Flagstaff is one of those towns not many people know about, but is definitely worth a visit. Located just an hour and half north of Phoenix, Flagstaff is a quaint college/ski town set in the mountains. Because of its high elevation, its summers are much cooler than Phoenix and it offers good skiing in the winter.

A group of us spent the 4th of July weekend in Flagstaff and we knew we’d made a good choice when we arrived on Friday evening. Although the downtown is small there are plenty of restaurants, hotels and activities to choose from. The town’s central park was our first stop, where the lawn was filled with people relaxing and listening to a rock band performing. Since it was the first Friday of the month, the art galleries were hosting ArtWalk where people are encouraged to go gallery hopping and can enjoy refreshments along the way.

After a Mexican dinner at San Felipe’s we walked around the corner to a Michael Jackson dance party tribute at the Orpheum. Hundreds of people were there, some in full Michael Jackson attire, and all were dancing to his greatest hits.

On Saturday morning, after stopping in at Late for the Train for much needed coffee, we made our way to the town’s 4th of July parade. It was a perfect small town parade, featuring a dog drill team, vintage tractors and several distinguished veterans including the Navajo code talkers from WWII. That evening the symphony played in an outdoor amphitheater followed by fireworks at dusk. All in all, a great place to spend the 4th of July.

When my sister suggested we go for a “spring break” to Loreto Bay, Mexico it was almost impossible to find a reason to say no. Especially after she said that we could split the normal airfare using her Alaska Airlines companion fare voucher and that lodging would be free. So I really had no choice – being a good sister and all – but to accompany her down to where the weather is perfect and the margaritas are plentiful.

It was the first time I’d been to Loreto Bay, which is a resort just outside the town of Loreto in Baja Mexico. Unlike popular destinations like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta, Loreto is still somewhat undiscovered and small. Loreto Bay is a new resort containing adobe style homes, a Troon golf course, hotel and private beach on the Sea of Cortez.

We stayed in one of the adobe homes during our stay which had an interior courtyard, 2 bedrooms/ baths and upper decks with sweeping views of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains and the Sea of Cortez. During the day, we would walk over to the hotel and go to the pool, check-out kayaks or swim at the beach.

When we wanted to go into town, we could catch a taxi and shop at the pedestrian market or try one of the many good eateries including Las Mandiles, Loreto Islas, Oasis and the Giggling Dolphin. With a 14:1 conversion rate (pesos to dollars), everything seemed very affordable. Tip: Since some merchants give less than the current exchange rate, its best to use a credit card or get pesos from the bank’s ATM machine (located on east end of the pedestrian market).

One of the great things about Loreto & Loreto Bay is how friendly everyone is – especially the expats and US/Canadian visitors. It didn’t take long before we’d met lots of interesting people and felt right at home.

At Loreto Bay I bumped into a group of eight girlfriends who were having a girls getaway. They’d graduated together from the same California high school over 40 years ago and it was clear they were having great time together. You go girls!

Link: Loreto Bay

Oahu is a fun place to try new foods – K-pig, poi or spam sushi anyone?  Unlike Anthony Bourdain, we weren’t looking for extreme food adventures on Oahu, just an introduction to Hawaiian cuisine. 

On our first day in Oahu, we had dinner at the Yard House Brew pub, located a block off of Waikiki Beach.  With 150 beers on tap, this place is great for burgers and beer.  I ordered a Shock Top with a Hawaiian burger and wasn’t disappointed by either one.  Stop by during their happy hour for the best deal on beers.

A few doors down is Roy’s, which started on Oahu back in 1988 and introduced Hawaiian fusion cuisine to many on the mainland.  During our visit to Roy’s the evening temperature was perfect, so we sat outside under a thatch umbrella, surrounded by tiki torches.  Roy’s has a prix fixe menu in addition to their normal menu that includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert.  We ordered from the prix fixe menu and enjoyed perfectly prepared ahi, short ribs, spring rolls and grilled salmon.  The service was exceptional – unobtrusive, but very attentive.   For dessert I had the molten chocolate cake and ice cream.  Yum! 

Oahu is also home to many local eateries unique to the island.  Be sure to have plenty of cash on hand, since some local businesses don’t take credit.  Here are a few eateries worth visiting:

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Waikiki Beach on Oahu

Just got back from two weeks in Hawaii and for those of you wondering, it really is as beautiful as the postcards! While we were there the weather was between 75 and 80 degrees and breezy, and when it did rain we’d often see a procession of rainbows.

Although small geographically, there are many faces to the island of Oahu. There’s upscale and tourist-centric Waikiki Beach, lush mountain ranges (Lost is filmed here) and North Shore, where you’ll see world class surfers like John John Florence take on the waves at the Banzai Pipeline.   

North Shore beach on Oahu

Byodo-In Temple on Oahu

This past Saturday evening a few of us girls met at Union Square in San Francisco to enjoy the holiday scene. Union Square is San Francisco’s prime location for an amazing selection of high-end department stores, shops and luxury hotels.

During the holidays the Square is transformed with a gigantic Christmas tree and holiday displays. It’s almost impossible not to get in the holiday spirit after you’ve stayed awhile, especially when you see a cable car go by, all decked out in Christmas lights!

During our visit we shopped, saw the chef-created sugar castle at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, then sipped hot apple cider at Rulli’s Café as we watched ice skaters skate under the stars. One of my favorite stops was the Macy’s window displays. Their displays drew crowds with several ornately decorated brownstones, each with a real sleeping kitten on its doorstep  (kittens were rotated out every 30 minutes).   Here’s a photo of one of the Macy displays (click to enlarge).

Tip: use the 511.org trip planner to get to Union Square

Wondering where to go for Labor Day weekend?  Here’s a round-up of great places to celebrate the end of summer:

(click each place for more info)

Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is an idyllic coastal village, about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. It’s a postcard-perfect town, surrounded by mist covered mountains and beaches…

Nantucket
Once home to many whaling sea captains, Nantucket is now a popular summer spot for the well to do. Walk along its cobblestone streets…

San Francisco
San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. And it’s easy to see why. It has a spectacular setting, moderate weather, cable cars, great shopping, interesting people and fabulous restaurants. (more…)

I spent a perfect weekend in Seattle recently and wanted to share some of the high points in case you plan to visit in the future.  Visiting Seattle in February is, as most locals will tell you, very risky since there’s a good possibility it will be cold and rainy.  We were in town to see our cousin sing the lead in the opera, La Boheme, so we crossed our fingers and hoped the weather would cooperate.  

We stayed at the Hotel Andra, a very chic hotel ideally located within walking distance of Belltown, retail districts and the famous Pike Place Market.   We all loved the stylish and progressive feel of the hotel which carried through to the rooms. 

As it turned out, we were in luck with the weather – it was in the 60’s with plenty of sunshine.

My sisters, niece and I strolled over to Pike Place Market our first afternoon there and took in the huge array of vendors, including artists, craftsmen, fish mongers, farmers, and flower growers.  (more…)

On the outskirts of Santa Barbara is the village of Montecito – very exclusive, with homes starting at over $1 million.  We ventured into Montecito one evening to have dinner at San Ysidro Ranch. With rates between $795-3,990 per night, we had to see what it looked like. On entering the ranch, we knew we were in the right place when we passed olives trees and rows of blooming Spanish lavender. 

Before having dinner at the Plow & Angel Bistro, we wandered through the ranch’s beautiful gardens, where Vivien Leigh and Sir Lawrence Olivier exchanged vows.  After we made our way back to the restaurant, we chose a table outside so we could continue to enjoy the surroundings.  With the white linen-covered tables, pea gravel and limestone fountain, we felt like we were having dinner at a private estate rather than a restaurant.

At the other end of the ambience scale, we had lunch one day in Santa Barbara at La Super-Rica. This is the taco shack that Julia Child loved to go to.  After standing in line to order (it doesn’t matter what time you go – it’s always busy) you sit at picnic tables in a covered patio area and enjoy freshly-made corn tortillas, pork and roasted peppers – not fancy, but very tasty.

If you love almonds, stop by Andersen’s Danish Bakery & Café right on State Street. Besides many other desserts and pastries, they have an almond tart that is truly delicious.

What weekend in southern California is complete without a celebrity sighting?  While shopping at a few of the boutiques in Montecito, we passed a group of four friends having lunch at the Cava restaurant. On closer inspection we saw that it was Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres with their significant others.

With its beautiful setting and great shopping, restaurants and outdoor activities, Santa Barbara is a perfect place for a girls getaway.

Related links:  Santa Barbara (Part I)  |  SantaBarbara.com  |  San Ysidro Ranch