I recently went to the Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale, AZ, and smitten doesn’t even begin to cover it. A throwback to a different era (and celebrating their 60th anniversary this year), the Sugar Bowl is a cotton candy colored dream, inside and out. View of the old-school counter: The menu is simple– salads and sandwiches, with an emphasis on ice cream, sundaes, malts, milkshakes–everything good! I had the Elegante salad- turkey, bacon, and avocado on top of a bed of lettuce (healthy)! It came with a couple of small slices of banana bread with cream cheese, which was delicious. To accompany my salad, I had an “extra-luscious shake” made with…
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Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
I recently stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, while attending a conference. The conference lasted all week and included a golf event over the weekend. I arrived at the resort on Monday and departed Saturday. The setting was breathtaking. Nestled into the mountains of Tucson, the whole resort gives you a feeling of seclusion. The location and guest room were outstanding. Walking trails around property take you to see some interesting things, including a waterfall, cacti, and maybe even wild animals. From the outdoor walkway to my room, I had a stunning view of the mountains. From my room, I had this gorgeous view of Tucson-or…
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Taliesin West
I’m putting forth an effort to see more and do more on my work trips. This week, I am visiting Scottsdale, AZ, and when I researched things to do, I learned of Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home. A stunning home in Scottsdale, Taliesin West is situated on 620 acres in the desert. It was constructed in 1937 and was famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home until the time of his death in 1959. It now serves as the main campus of the School of Architecture at Taliesin and houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Taliesin West was a quick, 15-minute drive from my hotel. Wright’s touch is everywhere; even…
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Occidental Grand Xcaret- Riviera Maya
While in Mexico last month, we stayed at the Occidental Grand Xcaret in Riviera Maya. It was a great trip from start to finish, thanks to Costco Travel. This was the second all-inclusive getaway we have booked through Costco, and they make everything smooth and easy. We chose to do airfare, ground transportation, and the resort itself as a package deal and got a fantastic deal. We also added a weeklong pass to the Xcaret Eco Park. For my other all-inclusive trip booked through Costco, we even booked excursions through them. We flew into the Cancun airport and the ground transportation was ready outside and only waited a few moments before departing…
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The US Grant Hotel
I stayed at the US Grant Hotel while visiting San Diego for work recently. I am not usually blown away by hotels, but this one really surprised me. I was a late register for a conference and the block of rooms at our conference hotel down the street had sold out. I chose this one because it had a good location for my conference and I was actually able to secure a rate even lower than the block rate at the other hotel! Excellent decision. The Grant is over 100 years old and was built by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant. It is now run by Starwood Hotels as part…