Hotel Halcyon Cherry Creek is a boutique hotel located in the upscale neighborhood of Cherry Creek. There are so many personal touches that make you feel at home like the water and tea stations on every floor by the elevators. I found the decor to be so unique and very cool. Ther are record players in every room and record library in the lobby where you can check out more records for listening. The gear garage offers bikes and other …
Hotel The Vdara at Aria is my favorite place to stay in Las Vegas. This hotel does not have a casino but there are plenty of hotels near here with casinos. There are also not any nightclubs in the Vdara but plenty nearby. I feel like because there are no casinos and nightclubs that this makes the Vdara much calmer. You don’t get a lot of people wandering around the hotel, just guests. There is a simple walkway to Bellagio. The Cosmopolitan is …
Staycation I love living in Austin but I don’t always get the chance to appreciate it fully. A few times a year we like to take our Airstream downtown for a nice staycation. One of our favorite places to park our Airstream is Pecan Grove Rv Park in downtown Austin. It is located on Barton Springs Drive near South Lamar. The location of the park makes it a great place to stay when we want to attend events downtown. This …
Hotel I stayed at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa because I was traveling with a large group for the NCAA basketball tournament. My college made it to the National Championship this spring and my family followed them all the way! This hotel is a great location for the beach and shopping. There is a great pool on the property and the beach is a quick walk. Across the street from the hotel is Fashion Island, a great outdoor shopping mall. …
The Gage Hotel is a historic hotel dating back to the 1920s. There are four different types of rooms at the hotel. There are 15 rooms in the historic hotel. “Los Portales” are rooms located in the courtyard on the Gage property. Private houses are available near the hotel. The “Captain Sheppard’s House” is a larger house with two additional rooms in the back house. The “Casitas” are private houses located in Marathon but not directly on the Gage property. (both Portales rooms and Casita are dog-friendly). While the hotel offers wi-fi in all rooms they do not offer in-room TV, there is an area to watch TV in the lobby of the hotel. Friday and Saturday night we stayed in a Portales room located in a beautiful courtyard near the pool. Sunday we moved to a room in the back house of Captain Sheppard’s House.
We were lucky enough to be guests for a wedding at the Gage hotel for a friend of my husband. The rehearsal dinner was in a courtyard behind the historic hotel. There was a buffet set up of Mexican food and a Margarita bar. The Wedding ceremony and reception were in the yard of Captain Sheppard’s House. This yard was absolutely perfect for a wedding and the weather could not have been better.
Everything we did in Marathon was within walking distance of the hotel.
12 Gage Restaurant is the restaurant in the Gage Hotel. The menu offers Texas-style wild game, beef, fowl and fresh fish. This restaurant fits the theme of the hotel with “cowboy chic” decor. There is both indoor and outdoor seating with fireplaces on the patio. This restaurant is open 7 days a week for dinner.
White Buffalo Bar is the hotel bar. It is located next to the 12 Gage restaurant. There is indoor and outdoor seating with fireplaces outdoors. The Drink menu has “extensive” tequila selections. The signature drink is the white buffalo margarita. The bar has a food menu during certain business hours.
V6 Coffee is next to the White Buffalo Bar and serves breakfast and lunch along with the coffee, tea and smoothies offered all day. I had the Avocado Toast one day and a blueberry muffin another day, both were very good.
Brick Vault BBQ and Brewery is located just down the street from the hotel and offers BBQ during certain hours of the day. We had a late lunch here after a quick trip to Alpine, Texas. They offer meat plates and sandwiches with delicious sides. There is a full bar located in the restaurant. The weather was nice so we got a big table outside and stuck around for a few drinks after filling up and some good Texas Barbecue.
The Spa at the Gage is located in a small house and is walking distance from most rooms. We had plans to go to Big Bend National park one day but the temperatures dropped down into the 30s and we did not have the right clothing so we decided to check out the spa. It was a very relaxing afternoon. I left feeling refreshed and relaxed. I would definitely recommend spending time at the spa.
Gage Gardens is owned by the Gage Hotel and is located across the highway from the Gage Hotel. The gardens are located on 27 acres of land and contain a 9 hole putting green, a rose garden, a vineyard, a fruit orchard, a fire pit, a 1/4 mile walking trail and a 1-mile loop. The gardens are dog-friendly.
Star Gazing– one of the 6 “Dark Sky Park” designations in the U.S. With a little over 400 residents Marathon has one of the darkest skies with a Class I dark sky.
Marathon Target art installation is similar to Prada Marfa. Located on highway US-90 between Marathon and Alpine, Texas. It is an old abandoned cinderblock railroad building turned into an art installation. This kind of art is what makes this area of Texas so unique.
St John Island is a part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. 60 percent of the land is a part of the national park. Unlike St Thomas, there are no big cruise ships landing at St John so it is not as crowded. Some people do catch the ferry over to St John but you do not get the big crowd that St Thomas does. There are a lot of white sand beaches with great snorkeling in blue waters. This is a very quiet and relaxing island that is great to visit and unwind.
We rented a house name Villa Nona located in St Peters Bay. This house is amazing! It sleeps 10 people in the 5 bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms. The house has great views of the ocean and is located to some great beaches. Every room has on ocean view! We rented a car in St Thomas and took the ferry over but there are also taxis on the island. The house has a great set up to hang out and relax. There is a pool table next to the pool and hot tub on the patio that wraps around the house. The living room and kitchen open up on all sides to the patio which offers great views all day. I would highly recommend this house for a large group. There are also plenty of other houses and resorts to stay in for different sizes of groups. The house comes with daily housekeeping and wifi.
Maho Bay calm shallow waters and white sands make for great swimming and snorkeling. The shallow waters also make it a great place for children to swim and wade. There are public restrooms that are not plumbed. Across the street from the beach, there is a great area for eating. There is a food truck made out of a vintage VW Bus and a full bar that also offers hamburgers and hotdogs. There is also a souvenir shop and places to sit and relax.
Trunk Bay is the most popular beach on the island. It is a great beach for snorkeling and swimming. There is a self-guided underwater snorkeling trail. Trunk Bay has public plumbed restrooms. This beach also has a food stand with different food and drinks.
Oppenheimer beach is the former home to Robert Oppenheimer, the man who invented Atomic Bomb. The land was later donated to the people of St John. There is limited parking so you need to get to this beach earlier. This beach is smaller and less crowded. The beach is public for the most part but can be reserved for parties. There are no public restrooms and no food or drinks sold at this beach.
Jumbie Bay is a smaller beach with limited parking which makes it less crowded. The waters are not as calm as other beaches so this beach is not the best for snorkeling. There are not any public restrooms located on this beach. There are a few private houses at Jumbie Bay
Mermaid’s Chair Beach is a very small beach that can be reached by boat. It is named this because it resembles a large chair or thrown. This beach is not big enough to have a leisurely afternoon but it is a great place to snap a pic!
There are so many beaches on the island of St John. We were only able to make a few but here is a link to a website that will show you more options.
The island of St John has a lot of great snorkeling and swimming spots. Some of the best areas to go snorkeling can only be accessed by boat so we chartered a boat. Island Roots was a company that was recommended to us for our snorkeling trip and a sunset cruise. One day our boat captain took us to some of the best snorkeling spots around the island. We had 5 kids with us on this so he also took us to some fun swim spots.
When traveling with a big group, we have found that cooking is easier and less expensive than going out. We usually have groceries delivered to the house before we arrive or we go to the store after making a list together. Eating at the house can be much easier when you have picky eaters or different diet restrictions.
Da Livio – traditional Italian food made in house. We ate at this restaurant for dinner one night on the island. The food was delicious and they had great options for a kids menu. The wine list was very good but the cocktail list was not as good. This restaurant is not for someone who is on a tight time schedule so go ready to relax. This restaurant is closed on Sundays.
After a long morning of snorkeling, we stopped in town to grab a quick lunch. We found a great place to eat tacos called Greengos Carribean Cantina. This is a more casual spot to eat and drink. This was located in a shopping center with some great souvenir shops located right in the middle of St John on the water.
St Thomas has a great local market to buy local items. There are great souvenirs and jewelry. The shopping stands are run by several local vendors and sell all kinds of items. My dad found some great Tshirt bargains and my mom found a lot of trinkets for her grandkids.
Louis Vuitton is my all time favorite brand so of course, I had to stop in and check it out. I usually google the nearest Louis Vuitton store to my next vacation spot. Sometimes you can really benefit from shopping at their stores in different locations. Different store locations may have items that are unique to their store or state. (example: the photo below shows a unique design to Hawaii locations in 2018) There are also lower rates or different or no tax rates. St Thomas has the same rates but no sales tax. That saved me quite a bit of money!
Fat Turtle located in Yacht Haven. open-air bar. Caribbean roadhouse. seafood, salads, and pizza. frozen drinks. open seven days a week. This is a great place to grab food or drinks by the boats at Yacht Haven. It is an open-air bar that gets really fun when the sun goes down.
La Fonda on the Plaza is a historic hotel located on the Plaza in the middle of Santa Fe. The location of this hotel makes it very easy to walk to shops museums and restaurants. We booked a room on the Terrace Level, the private access concierge floor. This floor is located along the rooftop terrace with views of Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis and Loretto Chapel.
I spent Sunday morning at the Spa in the hotel relaxing and enjoying a massage. The spa is small and personal. After my massage, my therapist set up the steam room with some eucalyptus to open up my sinuses. It was a wonderful experience.
La Plazuela at La Fonda on the Plaza offers New Mexican cuisine. This restaurant is located in the lobby of the hotel. The restaurant also has seating on the outside perimeter in case you want to bring your dog since the hotel is dog-friendly.
Room service is available in all rooms, along with drink service. I ordered a bottle of Veuve Cliquot up to the room after dinner the first night. The next morning we had breakfast delivered to the room. I am not a morning person so I don’t usually like to go out for breakfast I enjoy having breakfast in the room. Breakfast is offered in-room from 7 am – 10 am.
Geronimo’s is in an adobe home built in 1756 located on Canyon road which is not in the main area of town. It is my absolute favorite place to eat in Santa Fe. I found this restaurant through a recommendation from a friend. They offer more high-end menu items that are very rich in flavor. It is rumored that you can spot Robert Redford hanging out here or dining with friends. You have got to love a good celebrity sighting in such an intimate location.
Rooftop Pizza was another recommendation from a friend who knows Santa Fe well. They have a great list of wines and microbrews to pair with the thin crust gourmet pizza. Rooftop pizza is located on top of the Santa Fe Arcade which is walking distance from the hotel.
Local street vendors are outside lined up at the Plaza selling handmade New Mexico style jewelry. I found a turquoise bolo tie for my husband and a heart-shaped turquoise pinky ring.
Malouf on the Plaza has so many amazing great things to offer. There are three areas in this store home, accessories, and clothing.
Overland– specializes in scheerling. I love to find an Overland location. I first shopped at their location in Telluride. This time I found cute earmuffs with cat ears, I wanted to buy so much more though.
Lucchese Boots is a Texas boot company that makes beautiful handmade boots. I have always been a fan of Lucchese’s boots. They specialize in western boots. They have now branched out into women’s heels and booties.
Tom Taylor is located in La Fonda on the Plaza. They sell handmade belts, belt buckles, knives, and handbags. I found a hand-made belt buckle for my husband with a Texas Flag detail. It was in a window display in the hotel hallway.
Maverick’s of Santa Fe – fine Native American jewelry and fur jackets. Found a fabulous pink wool jacket with pink fur trim at the bottom.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is a quick walk from the hotel. Here you can see many paintings by O’keefe along with photos and other items from her life in Santa Fe.
Meow Wolf– when we arrived at Meow Wolf there was a long line wrapped around the building and it was snowing so we decided to come back later but we never made it back. I would recommend planning ahead and using google to see the peak hours.
Secreto Lounge is the bar at St Francis Hotel was also recommended by a friend. This place was recommended to me as a great place to grab bubbles and we were very pleased. I had a glass of Gruet which is a sparkling wine made in New Mexico. The bar does not open its kitchen on Sundays.
La Fiesta Lounge is the bar at La Fonda on the Plaza. great place to hang out at the hotel. Just like La Plazuela, they have tables on the outside perimeters of the bar that are dog-friendly. We took my dog and had chips and guacamole with our drinks.
