Untold thousands of Americans will soon be headed to London for some of the biggest events that the UK has seen in many, many years.

On June 3rd, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will commence celebrating her 60th year on the throne.

It all begins with the annual Epsom Derby followed by the unmissable Thames Diamond Jubilee Pagaent, an elaborate royal procession harking back to the golden age that is set to be one of the biggest royal events ever held in England.

Spectators on the Thames will enjoy more than 1,000 boats and 30,000 people take to the River Thames as Her Majesty The Queen leads the largest flotilla London has ever seen.

If that isn’t enough, the eyes of the world will be on London when the 2012 Summer Olympics start on July 27.

With all the hoopla, we thought it might be fun to make a visit this year to London and do some advance scouting for the benefit of our readers who might be planning their own trip.

We have a LOT to share with you over the coming weeks, but the most important story to share in the beginning is how we got there.  You see, Delta Vacations was kind enough to sponsor our trip so that we might share with you our experience in planning and experiencing our first trip across the pond with our “Roaming Boomer” hats on.

As you’re probably aware, we do a lot of traveling.  And we clearly understand that a major trip overseas involves a lot of planning and the task can be very daunting if you’re venturing to a new destination in a foreign country.   Planning a trip of this magnitude can literally involve months of planning.

For roughly the same amount of money that you will spend to do it yourself, Delta Vacations will get you there and do all of the planning for you.

Here’s the first thing you need to know about Delta Vacations: for roughly the same amount of money that you would spend on your own, Delta Vacations will get you to London, provide significant help in planning, and make all your reservations and bookings.  Sweet!

Carol spends untold hours planning and booking our trips.  Let me just say, Carol really, really wishes Delta Vacations would sponsor all of our trips.  They made her job considerably easier, and the process was a piece of cake.

We traveled through Delta Vacations’ luxury division and let me share with you how sweet this all was.

Delta Vacations Luxury Concierge Benefits

Once we made London our destination, we were assigned a personal luxury travel concierge (Nita) to walk us through the process.

Next, we confirmed our travel dates and Nita booked our first class seats to London and back.  Now, let me just say, it takes a good many hours to get to London from Scottsdale, Arizona.  I can’t begin to express how nice it was to experience the trip in first class.  Not only did we enjoy whisking past long airport lines, but we enjoyed a great deal of pampering, and the flat-bed seats on the long flight over the ocean were a complete joy.  After a very tasty dinner, we donned our special Delta Airlines socks, put on our provided eye-masks and settled back for a comfortable night’s sleep as we crossed the Atlantic.  A few hours before we were to touch down, those that wanted to be awakened also enjoyed a hearty breakfast before landing at Heathrow Airport.

After booking the flights, Nita presented us with a list of the very best hotels in London.  After a little of our own scouting, we quickly learned that Delta Vacations had scoured the town very well and had indeed picked the best of the best.  We chose the London Langham which is a veritable icon among London’s hotels.  We’ll tell you more about the hotel in another post.  But, you need to know that Delta Vacations got us from the airport to the hotel in a private, chauffeured Mercedes Benz.  No standing in lines for a taxi, our chauffeur was standing there with a sign and away we went.

Now that our flights were booked and our lodging all set, it was time to consider where to eat and what to do.  We enjoyed a complimentary English breakfast in our hotel each morning, and our spot on the club floor provided us with wonderful hot snacks, beverages, including wine, all throughout the day.  We decided to wing it each day for lunch. However, Delta Vacations has a massive, vetted list to choose from regarding dining, shows, and must-see London attractions.  We’ll tell you more about this in another post, but Delta Vacations booked us on the most delightful day-trip to Paris aboard a high-speed train through the famous Chunnel.  What a great day that was!!!!

Another great comfort to our trip was having Nita available should problems arise.  It turned out that our first-class seats had mysteriously disappeared for our day-trip to Paris.  Carol was major-leagued bummed at the thought of missing a day-trip to Paris.  We made a simple toll-free call to Nita, she fixed the problem, and we were back on track to visit Paris to sip a little wine in one of Paris’ famous street-side cafes.

Coming Up Next

We will be sharing a lot more from our Delta Vacations trip to London.  But the first thing we want you to understand is what a treat this whole travel experience was:

1. For roughly the same amount of money that you will spend to do it yourself, Delta Vacations will do all the planning for you.
2. They’ve planned complete pampering from start to finish.
3. If something does go amuck, a simple phone call to your Delta Vacations concierge will put things back on track.
4. Our job, and your job, when you book with Delta Vacations, is to simply enjoy, take in the sights, and create life-time memories.

Now that’s sweet!

This was our second Delta Vacations experience and we are very confident to highly recommend them to you.

Disclosure: a large portion of our London experience was provided by the cool folks at Delta Vacations.  Thanks Delta Vacations!  Thanks Nita, Sean, and Missy.  We had a GREAT time and hope to experience another Delta Vacations luxury package soon.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link:

As a baby boomer from the Midwest, the concept of a luxury boutique hotel was foreign to me until we started to visit large metropolitan areas and Europe.

As I’m sure you’re aware, many luxury destinations in the United States has become massive, sprawling complexes that can accommodate multiple hundreds of travelers.  We don’t have anything against these destinations, in fact we’re madly in love with quite a few.

It seems the luxury boutique hotel is designed to give a more intimate experience and quite often an experience that revolves around a theme of some sort.

According to an article by Lucienne Anhar in www.hospitality.net, “travelers nowadays expect more than simply comfort and convenience. An increasing number of travelers prefer to be “surprised” — positively, needless to say. When planning trips, they seek properties that are noticeably different in look and feel from branded hotels. Although many travelers claim to seek lodging facilities that coincide with the traditional hotel concept, boutique hotels are becoming more and more of a social manipulation: those who do not stay in boutique hotels are categorized as unfashionable and un-hip”.

I don’t know about the “un-hip” part, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised in a number of luxury boutique hotels and enjoy them regularly in our travel itinerary.

In our recent visit to New York City we decided to experience a variety of luxury boutique hotels and share them with you. Interestingly, in a large city like New York City, and particularly in Manhattan where real estate prices are astronomical, these luxury boutique hotels seem to have a fairly small street-front presence (wide), but tend to be deep and many stories high.

We visited five luxury boutique hotels during our visit, and you can find them listed below in the order of our visit.

Five New York City Manhattan Luxury Boutique Hotels

The Blakely New York

Our first stop found us at The Blakely which features 118 rooms total; 57 deluxe and 54 suites on 17 floors.

Located in midtown Manhattan, The Blakely is quite popular with those who desire a reasonably priced home away from home within walking distance to destinations such as Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, and shopping on 5th and Madison Avenues.

Each room features full kitchenettes with mini-fridge, microwave, coffee-makers, dishes, and free Wi-Fi.  There is a complimentary breakfast served each morning in the Michelin and Zagat rated Abboccato restaurant, as well as complimentary access to an on-site fitness facility.

We enjoyed one of the junior suites which gave us a little extra stretching room with a comfy couch and a great chair with footstool; a very welcome benefit after strolling the streets of Manhattan all day!

Our bathroom was done in beautiful marble, featured a glorious rain-shower, and we greatly enjoyed the Frette Robes and Penhaligons toiletries.

We were always greeted by a cheerful doorman going in an out, found the staff to be very friendly, and loved the feeling and character of the rich paneled walls, fresh flowers,  and leather furniture in the lobby.

Adding to the New York City allure was the quite-small elevator that we all used to usher us up to our rooms.  When you pack six people into these small New York City elevators, it’s quite easy to make new friends.  

The Blakely enjoys a chorus a praise from Travel & Leisure, Zagat, US News and World Reports, Michelin Guide, and now The Roaming Boomers.  Value isn’t generally something attributed to a Manhattan hotel, but we feel that we’ve really unearthed a reasonably priced boutique hotel with a fantastic location.

We’ll be doing a separate Manhattan dining feature which will include the Abboccato restaurant located in this hotel.

Lobby

Junior Suite

Dining at Abboccato restaurant

Click photographs for larger view and available slide show.

Casablanca Hotel, New York City

The Casablanca Hotel is a hidden gem located literally steps away from Times Square.

As a member of HKHotels, this luxury boutique hotel offers a signature collection of free benefits that they claim adds over $200 per couple, per night to your stay.  This includes:

• European-style breakfast buffet
• Coffee, tea, cookies, and fruits throughout the day
• Wine & cheese receptions each evening from 5-8 p.m.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary passes to nearby New York Sports Club

If you were to add up the cost of these items in New York City, I have no doubt that their claim is legitimate.

We enjoyed a Moroccan-styled king-size mini-suite which featured a small but beautiful bath, and  French doors to a separate living room with sofa bed, cozy chairs, writing desk and a second television armoire.  This second room proved handy as I’m generally up several hours before Carol each morning. I can work without bothering her with the light.

Perhaps one of the greatest features of this luxury boutique hotel is its location.  Walk out the door, turn right, and you are literally standing in Times Square within two minutes.  What a wonderful treat!  We went out at night and enjoyed the lights, the hustle and bustle, and some of the best people watching on the planet.

Lobby

Rick's Café

King-bed Room

Click photographs for larger view and available slide show.

Hotel Elysée, New York City

While we enjoyed all of the boutique hotels during our stay in Manhattan, the Hotel Elysée was hands-down our favorite in the bunch.

Set in one of Manhattan’s most desirable neighborhoods, this luxury boutique hotel is consistently acclaimed as one of the city’s best hotels and was once a playground for the rich and eccentric and has been the permanent NYC address of many movie stars, artists, writers and intellectuals over the years.

Perhaps one of the most extraordinary features of the Hotel Elysée is that it is also home to the world-famous Monkey Bar.  After the repeal of Prohibition, the Monkey Bar became a hangout for admen in bespoke suits, after-hours politicians, and media barons looking for a little fun.

Today, the Monkey Bar is not only a wonderful place to grab a cocktail, but also features a menu served up by a James Beard Award-winning chef!

We were major-league bummed, I say, major-league bummed to find out that the whole Monkey Bar was reserved for a private party during our stay.  WAAAH!

To top off our whole experience, the very cool folks at the Hotel Elysée put us in the Royal Suite.  It was a massive suite with a grand piano, living room, dining room, and a bedroom that was absolutely stunning!  Wow!  If you can afford it, pop for the money.  It was unbelievable!

Even further, as a member of HKHotels, this luxury boutique hotel offers a signature collection of free benefits that adds over $200 per couple, per night to your stay.  This includes:

• European-style breakfast buffet
• Coffee, tea, cookies, and fruits throughout the day
• Wine & cheese receptions M-F  from 5-8 p.m.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary passes to nearby New York Sports Club

Lobby

Royal Suite Bedroom

Royal Suite

The Library Hotel, New York City

The Library Hotel is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan on Madison Avenue and 41st Street, also known as Library Way, just steps away from the majestic New York Public Library, Bryant Park, Pierpont Morgan Library, the exquisitely renovated Grand Central Terminal, the Times Square Theater District and all that Midtown Manhattan has to offer.

As we looked down the street from our room, we could see the beautiful New York City Public Library building in all of its Beaux-Arts glory, replete with the world-famous Library Lions on the front steps.

Each of the ten guest room floors at the Library Hotel in New York City is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System: Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts and Religion.

And, the most popular room in the hotel is the Erotic Literature Room designed for lovers to come celebrate wedding nights,  anniversaries, or any other occasion that might call for a little amorous activity.

The Library Hotel offers an “Erotica Package” that is designed to ignite your passion with champagne, a dozen roses, strawberries with a bowl of whipped cream, a Kama Sutra Love Essentials Package, and even a pair of erotic dice.

Even though our Junior Suite didn’t come with all the hoopla, we still greatly enjoyed the modern elegance of this refurbished 1900 brick and terra cotta landmark building.

If you fancy a walk to the Empire State Building, its a lovely stroll down 5th Avenue from the hotel.

Even further, as a member of HKHotels, this luxury boutique hotel offers a signature collection of free benefits that adds over $200 per couple, per night to your stay.  This includes:

• European-style breakfast buffet
• Coffee, tea, cookies, and fruits throughout the day
• Wine & cheese receptions M-F  from 5-8 p.m.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary passes to nearby New York Sports Club

Junior Suite King

Seating Area

Bath

Hotel Giraffe, New York City

The Hotel Giraffe features the architecture of the Art Modern period and sits in the vibrant Manhattan Eastside neighborhood.

The hotel is located on Park Avenue, in the Northern Gramercy Park area and is convenient to both Midtown Manhattan and Downtown New York City.  As a guest, you’re only a few blocks from Union Square, the Flatiron District and Chelsea, while a short cab ride will bring you to Soho, Little Italy or Greenwich Village.

It was just down the street from the Hotel Giraffe that we grabbed the subway and made our way to the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and sadly, Ground Zero, for a day of adventure.

We enjoyed a Superior One Bedroom Suite, and in particular, that chair and ottoman came in real handy to put one’s feet up after a long day of sightseeing.

As a member of HKHotels, this luxury boutique hotel offers a signature collection of free benefits that adds over $200 per couple, per night to your stay.  This includes:

• European-style breakfast buffet
• Coffee, tea, cookies, and fruits throughout the day
• Wine & cheese receptions M-F  from 5-8 p.m.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary passes to nearby New York Sports Club

In the evening, we enjoyed a splendid meal at Bread & Tulips for some great Italian fare.

Sitting Room

Bedroom

Desk

Click photographs for larger view and available slide show.

Well, as you can see, we enjoyed quite a collection of New York City’s finest luxury boutique hotels.

When you visit Manhattan, and/or New York City, we highly recommend that you choose a property from our list.  All are certain to please in their own individual ways.

Disclosure: Thanks to our hosts at The Blakely, Casablanca Hotel, Hotel Elysée, Library Hotel, and the Hotel Giraffe.  We had an absolutely splendid journey!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/luxury-boutique-hotels-in-new-york-city-manhattan/

I suppose there might exist a few naysayers who would contend that the words value, luxury travel, and The Ritz-Carlton do not belong in the same sentence.

However, before you cock your arm to throw a rotten tomato at me, might I have just a few minutes of your time to plead my case?

I grew up in a very small, rural farming community in central Michigan where the notion of a luxury hotel the likes of The Ritz-Carlton didn’t even exist in my understanding.  Sure, we had a few motels that passerby’s might avail themselves to, but no one was coming to our small village seeking a luxury hotel experience.

My only notion of a luxury hotel experience was formed from watching movie stars on our black and white television.  And, their world seemed so completely apart from mine that the idea of my own luxury hotel experience never even entered my mind.  In fact, there seemed to exist this unspoken disdain for the wealthy that I suspect was ultimately produced from the seeds of jealousy.

As a member of the baby boomer generation, I found myself privileged to be the first in our extended family to graduate from college, had the opportunity to do some extended college travel in Europe, and began to see and experience the fruits of a good many kings, queens, dreamers, entrepreneurs, musicians, artists, and business folks who had tasted a measure of success and had began to create and explore this thing called luxury.

Sure, many of them might think themselves somehow superior because of their good providence.  But, there also existed a great many who with wide-eyed wonder learned to love the experience of luxury, and reveled not in their ability to afford such a thing, but in the great enjoyment of it for itself.

I’ve recently been reading the journal of King Solomon, reputed as the wisest man to ever live, and he says “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward” (Eccl. 5:18)

I made this photograph shooting through the telescope in our room at The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park.

Ever the dreamer myself, my wife and I started a small business in 1991.  We worked our butts off for over 15 years, enjoyed a measure of success, and in the process learned that our success was built almost entirely on the experience we created for our clients.  And, we began to learn that having wonderful experiences was not limited to any one industry, but might be found in every industry.

Disney comes to mind.  Apple Computers, Mercedes Benz, Rolls-Royce, and yes, luxury travel found at The Ritz-Carlton.

So, my point to you is that experience, to the wise luxury hotel purveyor, is the paramount deliverable.

A luxury hotel that can consistently deliver an experience that will have folks standing in ovation is a luxury hotel that is likely worthy of your very, very hard earned dollars.  For you see, it is these very experiences that will remain with you the rest of your life.  Work hard to gather as many of life’s great experiences as you can.

This might be a wonderful stay at a luxury hotel, a fine cigar, a great bottle of wine, a wonderful meal, a fabulous mountain hike, a great book, or even a deep, honest conversation with a friend.

I’ve babbled the preceding 500+ words to tell you that we recently stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park in New York City.  And, as is the custom of The Ritz-Carlton brand, they were simply hell-bent on delivering a luxury hotel experience unparalleled in the industry.

Did you know that The Ritz-Carlton brand is the first and only hotel company twice honored with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award from the United States Department of Commerce? In fact,  they have far more awards than I could possibly list here.

We enjoyed a “wow” experience from the moment The Ritz-Carlton bellmen open the door to our cab, to the registration clerk greeting us by name, to the remarkably comfortable bed, to the telescope in our room to peer at the State of Liberty.  We enjoyed the greatest soaps, the most wonderful shower, exquisite dining, a stunning breakfast selection provided on our club floor, to the staff running to us as we left to make certain to say goodbye and welcome us back again soon.

It was much, more more than a hotel room.  It was an experience!

This then is where if find value in luxury travel.  This was an experience that we will carry for the rest of our lives.  We both find great value in that.

In conclusion, I can hear some of you saying, “yeah, but I can’t afford it”.

Please hear me, you likely can!  It just takes a little planning and smart travel.  Take a peek at some of the ideas we have shared in our article: How to Enjoy 5-Star Resorts on a 3-Star Budget.

Now, get out there and find yourselves a remarkable experience!

Disclosure: our remarkable experience was provided by the kind folks at The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park.  Thanks a bunch!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/ritz-carlton-luxury-travel/

Have you ever had the opportunity to dive under the sea in a submarine?

During our recent visit to Hawaii, the Big Island, we had the opportunity to explore a 25-acre natural coral reef, 100 feet under the blue Pacific Ocean.  Furthermore, we gawked in wide-eyed wonder as we silently moved past two underwater shipwrecks teaming with sea life.

Our unforgettable 35-minute adventure was with Atlantis Submarine Tours which boasts the world’s largest fleet of passenger submarines.  Each of their technologically advanced submarines is battery operated and leaves absolutely no pollutants in the air or water.

Atlantis Submarine Tours has safely taken more than 11 million passengers on undersea adventures aboard its 48 and 64 passenger submarines.  A fleet larger than that of many national navies, Atlantis subs are now found in Grand Cayman, Barbados, St. Thomas, Aruba, Guam, Cozumel, and on the Hawaii Islands of Hawaii, Maui and Oahu.

Truly, this is a part of Hawaii we never dreamed of being able to visit.

Click here if you can’t see the video.

When you visit the Hawaiian Islands, we highly recommend you take your own adventure under the sea.  It will be an experience you won’t soon forget.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/atlantis-submarine-tour-kona-hawaii/

Finding the best restaurants in Hawaii, the Big Island was a lot of fun.

Now that we have spent the last five years visiting the Big Island, and have eaten at literally scores of restaurants, we feel qualified to provide our list of recommendations to you.

Our recommendations will vary between what is perhaps the best restaurant in all of the Hawaiian Islands to a little Thai restaurant we found in the very small town of Pahoa, near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

We’ll take you from having breakfast on a picnic table at a local farmers’ market, to sunset dining at some of Hawaii Island’s most posh resorts.

There’s something for everyone is our compilation, and there’s not a one in the bunch that we haven’t personally savored.

Note: restaurants are listed geographically, starting in Kona and heading clockwise around the Island.

Best Restaurants in Hawaii, the Big Island (West)

Holuakoa Gardens and Cafe – located in Holualoa town, on the mountain slope above Kona, lies this most delightful “slow food” restaurant.  At night, thousands of twinkle lights make for a very romantic setting. We enjoyed grilled local Ahi Tuna with Risotto.

Huggo’s Restaurant – located ocean-front in historic Kona, this casual restaurant has been serving Hawaii Island for over 40 years.  Get there for sunset and make certain to try their Ahi Tuna Poke.  It’s ‘da bomb!

Splasher’s Grill – across the street from the Kailua pier, and billed as the place where the locals meet to eat.  We popped in for lunch and greatly enjoyed their Ono Fish Tacos in fresh corn tortillas.  Very casual.

Pahuia at the Four Seasons Hualalai - this is our favorite restaurant on Hawaii, the Big Island.  Pahuia has garnered a prestigious list of awards and accolades.  Your table will sit a stones throw from the ocean, and you’ll nosh on some of the best cuisine available in all of the Hawaiian Islands.  Their Ahi, Hawaiian Sea Bass, and Keahole Lobster Curry are renowned.  Be certain to get there for the sunset.

Beach Tree at the Four Seasons Hualalai – this, our second favorite restaurant, is located just down the beach from the Pahuia (listed above).  Billed as “barefoot elegance” because you’re welcome in your flip-flops.  We will never, ever forget the Veal Osso Bucco Lasagne.  I want some, right now!  You’ll also find pizza, burgers, pastas, and fresh fish on the menu.  But, don’t mess around, get the Veal Osso Bucco Lasagne!

Roy’s – even though Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine can be found in 22 restaurants from Hawaii to Florida, we have always enjoyed the experience.  The fish preparations are always top notch, and the chocolate soufflé never disappoints.

Kamuela Provision Company - located in the Hilton Waikoloa Village, this restaurant is worth visiting just to view the beautiful property.  After a tranquil boat ride to the restaurant, you enjoy pupus, steaks, fish, and if you get there at sunset, young, hunky Hawaiian men lighting the Tiki Torches.

Brown’s Beach House Restaurant – this AAA Four-Diamond restaurants hold a very special place in our hearts.  It was our first romantic ocean-front dinner on the Big Island.  Located inside the Fairmont Orchid Resort, the sunset, live Hawaiian music, and the outstanding preparations of Walu, Mahi Mahi and Grilled Ono are certain to leave a lasting wonderful memory.

The CanoeHouse Restaurant – this is one of our favorites, and we’ve returned numerous times.  It got the #4 spot in our top five sunset restaurants.  You can enjoy Opakapaka, Ono, an incredible Colorado Rack of Lamb, and don’t forget to end the evening with Cloud Forest Farm Organic Coffee Rice Pudding.

Manta & Pavillion Wine Bar in the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel -  this is another of our favorites.  Here you’ll be sitting in a stunning ocean-side setting, looking down at manta rays swimming in the spotlight, in the Island’s #2 resort built by Laurence Rockefeller.  The Kabocha Pumpkin Soup (Kalua Pig, Volcano Ohelo Berries, Truffle Marshmallow) was a real standout, and we enjoyed sampling wines from their Enomatic wine dispenser.

 Best Restaurants in Hawaii, the Big Island (North)

Cafe Pesto Kawaihae – originally a small take-out pizzeria, Cafe Pesto has morphed into an award-winning restaurant.  We’ve probably eaten here 10 times.  It’s one of our favorite lunch spots when we’re nearby.  They still make wonderful pizzas, but have added wonderful salads, fish, pastas, and desserts.

Bamboo Restaurant & Gallery – a favorite of Rachel Ray and The Roaming Boomers®.  Their pupus are awesome: Chicken Sate Pot Stickers, Thai Coconut Prawns (AWESOME), Kalua Pork Quesadilla.   Order The Big Bamboozler and get all three.

Merriman’s in Waimea – With Chef/Owner Peter Merriman being a three-time finalist in the prestigious James Beard Awards for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, you are certain to have a wonderful dining experience.  You can expect the best local, hand-crafted Hawaiian cuisine available.  Great spot for dinner.

Waimea Town Market – If you’re anywhere near the north side of the island on Saturday morning, then by all means head for the Waimea Town Market.  You’ll not only find fresh items to bring back to your hotel room, it’s also a GREAT place to grab a picnic table and enjoy breakfast.

Pau – in Waimea, this is a great little place for pizza and fresh seasonal quick cuisine.

Tex’s Drive Inn –  We haven’t eaten here, but we love their famous Malasadas.  Make sure you stop by on your way to explore the eastern side of Hawaii Island.

Best Restaurants in Hawaii, the Big Island (East)

Cafe Pesto Hilo – this is the sister restaurant to the original listed above.  Consistently great food!

Hilo Bay Cafe – this is our favorite restaurant in Hilo.  Stunning cuisine served in a strip mall near Walmart.  Go figure!

What’s Shakin’ – they’re famous for fresh fruit smoothies and great sandwiches.  We’ve eaten here many times.

Ning’s Thai Cuisine – absolutely the best Thai food we’ve ever had!  It’s a “hole-in-the-wall” kinda place located near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Did I tell you that it’s the best Thai food ever?  For heaven’s sake, get the Thai Chicken Pineapple Curry!  Yabba Dabba Doooooo!

Sombat’s - Sombat Saenguthai is well known on the Big Island for her exotic Thai cooking. This one is located right in Hilo.

Kilauea Lodge – this is German cuisine in the town of Volcano.  Stop by and get yourself some Antelope Schnitzel.   We stopped in for lunch and I tried a Hawaiian favorite: Volcano Loco.  That was just ok.  

Best Restaurants in Hawaii, the Big Island (South)

Punalu’lu – the southern end of Hawaii Island is sparsely populated.  However, when you’re driving in this neck of the woods, enjoy lunch at Punalu’lu.  It’s the southern-most bakery in the United States, and they’re world famous for their Hawaiian Sweetbread.

Do you have a favorite restaurant on Hawaii, the Big Island?  We love to hear about it.  Share it in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/best-restaurants-in-hawaii-the-big-island/

With humble beginnings as a small take-out pizzeria in the quaint harbor town of Kawaihae, Cafe Pesto has evolved into an award-winning restaurant serving both the east and west coasts of Hawaii Island.

Even with the considerable competition found in the resort areas of the Kohala Coast, this stalwart has been serving up Hawaii Regional Cuisine since 1988, and doing it very well we might add.

In each of our visits to Hawaii Island, over the past five years, we have always found our way into one of their two locations.

For this article, we were invited to sample a variety of dishes from Chef Casey Halpern in their Hilo, Hawaii Island location.

We began our gastronomical journey with a Cafe Pesto Beer Sampler which showcased Mauna Kea Pale Ale, Big Wave Golden Ale, Hawaiian Crow Porter, Volcano Red Ale, and Longboard Lager.

All were served in ice-cold glasses and they really hit the spot after a long day of exploring the Island.  I really enjoyed the Volcano Red Ale, while Carol liked the Mauna Kea Pale Ale the best.  That said, all were delish!

Keeping to their roots as a take-out pizzeria, Cafe Pesto still offers a variety of classic pizzas.  Therefore, our first sampler was a Smoked Salmon Pizzette (a petite pizza w/ norwegian cold smoked salmon, rosemary gorgonzola, fresh spinach and sweet onions).  Piping hot, tasty, and a wonderful introduction to Cafe Pesto’s cuisine.

Up next was Shrimp “Half Moon” Nachos (crispy asian-style chips topped w/ smoked mozzarella, split jumbo shrimp, cilantro sour cream, mild chili dressing, and kaiwiki corn relish).  Wow!  What a wonderful collection of flavors!

Served alongside the nachos, we noshed on Coconut Crusted Calamari (set on a slaw of arugula, won bok and pickled ginger accented with honey mustard-mango dipping sauce).  Holy Monster Pieces of Calamari Batman!  These were out of this world!  If you like calamari, you gotta get these!

As the appetizer dishes were cleared away, Carol and I chastened ourselves a bit for not going a little easier on the appetizers.  We still had the main courses and dessert to go!

Smoked Salmon Pizzette

Shrimp "Half Moon" Nachos

Coconut Crusted Calamari

Osso Bucco

Wok-fired Shrimp & Scallops

Lilikoe Chessecake

Note: click photographs for larger view and available slide show.

Carol, on the other hand, opted for Wok-fired Shrimp & Scallops (pan-seared shrimp and scallops w/ chipotle tamarind sauce, hearts of palm, angel hair pasta, cilantro red pepper butter).  This is one of Cafe Pesto’s signature dishes, and I got my hands slapped numerous times as I reached across the table to swipe shrimp and scallops from Carol’s plate.  The flavors were remarkable, and was the best dish of the evening!  YUM!

Now, I have a confession to make.  I (David) am a complete sugar-aholic.  It’s not really something that I am most proud of, but when a wonderful dessert crosses my palate, the enjoyment neurons in my brain go into overload.

When I took my first bite of Lilikoi Cheesecake (new york style with macnut cookie crust and lilikoi passionfruit topping) my eyes went back in my head and I slowly savored each and every bite.  Completely and totally out of this world.  We have become HUGE fans of Lilikoi.

Well, I hope you get the idea.  If you’re in Hilo, Hawaii, you absolutely must enjoy a night of dining at Cafe Pesto.  We highly recommend it.

Hmmm.  I wonder if they ship Lilikoi Cheesecake?

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/noshing-at-cafe-pesto-on-hawaii-the-big-island/

It’s not a grand secret that baby boomers love to travel together as couples.

One of our favorite destinations, when guests are visiting from out of town, is the town of Tubac, Arizona.

The small town is just above the Mexican border and is a well known artists’ colony.  For four days in February each year, the town’s population increases ten-fold as artisans display their art in the Annual Tubac Arts Festival which has been running strong for 53 years.

And, even when the town isn’t buzzing with 10,000 people, there are plenty of events to enjoy, and scores of artist studios to visit.

When visiting Tubac, our favorite place to stay is the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa.  This property is registered in the Historic Hotels of America and was built by Bing Crosby.

Here’s a short video from a previous boomers’ trip to the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa:

Note:  If you can’t see the video, click here.

Here are a few things that we’ve enjoyed in Tubac:

• Tumacacori National Historical Park.  Located just a couple miles outside of town, you will want to visit this historic Jesuit mission which began in 1691.
• We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Shelby’s Bistro in Tubac.
• While strolling about the town, we really enjoyed the artwork in the Cobalt Gallery.  Although, there are art galleries and unique boutiques at every turn of the head.
• And guys, if you don’t feel like strolling through art galleries with your wife, there’s even a “daddy day care” where you can sit on a porch, rock in a rocking chair, and enjoy a fine cigar from the cool guys at Grumpy Gringo Cigars!
• For dinner, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at Elvira’s Restaurant.  Authentic Mexican cuisine in a setting where the ceiling is absolutely covered in colorful blown-glass.

Just now returned from our third visit to Tubac, Arizona, we look back on fond memories.

There was much laughter on the drive down as our friend Karen gleefully sang along to her beloved 60s music, and Bob kept us in stitches with his quick wit and humor.  We again enjoyed great dining, lots of shopping in the art galleries, and a little pampering from our friends at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa.

Have you ever been to Tubac?  Tell us about your experience.  If not, you really should visit.  We promise that you’ll have a fun time!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/a-boomers-road-trip-to-tubac-arizona/

Luxury baby boomer travelers are becoming more and more drawn to Bed & Breakfast Inns when they make their vacation plans.

In a recent communique from our friends at BedandBreakfast.com, we were told that there isn’t much industry data to substantiate my  claim, but that in a recent survey of B&B travelers, almost a third (29%) stayed in more B&Bs in 2011 than the year before.

However, as frequent guests in luxury Bed & Breakfast Inns, and having the opportunity to speak with other B&B travelers, we’re finding that as the availability and quality of the B&B product rises, so too is the B&B market share of the luxury traveling market.

During our most recent trip to Hawaii, the Big Island, we decided that we would spend the entirety of our trip in luxury Bed and Breakfast Inns.

We had a marvelous time, met some great people from all over the world, and have four properties that we want to share with you.

Our Luxury Bed & Breakfast Inn Picks on Hawaii, the Big Island

Note: properties are listed in alphabetical order.

Holualoa Inn

The Holualoa Inn is located in the heart of the Kona Coffee Belt and is nestled on the slopes of Mount Hualalai with dramatic long-range ocean views.

This Bed & Breakfast Inn sits on 30 lush acres, is home to a private estate coffee plantation, offers its guests paths to stroll through beautifully manicured tropical flower gardens, and where you’ll also find ginger, papaya, avocado, and pineapple.

Upon our arrival, a friendly sign asked us to remove our shoes, and we stepped into a stunningly beautiful plantation-style mansion with indigenous eucalyptus floors, a woven Lauhala matted ceiling, and wood-paneled walls.  Further, massive open sliders allowed the gentle ocean breezes to caress our faces, as long-range views of Kona, 1500 feet below, took our breathe away.

We spent two nights in the flagship Gardenia Suite.  The attention to every detail was present, and with the cool ocean breezes circulating through the room at night, I think we just might have had the best night’s sleep in our lives.  Even as I write this, I feel a longing for that extremely comfortable bed.

Another wonderful feature of our room was a spacious seating area with a couch and rocking chair where we enjoyed a bottle of wine and watched the sun set into the distant Pacific, all while a cool ocean breeze moved about the room.  Ahhhhh!

To further add to our enjoyment, breakfast at Holualoa Inn is a very special treat.  When we walked downstairs, the lumi ‘aina (dining room) was beautifully set, and we enjoyed fabulous cuisine from the on-site chef as we visited around the table with other travelers from all over the world.  Great fun!

The Palms Cliff House Inn

The Palms Cliff House Inn features four luxury suites, and four beautiful rooms that are all designed to be a couples retreat.  All rooms have king sized beds, while the suites enjoy in-room two-person whirlpool tubs, over-sized marble showers, and a gas fireplace.

Further, all eight of the rooms offer a private deck and sit 40 feet from the cliff facing the ocean and Pohakumanu Bay.

As we turned into the property, and drove down the palm-tree-lined drive, first impressions were very high as the white Victorian inn, sitting an easy stones-throw from the ocean, came into view.

After checking into our room, we found ourselves comfortably seated on our deck, spellbound by the sights and sounds of the ocean.  There were roosters crowing, waves crashing, humpback whales blowing in the distance, frogs croaking, and a delicious ocean breeze to wrap the whole package up in a bow.  Simply heaven!

With its easterly view, you will want to get up to enjoy the sunrise before you head down to breakfast.  And speaking of breakfast, you’ll be enjoying items like Apple-Banana Pancakes, Taro Bread French Toast, Mango Dutch Bake, or perhaps a wonderful Quiche along with fresh island fruits, and great Kona Coffee while watching the morning breaking into view.  Wow!

This was our second visit to The Palms Cliff House.  We can assure that you’ll have a magical visit, and that you will walk away with the owners, John and Michele Gamble, as new friends.

Shipman House Bed & Breakfast Inn

Located just a mile from Hilo, perched atop a hill on Reed’s Island, Shipman House Bed & Breakfast Inn is Hawaii Island’s only authentic historic B&B.

Here, your host is a descendant of the original Shipman family, and you are certain to delight as you make this mansion your home for a few days, just as the monarchs of Old Hawaii did many years ago.

The home is full of period-pieces that beget the grandeur of an age gone by, but yet offers all the modern conveniences that today’s luxury travelers have come to expect.

If you fancy yourself a piano player, a 1912 Steinway Parlour Grand B lies waiting, and you can join  Queen Lili`uokalani and many others who have tickled its ivories.

We spent two nights in Auntie Clara’s Shell Room where we enjoyed ocean views of Hilo Bay as well as the early morning sunrise.

As is quite common with a luxury B&B, breakfast was out of this world.

We noshed on exotic fruits from the property, poi muffins slathered in lilikoi jam (oh, you haven’t lived until you’ve had lilikoi jam), Kona coffee, and a host of other traditional breakfast delights.

While all of this was quite remarkable, perhaps the highlight of my stay was watching Carol take her very first Hula dancing lessons on the glass-enclosed lanai.  Oh, we also loved the rocking chairs on the grand front porch!

Waianuhea

Waianuhea (cool, soft fragrance, as of upland forests) is a B&B Inn set in a remote setting, 2,500 feet above the Hamakua coast, on the slopes Mauna Kea.

As a side note, our GPS completely let us down in our attempt to get to this property.  Make certain that you have the written instructions from the folks at Waianuhea, or you’ll wind up driving the backwoods of Hawaii Island for a few hours, like we did.  ACK!

This property is distinctive from the others in that it is totally off the grid.  Electricity  is solar generated, Internet and TV programs are beamed from satellites, while the water comes from the ample supplies of the surrounding rainforest.

When you make your reservations, you’ll want to request the Malamalama room.  This king junior suite is the largest in the main house, features a cherry sleigh bed, the owners favorite armchair, and a twin-sleeper sofa.

The bath features a large soaking tub, and the views from this room include the lily pond, the top of Mauna Kea, and on a clear day the beautiful blue Pacific ocean.  To further add romance to the room, we also enjoyed a gas fireplace.

When considering your dinner plans, we highly recommend that you stay on-property to enjoy the optional 4-course gourmet meal prepared by an on-site chef.  We did, and it was fabulous!

In the morning, we enjoyed a wonderful hot gourmet breakfast as we gazed out the window to witness a fresh blanket of snow atop Mauna Kea.  As we have often found the case, by the end of our meal, we and our breakfast companions had formed a large circle as we all shared travel stories for nearly an hour!  Big fun!

Google Map to Hawaii Island’s Luxury Bed & Breakfast Inns

View Luxury Bed & Breakfasts on Hawaii Island in a larger map

While location may ultimately drive your decision as to which of these B&Bs you might visit, we are very confident that you would enjoy a stay in any of them.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/luxury-bed-and-breakfast-inns-on-hawaii-the-big-island/

We love hiking in Arizona.

When we have the occasion to take some first time Arizona hikers out on the trail, our first choice is to head for the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area.

Located north of Scottsdale, in Cave Creek, Arizona, the  Spur Cross Ranch Conservation area is the newest addition to Maricopa County’s Regional Parks System.  The conservation area encompasses 2,154 acres of diverse, rugged upper Sonoran Desert.

This north Valley location contains fascinating archaeology sites and lush riparian areas along Cave Creek, which flows throughout the winter months. Remnants of early mining and ranching, from which the park gets its name, are still apparent in the park.

This area is a must see for all wildflower lovers in the spring. The abundant vegetation present in the conservation area provides a rich habitat for a diverse assemblage of wildlife.

Easy hiking trail just north of Scottsdale

This 2.3 mile loop is very well groomed and offers expansive views of the Sonoran desert.  With half of the loop hugging Cave Creek you will enjoy lush greenery, massive saguaros, large boulders strewn about by ancient volcanoes, and a jaunt through the remnants of an early Arizona ranch.

Trail Directions:

• From the parking lot, head .2 miles to the kiosk and restrooms.
• Head in a northeasterly direction .9 miles on the Spur Cross (Maricopa Trail).
• At the trail marker, turn left and proceed .8 miles on the Metate Trail.
• About half way through the Metate Trail, you will come across a marker for the Towhee Trail.  This is a short .2 mile trail that will take you down near the creek and loop you back to the Metate Trail.  We like it, and recommend it.
• After again reaching the Metate Trail, head left until you find signs directing you back towards the parking lot.

This is a popular and well traveled trail.  While you are very likely to encounter others along the trail, we recommend you find a quiet spot and let your ears take in the beauty of the area as well.

One of our greatest joys is unearthing unbelievable hideaways and sharing them with you.

Such was the case when we spent a night at  The Falls at Reed’s Island, a vacation rental home in Hilo, on Hawaii, the Big Island.

This Hawaiian vacation rental home sleeps six, so we invited friends also staying on the Island to come spend a night with us.  While the guys were unloading the luggage from the trunks of our cars, we saw our three wives literally running out the door and screaming, “you’re not going to believe this”, they cried, “drop the luggage and come look!”

Clearly sensing the urgency in their voices, we did as we were told, and went into the house to witness the most remarkable sight we’ve ever seen from a private home.  This vacation rental home has its own private, mammoth waterfall in the backyard!

This waterfall was photographed from the backyard of this Hawaiian Vacation Rental Home!

It’s no exaggeration when I say that we all ran around in complete unbelief for nearly 45 minutes.  Every single bedroom had the most remarkable view.  Every room in the house was privy to the sounds of the crashing waterfall, and we all felt as though we were actually witnessing a little piece of Eden.

Even though the house was in the city of Hilo, and only a mile from the ocean, the house was situated on the very tip of a private island with sheer tropical cliffs completely engulfing the property. To help give you a little perspective, that waterfall is over two-stories high!

The other remarkable thing, in our view, is this world-class property is very fairly priced.  We give The Falls at Reeds Island our very highest recommendation.

Disclosure:  our remarkable stay was provided by the very kind owners of The Falls at Reed’s Island.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.  Original article link: http://www.theroamingboomers.com/hilo-hawaii-vacation-rental-home-features-a-private-waterfall/