I love planning. I don’t like random email pitches from PR or product companies.

Today the two worlds collide. That’s because Expedia pitched me something I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT AND WILL USE! It doesn’t happen often.

It’s their Kids In The City program and you might be able to guess what it’s about. Kids. Cities. Doing stuff (with their parents).

The site offers up individually picked attractions and fun-things-to-do in a dozen major cities across the USA. The individuals doing the picking are parenting and traveling experts by the likes of Debbie Dubrow, Jen Miner, Mara Gorman and Kara Williams. These are people I know, personally, in real life, and trust their recommendations. Heck, before this program, I was even going to be asking Jen what might be fun to do with Sabrina in LA as we will be taking two trips there this summer. Now I don’t have to because she tells us in a video!

Expedia will be highlighting 12 cities over 12 days (and it started yesterday, so you need to catch up!) on the site to help with your summer planning.

If you have kids, give it a look-see. Yes, eventually it has links to be able to book things on Expedia, but there is no hard sell and the picks are genuine points of interest moms in those cities think you will find fun. They have first hand knowledge of many of the attractions and have tested them with their own kids. Humanely, I hope.

It’s a resource I have already found useful and will be checking out Portland as well for two trips this summer with Sabrina.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Here then are my tactics for drying yourself when faced with only having a hand towel at your disposal. This list is in chronological order. Reversing this order would be very bad.

Face

Start with face. Why? It makes you feel the best when it’s dry. Plus it’s a good place to start so you can see without water in your eyes. Resist moving to the hair is the case for most of us when ample towelage is available (I’ll explain why later).

Arms

Next are arms. They present no real danger to other body parts if moved to the front of the line.

Back

Flip the hand towel over to your back. It’s one of the largest areas of your body and you should attack while the towel is not too soaked.

Chest

Move around to the chest. For hairy guys, this area can hold a log of water. Women may wish to hit the chest before the back depending on how much water ‘hides’. Yes, I plan to show this post to my daughter when she is old enough to be mortified by her Dad typing such things.

Arm pits

This is a personal preference. I prefer to go for the armpits before the legs because I have long, hairy legs, that hold a lot of water. I want my pits dryer than my legs as I often wear shorts and the legs can dry by themselves well enough. Deodorant is also harder to apply when pits are wet. My life is ruled by logic.

Legs

Moving on down, skip the crotch. Move directly to legs and feet. I prefer to only get the tops of feet, but that’s just me.

Hair

Second to last, go for hair. This is where the moisture resides and what will soak the small towel the most. We all know tricks for dealing with wet hair and that may be your only option.

Crotch

Lastly, the crotch. We’ll leave it at that.

Bonus Tip

You can flip the towel over and get a bit more use out of it. I usually employ this technique on the legs. It’s not a huge help, but it does help. Try it on the hair too.

If you’re looking for a device to help you remember the order, an acronym created from this list would be Fab Calhc. I’m not sure what that means, but it’ll stick if you say it enough.

What’s your pattern for using a smaller than desirable towel to dry after a shower?

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

The wood is new, a local fir with a light stain. Maybe four years old at most. It feels cool under your bare feet as summer has not arrived.

The deck rail comes up to your waist and makes for easy slouching to enjoy the view. It’s made of the same wood, flecked with fir needles. Just below the railing, fifteen feet ahead and six feet down, is where the view starts.

It’s a cascading creek pooling after a plunge under the eight foot long wooden bridge you crossed to get to the deck. After the pool, moving to your left, it drops another thirty feet over green-slick rocks, through ferns and nettles and finally empties into Doe Bay. The sound of moving water is all that fills your ears. The world’s best white noise.

Doe Bay is narrow from where you stand. Maybe one hundred and fifty feet across. You see where it opens into a larger body of water beyond a tree-covered point, but here, the shore, things are more confined and placid. Only the cascading water causes ripples today as the creek tries to push back the tide over a rock-strewn beach. It will be a sandy beach if you can wait a few hundred years.

A smell of chlorine reaches over your shoulder and you turn away from the beach, bay and creek to face three pools. Each pool is five feet on a side and set into a bench just below your chest. Stairs to the right of these pool lead you to another deck, commanding a greater view back to the bay with the three pools in front of you, at your feet, flush with the deck.

The pools are a bit like the Three Little Bears, as you dip a foot in the first, to your left, and find it’s a too cold. Moving to the far right, the only pool with jets bubbling the water into a swirl within the square. You can’t see the bottom and a toe tells you it’s too hot. The center pool, your last refuge, delivers as the nursery rhyme promises: Just Right.

The view from here is above the railing below, straight out into the bay. Calm.

You drop your towel next to the middle pool and take hold of the metal railing that leads below the surface of Just Right water.

You are alone. You, three pools and the bay.

Oh, and you’re naked.

—————–

Doe Bay Resort, tucked away in a small dent on Orcas Island in the San Juan archipelago of Washington State, is not known a world famous nudest beach, because it’s not. When I first heard of the area it was as lore, hearsay. A mystic land, inside Washington state, where existed miles of nude bodies. Lore made me think that was reality.

It turns out hearsay is just that, untrue. What is true is Doe Bay Resort, an assortment of houses, cabins and a hostel for rent, all with beach front access to the sea, does have a clothing-optional policy for the soaking tubs and attached sauna. And that’s where lore and reality meet. They are hidden from the rest of the resort, down a path, a gate, some steps and across the creek.

Somehow lore blew things out of proportion as lore can. Reality is often much more mundane.

But that’s no reason not to enjoy the tub you were about to slip into.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

I have a number of these pens in my house and most of my writing is fueled almost exclusively by hotel pens. I grew up that way as my Dad traveled often for work, staying at hotels and bringing back pens for his sons. But it wasn’t until recently that I noticed pens in a friend’s house and wondered, “Would I go to that hotel based on how their pens look?”  I know, I’m shallow, but that will not stop this blog post.

And thus, I submit some samples of pens. These pens are taken from my last year plus of travel and it’s highly likely that they provided me a dry, warm place to sleep for free. I doubt they ever expected me to write about their pens.

Fluffy Kitty – Home

Fluffy Kitty sure is cute, isn’t she? She doesn’t look happy, but she is. She reminds me of home and my daughter, who’s pen it is (really!). A good, quality pen that makes me smile. The pen matches the establishment.

The Plantation Inn – Maui, Hawaii

I’d have to say the Plantation Inn’s pen is the most deceiving of the lot.  The Plantation Inn is far more comfy and inviting than the pen implies. Here are some shots of my room and the grounds for comparison.

The Plantation Inn’s pen does not match the quality of the establishment. The pen is simple and useful, while the Inn is well appointed, stylish and relaxing. This match is off.

The Jupiter Hotel – Portland, Oregon

The Jupiter Hotel took an older motel and turned it into something funky. It’s stylish, it’s a hipster magnet and each room has a different mural on a wall. It’s cool. I didn’t stay in this hotel, but am hosting two photography workshops there this summer (having previously hosted a slide show and workshop on the premises in February). Jupiter’s pen is one of my favorites as it’s easy to hold and has a hip, new style that is becoming more and more duplicated. I say The Jupiter Hotel’s pen does match their establishment.

Marriott – San Francisco, California

Growing up, I held Marriott in high esteem. They always seemed like the nicer places my parents would take us. But from my last experience holding a photography workshop at the downtown Marriott in San Francisco, and then looking at the pens we received, I realize they are far more utilitarian than my dreams recall. Yes, they are decent and yes they work well. Same for the pen. But it’s cookie cutter. I know, to be expected. It just hurts to have my childhood memories dashed by a pen. This match is dead on.

The Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono – Maui, Hawaii

The Old Wailuku Inn on Maui used to be an old house, as many Inns tend to be. It’s smaller, situated in a residential area and I had the good fortune of meeting a pair of guests at breakfast who used to play in the house when they were kids. This, of course, colored my experience of the establishment a fair amount. Being able to hear its history for someone other than the adoring owners was nice. It also helped that I was given the old owner’s master bedroom (to the chagrin of my travelmates). My room and experience was above the quality of their pen in this case. The pen is above average, but its writing isn’t as smooth as I’d like. Sometimes I have to shake it.

They also won me over with their tub. I love a good soak in a nice tub. And free wifi and an old writing/computer desk. And spacious comfort. I’d say the pen does not quite match the quality of this establishment, because the establishment is nicer than the pen.

Kimpton Hotels

I’m not sure where this pen came from as I’ve stayed in a number of Kimpton properties. I also might have stolen it while walking through a lobby at one point, without staying in the hotel (the Alexis Hotel in Seattle comes to mind). I also might have received it from my friend Liz who used to work for Kimpton. At any rate, the writing quality of this pen makes up for its ordinary design. It also feels good to write with and my daughter likes the color. This pen matches the company.

The Clam Cannery – Port Townsend, Washington

Oh my, the Clam Cannery takes the cake for pen and establishment matchup. The Clam Cannery is an independently owned hotel of suites along the waterfront in historic Port Townsend, Washington. The building was an old cannery and the current owners went to great lengths to make this hotel something special. From the reclaimed wood used, to the local artist touches, to the inclusion of a dozen buckets of actual clam shells from under the building to mix into the counter tops, this place is something unique and classy. Their pens are smooth and write very well. A perfect match. If you want to read more, I wrote a review of my stay and so did fellow geeky writer Pam Mandel.

Vertical Response – San Francisco, California

If you can’t stay at home, stay with a friend. In this case, Vertical Response is where my friend Liz works and she was willing to give in to my pen hoarding ways (disguised as, “Sabrina would love that pen!”). When I’m in San Francisco, her and her husband’s place is a welcome second home to me and I am always thankful when they have space available. The pen is quality and fun to use, just like…wait, no, I mean; the pen is all rubbery and has great curves. No, that’s not it. I love using this pen? Dang it! This pen is wonderful and it reminds me of many great moments spent with friends. Whew. I’m counting that as a save. The pen matches our friendship.

And there you have my totally non-scientific query of the question: Can You Determine The Quality Of A Hotel By The Quality Of Their Pens?

The results show that 6 establishments were fairly judged by the quality of their pens, while 2 were misrepresented in one manner or another. I now feel confident in ignoring all the feedback hundreds of people have written on dozens of review websites and instead simply calling a hotel and asking, “Can you please send me one of your pens so I may determine if I want to stay with you or not?”

How about you? Have you found the quality of pens is in line with the quality of the establishment 75% of the time?

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

As TBEX has grown from the initial, “What the heck are we doing here and what are we going to learn?” event in 2009 to its current status as an international destination celebration of all that is travel bloggy, so has the need to prepare. What can’t you live without at this year’s TBEX conference?

Needed at this year’s TBEX:

Passport

I know, it’s just Canada to those of us in the USA. Evidently this whole time that has meant they are their own country. And they have a flag to prove it. You need a passport to get in there now, or one of those fancy enhanced drivers license. If you’re from a country other than the USA, the need for a passport is probably already glaringly obvious to you. We’re a bit slow down here.

iPhone

Everyone else (except me) will have one and you should too. Don’t ask why. The herd will trample the weak.

International Cell Coverage

For me this is a big problem. I have the world’s oldest cell phone and I like it that way, except when it comes to travel. Because it works no where. I once got an international calling plan but found it hecka expensive. Yet, if you want to stay in touch and find parties, you might want an international calling plan. Me? I’ll be roaming the streets aimlessly looking for a likely group of people all looking at their phones checking in to foursquare.

The Handy Visitor’s Guide

WhyGo Canada, one of the event’s sponsors, has a handy First Time Visitors Guide post chalk full of useful info for you YVR newbs.

A Camera

No wait, don’t bring a camera. There will be 10,000 other cameras there (everyone has two, by law) and the amount of flashes going off at any given party is enough to put a Judas Priest concert to shame. You’ll be in enough other people’s photos. And you brought an iPhone, so you don’t need another camera.

Map Of Vancouver

You’re going to get lost. Get a map. Here’s the Vancouver Tourism’s page to suit your needs. Those are handy PDF versions to download into your iPhone.

Business Cards

And plenty of them. It looks like there will be 600ish attendees. You might not meet them all, but it’s best to be prepared. I also have a personal quest for this TBEX. My daughter is in the ‘collecting things’ phase of her life and she is making a collage on a huge piece of paper of various business cards. Being the Loving Dad that I am, I plan on grabbing as many of your cards as I can while at TBEX. So bring different versions, too. Order them now!

Something To Share

TBEX is about meeting other travelers and it’s also about sharing experiences. You will find a number of people who have not only been where you’ve been, but also who want to go where you’ve been. Come prepared to share something insightful about where you’ve traveled, something other than a “10 Must See…” list.

A Place To Stay

If you haven’t booked a place to stay yet, it might be a good idea to get that ironed out. Vancouver Tourism has a handy list of hotels offering discounted rates for TBEX media folks. I’m beginning to think Vancouver Tourism likes us. There’s also room at a hip hostel a few (15) blocks from the convention center, but located along a bus line. Or ask Anny Chih if her couch is available.

Good Overview Of What To Expect

BootsnAll, a TBEX sponsor and very nice people to boot (har!), has put together a well researched and thoughtful post than this on what TBEX is about, how to make the most of your time, etc… Check it out here.

Ukulele

Pam will want to jam with you.

A Link To The Actual TBEX Event Page

Here it is.

A Spare Liver

And some aspirin.

Not needed at this year’s TBEX:

ID – You can drink when you are old enough to hold a can in Canada.

An Attitude – I’m not going to take you seriously, so just be yourself. And give me a business card for my contact-hoarding daughter.

Fancy Shoes – They hurt your feet every time you wear them, don’t they? It’s Canada, wear shorts and a pair of flip flops.

iPhone Charger – Do you know how many other people won’t have forgotten theirs? Plus it’s a way to break the ice at parties. “Hi, I need an iPhone charging cable,” is always a welcome introduction. Even if the Queen shows up (although she uses a Droid, so don’t ask).

Powder Blue Tuxedo – It’s been done. Try to top it, but don’t try to imitate it.

I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at TBEX. Come up, say, “Hi” and then promptly hand over five different versions of your business card to appease my daughter quest for calling card world domination.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

I’m talking about showers.  It’s been two years since my Best Shower Ever and I still lust after it.  Not every day, but once in a while it calls to me. I’ve had a lot of showers I’ve really loved since then, some that meant a lot to me.  Maybe the location was special.  Maybe the pressure was just right.  Or maybe I was so happily grungy dirty and ready for a cleanse that the shower I had right then, no matter where it was, was the perfect shower.  Or so it always seemed.  Only one shower, though, can hold the title.  And it is the shower all are held against.

My Best Shower Ever was in the jungles of Peru.  Sounds romantic already, doesn’t it.  Humidity past 3000%. Tarantulas literally sneaking into my cabana during the day.  Coming back from a river paddle through piranha infested waters and swimming in the same waters (because those piranhas weren’t the mean kind looking for a movie cameo).  Dripping with sweat.  In need of The Best Shower Ever.

It can be found at Inkatera’s Reserva Amazonia Lodge.  I spent eight nights there in 2008 on my own accord, looking for some time to relax and explore.  It’s fancy by jungle lodge standards and was my last great splurge in personal travel expenses.  What’s even better is they upgraded me part way through my trip to the Tambopata Suite.  I went from the standard cabana to this:

Behind that wall is the entire bathing area.  It’s not a bathroom, that’s for sure.  Step around the corner and you encounter the back, walled in, net covered patio with cool soaking pool.

So big, I had to make a stitched panorama of it.  You can imagine my excitement and child-like glee when they told me this would be my home for four of my eight nights.  The pool is about 70F and perfect for a cooling dip after hours of the oppressive swelter of the jungle.  The chairs are comfy and it’s a wonderful place to relax.  Now walk to the back with me, towards those towels (doesn’t matter which one).

Here it is.  My Best Shower Ever. To quote another Hollywood great, “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”  For me it was having all this openness, especially above, while still having complete privacy.  It felt open, free and oh so good.  Also, most of my showers were on the cool side so I would stand for long, long sojourns without the guilt of sucking down hot water.  Although I was afraid at times that I would suck the nearby Rio Madre de Dios dry.  I’m not one to journey to nudest beaches because I “have to be free!!”  and I’m not a showman either.  Yet, being able to shower right under the jungle canopy (just 3′ from the back wall) and let my day-to-day life worries wash down the drain….that’s what made this the Best Shower Ever for me.

Walking back to the living space…

…there is another shower under the cover of the cabana if the open air and walking around naked isn’t your thing and you like ceilings and walls.

I’m heading back to Peru and to the Madre de Dios in November, this time with GAP Adventures.  We have two nights scheduled at one of their river lodges and I’m now very curious what the showers will be like.  I already know the heat will be stifling and the humidity will be <insert your favorite over-used term for really, really high humidity here>.  But the showers?  Can they top the Best Shower Ever?

For those of you out there who have, in fact, bathed, what’s your Best Shower Ever?

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

It turns out I have a lot to learn about this state, especially Wenatchee.  In gathering information for an upcoming article covering Mission Ridge’s Ski Patrol in Washington Magazine, I was hosted by the folks of Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau for a quick overnight in the city before heading to the slopes.  Honestly, I thought I’d be put up in a Best Western.  I mean, Leavenworth, just 25 minutes away, is the cute, charming gem of the area with romantic inns, riverside B&Bs and enough cuteness to make a basket of kittens jealous.

First surprise; Huckleberry Haven B&B.  The directions placed this B&B in a residential area of town, away from the bustle of the strips malls, auto shops and fast food joints.  +1 for the HHB&B.  Easy to find if you know it’s there, the B&B is taken care of by Ian and Rush Leslie, quintessential hosts radiating warmth and a welcoming smile.   If you have run the B&B circuit in any part of the US, you get to know who absolutely loves their job and who kinda likes it.  Ruth and Ian love their small, three unit B&B and it shows.  They also seem nuts about bears, tea and huckleberries.

The Saddlerock Suite, our room for the night, is a home away from home.  A full kitchen and bath give this one room accommodation all that is needed to hole up for a night or a week.  The queen sized bed is complimented with a pull out sofa, making it work for families of four or a pair of couples traveling the wine country together.  A roll-a-way is also available if siblings just can’t share. Head to a local grocery store and stock up the full sized fridge as the kitchen is fully equipped.  There is even a washer and dryer in room to refresh your laundry before heading out.

The room is comfy in a woodsy type of way; stuffed bears nestle into the reading nook and are painted above the kitchen sink, an electric fireplace, while nothing like the real thing, gives a cabin feel and the view from the wide, private deck across the neighboring orchard and valley is becalming.  All the B&B niceties are including as well as huckleberry chapstick (this IS the dry side of the state, after all).  And don’t worry, the rooms have satellite TV and WIFI to help keep you connected if that’s your thing.

Breakfast; scrumptious.  I’m no food critic, I just know what I like.  And I loved the huckleberry muffins.  As we were the only guests this morning, we had our pick of options.  Ian and Ruth present a fine meal and asked about dietary restrictions beforehand, customizing the meal as needed.  The dining also doubles as a tea room during the day (the couple hosts a number of tea parties for those young and old in town) and, for those into the tea scene, is ultra cute. It’s not my normal gig, the cute tea room, but Sabrina loved it and wants to go back just for a high tea.  By that measure, the decor is a success.

Dinner the night before was just a mile away at McGlinn’s Public House.  Walking in the front door and onto ancient hardwood floors made me feel instantly at home.  We could have been at Diamond Knot Brewery in Mukilteo or Kells in Seattle.  It had that feel.  Brick walls, a styled bar and tasteful knickknacks all over the place.  A town favorite, the room was packed with locals.  Wood is everywhere; the floors, tables, ceiling, bar.  I love wood.  A brick pizza oven sits at the back of the establishment under a full sized streetlight.  Service was quick, non-hurried and helpful.  Sabrina scarfed down her mac and cheese and my chicken Caesar salad was not an anomaly on the well balanced menu.  And dessert; chocolate!

Appetizer, entrees, dessert, a glass of wine, tax and tip = $45.  Our room at the Huckleberry Haven lists for $150 double occupancy.

I also received a big packet of info on the whole Wenatchee Valley from the Visitors Bureau, describing more than I ever knew about this dry side of the state.  Check out their website for a long list of wineries, bike routes, history, skiing, museums, hiking, offroading, snowmobiling, farmers markets and other activities that make this mistakenly stereotyped industrial town a worthwhile drive from Seattle.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

And I’m single.

At first you might think this a problem or at least something of little interest to a single guy.  I certainly did.  I started thinking of friends I could call to bring along, rent-a-dates if you will.  It seemed to me you should be with someone to go to boutique hotel that is clearly in the romantic category (even if that person was not a romantic interest).  I just about declined the offer at that point thinking I wouldn’t fit in.

But I really liked the look of the place.  Just because I was single didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy that setting, did it?  So, in the near hallowed words of my friend John Miller, I said “Fuck it” to my worries about social stigmas (mostly made up in my mind) and replied with, “Sure!”.

I’ve since spent a night at the Clam Cannery, a day strolling around cute as a button Port Townsend and am now relaxing in another ‘romantic’ spot at the Inn At Port Ludlow.  It’s got a fire place, Jacuzzi tub like the Cannery and views of the water as well.  It’s quite romantic.  And I’m finding it’s actually very enjoyable to visit places like this as a single person.  I wasn’t expecting that, coming to the Peninsula, and I’m happily glad I am wrong.  Romance doesn’t exist just in the lives of those involved in a relationship, evidently.  Maybe if I just change the word romantic to idyllic.  It doesn’t matter, really, because it’s the same thing.  

And it’s a good reminder to those locations who normally advertise themselves to the couples crowd. They may be missing a segment of the population that would also love to come visit their romantic getaways.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve eaten dinner and Sabrina’s now taking a bath and seems quite tired. Kim is packing and repacking things to try to get our number of bags down. We’ve got three carry-ons (two clothes and one camera bag) and just about have one ‘personal item’ which would be heaven to me. I think it’ll work.

For this trip I’m going to be taking pictures at Cari and Richard’s wedding on Saturday followed by two days of bumming around. It should be fun. We’re thinking of heading into the city to Central Park so Sabrina can see Balto’s Statue and maybe see the Statue of Liberty or the New York Zoo.

I’ve got a new gallery started for this trip located at http://www.thecareyadventures.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=509

The phone update thingy is broken, so I’ll try to update this site each evening or as time permits.

pwc

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Sabrina and I played for a bit and then went to the hot tub. Which was hot. And green. The walls were green/brown at least and the water ‘seemed’ clear enough, but it was still scarey. The “exer-size” room was nothing more than a small alcove with a rowing like machine.

Fully living up to its two star rating (future note; do not go to pools in two star hotels)

nighty night

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.