A BIG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED WITH A NIGHT AWAY

I don't know about you, but I would be very happy to have my 65th birthday (several years away!) marked by a night at the luxurious and gorgeous Ritz Carlton in Rancho Mirage (Palm Springs area) with two of my besties, who also happen to be my sisters. And so it was last month as we three marked this milestone for Margie, the first-born (sounds so much nicer than "oldest") of the "Michaels" girls ...

Here we are in the "olden" days, from  left to right in reverse order of age

Margie and I both know what it is like to be born in such close proximity to the end-of-the-year holiday season -- middle of December for her and early January for me. Middle sister Janie drew late September, which occasionally intersects the Jewish holidays, but not as challenging from a planning perspective.  My suggestion was an over-nighter on the exact date which turned out to be splendid as the desert area had not yet geared up for high season.  With an Amex Platinum booking, we scored a gorgeous and large room at a great rate; the hotel had vacancies so this was the perfect time.

The reflecting pool; enormous Christmas tree and the desert in the background

Lovely (and delicious) amenity delivered to the room

Main lobby area

The biggest question was whether we hit the Desert Hills Premium Outlets (in Cabazon) on the way in or back.  The latter was the winner so we could maximize our time at the resort and take advantage of the all the niceties offered.  This property has been around for many years, but Ritz Carlton took charge a few years ago with a major re-do and it is splendid.  Who doesn't like being greeted at the concierge with limitless candy options for a great way to start (offered noon-5pm daily!).  The gingerbread house on display -- complete with the iconic Palm Springs Aerial Tram fully functional via pullies -- was really impressive.  The hotel's decor is soothing, with traditional desert colors blended in with plenty of both Christmas and Hanukkah cheer.  Their State Fare Bar & Kitchen is open all day, with very good food and service, and captures the beautiful views from nearly every table.

Well, maybe just one ....

The tram cabins went up and down via pullies

My sisters went off to enjoy the beautiful spa -- I was plagued with both a bad back and vertigo, neither of which I would allow to get in the way (especially the shopping part).  We reconvened for a wonderful dinner at Roy's near the hotel.

The restaurant's treatment of Margie was especially attentive, with both a happy birthday message awaiting her and a delicious birthday treat.  Again, traveling during "the calm before the Christmas-New Year's storm" proved fortuitous from a service standpoint.  

"Surf & Turf": shortrib & butterfish combo

Spicy grilled shrimp & rice

Wonderful Malbec brought along from home

Hard to believe we had epic fights growing up -- well, two of us anyway   Long forgotten!

As for how we fared at the outlets, well some things just aren't meant for public consumption. Suffice to say, we did our share to help the economy. What I can share is that the outlets are among the best out there.  Not only does nearly every major "designer" brand have its own store, the other end of the pricing spectrum is there as well -- Forever 21.  I'm not quite sure how that store could lower its prices more than they are normally, but they do. The mall is very well staffed, organized, clean, and welcoming.   The staff at the individual stores that we encountered were also very helpful.  I rate it "worth a look" at the very least.

Happy birthday once more to my big sis! 

BYE, BYE 2015 ... HELLO, 2016

Once again, it is time to look back on 2015 :

Seattle
Daytona Beach/Boynton Beach
Spain (Madrid/San Sebastian/Barcelona)

Italy (Milan)

Croatia (Split/Zadar/Dubrovnik)

Montenegro

London
Big Bear Lake
Paso Robles

New York City

Dubai/Abu Dhabi

and look forward to 2016:

Rancho Mirage

New York City 

Laguna Niguel

South Africa (Capetown/Kruger/Sabi Sand/Johannesburg)

Zimbabwe

Mauritius

Cleveland

And an island somewhere (Turks & Caicos??) in November we hope ...

May all your travels be memorable for the right reasons ... thank you for taking this journey with me!

UAE Visit - Part 2 (aka Can You Top This?)

After spending the first four of our "Arabian" nights in Dubai (see previous post), it was time to make the approximately 75-minute drive to neighboring Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.  It is a straight shot on on a wide and modern highway from one emirate to the next; one needs to pay attention to even know a different state has been entered.

Clearly there is no question that Dubai is dwarfed in size to Abu Dhabi; the former definitely has the greater population, development, tourism and pretty much everything else.  But there is neither the extensive coastline nor two huge attractions that one finds in Abu Dhabi:  Ferrari World (the largest indoor amusement park in the world),The Grand Mosque (the largest and most revered in the UAE), and Yas Marina, site of the Formula 1 race which was our raison d'etre for the trip to begin with. 

Yas Island:  F1 track; Marina; Ferrari World in rear (red roof).

As is typical with attending any huge event, hotels can dictate unique terms: premium rates, full prepayment with no refunds or steep cancellations, etc. After much research, the Ritz Carlton Grand Canal (pool at right) got the nod to avoid all of the above, plus be situated halfway between the race site and the more central "downtown" area of AD.

The stay got off to an inauspicious start with a lengthy delay for our accommodations, and then rejecting the room due to location (doesn't Club level mean actually being close to the Club for meals and snacks included with the rate?).  After the hubby got the hotel GM involved, they could not have been more accommodating (the first night gratis and the spa treatment were much appreciated) and the subsequent digs were excellent.  

At Cipriani on Yas Island; the hubby hung with the boys until 3a.m. to see rapper 50 Cent perform in the private club upstairs

At Stars & Bars with friendly Saif

We were privy to what life is really like in AD courtesy of Matt Haffner, son of longtime friends from home, who has been living and working in AD for several years.  I asked Matt for his job description, to which he indicated he functions as a go-between for foreign companies wanting to do business in AD (principally of a defense nature). Matt works for one of the leading families in the country (a son and Matt are college buddies).  For a young man in his 20's to have this opportunity -- including travel to many other parts of the globe -- is impressive.  He will eventually return to So. Cal, as he considers that "home" and doesn't foresee that changing.  I know his parents are happy about that! Matt was integral in our decision to visit as we knew there would be unique access. I felt a bit like the proverbial den mother during dinner at Hakkasan, the highly acclaimed Asian restaurant in the Emirates Palace Hotel (right) where most visiting dignataries stay -- John Kerry had been there the day prior.  Matt's friend and colleague hosted 10 of us, including two of his brothers and various friends from college, NY (literally just off the plane) and Dubai.  I freely admit it was fun taking a short spin in the brother's new car -- just hours in his possession -- a Rolls Royce Wraith (another is seen at right). This beast of a car cornered like a sports car and went just as fast -- we asked Igor the Ukrainian driver/bodyguard to slow down a bit. The car's ceiling was lit up with stars plus there is an umbrella hidden in the door in case of rain. We were told that few are impressed by these types of vehicles because so many are present. We were fortunate to have a driver and (regular) car provided to us for seeing AD.  Our first stop was the Grand Mosque, the largest in the UAE and probably elsewhere.  The main room can accommodate 7,000 worshipers on the world's largest rug (everything seemed to be described with superlatives), plus the chandelier has the highest number of Swarovski crystals in existence. Many areas are segregated, but genders may co-mingle in various places although the hubby and I were admonished for touching during a photo (PDA is prohibited at the Mosque and other public places such as malls).  The traditional garb is provided for both men and women in order to be fully covered.  I thought my long pants and large scarf would suffice, but not even close; plus I wasn't even allowed to pose for a photo with the mosque in the background without my head covered. We did as asked in order to follow the country's customs.   Views of the Mosque, both outside and in.  The structure is enormous and is visible from quite a distance. Above is a glimpse inside the main room; left is the imposing crystal chandelier. The F1 itself was a bit anti-climatic, as Lewis Hamilton had already secured 1st place for the year prior to this final Grand Prix.  Unlike Indy, Daytona or the Kentucky Derby for that matter, there is little suspense in the actual event.  Yet it is still quite the spectacle, with the fastest single-seat racing cars on the planet.  An Etihad Airlines A380 jet performed a low flyover (test run shown above) at the start of the race which was pure theatrics, with small trailing planes spewing smoke in the country's colors.  The most remarkable aspect of this particular race is the how the track proceeds around the Yas Marina, and literally goes under the Yas Viceroy Hotel.  The track is the turquoise line below ..  As for the "Can You Top This" aspect, that was abundant in the array of yachts, cars, women (Amal Clooney lookalikes/wannabes), jewels and all the other collectibles favored by the crowd ... well, at least many that we saw.  As for us, it was a very diverse and most interesting place to visit and talk to people from so many different cultures, but the hubby and I were quite happy coming home to our pretty good life in LA ...    Hard to believe those shown above are private vessels (not cruise ships!); Italian sports cars were nearly ubiquitous. The menu and food at left wasn't exactly a home-cooked meal, but kudos to our friend's establishment in the Yas Marina for even knowing it was Thanksgiving, much less attempting to serve all of our creature comforts.  Cost was about $27 USD.

UAE Visit is a Series of Firsts - Part 1

Who knew that it was possible to plan and execute what most would consider a major trip without a significant amount of advance planning?  Not me until this year.  Typically deciding on the next big destination might be two years in advance for me and the hubby.  So going to such an exotic locale as the United Arab Emirates -- specifically Dubai and Abu Dhabi -- with only eight months' advance notice is considered practically spur-of-the-moment in my lexicon.

The timing for this particular trip was dictated in order to attend the Formula One race in Abu Dhabi, especially after experiencing the Daytona 500 (see previous post) earlier this year.  Booking the air via Amex Platinum was the first of several "firsts" (the companion ticket costs taxes only when the cardholder's ticket is purchased in biz or first class; travel must originate in the U.S.). Any airline that flies to the destination is available, and the prices are all over the place depending on whether there is a stop plus other details.  I used Air France for LAX-Paris-Dubai -- roughly a third the price of Emirates or the other Gulf carriers (Etihad and Qatar).  Since this was barely a week after the horrible Paris murders, others questioned the itinerary but we were going. Period.

First stop:  Dubai.  After traveling some 20 hours, we were whisked to the beautiful Oberoi Hotel, located in the Financial District.  The Oberoi hotel chain is ranked #1 by Travel & Leisure. Most of their locations are in India (their Udaipur property is the World's #1 ranked hotel in the same poll) with a smattering in the Middle East and Indonesia. With the endless choice of accommodations available, why there?  I wanted to vet the chain, plus I booked a 1,300 sf suite for the same cost as some miniscule rooms in Manhattan. No other reason necessary ... Most impressive: answering the door to a housekeeper delivering shaving cream. Why?  The staff noticed the hubby's can was nearly empty.  And finding notes that they took the liberty of hanging up our garments. Have at it!  Special thanks to Concierge Jayesh for all of his help ...

A look inside Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates -- only 700 or so stores at this mall!

Getting the lay of the land was achieved by hiring a car and driver to show us the various highpoints. There are currently 11 million visitors per year, and that number is expected to climb as high was 25 million by 2020. Hence the astounding amount of building -- not just more skyscrapers -- but entire cities and waterways are created in record time.  Jobs of all levels are plentiful here with workers from India followed by Pakistan comprising the largest numbers of foreigners.    Dubai lays claim to many superlatives: the world's tallest building (Burj Khalifa at 160 floors); largest shopping mall by stores (1200 at the Dubai Mall); largest flower garden (Dubai Miracle Garden -- remarkable considering this is a desert); most expensive hotel (7-star Burj al Arab from the Jumeirah group) where no one can just peruse the lobby. I know because I tried to talk our way in and couldn't get past security.  I would add Dubai is one of the cleanest places I've seen; both littering and graffiti are punishable by steep fines (think Singapore). Not to mention a big one: it is very safe!!

		From the 125th floor, the high rises below look like dominoes.  The view left was from our hotel.  Travel tip:  If you go, get the Fast Track tickets to go up. The lines, particularly to catch the sun setting over Dubai, can be very long .. it is well worth the $$.

Pretty sure I heard the camel complaining ..

Our very able guide Mohammed drove us out of the city (at which point we were just 50 km from Oman) for a modified "desert safari," including riding both the sand dunes and a camel.  We drove ourselves in the ATV (left) but the true experience was Mohammed driving his Toyota Landcruiser on the larger dunes.  I was both carsick and scared but the boys were having great fun traversing the dunes. I preferred the outlet mall which was the next stop ...

A couple of great meals below: left is sushi, fish tacos and wonderful fried chicken at Catch in the Fairmont Hotel -- they have NYC location as well; right is Armani Ristorante at the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa.  This was Armani's first ever hotel location.  The veal medallions (center right) were exceptional, as was the hubby's pasta (bottom left).

 

While some might find Dubai a bit Vegas -- everything lit up, so many tall buildings, luxury shops and exotic vehicles, it is so much more.  If you enjoy meeting people from other cultures this is the place to be.  Out of the nine million population (total for the UAE), only one million are actually from the country; the rest are foreign born and nearly everyone speaks English.  If you're looking for ancient history, look elsewhere for the 1970's are considered "old."  And don't get me started on another desert where there is an abundance of water.  California -- get with the desalination program already!  Next post from neighboring Abu Dhabi...

Above: Family friend/Abu Dhabi resident Matt Haffner on our first Dubai dinner at Catch Left:  nothing says Dubai like this building

 

IN LIGHT OF PARIS, WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR PLANS?

After the evil murders last week in Paris, the thought inevitably occurs to me: At what point would I consider cancelling a trip due to something that has already happened or some concern that it might happen? Many iconic buildings worldwide paid tribute to Paris with the colors of the French flag.  Click here to see more. This is especially relevant as this Friday, the hubby and I are on Air France flights stopping in Paris (both directions) en route to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I'm not sure what it is about, but we have had more than our fair share of travel and major catastrophes colliding. For years we have taken our big trip of the year right after tax season ends on April 15.   Witness what horrific events have all happened in April:  Boston Marathon bombings (4.15.13); Virginia Tech murders (4.16.07); Oklahoma City bombing (4.19.95); Columbine murders (4.20.99).  For that matter, President Lincoln's assassination and the Titanic sinking both occurred in April, but I'm focusing on more recent events ...  Obviously not in April, but the mother of them all was on 9/11/01, when we were in Washington, D.C. We had just entered the Capitol building for a tour on that splendidly clear Tuesday morning when reports started coming in from NY.  Many of you know the rest of the story: being evacuated, seeing the smoke from the Pentagon, then driving across country to get home (we left Thursday and got home Saturday). Nothing could have gotten me on a plane in the days that followed.  Roughly two months later, I took our then 12-year-old son up to San Francisco for a few days via a short Southwest flight. We were about to depart for home when we heard of a plane crash out of JFK. Even though terrorism was ruled out, I immediately cancelled our return flight, rented a car and drove us home ...  With all the trips, only once did we cancel -- to Greece in 2011, but that was because of their chaos and instability.  We went to the UK instead and had a great time.   So that brings us back to the present.  Air France's website has daily updates: All flights are status quo except allow more time for security (FINE with me); no closures or cancellations; if you choose to cancel or change your flight within France, there are no change fees.  In answer to the question I posed, it would have to be more than these horrific events.   Were my mother still alive, she would be begging me not to go.  But you know what?  We don't have a helluva lot of control over our fates, so I'm going to continue checking out the best information available and then go about seeing the world ....

TRAVEL AND SOCIAL MEDIA

True story:  On the recent trip to NYC for a Broadway binge (see last post), I was delighted to sign on to FlyFi, the excellent and free WiFi service offered by JetBlue.  It was by far the best connectivity I have experienced in the air.   The plane was remarkably empty for this mid-week, mid-afternoon flight from LAX to JFK so I promptly took advantage and moved to a completely empty row, if you can even imagine such a thing in today's world!

I decided to share this unique circumstance (room to spread out) and posted the photo below on my Instagram and Twitter feeds with the copy:

travelwithteribAnyone remember a time when you had the entire row to yourself?#JetBlue #toogoodtobetrue #watchingbaseball #upintheair

What's remarkable is that not more than a minute passed when I received JetBlue's response via Twitter: "@TravelwithTeriB  All to yourself? You're sitting next to RiRi!" And we communicated a bit more as you can see from the post on the right. So what is the takeaway?  1) I actually do understand how hashtags work (will wonders never cease??); and 2) If you want to put yourself, your goings-on, your travels out there, it's not that difficult ... but do we really want to??? And why???????????

I think JetBlue is really smart to have personnel committed to social media so as to jump on any mention of the company -- either from direct communication or from reference via hashtag -- in real time and with a sense of humor.  If their future business relies on tech-savvy flyers, then best be "on board" and all in.  

In my day job as a printing broker (providing printed communications and logo products to different corporate clients via the company I founded in 1999, Print Technology), I have great admiration for two clients who are both incredibly shrewd when it comes to social media (Duff's Cakemix @DuffsCakemix and Olive & June @oliveandjune).  While that is used for their businesses, I still learn some "tricks of the trade" for my travel posts.   

My quest for staying up on social media is a daily endeavor.  My favorite is Instagram for stunning photos, brief(!) comments, and a peek into others' lives and others looking at whatever I choose to share. 

  

   

At left is a screenshot of an Instagram post from the recent NYC trip. As an aside, I'm so pleased with myself that I can finally create a screenshot from my phone when I actually want to and not inadvertently! 

What is noteworthy is I used hashtags to highlight the show titles, among which was: #curiousincidentofthedoginthenighttime

Next to the "heart" symbol are other Instagrammers who saw the post and liked it, among whom is "ty_lea"  ... someone with whom I wasn't previously connected but is Tyler Lea, the (phenomenal) star of the show!  I thought it was very cool that he found the post and liked it.

So before I lose every reader, I will sign off by saying look for the next post from far, far away as the hubby and I depart soon for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, certainly a first to be over Thanksgiving!