TRAVEL | Sweet Leisure

Category Archives: TRAVEL

FABULOUS FRENCH HOTEL BARGE CRUISE AND RECIPES

Shhh!…keep this between us as it’s not too cool for a travel writer to claim a favorite cruise. But when it comes to barging, I’ve taken two trips that I adored above all the others and just can’t stop praising them. Both were on the same Horizon II, one of the luxurious hotel barges in […]

PETIT TROIS IN LOS ANGELES AND FABULOUS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Oh man, I’m hungry. All I can think about is the original Petit Trois in Los Angeles. This restaurant proves the proverb that good things come in small packages. Really good things. Really small packages. Located in a strip mall on Highland just off Melrose, the narrow French-focused bistro seats only 21 lucky folks on […]

¶ Posted 18 July 2017 † Susan Manlin Katzman § CALIFORNIA § CHOCOLATE § DESSERTS § ENTREES § LOS ANGELES § RECIPES § RESTAURANTS § Uncategorized ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: California, Chocolate Mousse, Los Angeles, Petit Trois, restaurant, Will Marquardt

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 […]

¶ Posted 07 July 2017 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ASPEN § COLORADO § DENVER § GLENWOOD SPRINGS § SHOPPING ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Aspen, Colorado, Denver, Glenwood Hot Springs, Hot Springs, swimming, Yampah

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 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ARCHES § CANYON LAND § MUSEUMS § NATIONAL PARKS § 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 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ACCOMMODATIONS § BARS § BEACH § CARIBBEAN § ISLANDS § JAMAICA § RECIPES § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS ‡ 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

CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS GUEST RANCH & NAVARIN PRINTANIER

Wish you were here to experience the glories that can’t be put into words: the quiet so peaceful as to hear the cattle chewing in the pasture, the wings of a bird flap overhead and the swishing sway of the wild apricot trees that line the creek; the air so fresh as to send scents […]

¶ Posted 20 April 2017 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ACCOMMODATIONS § BOOKS § CANYON OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT § COLORADO § CORTEZ § ENTREES § HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT § MESA VERDE § NATIONAL PARKS § RECIPES § RESORTS § WINE ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: Canyon of the Ancients, Colorado, Cortez, Garry Adams, grass-fed beef, lamb, Mese Verde Country, Ming Adams, Native American, Navarin Printanier, Spirits of the Stone, stew, Sutcliffe Vineyards

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 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ART § CALIFORNIA § LOS ANGELES § MUSEUMS § NATIONAL PARKS ‡ Comments Off ° Tagged: California, folk art, Los Angeles, mosaics, Nuestro Pueblo, sculpture, Simon Rodia, State Historic Park, towers, Watts Towers, Watts Towers Arts Center

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 † Susan Manlin Katzman § APPETIZERS § DESSERTS § ENTREES § MISSOURI § RECIPES § RESORTS § RESTAURANTS § SIDE DISHES § ST. CHARLES § ST. LOUIS ‡ 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 † Susan Manlin Katzman § ACCOMMODATIONS § BARS § BEACH § BEVERAGES § COCKTAILS § DRINKS § FLORIDA § ISLANDS § MARCO ISLAND § RECIPES § RESORTS ‡ 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, […]