The flight is always the worst part of the journey, even more so when you’re flying across the pond to Scotland.  But I’m here, and I arrived to an overcast (typical) day in Edinburgh after an overnight flight through Newark then to Edinburgh. 

It’s been a whirlwind sort of trip, always heading to the next place with barely enough time to explore.  Sunday (April 27) we began our journey with tea, coffee, mimosas and pastries at Rocco Forte’s The Balmoral.  We were greeted by staff dressed in kilts — what a way to start the journey into Scotland. Checked in to this striking historic hotel, took a quick walkabout in downtown Edinburgh, near CityCentre.  Lunch at The Dome, drinks on board the Royal Yacht Brittannia. 

I knew I’d come home when our tour guide for the royal yacht, really more like a cruise ship, was named Viv Rowe, a grizzled little man retired from the Royal Navy, with a welcoming smile and the gift of gab — ah yes, I thought he must be a relative.

Dinner back at The Balmoral.   A “piper” serenaded us and played a wee bit of pipes, culminating in the haggis and hummus ceremony. While the vision of sheep’s intestines and other innards is a bit off-putting, I did give it a sample.  It tastes rather rich and spicy, and I much preferred the mashed potato part of the haggis “cake.” The traditional Scotch whisky was the perfect compliment, mostly to make you forget about what you were really eating.

I finally stumbled my way back to my room, partly due to not having slept for a day, and then perhaps a wee bit of the blame might be the Scotch whisky and wine…

 More soon!

Diana

Hello all — Whew! What a whirlwind sort of couple of weeks. I still have so much more to write about, but so little time.  I am back in Denver, where just two days ago it was 80+ degrees, and I scooted around on my Harley-Davidson Cross Bones enjoying the sun. Last night it started snowing, and this morning the ground is covered with snow — although not as much as was predicted.

 Arizona Bike Week — in short, I was a bit disappointed. It’s not Sturgis, not that I expected that, but the event’s location was really a fairgrounds-ish sort of spot, West World of Arizona, on the outskirts of Scottsdale off of the 101.  I love Sturgis and other rallies that incorporate the town into the event — without having to hop on your scoot each time to ride to the next place. 

Arizona Bike Week was so not that type of rally.  Don’t get me wrong — tons of riding to do here — Tons of bars and parties to visit (when you ride there): Buddy Stubbs H-D, Billet Bar, Dirty Dogg Saloon, The Hideaway Grill in Cave Creek, etc.   But traffic in Scottsdale is CRAZY, and few drivers look for motorcyclists (just my opinion). That meant in-town driving wasn’t very relaxing at all. 

 But once you get out of the Phoenix metro ara – WOW!  The scenery is an amazing contrast of desert, mountains, open highway — it’s beautiful!  I rolled just over 1K miles on my new H-D Cross Bones scooting around awe-inspiring scenery like Salt River Canyon, Galloping Goose, Florence, Payson, etc.

Would I go again?  Mmm, definitely the riding in Arizona is AWESOME, especially in April when snow can hit Denver on any given day.  Would I go specifically during bike week? Probably not — but don’t take my word for it.  Give AZ Bike Week a try yourself next year.

Wheels up, Diana

It’s not that I’ve NOT been traveling; it’s that I’ve been at work on multiple deadlines writing articles. Now I’m back and traveling in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. We trailered our motorcycles the 15 hours, 1250 miles or so here, so I could show off my new ride, my Harley Cross Bones during Arizona Bike Week.

 I just spent two days enjoying the iconic, boutique hotel The Canyon Suites at the Phoenician. Talk about being pampered!! 

A part of the bigger resort, The Phoenician, this intimate boutique hotel is also nestled against the Camelback Mountain with luxuriously appointed suites.  It features 20 guest rooms, 38 luxury suites and two Presidential suites, along with its own secluded “edgeless” pool and cabanas. You can walk to the spa and 27-holes of golf (or take a shuttle), but both are on property.

Plenty of restaurants, total of 8 including The Terrace, contemporary American steakfood and seafood and Windows on the Green, upscale dining with a Southwestern flair and the best margarita I’ve had in a long time!

For a couple wanting some “me” time, check out Dinner at Tee Box Eight, a private gourment dinner for two served under the stars at the highest point of the resort’s golf course or in the romantic seclusion of a Garden Retreat. 

The Canyon Suites are not only spacious, but cater to your every need. Services included with our room:

• Personal Canyon Ambassador with pre-arrival contact.
• Sterling silver coffee/tea delivery each morning to your room!!  All you do is pre-arrange a time and voila! a staffer delivers cute sterling silver coffee urns and newspaper(s) of your choice.
• Afternoon “wine tasting” facilitated by master sommelier Monday through Friday (I can’t believe I missed THIS!!).
• Daily personalized turndown service with chilled water delivery and therapuetic bath, upon request.
• Executive Chef’s seasonal welcome amenity (ours — an assortment of nuts and fruit).
• Complimentary valet parking.
• Complimentary health club access (FABULOUS facility!!).
• Canyon Pool right off the lobby, exclusive to this hotel.
• Twice daily maid service

The experience was over-the-top, and the staff were friendly and genuinely seemed to enjoy their job. I’d visit again, and I’ll try to update more highlights with pics, like the golf, spa and culinary experiences.

 in the meantime, we’re ready to jump on our scoots and get on down to the Arizona Bike Week festivities and put miles on the bikes.

Until next time, Diana

SHOES: Time to break out the golf shoes. 

Hello all, I’ve been on the road since yesterday (Saturday). I’m in Charleston, SC on Kiawah Island doing the golf thing The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

Selected as the second-best golf resort in the U.S. in Travel + Leisure Golf’s “World’s Best Golf Resorts” reader survey, the resort offers five world-class courses for guests: Ocean Course by Pete Dye, Turtle Point by Jack Nicklaus, Osprey Point by Tom Fazio, Cougar Point by Gary Player, and Oak Point by Clyde Johnston.

Played golf today at Oak Point, tomorrow, we play the legendary Ocean Course.  We brought a super-size ziplock bag filled with 45 we-don’t-mind-if-we-lose-’em golf balls. We’re down to 36 after 18-holes at Oak Point (17 holes of water, 1 unique hole only because it doesn’t have water hazards!). 

 I am returning to Denver on Tuesday, and hoping for great weather to get back on my new Harley Cross Bones. ;)  Irony is when we departed on Saturday early morning, our flight was delayed because of SNOW in Atlanta. No, that is not a typo! A few flurries shut down the Atlanta airport.  Go figure ‘cuz in Denver it was almost nice enough to ride the Harley.

More when I get back, Diana

I’m sort of traveling this week, but staying close to home — downtown Denver for the upcoming 2008 Left Coast Crime Conference, an annual mystery convention sponsored by mystery fans, for mystery fans.  Some of you know (others might not) that I also write fiction — short stories published, novel-length completed waiting for a publisher (yada, yada, y’all know the story).  You can scout around my web site to see excerpts of my fiction writing, by the way. 

 For the LCC event, I volunteered to coordinate some of the pre-planning of the event at the Adams Mark/now Sheraton.  There was a fabulous write-up in Saturday’s Rocky Mountain News about the LCC event, and there was also an interview with Stephen White, author who is attending the event. Unfortunately I’m on deadline (as always), so will only be able to sporatically attend the event — but wow, does it look like a great line-up of published authors!!

I’m definitely a fan of mystery and romance, combining the two genres even more better. In fact, I used to devour books, reading at last one a day, before my own writing took off (if that’s what you call it…) 

One of my favorite thriller writers is Harlen Coben, and another is Janet Evanovich. I would hate to forget to mention my new best friend, CJ Lyons, and her new medical suspense, Lifelines! 

For local writers, I always look forward to reading the vampire detective series featuring Felix by Mario Acevedo. Mario just happens to be a great friend and funny guy in his own right! How can you not laugh out loud at titles like: The Undead Kuma Sutra, X-Rated Bloodsuckers & The Nymphos of Rocky Flats?  And let’s not forget my dear friend,  Jeanne Stein, a real sweetheart with a quietly wicked sense of humor and a real knack for creating sexy vampires that make you want to let them take a bit outta ya (No offense to Mario’s Felix character!).  Oh yeah, check out their ‘biting’ blog. You’ll laugh out loud!

Hopefully I’ll run into some of you down at the LCC convention — if not in the panels, perhaps at the bar?

Until next time, Diana

belatedly, here I am posting my visit to Foxwoods Resort Casino from February 23 - 25. Weather storms from Friday hinted at a crazy flight schedule Saturday morning, but the East coast straightened out all the delays (at least for me) by the time I left the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure for Connecticut.

 Here’s an excerpt from TravelinginHeels Blog, click on this link to read more about the Foxwoods Resort:

My first impression — HUGE! I mean super-sized big! About two years ago, I’d visited the nearby Mohegan Sun, an intimate tribal casino (that is also undergoing renovation and additions), but the Foxwoods is an impressive, huge complex, especially with its soon-to-debut addition: MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

I had no idea that Foxwoods is the largest casino in the world — with 340,000 square feet of gaming space in a complex that covers 4.7 million square feet. More than 40,000 guests visit Foxwoods each day, and since I visited on a weekend, I can assure you it was packed! Lots of locals from the surrounding eastern states. It has a great location, near Mystic in the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut town of Mashantucket (less than 2 hours from Boston).

<SNIP More details on the Foxwoods accommodations and amenities)

And then the new development MGM Grand at Foxwoods, debuting in May:

• $700 million development project, scheduled to open mid-May.
  Adding nearly 2 million square feet of overall space, featuring significantly increased hotel, entertainment, restaurants and gaming venues as well as enhanced corporate retreat, meeting and convention resources.
• From my hard hat tour, I gathered that this is going to be a “hip” new place, appealing to a younger, sophisticated audience.

How do they propose to create this setting?

• Initimate weekend entertainment acts to rival Vegas the 4,000-seat Performing Arts Theater.
• Celebrity Chefs and Fine Dining — Alta Strada with acclaimed chef Michael Schlow, blending Italian flair with modern elegance and Tom Colicchio’s Crafsteak featuring extensive array of steak (YUM!) and seafood (double YUM!) with seasonal and local ingredients.
• I recall a reference to a Martini/vodka bar and perhaps a wine bar, plus a unique club atmosphere to bring in the night life.
• And Spa — 21,000 square foot luxury spa referencing “nature”
• Golf at Lake of Isles, same as Foxwoods

WOWZA! For those that are waiting a BIG experience, this is the place. Highlights of my visit to Foxwoods (besides the hard hat tour of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods – see note above):

On-site Saturday Dinner at Paragon (AAA Four-Diamond) with French and Asian influences — lobster bisque, oysters on half shell (FRESH!), excellent cut of filet and naughty chocolate dessert. Sunday evening dinner at the exclusive Southern Italian cuisine at Al Dente — lobster ravioli to die for!

After dinner drinks at Hard Rock Cafe, where it was jamming on a Saturday night, wall-to-wall people. Great fun! (The Club, their destination nightclub, was closed for renovations.)

Exploring the Foxwoods took hours, lots of shops, boutiques, and restaurants from California Pizza Kitchen to Panera Bread. My favorite “bar” stop was the Atrium near the Hard Rock Cafe across from the buffet, and a perfect place to people watch.

And yes, I did try my luck at the casino. The blackjack video game rocked! I played six hands at once at 25 cents a hand, and came out $20 ahead. (Of course, the next day I gave it back.) Good news is that even though I left my new Harley Cross Bones at home, the casino by the Atrium bar had a Harley on display to tease me about my missing the beautiful riding weather in Denver.

Until the next trip Diana

 I’m back in Denver, and the weather seems to want me to get on my bike this week with 50’s and 60’s forecasted through Saturday.  I just returned from Foxwoods Resort, but I have a bit of jet lag and catching up to do after traveling first to Fort Lauderdale and the Hyatt Bonaventure, then hopping a plane to Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort (weather delays and other issues). I’ll post about my visit there, later this week.

Meanwhile, yep, here it is, the ever-awaited picture of the my 2008 Harley Cross Bones — ain’t it sweet?

until next time, diana

I know you’re probably still wanting to see the picture of my new Harley Cross Bones, but I haven’t had time to upload it.  Be patient. I’ll be home on Tuesday.

 Meanwhile I’ve left Denver for sunny Florida. I’m on-site visiting the 501-room Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa in Weston, Florida.  Weston is in western Ft. Lauderdale along the southeastern coast of Florida, 15 miles from airport.

Brief snippets:

• $100 million renovation at this 23-acre resort, Hyatt Regency Bonaventure with 100,000 square feet of meeting space. My favorite meeting area is the Society Lounge, a nostalgic look at the past through old black & white photos from Vogue displayed throughout this space. Perfect setting for a sit-down dinner during a meeting or wedding!

• Pet friendly
• Pending first designated Green Lodging Hotel in the county through the Florida Green Lodging Program.
• On-site Red Door Lifestyle Spa. Go girlfriends!  This is a fun, fun destination spa. I enjoyed the Tropical Essence Body Massage followed by the best facial I’ve ever experienced, their Phyto-Organic Sun Soother Facial Treatment.
• First-class steakhouse: Ireland’s Steakhouse. My recommendation: bone-in filet, creamed corn, and lobster macaroni & cheese! Amazing food created by executive chef Bob Axenfeld (who also just happens to ride a Harley Road King)
• Sawgrass Mills outlet mall, Florida’s largest retail and entertainment complex. You could be here for hours!
• 18-holes of golf less than a mile away at the Bonaventure Country Club.

Great trip! Now I’m off to chilly Connecticut and the Foxwoods Resort & Casino.

Until then, Diana

I’ve had my My “old” motorcycle for two years now, although it’s not so old, a 2006 Yamaha V-Star 650 with 6,200 miles on it.  But my long-term plan (for what it’s worth) was to ultimately upgrade. Yesterday, we met our friends for breakfast, and then I had a mission — to buy my new motorcycle. 

First I hopped on the new Victory Vegas Low Rider for a test run. Beautiful cobalt blue bike, amazing power, but I didn’t immediately fall in love with it.  The ride just didn’t fit me — don’t know exactly why. My boyfriend thought it might be because the front end distance was longer than my old bike.  Mmmm, sometimes you just don’t ask why, and just follow your instincts. (A big thanks to Paul Molliconi at G-Force Power Sports for being so gracious and taking the time with us!)

Then I moved down the street to Freedom Harley to test drive the newly raved about Harley — the 2008 Cross Bones.  WOW is all I can say. As I pulled away from the dealership, I knew this was the bike. I feel like I’m seated on the bike’s center of gravity. I’m flat-footed to the ground, and the balance of the entire bike is spot on.  Not even to mention that old school style is hot-hot-hot!  To me, this is so a chick bike, and now –thanks to the great financing at Golden, CO’s Coors Credit Union and Dave and the great staff at Freedom Harley, this biker chick will be picking up her new Harley on Tuesday afternoon.  I’ll post a picture then, but check out the link above for a preview.

It was a bummer not taking my bike home on Saturday, but I still had the “old” bike and a 55 degree day in February doesn’t come around often. We took to the rode and I hopped on my old bike for one last go-round in Denver.

Until next time, Diana

Welcome to Where in the World is Diana Today Blog! I’m a travel writer, based in Denver, and a frequent traveler. Here for this blog, I’ll keep you posted as to where I am at each week, whether it’s around my own backyard or anywhere else in the world.  I’ll post pictures when I can, and give you quick updates on the destination and a quick insight into the journey — which is the best part.

Hope to see you here soon.