Ventana Inn & Spa ~ Big Sur, California – The Ventana Big Sur, an Alila Resort is situated on 243 acres, 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean on California’s Central Coast and is renowned for its tranquil setting, rustic sophistication and romantic allure.
The land was originally owned by the Post family, which built a home that housed several future generations and still stands today at the entrance to Ventana Inn & Spa. Writer Lawrence A. Spector built the Inn in 1975 with the money he earned in the late 1960s from the film, “Easy Rider.” The famed Inn became the haven of movie stars such as Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, and remains a favorite for those who come to relax rather than be seen.
Ventana Inn & Spa has 60 spacious rooms and suites, each with private balcony or patio and valley, mountain or distant ocean views.
“Fodor’s Choice Gold Award Winner – Top 10 Most Romantic Hotels,” 2010
“Reader’s Choice Award Winner – Top 20 U.S. Hideaways” – Andrew Harper, 2010
We made our first trip to Ventana Inn & Spa several years ago for a special wedding anniversary intimate hideaway and we both instantly agreed that a return visit with our The Roaming Boomers® hats on was a no-brainer.
Here are a few things that make Ventana Inn & Spa a special place in our minds:
The setting 1.200 feet above the ocean offers incredible long range views and remarkable sunsets.
They have perfectly blended together the setting, the resort’s rustic architecture, and with oodles of folks walking around in their spa robes, you can feel the lure of relaxation and romance.
With a large fire roaring in the fireplace, The Restaurant at Ventana features an excellent menu joyously gorged with local ingredients, a great wine list, and offers a perfect ending to a day of exploration around Big Sur. However, lunch at the restaurant is also a must. On the outside patio you will enjoy magnificent panoramas of the countryside along with the Pacific Ocean 1.200 feet below as you sit under umbrellas and enjoy perhaps a plate of enchiladas and a freshly made mojito.
Ventana Inn & Spa features two separate pools and Japanese bath areas. For those of you who are so inclined to enjoy a pool and hot tube “in the buff”, then Ventana’s renowned clothing-optional pool might just be your ticket. For those like us, who are a bit more shy about showing our junk, then Ventana has another complete pool and bath area where those sensitive areas are required to be kept hidden behind a bit of cloth.
There is scant ambient light surrounding Ventana Inn at night. Therefore, viewing the stars from the open-roofed Japanese baths is absolutely amazing. Carol and I spent over an hour one night staring open-mouthed as we ogled the night sky counting shooting stars. As we sat in the 45º night air in our bath robes, we simply hopped into the hot baths to warm ourselves when we felt a chill. A most wonderful experience with my bride of 25 years!
Book Ventana Big Sur with our Virtuoso Perks
We wrote this article ten years ago, but now that we own a travel agency, we have complimentary VIP perks for you.
When you book a stay at Ventana Big Sur with Roaming Boomers Travel, you will enjoy the following complimentary amenities:
Upgrade at time of booking, subject to availability
Full breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom (up to $30 per person credit daily)
$100 USD Hotel/Resort credit to be used during stay excluding retail (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Online booking 24/7. Click the link above.
For booking information, click the link above or call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235. Or, use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.
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A love story, a comedy, a morality tale with good triumphing over evil, and even English dialogue combine to make a most appealing evening of opera. We can’t wait to tell you about our Phoenix Opera experience. Better yet, buy some tickets and come join the fun!
Spotted Donkey Cantina II ~ Scottsdale, Arizona – We were recently invited to the media unveiling of the Spotted Donkey Cantina II located in The Village at Hayden in East Scottsdale.
The inspired menu embraces Arizona’s southwestern influences such as the popular Arizona Mac ‘n Cheese made with Mexican Cheeses and Hatch Green Chilies. It also strikes a balance between hearty cantina fare and fine dining – part Chimichanga part Tequila Veracruz Pan Seared Alaskan Cod. But it unfailingly presents a modern vision of classic “Cantina-style” dishes. For example, Spotted Donkey’s menu features Nachos with Drunken Black Beans, Pulled Pork and Serrano Chile, a Grilled Calabacita Quesadilla with Portabella Mushroom, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Zucchini. Hall explains, “Our food is more refined with different textures for the sophisticated palate. It’s a culinary blending of many cultures – Mexican, New Mexico, Southwestern and even Native American cultures of the old Spanish and the ancient Indians—Aztecs, Incas and Maya. It’s a cross culture that even integrates some French cooking principals.”
Different from “gringo-style” Mexican entrées where plates are plopped with rice, beans and covered with cheese, the Spotted Donkey Cantina II presents plates where each tasty item is distinctive and separated. The cutting-edge design of the plates and bowls are beautiful presentations that enhance the delectable eats. And, there are no refried beans in sight.
Spotted Donkey is a place you would feel comfortable coming for a quick drink, a light snack, to watch a game, meet friends, enjoy a special date night or, just to eat nachos with the kids. It’s a contemporary spin on the décor and reinterpretation of Mexican cuisine with a little more sophistication. The overall aspirations for the restaurant were simple and straightforward—to create a comfortable, neighborhood restaurant with great food and a welcoming atmosphere.
“It is a place you can wear your designer labels or a comfortable pair of jeans and enjoy the experience.”
Cliff Skoglund and Robert Hall (creators of the concept) and partner Michele Rudolph have expanded the modern take on the Southwestern/Mexican cantina, and in this new space they have significantly more room to play than in their first location in N. Scottsdale’s el Pedregal.
Carol and I first happened across Cliff Skoglund in his fabulously successful Geronimo restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico when we were “eating our way across America” during our 2006 relocation from Michigan to Arizona.
Furthermore, when he opened his first Spotted Donkey Cantina here in N. Scottsdale we immediately popped over to try his cuisine and have been raving fans ever since.
Spotted Donkey Cantina II is located at 8220 North Hayden Road in Scottsdale, AZ 85258. The restaurant is open daily for lunch from 11:00 am – 4:30 p.m and dinner from 4:30 to 10:00pm.
Happy Hour is from 3:00-6:00pm Monday-Friday. Brunch is served 11:00 am-3:00 pm Saturday and Sundays. For more information call 480-922-1400 or visit the website at www.spotteddonkeycantina.com.
We highly recommend that you give them a try. We promise that this will be a favorite of yours for many years to come.
Disclosure: this wonderful experience was provided to us and various other media outlets. Thanks Spotted Donkey II!
Psst! Do you lock your luggage when traveling? To be honest, ever since the TSA screenings came into being, we threw away our locks and haven’t locked a suitcase since.
I wonder about the wisdom of this. What are your thoughts?
Travel Sentry sets the standards for locking systems in cooperation with governments and a partnership with the luggage and lock industry.
Here’s a recent press release:
This month the 100 millionth Travel Sentry® Approved lock was manufactured….and more than two million Travel Sentry® equipped locks and luggage are now added worldwide every month.
Just seven years after the first “TSA Lock” went on sale the Travel Sentry lock system is now embraced by over 300 companies worldwide and has become the global standard for securing checked luggage.
In January, 2003 the U.S. government mandated that all checked baggage would have to remain unlocked to facilitate inspection; that is until the inception of the Travel Sentry system. The standard created by Travel Sentry, and now used by virtually all major lock and luggage companies, was created to solve the dilemma that passengers want to lock their baggage yet need to give access to government security screeners.
Born out of cooperation between the travel goods industry and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Travel Sentry was almost instantly the “must have” travel accessory. Accepted and recognized by the TSA, as well as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in the U.K., virtually all of the world’s most popular travel brands now offer Travel Sentry locks or integrate them into their luggage. Literally tens of thousands of specialty retail stores as well as “mainstream” retailers like Wal-Mart and Target carry the locks.
This has been a real success story for the TSA who, as a result, has been able to move baggage inspections behind the scenes and allowed passengers to lock their bags; all at zero cost to the federal government!
Airport by airport the baggage screening checkpoints have been moved from the ticket counter lobbies to non-public areas relieving congestion and improving productivity by permitting screening “in-line” with the baggage conveyors.
This phenomenon has not been limited to the U.S. TSA Locks are sold in over 50 countries worldwide and nearly 100% of luggage sold in Japan now features Travel Sentry locks.
From Tokyo to Tacoma, from Boston to Buenos Aires, airline passengers have embraced the TSA Lock and once again are locking their bags.
Although the automotive dog seat belt pictured here doesn’t appear to be a recommended option, it sure looked like a cute photograph for this article.
I was reading through a number of travel related press releases and I found this informative piece that I thought I would share with you.
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Jenny Pavlovic, engineer and author of The Not Without My Dog Resource and Record Book, said that the most important thing a pet owner can do is restrain pets when traveling in a motor vehicle.
“Restraining pets keeps them from interfering with the driver and keeps them safe in the event of sudden braking or impact,” Pavlovic said.
She also stressed that it is equally important for pets not to travel in the front seat or sit on a passenger’s lap.
“A pet could get crushed by an air bag or the body of a passenger upon impact if sitting in the front seat or on a lap,” Pavlovic said.
Restraining a pet at all times is generally a good idea for pet owners, especially since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 1.5 million automobile crashes are caused each year by distracted drivers. But, according to the American Pet Products Association’s 2009-2010 National Pet Owner Survey, 56 percent of respondents said they do not restrain their dog while driving.
Unrestrained pets, just like unrestrained people and items, can pose a serious threat to the driver and other passengers.
According to Pet Safety Lady, Christina Selter, a 60-pound unrestrained dog in a vehicle traveling 35 mph can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds when slamming into a car seat, windshield or passenger.
Secured travel is the best way to ensure safety. Pavlovic believes that a secured travel kennel is the best way to restrain dogs, but a harness that attaches to the seat belt works well for medium to large dogs.
“Restraining pets keeps them from interfering with the driver and keeps them safe in the event of sudden braking or impact”
“The harness should be designed to safely distribute pressure across the dog’s body in a way that will not harm the dog,” Pavlovic said. “Never restrain a dog by the neck while traveling in a moving vehicle, as this could lead to strangulation.”
It’s also important to note that travel can be disorienting and frightening for some pets. Because of this, Pavlovic suggests that pet owners teach their dog to wait when the car or crate door is opened.
“This can be done by offering your pet a treat while you put their leash on,” Pavlovic said. “Do this consistently to get your pet in the habit of waiting and not bolting out of the vehicle.”
Pavlovic also suggested a few proactive measures that pet owners can take before hitting the road:
While traveling, put a note on your pet’s travel kennel with information about your pet, as well as what to do and who to contact if something happens to you.
While traveling away from home, use a harness or martingale collar that the dog or cat won’t slip out of.
Make sure your pet has proper identification, including a collar with ID tags and a microchip that has been properly registered with the microchip company. Make sure the ID tag has a phone number where you can be reached while traveling.
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From my research, I found the Ruff Rider Roadie® Canine Vehicle Restraint (pictured above left). If you don’t care to fuss with a seat belt for your dog, then Pet Sitters International, the writers of this press release, recommend the services of a professional in-home pet-sitter.
Regardless of your choice, please keep yourself and Fido safe over the holidays!
The Roaming Boomers
Book Ventana Big Sur with our Virtuoso Perks
