Susan Manlin Katzman | Sweet Leisure

GLENWOOD HOT SPRINGS

I’ve driven past it many times without going in. That’s never happening again. Located on the route from Denver to Aspen, Colorado, where drivers switch from I-70 to Hwy CO-82, Glenwood Hot Springs lures like a siren song. From above, the “largest mineral hot springs pool in the world” looks like a greatly elongated […]

THE BEST OF MOAB, ARCHES AND CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARKS

Jamie Pearce knows almost everything there is to know about Moab and the town’s glorious surroundings. She has devoted most of her life to exploring and helping others explore the postcard-scenic, red rock wonderland that holds the city, the Colorado River and two dramatic national parks, Arches and Canyonlands. A native of Salt Lake City, Jamie […]

¶ Posted 01 June 2017 § ARCHES § CANYON LAND § MUSEUMS § NATIONAL PARKS § TRAVEL § Uncategorized § UTAH ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Arches National Park, Canyon Lands National Park, Colorado River, Dead Horse Point, Moab, Moab Adventure Center, Movie Museum, petroglyphs, Red Cliffs Lodge, Scenic Byway 128, Utah

SUNSET AT THE PALMS, NEGRIL, JAMAICA AND CHICKEN RUNDOWN

I know where Santa Claus vacations. And I know why he chooses Sunset at the Palms in Negril, Jamaica. The resort is the polar opposite of the North Pole. Here wooden treehouse-style guest rooms sit on stilts surrounded by tropical splendor. A profusion of palms and ferns and bamboos fill the property, covering the […]

¶ Posted 12 May 2017 § ACCOMMODATIONS § BARS § BEACH § CARIBBEAN § ISLANDS § JAMAICA § RECIPES § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Caribbean, chicken, Club Mobay, Cosmo's Seafood Restaurant and Bar, Jamaica, Jamwest Motorsports & Adventure Park, Negril, Rick's Cafe, rundown, Santa Claus, Scuba Caribe, Sunset at the Palms

Watts Towers of Simon Rodia

Call it what you will, folk art, naive art, outsider art, or simply a magnificent achievement of a poor immigrant, Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers stake a forever claim in the history of art and serve as a stunning tribute to man’s powers of dedication and persistence. A treasure trove and must-see stop for anyone headed to Los Angeles.

¶ Posted 15 March 2017 § ART § CALIFORNIA § LOS ANGELES § MUSEUMS § NATIONAL PARKS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: California, folk art, Los Angeles, mosaics, Nuestro Pueblo, sculpture, Simon Rodia, State Historic Park, towers, Watts Towers, Watts Towers Arts Center

LAKE CHARLES, SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SHRIMP CHOWDER

Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) is more than a Cajun French catchphrase; the motto captures the spirit of Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana especially at Mardi Gras, when the city costumes in fluff and finery and parades and parties like no other. (And by like no other, we mean no […]

¶ Posted 24 February 2017 § ACCOMMODATIONS § BARS § BEACH § CASINOS § LAKE CHARLES § LOUISIANA § RECIPES § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS § SIDE DISHES § SOUPS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: boudin, chowder, corn, crab, crackling, Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, Golden Nugget, king cake, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mardi Gras, shrimp, Steamboat Bill's

ASIA AT AMERISTAR CASINO AND HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP

One can gamble on any restaurant that is run by Don Yamauchi being terrific and Asia, at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri, is a sure winner. Chicago born Yamauchi grew up with a love of fusion food fed by his second-generation Japanese-American father and Filipina mother. After attending culinary school, he worked in a variety of […]

¶ Posted 03 February 2017 § APPETIZERS § DESSERTS § ENTREES § MISSOURI § RECIPES § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS § SIDE DISHES § ST. CHARLES § ST. LOUIS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Ameristar Casino, Asia Restaurant, Don Yamauchi, Hai-Ying Bushey, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Missouri, St. Charles

KANE RUM BAR AT JW MARRIOTT ISLAND BEACH RESORT MARCO ISLAND

Yep. It’s true. I love rum. So imagine my delight discovering a rum bar at the newly refurbished and rebranded JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. The bar is named Kane—I thought because rum is deliciously divinely made from sugar cane and drinking too much can muddle spelling, but not so. Marriott officials say that […]

¶ Posted 21 January 2017 § ACCOMMODATIONS § BARS § BEACH § BEVERAGES § COCKTAILS § DRINKS § FLORIDA § ISLANDS § MARCO ISLAND § RECIPES § RESORTS § TRAVEL ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Florida, Gulf Coast, JW Marriott, Kane Tiki Bar and Grill, Marco Island, rum, rum cocktail, Turtle Season Lights Out

ROSE BOWL FLEA MARKET & SUNNY CALIFORNIA CAKE

Some folks might say that Disneyland is L.A.’s top attraction, or Universal Studios, or the grand art museums, or restaurants, or beaches. Me? I love the flea markets. Flea markets reveal the overall tone of a place. By selling collections and discards, treasures and trivia—both splendid and spent, flea markets showcase the life-styles of locals, […]

¶ Posted 29 October 2016 § CAKE § CALIFORNIA § LOS ANGELES § PRODUCTS § RECIPES § SHOPPING § TRAVEL § Uncategorized ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Los Angeles, Melrose Trading Post, Pasadena, Rose Bowl Flea Market, Sunny California cake

RESTAURANTE SOBRINO DE BOTÍN & GARLIC SOUP

What do Ernest Hemingway, Francisco de Goya, Nancy Reagan, the King of Spain, Jack Nicholson, a Belgian diplomat, a Japanese engineer and a dentist from Ohio have in common? Will give you a hint: Madrid. And another: the oldest restaurant in the world. Along with countless writers, artists, heads of state, celebrities and tourists, the […]