Hawaii CVB's Michael Ni

Guess who came to town last week? Some of my favorite people in the travel and tourism industry, the Hawaii CVB. These are some of the friendliest, most down-to-earth folk you’ll find (wonder how they’ll survive in Los Angeles…), and they’re here to promote travel to the islands of Hawaii. There were a few local journos I’ve met before at this media event, as well as Jessica from the Big Island, and John, Nathan, Darlene and Michael from Oahu.

During the reception, we listened to Joan Namkoong discuss local cuisine and its many international influences – including Russian sturgeon, which surprised me. That explained the caviar that showed up later, at dinner. George Kahumoku, a Grammy-award winner, entertained us with music and hilarious tales if his life on Maui – including the time he flooded the top floors of the Westin Maui in Ka’anipali.

The Mayors of Hawaii, plus John M.

The purpose of this, and similar upcoming events in Portland and Seattle, is naturally to promote Hawaii tourism. Vacations usually get cut from personal budgets during recessions, and the ripple effect is obvious; travel dollars boost the Hawaiian economy and employ thousands of people. But a Hawaiian vacation does more than that. I got just a glimpse of the positive spirit of aloha during this dinner, but it brought back memories of the culture of camaraderie prevalent on the islands. Family vacations and romantic getaways to Hawaii may have different intentions, but they are similar in that the unpretentious, casual and friendly pull of the islands. Be it Maui, Big Island, Kauai or even quiet Lanai, a vacation in Hawaii creates happy memories to last a lifetime. Even in a worrisome economy, it’s an experience worth every penny.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Tart, Kona Coffee Panna Cotta

I’ll be one of three bloggers running a Room of Your Own panel called “Your Blog is Great, Get People to Know About It.” That’ll be fun, of course. The whole conference is going to be terrific, I’m certain, as will be the parties and dinners sponsored by various companies… Also, I’m very excited to be able to share my new favorite ready-to-brew Starbucks coffee – great for travel and iffy hotels. Starbucks has generously provided over a thousand samples of its high-quality version of instant coffee, Starbucks VIA, for me to hand out.  Starbucks Via is On the Move Approved for easy of packing and use (just add hot water). Thank you, Starbucks, for offering it to me, to share with so many other people. And anyone reading this who is attending the BlogHer 209 conference, dont be shy! Come find me and get your sample of Starbucks VIA. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Anyone who’s stayed in a lot of hotels – for business travel, vacations or both – knows that the quality of the hotel doesn’t necessarily correlate with the quality of the coffee served.  You know what I mean; some unassuming little B&B’s serve a fantastic cup of coffee, and some large well-reputed chain hotels serve dreck they call coffee, but really is what David Letterman once called “useless warm brown water.” I love that line! But I DON’T love terrible coffee: It really can mar an otherwise lovely travel experience to have nasty coffee in the morning. That’s why I’m so happy to have found Starbucks VIA, a ready-brew coffee packet that surprisingly comes close to the Starbucks quality coffee I brew at home (and buy, way too often, at Starbucks stores).

Made of the same 100% arabica beans – freshly ground and sealed, of course – as the full-bodies Italian Roast Starbucks blend, VIA is made in a snap. I’ve used it several times already; just pour the grounds in a coffee cup or mug, add hot water, and stir. That’s it! Add sugar and milk if preferred, naturally. Italian Roast is a bold blend, though. For coffee drinkers with milder flavor preferences, the medium blend Columbia brew is a viable option.

Starbucks VIA comes in 3 or 12 servings to a packet. These packs of three are passport-sized and very transportable; perfect for a weekend getaway or quick business travel at a hotel whose coffee is of an unknown quality. The 12-piece pack is a little wider. Because of its ease of travel and superior taste, Starbucks VIA ready brew coffee is Traveling Mamas On the Move Approved.

The TwitterMoms Wine Club hosts online tastings each month. A bottle is selected and participants from all over the world taste and discuss the wine, sharing notes through Twitter. There is also another event that is popular, Twitter Taste Live.

I’m fortunate that as a travel writer, I am given opportunities to tour vineyards and wineries, learn the stories of how vintners got interested in wine, and of course sample some interesting and flavorful wines.

But, wine tasting isn’t limited to online events or special occasions. You can broaden your wine knowledge by hosting a tasting with your neighbors, finding wineries during your travels, or just opening a new bottle on a Saturday afternoon.

The news segment below shows just how much fun a wine tasting is:

(Video courtesy of WAFB in Baton Rouge, LA. If you can’t see the video, the direct link is here and the backstory from the cool camera dude is on his blog.)

This Travel Tuesday is all about the vino, so please share your stories of wine tasting or travel to a winery. Whether you visit Napa, Solvang, or even Disney World, we want to know about it. If you toured an Inn and enjoyed some great dinner pairings on a romantic getaway, please share. Even if you have tips for someone’s first wine tasting or if you just want to tell us about awesome wine expert, Natalie MacLean.

Please leave a relevant link to the specific post/story or it will be deleted. When Mr. Linky asks for your name, type in the title of your blog with the post title in parenthesis. Then, leave your post link in the link box and you’re done. Here are the official rules of Travel Tuesday on Traveling Mamas.

We’d love for you to tell your friends and readers about this post and even link back here, but we won’t require you to do that. The purpose of Travel Tuesday is to introduce our readers to interesting blogs and sites.

A Grandmother, Mother and Daughter out for Brunch

We had a memorable, multigenerational Mother’s Day brunch at Hal’s Bar & Grill. Because of the holiday, the restaurant was pretty crowded with family groups. The waiters kept their cool, though, and we were led upstairs to the quieter level. Just as well; along with my kids, we were with their grandmother AND their great-grandfather. He is in his 90’s, and hard of hearing. The more sedate upstairs area was best for us, as it was nice to not have to shout to be heard. There is plenty of room to move around at Hal’s, which is useful with four generations all together like that!  It’s so rare that all the living generations of our family can come together like this (Great Grandpa lives 3,000 miles away), and we wanted a special place to celebrate this memorable event.

Most Memorable Mother's Day Brunch

My mother-in-law is about as hip and youthful as a grandma should be allowed to be, and the Abbot Kinney neighborhood of Venice suits her perfectly. We were so happy to share this fun part of Los Angeles with her and her elderly father; we were certain they’d love it, and we were right. Brunch was great. We shared everything we ate with each other, moving plates around and laughing.

The southwest scramble was probably the big winner at the table. Great Grandpa ordered this favorite brunch dish – I suppose it’s true when they say that “with age comes wisdom,” so his grandson – my husband – ordered a second Southwest scramble to ensure there would be enough for everyone. The smokey cheddar, grilled corn, black beans and mild spices blended together to make this a very tasty egg dish.  The huevos rancheros with chili relleno and fresh salsa was also a popular egg dish at our table. My own favorite, however, was the lobster scramble, made with egg whites. It felt almost decadent to be eating lobster for brunch, but hey: It was Mother’s Day, and I was one of the mothers! Enjoying great food, and great family time, is what this day is all about for a foodie mom like me.

There are many sandwiches and salads on the brunch menu at Hal’s, along with pancakes and french toast.  It’s a terrific brunch menu with something for everyone.The restaurant clientele is as diverse as Venice Beach itself, and I loved it. For a hip, fun Los Angeles restaurant with fresh takes on traditional dishes, I recommend Hal’s Bar & Grill. Especially for a most memorable multigenerational Mother’s Day Brunch!

The Fig is California Casual

Vacation lovers, parents, and travel PR folk have been using Twitter to have brief interactions with each other about trips with children, favorite vacation destinations, travel deals and more. The Traveling Mamas have a presence on the social-media site, of course. But an especially interesting phenomena is the “tweetup.” Tweetups are organized by groups of twitter users who are geographically close, to get together IRL (that’s, “in real life,” Mom). And, in partnership with Fairmont, the Traveling Mamas site is hosting a Los Angeles tweetup on May 18, at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica! The restaurant in the Fairmont Miramar hotel, The Fig, is usually closed on Mondays, but it will be opened on May 18 just for this fun experience.

The Traveling Mamas love the Fairmont brand of hotels and resorts for many reasons; the imprimatur indicates luxury and class, as well as a guiding philosophy of respect for the hotel’s natural surroundings. All three of these are easily found at the Fairmont Miramar, in Santa Monica, California. The restaurant in the hotel, The Fig, is designed perfectly to provide the casual California setting for a great dinner. Chef Ray Garcia uses the best, freshest, most sustainably harvested ingredients to create delicious, memorable meals. Most fruits and vegetables are purchased at the bi-weekly Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. That explains the rave reviews! A terrific dinner is an important part of a Los Angeles vacation, and hungry travelers are wise to make reservations at The Fig in the Fairmont Miramar.

The Ray Garcia Fig and Traveling Mamas Tweetup is, again, May 18. There is a cover charge of $20, but that means that all the delicious menu items – and the talented mixologist at the bar – are at our disposal. That’s right, food and drinks. It will be a FUN night! Please bring cash to simplify and expedite the process of getting in. Doors open at 6 pm, so come hungry! The only thing you need to bring besides cash is your Twitter handle (for example, I’m @MudslideMama) so that your online friends will know who you are. You don’t have to live in Los Angeles to come (I know someone who is jetting down from San Francisco) but watch out; the Miramar is a popular hotel with ocean views. Those ocean view rooms might fill up fast! Any twitterer who’s been considering a mid-May Southern California vacation, should also considering stopping by The Fig and saying hi. I’ll be happy to meet you!

They told me I had to check out the swanky lobby at the El San Juan Hotel & Casino in Isla Verde, about a 15-minute cab ride ($20) from the San Juan Marriott. Better yet, they said, go late-night to enjoy the live music, salsa dancing and bar scene. Their other tip: don’t miss the tableside, made-in-front-of-your-eyes guacamole at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant.

On our last night in San Juan, we weren’t sure we’d be up for dancing at midnight (due to early wake-up call to get to airport by 7 a.m.), so I highly encouraged (okay, made) my friends to hop in a cab to head east to the El San Juan before backtracking and heading west to Old San Juan, where we had dinner reservations. “Pretty view at sunset!” I told them. “Homemade guacamole made tableside!”

After all, after Googling “el san juan guacamole” and clicking on a link to Travelocity.com, I read about this nifty open-air, 10th-floor Mexican restaurant offering guacamole “created to your taste.” I’d scanned the El San Juan website and didn’t see anything about it, but figured out we’d be directed to the restaurant once we arrived.

Ha!

The concierge looked at me funny when I asked where the rooftop Mexican restaurant was. I said, “Tableside guacamole!” a couple times, like it was some code word for passage to the secret place. Finally, another front-desk employee chimed in, “Oh, that restaurant is now Brother Jimmy’s a barbecue joint.”

Wha?

Like a ding-a-ling, I asked desperately, “But do they still have the tableside guacamole with a view?” Indeed, the front-desk gal called upstairs and confirmed, yes, we could get our homemade guacamole.”

Success!

But as soon as we walked into Brother Jimmy’s we couldn’t help but crack up. It was a true sports bar and grill, themed to the gills with references from the South (Gators pennants) and vintage Georgia license plates, complete with a mechanical bull. And the menu? Hush puppies, fried okra and wings. Funny that CajunMama left her Louisiana home to come to Puerto Rico for… Southern cookin’.

After getting settled in a booth with a great view of Isla Verde’s beach, the ocean and the neighboring city skyline, we asked our server for the famous guacamole.

“We’re out of avocados,” she said.

This is where the scene really got funny. We spent $20 on a cab ride to get our tableside guacamole at a Mexican restaurant turned BBQ joint… and there are no avocados.

Our waitress somehow managed to secure three avocados (we think she traded some other ingredients with another hotel restaurant), so we could enjoy our tableside guacamole. Which we devoured in a matter of minutes (and it was good, albeit a little bland; we weren’t asked how spicy we wanted it).

A $40 pitcher of sangria later (served in mason jars with fresh fruit on ice), we set off for our next adventures at Barrachina’s in Old San Juan, which offered us a more authentic experience, with Puerto Rican mofongo on the menu, and a bona fide flamenco show.

Moral of the story: Always check the official website carefully to make sure your intended restaurant is still open or any other service is still offered. Better yet, call ahead and get someone on site to give you the scoop. Don’t rely on third-party websites for up-to-the-minute, accurate travel information.

And most important of all, travel with fun folks who can see the humor in situations like this. Travel is an adventure, and most likely there will be missteps along the way. No vacation is ever perfect, so try to take minor snafus in stride. After all, travel tales are so much more fun to tell when things go just a little bit wrong!

I really think the idea of a “staycation” is just plain ignorant. Last summer, the media was telling people how to save money, by providing alternatives such as buying an outdoor movie theater or visiting places close to home. Well, the cost of that outdoor movie theater is equivalent to a week’s condo rental, should you shop around. And as far as visiting places closer to home, you should be doing that with your kids on the weekends anyway.

I’d like to call my foray into north Louisiana as a sort of reconnaissance trip to determine what I’ll do with my kids this summer on short jaunts. This will by no means take the place of our annual family vacation, but now that they are preteens, my bonding time with them is growing short.

Here are a few of the choices I’m giving the kids for their summer learning through travel. This year’s theme is about learning where you live.

Monroe/West Monroe Area:

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge – This 1600-acre lake is dotted with cypress, offers a visitor/education center (complete with baby alligators and various snakes), a wildlife observation deck, nature trail, and pier.

Poverty Point State Historic Site – This 400 acre site has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The earthworks are dated between 1650 and 700 B.C. An onsite interpretive center showcases an impressive collection of items found here. It is one of the largest mounds in North America.

Poverty Point State Park – This park and campground  offers cabins for overnight lodging. The cabins overlook Poverty Point Reservoir. Don’t let the name fool you, these cabins are a steal at around $99 per night for a two bedroom cabin complete with full kitchen, flatscreen tv with satellite, screened porch, and even free wifi. The cabin I stayed in had a queen bed in one bedroom and two sets of bunks in the other. The wildlife and nature trails make for a true Louisiana getaway. Plus, the nearby Black Bear Golf Course is part of the Audubon Golf Trail.

Ruston/Lincoln Parish Area:

Follette Pottery – Hidden just off of Hwy 86 in Ruston on Pea Ridge Rd is one the South’s hidden treasures. Kent and Libby are the nicest people and on the second Saturday of each month, they cook lunch for visitors and have a sale. Don’t worry if you stop in on another day, you’ll still get a taste of Libby’s sweet peach tea. Their products are sold in 44 states.

Lincoln Parish Museum – Have you ever walked into an old house and wished that the walls could talk? Well, they do here! The murals on the main hall walls tell a story, and there’s audio to go along, recorder by former living citizens of the area who recount their childhood stories and history of Lincoln Parish. Upstairs is like walking into your grandma’s attic (without the dust). The music collection made me chuckle, it even included an Ace of Base CD. Someone is very funny at that museum.

Arcadia Old Railroad Museum – This train station/museum/office/tourism center houses a collection of paraphernalia from the Bonnie and Clyde saga. In fact, the funeral procession of the legendary duo ended right across the street from the train station.

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum – This was truly an interesting stop in the little town of Gibsland. There’s nothing like seeing autopsy pictures blown up and hung on a wall. I have to admit, it was pretty morbid, but I know my preteens will love it, even while they scream, “Gross. Come look at this!”

There’s so much more to see in North Louisiana and this is just the beginning. Be sure to check out my state’s Official Tourism Website for more information. Don’t worry, there’s more to come.

This is just one of the many tips you can pick up on Marriott Rewards Insiders, where members share candid travel advice and informed opinions about the rewards program, along with their intimate knowledge of the Marriott family of hotels and resorts.

To celebrate the launch of the Marriott website and our annual girlfriend getaway to the San Juan Marriott Resort &  Stellaris Casino, we’ve teamed up with Marriott to offer one lucky Traveling Mamas reader a Marriott $100 gift card to put towards your stay at any Marriott property!  To enter, simply leave your favorite travel tip in the comments section below. (We also highly suggest you share your travel knowledge with the folks at the Marriott Rewards Insiders forum, too!)

Contest ends Tuesday, March 31, at midnight (EST). We’ll announce the winner on Winning Wednesday. Normal TravelingMamas.com contest rules apply (US Citizen, none of our mothers can enter, etc)

Good luck and feel free to leave tips about San Juan that we can use during our stay this week. We’re still searching for local restaurants to sample and where to find the hottest spots to dance the night away – hey, no kids to worry about on this trip! We’ll be livin’ la vida loca…

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive beach resort with 24 hour room service, you should look elsewhere, but if you want to bring your heart rate real low, visit Private Islands of Georgia.

Here’s a video I put together of how to get to Eagle Island and the natural setting of this wonderful retreat.

If you can’t see the video, the direct link is on the Traveling Mamas YouTube Page. I can’t wait to come back to Eagle Island and share it with my family on our travels, or even with the other mamas on a girlfriend getaway.