The Silent "I"

Country Inns & Suites: Home Suite Home

Ever hear of Country Inns & Suites?  I hadn't until about a year ago, when they generously offered us a voucher to stay in one of their fine establishments.  We were not able to take them up on the offer until our Christmas roadtrip to Austin, and I was pleasantly surprised by the accomodations they offer at reasonable prices.  We enjoyed a complimentary overnight stay  at the downtown location in Tucson, Arizona, during our long journey through the desert.

Like many of the better highway hotel chains, they offer free Wifi in the rooms, complimentary breakfast, and a pool.  What sets Country Inns and Suites apart are the little things, like complimentary cookies and bottled water on arrival, a full hot breakfast (not just microwaved sandwiches and cold cereal, but bacon, eggs, the whole works), and a homey, charming decor.  We found the staff to be friendly and efficient, as well as knowledgeable about the area.

On our December roadtrip, we left the Salton Sea Recreation Area and headed east on I-8 through the dusty California border towns toward Tucson. We were hoping to be in Saguaro National Park before sundown.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late for the park.  I dubbed this our "Too Late Tour," since it seemed like we always arrived at our destinations just after the sunset so we couldn't see anything.  Frank said that he planned a perfect itinerary for summer, or anytime the sun stays up a little past 5:00 pm.

Anyway, we arrived in Tucson after dark and couldn't get to the Saguaro National Park on time, so we went straight to the Country Inns & Suites.  We were welcomed with freshly baked sugar cookies in the lobby, a homey fireplace, and some bottles of water, which were great after a long, dry drive through the desert. The front desk staff was extremely friendly and answered all of our questions.  There were some kids running around the lobby, and the hotel seemed to be extremely family-friendly.

Our room was nicely furnished and large enough for the three of us. The furnishings and decor were nicer and more traditional than some that we encountered later on our trip at similar hotels. It seems that the latest trend in hotel decor is blinding florescent lighting and migraine-inducing neon green bedding with fuschia accents and large black and white photos of doorknobs and exposed pipes in the hallway.  I was happy to find the room to be comfortable and not over-done, with more muted colors and soft lighting.  During our trip, we used Marriott and Hilton loyalty program points to stay at Fairfield Inn and Hampton Inn in different locations along the way.  We liked Country Inns the best for food quality, service, and general ambience, although the three were pretty similar in locations, space, and pricing.

Carnival of Cities: January 27 Edition

Welcome to the January 27 Edition of the Carnival of Cities!  Join us for a virtual tour of some of the world's great cities and towns with our intrepid travel writers from around the globe.

North America

Starting out in Vancouver, Canada, just in time for the Winter Olympics, Julie Ovenell-Carter shows us the Hottest tickets in town: My Top 5 picks for Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad posted at theseboots.travel for anyone who's just not that into sports, or wants to take a break from the action to enjoy some culture.

Jump in your virtual convertible and drive on down the coast to my home state of California,  where Caitlin will introduce you to the real Surf City in Driving Highway 1 in California: Santa Cruz and The Lost Boys Railroad Bridge at Roaming Tales. Keep going past Big Sur and Hearst Castle, all the way down the Pacific Coast Highway, where Joanne will entice you with Newport Beach Romance posted at Newport Beach Vacation for you and your valentine. 

No valentine? No worries! Follow Peter Kimmich through a tour of The Best Walking Bars in LA, Part 1: Los Feliz posted at TryOurLA.  Be sure to sober up before going along with Jim to the Hash House A Go Go, San Diego via Wanderlust Journey.

You'll need to abandon the convertible and fly out to the Midwest, and pick up a mini-van to brave the weather in Minnesota, in order to check out Beth Blair's Family Tips for Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America over at The Vacation Gals. No kids? My son will be glad to join you, since he loves Nickelodeon!

While you're in Midwest, Jordy Clements invites you to check out Omaha, Nebraska with Guerrilla Trail Crew: Tweets, Shovels, and Rides Again posted at Omaha.net - Local

In Michigan, Case Ernsting provides great information on Amish Furniture at Think Local Washtenaw County posted at Home and Decor, and tips on local Couples Getaways in the Midwest posted at FinditLocal411 Blog.

In Kentucky, Jack for Prema Michael shows us Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, Lexington, Kentucky posted over at Eyeflare Travel Articles and Tips.  Then, travel down to Texas with Tui Cameron and do a little Shark-gazing at the Dallas World Aquarium posted at Mental Mosaic: Have Blog, Will Travel.

On the East Coast, Jon Rochetti tells us how the DC Flamenco Festival Dances into Town at The PlanetEye Traveler - Washington DC.  Victoria gives us a Londoner's nostalgic look The Big Apple at one of my favorite family travel blogs, It's a small world after all.

Europe

After you're done touring North America, head on over to The Continent, to some well-traveled roads, and a few off-the-beaten path locations that our travelers have discovered.

Curious about post-war Bosnia?  Look no further than Mostar: From the Ruins posted at Twenty-Something Travel, where you will see how this nation has fared since the war.

On a budget? Find out ways to travel in Germany without spending your life savings with Munich Alberto's Cheap Hotels In Munich posted at Cheap Hotels Inn.  For a more in-depth look at accommodations on the Rhine, Jim & Martha show us Bed & Breakfasts vs. Hostels: Bacharach posted at Wanderlust Journey.

Want to save money in Scandinavia?  Just follow Martin Andrews  Seeking Discount Travel Deals To Explore OsloBrad Alexzander and  How To Find Discount Travel Deals To Visit Stockholm Sweden posted at Globe Cheap Travel. 

If Rome is where the heart is, check out Sam's New !! The 10 Best Tourist Attractions in Rome Italy  at Travel Welcome and Robin Locker's lovely Cul de Sac posted at the beautiful My Melange. Robin's blog gets my vote for best design this time around.

For a gorgeous view of Spain, be sure to read Lena's 3 Facts: Barcelona posted at The Colors Magazine. The photos are muy fantastico!

Asia

Only one stop in Asia this time around, this time a view of Old Delhi as seen through the eyes of a woman traveling alone at Cold SnapDragon.

Africa

For a peek at life in Africa, Lanora Mueller shares moving account of her experiences in the Congo at Impressions of Kinshasa, posted at writing travel.

Last, but not least, we certainly have to acknowledge the devastation brought by this month's earthquake to our friends in Haiti.  June Tree presents some excellent advice on Haiti Relief Efforts and How To Help at The Digerati Life. I hope you will all take the time to stop by and find out ways you can help those in the greatest need right now.

Thanks to all the wonderful travelers who participated in this edition of the Carnival of Cities!  I look forward to reading the next edition, hosted by Family Travel Guides.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of cities using the carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

At Sea

The night of our excursion to Pompeii, the Kids Club crew told us to bring Alex down to the ship's theatre instead of up to the Pinnochio Kids Club after dinner.  There was a magic show that night and all the kids were watching it together in the front row of the theatre.  Alex was excited to hang out with his buddies.  As it turned out, our first estimate of how many kids there were on the ship were wrong.  There were about 30, ranging in age from about 10 months to 18 years old.  There were four or five kids in the 5-7 year old category, which was enough for Alex to make friends that he vastly preferred to his dorky parents.  The Ghost of Christmas Future, I suppose.

Not wanting to disappoint our boy, we trotted him down to the theatre after he inhaled a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese.   This dish was always on the menu, and the only thing he would eat for dinner, along with some steamed broccoli and ice cream.  We took him to the theatre and left him in the front row with Mary Beth, Carlo and Sylvana and a whole crew of kids.  We found seats and decided to order some cocktails and stay for the show.

The magic show was not exactly what I was expecting.  When I was a kid, we had a magician come to our elementary school every year, "The Great Kleinberg" or something like that.  He wore a white suit with a cape and a top hat, and never said a word, just pulled all kinds of animals, scarves, and flowers out of his hat.  This thrilled and delighted the audience.  Growing up in Ohio, you learn to have low expectations at an early age.  John Gorka has a song in which he sings,

    I'm from New Jersey
    I don't expect too much
    If the world ended today
    I'd adjust

I felt that way a lot as a kid, even though I had no idea that Ohio and New Jersey were so sympatico.

The Singing Tour Guide

On the fifth day of our journey to see Solar Eclipse '06, we went on an excursion to Sicily, to see the town of Siracusa (Syracuse).  We had such a great day in Pompeii, we were blithely certain that this would just be more of the same.  We roused grumpy Alex up out of bed at 7 am, and after a room service breakfast of coffee and croissants, were ready to hit the buses for a tour of the homeland of Tony Soprano. 

The debarkation process was similar to the day before, only this time, we didn't walk down a gangplank onto land, we had to go by water tender.  We were assigned to bus number 8 this time, and told to wait in the theatre until our number was called.  There were a lot fewer people going to Syracuse than Pompeii, so this process went by fairly quickly. 

We boarded our tender only to realize that it was, in fact, a lifeboat that had been lowered down to the water.  It held about 100 people, so this was not the little white rowboat that you might envision after frequent viewings of Titanic.  It was a state-of-the art life vessel, equipped with lights, power,  provisions and a roof.  I had no doubt that we could have spent a couple of days at sea here without resorting to eating anyone if we happened to be unlucky enough to use one of these for its intended purpose.  I've been on smaller, less comfortable ferry boats.  Having read  Life of Pias a book club selection, I started to imagine being trapped onboard with a man-eating tiger.  This thing was so big that it would be feasible for the two of us to not bump into each other for a couple of days.