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The First Lady of Waikiki

Beach at the Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort & Spa

Our story is about the very first elegant hotel to be built in Hawaii, the Moana. It is located on Waikiki Beach on Oahu, and is aptly nicknamed “The First Lady of Waikiki.”

Early Waikiki

In the later part of the 19th century, not a single hotel was to be found on beautiful Waikiki Beach. There were, however, a number of stately beachfront homes owned by successful families. One such owner, Walter Peacock, theorized that the location of his seaside abode would be the perfect spot to build a hotel that would attract moneyed people from North America.

Committed to his belief, Peacock moved his home and began construction on the Moana Hotel – it would be the first luxury hotel on the most famous stretch of beach in the Pacific.

The Moana Hotel by Starwood Hotels — The Original Moana Hotel

The 75-guestroom Moana opened its doors to the public on March 11, 1901.

They came

Moana Surfrider beach view of Diamond Head

The Moana Hotel was designed to appeal to the rich and famous who could afford to sail to Oahu on steamships. In those days, only the affluent could manage the time for the long sea voyage to reach the paradise that was Hawaii.

Before the advent of the Moana Hotel, the wealthy were obliged to stay with friends or in one of the few minimally acceptable hotels in nearby Honolulu.

Vacationers of independent means sought out Waikiki to enjoy the sandy beach, tropical climate, and stunning vistas of Diamond Head. The new beachfront Moana Hotel suited them perfectly; it was a fashionable structure with élan that fit nicely into a simple tropical setting – a tribute to astute architects and builders.

A pleasant aloha

Sporting tall Ionic columns and a fashionable porte-cochère to greet carriages, the Moana was indeed an elegant lady.

The inside of the hotel was every bit as inspiring as the exterior. Arriving guests were welcomed in a spacious lobby that was full of colorful native plants.

Unusual for the time, almost every guestroom in the Moana had a telephone and private bath.

Hawaii’s first electric elevator was put in service in the Moana to lift the hotel’s early lodgers between the lobby and residence floors.

Be sure to explore the Moana Museum at the top of the magnificent white wooden staircase that greets all visitors in the Banyan Wing of the hotel entrance.

Edward before Wallace

In 1920, the young Edward, Prince of Wales, reaffirmed the hotel’s standard when he stayed at the Moana as part of his world tour. The list of distinguished guests that came before and followed Edward included many other royals and iconic figures from all fields of endeavor – names such as, Amelia Earhart, Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, Joe Di Maggio, Frank Sinatra – and scores more.

Time and change

After decades of sometimes-dramatic physical changes, the Moana was closed for restoration in July 1987 and reopened in March 1989. The objective of the exercise was to restore the hotel to its original appearance. It took 20 months of painstaking research and care to bring the hotel back to its 1908 glory. The rework also restored the 1918 addition of two elegant wings – what an exquisite revival! It was so successful that we could use recent photos to depict the hotel in earlier times.

In 2007, there was yet another multi-million dollar renewal – this time the hotel re-entered the anxiously awaiting tourist market as the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort and Spa.

Today's Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort & Spa by Starwood Hotels

Today’s Moana Surfrider.With the increase to 726 guestrooms and suites, and the addition of enhancements and amenities that brought the Moana up to contemporary luxury standards, it is every bit the grand and glorious hotel it was 110 years ago.

The guestrooms

The original guests of the Moana Hotel would be envious of what is available to vacationers in the 21st century. Each room is outfitted with premium pillow-topped Westin Heavenly Beds and traditional décor with a relaxed touch of the islands. Of course, each room has a large flat screen TV, fitting bath amenities, and wi-fi access.

The famous Banyan tree

In 1904, a Banyan tree was planted immediately to the rear of the new Moana Hotel. The hope was that the ficus species, native to India, would prosper in the beach soils of Hawaii – and indeed, it did.

The Moana Banyan Court tree has been the centerpiece of hotel and Hawaiian history as so many activities and events have been sheltered by its gigantic 150-foot canopy.

The majestic old Banyan has been an onlooker to two world wars, witnessed the incoming aircraft during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and celebrated generations of weddings and important social events.

Moana Surfrider Banyan tree, pool, and beach.

The tree also provided the backdrop for the Banyan Court “Hawaii Calls” radio show that aired across America for 40 years from 1935 to 1975. That’s quite a resume for one tree.

World War II

By 1941, the Moana had been joined on the beach by the bigger Royal Hawaiian Hotel built just to the west. The Royal Hawaiian, is often referred to as the “Pink Palace of the Pacific.” During the war, it was leased to the U.S. Navy as a Rest and Recuperation Center for submariners, while the Moana remained a commercial hotel for the duration of the conflict.

During the war, Moana guests wanting to take an ocean plunge had to navigate rows of barbed wire that stretched across all of Waikiki beach. Nevertheless, these were busy and prosperous days for the hotel.

Only oceanfront spa on Waikiki

There are spas, and there are spas, but we have found few that can compare to the 18,000 square foot Moana Lani Spa, at the Moana Surfrider – it is a destination within a destination.

Couple's therapy room overlooking beach — Couple’s therapy room overlooking beach

Before being indulged with a Hawaiian-style deep massage in a breathtaking ocean view couple’s therapy suite, we took a tour of the fabulous facility.

The tranquil Moana Lani Spa is decorated in pleasing colors and is complete with comfortable post-therapy relaxation rooms that overlook the beach below. What a pristine meditative setting.

Guests are invited to luxuriate in separate male and female state-of-the-art facilities. We concluded that with steam rooms, saunas, soothing whirlpool tubs, and 16 treatment rooms – including two oceanfront couple’s massage rooms with large soaking tubs, this spa would be the ideal place to gather for the morning after a big event, or the perfect spot to just unwind and re-balance.

Each treatment in the Moana Lani Spa is preceded by a beautiful Hawaiian ritual designed to relax the incoming guest. Each spa visitor is invited to leave his or her worries in a ceremonial wooden bowl filled with Alaea salt. The salt remains in the therapy room soaking up cares and woes until the guest departs. It is then collected, and at the end of the day, thrown into the ocean so that the guest’s troubles are simply carried out to sea.

The entire experience will afford you a quintessential touch of deep relaxation and peaceful indulgence.

Eating at the Moana Surfrider

The period Veranda, which spans two sides of the Banyan Court and overlooks the hotel’s freshwater pool, is a great place to enjoy breakfast and afternoon tea. We learned that tea at the Moana is an enduring Hawaiian tradition enjoyed by guests and locals alike. We can add that comfortable seating and relaxing views are enhanced by the refined Victorian setting.

The Beachhouse at the Moana

The Moana has always been a preferred dining spot for locals and vacationers with discriminating palates. Over the years, the hotel’s extensive menu has evolved with the tastes of its patrons, and today the Beachhouse Restaurant serves some of the best regional dishes in Hawaii. The Beachhouse kitchen features both fresh and seasonal ingredients from paradise – true epicurean delights – each with its own unique identity.

Our dinner experience

We stepped across the threshold of time and were seated at a most satisfying table at the end of the familiar veranda that overlooks the Banyan Court and the blue Pacific. This is the scene of countless historic photos – and we are happy to report that the exceptional setting was only exceeded by a truly spectacular meal.

Our appetizer consisted of a uniquely prepared Caesar Salad that was immediately followed by a main of tender Moyer Farms Filet Mignon and Wailua Asparagus with citrus hollandaise sauce. D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

The dessert was a trio of mini Hawaiian chocolate pot de crème with Chantilly, macadamia-crusted carrot cake, and vanilla bean gelato. It was hard to choose between that and the guava cookie crust lemon cheesecake, with roasted pineapple star anise relish, and caramel sauce. OMG!

As we savored dessert, we watched the sun slip slowly below the far horizon and listened to the island music and the waves lazily curling along the sand. It occurred to us that anyone having an opportunity to experience a dinner such as this, in a place so famous and outstanding, was indeed fortunate.

Avoid disappointment – be sure to make a reservation.

Great place for a wedding

During our visit, there was a seemingly endless parade of beautiful brides and handsome grooms walking the wide hallways of the great hotel. It is obvious that wedding planners appreciate the Moana Surfrider as a perfect venue for a never-to-be-forgotten tropical wedding.

Stay at the Moana Surfrider

Originally, the Moana catered only to the very wealthy, but today the Moana Surfrider a Westin Resort and Spa is available to anyone who appreciates fine living.

The Moana Surfrider is the grand dame of Waikiki Beach – just as she was over a century ago. New hotels spring eternal in Hawaii, but none can match the majesty, style, and sophistication of the First Lady of Waikiki. She alone can reflect on the indelible vistas of the once remote white sand beach that rests at her doorstep and under the gaze of the ageless Diamond Head.

To spend even a very small portion of one’s life in one of the guestrooms or suites at the Moana Surfrider is to become part of the legend – and an opportunity to appreciate Victorian elegance meticulously restored and maintained. This is an idyllic hotel for discriminating travelers with a taste for history. On Waikiki Beach, it is simply the place to be.

If you go

The Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Spa is located on fashionable Kalakaua Avenue on Waikiki Beach and nine miles from Honolulu International Airport. For more information, check out their website here.

Want to learn more about the historic Moana? We recommend a short, but informative book by author Stan Cohen entitled “The First Lady of Waikiki.” The book is available from Amazon.

Happy travels!

“Get out there, but be prepared.”

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

We flew from California to Oahu on Hawaiian Airlines.

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Travel Insurance.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Photos © by Wayne and Judy Bayliff – unless indicated otherwise.

Honoring Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day

Published every Memorial Day to honor our fallen heroes.

There are many historical destinations in the United States, but to Americans, few have the emotional relevance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Located in our National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, the Tomb is dedicated to lost and missing American soldiers from all wars.

The Tomb was established with the interment of an unknown soldier from World War I on November 11, 1921. He was laid to rest directly beneath a marble sarcophagus inscribed

HERE RESTS IN
HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN
SOLDIER
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Subsequent burials from the conflicts of WWII, Korea, and most recently,Vietnam, were made near, but not under the tomb.

Due to the advancement of forensic science, the Vietnam era unknown was exhumed in 1998. DNA identified the remains of Lt. Michael Blassie, and he was subsequently re-interred near his family home in St. Louis.

The government decided not to replace the Vietnam soldier with non-identifiable remains. Instead, the original Vietnam inscription and the dates of that conflict have been changed to “Honoring and Keeping Faith with America’s Missing Servicemen.”

A sacred trust

Guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns is a solemn duty, reserved for our finest soldiers. Since 1937, the US Army has guarded the Tomb every minute of every day. On April 6, 1948, the permanent honor was bestowed on the 3^rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. “The Old Guard,” is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the US Army, and can trace its origins to 1784.

The elite soldiers chosen to stand watch at the Tomb are called Sentinels. They are generally men (there were 3 exceptions), and typically have the rank of Private First Class or Specialist. They stand between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 4 inches tall, and must be proportionally built. They are on average 22 years of age.

The Sentinels do not wear insignia of rank lest they outrank the Unknowns - whatever their rank may have been.

Their uniforms are made of wool, and are worn through cold winters and hot summers on the Potomac. They are issued special shoes and sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun reflecting off the many marble monuments, and their gloves are moistened to assure a firm grip on the ceremonial rifle stock.

Inclement weather does not affect the watch

The Sentinels have a motto, “Soldiers never die until they are forgotten – Tomb Guards never forget.”

Good Americans are like Sentinels and will never forget the sacrifices made by our armed services.

If you go

The cemetery and Tomb is situated directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., and near the Pentagon. During the summer months (April to October) the guard is changed every half-hour. During the winter months (October to April) the guard is changed every hour.

The cemetery is closed to the public from 7pm to 8am April through September, and 5pm to 8am October through March. When the cemetery is closed, the guard is changed every two hours.

The next time you are in Washington D.C., take your loved ones to see the Tomb and the more than 300,000 graves at Arlington. You and they will be inspired, and reminded that the freedom we often take for granted comes at a very great cost.

Safe travels!

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“Get out there, but be prepared.”

Whenever we travel, we are protected by Allianz Global Assist travel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.

Photo © Judy Bayliff

You, the Stars, and Vasquez Rocks

With the Covid virus keeping us housebound for a year, and judging by the huge increase in streaming TV subscribers, we have all viewed more than our share of TV shows and movies. It’s time to get active.

We know from past correspondence that many of our readers are interested in the locations where movies are filmed. When we ran across an unusual LA County Park where dozens of movies and TV shows were made, we wanted our subscribers to know about it. It’s in the high desert of Southern California, and for us, it was an easy drive from our winter home near Palm Springs.

The place is the 932-acre Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park located in Los Angeles County, California. This park and its unique rock formations may be the one outdoor spot listed on the National Register of Historic Places where more movie stars and entertainers have clocked in for work than any other non-studio location.

100_2079 The photos of the landscape should be familiar. Throughout the years, the “Rocks” have appeared in films when rough, desolate, and foreboding terrain is required as a backdrop.

The park’s TV credits are impressive

Here are just some of the Who’s Who of westerns and adventure series that have filmed episodes at Vasquez Rocks:

CSI, The Medium, Monk, 24, NCIS, Alias, Saving Grace, Twilight Zone, Buffy, The Lone Ranger, Wild Wild West, Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Man from Uncle, Maverick, The Rifleman, Mission Impossible, Bonanza, Outer Limits, The Fugitive, Alias Smith and Jones, Hunter, MacGyver, Rat Patrol, Charmed, Friends, Fear Factor, Lassie, Las Vegas, Logan’s Run, Zorro, Voyagers, Daniel Boone, Alien Nation, Rin Tin Tin, The Big Valley, The Cisco Kid, High Chaparral, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Battle Star Galactica, Street Hawk, and of course – Star Trek.

How’s that for a walk down action TV’s memory lane!

About the movies filmed at the park

We did some research to try to find when the first movie was filmed at the Rocks. We read several articles asserting that a silent action movie starring Rudolph Valentino was made there in 1905. Unfortunately, the reports are all false since Valentino was born in 1895. We never did identify the first movie.

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We do know that the classic 1931 Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, was filmed in part at the Rocks, and was followed by dozens of other notable movie productions such as, Apache, Hondo, Cheyenne, Laramie, Laredo, and Blazing Saddles. Also included – Werewolf of London, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Austin Powers IMM, The Flintstones, and Short Circuit.

Let’s not forget the music videos

Music producers also find Vasquez Rocks a worthy setting. Michael Jackson did a famous dance sequence with American Indians at the Rocks for the hit music video Black or White, in 1991.

Millions of years in the making

The park’s ominous looking 45-degree toothy rock outcroppings are siblings to the San Andreas Fault. They were formed by a series of violent earthquakes over many millions of years. The jagged peaks rise 150 feet above the surrounding sandy desert floor.

If you decide to go

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Vasquez Rocks Park is off the beaten path, but its raw beauty is worth planning a day trip to visit when you are in the Los Angeles area.

If you would enjoy a walk where Hollywood celebs have walked, the Rocks are the place. Park your car in the lot and take a short hike. Enjoy the desert beauty that has inspired the stars.

A few words of caution: There are scant facilities at Vasquez Rocks. The weather is subject to rapid change, so be prepared. Take great care if you plan to wander beyond the parking lot – there’s a lot of inhospitable desert out there.

The park is open to the public year round. There are several hiking trails, and the cliffs are accessible to climbers.

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The park is located just north of Los Angeles, at 10700 Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce, California, Take the Hwy 14 exit from Interstate 5, and drive about 20 miles east.

Happy travels!

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“Get out there, but be prepared.” Wear a mask and social distance when it makes sense to do so.

Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Don’t Drive: Take a Virtual Vacation in April 2020

Are you missing the unbridled freedom of travel during these long days of lock downs? So are we.

For the common good we must comply with the self-isolation mandates, but Spring is coming and our wanderlust will soon be in full bloom.

Here’s an idea

In addition to challenging games of rug-putt golf, we decided to organize several arm-chair vacations. Think of it as a variation of the “staycation” idea so popular during the last recession.

Like us, we bet you have lots of digitized photos from past vacations and events.

Organize your photos

We have all our photo files on our computer in Google’s Picasa 3. We like the way Picasa organizes photos and have used it for years but unfortunately Google no longer supports it. If you don’t already have your digitized photos on your computer or in the cloud, check the internet for other places and programs to store photos. Make sure whatever program you choose has a “slideshow” feature.

Having taken tens of thousands of pictures during our 15+ years of travel writing, we have now corralled all the digitized photos from each trip and put them under one descriptive file such as “Oahu.”

As an added benefit of the process we have eliminated thousands of redundant images and really spruced up our photo presentations.

We then organized each trip under a category, country, or state destination heading such as “Hawaii,” or “Cruise – Mediterranean.”

Sit back and enjoy

Now, when we want to take a virtual “trip” we just select an album like “Cruise – Eastern Europe,” select “slideshow” from the “view” tab, set the display time we prefer for each image, and click “go.” We can pause the slideshow whenever we want to reminisce about a specific image.

For even more fun, we set the slideshow feature to “random sort.” and try to guess where and when each variable photo was taken — stimulates the brain cells.

Memory Lane is a great place to visit when you are house bound. Like Sinatra sang, “It’s oh so nice to go trav’lin’ but it’s so much nicer, yes, it’s so much nicer to come home.”

Happy virtual travels and stay safe. We can get through this.

Note: There are also virtual tours on the internet to visit places you haven’t been. For starters, check out the US National Park Systems website. The parks are physically closed, but not to your computer.

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Whenever we travel, we are protected by AllianzTravel insurance.

You can plan your trips with Google Maps.

The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any entity.

Take a Short Drive from San Francisco and Visit Exciting Cannery Row on Monterey Bay

Cannery Row on Monterey Bay is an easy 2-hour drive south of San Francisco. Two good reasons to add Monterey to your northern California holiday are that it is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the Golden State, and it is far less commercial than San Francisco. It’s a great place to enjoy some quality down-time during your vacation.

©Travel Photo Interact – Place your cursor over any photo to enhance it – click to enlarge.

A brief history of Cannery Row

Oil made whales the Monterey prey of choice for fisherman until Kerosene was introduced in the late 1800s. At that time, the local fishing industry made a quick turn to sardines, and the first cannery opened in 1902 along Ocean View Avenue – now Cannery Row.

From that date until the 1960s the fishermen and businessmen of the “Row” didn’t realize it, but they were systematically fishing themselves into oblivion by overtaxing the schools of mature sardines needed to reproduce and replenish the early abundant harvests.

The last sardine catch and pack on Cannery Row took place in 1964 on the site of the now famous Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Inspired by John Steinbeck’s celebrated story, Cannery Row is visited annually by scores of vacationers from around the world, and it is well worth a prominent place on your vacation schedule.

It’s fun to share the planet

Cannery Row is not only a tourist’s mecca, it has also become a conservationist’s Disneyland. There’s the spectacular Aquarium, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which can be enjoyed by tour boat, sail boat, kayak, or row boat.

On land, tourists can comb the waterfront, whale watch, otter watch, seal watch, bird watch, and people watch. Cold water SCUBA divers also get to fish watch. There are a whopping 26 species of marine mammals, and 345 species of fish residing in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary.

Also in the area

Golfing and touring at Pebble Beach, Carmel, and Pacific Grove are minutes away,

and the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove is open to the public and is a great place to get a feel for a lighthouse keeper’s life in earlier times.

Point Lobos State Reserve with its fantastic views of the Pacific is also in the neighborhood.

In the area, we also visited the fabulous Holman Ranch and Winery, and *here* is that story.

Where to stay

There is no shortage of great places to stay on and near Cannery Row. We chose the Monterey Bay Inn right on the “Row.” It is the first hotel on the water when driving east.

The Inn’s appeal includes being slightly away from the center of the hub-bub, where most of the tourists congregate. Yet, it is just a short walk to all the interesting shops that line the Row.

The views from the Monterey Bay Inn are impressive – especially if you are lucky enough to reserve an end room with a balcony over the water. We recommend room 320 if it is available. (that’s 320 just under the roof canopy above)

The Inn is adjacent to San Carlos Beach Park, where visitors can picnic and stroll the beach. The park is also an excellent entry point for kayaks and SCUBA divers heading for a swim with the fishes among the ever-swaying orange and brown kelp beds.

Cannery Row eateries

The area is awash in excellent restaurants, but there is one in particular that deserves a feature story, and that is what we plan for the legendary Sardine Factory on Wave Street.

The Sardine Factory is a world-class restaurant that is also an uplifting All-American success story. It’s about two ordinary guys that started with nothing almost 40-years ago, and today are recognized by presidents, the movers and shakers of industry, and scores of celebrities in the restaurant and entertainment world.

It’s also a tale of tradition, values, honesty and integrity – subjects that are too often forgotten in our confused times.

So look for our story about the Sardine Factory in the near future. It is good press that will inspire you – it did us.

The Monterey coast and Cannery Row are California treasures that should be explored and enjoyed by all lovers of the sea,nature, and fine food – definitely worth putting on your getaway list.

Happy travels.

© Travels with Wayne and Judy Bayliff
Photos © Judy Bayliff
You can see the world with Google Maps. http://maps.google.com

Drive the West Coast of Florida to the Fabulous Naples Bay Resort

©Travel Photo Interact – Place your cursor over any photo to enhance it – click to enlarge.

Some luxury hotels like to be considered “destination resorts,” but few actually fit the bill. The elegant Naples Bay Resort in Florida is the exception that proves the rule – it is a self-contained destination of choice for upscale vacationers.

Situated in Naples, on Florida’s Paradise Southwest Gulf Coast, the Naples Bay Resort is an AAA Four Diamond Award winner that embraces an imaginative leisure and vacation lifestyle in a gamesome backdrop that is second to none.

Welcome to the Naples Bay Resort

We drove our rental car under the grand port-cochere entrance where we were greeted by a wide smiling and nattily uniformed attendant.

Handing him the keys we headed inside the building where we found the foyer to be the embodiment of our expectations.

The registration desk was located in a sweeping and tastefully appointed two-story lobby that oozed richness.

An open air corridor led us to our large (1000 sq ft) one bedroom villa suite that overlooked the marina and featured an expansive (500 sq ft) veranda – great for hosting a party.

As an added bonus, had we wanted to sponsor a small social event, there was an extensive gourmet kitchen in the suite.

The suite’s décor was comfortably Tuscan and perfectly consistent with the hotel’s Italian Village motif.

The resort has both hotel and cottage accommodations. The hotel has 65 suites and 20 king guestrooms. There are 108 elegant two and three bedroom “cottages” that would be better described as villas – that have the look and feel of exclusive private residences.

On site amenities

The Club at the Naples Bay Resort, has a complex of well-designed swimming pools including a waterfall and meandering lazy river pool – great for tube rafting through the tropical gardens, a children’s pool, and an infinity lap pool.

If tennis is your game, you will be delighted with the six lighted tennis courts and the pro-shop. Then there’s a huge state of the art fitness and wellness center, a marina with a shopping and dining promenade, and an amazing Euro-style Spa. Phew!

Eating at the resort

The Yacht Club is an on-site restaurant facility that offers a delicious “Breakfast on the Bay.” Complete with a gourmet buffet, and eggs and omelets prepared by a waiting chef who will fill your request while you watch.

Try a lunch at the BlueWater Bar and Grill located poolside and with a menu that is perfect for your mid-day repast.

The resort Concierge will be happy to help with suggestions and reservations at any of the dozens of fine restaurants that are close to the resort, but don’t miss the popular Bonefish Grill located right in the resort hotel.

The marina

The Naples Bay Resort is the only hotel complex in southwestern Florida with a complete marina facility that provides a fuel dock, pump-out facilities, laundry service, showers, and other conveniences to all visiting boaters.

The marina has a Ship’s Store and a Captain’s Lounge, and all guests of the marina also have full access to resort amenities.

Rent a boat from the Naples Bay Marina and cruise out to Keewaydin Island. Accessible only by boat the island’s shore indulges the feet with sugary white sand.

The Naples Bay Marina has 97 slips for overnight, seasonal, and annual rental.

Team building and events

The resort has almost 3,500 square feet of specialized meeting space spread out among four comfortable venues. Each room is distinctly different in appearance, and the board room is stately and perfect for an executive meeting.

Remembering the kids

There is a pool just for children, and adjoining the Fitness Center is a children’s jungle gym complex where the resort provides Kidz Activity programs.

Embrace your Zen

After our tour of the resort, a Therapeutic Energy Massage at The Spa was just what we needed. This medium intensity massage focuses on the muscles that carry the most stress – for us, that is usually the neck and shoulders. We could feel the tightness melt away under the skilled hands of our therapists. This is 80-minutes of intense rejuvenation. We recommend this particular therapy for all the sore necks out there.

Poking around Naples

The Naples Bay Resort fee includes shuttle service to many of the attractions in the area, including shopping, dining, and beaches.

Naples is a quintessential tourist haven – there is fun for everyone in the family. From miles of white sandy beaches and a picturesque pier, boating galore, shopping, golf, and tours of the primeval Everglades with all the sounds and colors of the jungle.

Let’s all shop

You need not leave the resort to find a bevy of boutique shops full of everyday treasures; just walk down to the Resort Marina to find the promenade of exclusive shops and noteworthy restaurants.

However, if your indulgence requires still more, take a short stroll to the famous Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South districts, or visit the Village on Venetian Bay for a vast array of local boutiques and galleries, as well as the chic shops of the likes of Hermes and Tiffany.

Of course if you are more inclined to shop Macy’s sales, your opportunity for that also awaits in accommodating Naples – and if existential funky happens to be your mood, there is always Tin City.

Nothing quite like Tin City

An unusual sea-themed, nouveau-rickety shopping mecca is within easy walking distance of the resort.

Appropriately named Tin City, this is the place to find local boat charters and tours, amusing Florida theme shops, and some of the best casual waterfront dining in Naples.

To leisurely scope out the area, consider the Naples Bay Water Shuttle that departs from the Marina at the Naples Bay Resort. The 45-minute route shuttle allows hop-on-hop-off access to eight tourism locations. A small fee is all that is required to provide transportation for the entire day.

Do the Glades

If you are this close, you must take the short drive to the Florida Everglades. Everglades Area Tours offers guided boat and kayak tours deep into Everglades National Park where you can get up close and personal with dolphins, manatees, alligators, and some of the world’s most exquisitely colored birds. There are also extensive hiking and biking trails in the park.

If you go

The Naples Bay Resort overlooks beautiful Naples Bay and is just 3.5 miles from the Naples Municipal Airport. The new Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers is approximately 30 miles north of the resort.

If you are looking for a first-class venue for your next high-end vacation, a wedding, or a corporate event, you will not be disappointed in the Naples Bay Resort. Check out their website at www.naplesbayresort.com.

For more information about things to do in and around Naples, Florida, look at http://www.naples-florida.com/active.htm

If you want to investigate additional one-of-a-kind or upscale lodgings reviewed by Wayne and Judy in Florida, click on the titles below.

Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys

Cheeca Resort in the Florida Keys

A Beach Bungalow on Anna Maria Island

Happy travels!

You can see the world with Google Maps. http://maps.google.com/

Another Adventure in the California Gold Country

The Gold Country of California provides tourists with a wealth of fun vacation opportunities. Here’s another segment of our adventures in this fascinating part of America.

Our El Dorado experience

During our last visit to the Gold Country, we were fortunate to attend a special dinner at the historic Sportsman’s Hall Restaurant in woodsy Pollock Pines, California – home and headquarters of the National Pony Express Association.

El Dorado Rose Sharon McDavid and Jim Swigart of the Pony Express Association attend the costume dinner

At the dinner we were in the elegant company of the El Dorado Rose and some of her court, along with the Director of Tourism for El Dorado County, and two County Supervisors. They were all excellent ambassadors for El Dorado County, and great people with which to share a wagon.

Karin Klemic of the USDA confers with fellow guide County Supervisor Ray Nutting

The wagon ride

Our day included a guided tour and transportation to dinner via a vintage horse-drawn wagon that clopped along the celebrated Lincoln Highway and the Pony Express Trail on route to the landmark Sportsman’s Hall.

Heading for the site of the Bullion Bend Stage Robbery of 1864

Karin Klemic, District Archaeologist for the USDA provided captivating facts about the great Eldorado National Forest that surrounded us. This densely wooded park is a destination that every wilderness loving family should have on its future vacation calendar.

The Sportsman’s Hall Restaurant

This celebrated restaurant is a showplace of Pony Express paraphernalia – and was the main Home Station for the Pony Express in California back in 1880.

It was also an important stagecoach station for food and refreshments along what is today’s California Highway 50 and the old Pony Express Trail.

The feature speaker at our dinner was the very impressive and entertaining president of the National Pony Express Association, Mr. James Swigart. After Mr. Swigart’s enthusiastic talk, the audience was ready to saddle up, and ride like the wind in the next annual Pony Express Re-Ride from Missouri to California.

About the Pony Express

Whatever the level of knowledge about the history of the United States – one legend of the Old West stands out and seems to have captured the imagination of every American child – the Pony Express.

The Pony Express was the first expedited mail service from St. Joseph on the Missouri River to Sacramento and the Pacific Coast. Before the Express, mail took over a month by boat, and 24 days by overland stagecoaches between St. Joe and Sacramento. The Pony Express did it in an amazing 10 days.

The daring adventures of the Pony Express riders are the stuff that cowboy dreams are made of. Whether outriding hostile Indians, besting bandits and raging storms, or suffering the torturous heat of the Western desert – these couriers were heroes one and all.

The riders of the Pony Express

The Pony Express recruited young outdoor types (as young as 14) that were slight in weight and understood horses. They preferred riders who were morally sound and God fearing. It is an interesting fact that each rider who signed up for the service was issued a leather-bound bible. Only a dozen of the bibles are known to still exist – one sold in 2007 for just under $39,000.

No saddle bags

We learned that the Pony Express never used saddle bags to carry the mail. Such bags were too heavy – and difficult to recover and secure from one steed to another in the short time allowed the rider to switch horses. Instead the mail and letters were secured inside four locked pouches stitched on a “mochila,” which was a lightweight soft leather cover that fit directly over a saddle like a blanket.

At one of the more than 150 home or relay stations, the rider recovered the mochila from his exhausted horse and threw it over the saddle of a waiting fresh mount. The rider then quickly mounted the new horse and sat directly on the mochila thereby assuring the mail was secure and protected for the next leg of the rugged journey.

Hard work in the wilderness

Pony Express couriers rode about 75 miles per day before being relieved and changed horses every 12 miles or so. The route from St. Joseph to Sacramento crossed the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. The route was about 2000 miles long and took 10-days of constant and hard riding. There were approximately 30 riders in the saddle on each trip and from each direction. The Pony Express had a stable of 500 horses, and 500 employees, including station men and some 90 riders.

Short lived

Because the Pony Express has been so indelibly branded in the American psyche for so long a time, it is hard to grasp that the renowned service lasted just one-year and seven-months. It was summarily replaced by the transcontinental telegraph, but not before incubating legends like Buffalo Bill Cody, who at age 16 signed on to ride one of the most dangerous stretches of trail in the Wyoming Territory. Buffalo Bill later re-enacted a Pony Express Relay in each of his worldly famous Wild West Shows of the 1880s through the early 1900s.

The first re-ride of the Pony Express took place in 1923, and there have been many since. The Pony Express has been an enduring symbol of America’s strength and courage, individual heroism, and unfaltering work ethic for over 150 years. If you would like more information about this fascinating icon of the Old West look at www.xphomestation.com.

Last call to service

On April 9, 1983 there was a tremendous landslide along California’s American River Canyon. Heavy rocks completely covered Highway 50, the vital link between Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, and all the small mountain communities between. Postal delivery was stopped by the slide – and April 15^th (tax day) was fast approaching.

In less than 48-hours the National Pony Express Association was contracted by the U.S. Postal Service to carry the mail by horse around a 115-mile detour. Some 62 riders participated in the great “Slide Ride” of 1983. They carried more than 60,000 pieces of mail in the six-weeks that the Pony Express was activated. Each piece of mail was postmarked to commemorate the unusual event.

Although not from the great Slide Ride, we were honored to be the recipients of the commemorative letter (pictured above) from the national ride of 1983.

If you go

There is so much to do and see in the Gold Country and along U.S. Route 50.

Street scene in Hangtown (aka Placerville, California)

History abounds in the wild-west gold mining towns, parks, museums, and forests.

There’s gold panning, outdoor events, white water rafting, shopping, fishing and hiking galore. Known for delicious wines and unique eateries, this is a bountiful part of America that is only a few-hour’s drive from bustling San Francisco. We recommend it highly.

For more information about what the area has to offer look no further than the informative website at www.visit-eldorado.com

Happy travels!

If you like this article by Wayne and Judy look below for two of their other stories about the California Gold Country and their suggestions of what to do and where to stay when you visit.

Discovering a luxurious hideaway in the California Gold Country

A budget friendly excursion to the California Gold Country

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Carmel Valley Is Home to Historic Holman Ranch and Vineyards

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The Holman Guest Ranch in Carmel Valley, California, dates back to 1928 and was originally on 1500 acres of rolling hills and indelible vistas.

Through the years, the ranch had several owners and has evolved into a prestigious venue for special events. Its current 400 acres of natural grandeur is more than ample to provide space and satisfaction for all that visit.

The history

In the early days of the ranch it was a privileged enclave for the rich and famous who hunted the abundant small game, birds, deer, and the infamous wild boar of California.

If you have not seen one of these beauties up close, you can’t appreciate their fierce appearance and disposition. Purportedly, they are a tasty treat when grilled over an outdoor fire. Small groups of these wild pigs still roam the hills and forests of the ranch and are hunted by archers.

During the Golden Years of Hollywood, the ranch was frequented by movie moguls and actors.

Charlie Chaplin is said to have practiced new routines in the building which was once a stable, then a theater, and now the Charlie Chaplin Game Room.

The ranch walls are full of pictures of Hollywood luminaries such as Theta Bara, Clark Gable, Gene Autry, Vincent Price, and William Holden to name a few.

Not your ordinary resort

The Holman Ranch is not a resort in the usual sense of the word – instead, it is an exclusive event destination where guests rent out the entire facility for multi-day affairs or single-day off-site occasions. The ranch ensures intimacy by hosting only one event at a time.

This unique hospitality model affords those that engage the ranch a feeling of privacy and stewardship of an authentic Spanish Colonial 18th century stone-walled hacienda – with oodles of jaunty western furnishings.

It comes complete with ten ranch-style guest rooms,

an inner Spanish courtyard with fountain,

an executive board room,

grand parlor,

and even a quiet chapel.

Modern comfort with old-world ambiance

We found that all the ranch’s facilities are impeccably maintained and have modern amenities like flat screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and state-of-the-art audio visual apparatus.

When not busy with happenings, the resort is dominated by a tranquility that is only disturbed by leaves rustling in the breeze and the recurrent melodies of tribes of tiny birds and black and yellow bees.

In such circumstances, a nap by the resort’s pool is the perfect elixir for urban stress.

Catered affairs

The ranch does not have a restaurant, but that is compensated for in the business model. The owners have a preferred list of caterers that work with the ranch on a regular basis.

For our event we enjoyed a flawless roast chicken dinner accompanied by several bottles of Holman Ranch varietal wines – all served by A Moveable Feast on one of the hacienda’s charming stone terraces.

Also, if guests prefer to arrange for their own cooking in the extensive caterer’s kitchen, that is an agreeable option. Proprietors Nick Elliott and wife Hunter Lowder are dedicated to working with their guests to provide the ultimate in flexibility to enhance an unforgettable experience.

The couple has extraordinary credentials because Nick is an experienced winemaker, caterer, and an ordained minister, and his wife Hunter is a seasoned event planner and restaurant manager. If you would like a turnkey wedding, it doesn’t get any better than that!

Estate winery

The Holman Ranch Estate is building a reputation as a winery of note in an area of significant wineries located within the bountiful Carmel Valley Appellation.

Currently with 19-acres under vines they hand harvest and cellar their wines in the ranch’s modern wine cave. We took the tour, and can recommend it to all wine aficionados.

On an annual basis, Holman produces about 3,200 cases of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Rosé of Pinot Noir. The owners share their limited treasures with Holman Ranch guests, Estate Wine Club members, visitors to their tasting room, and wine connoisseurs from around the world.

Broad appeal

If you are planning an event of any duration such as a wedding, picnic, charity event, banquet, executive retreat, company meeting, networking get together, or team building endeavor, we suggest the Holman Ranch is the right place to make it memorable.

For more information about the Holman Ranch and what they offer, view their website at www.holmanranch.com

If you go

The Holman Ranch is a pastoral treasure located at 60 Holman Road, just 12 miles from scenic California Highway 1 and just off Carmel Valley Road. Famous Carmel-by-the-Sea is an easy 20-minutes away, and Big Sur is 35 miles southwest of the ranch. Pebble Beach, Cannery Row, and the Monterey Peninsula are also easy drives.

The Holman Ranch Office and Tasting Room is just minutes from the ranch at 19 E. Carmel Valley Road, Suite C, in Carmel Valley, CA 93924. In addition to fine wines, be sure to sample their very special hand harvested, cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil – it’s delicious.

Happy travels!

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