Socal Mom by Donna Schwartz Mills

More Las Vegas: In Praise of Cabana Boys & Laker Girls

Even on vacation, I tend to wake up on the early side. That was actually a good thing on this trip, as my husband was eight time zones away and I wanted to talk to him before we got going - and he went to bed.

The rest of our group was still fast asleep, so I slipped out to find a quiet spot where I could make a phone call - and while I was at it, I did some hotel reconnaissance.

The casino is relatively quiet at 7:00 a.m. - but not quiet enough for good conversation. I made my way past the fine dining restaurants, away from the shopping center to one of the two hotel Starbucks... and found the hallway that leads to the complex's convention center.

Bingo.

Las Vegas: There's Gold in Them Thar Windows!

Our destination was on the other end of the strip, so we decided to take a cab.

"Isn't that our hotel?" my daughter asked.

"No, Megan. That's the Mirage." Her friend Maggie sounded exasperated in the back seat.

I can't blame Megan for mistaking the Mirage for Mandalay Bay - both are huge buildings covered in gold-tinted windows. I'm pretty sure Las Vegas has more gold-tinted windows than any other city in North America.

It was Megan's first visit to the adult playground that is Vegas, and it may as well have been mine. I made a point of gathering up all the quarters sitting in our "Coinstar Box" -- only to discover that today's slots only take bills and credit cards. I'll never repeat the experience of dropping 75 cents into a slot to kill some time -- and ending up with a $150 jackpot. When you use spare change, it doesn't feel like gambling. But sliding a $20 or a credit card into a machine is a commitment; one I am not equipped to make.

So it's a good thing our traveling companions are not the high rolling types, either. This whole shebang was Mary Ellen's idea: She saw a window of opportunity between the time our girls got out of school and next week, when their 30-hour-a-week summer gymnastics program kicks in.

"We can get a cheap room by going Monday through Wednesday," she said. "And it's even cheaper if we share."

As I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself that my husband was visiting his family in Wales without me (a decision we made mutually because of the devalued dollar), this seemed like a great idea. I was in.

Cabazon: Desert Shopping and Swimming

My plan for today's post was to write about the Palm Springs area and what a bargain it is for travelers in the summer months (when demand for desert uh, warmth is on the low side).

Megan and I were going to leave the house early, check in to our Rancho Mirage hotel and then check out the local sights, like the Aerial Tramway and...

...well, that was the only activity I was aware of here. I figured we woud spend the rest of the day shopping at the River complex, and hanging out at the pool.

That was before Megan turned on her newly charged cell phone and found a text message from a friend, who happened to be staying at the Morongo Casino and Resort, out in Cabazon... which we would be passing by on our way to Palm Springs. The Desert Hills Premium Outlet mall is located right next to the resort... I had always wanted to check it out (for some reason, my husband never seems to want to stop and shop when we're traveling) and Leesa and her family were planning on having lunch there. So why not?

While there, Leesa's family invited us to come and hang out with them at the resort's fabulous pool. So instead of an awesome aerial view, we ended up spending the afternoon at an Indian casino... and it was good.

Sunny San Diego (and Coronado, too)

When I was a kid growing up here in the San Fernando Valley, my family's favorite vacation destination was San Diego. It's relatively close (just a two hour drive if traffic is light), it's on the coast, and the weather is almost always perfect (even when it's raining in Los Angeles, as it was this weekend).

So when I received an invitation to attend a blogger event this weekend at Sea World (to try out the park's new Sesame Street themed Bay of Play area), I jumped on it. For the last couple of years, we've been heading down to San Diego purely for gymnastics meets. How nice would it be to go there for fun?

As it turns out, it was very nice indeed.

Invasion of the Riff-Raff: An Anniversary to Remember at the Montage Laguna Beach

It was weird to be spending our anniversary this year at a renowned five-star hotel; pampered in the proverbial lap of luxury while our conversations centered on layoffs, recession and hard times ahead.

It’s strange that riff-raff like us had even HEARD of the Montage resort in Laguna Beach, let alone be returning to the place – especially with our tenuous connection to the bizarre police shooting that occurred there last year.

The first time we visited, we were guests of some extravagant and generous friends who invited us there to help them celebrate a milestone birthday. We hadn't seriously considered coming back until that charity silent auction we attended in October.

One of the prizes was a one-night stay at Montage with bidding begun at a bargain rate of $200. So we placed a bid.

By the end of the evening, it was too late; especially once my husband’s boss entered the fray. Gareth was determined to win, and he did. But our final cost was $50 more than it would have been if we had just made the reservation directly with the hotel. (At least, the money goes to charity, and we can write that $50 off.)

Riff-Raff that I am, I was determined to use all of the resort’s facilities to the max this time – and milk as much as I could out of our one-night stay.

“Did you tell them it was our anniversary?” I asked my husband last week. I’d expected them to ask us when we’d made our reservation. Husband shot off a quick email asking if they had any suggestions for us. For a hotel of this caliber, that’s code for “We expect you to make a fuss.”

I was not disappointed.

We made it to Laguna around 11:00, hoping to obtain an early check-in. A room was available, so we had the desk clerk send our luggage over while we moseyed over to the property’s “casual” dining room, The Loft. After being seated, my husband handed me a letter from the general manager, welcoming us to the property and wishing us a happy anniversary there.

Boo-ya!

The Embassy Suites Riverfront in Sacramento

Although we visit our state's capital quite often (as my sister and parents live in the area), it has been a long time since I've stayed in a downtown Sacramento hotel (as my sister and parents live in the area).

I used to spend a lot of time up here in hotels. Before I quit my last outside-the-home fulltime job, I was the meeting planner for a state trade association, and one of the events I was responsible for planning was an annual legislative meeting here for 1,500 attendees. Back then, I was intimately familiar with the Sacramento Convention Center and all the nearby hotels -- which had a lot to be desired. Sure, the Hyatt next to the CC was lovely, and was used for our "headquarters." But that facility would only give us 400 guest rooms (out of 500) -- not nearly enough for our demanding attendees. The remainder of the inns we used for overflow housing were farther away, lacked a lot of basic amenities, and were a little bit scary. One of the expenses of meeting in Sacramento was to arrange for continuous shuttle service between the Center and all of the remote hotels.

Before I left that job eight years ago, I was watching the efforts of Sacto's Convention and Visitors Bureau to add more quality hotel rooms to the area. I have continued to keep track (professional curiosity?) and was very happy when a beautiful Sheraton was opened right next to the Hyatt... and an Embassy Suites near the river. And I had been looking forward to coming back here as a convention attendee instead of a worker...

...until I tried to book my room at the Hyatt or the Sheraton and discovered they were already filled. OK, I thought. This is what my old attendees had to put up with... at least, there are more hotels in the area. I looked at the list of overflow properties and was dismayed to see the same old tired, unappealing places... plus the Embassy Suites. It's the farthest away from the Center, and it costs $10 more than a room at the Sheraton would (if one had been available). BUT...

... I will be sharing this room with another mom from my school; one I don't know all that well. And an all-suites hotel would offer us the benefit of a little privacy from one another, should we need that. And the price of the room includes a free, cooked-to-order breakfast each morning of your stay -- which is something that would help me stick to my diet while I'm away from home. Finally, the meeting coordinator for our PTA District assured me that there would indeed be shuttle service between all the hotels. So this is where I booked the room. I flew in a day early so I could spend a little time with my mom and dad. My roomie is due later this morning.

A couple of weeks ago, I was told that my roommate had been upset that we were going to miss all the action at the Sheraton (which is the headquarters). I told them that with the Sheraton closed to reservations, this was the best of the remainder (which is true), and that I was sure she would be happy here.

Now I'm not so sure. True, our little suite is spacious and clean. The beds are comfortable, the linens are nice and the bathroom is large enough to hold all the product two women are likely to bring. But it's not perfect.

For one thing, all three elevators are not working today! One was in operation last night, but it's out of commission today. Other guests say they've been told all will be fixed before the day is done. Fortunately, our room is only on the third floor, but I can imagine how guests on the upper levels are feeling right now -- especially the ones who need to check out with some luggage in tow.

But my biggest disappointment came after I'd registered for the convention. I combed through the convention materials to find out when the shuttles would be running and made this upsetting discovery: NO SHUTTLE SERVICE AT ALL -- except for the Saturday night dinner (which I didn't sign up for, as I'd thought I'd be spending that evening with my sister and her family).

I had planned to spend this morning perusing the exhibits at the trade show and had instructed my roommate to call me when she got in and to take the shuttle to meet me at the Center. So now I need to come up with a Plan B.

There's no concierge at the Embassy Suites in Sacramento -- so I asked a woman at the front desk how convention attendees get to their meetings. She told me that the hotel's airport shuttle can take me -- so long as they don't have an airport pickup. I can even call for the shuttle when we are going back -- so long as they don't have an airport pickup.

"What about public transportation?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't take public transportation."

Yeah. That was a big help.

It's not that large a downtown and I could always walk (what a concept). But the weather is unseasonably cold and wet (it is usually dry and warm this time of year). Fortunately, my parents called yesterday morning to alert me to this -- otherwise, I would not have packed my jacket and umbrella. But walking a mile in torrential rain is not something I am going to want to do a lot of, especially toting around a bunch of stuff from the exhibit hall.

I'm not even sure how to get there.

One nice thing about this hotel is that the computers in their tiny Business Center are free to guests, and this is where I'm posting this. Yes, I did bring my own notebook with me -- but neglected to bring my AC adapter, so there's not much battery power right now. I'm such an Internet junkie that I've asked Gareth to overnight it to me here, and he understands it so well that he's actually going to do it. So -- anyone sending me email may have to wait a couple of days before I respond.

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I'm still selling raffle tickets to support my daughter's gymnastics team. Purchase your $5 ticket here.

Happy Valentine's Day

I thought I was going to get by with just the travel post today, but everyone seems to be out buying candy and flowers... so what the hell. Here's one I've seen all over today. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em:

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love. You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Where to Stay in Monterey

Monterey is a town that thrives on tourism, so if you're planning a visit, you've got lots of choices: everything from the five-star opulence of world-famous resorts at Pebble Beach down to one-star motels.

Selecting one depends as much upon your vacation plans as it does your budget. Well, almost as much -- even though the Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that there are 300 hotels, motels and inns on the Monterey Peninsula, demand still exceeds supply... so it pays to shop around.

For a moment, let's pretend that money is no object and you're planning a weekend getaway to Monterey. What will you do there?

Are you a golfer? Then my mention of Pebble Beach above must have caught your eye, as it is Golf Digest's number one ranked golf resort in the United States. The Pebble Beach Resort boasts four golf courses, including two listed in Golf Digest's Top Ten.

The resort's hotels (The Lodge, The Inn at Spanish Bay and Casa Palermo) also offer world-class spas, tennis (their tennis club is ALSO top-ranked!), horseback riding, kayaking and swimming - both at the beach and heated pools. Fine dining and shopping are also on-site, which makes the resort a one-stop visit of its own. 

What will a weekend stay at this paradise cost you? The least expensive room at The Inn at Spanish Bay (which is the least expensive of the three hotels) goes for $535 a night (and this does not include golf course fees). Ocean views at any of the three go for upwards of $730 a night.

There are less expensive options for golfers who are willing to forego the luxury of the Pebble Beach resorts. Monterey a beautiful, woodsy Hyatt Regency just three miles from downtown. A weekend room there will run you $249 a night (a relative bargain compared with the Inn at Spanish Bay), and guests get a special rate at Pebble Beach's Del Monte golf course. The Hyatt also boasts its own tennis facility, swimming pool and T-Mobile wi-fi throughout the property.

As I'm not a golfer, I'm kind of partial to Monterey's downtown hotels. I can also personally vouch for their quality, having managed several meetings and conventions at the Monterey Conference Center in the early '90's. The great thing about a downtown location is that once you park your car, you never have to use it again (until it's time to leave).

Adjacent to the Monterey State Historic Park and Portola Plaza is the Portola Plaza Hotel. Across the street is the Monterey Marriott. These are both pretty standard chain-type hotels (the Portola Plaza was originally a Doubletree, now under new management). While you do get a high level of service and amenities, there isn't anything particularly special about the facility or the rooms. These properties do, however, offer you an enviable location where you can walk to all the sites I mentioned in my first Monterey post). These hotels offer comparable rates: $229 and $249 for the Portola Plaza.

If it's a romantic getaway you're after, you'll find plenty of ambiance one block away, at the Hotel Pacific. This all-suite Spanish-influenced garden style inn offers rooms with feather beds, fireplaces, french doors that lead to private patios, and little luxuries like a second TV in the bathroom. If you book online through their website, it will cost you $269 a night -- but when I checked this out at AAA, I found a rate of $209.

This brings me to the subject of hotel room rates in general, which are fluid and dependent upon factors like supply, demand and season. The rate today may be wildly different from the rate tomorrow. To research this post, I selected a weekend in October to check rates and availability. Sites like Hotels.com, Travelocity and Orbitz are good for helping you locate properties to stay in -- however, in most cases you will get a better deal when you book your room through the hotel's own website, especially if you belong to their frequent traveler program and have points to trade for a discounted room. Membership in the Automobile Club can help too (as in the example above), although the discount is not usually as substantial as the one I found at Hotel Pacific.

AAA is also good for giving you accurate ratings of the hotels you're booking -- I've found that the big travel websites don't always concur on the number of stars awarded a particular property.

If the purpose of your visit is to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you should check out the many hotels and motels that have sprung up around Cannery Row. The one I've always wanted to try is the elegant Monterey Plaza, with its beautiful dolphin fountain and dramatic views of the bay. Alas, this property's rates are in Pebble Beach territory, with ocean view rooms for the weekend in question starting at $410.

More affordable options are the three-star Best Western Victorian Inn ($210), and the two-star Cannery Row Inn ($169) and Otter Inn ($139).

Notice how the rate gets lower the fewer stars the property is awarded and the farther you are from the attraction you are visiting? I wanted to save more money on my recent Monterey visit, so opted to try one of the many motels located in the Carmel Hill area of Monterey. This is a hillside strip on Munras avenue, roughly two miles from the Aquarium that is home to over a dozen little motels of the Days Inn, Clarion and TraveLodge variety. Our choice was the Comfort Inn Carmel Hill, with a AAA rate of $129. Even though it was a no-frills kind of place (vending machines instead of a coffee shop, plastic cups in the bathroom instead of real glass), it was clean, it felt safe, it had a decent little pool, and offered free high-speed Internet and continental breakfast in the morning.

It was also located right next door to La Giostra, a pretty good little Italian restaurant and was just a block away from the Del Monte Shopping Center, which had more places to eat and a Whole Foods Market to boot.

If I was worried that my daughter would miss the amenities she's used to in more luxurious places, those fears were quickly rested. "I like the Comfort Inn," she said, as she grabbed the remote and sank into her very own comfortable queen bed. I did, too.

Next: Final Monterey post.