Sol Duc

The legend goes like this: Once there were two dragons. One lived in the Sol Duc Valley and the other lived in the Elwha Valley, but they didn’t know about each other. One day they were out exploring as dragons do and suddenly came face to face on a ridge. They exploded with anger, and accuses each other of entering the other’s territory! Of course they began to fight. They fought for years because they were equally strong. The knew they were both defeated. They crawled back to their caves and their hot tears were absorbed into the Earth, tuning into what is now the Sol Duc Hot Springs.

Steamy Stay in the Olympic National Park

While Sol Duc was probably not created by teary-eyed dragons, what is true is that geologists are not sure why the springs are where they are. It’s an unlikely spot, deep in the Olympic National Park, for springs to be. Yet there they are, open most of the year to hikers who want to rest tired legs and toes and others who simply love soaking in hot mineral water in the out of doors.

During my short stay at Sol Duc Springs in Washington, the pools were steamy at 73, 102 and 104 degrees. There are three hot soaking pools of varying depths and one large swimming pool. They were pretty full with mostly middle-aged bathers and a couple families who tried to control their kids pleading with them to ‘stop splashing’. Many of the soakers are Bosnians, Serbians, Russians and Ukrainians who come from a hot spring-loving culture. Other guests are your classic NW hippy type and the many hikers who are doing multi-day backpacking trips to the Seven Lakes Basin area. While the pools seemed crowded to me, they were not actually at full capacity, and can take about 100 to 150 people. In high season 1,000 people might come through Sol Duc in a day…Point being, come in low season.

Near Cabins

On the grounds just a ways off from the lodge/restaurant and pools are the Sol Duc Cabins and the Sol Duc ‘Suite’. The cabins are fine. They’re not great, and honestly I expect more at $160-$200 a night. For this rate you get a no-nonsense cabin with a bathroom, a couple (comfy) queen beds, a coffee maker, a small love-seat, a table and a porch area which may or may not have a view.

My issue with the cabins is their lack of charm. Where are the trees? Flowers? A couple of bushes? Or at least green grass? Instead it looks as though these cabins were quickly built on a football field or some other equally bleak setting. The current management at Sol Duc has big plans to landscape the area and revamp the cabins and the pools. New furniture is coming in for the cabins (the old furniture to be donated to local Olympic tribes in need) as well as fresh mattresses and bedding. This is good news because it’s a bit sad to visit such an amazing place and then feel disappointed with the lack of effort by the National Parks Service to make the accommodations inviting. With these new improvements, I am sure the Sol Duc cabins will be well worth their nightly rate, which includes access to the springs.

Sol Duc Cabins

If you don’t stay in the Sol Duc Cabins you can still visit the springs for a mere $12.25 (less for kiddies and seniors). A massage with Paula Rathbun, their on-site therapist is very recommendable.

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12076 Sol Duc Hot Springs Road
Port Angles, WA, 98363
USA
www.visitsolduc.com

Post and Photos by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her lodging tips at The Spain Scoop.

Hot Spring Photo Credit : Aramark

When most people visit Las Vegas, they always put the dancing water fountains at the Bellagio resort on their list of things to see. Well, to that list, one should also add the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.

This indoor attraction is just off the main lobby/check-in area and features horticulture displays that change with the seasons and is amazing to look at, even if you’re not a big fan of flowers and plants.

The resort recently changed the display to reflect a fall theme with several sections.

At the entrance, is a grass filled meadow with three horses that were created with more than 31,000 plants, according to the resort. In the north garden area is a 20-ft-tall cornucopia overflowing with pumpkins, gourds and exotic fruit. A 15-ft-tall scarecrow stands guard nearby.

Kids young and old will enjoy the 20-ft-tall fairy tale-like talking apple tree, surrounded by the fruit of the tree created by roses.

This current ode to autumn will remain on view through November 27, 2011, when it will magically change over to a holiday display.

The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is free to visit and is open 24 hours a day.

Of course, the Bellagio itself remains one of the best places to stay when in Las Vegas. It sits in the middle section of the Strip, and there is so much to do without even leaving the property.  For a luxury property, it’s also rather affordable. For Sunday through Thursday stays through the end of the year, I’ve found average starting rates as low as $149 a night. Weekends are more, but that’s typical in Vegas.

In addition to the fountains and the conservatory, some of my other favorite things to do at the resort include taking in a showing of Cirque du Soleil’s “O” production and enjoying a gourmet chocolate treat at Jean Philippe Patisserie whilst dreaming of standing inside their fountain display with rivers of three different types of chocolate cascading down from the ceiling…is that too much of a share?

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Bellagio Resort
3600 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 888-987-6667
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[Images courtesy of MGM Resorts International]

A King Room at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort

Located on the southeastern edge of the Walt Disney World complex is the resort area of Bonnet Creek. Several luxury and high-end resorts currently have outposts here, such as the Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Orlando.

Bunk Bed Room at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort

Now you can add the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort at Bonnet Creek to that list.

The resort opened on Saturday, October 1, and offers 400 guest rooms and suites with views of the Walt Disney World parks (imagine looking out your window and seeing the nightly fireworks from nearby Epcot!) and the property’s 10-acre lake.

Besides great views, these rooms offer 40-inch flat-screen TVs, wifi, and True Blue® Spa Bath & Body Works® toiletries. Other amenities include complimentary shuttle service to the Disney parks, a fully equipped fitness center, 24-hr business center, and a zero-entry lagoon-style pool.

Select family-friendly guest rooms feature bunk beds for the kids and a second TV so the young’ns can watch Disney programming to their hearts content. There’s also a Kids Club with three activity centers for kids through teens.

The top two floors of the hotel are the Concierge floors and guests here have access to a private lounge offering daily complimentary continental breakfast and evening receptions.

Blue Harmony Spa at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort

The full-service Blue Harmony Spa offers both indoor and outdoor treatment rooms featuring massages, facials and manicures with signature products infused with filtered seawater.

From fine dining to quick service, guests have several food options to choose from. Seafood and steaks are the specialty at Deep Blue Seafood Grille. Tesoro Cove has both a breakfast buffet and an all-day a la carte menu of family friendly fare. Those on the go to the parks can grab coffee and pastries at Barista. There’s also a pool side eatery and a lounge open nightly for drinks.

To celebrate the grand opening, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort is offering rates as low as $119 per night (use code DIS001 and book by 10/31/11 for stays through 12/25/11), but Florida and Georgia residents can score rates as low as $105 a night (code DISFLA;proof of residency required). Book quickly to score these deals. Regular starting rates seem to be averaging between $150 and $200. Don’t forget to use your Wyndham Rewards number when booking to score the loyalty program benefits.

The resort adjoins the previously open Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort, which is a totally separate timeshare property, and represents the company’s second Walt Disney World location (the other is the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista next to Downtown Disney).

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Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort at Bonnet Creek
14651 Chelonia Parkway
Orlando , FL 32821
Phone: 407-390-2300
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[Images courtesy of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC]

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles

Built in 1923 in the Italian-Spanish Renaissance style, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel is the grande dame of Los Angeles hotels.

This lavish property served as a set locale for many films including Chinatown, Ghostbusters, A Star is Born, and Wedding Crashers, as well as dozens of television shows like The West Wing, 24, Nip/Tuck, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It was also an early home to the Academy Awards.

With 683 guestrooms and suites, two restaurants, the famous Rendezvous Court for afternoon tea, and the Gallery Bar, the Biltmore takes up a full city block. The location on Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles is close to the Staples Center, the NOKIA Theater, the Museum of Contemporary of Art, and Dodger Stadium.

The sumptuous interior of the Biltmore Hotel.

The Biltmore also has a touch of macabre history. It was here that Elizabeth Short was last seen alive walking through the lobby in January, 1947. Short was a victim of a disturbing murder that remains an unsolved mystery. She will forever be known as the “Black Dahlia” and some believe that she continues to haunt the hotel today.

Photos by Dan Dion

Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
506 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
USA 90071-2607
tel: (213) 624 1011