Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Starwood Choices...W or Westin or St. Regis or Le Meriden

We are headed to SF for two nights in mid september. Do not have much knownledge of SF downtown Hotels. We are Top level Elite with Starwood and want to take go use of our perks. So see what best choice is of the five hotels under the Starwood name.





St. Regis



Westin



W Hotel



Le Meriden



Palace





We are not high maintance, do need spa sessions or limo rides around the city. Would like to take advantage of any Club level at these Hotels.





Thanks All





SCA



Starwood Choices...W or Westin or St. Regis or Le Meriden


Westin has spelled out it%26#39;s name at the W, i.e., the W is the Westin.

Help, first time to San Francisco

So my husband and I are trying to plan a trip out West - problem is we are constricted by time. We only have 3 nights and a lot of wants on our list. We will be flying in from New York to San Francisco Friday - Monday. We were thinking of staying in San Francisco Friday night then going to the wine Country Saturday - Monday. Trouble is during harvest I%26#39;m having difficulty finding availability on that Saturday night. Also what are thoughts on Bernardus in Carmel area is it too much to do San Francisco Friday Night, Bernardus Lodge Saturday Night then try to drive up to Napa for Sunday night and fly out of San Francisco on Monday? Also thought of doing one of the day winery trips from San Francisco? And just staying in San Fran. Thanks for your time and recommendations - trying to make the most of our time but still want the trip to be a relaxing getaway.



Help, first time to San Francisco


Yes, that%26#39;s way too much to do on a weekend.





My advice would be this. Stay the entire time in San Francisco. Or, if you HAVE to do something else as well, find a good company for a day trip to the wine country. If you do a search here you will see recommendations. You probably want a smaller company, like in a minivan to have a better experience.





If you try to drive between three places in one weekend you have not seen anything of San Francisco. It is worth three days all by itself.





It won%26#39;t be a relaxing getaway if you do it as you had planned.



Help, first time to San Francisco


19 June 2005, wrote 芦George Max wrote: In the matter of a vacation, less is more. Do less driving, more time at any one site. . . . Just %26#39;cause it%26#39;s ';doable'; doesn%26#39;t mean it should be done.禄



Excellent advice well-stated.



Your plans are over-ambitious. You should seriously consider spending more time doing less than so little time doing so much.

Central coast, need help please!

Our travel dates are 7/28-8/2..or 8/1-8/7 depending on hotel availabilty,car etc.

We were thinking of flying into San Jose renting a car and driving to the central coast. Not to familiar with anything there but Monterey and Carmel. We would like to go south a bit further to wade in the warmer beaches,( are there any that we can do this?)and visit Hearst Castle. Can anyone please tell me how long it takes to drive from San Jose down to the central coast area? and also which tour of Hearst Castle my family should take. I have a 16 yr old and 8 yr old...both girls.I know there are so many towns along the pacific coast highway and am a bit overwhelmed on choosing a place that fits our budget..I dont want to go above around 120.00 a night.and also making sure we have enough time do do everything we want to. We will be staying 4 nights in the area.Ending our last night in Santa Cruz because we also want to visit Winchester Mansion and Santa Cruz boardwalk. Thanks for the help!

Central coast, need help please!

It%26#39;s about an hour from San Jose (via 101) to the outskirts of Monterey. It%26#39;s probably 2 hours from there to Hearst Castle via Highway 1 (beautiful drive). You will probably need to/want to stop along the way, so add maybe another hour.

I guess warmer is a relative term, but all of the California coast is too cold for me to swim in. To wade around it doesn%26#39;t make that much difference to me if the temp is 63 or 68 and there%26#39;s lots of spots you can do that. Check out this water temp chart:

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/spac.html

Keep in mind that the air temps on the coast are usually cool as well and be sure to bring warms clothes to layer. Inland areas (like San Jose) can be very warm.

I haven%26#39;t toured Hearst Castle in many years, so can%26#39;t help with which one to choose. I think your hotel budget is a little low for summer, but hopefully you can find something.

Santa Cruz/Boardwalk is fun and worth a visit. Are you talking about the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose? If so, skip it. Not worth the time or price of admission.

Central coast, need help please!

The drive from San Jose to Monterey takes about 90 minutes. The drive from Monterey to Hearst Castle, along the coast, takes 2 hours or so. The drive from Hearst Castle to San Luis Obispo is another hour from there. The drive directly from SJ to SLO takes 3 hours.

You%26#39;ll probably want to make a loop out of your trip, using SR (state Route) 1 south and US 101 for your return north. If you%26#39;re leaving San Jose in the afternoon, I suggest overnight stays in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Cruz (in that order). Morro Bay and Pismo Beach offer equally affordable alternatives to SLO.

If you are leaving from San Jose in the morning, you could drive down the coast to San Simeon Acres, which is near Hearst Castle, and spend the night there. Then you could visit Hearst Castle the following morning and spend the night in Pismo Beach, which is south of SLO.

Do not expect to find budget accommodations in Carmel, Big Sur, or Cambria/Moonstone Beach. There isn%26#39;t much to see or do along US 101, so I suggest focusing your time along the coast. Consider camping in Big Sur if you all are nature lovers, but like everything else, book ahead!

As for Hearst Castle, take Tour 1. It is the introduction tour. If, for some reason, you aren%26#39;t interested in Tour 1, then consider Tour 4 (the gardens). Tours 2 and 3 are focused house tours and won%26#39;t be as interesting without having first taken Tour 1.


To expand upon what has been said, you will be disappointed in the Winchester Mystery House after you visit Hearst Castle. You won%26#39;t know any better if you visit Hearst Castle AFTER it, but you%26#39;ll look back and scratch your head at the admission price, which if I remember correctly is higher for Winchester.

If you are looking for a silly tourist attraction, consider the much cheaper Mystery Spot, which is on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. The Mystery Spot also has the advantage of not being ';another house tour';--save the ';house tour'; for Hearst Castle!

As for water temperature, there won%26#39;t be much improvement in warmth until much further south, say around Santa Barbara. However, the beaches at Avila Beach and Pismo Beach WILL be warmer than the beaches at Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Simeon, and Morro Bay. But not by much.


Do come to Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is celebrating its 100th anniversary and there are all kinds of fun and free things going on. The Moscow Circus is here several nights a week, there are free concerts, and on Monday and Tuesday, prices are rolled back. There is no admission to the Boardwalk, you just pay for what you ride, eat and games you may play.

I, too, would discourage Winchester Mystery House...it is way overpriced and not a ';mansion';, just a very eccentrically built Victorian House, with a fabricated story to go with it.

If you are interested in the ';Mystery Spot'; mentioned above, I will describe it. It is one of those places touted as a mysterious spot where gravity seems to have gone haywire. It is in a redwood forest. A ball seems to roll uphill, people seem to change height depending upon which end of a board they are standing on, etc. This is all, of course, tricks in perception, but fun. Admission $5 (as opposed to $22 to $30 for Winchester House, depending upon which tour you take.) Oh, and if you have just one night here you can%26#39;t make both the Boardwalk and Winchester Mystery House. Winchester is in San Jose, some miles away.

Mystery Spot has tours every half hour from 9am to 7pm. To find it, take Water Street to Market Street and follow it out 2.5 miles. There are big yellow signs to guide you. It is a pretty drive.

I think you should make your Santa Cruz hotel reservations just as soon as you know your dates. This is a popular summer. In your price range I might suggest the Carousel Motel, which is near the Boardwalk, has a complimentary continental breakfast and has Boardwalk ride packages. (Also has high speed and wireless Internet if you are traveling with a laptop.) Go to santacruzmotels.com. There are also other choices on that site.


In Pismo Beach, look at the Kon Tiki Inn or Oxford Suites. You can wade in the water here, but it is cold. There are even a few places where you can rent boogie boards and wet suits.

Avila Beach (just north of Pismo) is the areas most popular beach, as it tens to be sunnier and warmer. Just don%26#39;t swim too far out from the beach. White Sharks are attracted to the seals that make Avila their home.

Pismo is only an hour away from Hearst Castle and would be a great early start before making your way up Hwy 1 to Santa Cruz.


I also recommend tour number 1at Hearst, it will cover most of the things you want to see and gives you a good general overview. (Look around on the bus ride, we met Meredith Baxter- Birney on our tour!)

Also in that area, go to the William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach, can swim and walk in the sand and can get snacks and picnic stuff at Sebastians General Store (1852) Just a fun place to see witth lot%26#39;s of old fishing and whaling stuff inside. My kids were fascinated.

In Cambria, kids like the tin soldier store, and the pottery store in nearby Harmony. Also a beach there where you can collect Moonstone.

Enjoy your trip and time with your girls!!!


Everyone..Thanks for so much valuable information! We visited Monterey and Carmel last year and loved this area. I can%26#39;t wait to make the drive along Big Sur and head further south. Sounds like we should stay in Morro Bay area as it is central to Cambria, and other small places and not far from SLO. We want to get away from this heat in Phoenix! Sounds like if we get an early flight, it will take us around 4 hrs with the drive and some pulling over to see sights.

  • reptiles
  • Angels tickets

    We will be in Anaheim on Friday July 27th and are wanting to attend an Angels game. I%26#39;ve been waiting to receive my Tonight Show tix (just did!), because I wasn%26#39;t sure which day I would get tix for, and now its too late to go through Ebay to get the tix before we leave for San Francisco this Friday. Does anyone have any knowledge of the ';ticket brokers'; standing outside of the park? I don%26#39;t really like to deal with them but it looks like my only option. I thought about trying to win an auction before I go and have the tickets mailed to the hotel in Anaheim I%26#39;ll be staying at but I would have to pay by Paypal and most people only ship to a confirmed address. Any ideas????



    Angels tickets


    Why not buy your tickets through ticketmaster.com and print them at home?



    Angels tickets


    Thanks for the suggestion but the only thing thats left are nosebleeds....It%26#39;s a fireworks night at the park. First ,and maybe only time in stadium so I%26#39;d like to have good seats if I can get them. If all else fails I guess I%26#39;ll just buy a nosebleed at the gate and try to move down. .




    In the past, if I really wanted to go to a game, I would look on Ticketmaster the day of or the day prior to the game very early in the morning. It seems as though tickets are released for purchase. I have been to both Yankees and Redsox games utilizing this method.




    Check out the Angels website for the ticket exchange. This is where the season ticket holders sell their tickets. You will need access to your email to print them out, but most hotels will allow you that.





    The other option is take a look on Ebay again and see what the delivery options are. I have bought tickets off Ebay and either picked them up at the Stadium, all over the States, or the person actually will meet me somewhere to get them. Perhaps, if the seller is nearby, they can drop them off at your hotel.





    Finally, across the street from the statdium are plenty of ';ticket brokers'; as you so nicely put it that will sell you tickets. These guys usually only work with the actual tickets, not e-tickets. Also, check the gas station on the corner of Katella %26amp; State College the day of the game from about 3 on and you may be able find someone selling then.





    Have fun.




    I agree with going to the Angels website and clicking on the Ticket Exchange there. You would be surprised at what you find! Some of the tickets are lower than regular price too. Look on the date you want, then go down the column with the amount of tickets that you need, then compare the sections/seats and prices. You can print them on your computer and pay less of a fee than you would normally pay too. I think it%26#39;s the best way to go! You should be able to get them before you leave home.





    Here%26#39;s a link:





    鈥lb.com/ana/ticketing/ticket_exchange.jsp





    By the way, the nosebleed section (upper view) isn%26#39;t all that bad. As long as the seats are closer to third base or even first base. It%26#39;s a great stadium. You should go to the game matter what!




    I don%26#39;t know if you already have, but I looked at the Angels Ticket Exchange today out of curiosity.





    I don鈥檛 know how many seats you need, but for Friday the 27th there are 2 sets of 2 in T226 and 2 in T225 right now. That would put you above and to the right of the visitor dugout in Terrace seats. Also, there are 2 seats in F127 which are closer to the field and sort of above the visitor dugout. The very best seats I see listed right now are 2 in F114, very near the Angels dugout and behind home plate. Unfortunately, they are extremely expensive at $187 each. They are normally $35. All the other seats mentioned above are all selling at a mark up, but not higher than $100.





    Here鈥檚 the listing. To print tickets you need an e-mail address and Adobe because they are delivered to your e-mail in an Adobe PDF. If you don鈥檛 have Adobe, maybe you can see if you can squeeze in some time to visit a library that does before you leave.





    http://teamexchange.ticketmaster.com/html/seatlist.htmI?l=EN%26amp;team=angels%26amp;showAll=1%26amp;EVNT=EAB0727|EAB0727C%26amp;CNTX=%26amp;sPrice=1




    Thanks for all the info! I%26#39;m trying to get a guy on Ebay to leave the tix at will call but if he can%26#39;t, I%26#39;ve found a pair on the ticket exchange I%26#39;m gonna grab. Since I%26#39;ve found some real experts on here can you tell me how close to the ballpark is the Marriot Townplace Suites...and if I made a good choice in staying there? I just love these forums!




    I didn%26#39;t know anything about the Marriott Townplace Suites so I looked it up on Trip Advisor. I looked at a couple of three reviews and they seem a little mixed. It seems people have differing ideas about the noise of the trains nearby. So, I tried clicking on ';map this hotel'; and saw how close the train tracks are.





    As someone who lives in a town with lots of trains (I don%26#39;t live in Redlands, but Colton), I can tell you that the train whistles in California can get loud. I would recommend looking into someplace else. If you have computer access you can do that in SF.





    Angels Stadium is close to Disneyland and there are lots of hotels to choose from, even down past DLR a little, on the border of Garden Grove. You probably could get a shuttle to the game. You can even take a taxi for a small amount from near DLR.





    Someone in the past month or so posted about a stay in a hotel where the visiting teams stayed, but I can%26#39;t remember what hotel. She found it to be very exciting and a comfortable hotel.





    I hope someone else posts. Maybe they can see your mind at ease better than I.




    Here%26#39;s the hotel I mentioned where the ball players stay and a review about that (by Gwen Rocks). It%26#39;s not as close as many other hotels, though. I%26#39;m just mentioning it because of your interest in baseball. I think you%26#39;d have to call or e-mail the hotel to find out if the players from Detroit are staying there(think that is the team that%26#39;s playing on your night), but it does sound like the hotel that is used for most teams.





    tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32825-d7822鈥?/a>




    Got%26#39;em! Finally got the guy on Ebay to work with me...got a nice pair in section 124. Thanks everyone for your help.





    I originally booked the Townplace Suites because it looked like it was real close to the park but with the trains, I may look elsewhere.





    On Wednesday and Thursday were doing the typical touristy stuff like The Tonight Show, Warner Brothers Studio tour, etc. Any suggestions for Friday before the game? Is Knotts Berry Park worth a look? We%26#39;ve been to Disney World a few times...would Disneyland be a let down? Any other ideas?

    Happy Hour in San Francisco?

    Heading to San Francisco in about a week, staying in the Union Square area and would like to hang out and catch some food and drink specials during a happy hour when we arive (b/w 4 - 7pm)....any suggestions of a good spot?? Thanks!



    Happy Hour in San Francisco?


    I am blanking on the name of this pub and in the process of trying to find the name I stumbled upon this really awesome and crazy thing in google maps. You can basically tour the streets of big cities as if you were a pedestrian or in a car.



    Unfortunately the picture of the bar front wasn%26#39;t clear enough to read the small sign. But it is right on the SE corner of Ellis and Cyril Magnin. The couple of times I have been there it has been good appitizers and drinks with later in the night a great cover band. The place is quaint feeling but pretty large.



    Happy Hour in San Francisco?


    I think the previous poster is talking Puccini %26amp; Pinetti or Foley%26#39;s Irish Pub. If it is Puccini %26amp; Pinetti, here is the blurb about happy hour from their web site: http://www.pucciniandpinetti.com





    Happy Hour Monday-Friday 4:00pm to 6:00pm.



    We serve a fabulous Happy Hour, with a variety of domestic and imported tap beers, champagne, well liquor and wine for only $3.00. We also offer tasty appetizers like Pasta Nachos, Bruschetta, and our Pizza of the Day for only $3.00.





    My favorite happy hour is at the Tonga Room. Here is their info:



    Tonga%26#39;s Award Winning Happy Hour



    Monday to Friday: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.





    The Happy Hour includes an extensive buffet of Pacific Rim delicacies with items such as spare ribs, vegetable chow mein, pork buns, pot stickers, chicken drummettes, cheese, fresh fruits and crudit茅s. The all-you-can-eat buffet is a %26#39;steal%26#39; at only $8 per person with a one drink minimum. To complement this feast fit for kings and queens, the tropical restaurant and bar serves tantalizing cocktails at Happy Hour prices.





    As you marvel at the exciting decor, be sure to hold on to your drink during the surprise thunder and lightning.





    fairmont.com/sanfrancisco/GuestServices/Rest鈥?/a>




    I was also going to suggest the Tonga Room.




    I%26#39;ll second the Tonga Room for tourists. It%26#39;s got that great ol%26#39; kitschy tiki feelin%26#39; ... and pu-pus, for a small price.

    Bring along...

    My best item to bring anywhere especially on this trip, was a plug extender. We have several lap tops, that need electric, camera batteries to be charged and of course the cell phone chargers. No hotel room ever has enough plugs. But this time I thought ahead. I brought a 6 plug extender, and it has solved arguments, etc. I thought I would just pass this along for any future travelers.



    Bring along...


    That%26#39;s a great idea, particularly when one is staying at an old, historic hotel, where wall outlets are few and far between.


  • beauty
  • Turkish restaurant

    I am looking for a Turkish restaurant in the SF area. Any suggestions?



    Turkish restaurant


    There%26#39;s an inexpensive one up in the Tenderloiin that%26#39;s supposed to be pretty good called A la Turca on Geary at Larkin, which is really northern border Tenderloin



    Here are responses to a similar query on Chowhound%26#39;s Bay Area board:



    http://www.chowhound.com/topics/393739



    Turkish restaurant


    Having never been to Turkey... I%26#39;m not sure if I%26#39;m a good authority, but I%26#39;ve been to Troya (mentioned in the Chowhound article as well).





    It%26#39;s on Clement and 6th(?). Reasonable, not crowded. Nice setting. Food was good. I liked it, but I%26#39;d be interested in what someone who knows more about the cuisine thinks, so if you go and you know your Turkish food, please repost!





    -Curtis




    a la turka is pretty good. there%26#39;s a place called bursa kebab on west portal. i really like it.




    drummerliz referred to «bursa kebab on west portal. i really like it.»



    I think that%26#39;s a place where we ate. Our South American server impressed us more than the food. Gotta go back.




    Swingcha, get the meatballs, yum. and linger with a turkish coffee.




    drummerliz recommended «the meatballs, yum.»



    Hokay. thanks.



    «and linger with a turkish coffee.»



    I was introduced to kaffe Turku in Greece many long ago. Have it every chance I get. Even have wunna those little pots.




    There was a decent little review today in the SF Chronicle, about Sultan Kebab, also in the Tenderloin fringe, near the federal court house:





    www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi…