Lodging

It all started in 1610. That’s right, Santa Fe, New Mexico has been in existence for 400 years. Home to more than a dozen major museums, nearly 300 galleries and dealers, and a world-class opera, Santa Fe is a mecca for art and culture.

Don’t you think it’s about time you experienced the United States’ oldest capital city?

The folks at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa think so. They’re making it easy for you to join in Santa Fe’s anniversary celebration.

Book the 400th anniversary package at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa to receive:
•    Two night stay in a Classic Queen Room
•    Food & Beverage credit for $200 (alcohol not included)
•    Spa credit for $200
•    One complimentary Santa Fe anniversary book and La Posada de Santa Fe history guide
•    Guided art tour with Curator Sara Eyestone of La Posada de Santa Fe’s art collection, featuring pieces from 30 notable American artists.

A two-night minimum stay is required. Rates are $400 per night per room. This package is valid now through
September 1, 2010, based on availability.

La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa features adobe-style architecture set amidst 6 acres just two blocks from the historic Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. Be sure to leave enough time during your visit to lounge by the pool or relax at the RockResorts Spa.

If you go:
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa
866-331-ROCK (7625)
http://laposada.rockresorts.com

Photos courtesy La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa

Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet

Hanagan Meadow Lodge. Photo by Donna L. Hull

A chill is in the November air. Can you feel winter coming? It’s time to think about fun in Arizona’s snow. What’s that? You thought Arizona was all desert? An escape to Hannagan Meadow Lodge on the Arizona/New Mexico border will fulfill your craving for winter fun.

Located 22 miles south of Alpine on the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (Highway 191), the lodge catches snow from winter storms that roll across the White Mountains. With an elevation of 9,100 feet, the area frequently sees winter’s first and last flakes.

Choices galore for winter fun
For Arizona snow lovers, Hannagan Meadow Lodge has all the bases covered. Slide down a frozen tubing hill, glide across new powder on cross-country skis, or relax by the fire watching snow swirl across the meadow on the winds of a winter storm.

Kids of all ages hurdle down the lodge’s sledding hill on over-sized inner tubes then scramble back uphill for another thrilling ride. When it is time to take a break, build a snowman in the woods or rest by the fire in your cabin with a cup of hot chocolate.

Cross-country skiing at Hannagan Meadow. Photo by Alan Hull Photography

With 26 km of cross-country skiing trails starting from the lodge, walk outside your cabin to strap on skis then glide into the meadow beside Douglas firs and Engelmann Spruce. Beginners and intermediates travel the 10 km groomed Acre Lake trail through the aspens and over the frozen meadow of Butterfly Cinega. For more advanced skiers, one of many choices is the marked but ungroomed route, the KP Rim-Willow Springs Trail that loops through the Blue Range Primitive Area offering the ultimate in back country seclusion. Equipment rental is available from Alpine Sports and Recreation Center in the General Store next to the lodge or bring your own.

Snowshoers and hikers slush through the white stuff on walks in the woods. A stroll down the Coronado Trail leads to several turn-offs where hiking and cross-country routes begin. With the abundant wildlife that populates the area, searching for animal tracks in the snow provides a quiet diversion. Listen. Is that the wind moaning in the trees or the howl of the Mexican Gray Wolf, currently restored to the area after 30 years of decimation?

If sitting by the fire is your idea of winter fun, grab a hot cup of coffee or tea from the table in the lobby and relax by the wood burning stove. Browse through the scrapbooks that chronicle Hannagan Meadow’s history which dates back to 1926.

Hannagan Meadow Lodge Rustic Cabin. Photo by Donna L. Hull

Rustic accommodations in nature’s five-star setting
The staff at Hannagan Meadow Lodge will tell you, “If you’re looking for luxury accommodations, you’ve come to the wrong place.” Due to the isolated location, help is hard to find, which means no daily maid service. But the lodge rooms, located on the second and third floors of the historic building are pleasantly furnished with antiques, and each room has its own bath.

For those interested in a longer stay, rustic housekeeping cabins are located behind the lodge. The fire in the wood burning stove will seem extra warm since you are the one who will split the logs from the pile of wood on the cabin’s front porch. Bring plenty of supplies because you’ll have to do your own cooking from Monday to Thursday. Please note that the cabins are simply decorated and extremely rustic.

In the winter, a restaurant on the lodge’s first floor serves Friday night dinner, breakfast and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Guests dine in a log-paneled room warmed by a crackling fireplace. From the large windows, look out onto the meadow as the scene fades from the golden glow of a late afternoon sun to the purple shades of  twilight. A collection of antique glass bottles in deep-hued colors sits on the windowsills, glowing like semi-precious jewels in the waning light.

Hannagan Meadow Lodge is located within 5-6 hours driving distance from the major metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque or El Paso.

If you go:
Hannagan Meadow Lodge
928.339.4370
www.hannaganmeadow.com

Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet
Photos courtesy Donna L. Hull and Alan Hull Photography

The red brick facade of the historic Incentra Village House.

Last weekend, I abandoned my children and husband for a weekend jaunt to my other favorite city.

Yep, Frisco mama became Manhattan mama for three lovely days.

My cousin, who is like a sister to me, and I share birthdays on the same week of November. With the incentive of low off-season fares on Jetblue and an invitation to stay a night at the Incentra Village House, I jetted off across country on the red-eye, while Jules took Amtrak down from Boston.

Scorpios raised on the East Coast know the dismality of November weather. But we were willing to chance it. It turned out we were blessed with an incredibly stellar Indian summer weekend.

The cozy Victorian parlor with windows to Eighth Ave.

We spent the first night on the Upper East Side with friends where we strolled through Central Park that afternoon, dined on Spanish tapas at Quixote in the Chelsea Hotel, and got styled with VIP treatment at Gotham Comedy Club to see Jake Johansen. (My husband is their house photographer and has considerable juice there — thanks D!)

On Sunday we checked into Incentra Village House, two cozy, historic adjacent red brick guesthouses built in 1841. According to Lonely Planet, it is New York’s first gay inn and with a room named for Stonewall, I gather that’s true. It definitely has a gay friendly vibe. Rates for the studio rooms range from $169 to $279, depending on the number of occupants; the Bishop suite goes for $199 to $309. Vincent, our host that night, was charming and helpful, steering us toward some of the neighborhood landmarks.

Our room, the Washington, faced bustling Eighth Avenue but due to double-paned windows was surprisingly quiet. It was spacious by New York standards with a queen-sized bed, teeny bathroom, fireplace, kitchen area, and a loft with a full-sized futon. It felt like having our own little Manhattan pied-a-terre. With the exception of the rather dim lighting, I loved it.

The adjacent townhouse where we checked in houses a charming Victorian double parlor with a baby grand piano. Vincent invited us to kick back and watch the season finale of Mad Men in the comfy drawing room.

But it is the location that really shines. In the West Village above Abington Square and just blocks from Chelsea to the north and the Meatpacking district to the West, it is an eating, drinking, shopping, and people watching mecca.

We walked for miles around the Village, popping in to shoe stores, galleries, and shops, and dined on decadent pastas in Little Italy that night, where the waiter plied us with free wine.

The High Line in New York.

When Jules left a few hours before I had to make my way to JFK on Monday, I headed off to discover the High Line, a beautiful urban park created on the tracks of an former elevated freight train line next to the Hudson River. It was totally amazing and worth the blisters.

The weekend flew by but was definitely worth the effort to satisfy my New York jones and spend a long weekend with my sistercuz.

Incentra Village House
32 Eighth Avenue
New York City, NY 10014
(212) 206-0007

Photo credit: Lisa Dion

There’s a party going on in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That’s right. The oldest capital city in the United State is celebrating its 400th birthday. The Eldorado Hotel & Spa is joining in the festivities by giving travelers a present. Guests of the four-diamond property will receive the third night free; a 33% savings value starting at $219.

Located next to historic Santa Fe Plaza, Eldorado Hotel & Spa offers 219 non-smoking guest rooms, complete with 32” flat-screen HD-compatible televisions, terry-cloth bathrobes, a workstation with task light, high-speed internet access, overstuffed lounging furniture paired with a reading lamp and tables, a refrigerated mini-honor bar and optional turndown service. A selection of larger Deluxe rooms feature wood-burning kiva fireplaces and shared terraces.

While you’re staying at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, enjoy the $100 discount on a 24-karat gold facial offered by the Nidah Spa. The golden 80-minute treatment tightens and brightens skin.

Although I haven’t stayed at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, it sure sounds convenient for attending Santa Fe’s birthday festivities. Since both promotions are valid through December 30, 2009, there’s still time to plan a visit to the 10th Annual Santa Fe Film Festival (Dec. 2-6, 2009) or the Winter Spanish Market (Dec. 12 and 13, 2009).

To book this special at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, use the ‘Super Saver’ rate code PROSSS at www.eldoradohotel.com or call (800) 955-4455

Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet

All photos courtesy of Eldorado Hotel & Spa

The Powell Hotel in the middle of the action.

It doesn’t get any closer to the pulse of San Francisco than the Powell Hotel.

The one-hundred thirty-seven rooms sit right above the Powell and Market cable car turnaround smack in the middle of downtown, which depending on what kind of person you are, may or may not be a good thing.

If you like being in the thick of the action, this hotel, built in 1908 and recently renovated, puts you in the heart of it. The street below is heavily trafficked with commuters, tourists, shoppers, vendors, street performers, lunatics, and vagrants offering a real slice of the city’s character. Light sleepers beware — “view” rooms are noisy with the cacophony down below

Standard rooms are  small but affordable starting at $119. Deluxe rooms, suites, and the “Presidential” suite offer more room and work well for families.

The location is particularly good for those taking public transportation to and from the airport, a BART station is yards away from the front door. The Powell is three blocks south of Union Square and right across from Westfield Shopping Centre, which though I’m not a fan of malls, I must say, this one which houses Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s is quite impressive. Take the vintage escalator all the way up and check out the dome on top. There is also a United Artists move theater there.

The cable car turnaround is below the Powell.

A cute cafe occupies part of the lobby selling good quality pastries, excellent coffee, and a choice of soups. I sometimes stop there on my way to work and can recommend the tortilla soup.

There is just about any type of cuisine you can dream up within a few blocks and one of the city’s best dives, the Gold Dust Saloon is right up the block.

Currently the Powell is offering an SF Giants Baseball Package that includes viewbox tickets over third base, and one- or two-room suites.

Don’t forget to stop in between 5 and 8 p.m. and partake of the Hospitality social and throw back a complimentary cocktail, beer, or glass of wine.

A double room at the Hotel Powell.

The Powell Hotel
28 Cyril Magnin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 398-3200

Top photo by Lisa Dion; middle and lower courtesy of the Powell Hotel.

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Alaska's Capital Inn - 1906 Historic B&B

We pulled up to the seven room Alaska’s Capital Inn as owner Linda Wendeborn was outside in the garden. It was a rainy September day and the Bed and Breakfast was warm and welcoming inside. Wendeborn and husband, Mark Thorson, purchased the property in 1999 and have since updated the 1906 arts and crafts style home, room by room, including local Alaskan art throughout the Inn.

Each room is named after the original owners and their children. In fact, Wendeborn was delighted to discover the school books of the children tucked away in the attic. Lila’s Suite includes a queen bed and sofa pull out for children. The room rents for $339 and includes a Jacuzzi tub. John’s room, named after the father, includes a handcrafted quartersawn oak king poster bed and lists at $309 during high season. The Governor’s Suite with a Jacuzzi tub is $339, while Viola’s room is large enough to accomodate a wheelchair.

John's Room Features a Four Poster Bed

Wendeborn, the self-titled “Commissioner of Love” is licensed to marry couples. The property has a full garden, with an occasional bear passing through and an outdoor hot tub. A full cooked breakfast is included, as well as wine and treats in the afternoon. The property is wired for WiFi and has a computer and printer downstairs for guests use. Every room has a TV/VCR and phone, some offer jacuzzi tubs and a fireplace. All rooms offer romance. Children eight and older are welcome. No pets are allowed.

Located conveniently in Juneau’s downtown historic neighborhood, the Inn is close to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum and local restaurants for eating and drinking. The Bed and Breakfast is within walking distance to downtown. Your rate also includes passes to the Mt. Robert’s Tramway, a $54 value for two persons.

Photos courtesy of Nancy D. Brown

Alaska’s Capital Inn (888) 588-6507 or (907) 586-6507

113 W. Fifth Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Art Deco Lobby of the Baranof Hotel

If the walls of the historic Baranof Hotel could talk, we’d hear of tall tales dating back to March 10, 1939, the opening day of the hotel. It was the start of World War II and the large, art deco glass mirror on the ceiling was blacked out and covered over to assist with the war efforts.  Several months later, Eustace  P. Ziegler, one of Alaska’s leading artists, arrived on the Yukon steamer to paint a series of murals for the Baranof Hotel.  One of his paintings still resides in the Gold Room. Built to rival the grand hotels of its day, the Baranof currently serves as a second home to legislators doing business in Juneau.

The hotel, named in honor of Russian Governor Lord Baranof, offers 195 rooms and suites, is pet-friendly and has a convenient downtown location with free parking. It offers several dining options, including the Capital Cafe for breakfast and lunch and the posh Gold Room for fine dining. (I’d recommend the crab cakes with Asian slaw, wasabi aioli and Thai chili sauce.)

Room #725 A King Suite

Room #922, a king suite with pull-out sofa, can accomodate a family with two small children. Juneau’s only full service hotel, the $295-$269 rate also includes free WiFi. Room service anyone? Room #725 is also a king suite with a microwave oven and mini fridge. For the same price, I’d select this room on the quieter side of the hotel. The building is completely non-smoking and offers a small gym downstairs for those not wanting to exercise out in the Alaskan elements.

Located steps from the hotel, guests can ride Mt. Roberts Tramway for fantastic Juneau views or hike the nearby trails. Visitors can also take public transportation to visit the Mendenhall Glacier.

Photos courtesy of Nancy D. Brown

Westmark Baranof Hotel 1 (907) 463 6208 or (800) 764-0017

127 North Franklin Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801

The Olema Inn and Restaurant in Olema, CA.

Sometimes us urbanites just need to get the sam hill out of the city. Fortunately for those loving in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have options. Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, and the Russian River are easy getaways to the North. Coastal towns Half Moon Bay, Montara, and Santa Cruz lie just to the south, but one of my favorite escapes is to West Marin.

Yup, Marin. OK, for some it evokes images of soccer moms, hot tubs, and high-falutin suburbia. Personally, I like it. But, regardless, West Marin is an entirely different world. It’s both pastoral and wild, with cows and dairy farms dotting the rolling green hills on one side of Routh 1, rocky cliffs leading down to the raging Pacific on the other. Some of the greatest small towns in California exist here — from quirky Bolinas to sleepy Inverness.

I recently went to see a blues band at Rancho Nicasio in the tiny town of Nicasio. All around are working horse ranches and the Rancho itself has its own post office and general store. It was like a Western-style dude ranch meets roadhouse with dead animal heads on the walls, lots of knotty pine, and a big old bar in the middle to sidle up to.

The restaurant uses locally-sourced delicacies.

But here’s where the “Marin” comes in — the menu includes daily changing seasonal specials including oysters, walnut-encrusted goat cheese (with pesto aoli and “crustades”), and a couple of veggie options. That said, there is still plenty of hearty cowboy fare, but the meat and potatoes might be served with a Cabernet reduction sauce…

Anyway, I digress. I drove through nearby Olema to check out the Olema Inn and Restaurant. My husband and I have enjoyed a couple of outstanding meals there in years past, and it’s known more for the restaurant that taps local purveyors for ingredients (think Hog Island oysters and Cowgirl Creamery and Bellwether Farms cheeses) than for the inn itself.

Six light-filled but small rooms are located in the elegant inn that was built in 1876 and survived being at the epicenter of the 1906 earthquake. Niceties include European Sleepworks mattresses, Ralph Lauren linens, a and a delicious breakfast spread, again featuring local cheeses and fruits.

According to some griping on yelp and tripadvisor, service (at both the inn and restaurant) can be lacking and rooms are noisy — some face the street on the intersection of the little town’s two main roads while others are above the garden restaurant below. Other complaints are that both the restaurant and inn are overpriced. Currently on the website, prices range from $198 to $222 depending on day of the week.

I think it’s probably worth the splurge for great food, a beautiful historic inn, and to awake to a day in magnificent West Marin.

The Olema Inn
10,000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
P.O. Box 37
Olema, CA 94950
415.663.9559

Photos by Dan Dion

The Queen Anne is a Victorian gem in San Francisco.

Time travel is easy. Just step into the grand parlor of the Queen Anne, one of the oldest buildings in Pacific Heights, and you’ve landed smack into the Victorian era, San Francisco-style.

This opulent bed and breakfast even boasts a guest from another century, the Victorian-era ghost of Miss Mary Lake.

Built in 1890 by Senator and silver baron James Fair as a finishing school for girls, the sumptuous Queen Anne was run by headmistress, Miss Mary Lake of the eponymously named school.

Miss Mary Lake, a former mistress of Senator Fair, is said to have disappeared without a trace when the school was closed a few years later.

Guests have reported feeling “cold spots” in room 410, the former headmistress’ office, as well as seeing a woman’s reflection in the bathroom. One guest claims that he was tucked into his bed while sleeping. All reports were of a benign, feminine presence.

Today, the staff celebrates the era and it’s hospitable ghost. The Queen Anne is a stop on two regular tours, the San Francisco Ghost Hunt and a Victorian Walking Tour.

An alcove in the grand parlor.

Service has classy touches like afternoon tea and sherry service from 4 to 6 p.m. daily, a free limo service to popular tourist destinations that leaves every morning, free wi-fi throughout, Continental breakfast, and meeting and banquet facilities.

The 48 rooms are spacious, individual, and have been recently updated. Period details abound — if you like frilly, fussy, heavy Victoriana, you will be in heaven here. Prices range from approximately $160 for a deluxe room to $33o for a two bedroom suite.

Pacific Heights is mostly residential and one of San Francisco’s most tony neighborhoods. It’s close to great shopping, restaurants, cafes, and bars on Union Street to the north and Polk Street to the east while still being in a quiet and non-touristy area.

1590 Sutter Street @ Octavia
San Francisco, CA 94109
(800) 227-3970

Photos by Lisa Dion

An historic, Art Deco gem by Ocean Beach.

Art Deco architecture is one of my passions. I’ve taken walking tours, gone to weird but fun Art Deco Society parties where everyone dresses in period clothes, and marveled at such Deco masterpieces as the Paramount Theatre in Oakland and the Golden Gate Bridge.

So, I was completely jazzed to stumble upon an Art Deco motel near the San Francisco Zoo last weekend.

Little did I know that this gem, built in 1936, was San Francisco’s first motel — I’d hit the history jackpot, too!

According to owner Vicki Duffett, when the Ocean Park Motel was built it was actually on the ocean. You could run right out the doors into the sandy dunes of Ocean Beach. Since then, highways, houses, and buildings have gone up obstructing the views.

The courtyard motel was built in the streamline moderne style, with lots of nautical touches like porthole windows, ships’ wheels, and curved railings.

The beautifully manicured courtyard separates the buildings and a little garden has a children’s play structure. An inviting hot tub is the perfect antidote to chilly fog-swept days and evenings in this often shrouded part of the city.

Take the chill off in the hot tub.

Several different floor plans offer the correct level of desired privacy. Many rooms are quite small but the motel also has larger two-bedroom family suites with either two or three queen sized beds. Eight of the suites have cozy, fully-equipped kitchens. A number of the rooms have the original deco tile in the bathrooms.

Rates are adjusted seasonally and range from $90 to $135 for one queen; $100 to $145 for a queen and twin; and $125 to $195 for two to three queen bed units. Kitchen units cost up to $20 extra per day and require a four-day minimum stay, but do ask — they can be rented on a space-available basis.

The Ocean Park is family owned (the Duffetts live on the property) and also dog friendly.

The San Francisco Zoo is a block away and several restaurants and cafes are within easy walking distance.

A trip down the Great Highway to the Beach Chalet is a must for hungry history/architecture buffs like myself. The views are magnificent and the WPA murals are exquisite National landmarks. If it’s crowded, as it often is (especially for brunch), check the Park Chalet in back of the same building for relaxing views of Golden Gate Park and live music.

Ocean Park Motel
2690 46th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 566-7020

Top photos by Lisa Dion, lower right courtesy of Ocean Park Motel.