afternoon to unwind at the resort. After finishing my 43rd year of teaching (I’m also a caregiver of a parent), I couldn’t wait to splash in the pool, hot tub, and Gulf, then nap on a beach lounger under an umbrella. Sadly, my Thursday morning flight was canceled due to storms and rescheduled for Friday. Thankfully, my prayer was answered. I switched airlines and got the last seat on Southwest (they have the fastest route from Nashville to VPS). I arrived at the property five hours later than originally planned — only an hour before I’d need to Uber to our group dinner — but that was long enough to fall in love! Cue Etta James!
A lounger and umbrella on the private beach of Henderson Beach Resort is my idea of paradise.
Below is a quick tour of Henderson Beach Resort’s private beach, adult and family pools, hot tub, lazy river, vintage photography, and suite overlooking Henderson State Park and the Emerald Coast. Staff members, like Crystal Wisdom in the video at the rooftop bar and Gabby Armijos at Henderson Inn (the resort’s sister property where you access the beach), give a Southern-sized welcome that makes you feel at home.
Where To Be When Blue Skies Turn Gray
Sadly, the theme song of the weekend changed to another Ella Fitzgerald classic.
I remembered nothing but blue skies over Destin on previous trips, but on Friday, there was a tornado and flash flood watch. Storms loomed the next morning, so my beach yoga class was canceled. The Lionfish Festival scheduled for Saturday was rained out. Conservation and Cocktails was moved to Sunday when I’d be on a plane headed home. And yet, I had amazing new experiences on and around the water with Captain Josh and Anna Calhoun of Destin Inshore Guides; the Destin-Ft. Walton team and other guests at Harbor Tavern and AJs; Heather and Chris Thomas, owners of The Edge Restaurant and SkyBar; and artist Harley Van Hyning — all of which I’ll share in the next post.
I’m energized by new adventures and nice people. When bad weather created an itinerary plot twist, I powered on in the rain Saturday afternoon. I planned to return to AJs on Saturday night after a bubble bath. It was my last night — last chance — to dance to the band as I’d done with friends for years. The rain had stopped, and I might meet someone interesting.
From the tub, I could see the city skyline in the distance beckoning. From the wedding reception below, I could hear the band playing Whitney Houston’s, “I Want to Dance With Somebody.”
I wrapped myself in a robe and took my glass of wine to the balcony. Straight ahead was the lush, green park. To my left, waves crashed along the coast. Below, under a big white tent, the wedding party was in full swing. Above, the sky was painted by a beautiful sunset. I stayed on the balcony in the dark, enjoying the music and glow of a bonfire beneath me. Rather than go out, I indulged in guilty pleasures.
I slid under cool sheets and toasted the new season of Bridgerton. I popped another chocolate truffle into my mouth. Who did I think I was, Queen Charlotte, the Queen of England, lounging about eating bon bons? I remembered the phrase Dolce far Niente that Italians taught me twenty years ago. Ah, “the sweetness of doing nothing,” I relaxed to the rhythm of the tide, breathed in the salty air, let go of doing, and enjoyed just being.
Welcome gifts — California wine, the chef’s chocolate truffles, and San Pellegrino — were waiting at Henderson Beach. Resort. There’s a station with my favorite Starbucks coffee in the room and across the hall where there’s also sparkling water on tap.
A Sunny Sunday Kind Of Love
On Sunday morning, Ella was singing a new song in my head.
I walked on the beach, then journaled and had breakfast on the wraparound porch at Henderson Park Inn just steps from the water. I met a couple who had returned to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Later I relaxed on the softest, whitest sand to the sounds of waves and children laughing in the surf. I had an 11 AM Uber to catch.I made a wish. Please let all departing flights be canceled today …
Henderson Beach Resort was the sum of my favorite things. New England-style seaside elegance. A safe community with onsite events, a fitness center, a spa, great restaurants, two bars with live music, and bikes included with the resort fee. White sand and Caribbean-colored waters on a private beach off Old Florida’s Highway 98.
They made everything so easy. Lingering over coffee on the balcony. Going up for a rooftop drink and live music. Going down for big breakfasts and dinner at Primrose where I had a luscious fillet of beef. My massage was so soothing I fell asleep. Kirstin is amazing!
Breakfast at Henderson Beach Resort is served in the Primrose dining room or you can opt for room service and eat on your balcony.Henderson Beach Resort has an adult-only pool but the result is family-friendly.The massage by Kirstin at The Henderson Spa began by choosing from quality oils (I always choose Neroli Blossom which reminds me of living in Morocco) and ended with Tibetin chime (needed because I was so relaxed I fell asleep).Henderson Park Inn is an adults-only getaway where couples honeymoon and return for anniversaries.200-acre Henderson State Park separates Henderson Beach Resort and Henderson Park Inn from high-season crowds.There’s nothing like Florida’s Emerald Coast.
When I did leave the resort, my favorite spot was the sister property, Henderson Park Inn, a beautiful place to journal and watch waves over breakfast.
I first met Rome in the movies in the ’60s when my family spent Easter week watching Ben-Hur and The Robe.  Later I sighed at her heroes in Gladiator and King Arthur, and still turn to Roman Holiday and Three Coins in the Fountain for escape, classic style, and fun frocks.  And though recently I giggled at Brit Wits Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip to Italy based on their pilgrimage to places poets Percy Shelley and Lord Byron lived, I do love teaching literary legends —particularly The Romantic writers who lived in Rome.  Long before the Left Bank of Paris brimmed with expat genius, Rome was a muse to many artists. For centuries they have transported readers to the Eternal City via memoir, fiction, and poetry.  Still, nothing is like being in Rome for real.
There’s a power struggle going on across Europe these days. A few cities are competing against each other to see who shall emerge as the great 21st-century European metropolis. Will it be London? Paris? Berlin? Zurich? Maybe Brussels, center of the young union? They all strive to outdo one another culturally, architecturally, politically, fiscally. But Rome, it should be said, has not bothered to join the race for status. Rome doesn’t compete. Rome just watches all the fussing and striving, completely unfazed. I am inspired by the regal self-assurance of this city, so grounded and rounded, so amused and monumental, knowing she is held securely in the palm of history. I would like to be like Rome when I am an old lady.Â
Traveling and living abroad changes us. My mission is to inspire and empower travelers.Â
The date on this post is the last time I updated travel information/content and links to help you plan a trip to Rome.
Since moving to Morocco in 2014, I began planning my Dream Week for Spring Break 2016. I didn’t know if I’d stay abroad after my initial two-year work contract, so I saved the best for last.  I’d fallen in love with Italy in 2000 and have since returned eight times; but in 2004 I was swept away by the Amalfi Coast and hoped this year to perch on a Positano terrace across from Capri, the island that enchanted me more than a decade ago. A Mermaid in Marrakesh, I felt I’d find my muse staying between the Path of the Gods and the ocean below. Nothing moves me like the sea, and I couldn’t wait to live like a local and go no farther than a boat ride to a restaurant I’d read about.  I’d write in the sun.  I’d breathe.
I booked the perfect villa last August beside the iconic Le Sirenuse, the set for Only You, a 1994 film my sister and I love . The plan was to join friends from the US in Tuscany the first week of the break, then travel alone by train to the coast. Sadly, an unforeseen circumstance that caused much stress forced me to cancel that second week, but a colleague offered a Plan B. She suggested I stay with her in Rome and catch the Ryan Air flight on Tuesday for $26. My flight and stay at a hotel inspired by my favorite painter, Modigliani, cost less than changing my original ticket. (To understand the bohemian artist scene from the late 16th century to the early 20th century in Paris and Rome and to learn more about Italy’s native son, see the 2004 film, Modigliani.)
Lately, I’ve been faced with huge decisions and it seemed all roads were, indeed, leading to Rome. I’m passionate about several paths — family, travel, writing, education — and have been praying for a way they can all convene. Birthdays are when I pull over to reevaluate the map of my life journey.  While in Tuscany I celebrated the one that was my father’s last. He died at work. So young. So missed.
Roaming, resting, relaxing in Rome in my favorite neighborhoods (near Piazzas of Spagna and Barberini) proved to be poignant. I loved seeing friends in Tuscany, but I’d spent the week fighting the flu. Being in Rome on Easter and finally visiting The Keats-Shelley House—where Keats, too, came to Rome seeking a kinder climate for his health—moved me. I’d always loved Keats’ “When I Have Fears I Will Cease to Be” where he confesses concern that he’ll die before writing all he felt placed on earth to write or before marrying his beloved Fanny Brawne.  I thought, too, about Lord Byron who said “If I don’t write to empty my mind I go mad” and Henry David Thoreau, an American Romantic, who said, “The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” I’ve never wanted to be one of that mass.  Keats died after just three months in Rome beside the Spanish Steps at twenty-five; Shelley was living in Tuscany when he drowned off the coast of Italy at twenty-nine.  Byron died from exhaustion in Greece at thirty-six.  All so young. So much more to write. To live.  I returned to Marrakesh with a renewed gratitude for my health and the warm climate I enjoy daily.  And I continue to seek the best way to live what’s left of my life.
‘I sometimes fancy,’ said Hilda, on whose susceptibility the scene always made a strong impression, ‘that Rome—mere Rome—will crowd everything else out of my heart.’
—Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance
What Is the Keats-Shelley House?
The Keats-Shelley House is a museum dedicated to the English Romantic poets which contains 8,000 volumes and other related objects. Throughout 2024, the museum is hosting “Byron 200” events online and onsite in remembrance of the death of Lord Byron in 1824. Virtual tours and other related media are here.
The entrance to the Keats-Shelley Memorial and Museum is located at the foot of the Spanish Steps.
From this bed Keats watched Rome pass by until he died.
View from Keats’ bedroom
I loved this “Romantic Beatles” T-shirt in the gift shop—appropriate since the revolutionaries/flower children of the 1960s were legacies of the Romantic Era.  My fascination with these four started in college and was piqued by the 1988 film Haunted Summer and Veronica Bennett’s novel, Angelmonster, focusing on the obsessions, dysfunctions, heartaches, and genius that led to Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein.
Who Were the English Romantics?
Fathers of the Romantic Era —William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge — published Lyrical Ballads in 1798. Like William Blake before them, these writers rejected values from the previous period. The Enlightenment prioritized institutions, tradition, conformity, science, and reason. First and second-generation Romantics — Percy and Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats — were (and Romantics still are) the Carpe Diem Crowd — idealists who value individualism, authenticity, democracy, experimentation, emotion, imagination, social reform, change, and nature.  Other European Romantic artists were Pushkin, Hugo, Turner, Beethoven, Schubert, and Berlioz. Romantics were influenced by the philosophies of Goethe (who lived in Rome for a time) and John Locke who said a human is born innocent by nature — a tabula rasa (blank slate) — but his story for good or ill is written by society (nurture). Thus, they championed “the noble savage” who remains in a natural state uncorrupted by society, such as Native Americans in the New World. They blamed society/”the system” for the actions of Mary Shelley’s creature in Frankenstein who became a monster because the doctor recklessly created and abandoned him and villagers feared and abused him. They favored the underdog, like Emily Bronte’s Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. They championed the common man over aristocracy. Jean-Jacques Rosseau’s “social contract” (fair play between the governing and governed) dismissed the Divine Right of Kings which fueled the French and American Revolutions.
In 2016 when I wasn’t really ready to give up the expat life, I thought about how the tension between the two temperaments (classicism vs romanticism) Reason vs Emotion, Duty vs Passion, and Fact vs Feeling vs Faith affects decisions. Just as I lived the questions while wandering Venice, I roamed Rome believing I’d live into the answers. I prayed and let go, resolving to wait in passionate patience for an answer.
Other Expat Writers Who Were Inspired by Rome
I brought back writing inspiration from the vibrant literary landscape that is Rome. I walked the streets off Via Condotti where writers gathered around wine at restaurants and coffee at Antico Caffè Greco.  In the area around The Spanish Steps known in the 19th century as the “English Quarter” lived not only the Shelleys, Byron, and Keats but also Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Thackeray, Henry James, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne, the subject of my Master’s Thesis, wrote The Marble Faun based on the Faun of Praxiteles displayed in the Capitoline Museum.  I returned and read Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever” and plan to read Charles Dickens’ Pictures from Italy and Henry James’ Italian Hours.
I loved studying filmmaker Federico Fellini in grad school who said:
Rome does not need to make culture. Â It is culture. Â Prehistoric, classical, Etruscan, Renaissance, Baroque, modern. Â Every corner of the city is a chapter in an imaginary universal history of culture. Â Culture in Rome is not an academic concept. Â It’s not even a museum culture, even though the city is one enormous museum. Â It is a human culture free from cultural faddishness, or neurotic trendiness.
Maybe…
One thing is for sure. From the bizarre to the sublime, Rome is human history.
How To Experience Rome Like a Romantic
I’d enjoyed seeing the Forum, Pantheon, Colosseum, Catacombs, and Vatican City on two previous trips with my high school students. Unlike the original Grand Tours of Europe where travelers spent months in multiple countries or university Study Abroad programs where students spend a semester on a campus abroad, the goal of ten-day tours to several cities is to expose students to various cultures/countries so they can choose to do further studies/specializations in a particular place. In 2016 it was nice to do what Romantics (and Enneagram 4s) do best. FEEL. I wandered without an itinerary. I took in regal and retro sights. I heard fountains trickling and the universal language: laughter. I tasted. Everything. Truly Rome is an Ode to Joy, a Sonnet called La Bella Vita.
In Rome one had simply to sit still and feel.  – E. M. Forster
The Fountain of Triton is located in Piazza Barberini where expat artists gathered and lived.
Barberini Plaza and Fountain of Triton
My dream mode of transportation is a Vespa.
Hotel Modigliani is located just up the hill on Via della Purificazione, a street built in the 18th century running from Barberini Square to Via degli Artisti. I loved my stay for its old-world charm, top-floor balcony, and PERFECT location. It’s a five-minute walk to Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Via Veneto, and Villa Borghese and within 3 km of all main sites. Barberini Metro and Square are a two-minute walk away. I walked everywhere during my stay and the hotel called a cab for my departure flight.
Before visiting Paris or Rome see the 2004 film, Modigliani..
Upon arrival, I was thrilled that I’d been moved to the top floor at no charge where I had a terrace view. Just around the corner, I found pizza with prosciutto and a nice glass of wine. By serendipity, I later strolled past Harry’s Bar. In the 1960s Fellini filmed La Dolce Vitahere. I would have loved wandering in when Frank Sinatra played the piano here or Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, or Marlon Brando were regulars. I hope to return one day with a reservation (or at least dressed appropriately to stop in for a drink).
Life is short. Eat dessert first, especially when it’s gelato.
Easter Sunday I attended a church, revisited the Pantheon, and had lunch at Piazza della Rotonda.
The Pantheon, “Temple of All the Gods” became a Catholic church, Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs, in 609 AD.
The Altar of the Fatherland was built as a national monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1878. With the rise of Fascism prior to World War II, it became Benito Mussolini’s headquarters and backdrop to military parades. When Italy became a Republic in 1946, the monument was stripped of all its Fascist symbols and rededicated to the citizens of Italy.
After climbing the Spanish Steps, relax and take in the view at a wine bar.
Dining outdoors in Rome any time of the day is a Must-Do.
Just before Harry’s Bar, I passed these fabulous doors of retro Rome.
Trevi Fountain is always my first stop where I throw in a coin so it isn’t my last.
Give yourself 72 hours so you have a little time to wander and unwind. Stay near Piazzas of Spagna and Barberini so you are within walking distance to the following Must-Sees.
Day One
•Trevi Fountain
•Pantheon
•Piazza Navona
•Spanish Steps (The Shelley Keats House is beside them. It’s not for everyone, but I love teaching the Romantic writers, so I geeked out here.)
•Borghese Park
•Have a drink at the legendary Harry’s Bar made famous by Fellini’s 1960s movie, La Dolce Vita, Frank Sinatra playing here, and celebrity regulars past (Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Marlon Braond) and present.
Day 2: June 15
•Roman Forum
•Colosseum
•Vatican City — Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica
Below is Borghese Park, a favorite spot for local and tourist families. Plan your visit with this map. Do a child-friendly cooking class here. And if you’re still not convinced you can do Rome with wee ones, check out this family. Romantics loved the innocence of children, and Rome is a place where we all can experience the world with childlike wonder.
Borghese Park, one of the largest public parks in Europe, is located in the center of Rome. Cool off by the lake, wander the gardens, and see 17th century Italian architecture at no cost.
Note: If you need inspiration for cooking Italian food or living your best life before or after your tip to Rome, check out recipes, classes, and the amazing story of Renaissance Woman/Italian-American Chef Paulette.
My Takeaway from Roaming Rome
*Written April 2016:
I’m grateful for roaming Rome which confirmed two things. Â I’ve been missing my children since December and want to travel and do life with them again more than anything. In Positano a gorgeous villa awaits, but I hope to go when they or my sis can join me one day. Â And, like it or not, the only constant is change. The Romantics knew this and thus seized the day knowing too soon the day ceases. Â I’ve experienced adventure, beauty, and new relationships aplenty. So much in my life has changed in the last two years. Places. People. Paths. My comfort is knowing the One who holds this gorgeous globe, my family, and me. Â He has already picked our next path. It’s good to be at peace with peace.
Science shows that we need new experiences — new horizons — for wellness. Travel improves mental, physical, and emotional health. Our world expands — literally and mentally — when we explore wide, open spaces and try diverse diversions. Offering plenty of both, Denver, Colorado is one of my favorite US destinations.
Neuroscientists used to believe that the brain could only change during childhood, but we know that our brain is continually changing through the process of “neuroplasticity.” Actually getting out of our comfort zone and embracing new experiences is integral to the experience of travel. If you are looking to make the most of your brain’s neuroplasticity — a new environment “wakes up” your brain.
My initial encounter with the state was not love at first sight. Decades ago, a colleague and I took students to Durango, Colorado on a ski trip. As I peered up at the appropriately named Purgatory Mountain, Mr. H said I didn’t need a lesson — You can water ski, right? So I hopped on a chair lift and we took off. How hard could it be?
As we neared the summit, I realized this wasn’t a ride at the Western Kentucky State Fair. No carnival worker was waiting to stop the lift and let me off. So I took the leap … and busted my tailbone on the ice. Groaning and groping, I managed to catch another chair. I was the only person who rode the lift down the slopes that day (or maybe on any day).
Determined to experience the thrill of victory and erase the agony of defeat, I soaked in the hot tub and the next day, attempted a lesson on the Bunny slopes. All you have to do is learn how to stop, Mr. H said. How hard can it be?
Ask the kids screaming and dodging the woman on runaway skis. They’ll tell you they were just thankful (as was I) for the concession stand at the bottom of the hill that stopped me. Humiliated again, I never planned to give the state a second look. But when my son moved to Denver in 2020, I learned you don’t have to be a skier to enjoy Colorado! Four stays later, I’m in love with the place.
WHY DENVER?
If you’re a beach person, I get it. I’m a Pisces, the “Dreamy Fish” who usually opts for escapes to the ocean. But around Denver, pristine lakes and rivers glisten under sun 300 days a year. From downtown in the Mile-High City, you can see 120 miles of The Rocky Mountains dolloped with snow and lush with green pines. Denver is base camp for exploring natural wonders — like Pike’s Peak, Old-West towns, and The Continental Divide.
Denver tourists and 715K million residents can enjoy six professional sports teams, 3 downtown stadiums, 6 art districts, 100 breweries, museums, botanic gardens, parks, animal sanctuaries, a bison preserve, an aquarium, butterfly pavilion, and (whew—let me catch my breath) a world-famous music venue.
What I love most about this area, is the eclectic mix of people. Big Tech Professionals, University of Colorado Students, Hippies, Hipsters, and Cowboys call the Denver area home. (As I write this, the National Western Stock Show Kick-Off Parade is happening at Union Station. Longhorn cattle and Yellowstone fans are everywhere.)
Something fun for everyone is always happening here! Choose upcoming events and festivals that interest you and consider these reasons for planning a 2025 trip!
1. A WINTER WONDERLAND (and Beautiful Ski Resorts Nearby)
Even if you don’t ski, snowboard, or snowshoe, you can watch the snow fall while sipping a toddy in the hot tub or tea beside a fire. Gourmet chefs make just a day trip worthwhile. Resort season is in full swing, so make plans now.
After discovering the wonder of Christmas markets in London, England and Cologne, Germany, I was THRILLED to learn that Christkindlmarket is a Denver tradition. In a village of European-style huts lights twinkle, hand-painted and hand-blown glass ornaments shimmer, German candle carousels twirl, nutcrackers and nesting dolls grin. Brats, beers, GlĂĽhwein (mulled spiced wine), s’mores kits and fire pits to use them, cinnamon almonds… so much good food.
After roaming markets-by-day on foot, we enjoyed a warm drive-through of Denver- by- night aglow. Historic neighborhoods, Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens, and Zoo Lights where families were lined up stroller-to-stroller were sights to behold. These, and other holiday traditions, like The Nutcracker, sell out early so plan ahead.
3. Fun Food Halls and Cozy Eateries
The Dairy Block, a food hall that’s fun year-round, has a small outdoor market during the Christmas season where you can get a photo with the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, buy a Be Hippy tee from the brand designer, or rock out with a swing trio.
Two of our favorite breakfast spots are just up the street from my son’s apartment in the Highland neighborhood. Rush Bowls are great for a fast, healthy fix. Or at decadent Carbon Cafe and Bar, you can
Have brunch with a Banana Bake Martini, Coffee Manhattan, or Chai Spiced Old Fashioned, then shop the eclectic area.
Work on your book, and if you get blocked, take a coffee break with David Hasselhoff.
Set up a remote office indoors, then scoot to the patio on warm days for Happy Hour 3:00-6:00
4. Iconic Hotels and Hubs for the Holidays
Reel
Ride a horse-drawn carriage or carousel at The Denver Pavilions. Wander decked halls at The Oxford Hotel, Union Station, and The Ritz Carlton. Cole warmed up at the piano and we watched a football game at the Elway’s Bar. Pop Up Bars are another holiday option, but you’ll need reservations for these so get on the mailing list at Miracle Denver.
OUR FAVORITE ADVENTURE on my last trip started with brunch at The Stanley. The 110-year-old hotel is located about ninety minutes north of Denver. The early morning drive through Boulder, farm land, and the Rocky Mountains is beautiful. As we neared The Stanley, we played the movie soundtrack.
After basing his first two novels, Carrie and Salem’s Lot, in his native state of Maine, Stephen King spread out a US map on his kitchen table and randomly pointed to Boulder, Colorado. In October 1974 King and his wife, Tabitha, checked into The Stanley. They were the only guests.
That night I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire-hose. I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed. I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in a chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of the book firmly set in my mind”.
Stephen King (According to George Andrews’ biography, Stephen King: America’s Best-Loved Boogeyman, 1998)
No doubt the hotel has a haunted history. Book a tour if you want chilling stories and underground passageways. We learned that King was not happy with changes Director Stanley Kubrick made in the 1980 film adaptation. A major change was location. Shots of the Overlook Hotel were not done at The Stanley but in Oregon and the UK. Thus, King filmed the 1997 miniseries at The Stanley.
But if you’re into hardcore horror and want to be scared senseless …
Cue Psycho– shower- scene-sound-effect … then… RECORD SCRATCH
The warmth of cozy fires, stuffed red-nosed reindeer dolls, greetings from friendly servers, delicious food, and bubbly drinks, memorabilia from Dumb and Dumber which was also filmed here….
We had to smile.
The menu at Brunch & Co is so fun with dishes like Rise & Shining, Wendy Darling, and Danny Boy! Cole had The Falafel Bowl with RedRum Ale, and I had Belgium waffles, The Grady Twins (avocado crab cakes, poached eggs with tarragon hollandaise) with their Peach Mimosa.
Estes Park is beautiful in all seasons. You might just see elk, bighorn sheep, and moose. It was also home to the Denver Post Editor (Birch Ruins below).
6. Great small towns, like hip BOULDER, and Old-West Golden
Boulder is great for biking and people-watching. We also enjoyed the drive to off-the-beaten-path Silverton for a big breakfast. On the way back we stopped at Lookout Mountain outside Golden and saw Buffalo Bill’s grave.
7. Hiking and biking in the Great Outdoors, then sipping at breweries.
Biking around Boulder and Denver is one of my favorite things. Fall was perfect for a ride to the Blue Moon Brewery.
DENVER IS A SPORTS CITY. We cheered on the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena, home also of the Colorado Avalanche Hockey Team. Fans can get tickets to see the Colorado Rockies at Coors Stadium, the Denver Broncos, and more here.
The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead , The Rolling Stones… Johnny Cash, The Carpenters, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny & Cher. The list of legends who have played Red Rocks stretches miles back. So does ancient history (as in Greek and pre-historic) you’ll see at the Visitor Center (free when it reopens in April 2023). See a concert or just see the view.
Getting there: If you do’t want to do 15-mile drive to Denver, take the Red Rocks Shuttle, which offers round-trip options departing from Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill at Denver Union Stationand Illegal Pete’s on Colfax Avenue.
Getting Around
If you don’t have a car, taking the RTD (Ride to Denver) app makes taking the train from the airport to Union Station a breeze. The commute is about 40 minutes and so smooth it reminds me of efficient public transportation systems in European cities.
Beautiful Union Station is a great place to unwind after a flight in restaurants and bars offering indoor and outdoor. My son lives in LoDo (Lower Historic Downtown Denver) which I love exploring. Whole Foods is located, just across from Union Station so if you book a hotel or rental in the area you can save money picking up groceries. Eating out and ordering takeout for every meal is tempting because the food is so delicious , but it can be expensive.
Denver neighborhoods are here. More accommodations are listed on Denver’s Official Tourist Guide below.
Other transportation options are here. With 85 miles of paved urban bike trails in metro Denver, I love renting a bike (scooters are also available) through the share program with Lyft and Lime.
This summer I led a travel writing retreat based in Marrakesh, Morocco — the city where I lived for two years. Last week an earthquake took thousands of lives in the Atlas Mountains, one of the places we explored, and left thousands more Moroccans homeless. My heart breaks for families who are hurting there. Thankfully, my friends in the video below who live in Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains are safe, but former students and friends I’ve talked with are still in shock.
I appreciate friends on social media who have showed concern and asked about ways to help. I’ve worked with Amal, Project SOAR, and Education for All, below. They’re run by people who will be sure your donations provide relief.
A great way to support Morocco is tourism. The country has taken hits from pandemic border closings, lockdowns, and the earthquake. Marrakesh is up and running. If you want the epic adventure of a lifetime, start planning a trip for 2024. Message me at cindylmccain1@gmail.com if I can help. Please see just a bit of what a stay in Marrakesh is like in the video below. If you book at Riad Mur Akush, our home base for the retreat, within the next 4 weeks, the riad is donating 20% to Amal Center for Earthquake Relief Fund. To help in this way, you must useTHIS LINK.
And if you’d like to join a community of creative explorers like the incredible women who joined me last summer, reach out. Morocco has been inspiring artists for centuries. Contact me at cindylmccain1@gmail.com regarding writing workshops online, in Morocco, and beyond.
Artist dates inspired our writing with beauty, rest, and adventure. One of them was spent at Jnane Tamsna where we enjoyed lunch, played in multiple pools, and rode camels.
Last month before leading a travel writing retreat in Marrakesh, I took a three-day solo timeout to rest and reset. I arrived in Morocco after long flights and layovers … and a spring semester of teaching, editing, and caring for family. In short … I was spent. Those three days brought me back to life. Take a tour (above) of Palais Blanc Riad, and two nearby attractions, Bahia Palace and Jardin Majorelle and start planning your dream escape. If I can be of help, leave a comment or contact me at cindylmccain1@gmail.com.
If you missed the last post where I highlighted Morocco’s UNESCO sites and another luxury stay in Marrakesh, go here.
Note to readers: I only feature accommodations and attractions I’ve experienced myself. As always, the opinions on this blog are my own. I also use affiliate links to offset blog and podcast costs at no expense to the reader/consumer.
You can listen to the podcast versions of what happened in those three days (episode above is here), but I recommend YOUTUBE for what words alone can’t say.
Imagine entering a world without stress.
Suites have traditional Arabic arched doorways at Palais Blanc Riad.
Inside a cloud, you have suite dreams.
My suite at Palais Blanc Riad was peaceful and serene.
Imagine waking up rested.
You can see yourself and the world around you. Clearly.
Imagine a solo getaway.
Renewed mind, body, and soul, you remember who you are and what you want.
At Palais Blanc Riad, you have a respite.
No agenda.
Just time to relax … sleep … swim …
Eat.
Lean into Il bel far niente (Italian for The beauty of doing nothing.) Just … breathe and be.
A room, a terrace, a table with a view gives new perspective.
We vow to dwell in joy and peace. To fulfill old dreams and create new ones. To envision what can be.
We get a glimpse of heaven, and we don’t want to leave.
From the first year that I lived in Marrakesh, I dreamed of leading a travel writing retreat there. No country has been a muse to me like Morocco. I wanted to share inspiring experiences with women who also need to write and explore. The pandemic postponed my dream. But while waiting for borders to reopen, I wrote a memoir about my years in the Red City.
Meanwhile, a woman named Laila Krattiger was trying to fulfill her dream — a haven for travelers that offers Morocco’s warm hospitality, Switzerland’s pristine precision, and Italy’s dramatic style. She opened the doors to Riad Luciano in Marrakesh… and pandemic slammed them shut. The world was on lockdown. As she discusses in the interview below, she shook off the shock with optimism and then used the time to make a major renovation and assemble a dream team.
The word quarantine is derived from the Italian quaranta giorni which means “40 days.” During the Middle Ages, passengers were detained on ships in ports for this length of time to quell the spread of bubonic plague. The Black Death killed one-third of the world’s population. However, in the next era, survivors celebrated life and were more creative than ever before. During the Renaissance, which means “Rebirth,” art flourished.
Likewise, post-pandemic we’re traveling like never before. We recognize our need for adventure, beauty, and connection. Riad Luciano reopened and is a work of art even more beautiful than before. Laila’s tenacity paid off, and her vision was realized. I’m so glad I could experience it.
My writing retreat finally happened. Before it started, I set aside three days of solo stays in Marrakesh. Since becoming a caregiver to my mom over a year ago, I’ve valued solo travel more than ever. Since 2013, I’ve featured my favorite resorts, boutique hotels, and Moroccan riads on this blog. Every property has an essence — the souls, the people who are the brand. A place of beauty has heart. It’s the product of hard work, tears, and tenacity. The realization of a dream.
I read websites and reviews on about a hundred resorts and riads before choosing Riad Luciano for my first night back in Morocco. It promised Moroccan warmth, Swiss precision, and Italian style… and delivered. I still dream of living in Italy, and I fell in love with Switzerland on my first trip to Lucerne. The stay was even better than I anticipated. Take a tour of Riad Luciano below. Meet Laila who lives her life in Zug, a city between Zurich and Lucerne, and Morocco. We talk about living cross-culturally and she gives must-dos in her cities. Hear her advice to younger people on seeing the world.
If you prefer listening to the podcast, the audio is here. You can book Riad Luciano on the website link above or here.
Disclosure: I was a guest at Hotel Luciano. I only recommend accommodations I’ve stayed in personally and HIGHLY endorse. As always, all opinions on this blog are my own.
Disclosure: Some posts on this blog have affiliate links to offset my cost at no additional fees for the consumer.
Riad Luciano CourtyardRiad Luciano’s Purple Salon and Second CourtyardRooftop BedsThe Sultan SuiteSultan Suite ClosetBath with Shower, Two Sinks, Toilet, and BidetRooftop LoungeEntrance to Another Salon
Below are photos of Laila in Morocco and Switzerland with family and colleagues with whom she designs excursions.
Madrassa Ben Youssef is one of many historical sites near Riad Luciano.Rooftop at Night
Choosing accommodations when you’re a solo traveler in a new city is especially important. And yes, a vital consideration is location, location, location. As Laila points out in our interview, guests aren’t forced. to stay in their rooms or go out when there are plenty of public spaces for relaxing. As in any large city, I don’t typically go out alone on foot after dark. Having a balcony and rooftop allows me to enjoy city lights, cool breezes, and full moons.
I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for a decade for the reasons below. Most of all, I like shopping online for the selection and convenience. Below are some of my favorite finds over the last decade. Because I enjoy sharing them, I’m also an Amazon Associate. Disclosure: I get a commission at no cost to the consumer on goods and services bought with affiliate links.
If you aren’t a Prime member, try this free trial for epic deals and these year-long benefits:
Audible starts my mornings with guided meditations for connecting with the Creator and self, releasing tension, and exchanging anxiety with hope. Audible teaches me on work commutes, entertains me on trips, and tells me bedtime stories when I’m too tired to read. Check out their podcasts, books, original content, and music here.
I love to TRAVEL and live for ADVENTURE. Exploring new places… meeting new people … reconnecting with family and friends … taking solo beauty breaks for the soul. For my Key West, L.A., Palm Springs, and Morocco trips this year, I found some great carry-on choices.
The One I Went With
I love the spinner wheels, sturdy hard body, color/design, and phone charger. Click on images below for details.
Other Great Choices
I love the look of the DELSEY Paris Chatelet Hardside 2.0. I’m a rose girl, but this Angora set is gorgeous and on my wishlist.
When I moved to Morocco, my sister bought me a large It check-in bag. It was lightweight and tough enough for two years in North Africa, another in the Caribbean, and beyond. I also bought a tiny It carry-on bag in London to meet budget airline size specifications. I managed 13 days in six European cities in winter with just that carry-on and the backpack below. This carry-on looks fun and I remain a huge fan of the brand.
My 3rd trusty It piece is this one. The color of my Filament 28″ Softside 8 Wheel Expandable Spinner is appropriately named Moroccan Blue/Dress Blues. This one has made two return trips to Morocco as well as Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, and Captiva Island.
I felt like Lucille Ball in 2013 when my overstuffed backpack exploded in the Atlanta airport and I had to grab a new one to make my flight to Costa Rica. It was one of the best purchases I ever made. A decade and a dozen countries later, the bag is still going strong.
If you’re Carrie Bradshaw with a trendy shoe addiction, unlimited budget, and desire to run in heels … DON’T buy Chaco’s. You’ll tire of the look long before they wear out.
If you do want quality sports sandals that go the extra mile for years, this is your brand. Mine saved me in mudslides in Ecuador and in slippery Tennessee streams. They got me over the Atlas Mountains by mule and foot and across the Sahara Desert by camel in 2014 (above) and 2023.
The same is true for Birkenstock. I have worn my silver Gizeh model almost daily for three summers. On my wishlist is this one…
Cameras
When I travel, I take my Cannon for stills, Go-Pro for YouTube/Podcast interviews and videos, and phone for Instagram Reels. My Cannon Rebel EOS T4i that I bought in 2013 is still going strong. I did replace a lens in 2020. If you need a Cannon Rebel replacement lens, body, or accessory, Amazon has options. If you want Santa to bring you a newer model, check out the T7 and T8 with Built-in WiFi.
Go-Pro
This is my go-to for video. The size makes it discreet and the quality is incredible.
Summer Reads
Stay tuned for more reading recommendations for Kindle and Audible. Here are three of my favorites from my bookshelf. The first is a memoir by Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun. I fell in love with her books on Italy before realizing she was raised in the U.S. South like me. I haven’t met her in person but spoken with her a couple of times by email. She is one of my favorite living authors.
I had the honor of meeting a granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and great great granddaughter of this author at a writing retreat. The book is a timeless classic based on the Sanibel-Captiva Island area of Florida.
This one was a reference on architecture and design when. I wrote my memoir on living in Morocco. Gatherings in Maryam’s beautiful home outside of Marrakesh and volunteering at Project SOAR are sweet memories.
Home Goods
This comforter is still soft and plush after several washings.
This pillow relieves lower back tension for better sleep.
I love my Gatsby-era/Art Deco champagne/cocktail coupes.
I normally make my sangria, but this mix is delicious, too.
Apartment living is easier with this grocery cart. Be sure to get one with spinner wheels.
My favorite essential oils are these two. Neroli is the scent of orange blossoms and transports me to Morocco. Likewise, my computer cover takes me to faraway places while working at home.
NOTHING gets up animal hair like a Dyson (says the owner of a Golden retriever, lab, and Persian cat.) I loved my upright in the 2000s and the Animal stick model has changed my life.
Fashion
Pretty for carrying to a wedding or hanging in the boudoir
Layer these in indifferent links.
From Boho to Copacabana, Amazon carries some cool clothes.
Sadly, this bathing suit is out of stock, but there is a similar one and a couple of others I’ve bought at this store.
The windmills of the Coachella Valley were in Mission Impossible 3.
We drove from L.A. to Joshua Tree 127 miles via Interstate 10, passing the San Bernardino National Park and and San Gorgonio Pass windmills on our way to the Yuca Valley. You can tour the windmill farm. Info is here.
Joshua Tree, California
We had a big lunch at Crossroads Cafe in Joshua Tree, California. Popular with locals and folks passing through, they have vegan options, a huge breakfast menu available until 1:30 PM, and local brews. Their hours were 7 AM – 9 PM (check website to be sure).
We wanted to spend more time in Joshua Tree National Park but between the 5 days in L.A. and road trip, we were ready to get to our Palm Springs hotel and relax. Ben had been to Joshua Tree before. I first heard of the place thanks to U2, but learned that Joshua trees are actually succulents. 19th-century Mormon settlers named them after Joshua in the Bible because they felt the trees’ outstretched arms were guiding them westward. The rock formations remind me of those we’d seen in Colorado Springs.
On to Palm Springs and napping by the pool under tall palms…
Palm Springs is as postcard perfect as it gets. Spotless. Safe. Midcentury Modern. Beautiful. Even the airport is cool.
Locals obviously love living there — especially women of a certain age (mine and older) who I saw chilling with friends downtown. My family loved it too. However, if you stay where we did, be warned.
There’s just one problem with The Saguaro in Palm Springs…
you won’t want to leave! No, really. It isn’t an all-inclusive resort, but we so enjoyed the property, relaxed vibe, and food and drinks at great prices that we spent most of our remaining vacation time there. Even when it was over, I still didn’t want to leave.
In the Old West, settlers found a place to call home and staked a claim. I wondered … If I refuse to budge, will the Saguaro Palm Springs let me live here?
The 14-color palette was chosen by the Sydell Group and architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat based on the hues of local wildflowers. At first, the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee rejected the departure from neutral shades, but Aferiat argued the hotel’s rainbow effect inspires optimism. Thanks to Flower Power and persistence, the architects won. Read more about the Battle of the Beige here.
Californians love The Saguaro (and the Coachella Valley which hosts the music festival). Our host in L.A. asked where we were staying in Palm Springs. When we said The Saguaro, he said he likes to stay there and we’d love it, too. If you’re headed to Coachella this year or ANY year, The Saguaro is a great option. It was the perfect way to spend the last two days of our vacation. Here you can book a stay at Saguaro Palm Springs, too.
The Saguaro Palm Springs is a destination in itself. Located downtown, it has been named one of. the most colorful hotels in. the world. Surrounded by three mountain ranges — The San Jacinto, The Santa Rosa, and The San Bernadino — guests get breath-taking views from the pool, gardens, and rooms. The Saguaro has two hot tubs and a poolside bar. They provide sunscreen for sunning on a poolside lounger, or you can reserve a shaded cabana.
When we pulled into the hotel parking lot, it was crush-at-first-sight. Cole went inside to check us in. When he came out I asked him what the reception area looked like. He grinned with a sigh and shook his head. “You’re going to go crazy.” I did.
Cole, my son, did a great job choosing this hotel. Taylor, Ben, and I were soooo pleased. Turns out that The Saguaro is the most Instagrammable place in town.
Palm Springs is a dream town for artists. No wonder surrealist Salvador Dali loved it. Go no further than the reception area of The Saguaro and you’ll find an installation of works created at the hotel in 2016 by Anna-Alexia Basile. An Italian -American who grew up between Italy and Florida, the fashion, travel, and lifestyle photographer loves using color to explore the relationship between reality and the surreal. Her extensive client list includes Elle Decor, Apple, Disney, H&M, Vogue, Refinery29, and Banana Republic. She says The Saguaro is “the perfect place to bring my inner world to life.” Her online photography classes look amazing!
Resting and playing in such spaces is a beauty break for the soul. The natural wonders of Palm Springs fuel creativity.
Historic snowfall in Palm Springs created a surreal view from our balcony at The Saguaro Palm Springs.
I was in pink heaven. Our suite was huge. See all of the room choices on a virtual tour here.
We had a gorgeous mountain view (above). Across the street was a grocery, but we didn’t need it. El Jefe Desert Cantina has great breakfast options, poolside lunch service, and daily Happy Hour on the patio. Their Taco Tuesday and Thursday deal is amazing. They also have a 24-hour fitness center, weekend yoga, free bikes (Palm Springs is the perfect bike town), two hot tubs, and other areas to socialize in all weather. The patio has fire features. There are Adirondack chairs, hammocks, and a bocce ball court.
We missed this event by a week. It tops my Next Time list.
Olive TreeGolden Barrel CactusCacti at Saguaro Palm SpringsPurplish Prickly Pear
While my kids slept in after a late night playing pool, I took photos of the gardens, had breakfast on the patio, and met a new friend by the swimming pool. A yoga teacher, author, and for several years single mom, Erin Ford hit a milestone at Palm Springs Recording Studio. She showed me her book, Words That Rhyme and Lullabies which is available here. We talked about writing and the value of creative community (aka retreats). She wants to do my next writing retreat in Morocco. I want to do her yoga retreat in Palm Springs. She told me about hiking by a waterfall and the Thursday Night Palm Springs Village Fest. A huge bonus of travel is meeting kindred spirits.
Ben checking out the Saguaro Palm Springs pool
I couldn’t leave Palm Springs without attempting a drive-by of the homes of Elvis (my first pretend boyfriend) and Frank Sinatra. Cole drove me and sent his sister a photo of me stalking Frank.
On the California Now podcast, Palm Springs Celebrity Kurt Cyr explains why the city is the epicenter of Midcentury Modern design. He explains Desert Modernism that started after World War 2 and why Palm Springs became the playground for celebrities. Note the hotel featured on the episode cover. I’d love to do his Rat Pack Tour to see homes that belonged to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin (my grandmother loved Dino and I’ve always been obsessed with both of them), Peter Lawford, and Marilyn Monroe. It ends with Martinis at Melvyn’s, a Rat Pack hangout. How cool is Melvyn’s? Check this out.
The perfect time to be in Palm Springs is Modernism Week. Flip through the pages of the October 2022 schedule and be blown away at all there is to see. And by the way, October is just the mini-festival! The 11-day event is February 15-25, 2024. Make plans now for these events. If you go at other times of the year, fear not. You can do a self-guided tour of desert modern design or contact Kurt Cyr for a Mod Squad tour.
We’re not sure if we saw the outside of Elvis’ hideaway or not. I did stumble upon (literally) his star on a quick stop downtown and on Trixie’s Cactus Garden.
BIG THANKS to Cole for planning this trip (and for donning the Cannon for a mini photo shoot). L.A. and Palm Springs provided a perfect getaway. To Cole, Taylor, and Ben I saw in the words of Bob Hope, a former resident of Palm Springs, thanks for the memories!
Driving up California’s breezy coast — Mediterranean blue waters, cathedral rocks, mountains, and palm trees — feels like a getaway to southern Spain. Walking along Venice Beach canals is a trip to Italy. Star-gazing in Hollywood or at an NBA game… riding the Ferris wheel on Santa Monica’s Pier, or basking on the Baywatch beach is quintessential U.S.A. Los Angeles is the second most populated city in the US (New York City is first), but because Los Angeles County has such vast, diverse areas, there’s something for everyone. Beaches, parks, and a coastal drive on the Pacific Coast Highway are freeing. Celebrities — anyone really — can get lost here.
Returning to L. A. was nostalgic. We loved our 2009 vacation there. Then Cole mostly rode in the back seat of the convertible, but in our Vacation: The Sequel, it was great being with adults and having a man make plans and take the wheel.
Cole booked a beautiful home for five nights near Venice Beach just a couple of blocks from where we’d stayed before on Marina Del Ray. The neighborhood was quiet but just a couple of blocks from restaurants, groceries, shops, and the Venice Canals. We highly recommend it.
Our home for 5 days was in a quiet neighborhood in Venice, California. It was full of light, just a short walk from the canals, beach, and restaurants, and had a balcony space for a cup of coffee or glass of wine.
Southern California offers a great escape, and there are multiple options for adult family time in L.A. If you need a multigenerational gathering spot or want to give the ultimate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift, this trip is it.
Why Stay in Venice?
It’s the “Venice of America.” On the canals, you’ll think you’re in Italy!
I, like other Americans, fell in love with Venice, Italy— the canals, gondolas, architecture, and romantic/mysterious/artistic vibe.
Fifteen years earlier, millionaire John Abbot had an even grander vision. On July 4, 1905, he replicated the entire city and opened “The Venice of America.” He hoped to build a community of artists and writers who would bring a cultural renaissance to California.
After his death, the seaside resort town was annexed to Los Angeles in 1926. See what happened to Abbott’s dream in the “Lost LA” series by KCET, Southern and Central California’s Educational station/affiliate of PBS:
Check out the quote on the wall above. Venice has a retro, dream-like vibe that reminds me of a time not only when my kids were younger but also when I was a child, too.
Venice Beach, California — associated with the Beat Generation of the 50s and artists like Jim Morrison and the Doors in the 60s —is still home to an eclectic mix. It’s bohemian, much like Paris’s Montmartre or Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, but with surfers, skateboarders (the sport was invented here), and Muscle Beach where former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger flexed biceps. The area is artistic and unconventional. The quirk factor is huge, so don’t be surprised if you almost bump into someone, like I did, who is wearing nothing but blue paint. Like the rest of L.A., Venice is diverse … The City of Angels and Land Of Mystics.
Gentrification has displaced former residents. Some live in tents, or in the case of one man we saw, on a couch on the sidewalk. One-bedroom studio apartments rent for $3,000+ a month. On the canals, homes rent for $12,000 – $28,000 a month and sell for $2 – $7 million.
Venice, California is “Little Hollywood.”
Celebrities who’ve lived in Venice:
Julia Roberts (now lives in Malibu)
Nicholas Cage (moved to Malibu, then to his own island)
Venice and the Surrounding Area are Film Locations for Movies and Series.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Grease (1978)
Val Kilmer and Meg Ryan in The Doors (1991)
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in Speed (1994)
Californication, the Showtime series starring David Duchovny
Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon beach party movies (1963-66), like Beach Blanket Bingo, at Malibu Lagoon State Beach Park
I think this last one sums up why I love the Cali coast. As a kid in the 60s, I dreamed of being a teen and experiencing this…
Venice is minutes from Santa Monica and a Gorgeous Ride to Malibu via The Pacific Coast Highway. It’s Only 14 miles from Venice Beach to Hollywood via Legendary Sunset Boulevard.
If traveling from different locations, it’s important to coordinate flight schedules for adult family time in L.A. Cole flew from his home in Colorado and met us at the airport (LAX). He suggested using TripCase. When you get the flight confirmation email after booking, you can forward it to the app at trips@tripcase.com. The app imports all info and keeps you updated on delays and arrivals of members of your party. It’s also useful for picking up out-of-town family members and friends at the airport when they fly home.
When picking up a car at LAX, catch a free shuttle when you exit the airport because it’s too far to walk. Both times we’ve picked up a car the line has been long, but there’s a waiting area to sit in sun or shade outside the rental building and water in vending machines to hydrate after the flight.
What to Do
Day One: Venice Beach for Lunch, Food Trucks for Dinner
Tip: Typically from June – October, Venice Beach temps hover around 70 F. In the winter months, they dip to low 60s. Despite historic snow in L.A. as seen here reported the day before we arrived, we still had mostly sunny skies and temperatures around 55 degrees. Plan on wearing layers or taking a windbreaker whenever you go because it’s breezy on the Pacific.
Lunch
After an early flight, rental car pickup, and getting settled in, stretching your legs on a walk through the neighborhood and relaxing over lunch is top priority. We wanted seafood — oysters in particular for Taylor and me. Pier House beside the Venice Beach pier was pricey pre-Happy Hour (especially for the small size of the oysters), but celebrating our reunion and week ahead with grilled octopus, calamari, vegan options for Cole, and drinks on the patio was worth the splurge. Also, don’t miss the skateboarding park. (See Insta post above.)
Other Seafood Options
We didn’t want to drive anywhere and it was too windy/chilly to sit on a rooftop, but these restaurants get good reviews, too:
Fishbar, located on Manhattan Beach 15 minutes by car south of Venice Beach
Across the street from Pier House is The Venice Whaler. The menu is similar to that of Pier House. They do have a rooftop area and a takeaway food window. I love that they have a Rumi quote, too.
Dinner and a Movie
When we met our host at the rental home, he told us we had arrived on a perfect day — First Friday — and that we could walk to the food trucks where locals gather monthly for dinner. We’re fans of food trucks and movies, especially when needing to relax on a travel day. I highly recommend these guys. When you find your favorite food truck at home or in LA, you can stalk it here. What’s your favorite app for finding street food? Please tell us in the comments.
Two neighborhoods south and north of Venice have smaller, weekly food truck events. Marina Del Ray’s Beach Eats runs from late May to early September and Food Truck Wednesdays happen at Santa Monica’s California Heritage Museum.
Before exploring Griffith Observatory: See Rebel with a Cause and La La Land.
After driving in LA traffic: Watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to let off steam. (Warning 1: Tarantino isn’t for everyone — usually he’s too dark for me. This one I like because I was obsessed with Sharon Tate and the Charles Manson murders as a kid and it’s set around LA. Warning 2: You might be tempted to get back in the car to check out filming locations.)
For adult family time in L.A. with lots of laughts, take home movies with you on a jump drive. If you live in the Nashville area and haven’t converted home movies from videotapes to digital, I highly recommend The Transfer Lab.
Day 2: Walk of Fame, Hollywood Hills, Griffith Observatory
We had a great lunch at It’s Pho, Vietnamese and Thai Fusion, located at 1821 North Cahuenga Boulevard, LA, CA 90028.
Much has changed since we were in Hollywood in 2009. Then, Michael Jackson had died the week before. I was writing for Examiner and was determined to get a shot of his star despite the mass of people blocking the way. My kids still tell the story of watching me crawl on my knees, then disappear into the fray. When I crawled out, my favorite sweater that was tied around my neck was gone, never to be found again. In 2008, Heath Ledger died and The Dark Night was released. Michel Jackson and Joker impersonators were out in full force.
This time, we were there just before The Oscars. The Red Carpet was being changed to champagne.
We couldn’t get near The Chinese Theater because of the preparations, but I found stars of celebrities Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials will recognize.
Hollywood isn’t just about actors. Recording artists are also aplenty there. If your people are into vinyl, adult family time in L.A. should include a stop at Amoeba Music, one of the largest indie record stores in the world. Formerly located on Sunset Boulevard/now on Hollywood Boulevard, their free live events have Stevie Nicks, Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Nancy Sinatra, and newer artists my kids know but I don’t. 🙂 Amoeba also has shops in San Francisco and Berkeley, California.
Tip: A photo opportunity with the Hollywood sign as a backdrop is on the terrace outside the food area of Target.
I love riding bikes around Denver and Boulder when visiting Cole. I’d read that the Marvin Brande Bike Trail runs for 22 miles and is a great way to see surfers, hang gliders and street performers from Venus to Santa Monica and beyond. I’d envisioned renting bikes in Santa Monica on an all-day pass. I thought we’d ride a couple of hours to get exercise and have time for photos and lunch. However, also on our agenda was walking the Venice Canals and seeing a Clippers Game. So we rented electric bikes nearby in Venice Beach for an hour instead.
In hindsight, Venice Beach rentals cost more and the bike route on a Sunday is too crowded. Families and couples stroll there to avoid the crowded Boardwalk. I was all smiles below at the start of our ride, but after breaking constantly and almost taking out a toddler whose parents allowed him to walk into oncoming bikers, I was traumatized. (The child and parents ambled on unfazed).
The Venice Canals were more romantic than I imagined. (Also see the video above made on a sunnier day). They are one of the U.S.’s best-kept secrets. They’re tucked away so well that we missed them in 2009. Thanks to scenes with Ashton Kutcher and George Lopez filmed on them in the movie Valentine’s Day released in 2010 (and scenes of the Marriott Del Ray where we stayed), I was determined to see walk the canals this time.
Whether you’re a sports fan or not, seeing the LA Clippers is fun. I enjoy the high drama of the NBA. One day we want to see The Lakers, but the ticket prices were too much when we were there.
A Clippers game is a great way to spend adult family time in L.A. Thanks for the tickets, Ben!
Tip: When traveling with people you love, communication (just as it is in all things relationships) is key. My kids say I’m the Energizer Bunny on vacation and need to chill. I am an early riser and love to plan. But I also like exploring with no agenda. By serendipity, we make wonderful discoveries that way.
Traveling solo and leading educational tours is very different from adult family time in L.A. We all have different interests, energy levels, and pace preferences. I enjoy finding options. I ask family members for their must-sees and must-dos so we can try to make them happen. I learned on this trip that it’s also important to discuss details — as in the case of biking (Day 3) and driving up the coast (Day 4) — how far we want to go, where we want to stop, and at what pace. This is especially important if you have an event or dinner reservation. My plan for Day 3 was probably a bit too ambitious given a late start and game tickets that night.
Day 4: Coastal Drive to Malibu and Neptune’s Net
Drive up Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) from Venice Beach to Malibu for some adult family time in L.A.
We debated other road trips (see below), but in the end, we took the nostalgic route to Malibu. Photo on the left: 2009. Photo on the right: 2023
We really enjoyed Neptune’s Net which was Taylor’s suggestion. The oysters are BIG. All the seafood great is great. We sat at picnic tables watching waves and talking with locals. 5 minutes down the road is Leo Carrillo Beach where Grease and Karate Kid were filmed.
We ended up exploring past Malibu. Inland and around the US Naval Base in Ventura County we saw farmland and the largest fields of rose nurseries I’ve ever seen. We didn’t make it to the Getty Villa Museum on the way back, but it is high on the NEXT TIME list for adult family time in L.A.
Other Road Trip Options from L.A.
Solvang
Solvang is a village 2 hours north of Malibu built by Danish settlers in 1911. With only 5,000 residents, it not only looks like a European village but also feels like one.
Newport Beach
Newport Beach is an hour south of Venice and a great location for whale watching. 20 minutes south of Newport is Laguna Beach featured in the reality show, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.
Day 5: Farewell Walk Along Venice Canals, Italian Lunch, Vintage Shopping in Santa Monica
If you’re an early riser and value morning quiet time, take a solo walk on the Venice Canals. All you’ll hear are hummingbirds chattering, bees humming, and water parting as ducks glide by. You might meet a resident walking to work, pushing a stroller, or walking a dog. But mostly, you’ll experience in solitude a beauty break for the soul. I remembered again why God created the perfect world as a garden.
The architecture and landscaping of each home on the Venice Canals are unique. If your idea of heaven on earth is gathering with friends and family in an outdoor space under blue skies … if you love the smell of citrus and colorful blooms… if you smile at succulents and palm trees twitching in the breeze … this is your place for escape and inspiration to create your own outdoor space.
Walking the Venice Canals is a Great Way to Spend Adult family time in L.A.
Italian For Lunch
I loved the Malloreddus at Ospi — Beef Cheek Ragu Napoletano with thyme and Toscano. Everyone was happy with the Spicy Rigatoni, Spaghetti, and Spicy Eggplant, and Zucchini. Cocktails and a Super Tuscan Red were yummy, too.
Vintage Shopping
Taylor and Ben found some cool bargains on Santa Monica Boulevard (sing it like Sheryl Crow) at the Goodwill Southern California and Crossroads Trading on 4th. One street over is the hub of downtown retail at 3rd Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place. And if you’re not into shopping, there’s fun in the sun at Santa Monica Pier.
Santa Monica Restaurants for adult family time in L.A.:
Masilla for food from France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco. Happy Hour is 11 AM – 6:30 PM Monday-Friday with 50% off craft cocktails and wine
Manchego has California-Spanish tapas and wine. During weekend brunch, they have bottomless sangria and mimosas.
Fig, a popular Mediterranean- inspired bistro located in the Fairmount Miramar, is a favorite local Happy Hour Spot. During Fig @ 5 – 5 to 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday — most of their menu is half price. If you want to get fancy for Mother’s Day Brunch, during DineLA Restaurant Week April 28 to May 12, or for a private event, this is the place. Georgina Jones, who built the original Miramar with her husband, was a botanist who planted the hotel’s first fig tree and dispensed herbal tonics from what is now The Potting Shed, a space for special dinner parties.
Cole spotted Coco wheeling down the street — a robot that delivers food that was created by two young men when they were students at UCLA. I can’t wait to share this with my university students who write business plans and Kickstarter and social media campaigns for their present and future business projects.
Takeaway from L.A.
I’ve been in the classroom — as a student and educator — since I was five. NOTHING inspires me to be a lifelong learner more than travel. When we expand our horizons with people we love we build stronger relationships. We’re energized by adventure, beauty, and new ideas. Travel inspires critical and creative thinking.
Abbot Kinney’s story is inspiring. He was born in New Jersey. His family moved to Washington, D.C. where they became involved in politics. At age 16 he went to Europe for his education and became fluent in six languages. While there, he visited Venice, Italy. Years later, he would create a New Venice in California with the goal of bringing a Renaissance of art, health, and education to the area. His asthma improved in California, so he wanted others to experience fresh ocean air.
No doubt Kinney enjoyed privileges many people don’t have. He made money with his brother in tobacco. But he also used his education and resources to benefit others. The man who wanted to bring a Renaissance to the Sunshine State was a Renaissance Man himself. His path to building Venice was long and not linear. First he…
Served as a Member of the Maryland National Guard and U.S. Geological Survey Team
Mapped the Sioux reservations of the Dakotas
Served on a survey team in Yosemite Valley
Traveled to Egypt, Macedonia, India, New Guinea, Australia
Chaired the California Board of Forestry
Partnered with fellow conservationist John Muir to establish the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve
Reported poor living conditions that led to the Mission Indian Act of 1891
Established the first forestry station in the U.S. in Rustic Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. One project was a study of eucalyptus trees that had been introduced to the region.
In 1905, a marshy area was reborn as a town of canals called “Ocean Park.” It would take him six more years to get the name officially changed to Venice. Kinney imported gondolas and gondoliers from Venice, Italy. Residents of downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica rode trolleys to experience the Venetian-style shops, carnival rides, and an aquarium. He brought in professors and writers to del
Today only a remnant of the canals remain but are protected as part of the Venice Historical District. Kinney’s story reminds me of a line from a familiar quote often attributed to Mother Theresa: “What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.”
Apparently, the author was Dr. Kent Keith in 1968 while a young student leader at Harvard. It was on a poster in my classroom in Nashville for many years:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Thanks, Abbot, for Venice. Thanks again, Cole, for an unforgettable time away.
Hopefully, you’re planning to frolic with friends or family at a St. Paddy’s Day celebration this weekend. I’ll be celebrating my birthday early at the Music City Irish Fest. Bigger celebrations will be happening from Chicago where the river is green to Savannah where the holiday is a huge party to Venice, California (dang, my kids and I just left and will miss it). If you’re in Europe, hop Irish-owned RyanAir to Dublin for the weekend. The St. Patrick’s Festival is the epicenter of honoring the patron saint of the Emerald Isle.
So if Irish culture makes you happy, why not keep the party going? Book a trip to Ireland this year.
I remember the moment I was smitten with the country. I’d never ridden a public bus. Never been anywhere abroad alone. Outside the window, I saw verdant knolls with whitewashed cottages roll by. Their chimneys were small and their front doors bold in shades of orange, red, and green. I’d volunteered for a service trip with a group of strangers. For a week we’d slept four-to-a-room in bunk beds in an inn in Greystones. The showers were icy, the egg salad sandwiches with salt and vinegar chips divine. In that fishing village twenty miles south of Dublin, I sat each balmy morning on a cliff looking down at the Irish Sea. At night we’d walk to The Beach House for fish, chips, and Guinness. At 10 PM — sunset — we’d stroll back as coral and gold streaked the sky and reflected on the water in the bay. We sang in a beautiful church, hiked around a lake in County Wicklow, and drove past U2’s studio dreaming of a chance chat with Bono.Â
On our free day, I left the group to explore the next village a few miles down the road. Traveling anonymously with locals felt strangely exciting. And familiar. The rural hills reminded me of Lexington, Kentucky where I lived on a horse farm when I was a new bride. I’d been divorced four years. Life seemed simple, peaceful, safe in the countryside of Ireland. I heard a whisper: You could get a teaching job and raise the kids here.
We didn’t move to Ireland and my children are now grown. But my son wants to visit and I just learned that his company has a branch in Cork. Who knows?
When to Visit
Weather-wise, June-August are prime months to see Ireland. Single travelers wanting to taste the West Coast should go in September for the Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival. And if you’re looking for a good time and possibly a partner, attend the month-long Matchmaking Festival in County Clare hosted by Willy Daly, a fourth-generation matchmaker. A friend attended and said it was a lot of fun! Dracula fans will be want to check out the Bram Stoker Festival.
If you’re a fan of Bono, knighted by Elizabeth II for global humanitarian work, too, and want to wake up in the city and walk to museums, book The Clarence Hotel. The hotel is in the heart of Temple Bar District, a neighborhood on the south bank of the River Liffey full of history, trendy bookshops, art galleries, and pubs. One of the latter is The Temple Bar, site of the former home of Sir William Temple, Provost of Trinity College. Here you can find live traditional bands, eat fresh oysters, and check out the Wall of Fame of Irish musicians.
3) Shop on Grafton Street, the high street of Dublin stores featuring goods by Irish and international designers. Or shop vintage boutiques and permanent stalls at George’s Street Arcade, an enclosed Victorian market.
Find vintage records and other goodies at George Street Arcade.
4) Roam a castle. Dublin Castle offers guided tours of the State Apartments and a medieval a subterranean chamber dating to Viking times. Or wander Drimnagh Castle which has a 17th century garden and Great Hall. It’s the only Irish castle surrounded by a flooded moat. It’s believed that Oliver Cromwell kept his horses here while punishing Irish rebellion, and some locals have claimed they’ve seen his ghost!
8) In Dublin, eat at The Brazen Head. Established in 1198, it’s the oldest pub on the island with traditional Irish storytelling evenings, great food and Irish music nightly. Their menu includes Irish favorites, like Beef and Guinness Stew or Steamed Mussels, as well as Vegetarian Pie.
Excursions are my favorite part of any trip. If you’re staying in Dublin but want to hike along the water, take a bus or train to Bray. From there, do the two-hour Cliff Walk along the Irish Sea.
One choice for longer trips is to book a Wild Rover Tour. They can make dreams come true for Harry Potter and Princess Bride fans (both filmed at Cliffs of Moher).
Wild Rover Tours offer a Cliffs of Moher Day Tour. Photo from wildrovertours.com
They also have a Game of Thrones tour that takes you through the Dark Hedges.
If you want to navigate your own Jedi-jaunt, take a train or car to UNESCO World Heritage site, Skellig Michael, home of a five-hundred-year-old monastery and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The commute is 3 hours to Ring of Kerry, a group of colorful fishing villages dotting the Wild Atlantic Way. From Portmagee, you will see Skelling Michael. Tours to the island run from May-October, and hiking it is only possible if the sea is calm. Visitors allowed on the island at one time are limited. If you stay at The Moorings Guesthouse, you can arrange a tour there. Eco-Tours (sailing around the island without disembarking) are recommended and available on shorter notice. For more on booking a tour, go here.
When you visit Ireland, may the road rise up to meet you and the Force be with you.
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