The Savvy Tourist

Huntington, West Virgina

Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat.^[3] A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was estimated at 49,129 in 2009.^[4] Huntington is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of 2009, the MSA's population was 285,624. Huntington is the largest city within the MSA and the second largest city in West Virginia, behind Charleston. The city is also the home of Marshall University.

The city was named for Collis P. Huntington, who founded Huntington in 1870 as the western terminus for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) on the land west of the mouth of the Guyandotte River at the Ohio River. It was created as a railroad town for the C&O, when it initially stretched from Richmond, Virginia to the Ohio River. The city houses numerous railroad shops which expanded east to Newport News (and coal piers) and west to eventually reach Cincinnati and Chicago in the years after its founding.

Well folks, those are the facts, straight from Wikipedia. Now let me tell you a little about Huntington from my point of view.

You see, I recently had to travel to Huntington for a family funeral. Not exactly a vacation hotspot, but you can't exactly pick where your relatives choose to live and die. I had a picture in my head of what I thought Huntington was from when I was a little girl and visited my grandparents on occasion.

Downtown Huntington was made up of old brick buildings with architectual character that took you back to another era. There was much hustle and bustle from the many shoppers and all the people that worked in the area. There were small diners and small boutique shops and also fancy restaurants and huge department stores. When my grandmother took me shopping at Stone & Thomas, I was enchanted with the fact that every department practically had it's own floor.

Huntington was home to the coal and chemical industries as well as glassworks and steel. Huntington Alloys Corp., known more recently as Special Metals Corp. was begun in 1922 as a processing mill for nickel alloys melted at the Orford Works of the International Nickel Company in Constable Hook (near Bayonne), New Jersey. This company is still today one of Huntington's greatest life supports. The coal industry has lost a lot of it's appeal and many other companies and factories have shut down.

The current economy has taken it's toll on Huntington. The five-story Stone & Thomas building has been vacant for years (since the company went defunct in 1998) as well as many other surrounding buildings. Broken glass and emptiness is what you see downtown as several small specialty shops and a few restaurants struggle to survive.

Huntington is still home to Marshall University, which for some people was unknown until made famous by the movie "We Are Marshall" depicting the town's struggle after the horrible crash on November 14, 1970, of a chartered Southern Airways McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 jet transporting 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, staff, and supporters. Everyone on board was killed.

The Delta Queen Steamboat used to serve the city's downtown port and brought much tourism and gaety to the area with it's music and enthusiasm for the good life. Now, it has sadly become a floating hotel docked in Chattanooga, TN. Huntington has had many things going against it over the years, but it has the potential to thrive again with the help of a new generation. This small West Virgina town affords a comfortable lifestyle, a low cost of living, state-of-the-art health care, modern educational facilities and unrivaled natural beauty.

 

 

Delta Queen Photo Credit: Jon Tschiggfrie

Wine Tasting in Temecula

My originally planned trip to San Francisco got scrubbed due to an illness in the family...mine!!! The flu caught up with me and changed my plans drastically.  So, no long distance travel for my savvy little family this time, but we did find a few day trips that were quite enjoyable and close by.

Wine tasting is one of our main attractions here in the Temecula Valley, whether you are a local or a tourist, it never gets old. We are known as Southern California's Wine Country and we are quite proud of it. There are over 25 wineries tucked away in our beautiful little valley and they each have something special to offer. So, we took a day and checked out a few of them, actually just three of them to be exact.

Our day started off with lunch at The Ponte Family Estate Winery in their very quaint all-outdoor dining restaurant, The Smokehouse. The warm Autumn day could not have been more perfect for outdoor dining, but then again, that's why we live in Southern California. The service was exemplary and generous. I say it like that because not only did our waiter take great care of us, he allowed my "Savvy Aunt" to leave with all of the wine glasses on the table...and the menu...and the dessert menu...and the napkins...only kidding, she didn't take the napkins. Lunch gave us the opportunity to do a little wine tasting with our food so we didn't do any official wine tasting in the Tasting Room as much as we just enjoyed the views of the vineyard and the mountains and the beautiful countryside. We also enjoyed the gift shop with all of it's specialty items including more incredible food and wine. The Ponte Winery is one that I highly recommend to anyone whether you are in the valley for a long visit or just passing through. I for one can't wait to try their Sunday Brunch Buffet one of these days soon.

Our next stop was going to be what I thought was Van Roekel Vineyards. I have lived in the valley for over 12 years now and knew this winery existed. I saw their wine in the local grocery stores, but couldn't for the life of me find them on "winery row". I thought they had been affiliated with another winery once so we went there instead.

Maurice Car'rie Vineyard and Winery was one of the first vineyards planted here in our region back in 1968. The actual winery was founded by Budd and Maurice C. Van Roekel in 1986. Hence the affiliation I had heard of!  The Maurice Car'rie Winery is gorgeous as well as warm and inviting. Buddy and Cheri Linn are the current owners of this award winning winery known for it's sweet and fruity varieties of Chenin Blanc and Riesling, along with the traditional greats of Chardonnay and Merlot.

While my savvy hubby and savvy auntie were partaking in the wine tasting passport offered at this establishment, I did a little asking around. I found out that I wasn't losing my mind after all and the so called Van Roekel Winery is now known as La Cereza Winery, the sister winery to Maurice Car'rie. Just so happens there is a combo wine tasting passport that can be purchased so that wine lovers can sample wines at both establishments for one low price.

La Cereza Winery is also run by the Linn family and shares the talents of the same veteran winemaker, Gus Vizgirda. Both wineries have their own distinctive label, identity and wine list. La Cereza Winery has received a little bit of a face lift since being known only as Van Roekel. Although still very European, they have added some personal pizzaz with their new signature series "Girlfriends" wine and cigar products.

Maurice Car'rie and La Cereza are both on my list of places to revisit, maybe for the upcoming holidays!!

My Pet Peeve is Customer Service

For my regular readers and savvy tourists, you know I am always complaining about customer service. I am also always tooting Disney's horn whenever I get a chance. So, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a post today at Michigan Rafter (Meltwater. Torrents. Meanderings. Delta.) about great customer service at none other than Walt Disney World. Please follow this link and read the very inspiring review. I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

I'll be back...to Breakers Inn

Next time we venture to the Gualala and Sea Ranch area up in Northern California, we will absolutely be staying at Breakers Inn. I took a chance on it from reviews that I had read and pictures on the Internet. It turned out to be just what I was looking for. Our time in Gualala was very relaxed and we didn't have much on our schedule. That left us all the more time to thoroughly enjoy the accommodations provided by the Breakers Inn.

            
Breakers Inn is a sprawling beachfront hotel that looks as though it ties the entire town together with it's quaint and welcoming atmosphere. It has a weathered exterior and a warm, inviting inside. It really is the perfect place to be while watching the sun set over the Gualala River as it flows out into the ocean.

Each room has it's own individual theme and is decorated with the feel of a different region. We stayed in "Denmark". We had a beautiful four poster bed with soft comfy bed linens. Our bathroom had a separate steam sauna and huge shower. The best part was the whirlpool spa tub situated perfectly in the room with a private ocean view. We also had a fireplace, but since it was July we really didn't have an occasion to use it. I think I will return in the winter just so I can have a fire burning while in the tub watching the sun set over the ocean (maybe a glass of wine would be in order too). To make things even better, the room was also equipped with a wet bar that included refrigerator and microwave and coffee pot. You really don't have to leave your room if you don't want to. Of course you will probably want to venture over to the free continental breakfast provided each morning. I ate my breakfast in my room, sitting on my own private deck, drinking my morning coffee and watching the sea gulls play on the beach. How great is that? If I had more time on this trip I think I would've curled up and read a good book out on that deck. Could be a plan for my winter trip!!

       

If I am only staying somewhere for a few days, I usually prefer to forego the maid service. Breakers Inn offered a service where the housekeeping staff will leave a basket by your door filled with everything you need including fresh towels, toiletries and coffee supplies. This is absolutely where we will be staying for all of our Gualala area visits. I recommend this place whole heartedly.

Time has forgotten Bodega Bay

After one final stroll through the Town of Tiburon, we headed out north on 101 toward Petaluma. The first Petaluma exit is Petaluma Blvd. We turned off the highway there and headed west towards the coast, connecting with Bodega Ave. in the center of town. Bodega Ave. takes you on a beautiful and relaxing journey through the country all the while smelling the ocean getting closer and closer. As we drove for about 40 minutes, enjoying the scenery and peacefulness of the countryside, I started to realize I felt as though I had traveled back in time. The closer to Bodega Bay I got, the stranger things felt. That must be what Alfred Hitchcock felt like when he decided to film The Birds. A lot of this famous thriller was actually filmed in Bodega Bay and the small town of Bodega back in 1963. Believe me when I say nothing has changed since then.

While waiting for family to arrive to meet us for lunch, we had some time on our hands and decided to check out the area and walk along the harbor's edge. I expected a lot of activity considering this is July. Don't all people flock to the coastal towns for vacation in July? Well, not here. Again, I felt as if time was standing still here in Bodega Bay. There were hundreds of beautiful boats in the harbor, but no one there to use them. It was low tide and there was a beautiful expanse of beach to enjoy, but only one lone person digging for clams. There was an abandoned boat in the middle of the harbor that just gave you the feeling that everyone had disappeared and didn't care what they left behind. It was actually starting to make my skin crawl, and I knew exactly why Alfred Hitchcock picked here to film his horror movie. I am thinking that a remake is in order because nothing has changed, if anything it is creepier now!

We had lunch at a small diner located on the opposite side of the harbor. It was pretty busy, but I think it was only because there are not that many choices in town. I got the distinct feeling that they do not cater to tourists. The service wasn't that great, the flatware wasn't that clean, and the food wasn't that fresh. The clam chowder was incredible, but that is where it ended. The bill wasn't very reasonable compared to the quality of the whole experience. I felt as if they were serving food as a means of survival. Almost like everyone in this town is trapped here and has to make do with what they have available to them. I would not have been surprised had I received a "Help us" scribbled at the bottom of our receipt.

We took a few moments to drive through the actual town of Bodega as that is where the house that was used in "The Birds" is being kept as a landmark. It is only open to the public during the weekends on certain hours, so we didn't get to see inside. From what I understand this is the main attraction in town, but again, I feel like it has been forgotten and neglected like everything else in this town.

The Tale of Tiburon

Back in the day, I think the hustle and bustle of Tiburon, CA. was more than it is today. The tiny peninsula that plays host to three different communities was a very busy industrial center. The Town of Tiburon (as it became known in 1979) was the center of activity with fish packing plants, dairies, military installations, cattle ranching and the railroad. Railroad cars, locomotives and also ferry boats were built there to serve the San Francisco Bay area and beyond. Tiburon even survived Prohibition being that it's location made it very easy to sneak in alcohol from ships anchored in the bay. The Town of Tiburon is the largest of the three communities. There is also Belvedere, which was known as a subdivision for the wealthy San Franciscans who built weekend homes there, and Strawberry, which remained a dairy ranch until after World War II.
Today, Tiburon is a nice quiet place to relax and "get away from it all". There are still many buildings and establishments that have been there for many years and keep the charm of the town intact. The railroad is long gone, except for a few casual reminders like the passenger depot and the Depot Palm that had been used to mark every passenger station in the Northwestern Pacific system.
Even with tourists, the town is peaceful and the people are friendly. Many of the residents are commuters to the San Francisco area and use the ferry system to get to work. The tourists (like myself) use the ferry to spend the day in San Fran while being able to get back to peace and quiet for the night.
That was a perfect day! We grabbed a bite to eat at the coffee shop on the corner of Main Street, then waited for the ferry to arrive while exploring the downtown wharf area with camera in hand. The cost of the ferry was a little high at $9.50 per person each way, but considering you are not fighting traffic,or paying for gas, toll, and parking,I would say it was worth it. The schedule is very convenient for both commuters and tourists and the trip itself was very pleasant and relaxing. They do not waste any time either. You board the ferry and buy your ticket onboard after leaving the dock. Very simple. We walked around Fisherman's Wharf, taking in all the sights, mostly just around the Pier 39 area. We shopped (my favorite thing to do) and ate (my other favorite thing to do if I'm not shopping) and took pictures of everything and anything as usual. We ate a fantastic lunch at Pier Market Seafood Restaurant which had the best clam chowder ever and some luscious libations to go along with it. It is very difficult to decide where to eat while at Fisherman's Wharf. Everything sounds and smells so good and many menus are similar in that their specialty is seafood. Price can be a deciding factor and also ambiance (if you can call it that on a wharf). All the restaurants have their menus posted outside so you know what they offer before making a commitment.

So, with tired feet and full stomach we headed back to Tiburon at the end of the day via ferry with the sun in our faces and the cold breeze at our backs. This is July and yes, you need a jacket to be able to enjoy the ride from the outside deck. You can also take shelter inside where there is a little beverage bar for anyone needing a coffee, beer, or snack. Again, very convenient.
There are actually many different ferry services to choose from whether you are departing from Tiburon or from San Francisco. You can visit Sausalito, Angel Island, or even take a tour of Alcatraz Island. Of course, you cannot do all that in one day.
It was back to Tiburon for us, and the ferry trip gave us the opportunity for even more picture taking that we could later bore our family to tears with.

There are most certainly things to do without leaving Tiburon. There are many adorable little shops and eateries all along Main St. to explore, although a tad pricey. Everything is very unique and a little "artsy", mostly gallery and boutique type establishments. There is a strip of shops known as Ark Row, where all the shops used to be houseboats on the lagoon. They are now anchored permanently by land and a parking lot and almost resemble a movie set because of their small size.

Many people rent bikes from San Fran and ride the ferry over to Tiburon and spend a leisurely day riding along the coast of the bay and through the town. For us, it was a perfect place to relax and do whatever we wanted without the pressure of a schedule or activities list. We even took an evening stroll through town admiring the architecture, beauty and peacefulness that is the Town of Tiburon.

As if to mark this lovely spot on the map, there is a beautiful sculpture in the center of town that moves likes sails in the wind.

Sea Ranch and Gualala

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be headed to Northern California next month for a little business and pleasure mixed together. My intended destination is the area known as Sea Ranch located about 100 miles north of San Francisco along the coast. Sea Ranch is a quiet little unincorporated area that has become a popular vacation spot. Not widely known, Sea Ranch is actually filled with repeat customers every season as people are always coming back for more peace and quiet and getting back to nature once they discover this beautiful little part of the country. There are many ways to experience Sea Ranch. You can stay in an upscale hotel, a Country Inn, an historic hotel, or perhaps a small cottage in the tree covered cliffs. There are also many homes for rent, whether for a week or a season. There is also camping for anyone interested in sleeping with the bears.

Just about 10 to 12 miles north of Sea Ranch is a quaint little town known as Gualala. Gualala (pronounced locally as wa-la-la) used to be a very profitable logging town, providing much needed lumber to the San Francisco area after the earthquake in 1906. Tourism is now their main source of economic resource. Gualala is named after it's perfect location where the "river meets the sea". Being in Gualala is like being in a novel and turning back time. You can sit for hours on the beach and never get enough of the view or the undisturbed wildlife that surrounds you. I plan to take a "moonlight float' down the Gualala River while I am there, and of course I will also be using this wonderful place to refine my amateur photographic skills (or lack thereof). Speaking of photography, that leads me to the reason for my trip. I will be attending a photographic arts showing in the Burnett Gallery of the local Gualala Arts Center.

I have made my reservations for lodging at The Breakers Inn and I look forward to writing about it upon my return. I have made arrangements to take a tour of the property and their facilities so I will have more to share with all of you.

Traveling to Tiburon

If you have been a savvy tourist for awhile now, you will know that I am humorously known as "Annie Ego", the much-feared travel critic. This is derived from the movie Ratatouille by Disney, whereas "Anton Ego" is the very much-feared food critic. For me, it is all in good fun. The name that is, not the critic part. I take my reviews very seriously and I am a stickler for Customer Service. That is something else that all you savvy tourists already know about me! The reason I even bring this up is because it is time once again to travel and I am trying to decide which establishments I will be evaluating on this trip.
I am scheduled to attend an exhibit and reception at the Gualala Arts Center on July 12th. There will be a photographic exhibit inspired by one family's travels to Switzerland over many years. I am very much looking forward to this trip and I plan to make a stop or two along the way. After all, that is what a good travel critic does, right?

I am hoping to spend a little time in Tiburon, CA., just across the Bay from San Francisco. I drove through there about seven years ago and made a mental note to myself to go back if ever I got the chance. They have ferry service across the Bay to San Fran's Fisherman's Wharf and other area attractions, so I thought it would be nice to stay in a quiet little romantic town and take the ferry over to the hustle and bustle of the big city. I have had my eye on The Lodge at Tiburon ever since I heard about their $6 million renovation. It has the perfect location at the tip of the peninsula and is surrounded by quaint little shops and cozy restaurants. This should be a great place to add to my "review repertoire" and share with my devoted savvy tourists. Guess what? The Lodge also has complimentary wireless Internet access which we all know ranks very high on my list of criteria.

Delta disappoints.....Part Deux

Back in February of this year I started my "Travels to Tennessee" series which I hope you have all been following. The trip did not get off to a very good start thanks to Delta Airlines and their inability to get anywhere on time. Luckily for us the delays did not create any real problems and we eventually got where we were going, just a few hours later than expected.
Now, it was time to return from whence we came and this time it was a little more critical because hubby had to depart on an International flight for work the very next morning. We were supposed to depart Nashville en route to San Diego at 1:30pm, with a scheduled 1 hour stop in Atlanta. I know that just seems wrong to travel East to go West, but if you had seen my choices you would understand. Since it was the dead of winter I was trying to avoid places like Chicago and Denver and Minneapolis due to possible inclement weather conditions, so Atlanta seemed like a reasonable choice. We arrived at the Nashville Airport in plenty of time only to find out that our airplane had not arrived on schedule. They had posted a 20 minute delay with hopes of a speedy turnaround once the airplane arrived. I was growing concerned since our scheduled layover in Atlanta was only 1 hour long. I wasn't sure just how much running time we were going to need to get from one gate to another. A few minutes later it dawned on me that everything would be just fine because, after all, I was a paying passenger! You see, usually we fly on a "stand by" basis for a seriously discounted price because of hubby's job. As glamorous as this may sound, believe me when I say it leaves a lot to be desired in the way of "perks". As a "stand by"  or "non-rev" as we are sometimes affectionately known as, we get to board last, if at all. We get to hunt all over the plane for a place to stow our luggage, which is usually 10 rows behind where we are sitting and we usually get stuck in the middle seats between 2 much larger people and we are separated from our loved ones, no matter what age they are. (Although, the last time they sat my 2 year old between 2 strangers, someone graciously offered to switch seats with me...ha ha....I wonder why!) If at the last minute a late passenger shows up, you get courteously removed from your seat, you must retrieve your luggage, your loved ones and your dignity and exit the plane immediately. Now imagine a big problem like a canceled flight, a weather delay, or an oversold flight. What do you think happens to us poor "non-revs"? Nothing! We are brushed away to the side and left to our own devices. We do not get hotel vouchers, meal vouchers, taxi vouchers or one free phone call home. We do not get re-booked on the next flight because it is more than likely already full with paying passengers. We could easily be stuck in an airport for days waiting for a seat on a plane. I have actually been known to get on any plane headed in the right direction in hopes of eventually getting to my destination of choice. If you've seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, then you get the picture. Anyway...back to being a paying passenger on Delta Airlines. Even though there was possible trouble brewing, I wasn't worried because I  was a paying passenger and would be treated with respect. Well, the 20 minute delay turned into a 30 minute delay and then a 40 minute delay and then there was an announcement. "Everyone scheduled with less than an hour and a half on the ground in Atlanta, please approach the podium". Well, that was us, so off I went to see the nice gate agent at the podium. I am being quite serious when I say he was a nice gate agent. He was very nice and efficient while explaining to me there were no more flights available that would get me to San Diego tonight. I could take a flight to Austin, spend the night and get the first flight out. That wasn't going to work at all, so he started checking other airlines. Luck was with us...we could run over to this other gate and catch a flight on Frontier Airlines through Denver and only arrive in San Diego about an hour late. He even gave us a meal voucher so we grabbed a quick sandwich on the run while headed over to the Frontier gates. It was a pretty full flight, we got on last, we were separated and our luggage was only 3 rows behind us. Beautiful, this time I paid good money to be treated like a "non-rev". On a positive note, they handed out free headsets while we boarded the plane and I saw that every seat had it's own TV screen. I found myself feeling somewhat excited about my new found adventure on Frontier Airlines, right up until I found out that you had to pay $8 to watch a movie. Free headset my foot!!!

    The flight to Denver was pretty much uneventful. The plane was nice, quiet and clean, the flight attendants were nice and courteous and I paid my $8 and watched a movie anyway. I am such a sucker for convenience. We arrived in Denver and guess what? It was snowing! Just what I tried to avoid in the first place. It snowed and it snowed and I just sat in front of the glass and watched it snow. It was beautiful, but I had resigned myself to camping out in the Denver Airport given the circumstances. Well, my pessimism subsided as soon as they called for boarding to begin. I guess a little snow doesn't bother the folks in Denver. It's like sunshine in Arizona. So, we were off to San Diego, on time surprisingly enough. We arrived in San Diego just an hour behind our original schedule as promised, so I guess I shouldn't complain. I just wish air travel was the way it used to be years ago. You paid a premium price, but you were treated like you were important, served like you were royalty and assisted in every way possible. It used to be a pleasure to fly somewhere. I firmly believe the first airline out there that starts concentrating on customer service will win the "War of the Airlines". The industry needs an Extreme Makeover-Airline Edition!

On The Road Again....

It didn't take me long before I realized that particular Cracker Barrel wasn't that special. There just happens to be one located at every exit in Tennessee to meet all your hunger needs, anytime of day.

Usually I dread a long drive when I am riding in the back seat, but I settled in with hubby, the Tassimo machine and my trusty iPod and I was all set. It only seemed appropriate to listen to some country tunes while traveling through the hills of Tennessee. When in Rome......ha, ha! After a few songs I was definitely in the mood for this country adventure. There was just one thing I realized - folks in Tennessee do not do anything as fast as Gretchen Wilson sings. Maybe I should have brought some Merle Haggard instead.

The drive actually flew by since all the scenery was fresh and new to me. I kept myself busy trying to get a good picture of an old barn along the side of the road. I think they make the coolest pictures no matter what the season. Well, I don't care who you are, it is hard to take a picture from the back seat of a car while you're moving, but that didn't stop me from trying.

As we grew nearer to our destination, I never really saw a road sign leading to Gatlinburg. What I did see was Sevierville, TN. which I had never heard of and I didn't think sounded very inviting. Upon our arrival in Sevierville, I began to understand that this was the "Tourist Trap Capitol" of Tennessee. There were restaurants, souvenir shops, museums, attractions and just all around "goin's-on" for as far as you could see. Some of the attractions that Sevierville offers include the Black Bear Jamboree Dinner & Show, Cirque de Chine, Floyd Garrett Muscle Car Museum , Smoky Mountain Deer Farm & Riding Stables and don't forget to check out Wonder Works, an amusement park for the mind with over 100 hands-on exhibits plus the Hoot N' Holler Dinner Show. We, however were there for the 2 main attractions....the Tanger Outlets and The Apple Barn Cider Mill and General Store. I have to admit I was anxious to see The Apple Barn. I like apples and just about all things apple related. This place had apple everything, along with a restaurant that brings apple fritters and apple juleps to the table before even taking your order. The Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant has undeniable country charm and homestyle country cookin'. My mother-in-law made sure to pick up a few "fried apple pies" for breakfast the next morning, just in case.

Now I won't bore you with the Outlet Mall because as soon as my mother-in-law could not find what she came for, it apparently lost all it's appeal. We weren't there very long. We finally made our way towards our cabin as it was getting late and we didn't want to be cabin hunting in the dark. We figured we would get settled in and then go out for dinner afterwards. At this point I am still wondering where exactly Gatlinburg is, but I was pretty sure we would see it eventually, even from the back seat........

Gatlinburg here we come..........

Except for that 5 minutes into the trip we decided to stop for breakfast. We aren't exactly the world's most efficient travelers, but hey, we were hungry. We pulled into everyone's favorite southern fried restaurant, Cracker Barrel where they serve gravy as a beverage for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (They don't really, but it is a family joke so I had to throw it out there.) I have spent my fair share of time in the "South", but I never managed to be near a Cracker Barrel during eatin' time so I was pretty intrigued by "ye old homestead" ambiance that was rocking on the front porch. Just the smell of the place makes you want to live on a farm, raise your own chickens, churn your own butter, and milk your own cows.......okay, maybe not quite that bad, but it did give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. The menu offered a lot of everything including eggs, bacon, sausage, assorted potatoes, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, flapjacks (that's pancake to the rest of the world) and you know it......grits!!!! Now I know all you Californians out there think breakfast consists of granola and yogurt and some fancy named decaf latte, but let me tell you that you haven't lived until you have had real southern biscuits and gravy with some grits and flapjacks on the side. The coffee wouldn't be right either if it didn't come with the usual dose of good ol' southern hospitality, which loosely translated means that as soon as you get it fixed just right with equal amounts of cream and sugar, the waitress tops it off for you and you have to start all over.

After stuffing ourselves like Thanksgiving turkeys, we ventured into the gift shop. That's right, your meal is so memorable you need to pick up a souvenir to commemorate the experience. There are jellies and jams, country crafts, and homemade quilts. I could've spent all day in there, but like I mentioned before, we had bigger fish to fry and need to get out of Nashville and on our way to Gatlinburg. I am so glad we stopped though because who knows when I will see another Cracker Barrel.........

And now....for the rest of the story!

I am going to try and wrap this up in what I will refer to as "The Final Chapter" of the Las Vegas Liar and My Encounter in Sin City.
Now that I had escaped the clutches of Westgate Resorts , my son and I decide to relax and enjoy a leisurely breakfast and try to put all this behind us. We ate at a lovely place called Lombardis Romagna Mia where the service and the food were impeccable. That calmed me down a bit to once again be treated like a human being.
While waiting for my parents to complete their "3 Hour Tour", we decided to try and come up with something fun to do later when we were all reunited. We decided the Comedy Magic Show that my parents would have tickets to after the tour would be fun. I would just buy our tickets so we could all still go together, even though I was being punished. The show times were 1pm and 3pm so we planned on the latter. It was now only "noonish" (that is a technical airline term I have been informed by one of my readers).
One of the "perks" of staying at Planet Hollywood is it's convenient location to shopping.  Miracle Mile Shops is basically attached to Planet Hollywood. It is what used to be the really cool outside-like shopping experience at the Aladdin. The ceiling is painted to feel like the open sky above, and the floor is tiled like an old cobblestone walk. But don't worry, they are changing all those quaint little features into more glitz, glitter and excitement for your future pleasure. Anyway.....we window shopped while we waited for my parents. We waited........and waited.....and waited. By 2:30pm I was very worried and figured my father had picked up where I left off and possibly they too had been impounded for their behavior. Finally, nearing 3pm, I heard from them. It had been a horrible experience and had we not already paid for a second night at the hotel, we would be leaving immediately, I was informed.
This had been much worse than your typical timeshare routine. They had been given a tour alright! They showed them the model suite of the "yet to be built" Planet Hollywood Towers, the building site, and the lovely shopping mall. Then they dragged them into a room with what looked like a bunch of telemarketers (land salesmen) feeding everyone Kool-Aid and discussing their future on "vacation ownership". My parents have always been very "savvy" with their investments and were anxious to read the fine print and fully understand what the offer entailed. They wanted to read the paperwork, discuss their options and also talk to a lawyer. Can you imagine someone wanting to do all those things before buying real estate? They must be crazy!! Westgate was having absolutely no part of that. They either bought right now, on the spot, or the price goes up $3,000. If they walk out of that room to discuss anything with anybody (namely me), the deal was off the table. At this point, several options had been tossed at them, and all the facts and figures were very fuzzy. They asked if they could take some paperwork with them to look over for awhile. The answer was "NO". They needed to buy right away, before this opportunity to vacation next door to George Clooney passes them over. What? I am going to have to call George and see if he knows they are throwing his name around to sucker people into buying here. Believe me when I say "buying" is loosely interpreted. For your purchase, you get the chance (Las Vegas lingo) to possibly vacation at Planet Hollywood, if it is available, or possibly "somewhere else" just like every other timeshare offers. You also get the privilege of paying real estate taxes on the 1/12th of the ownership, but you do not get any income from the rental profit. Sound familiar?
After my parents repeatedly declined the offer(s), the original salesman just up and left the table. In walks "a higher up" to give them one last chance. He is the only one that has this ability, yeah right!! Do you feel like you are buying a car yet? Anyway, after once again declining the offer, yet another guy came in to "escort" them out. There was no thank you, nice to meet you, we appreciate your time, nothing!!! Just get the hell out!
Hey .....what about breakfast? Oh....you can grab a sandwich out of the cold box on your way out. OMG!! Can you believe the lack of professionalism here? I figured if the "product" was worth anything, it could easily sell itself. Real Estate usually does. Instead, these people try to shove it down your throat and then threaten you and withhold nourishment. So, if they had actually bought anything, would they get the "breakfast" carrot that had been dangled in front of them? Well, guess what? Not only have they not eaten anything all day, we have managed to miss the only 2 show times that were available for the Comedy Magic Show. There's some worthless gifts. As for the "rest of the gifts", we took advantage of the 2 buffet tickets to the Sahara and we managed to win $137.50 at the black jack table with the $100 worth of "non-negotiable" chips.
The next morning we got the hell out of there so fast it would make your head spin. Who wants to vacation in something that looks like the ass end of an old Cadillac anyway?

Being in college (and always thinking), my son decided I needed a "nice" business card, like the one I gave to Westgate, and a "not so nice" business card for times such as these. He said he didn't think they felt very threatened by my cutesy little pink and white card. So, a new business card is on the drawing board for "Annie Ego", the much feared travel critic. Any suggestions from my readers would be welcomed.

Las Vegas Liar

After a pretty good sleep in my beautiful room at Planet Hollywood I was anxious to see what this tour had to offer, especially the breakfast part of it. First things first....coffee! Uh oh, where's the coffee pot? How could this be? Such a beautiful room and they forgot the coffee pot? Of course they didn't forget the coffee pot, they would prefer you go back downstairs (all 34 floors....again), stumble through the casino and pay $7 for a cup of coffee. That's where the coffee pot is...it's in the coffee shop! I'm catching on now! This is not about my convenience at all.
Westgate Resorts has their office on the Mezzanine level of Planet Hollywood so that is where our tour begins. We checked in on time at the reception area, once again showing photo id and presenting paperwork that had been included with our reservation and confirmation. This time, the gentleman at the desk point blank asked me if I was married. I said "Yes, I am, but I am traveling as a single female, as my husband is out of the country". Well, you would have thought I was either the millionth customer or I had committed murder. (Let me give you a clue...there were no balloons or confetti dropping from the ceiling at this moment). I was told that I would not be allowed to take the tour and I was then escorted downstairs where I was informed I would incur my penalty. My what? Holy Crap! Is this some sort of police action? I felt like I had accidentally lifted a can of tuna from a Sack O' Suds in Alabama and forgot to pay. Due to the serious faces on my "escorts", my parents decided they better go with me wherever I was being "escorted" to, along with my son. I guess the family that travels to Vegas together gets put in the slammer together. Don't worry, I didn't really get arrested. Instead I got royally scolded and had all my toys taken away. Seriously, the show tickets, the buffet tickets, the gambling chips, all gone! Wait, they had never really given them to me had they? (I believe this is the fourth flag up the pole).

Westgate Resorts proceeded to inform me that I had lied about my marital status and therefore I was  ineligible for the vacation package at the discounted price. They would now be charging me the full price of the room for the 2 nights and I was not getting any of the "complimentary" gifts. Somehow, that part I knew!  I informed them that I had not lied, I had always been clear about how I answered the questions. No one ever directly asked me if I was married, that is, until the guy at the reception desk. I had always clearly stated that I was traveling as a single female. The original reservation agent had stated that I had to answer the questions properly to get the package (and she, her commission). That is exactly what I had done. I answered the questions properly and without lying.....give me a break, I'm a woman, it's not that difficult. At this point, my sense of humor was dwindling. I asked these people if they were really that stupid or was it me? I said "you do know we are coaxed into answering the questions in order to qualify for this, right?" The assistant manager then glared at me and said  she was getting her manager. Great! Get the manager and while you are at it, give him my business card because I was here to write about your little presentation that has turned into a huge production. Did you forget we are in Las Vegas and your marital status can change at any minute around here?

You may be wondering what my poor supportive family is doing right about now and how proud of me they must be, ha ha!! This is the last family vacation I will ever convince my 18 year old to take, let me tell you that much. I urged them to go ahead and take the tour and get me lots of information about the place. I also didn't want them to incur all these penalties and beatings taking away of gifts that I was getting.

As you can guess, the manager never came out of his hiding place and only sent his assistant back to inform me they had made their final decision and I was being charged the full amount, blah, blah, blah. She also informed me that if I felt I had not lied, they would be glad to pull the tapes from my conversation with the reservation agent. I told them I thought they should pull the tapes and maybe they would be enlightened as to what really goes on (like they don't already know). They took down my cell phone number and said they would call me in a few hours as soon as they had a chance to listen to the tapes. That was one week ago...............

Who's afraid of the 34th floor?

Me! That's who!! You guessed it, my room at Planet Hollywood was on the 34th floor. How lucky for me, NOT! So, we checked in at the  PH front desk with little to no trouble. The rooms were prepaid and we could check in with Westgate Vacations for the rest of our package up until 10pm that night. After being in the hills of Tennessee without Internet service, I asked the guy at the front desk if Internet was provided in the rooms. He informed us that Wi-Fi and cable hook-up were provided in all the rooms. I was ecstatic! That is such a great amenity for hotels to provide these days. We proceeded to the elevator and I held my breath for 34 floors. Ordinarily not an easy task, but we had the "express" elevator that basically flies past the first 23 floors (again, lucky me). The rooms were absolutely fabulous! That particular floor had recently been remodeled (Planet Hollywood used to be The Aladdin) and we had a gorgeous bathroom with huge jacuzzi tub, large shower, and lots of room overall. There was a 42 inch wide-screen TV for our viewing pleasure and a very comfortable bed with lots of pillows. We were able to get adjoining rooms so that made it really fun, like being in a suite. So far, I was pretty impressed. Everyone else appreciated the view too. Me, not so much.
Anyway, I plugged in my laptop and began following the steps to hook up to the Internet. While reading the directions posted I noticed there would be a charge of $12.99 per day. I guess "provided" or "available" does not actually mean "complimentary". I was sure that front desk guy had left me with the impression the service was free, but then again, they have a knack for that in Las Vegas. You think something is complimentary, but you later find there is a catch that requires a purchase of some kind. At this point, I was so happy just to have Internet available to me I wasn't too bothered with having to pay for it. This could easily have been my error. (Please make note of how reasonable I can be, it will come in handy later). I followed all the procedures for Wi-Fi hook up as it really wasn't very difficult. At least not until I actually wanted to visit a website. My computer was pretty sure it was connected, but I couldn't navigate to anywhere. I called the Internet help number and was put on hold by a computer that was busy helping other customers for almost 30 minutes. Finally, after much time went by it was determined by Cox Communications that the hotel has not turned on the Internet access to my room because they do not have a credit card on file for me. Are you kidding? So, I called the front desk and tried to give them my credit card over the phone so as to gain access to the Internet. I was told I would have to come back downstairs for that......all 34 floors. Yikes!!!! Tell me they didn't know they needed my credit card when I asked them if I had Internet available in my room. Maybe that is another reason I thought it was a free service........silly me! Well, far be it from me to waste a good trip downstairs so I decided to go ahead and check in with Westgate Vacations and pick up the rest of our amenities (gambling chips). We did a rather uneventful check in that required a photo id and a signature and instructions to meet at 11:30 am for our tour the next day. Unfortunately, their "system" was down and they were unable to provide us with the dinner tickets, show tickets, or chips. They asked if we would mind waiting until tomorrow and pick everything up when we came for the tour. We were still very unsuspecting at this point so of course we were agreeable. Third flag up the pole........

Sin City Saga continued.....

I should probably fill you in on a little "back history" as to how we got involved in this mess to begin with. We wanted to visit some relatives who live in Las Vegas and I thought it would be a good time to show my parents some of the sights and maybe take in a show. So, I sent my mother on the great quest for a good "middle of the week" deal at a hotel on the strip. I figured if we were going, we might as well be where the action is, or at least some of the coolest hotels. Well, my mother is not only a "savvy tourist", but also a "savvy shopper". She can spot a deal a mile away. I told her not to go cheap, since you do get what you pay for in Vegas, but stay within reason. She found a great deal on the Internet for a "vacation package" offered by Westgate Resorts. When she called the toll free number they were anxious to book this package for her. Listen to all you get.........2 nights at Planet Hollywood, 2 tickets for the buffet at the Sahara Hotel, 2 tickets for a comedy magic show, a free breakfast presentation and $100 worth of gambling chips. All this for $149. We thought Mom had found her usual great deal. Apparently these packages were of "limited availability" and they only had certain packages available for a certain demographic of people at these prices. I figured this was some sort of promotional thing that happens in Las Vegas so as to rip people off in every age group, race, religion and sexual preference category. So as luck would have it, they had a package available for a married couple, and one for a single female. So, my parents took the "married couple" package and I took the "single female" package. I informed them that I was "traveling as a single female" (knowing my husband would be out of the country for work). The customer service rep informed us that we had to make at least $60,000 per year and fit into the category (married, single) that we booked to qualify for all the special amenities that we were being given, including and most important, the 90 minute breakfast presentation. (This is where the first red flag went up.) 90 minute breakfast presentation? I heard breakfast but I had no idea it was going to take me 90 minutes. For what exactly I asked. Oh, it is just a little tour and presentation showing us the new Planet Hollywood Towers I was informed. Tour? Who said anything about a tour? Anyway, the rep explained a few things about how Planet Hollywood was building a new resort and it was being offered as a vacation opportunity. Oh, now I get it, it's a timeshare! She tried to say everything except "timeshare", since it carries the same stigma as "Amway". Believe it or not, I was actually kind of excited to see this new "vacation opportunity" since I write a travel blog and hope to be that "much feared" travel critic some day. I planned to bring home lots of great information for my readers. The next step was being transferred to the Confirmation Center and having us answer these questions we were prompted for on a recorded phone line.(second flag up the pole). So, yes I make at least $60,000 per year, and yes, I am traveling as a single female. The damage was done, the trip was booked and paid for and we would be on our way to Vegas in a week for a fun filled adventure. Or so we thought............

Pardon this brief interruption......

I know you are all anxiously (humor me) awaiting more great news about my trip to Tennessee, but I must interrupt the scheduled posting to rant about my brief (and last) trip to Las Vegas, NV. Please keep in mind that I do not intend to belittle anyone's love for this crazy city. I understand that millions and millions of people flock to this absolutely chaotic excuse for a money sucking black hole of a tourist trap and they love every minute of it. It's just not my bag baby!  I came to Las Vegas to meet some relatives that actually live here and also some that were visiting from Colorado. That part of my experience (I use that term loosely), was actually quite pleasant and enjoyable. After having a lovely dinner with family, we should have just driven straight home, no passing GO, no collecting $200! My nightmare with Las Vegas started almost immediately after leaving my cousin's house. We managed to get ourselves lost getting back to our hotel after being given very good directions and told we looked "perfectly capable" (keep in mind these particular relatives don't know us very well). We finally found our way to the hotel by keeping The Stratosphere Hotel in view at all times. Once we found "the strip", how hard could it be? Well, let me tell you, it can be quite the challenge getting where you need to be without getting run over or running someone over. Patience is not their strongest virtue in this city that never sleeps.

We  were booked for 2 nights at Planet Hollywood through a "vacation package" offered by Westgate Resorts. "Vacation package" is slang for "get sucked into a 3 hour tour of a property that has not yet been built, in which you will be forced to make a huge financial decision within moments of hearing the offer and have absolutely no time to think about it or read the fine print first". Okay, now I think you know where I am going with this. Unfortunately, it was such a horrible experience that I have to gather all my thoughts carefully before I write them down for the world to read. I have to interview a few other folks that were involved, and possibly consult my lawyer to make sure I cannot be sued for slander after stating my opinion and writing about my own personal experiences. Just a little back history, I have actually attended several "timeshare presentations" and of course you all know I own a timeshare with Disney, so I am not new to the procedures involved. I went into this with an open mind, but I came out of it with what should be an attention getting story. To be continued.............

What is your travel personality?

I read in our local paper about a web site launched by two travel industry veterans, Dr. Stanley C. Plog and Bahir Browsh. Their site helps travelers select destinations based on their own distinct personality. I visited this site to see just how this works. Well, you take a very short quiz, and from that they determine if you are a Venturer, Mid-Venturer, Centric-Venturer, Centric-Authentic , Mid-Authentic , or an Authentic. It is really quite interesting, although I do not know how accurate it is. Of course, accuracy is based highly on how honest we are with ourselves on the quiz. I came up as a Centric Venturer, and as skeptical as I was, I think they get me!!!!! I wonder how much Dr. Plog charges by the hour?

Anyway, once you have determined (or they have determined) your destination needs, they provide a lot of detailed information to assist you in your vacation planning. So, check them out at Best Trip Choices.