Travel Photo Thursday: A New Perspective

First, a big thank you to all who commented on last week’s photo; Greece, we believe,  is one of the special places in the world.

This week’s Travel Photo Thursday photo was taken as we approached land after a six-day transatlantic crossing, during which time we had not seen another ship, bird or sign of life.  As we neared our first port of call, Madiera, some 300 miles off the coast of Africa, we spotted another ship setting sail – it was cause for us shutterbugs to race for our cameras. As I bent over for this angle a woman who'd been directing her husband's photo efforts, called out, “Look how she’s doing it, take one like that!”. . .making me laugh so hard I nearly miss the shot.

(To see other photos from this cruise, watch the slide show in the right hand column of our blog's home page, www.travelnwrite.com)

Washington Wednesday: Fall’s a “Ferry” Good Time

Seattle’s waterfront is a must-go destination any time of year but when the sun finally comes out, as it has this fall, there really is no better place to be.  And while you are there don’t miss a ride on a Washington State ferry.

We have to be honest:  they are no where near as nice as the cruise-ship like Greek ferries we’ve been on, but these little work horses – on a nice day – will have you up topside snapping photos like crazy.

One of the quickest ferry rides will take you from Seattle to nearby Bainbridge Island, where the town of Winslow is an easy walk away from the ferry dock.  Have lunch there and do some shopping, and hop the ferry back to continue explorations along the waterfront.





While simply walking along the Seattle waterfront offers some spectacular views and provides cheap entertainment in itself, (Click to enlarge the photo to the left you will see Mt. Rainier in the background.) we do recommend you visit:

1) The Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, 206-386-4300, where you’ll come face-to-face with all sorts of underwater creatures.  Check their website for hours and admission prices, by clicking the link.

2) The Olympic Sculpture Garden, 2901 Western Ave., 98121, 206-654-3100, where you are free to stroll among the pieces of art in this outdoor garden setting where – as an added benefit – you have spectacular views of Puget Sound. No admission charge.

3) Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, currently located at 1001 Alaskan Way, 98104, 206-628-5844, is an icon of the Seattle waterfront.  It opened in 1899 as a museum of natural wonders and today is a showplace for weird curios and oddities like shrunken heads. . .and of course, is a great place to get odd souvenirs.

4) Ivar’s Seafood Bar, or Ivar’s Acres of Clams restaurant at Pier 54, 206-467-8063, is the place to get a bowl of steaming clam chowder.  Another Seattle landmark , Ivar’s has been around since 1938.

5) The Edgewater Hotel, yes, Baby Boomers, it is where the Beatles and the Monkees stayed during their visits to Seattle. Recently upgraded with a Pacific Northwest lodge interior, stop by the photo exhibit off the lobby and then head to the bar where you can sip a cold one while watching boat traffic on Elliott Bay. The AAA 4-Diamond rated hotel is at 2411 Alaskan Way, 206-728-7000.  In fact, if you want to stay on the waterfront, the waterfront rooms here also have spectacular views.

A Luxury Hotel. . .that floats!

Maybe they could be called motorized hotels . . .
Universally called “cruise ships”, enthusiasts of this mode of travel, don’t give much thought to the hotel operation – you select a cabin, or it is selected for you; you like it or you don’t.  Simple as that? Not really.

We really hadn’t given much thought to the hotel side of cruising until we crossed the Atlantic Ocean and had the opportunity to meet and visit with the person who was responsible for the hotel side of the Celebrity Solstice. 

Our Hotel Director Sue Richardson, who hails from the market town of Stamford, England, after earning her Hotel Management degree, began her career at sea in 1988 as Chief Purser and Hotel Director with Royal Caribbean International.

Today her resume would make for a tropical sea novel or movie:  she lived for three years on Bermuda managing a  Boutique Hotel Resort, has worked on a 126-meter (410+ feet) private yacht, and spent three years as a hotel director for Silversea Cruises prior to heading to Celebrity.

“It’s a lifestyle – not just a job or career,” she said.

On our cruise, it seemed that she, just like the Captain, managed to be everywhere, no matter what the time of day. She’s pictured above with Paul Baya, our Cruise Director, during a welcome cocktail party for returning guests. Below she, and other senior staff members, welcomed us back to the ship after a stop in Lisbon.

Over morning coffee with me one sea day, she described her work life as 24/7 during the four to four and a half months she’s on the ship. On the flip side, she is off the ship for an equal length of time, which allows her to pursue educational and travel opportunities and spend, perhaps more, quality time with family and friends than some,who have traditional 8 – 5 jobs and weekends off.

Just like land-based hotel directors, she manages a team of people who are responsible for the operation and upkeep of  accommodations -- in this case -- the 1,235 cabins and 56 suites on the ship, and for keeping the guests happy and entertained.

“It is all about service,” she said, “Service is a feeling. What was the feeling about the experience?”

Judging by the number of returning guests on this cruise – 613 people who had logged more than 10 Celebrity cruises – Richardson and her staff (and their counterparts on the line’s other 10 ships) seem to have nailed it.

Note: The cabin photo above was our balcony room on a Holland America cruise ship.

Travel Photo Thursday: Greek Memories

While sipping wine last night with friends who are in the planning stages of a trip to Greece, we started telling stories about our travels there. . .

Today I happened upon Travel Photo Thursday which is making its way through the travel blogosphere world. That, combined with last night’s conversation, sent me off to the Greek photo file where I found this one I took on the island of Naxos.  I think it’s time we start talking Greek travel again as well. . .


If you want to see others participating in Travel Photo Thursday, check out  Budget Travelers Sandbox

Washington Wednesday: Hibulb Cultural Center

The Salmon People and their Story.

A visit to the brand-new $19 million Hibulb Cultural Center, just north of Seattle, is . . .

. . . a journey through the lives and lands of the tribes and bands who’ve become known as the  Tulalip Tribes.

. . .a step into a time when cedar trees towered over the Pacific Northwest landscape – their wood providing shelter, transportation, clothing and tools.

. . . a look at when canoes carried fishermen into Puget Sound waters in search of the salmon; a fish so revered as the main source of food, that today its image in Tribal art stands for “the cycle of life – giving life to the people.” The Tulalip people were known as “the salmon people” because of their proximity to the water.

“The salmon, they are not really fish at all; they are salmon people and they live in a village under the sea.”   --Scho-Hallem Stanley G. Jones, Sr. Tribal leader    

The Center's name, Hibulb, was the name of the largest Snohomish (tribal) village, located at Preston Point, now the site of Legion Park in Everett, the city immediately to the south of the cultural center.

Using state -of-the-art equipment, interactive exhibits in the 23,000-square-foot Hibulb Cultural Center transport you through cedar groves to the fishing camps, and into a replicated Tulalip Longhouse. (Be sure to watch the short video of song, dance and  the celebrations that took place in this special gathering place.)

A particularly moving exhibit tells -- through stories and photos -- of the early 1900’s when U.S. government-run boarding schools threatened the Tribes’ cultural history.  The stories are told both English and Lushshootseed, the language of the Tribe,which today is taught in Tribal elementary schools. One Tribal Leader’s story is printed on the wall:

“They wanted me to forget my way of life and learn to be civilized and learn to be a good white person.  I still don’t know what a good white person is.  All I know is I learned to march, march, march and not speak my language.  You got in big trouble for that. I got many whippings and confinement.”
                  –Celum Young, Tulalip Leader (1895-1987)

The Canoe Hall, between the Permanent Exhibition Hall and the Longhouse is lined with cases displaying archaeological items that have been donated to the Tribe. 

The Center sits on a yet-undeveloped 50-acre Natural History Preserve with salmon-bearing streams, cedar, fir and hemlock  trees and estuary wetlands. 

If You Go: Hibulb Cultural Center  is closed on Monday.  Tuesday – Sunday, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission prices vary, check the web site www.hibulbculturalcenter.org for prices and driving directions. It is about 35 miles from downtown Seattle; 50 miles from SeaTac Airport.

Travel Tip:  The Cultural Center is about two miles from the Tulalip Resort and Casino (see Washington Wednesday: Tulalip Treasures, last week’s post). Make it an outing, spend a night at the resort, explore its public art and then visit the Cultural Center.

Aloha Aulani: Disney's Doing Hawaii!

I bet Mickey’s wearing his Aloha shirt and Minnie's dancing the hula today. 

And, if this were a movie, it would be titled, "Disney Does Hawaii" because today is opening day at Aulani, the new Disney Resort and Spa at Ko Olina, on the island of O'ahu.

Actually Mickey, that Pint-sized Prince of Happiness, has been hanging out in Ko Olina for several months keeping watch over workers preparing for today's opening.  I snapped this photo of the little fellow last January as he sat in the resort's van.

It's been great fun the past couple of years to watch the construction progress. We only wish we could be there today to be a part of the opening celebration; it is probably one b-i-g Disney extravaganza.

Because our Marriott’s Vacation Club digs are an easy walk and just two lagoons away, we've had plenty of opportunity -- for a few weeks each winter -- to watch and speculate on the neighbor resort's progress. (And thanks to the Disney media folks we had an up-close-inside-the-construction-fence  tour during our stay last January).

Aulani's (ah-oooh-lawn-ee) two towers blend 359 traditional hotel rooms with 481 two-bedroom Disney Vacation Club suites (their timeshare program).  The photo below was taken from the walking path that links the Ko Olina lagoons.

The Disney folks put their team of “Imagineers” (could there be a better job title?)  with local historians, architects and artisans to create a resort that ‘celebrates’ Hawaiian culture.  Activities and resort design and decor reflect all things Hawaiian with just a hint of Disney.


  That means that Mickey and Pals, don't have starring roles in this Disney production but they do have a subtle presence as evidenced in the photo to the left of the guest room lamp.

There is no theme park. No rides. No long lines waiting for rides.  But that doesn't mean guests won't have plenty to keep them busy. The 21-acre site features a water playground with pools, slides, a 900-foot water course and lava rocks.  Aunty’s Beach House, their Kid's Club, offers activities, stories and movies for the younger guests, and the 18,000-square-foot spa with 15 treatment rooms and exercise facility will tempt adults.

Even those of us staying down the beach will get to enjoy its two restaurants, AMA AMA  and Makahiki, and, of course, its tropical bars.

The resort's name, Aulani, traditionally means ‘a messenger of a chief’ – one who delivers a message from a higher authority. 

"We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it," says Joe Rohde, Sr. V.P. Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering. "The name 'Aulani' expresses a connection to tradition and deep storytelling - and its roots are in this land right here. As the history and heritage of Hawai'i are the inspiration for Aulani, we are committed to using our skills in design to put guests into these stories."

As I said above, the Imagineers and designers, seem to have gone into over-drive with the subtle blend of Disney and Hawaii.  The photo below is of one of the guest room quilts made in traditional Hawaiian design. Look close.  Do you see that Pint-sized Prince of Happiness?


If You Go:  Aulani is in Ko Olina, a development on O'ahu's Leeward Coast (the western side of the island). It's 17 miles from the Honolulu International Airport and about 30-45 minutes from Waikiki. It is about 20 minutes from some of the smaller North Shore surf towns and beaches.

Washington Wednesday: Tulalip Treasures

Welcome. Whales. Weaving. Whorls.

It’s all there. A wealth of Native American history to be had. . . for free.

You simply need to know where to look for it: walls, floors, ceilings. . .it is everywhere 
at the Tulalip Resort Casino, just north of Seattle, where art and artifacts tell the story of the Tulalip (pronounced, two-lay-lip), Tribes’ history in the Pacific Northwest.

Today's 4,000 Tulalip tribal members who live on the reservation are descendants of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish and other tribes and bands that signed the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855.

The Tulalip Tribes in 2008 opened a luxury resort -- 370 guest rooms and 16  suites -- that connects to their expansive Vegas-style casino.  What makes the hotel notable, beyond its ‘luxe’ factor, is its emphasis on Tulalip history and culture – evident everywhere throughout the facility.

Welcome

The photo above is of one of the three 25-foot high ‘house posts’ that tower over the lobby entrance.  These posts were patterned after th House posts once used as support structures in 'long houses', the Tribes' meeting place. The house post facing the lobby's doorway has upturned, open hands,the traditional sign of welcome.

Whales and Weaving

Because of their proximity to water, the Tulalips often refer to themselves as the ‘Whale People” or “Salmon People”.

The mural behind the hotel's registration desk, designed by Native American artist, James Madison, is made up of 1,200 pieces of  glass.  The predominant  red/orange pattern reflects the cedar basket pattern used by weavers who once turned wood from the stately cedar trees into clothing, baskets, fishing nets, ropes and mats. (Click on the photo to enlarge it, if you can’t make out the three whale fins in the water.)


You walk on woven pieces of art in the hallways leading to guest rooms. Carpets tell another part of the Tulalip story. Each design symbol represents Salish art elements, for example, the squiggly red lines along the sides and surrounding the salmon in the center, depict the Puget Sound waters in which the fish are found. The salmon, the symbol of giving life to the people.

Spindle Whorls

Spinning wool was a part of everyday life and involved use of a loom and stick. A small round whorl acted as the fly-wheel to maintain the momentum of the spindle and was often decorated with art.  Tribute is paid to spinning in a number of large circular art pieces, patterned after the small weaving whorls, and can be found on the hallway walls in the convention center wing of the hotel. 
I loved the story this one depicts: the artist remembered being told by his elders when he was a child that when the dragon flies and butterflies come out (in the center) it is time to fish.  The stages of the moon make up the border.

The Tulalips' Tale is too expansive to tell in a single post, so next week's Washington Wednesday will take you just down the road from the resort to the Tribes’ just-opened cultural center.

If You Go: Tulalip Resort Casino is 35 miles north of downtown Seattle, just off I-5, exit 200. It is 50 miles from Sea-Tac airport. There's a direct shuttle to the resort from the airport that runs 11 times a day.

A Celebrity Feast: To Pay or Not To Pay?

That is the question!

Celebrity, like most of the larger cruise lines, have ratcheted up the quality of cuisine in recent years with the introduction of on-board specialty dining restaurants. The bigger the ship, the more restaurants will likely be there to tempt you.

And that focus on cuisine has come with a price: you pay extra to dine in the elegant digs where the service and the cuisine, well, simply, is haute.

I’ve written in early posts that our dining on the Solstice transatlantic cruise might have been the best – at least right up there in the top two – we’ve had on a cruise.  And that was in all the restaurants; inclusive, as well as those requiring an extra fee.





Although our dining room’s food was excellent,( note that plate above!) and  included in the price of the cruise, we also dined at Murano and the Tuscan Grille, two of the ship’s three specialty restaurants.
 


We were guests of Celebrity at Murano so the $35 per person charge was waived and our cost was $20 for a bottle of wine, plus tip.  Both of our meals were culinary works of art; my fish is pictured above.


We paid $137 in Tuscan Grille, $70 of which was for food. Here, as with Murano, so many courses were offered that we had no room for dessert (which was good for our D2G, Diet to Go effort).  This is my heirloom tomato salad, large enough to be a meal in itself, but was served  between the antipasti platter and the filet mignon.



This week the blogosphere's cruise writers and readers went nuts with Celebrity's announcement that beginning September 1, 2011 the  price of those alternative dining venues would increase from $35 to $40. ($30 to $40 at the Lawn Club on the newest ship, Silhouette.)

“Enough,” cried cruise passengers, “we’ve had enough fee increases!”  And their point is well taken.  But. . .

In Las Vegas we've noted fine dining menus offering a filet mignon for $45 - $50 and then adding $11 - $12 for the potato that accompanies it and another $11 - $12 for the asparagus, not to mention the cost of appetisers, salads and desserts.  Tasting menus, those multi-course offerings created by the chef,begin at $59 and head into the three-digits.

While dining at a Seattle waterfront restaurant this week, I noted that a fish filet dinner (halibut or salmon) was in the high $20’s – salad and dessert, extra. 

So the question cruisers must ask themselves is, “To Pay or not To Pay?" And, thankfully, the cruise lines still allow them to make the choice.