On the road: I love hotels

Comfy bed at Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel

I love hotels.  It may sound strange but I do.  Maybe it’s all the hoteliness of it all.  The beds made with fresh sheets and extra pillows.  The shower and tub all sparkly clean with nice fluffy towels.  All of the efficient, little shampoos and soaps.  And the best – the very best part – is that I don’t have to clean up!  The used towels disappear, the beds get made, and all is reset as if by elves.  

Awesome bed at Boston Park Plaza hotel

  Okay, I know that not all hotels are perfect and traveling on a budget as I do, I’ve had my share of crappy hotel stays.  I read reviews and check out the star ratings of the places I stay and do my best to select locations that are safe, clean, and try hard, even if they’re not part of the chain hotels.  I think that’s important.  On vacation, we stayed at the Americana Hotel in Arlington VA.  TripAdvisor.com reviewers said it was run down, yes, but inexpensive in an expensive market (Washington DC) and clean and friendly.  For the most part, they were right.  The front desk staff was attentive and very helpful, not acquiring the glazed over look of the frazzled, phone juggling, direction giving, name tag wearing, maintenance calling, folks I’ve met in some of the chains.  The breakfast area in the lobby looked recently remodeled but a bit cramped, but you can tell they were trying . . . donuts, muffins, cereal and good hot coffee.  We stayed there after having spent a week in a Wyndham Clubs resort in Williamsburg, VA, which was awesome, spacious, and generous, like a perfect little home away from home for us.   

In room coffee at Seaport Boston Hotel

So in comparison, the Americana Hotel in Arlington had a few things that were starkly differentiating.  Much smaller space (2 br condo vs. 1 room hotel with 3 people and perhaps you get the picture), no refrigerator or microwave (these are things I’m coming to require in a room-maybe I’m asking too much), really – I mean really – small bathroom with very little counter space or shelf space to put out our toiletries, a rattling and noisy air conditioner, and kind of a damp mustiness that I may have been imagining, but probably not.  But in its defense, the room at the Americana Hotel, had a great flowing shower and that noisy air conditioner kept the steamy summer temps nice and cool.  And with rates at just over half the cost of other hotels in the area, I can see why it is a regular traveler’s favorite in the area.  I would recommend it if you can deal with the dated but squeaky clean yellow tile in the bathroom and the not flat screen TV.  If you’re looking for a place to crash after a day of visiting the Smithsonian Museums and other capitol sites, this was fine.  It was within walking distance to the Metro and a mall and plenty of restaurants.  

Bed at Hampton Inn Chicopee MA

The hotel I’m staying in at the moment is the Hampton Inn in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  I’m here because the tourism organization that I work for, The Maine Highlands, is exhibiting at The Big E, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, in anticipation of my pilgrimage.  New in my position last year, I hadn’t booked rooms for my group as far in advance as is needed and found myself booking here in Chicopee which is a bit further from the fairgrounds than most exhibitors like to be, therefore rooms were available at the last minute.  This year I booked a room closer to the fair for my volunteers, but having had a great experience here last year, booked myself at the Hampton Inn in Chicopee.  

When I got here yesterday afternoon, I was really glad I did book here.  Within the last year, the lobby has had a fabulous makeover.  They moved the free breakfast zone from the main lobby area to a separate room off of the lobby.  The free breakfast is one of the draws for me.  Another is the free hot coffee available 24/7.  At night, I get 2 cups robust coffee black to take to my room.  I like to have coffee first thing in the morning, and am not into getting dressed to go downstairs for coffee.  When my husband is with me, he does that (he’s one of those morning people) but on my own, I get the coffee, some creamers, and a cup of tea for that evening, then in the morning, I microwave the coffee (I know I know – not everyone likes microwave coffee and I’m usually one of those people but I’d rather have microwaved coffee than have to get dressed).  The room, a regular room, not a suite or anything, is comfortable, feels clean, and has the stuff I love in a hotel room – fridge, microwave, large desk with free wifi – a huge plus – beds with four pillows on each bed, a fluffy white duvet, a cool lap desk so I can write in bed, big TV with Showtime, and nice complimentary toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and mouthwash.  Plenty of towels, lots of light, a big comfy chair, huge closet, and rooms to spread out all my stuff.  I travel with a lot of stuff.  Breakfast this morning was a filling mix of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, one of those pour-flip-sizzle waffles, mixed fresh fruit, and yep, more coffee.  They also had a three tiered display case of pastries, muffins, bagels and breads and three kinds of cereal.  I like to fill up at breakfast so that I can go for a while without having to stop to eat. 

Oh and the showers . . . its so nice to take a shower without that pesky having-to-leave-hot-water-for-others thing. 

The absolute best thing:  I don’t have to do dishes.  

Or slice or chop or negotiate and serve.  

efficiency kitchen at Best Western Chocolate Lake Halifax NS

It’s a mini vacation.  Ok, I haven’t been lounging by the pool or waiting in lines for a thrill ride or museum, but the little niceties of a good hotel room make it feel like that.  At home, there’s always some nagging chore that needs attention, something I have to tend to, work to be done.  In a hotel room that work might still need doing but unless you took it with you, you simply can’t do it.  You MUST sink back into the pillows and mush your mind with Honey Boo-Boo.  And in the morning, there’s no delay that comes from starting a load of laundry before work or getting the recycling out before the truck rolls around the corner. 

So for you my dear readers, I will suffer through trade show season staying at a variety of hotels along the way and when I can pull myself out of the plush mountain of pillows, I will write about them. 

I’d love to hear about what you love about hotels.    

Big pile of pillows at Hampton Inn

   

Written at the smooth and spacious desk in room 216 Hampton Inn Chicopee Massachusetts. 

Summer is here! A visit to Old Orchard Beach

I love Old Orchard Beach, Maine.  Always a signal of summer’s arrival, a few hours at Old Orchard just spins you right into summer mode.  The vinegary pier fries, the fried dough dusted (very liberally) with powdered sugar and cinnamon, the classic Lisa’s Pizza, it all brings me back. 

Growing up in southern Maine, Old Orchard Beach wasn’t as much a regular thing as you’d think, living only a few miles away.  For my family, with four kids, the cost of the rides and the food made this a twice a summer – maybe – kind of thing.  As I got older and could drive or had friends that could drive, it was where everyone went to “cruise” in the summer.  For many of us, as teens, it was where we had summer jobs and summer friends.  For me, it was the place I had my first record store job and because of that, the place I met my first husband.  

Like everything else, things change.  The town has had some rough times.  But if this past Memorial Day weekend was any indication, this summer won’t be remembered as such.  It will be a good year for Old Orchard Beach.

My daughter and I had a few hours to spare on Sunday of that weekend.  The weather was beautiful – warm, sunny – kind of a surprise at the end of May.  We decided to go “down the beach.”  I wanted to get some photographs from the top of the ferris wheel and my daughter just wanted to ride it.  One of the great things about the amusement park at Old Orchard Beach, called Palace Playland, is that you can buy just enough tickets to ride one ride, or in our case, three.  You don’t have to pay the big money for the whole day.  You don’t have to pay to get in.  You don’t have to pay if you don’t ride.  Easy.  Good for parents with kids.  If your kids are little and you’re not sure if they’re going to even want to ride, you get just enough tickets to find out.  If your kids are old enough and can ride by themselves, but still need some supervision, you can go and not pay for the privilege of that experience. 

So we rode the ferris wheel . . . 

from the top of the ferris wheel

looking west towards Saco

looking east toward Scarborough

Old Orchard Beach's main drag:  Old Orchard Ave.

And the “Superstar” – the scrambler ride you see at every fair.  And the little roller coaster, the Galaxi – not sure why, since we’ve ridden the big ones at Busch Gardens, Six Flags, and Cedar Point – but it’s been a while since we’ve had a roller coaster ride, so why not?  I’m not trying to compare Palace Playland to any of those parks.  It’s a totally different thing.  It just felt good to be flung and lifted and dipped and spun after a long winter. 

We walked around a bit then up the street.  Now I’ve seen the fried food options at some of the big fairs – fried twinkies, friend snickers bars, heck, I even saw fried butter and fried kool aid (don’t ask) last year.  Interesting as they might be, I’m usually watching what I eat and don’t want to part with six bucks for a fried twinkie when that could buy me two boxes of them (not that I would).  

But . . . we found fried oreos.  And they were only $1.00 each.  So we got three.  Powdered them up and then took them to the beach to eat.  They looked like squashed donut holes and when you bit into them, the cookie was warm and the creamy center, melted.  

fried, well, everything

deep fried oreo cookies with powdered sugar

creamy and melted on the inside . . this could be a new tradition

Old Orchard is a nice little community.  There are plenty of hotels, condos, shops and restaurants to support the large influx of tourists that come during the summer.  Visitors come from Quebec and New England and from all over Maine. 

Beyond the fried food, pizza, ice cream, and caramel corn . .beyond the lights and the rides and the games is . . The Beach. 

Go for the beach!

At low tide, the beach is flat and wide, great for running or playing games.  It’s clean and the sand is soft and powdery east of the pier.  Music is playing from the beachfront bars.  Seagulls and terns dip in and out of the tide.  Kids play in the sand.  Groups of teen girls lay on their towels.  Families and couples set up for the day with coolers and umbrellas. 

A short walk away is a carousel ride and a slushie drink.  What could be better?

For travel information about Old Orchard Beach and the Maine Beaches check out these websites:

The Maine Beaches 

Old Orchard Beach

Hotel Review: Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel

the view from our room

In my recent blog post, Seas The Day, I wrote about the trip I recently took with my daughter to Fort Lauderdale.  Today’s post is about our digs while we were there. 

the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel; walkway to Marina Tower

We stayed at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel.  The event I was there for, our Maine tourism promotional luncheon and reception was being held at the hotel.  A Starwood member, it was easy for me to go along with the others in my group when they said they were booked at this hotel. 

ships on the horizon

When I saw its location on the map, I thought it would be great.  I booked the two days of work there and while I did look at other hotels for the two days I had to pay for myself ($250+ per night) I did end up staying there for the remainder of my trip, using our Starwood points. 

I had read some Trip Advisor reviews of the hotel.  Some had written that it was “tired” or “dated” and described the mix of confusing buildings and passageways.  After deciding that we’d go for it despite the reviews, I am very happy we did. 

cool art on the walls in the lobby

Upon arrival, I was immediately thrilled with the look and feeling of the lobby.  It was painted in such a great aquamarine color, with coral accent colors and lots of cool rattan furniture.  The aquamarine was set off by white accent walls.  The whole scheme was SO Florida!  Yep, folks down here might tire of the tropical colors, but baby that’s why I was there.  I don’t want to go to Florida and be surrounded by New England conservative décor.  No! I want it bright and crisp and Floridian. 

great wall color in the rooms; loved that!

The color palette continued in our room.  I had requested an ocean view room if it was available and indeed it was.  The ocean view rooms are not beach front rooms although they are true to their promise of viewing the ocean.  The building we were in was the Marina tower, attached to the parking garage but across the street from the main building. 

 

And our view:

sunrise view from our room

Awesome huh?  How can you not enjoy waking up to that?  Port Everglades was not far away so we saw ships cross the ocean and onward out to sea.  Wake up, there’s a cargo ship.  Come back to change for dinner and Royal Caribbean has set sail.

The hotel is sort of shaped like a ship, the main building is in a triangular configuration with one end open to the sky.  In the center, accessed from the 2nd floor, is one of two pools on the property.  Bright and sunny, the area was energized with people enjoying the day.  My daughter spent some time one afternoon alternating between texting her friend in Maine and swimming in the pool.  We both enjoyed this pool each evening after dinners out.  It was really nice from the surface.

one of the two pools

I had read somewhere that there used to me or there was a mermaid show at this hotel.  A strange concept, but okay.  As we walked through the hotel lobby and cafe one morning something from inside the darkened bar caught my eye.  It was closed but we went in for a moment and realized that from that level of the hotel, the windows of the bar looked into . . . wait for it . . THE POOL.

the view from the bar's windows into the pool.

Kind of cool.  Kind of creepy.  We imagined guys slumped over at the bar, staring at girl's legs kicking underwater, oblivious to the spectacle that they were involved in.  One day, we saw the lower half of a girl wearing light, flowing green, kind of like . . . a mermaid.  It was a little much. 

Directly across the street was the entrance to South Beach Park, a public beach area.  Each morning there were runners and walkers and bikers and folks just strolling with coffee. 

the walkway at South Beach Park

ahh . . the beach.

We had breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, Dos Caminos, a Mexican place with a patio café outside.  It was so great to be able to sit outside for breakfast.  The coffee was good and strong and the menu was varied.  The first morning I had Huevos Rancheros.  The second morning we had the continental breakfast included with our room.  Sounds kind of boring but the pastries were so good and fresh.  It came with yogurt and fruit and cereal with milk.  Our last morning before leaving, my daughter had the spinach and cheese omelet, which was so good she wouldn’t share.  I had the blueberry pancakes which were so good I hesitated giving her a bite, but I did (that’s what Moms do, right?). 

wall decor in Dos Caminos restaurant

One of our evenings ended there at Dos Caminos, too, with a bowl full of warm tortilla chips and their made to order guacamole.  I’m kind of a guac snob, having perfected my own recipe over the past year and I must say the guacamole at Dos Caminos was fabulous.  But the chips were the star of that show, thin and crisp, salty and fresh.  To round out the night that night we ordered coffee and dessert.  For me, it was ice cream.  Not much of a variety of flavors so I got the Mexican chocolate.  Now I’m not really a big fan of chocolate ice creams, much more into the vanilla based flavors and caramels, but with the hint of cinnamon in the ice cream, it had me craving it every night after that. 

looking north on Fort Lauderdale Beach

The best best best part of the whole place . . . the beach!  Soft clean sand, waves big enough to body surf but not so rough as to bowl you over if you weren’t paying attention.  The water was warm (well, warmer than it ever gets in Maine) and on our last night, we swam and surfed for hours.

nice plush towels and chairs on the beach for you.

 

The part of the beach in front of the hotel had chairs and umbrellas set up.  Guests get two chairs and as many towels as you might need.  You can get an umbrella for an extra charge but we didn’t.  After some time in the sun, we went to the beachfront pool, which was bathwater warm.  Sitting in the chaise lounge chairs with a lemonade and some cheesy fries, with palm trees waving over head, I felt as if I could stay there for life.  Between the beach and the pool and the food and just being able to read my book in the sun, it was paradise, even for a short time. 

So if you’re looking for a great beachfront place to stay in Fort Lauderdale, this is it.  If you’re in need of somewhere to stay before you depart on your cruise, the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach would be a great choice.  At the south end of the beach, it’s far enough away from the spring breakers to stay sane and close enough to the marina to be able to hop onto a water taxi for an afternoon’s tour of yachts and mansions.  If I had known how close it was to so many restaurants, I would not have rented a car.  We only took it out one time, to go get souvenirs at Walgreens (you read that right).  We were able to walk to dinner each night at a different place and afterwards go and enjoy the pool and work off our meals. 

This trip was a wonderful experience for me and my girl.  Can I go back yet?  It’s still not all that warm here in Maine.  The flowers and lush green leaves, wearing shorts and sundresses and sandals, ahhh . . . please? 

LIFE on Life’s terms: Living in the moment or “Seas the Day”

Like many people, I struggle with the bucolic concept of living in the moment.  My daily planner is planned out months in advance.  Each week I plot out my goals for the week, my appointments, and my dinner menu.  There are very few moments that I’m not at least partly considering the next moment rather than the one I’m in.  Perhaps I’m the oddball, but I suspect that this is pretty common amongst people today.  Everything is about what’s next. 

Living in the moment . . . what does it mean?  Is it akin to so many other phrases that denote the need for appreciation for what you have or what you are or who you are at any given time? 

Is it a reminder that “life is short” so “seize the day” but don’t forget to “stop and smell the roses?” 

Those expressions wouldn’t have gained overuse prominence if there weren’t truth to them. 

This is what has prompted my little life appreciation lesson.  I was fortunate enough to “have” to go to Fort Lauderdale for my work.  Leaving Maine in March to go somewhere warm and sunny is something I dream of every January. 

This trip came up fast and took a lot of work to pull together.  With a little help from some hotel points and a supportive spouse, I was able to extend the trip two extra days and bring my daughter with me.  We had a wonderful, sunshine filled, causal couple of days. 

The evening before our 8:00 am flight home, after touring around on a water taxi and seeing the yachts and mansions of the rich and famous, we took a walk on the beach before dinner.  Always prepared, we both were wearing our bathing suits and decided to take a swim.  The water was warm, easy to get into and the waves were just raucous enough to be fun.  We have beautiful beaches in Maine but the water rarely reaches above sixty degrees and swimming in it is, well, numbingly uncomfortable for me at this age. 

We splashed and bobbed and floated for two hours.  It was getting dark and we hadn’t had dinner yet.  The guys who worked for the hotel were clearing the beach, stacking lounge chairs and picking up towels.  I felt that pull of responsibility and got out of the water to dry off.  My daughter protested and made a case for staying in, claiming she’d only rinse off in the pool rather than swim for another hour once we left the beach (she lied). 

So I gathered up our things and sat in the sand with my camera.  Watching her jump and flip around in the waves made me curiously sentimental for days when I had nothing to worry about, nothing to plan or prepare for.  Truthfully, I can’t even remember feeling like that although I must have as a child.  We had seen a boat earlier in the day that was named “Seas the Day” and I loved the play on words with one of my favorite sayings.  It was a struggle for me to just sit in the warm sand, digging my feet in, shooting the beach and waves and my sweet little daughter just playing in the ocean. 

I have returned home.  I’ve thought about those moments quite a few times, that churning in my stomach, a gnawing feeling that I should be doing something else (like packing for our early departure).  For me, recently diagnosed with ADD, I wonder if it is that “driven” feeling that is a symptom of the disorder.  Or is it’s a byproduct of a busy life?  Perhaps my Catholic school guilt which says that I shouldn’t stop and enjoy myself, that I must always be productive.  I don’t know for sure why I feel the way I do about it but I know I’m on a quest to practice more mindful behavior.  Allow myself to take pleasure in the small, wonderful things about my life, like being able to type this post with one of my cats just over my shoulder and the other nestled on the desk in front of me. 

And I will sit in the sand and watch my daughter play in the sea.  I will live in the moment, even if it’s just for a moment.  This moment. 

Happy Halloween: Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

Being the day before Halloween, it’s perfectly acceptable to be thinking about the creepiest experiences you’ve ever had. One of the most recent of mine was on a recent trip to Philadelphia. First trolley stop on my list: the Eastern State Penitentiary.

It’s located right near the Museum of Art – home of the “Rocky” statue. Pretty darn near downtown.



The first thing I noticed was that it’s in a neighborhood. A neighborhood where people live and drive and walk their dogs. This evil history, just set amongst the townhouses.



We walked in from the street into the gift shop and paid for our admission. There’s an audio tour you can get so that you can listen to different parts of the story where ever you are in the complex. Many parts of it are narrated by Steve Buscemi. We got our headsets on and started off.

It was really hot that day and stepping into the first spoke of the wagon wheel shaped set of buildings was at first refreshing. Then your eyes become accustomed to the dimness and focus on the corridor for what it is: cell after cell, door after door, a place in history where the worst offenders where kept.

We learned that in its earlier years, it was a model for prisons around the world. It was the Pennsylvania System and was based on the true concept of “penitence”. Inmates were kept completely solitary, not seeing another human being for months or years at a time. Even while being led into their cells, their heads were covered. It was “confinement in solitude with labor” and worked extremely well for years.



I found the extensive corridors mesmerizing.



I had seen one of the ghost shows do a visit of this place, declaring it haunted. This place, on a catwalk across the second level, was the area of the most paranormal activity. I found that out after we went, but recall feeling, as I stood on the catwalk, that I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I took a few photos and hurried back down.

There are artist installations throughout. One is in homage to the many cats who moved in after the prison was closed in the early 70’s and the man who continued to feed them. There are plaster cats in various poses throughout.



Another artist’s installation had these small models of cell and prison life. I found this one extremely unsettling.

Women were incarcerated in separate wings.

Al Capone spent some time in here. His cell was outfitted in the finest of the time.

Mostly, what struck me, as a photographer, was the age and decay, the texture and ruin, the glimpses of lives lived in this place. Men, women, sleeping, eating, living here in these small rooms, doing penance for their crimes.

The aging provides some beautiful terrible texture to these walls. So pronounced in some places that the layers of paint curled inches away from the surface.

One of my favorite musicians, Sting, used this dimension as a backdrop for an album cover shoot.

Another creepy place in the prison was the hospital, although we could not enter the actual rooms, the implication of disease and death hung heavily in that part of the prison.

This is a scary and fascinating place.

With some unusual and unexpected beauty.

When you are here in Philadelphia, come and check this place out. It’s really worth a few hours of your time to understand the evolution of the prison system in this country and the power of this place.











You can read all about the history and check out the plans for this year’s Halloween.

http://www.easternstate.org/