Accomodations - Travelling In My 70s

Is Niagara Falls Worth a Visit

Posted on August 18, 2023August 22, 2023 by Roberta Hill

Well, that’s a silly question. Of course, Niagara Falls itself is worth a visit at least once. Now I understand if you’re heading out there and not with kids, the town itself can be overly touristy, crowded, and garish. Its two casinos and the central area on Clifton Street look more like Las Vegas, even if it is one of the world’s seven natural wonders. Having been to Niagara Falls as a child in the winter and recently a couple of weeks ago, I have some recommendations. We stayed at a bed-and-breakfast just outside the main strip of Niagara Falls….

Package Deals for Maui – A Good Decision or Not

Posted on December 28, 2022March 31, 2023 by Roberta Hill

I have mixed feelings about package deals. Sometimes I love them, and sometimes I avoid them like the plague. I planned to fly over immediately to Maui upon arrival in Honolulu to stay for a few days before flying back for the last few days on O’ahu Island before going to New Zealand. After booking the flight with Hawaiian Airlines, the opportunity came up to book a car and accommodation. Usually, I am a little reluctant to do so as you pay upfront and are then committed. I had been booking and changing so much for other places that I…

Pearl Hotel Waikiki – A Better Budget Choice

Posted on October 29, 2022January 11, 2023 by Roberta Hill

It was a big step down to the Pearl Hotel Waikiki after almost two weeks in fabulous accommodations with king-size beds. Maui was expensive, but Honolulu and Waikiki are probably worse. Even though it’s considered somewhat off-season for a good hotel, it’s $300-$350 a night, and we did get a much better deal. But there is a $35 amenity charge per night, no matter where you stay. We encountered a similar tourist tax in Las Vegas, except that we stayed off the strip to avoid this charge. Benefits of The Pearl Hotel Waikiki The Pearl Hotel is something out of…

Day 16 – The Majestic Hotel Majestic

Posted on October 13, 2022January 22, 2023 by Roberta Hill

The Hotel Majestic had informed me that their elevator* had broken a few days before. They said they would do everything to ensure that staff moved our suitcases up and down. They gave us the option to cancel with no charge, but it was such a late date, it would’ve been impossible to find such a good deal as we had. They had us on the fourth floor; they were due to a convention when we arrived. Everyone was clearing out the following morning, and they promised that they would move us to a lower floor the following day. We…

Day 12 – Hoover Dam

Posted on October 9, 2022January 13, 2023 by Roberta Hill

Today we travelled toward Las Vegas, passing by The Valley of Fire National State Park. Hoover Dam We made a slight detour east to visit the remarkable Hoover Dam, as we weren’t sure we would have time to visit on our way back to Phoenix. Once again, it is another tour site that is overcrowded. Impressive nonetheless. Then we made our way into Las Vegas and slowly took a good hour and a half to drive up the strip and back down to our motel. The Travel Lodge is about 600 m from the strip. It was still 32°…

Day 8 – Astounding National Parks

Posted on October 5, 2022January 11, 2023 by Roberta Hill

Another hectic day. We stopped off to see Wilson Arch by the side of the road before heading to the National Parks near Moab. Our next goal is to visit Arches National Park. Reservations were no longer required, but the park was full, and we had to turn around. The sign said to try in another 3 to 5 hours. So we decided to visit Canyons National Park 10 miles up the road. It took us about four hours to go through the Isle of Skye park area. Wanted to be sure to see all Mighty 5 National Parks It…

Day 5 – Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley

Posted on October 2, 2022May 4, 2023 by Roberta Hill

Perhaps our luck has changed. We had a wonderful day visiting Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley. Today will be one of the most expensive days on our South West road trip and maybe our 85 days. The two tours we are taking are not part of the National Parks, so we have both entrance and tour fees. No regrets – these two sites were breathtaking. Antelope Canyon The Antelope Canyon, run by the Navajo, is remarkable. It had rained today before, and they’d had flash floods. Everything is OK for our trip through the canyon. It’s a 10-minute drive through…

Day 3 – Bad Hotels and The Grand Canyon

Posted on September 30, 2022January 11, 2023 by Roberta Hill

Our minor lousy luck continues as we head up to The Grand Canyon. I won’t go into it, but the bathroom in our room was not cleaned very well. We didn’t discover it until after we had settled and didn’t want to move. At first, it just seemed to be dirty towels, and we complained. Later, we discovered it was much worse than they offered us a significant rebate. They were as upset about the situation as we were. We made our way up to the Grand Canyon South rim from Flagstaff. As you can imagine, it was terrific, and…

Why I Won’t Be Using Airbnb for our World Trip

Posted on August 19, 2022February 11, 2023 by Roberta Hill

There’s no denying that Airbnb has changed the travel landscape. But is it always the best option? Background Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who need a place to stay with people who need to rent out extra space. It is a convenient way to find accommodations for short-term stays, becoming increasingly popular in recent years. I have been using Airbnb since 2015, with more than two dozen reviews. We have had good and bad surprises. But we won’t be using them this time. When you are having a family vacation, I strongly recommend it. There are so…