by Editor | Feb 1, 2008 | New Mexico, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
Discretely tucked away on a quiet side street a few steps from the bustle of the Plaza, Inn of the Anasazi was a haven of romance and casual luxury in the historic heart of Santa Fe. Its classic pueblo-style facade punctuated by round vigas (rough pine beams protruding through the walls) hinted at the finely crafted cliff dwellings of the ancient cultures that gave the hotel its name ( Anasazi is Navajo for ‘Ancient Ones’). The inspired interior design of the hotel integrated Native American, Hispanic and Anglo artistic traditions to capture the unique charm of this most romantic city.
by Editor | Jan 1, 2008 | New Mexico, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
Nirvana is often defined as a state of bliss and delight. Absolute Nirvana, an intimate luxury Indonesian spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico, lived up to the promise of its name! I had been especially attracted by Absolute Nirvana’s reputation for unwavering environment-friendly practices. The opportunity to experience a traditional Lulur, the sumptuous treatment once reserved for Javanese princesses on the eve of their wedding may have had something to do with my interest as well.
by Editor | Sep 1, 2007 | Florida, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
What do you do when a 450-pound animal that moves better, faster and far more gracefully than you do races directly at you at (seemingly) the speed of sound? If you’re participating in a Natural Dolphin Swim at Dolphins Plus like we were, count yourself lucky, make sure your hands stay tucked away and keep swimming as fast as you can. We felt lucky because sometimes the dolphins find visitors uninteresting or the sea mammals are not in the mood for company and ignore visitors swimming in their salt water pen. This means all the effort and excitement to see the dolphins is wasted when they just stay in a corner or swim away making it difficult to enjoy the unstructured swim. In our case, the three dolphins in the pool enjoyed playing with us, making our swim a success.
by Editor | Sep 1, 2007 | Florida, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
We arrived at Tranquility Bay, a family friendly waterfront property in Marathon, late in the afternoon on a Friday in September tired from driving and a day of fun activities. The reception area was refreshingly cool, small and bright. A smiling attendant greeted us and in a jiffy we checked in. A cheerful staff member accompanied us to our suite on the far side of the property.
by Editor | Sep 1, 2006 | California, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
Most people don’t ordinarily think of a shopping arcade as a location for a gourmet dinner. And yet, one of the better gourmet meals I have enjoyed in California was at The Dining Room at Jack’s in a shopping arcade in tony La Jolla. Once inside, I forgot I was in a mall and focused on the menu, modern décor, and lively ambiance with subdued light. Although there was a constant flow of happy hour guests at the bar adjacent to the dining area where I was seated, the noise level was loud enough to be interesting without being bothersome.
by Editor | Sep 1, 2006 | California, North America, Simon and Baker Travel Review, United States
Azul offered fine dining with a magnificent ocean view. Because I arrived extra early I was able to take my pick of seats next to the floor to ceiling windows that draw the eyes of everyone in the dining room. I chose a front row seat to the Pacific Ocean. From there I could see the dark ocean waters and the beautiful landscapes of the La Jolla Cove to the south and La Jolla Shores to the north. Although the sun had been brilliant a few hours earlier, by the time I arrived at Azul mounds of clouds had rolled in and the colors were gray and muted. Even so the vista was inspiring.
