Author Archives: Lori

home at the El Cid

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i made it safe and sound to Mazatlan and i’m staying at the El Cid Marina Beach Resort.  El Cid is a big vacation/time share community, so i guess i will have to sit through a presentation tomorrow. i suppose one hour of my time in exchange for breakfast, a city tour and a taxi ride back to the airport on Tuesday make it worthwhile.

i do love a good tour, so Monday i will take the “complimentary” city tour.  i had wanted to go on the cultural tour to Copala, but sadly since this is off season they only run 2 days a week, and i’m not here either day. i will check back tomorrow to see if something has changed and if not, maybe i can find a driver to take me there.

i feel a little bit like i’m in Vegas, as everything appears closer than it is…….i mentioned walking downtown and everyone looked at me like i was a little crazy.  then i realized that it is about 8 miles away and it was pretty hot out, so perhaps i will take the shuttle part way, and walk the rest.  that is a nice thing about a resort community, they have shuttles to take you to each place. don’t like the lunch menu at your hotel, you can go to another.

personally, i think this hotel will be just fine for me, but i will go and investigate the others at some point, just to see what’s out there.

today was ugly. very, very ugly

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how do i even start?

i now have a beer in hand, so lets just start from the beginning, shall we?

i live about an hour 10 from SFO, with no traffic, which meant i had to get up at 3 AM for my 6AM flight.  no sweat, i get up early anyway, what’s 2 hours earlier?

i make it in time, rolling in to the airport around 5 AM, only to be greeted with a really long line at security.  it’s been awhile since i flew domestic from SFO, so i wasn’t prepared for the Disneyland like line.  to TSAs credit, they moved us along quickly and i boarded my flight to Phoenix no problem.

in Phoenix i had plenty of time to catch my next flight so i grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich and settled in for a bit.  i hear the desk attendant make an announcement about having your boarding pass and passport checked or you could be denied for the flight.  i go up to the counter and make a joke about being denied, and have them look over my documents…..and boom, DENIED. no soup for you.

in my brilliance i didn’t read the fine print on the passport card that said , “for land and sea travel only.”  land and sea, not air. oh f’ me this can’t be happening.

what is the best solution to this really crap situation that is no ones fault but my own?  how could i have been so completely stupid?!

first i called my Mom.  not that she could fix anything, but because who else do you call when it all goes to hell?!  after chatting with my Mom,  i called the hotel to see if i could change my reservation.   yes, not a problem.  while i’m on the phone with the hotel the agent at the airline tells me she’s issued my return ticket to SFO, because that is what i thought i would do…..go back home, get the passport and start over tomorrow, or cancel the whole thing.  but then i thought, i’m already in Phoenix, it’s warm and sunny here, why not try and make this all work.

hotel dates changed, done. return trip to SFO cancelled. call made to a friend with  key to my house asking if they could Fed Ex my passport, done.  down to the airport “hotel wall” calls made to multiple places playing the who has the best rate game, and ding ding, Best Western is the winner! check into the hotel, arrange the Fed Ex shipment, verify it will be here no later than 8:30 AM tomorrow and then start on the airline cancellation/refund/reissue situation. 45 minutes and a change fee later, done.

                     

tomorrow, barring any Fed Ex delays i will be on my way to Mazatlan. again. if they don’t arrive on time, i just may cry and spend the weekend poolside at the Phoenix Best Western.

it’s all about the connection

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i checked out yesterdays blog post today on the laptop, and i think the image is less than stellar due to the download from Shutterfly.
i think that if i was to upload an image from my tablet it would be better.  we shall see.

it dawned on me that the tablet i’m using on this trip is different than the iPad i was using during the last couple of bigger blog trips. not an issue at all, until i realized that i don’t have the adapter to get the photos from my camera to the tablet.

not an issue right, i can just look up and see what kind of connector i need to get and pick one up at the Best Buy.  why are things never that easy??  i found what i needed online, and yes Best Buy, Office Depot and Office Max all have the item, but for online purchase only.  i leave tomorrow, i can’t order online. sigh.

thankfully my awesome boss had exactly what i needed  at his desk and loaned it to me for the trip. yay for kind bosses with lots of gadgets!

image courtesy of tomshardware.com

how do i do this again?

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since i haven’t traveled for awhile, i didn’t have the need to use the Blogger app to post anything, but that is all changing Thursday.

ladies and gentlemen, i am going away for a long weekend and i plan to write a couple of posts while away.  in order for that to work i’ve had to reacquaint myself with the app and see what has changed since i used it last, which was…….2013. yikes. so far so good, but i have realized the space bar on my tablet needs a firm touch.  nothing like having to go back thru a post and space where appropriate. i think all is good with the app use and i’m looking forward to being on a trip with blogging potential.

oh,  where am i going?  you’ll just have to wait and see.it was all going well with the app until i tried to put in a photo.   i forgot what a huge pain in the ass it is.  so forgive the random placement of future images, i do the best i can, with my limited amount of patience.

                     
is this image as blurry as it seems or do i just need my glasses. hmmm, something to check on a bigger screen tomorrow.  i did download it from my Shutterfly site, so maybe that has something to do with it…….

renewal

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i recently received an email stating that it was time for my renewal to keep this fine blog alive and well.  i thought, of course i want to renew, i’m not letting the blog fall by the wayside. then i sadly realized that i hadn’t posted anything in a very long time.

it’s really no surprise, i haven’t done much travel recently that i thought would be of interest, so i haven’t written anything.  but sometimes simple local travel can be fun and worthwhile to write about.  going forward i’m going to try and be better about posting, although no one ever reads this except me when i’m feeling nostalgic….

as i mentioned i haven’t done much travel recently, but back in December i did celebrate my one year anniversary in Sebastopol, so let me share a couple of my local favorite things.

Doran Beach – it’s the closest beach to my house, a mere 20 minutes away. not the most popular of the Sonoma County beaches, so it tends to be less crowded than some of the others, and it’s long and flat, perfect for a run or walk.

Graton Ridge Cellars – delicious.  this winery fairly close to my house and they have a great 2011 Pinot Noir.  they also have a dessert wine called the A+ Apple Dessert Wine that is well worth a try. it makes for a fantastic gift if you’re looking for something special and local.

Woodfour Brewery – this is my go-to place for lunch, dinner or afternoon drinks and snacks. they have a nice selection of beer & wine and lots of tasty small plates. the deviled eggs with horseradish are on the top of my list.

that’s all for now. in the future i’ll try to be better about posting, even if it’s just a tidbit about local flavor.

photo courtesy of: parks.sonomacounty.gov.ca

stick to business

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i moved to Sonoma County aka the North Bay, last December and since then i’ve been involved in a whirlwind of activity revolving around my vacation rental the Sebastopol Guest House.

this wasn’t just getting the property itself ready, but it was learning the ins and outs of running a business, starting an LLC, business licenses, permits, planning committee meetings, tax preparation, the list is endless.  all of these new learnings  combined with my past experience in the hospitality business and my education in hospitality management lead me to believe i am pretty well versed in what it takes to start a vacation rental business and how to list a property, at least in Sebastopol.

May-October is the peak season and i have been booked almost every weekend, not bad for the first season.  i think it will be really quiet come November, but hey that works well for me too. i can take more time to check out fun things in my area to do and maybe go on a real vacation…….where will it be??

but i said please……

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and how quickly it all can change.  Bonneville National Speed Week 2014, officially cancelled. i’m so sad, and i’m sure the team is even more upset.  sigh, a year without going to the Salt Flats doesn’t even seem possible.  is this an alternate reality?

AND what really bugs me is that the Bay Area (where i live) needs water, we need rain and lots of it…bring on the rain.  the Bonneville Salt Flats, not so much, and certainly not right now.

yes, i’m pouting.

please don’t rain in Wendover

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Bonneville National Speed Week has been rescheduled and we’re going to make our way to the salt a week from today.  i should say the team is making their way back to the salt, and i’m going for the first time this season.

i’m so thankful they rescheduled for that particular week.  if it has been one week before or after i wouldn’t have been able to go.  maybe it’s a sign.  a sign of good things and fast cars to come!

i will do my best to keep the blog up to date and provide images that haven’t been shared over the last few years.  it’s not easy though, it’s not like the landscape changes at all.  until next week, pray for good salt!

apple pie goodness

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adaptability.  that is a word you have to know and embrace when you travel, adaptability. plans can change in an instant, and you may or may not have any control over the situation.

last weekend i was lucky in the fact that i hadn’t left the Bay Area for Wendover and i was able to cancel all of my reservation from the comfort of my couch.  most participants were already on site and some had driven cross country or even come in from another country for the races.  not as easy for them to just, “make new plans.”

the closing of the Wendover door opened the door to Sebastopol weekend activities, and i made good use of the time in town.  this weekend was the annual Gravenstein Apple Fair at Ragle Ranch Park so i headed over there on Saturday with my Mom and a friend of hers.

yum.  that is a good word to sum up the fair….yum.  i LOVE apple pie, and there was plenty to choose from at the fair, that’s for sure!  i opted not to buy an entire Kozlowski apple & blackberry pie, a decision i regret today and purchased a piece of their apple pie instead.  it was SO good and the perfect treat for a Saturday afternoon.

the fair was full of arts & craft vendors, live music, food trucks, and of course….apples.  it wasn’t what i had planned for Saturday, but it was a really fun day at the park, and i’m glad i had the opportunity to enjoy the event!

image courtesy of gravensteinapplefair.com