We Recommend...

Santa Monica, CA

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 19:04:21 -0500

RESTAURANTS
Via Veneto- awesome authentic Italian food. Long wait and cramped seating but worth it! LOTS of specials.- order the Burretta Mozzarella if it is offered!

Yosi Sushi- our favorite sushi place of all time! Very original rolls that cater to a non-raw crowd. Nice modern ambiance without being pretentious. Never a wait. The best. NOW CLOSED!

Lula’s- good Mexican food on Main St. Great on a sunny day...open air-feeling dining room and outdoor patio.

La Vecchia- very good Italian place. The bar is a nice spot to eat if you can find a seat. Sound carries there so can be loud.

Urth Caffe- Located in a renovated mission-style house. Great place for breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Counter service. Great patio/open interior.

Delizia Cafe- If you’re looking for breakfast or lunch on Venice Beach (the nice part) this is the place. European flair and homemade style food. Great patio with a view.

Rose Cafe- Full service breakfast/lunch or counter service to go. Has huge covered outdoor seating. A brunch favorite.

MUSEUMS
The Getty Center- there are two “Gettys” but we are talking about the one near Hollywood. Amazing views. The grounds itself are worth going for. And they always have great exhibits.

LOCATIONS
Main St. & Rose intersection - walk north from here along
Main St. and you will be in our favorite part of town. A lot of the restaurants we’ve mentioned are in this area. There is also a great farmers’ market every Sunday. Very local area.

3rd Street Promenade- If you are looking for brand name shopping in a busy atmosphere, this is the place. Pedestrian area with street performers and all the shops you know. Some overpriced bars and restaurants too. Main tourist area near the Santa Monica pier. But worth seeing.

Santa Monica Bike Path- Rent a bike and ride past all the crazies in Venice (without stopping!), down to the Santa Monica Pier, and keep going to the less populated beaches towards Malibu. Beautiful ride.

Santa Barbara, CA

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 19:01:45 -0500

BED & BREAKFAST
Tiffany Country House- great location for walking to the main shopping/eating street. Cozy atmosphere. Partnered with the Upham Hotel nearby.

RESTAURANTS
Left at Albuquerque- good tex-mex with a great front patio area.

*WINE COUNTRY*
Solvang- seems like you’ve just arrived in Switzerland. Bavarian style town. Get your German food and enjoy the scene, then realize you are not in Switzerland and this is touristy.

LOCATIONS
Santa Barbara Pier- probably not walking distance from State St. but worth a visit. Not as touristy as most piers. Some good restaurants and bars and great views.

Santa Fe, NM

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:59:43 -0500

RESTAURANTS
French Pastry Shop- Super yummy crepes!!

HOTELS
Hotel Plaza Real- Great location in town. Good value. We had a huge room. The exterior is cooler than the rooms.

New Zealand

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:58:32 -0500

ACTIVITIES
Camper Rental- If you want to explore the beauty of the south island there is no better way than by camper. We had a great time in our Jucy Chaser.

CITIES

*NORTH ISLAND*
-Auckland- We really enjoyed walking around the Auckland Domain (large park) and found some cool restaurants and bars in the city. Also enjoyed area around the harbor/marina.

-Havelock North- Cooler place to stay in the Hawkes Bay wine region than Napier (we think). Small town atmosphere.

-Martinborough- Great small town surrounded by wineries. There are many bike tours to the wineries, but doesn’t feel touristy.

*SOUTH ISLAND*
-Dunedin- Great city with a more historic feel. We found a great wine/tapas place on the square.

-Christchurch- Cool small city situated around a main square. There is a canal on the east side of town with restaurants along it.

-Queenstown- Amazing ski town surrounded by mountains. Definitely ride up the gondola to the top of the mountain for great views- and take a luge ride while you’re there. The town has many cool restaurants and is situated on a lake.

Taveuni Island, Fiji

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:56:38 -0500

HOTELS
Taveuni Island Resort- Amazing location and quality. We had a huge “burre” on a cliff. Great food (and lots of it!) and great service...but hard to feel anonymous after a while, especially when they have a performance night. Make sure you clarify with them who is picking you up from the airport. And if you plan on going down to their private beach, let them know in advance. Overall a great experience.

LOCATIONS
Bouma Falls Park- Go early in the day to beat the tour groups! It was a great drive through little villages to get to the park. The park itself had great trails to various waterfalls, including the one from “Blue Lagoon”. It can be a strenuous hike (depending on how far you want to go) but worth it.

New England

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:51:09 -0500

LAKE PLACID, NY
RESTAURANTS
The Cottage- Laid back lake-side restaurant/bar with a cozy feel and local vibe. Patio for summer time. Definitely one of the better places in town to hang out. Some of our family stayed at the associated Mirror Lake Inn and they highly recommended the Inn as well.

PORTLAND, ME
RESTAURANTS
Fore Street- Fairly expensive but great restaurant with cool atmosphere- not too fancy. They had some interesting and tasty selections and the service was perfect.

HOTELS
Portland Regency- Great location downtown. Rooms had a B&B style. Decent rate with full breakfast included.

LOCATIONS
Portland Head Lighthouse- Only a ten minute drive outside the city. The quintessential New England lighthouse with history and great views. Worth the trip.

CAMDEN, ME
LOCATIONS
The Harbor- A great small town harbor with a waterfall making its way through the town. Very cool.

RESTAURANTS
Cappy’s Chowder House- Great place to get some local food and enjoy the atmosphere. Laid back local kind of place.

New Orleans, LA

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:49:17 -0500

RESTAURANTS
K Paul’s- Super tasty dining in the French Quarter. The bread was great as well as everything else! One of a kind classic Louisiana restaurant. And remember...you can leave with your bottle of wine!

New York, NY

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:31:52 -0500

HOTELS
Hudson- Modern boutique hotel at a decent price (Priceline), located near Central Park. Rooms are small but feel special. They were building an outdoor courtyard area when we were there so that is probably really cool. The “lounge” was a little too “loungy” for us though.

BARS
Bryant Park Grill- If you are looking for a place to enjoy great weather with a beer and some food, this is the place. On a patio in Bryant Park.

RESTAURANTS
Uva- Upper east side Italian restaurant and wine bar. Delicious food, great wine selection, and reasonable prices. Nice outdoor patio. We’ve always had great experiences there. Try the antipasto platter or the appetizer that includes fresh burrata mozzarella cheese!

TASTE- On the upper east side. So far this has been a great place for brunch for us. We are looking forward to dinner there sometime, as it is a wine bar and has a market attached. The food has been excellent and we have been told the salad bar is not to be missed.

Belgian Beer Cafe - Another upper east side restaurant. Great spot for dinner. Huge buckets of mussels with lots of sauce choices. Long list of Belgian beers. French fries are great too.