Fireworks and Fountains in Anaheim

1. Make an entrance

They say it’s about the journey.

But arriving can be pretty nice too. After you’ve been traveling, unlocking the door to a comfortable hotel room feels like someone should strike up the band and set off fireworks.

That literally happened when we stayed at Hotel Indigo Anaheim. Mention my name, and there will be fireworks the night you check in too.

Actually, Disneyland does a fireworks show every night. Mentioning me changes nothing. You can, however, request a room with a fireworks view when you make your reservation. Then you can just assume they’re in your honor.

Everyone there is really accommodating and service-focused, regularly working things out for guests – transportation, early check-ins, recommendations, etc. We had a late-notice schedule change for our Star Wars Celebration convention trip, and General Manager Edward Voysest was flexible with changing our reservation. Hannah made sure everything was set when we checked in.

So while the really hardcore fans camped out on a convention center floor, we were sleeping in an actual bed with really excellent pillows. I know. Poor us!

2. Start your day

We were so comfortable, it was hard to get moving the next morning. Blackout curtains can be a double-edged sword. The Keurig helped.

The bright lighting in the bathroom helped too. In the shower was a regular shower head, as well as a handheld one that reminded me one of those long microphones. So, in case you need to do some shower singing, you’re all set. There’s also a fancy straight-sided vessel sink atop the counter and really nice scented soaps.

Since we had stocked our mini fridge with fruit and yogurt and whatnot, it was easy to grab something quick that first morning when we were in a hurry.

When we were less rushed the following day, we tried out the Chambers Bar & Bistro in the hotel. It was really crowded, so they asked if we wanted to eat out on the patio. It was a beautiful morning and so peaceful out there!

Our server José knew so much about the area and the menu. I ordered the chilaquiles, house-made tortilla chips drenched in red pepper sauce with queso fresco and avocado on top and local eggs, fruit, and diced potatoes on the side. It was absolutely the best dish of the trip. Thinking about it now makes me a little sad I can’t eat that every day. Also hungry.

3. Get around

After we were ready and breakfasted and coffeed, we’d slip our lanyards on, get our convention gear, and walk over to the Anaheim Convention Center. Along with Disneyland, it was only about 10-15 minutes away – close enough it wasn’t a big deal to go back if you forgot something/needed a nap.

Not driving is actually more convenient, since traffic around there can be kind of a mess and parking at the convention center, theme parks, and most area hotels is $15-20 a day. Hotel Indigo Anaheim doesn’t charge guests for parking and even let us stay parked in the garage a few extra hours since we planned to be at the convention past checkout.

The area is really pedestrian friendly with wide palm-lined sidewalks, a ton of restaurants, and a few stores. The only time we used the car during our time there was to meet my cousin Allison in another town for lunch one day.

4. Return

After we were done conventioning for the day, we’d head back.

http://youtu.be/-AeJfSDyKmY

Hotel Indigo Anaheim is pretty hard to miss. It was remodeled a couple years ago (recently enough that some Google Maps views still show the old Holiday Inn Express facade) after the launch of the Hotel Indigo brand with its focus on an experience that reflects the character of the neighborhood. In this case, that means an agricultural theme. Way before the remodel and before Anaheim was populated by Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and 20,000 hotel rooms, there were acres of citrus trees and walnut groves.

http://youtu.be/sGXEDQFLYm0

Now there is a musical fountain and light show (think mini Bellagio) out front, but the hotel features plenty of reminders of the past. There are floor-to-ceiling photos of walnut trees and vintage farm equipment, antiques in the lounge, and a restaurant named after the old Chambers Ranch.

You’ll probably be greeted by the super friendly lobby staff when you walk back in. The Front Desk Supervisor Arthur, a.k.a. King Arthur, takes care of his domain, patiently answering questions for guests, helping with the luggage cart, even running outside to direct traffic when a parking guest was in the way of the garbage truck.

You can sit by the pool, get a workout in, or catch up on work in the business center. There’s free wifi throughout the hotel, so you’re not limited to working in the business center. I took my iPad up to the second floor lounge, which is open to the lobby, while people wearing conference lanyards or Jedi costumes or mouse ears walked by outside.

Of course, chilling in your room is nice too. (And I definitely needed some down time!) We had a family studio, so it was really roomy with a couch and nice hardwood floors. Housekeeping comes daily and the room was always sparkling clean when we returned, with fun little touches like towels folded into the shape of an elephant. One day we left Mr. Cheeseface on the nightstand, and they set him in the center of the pillows when they made up the beds, which made me smile.

Before you know it, the Disney fireworks will be bursting in the sky, and it’ll be time to start it all again.

—
Photos by Phillip or me.

Thank you to IHG / Hotel Indigo for providing our accommodations and breakfast vouchers.

March 20, 2015July 14, 2020

Amenity anxiety

I was surprised to see the phone light blinking when I got back to my room. Thinking I had a message, I pushed the button for the front desk and wondered who would’ve tried to reach me at the Hilton in San Jose instead of on my cell.

Finding the answer required what seemed like an inordinate amount of keyboard clicking on the other end of the line – like maybe employees have to type out the text of Hamlet before accessing guest information.

“Ah. You have an amenity. Would you like us to send it up to you?”

It was my turn for a long pause.

To me, “amenities” are offerings, like wifi or a fitness room. No one was sending me the fitness room. And the wifi was already there.

“I didn’t, um, order anything. What is it?”

“I’m not sure. It just says ‘amenity.’ We can send it up to your room if you’d like.” he reiterated.

Since I had no idea what would be showing up at my door, I decided it would be safer to stop by the front desk later on and sort it out there.

He politely said, “Of course,” but I got the feeling he was thinking, “you’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

When I stopped by the front desk later, the clerk still acted like the fact I hadn’t requested anything was irrelevant to the fact that something was waiting for me. He retyped Hamlet to find my information again.

Staring into the glowing monitor, he could see there was a DND on my room, which means I had unintentionally set something on my door to “Do Not Disturb.” He also could see that the DND was the reason the amenity wasn’t delivered to my room earlier. But he still couldn’t see what the mysterious amenity was. He wrote something down on a sheet of paper and sent a younger guy off to retrieve it, while I waited in suspense.

My amenity came in 2 perfect little red boxes. Each contained a neatly packed cupcake that said “Lentils” on top with a little maple leaf symbol. So someone sent me cupcakes? Possibly made out of lentils? And maple leaves? There was no note and not even an ingredient list. I mulled this over as I rode the elevator back up to my room.

I also contemplated the fact that if someone wanted me dead, they could probably just send me poisoned cupcakes, and it’d be all over.

Finally, I remembered that BlogHer Conference sponsors sometimes send swag to attendees’ rooms. I checked the sponsor list and found Canadian Lentils. Bingo.

No one poisons sponsored cupcakes. Especially not Canadian ones.

Back in my room, I enjoyed an Amenity Cupcake. I still don’t know what was in it. But it was delicious and definitely not poisoned.

I found the DND switch on my door and turned it off. If any other amenities were sent my way, I was ready.

January 19, 2015September 24, 2019

Sleeping and eating near University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ

While I’m working on wrapping up my post about Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest, here’s a prequel of sorts with our experience eating, staying, and hanging out in Glendale, Arizona near University of Phoenix Stadium – where a certain high profile football game will be played in a couple weeks.

(More of my top picks on my December in Glendale post.)

Staying

The IHG folks were nice enough to put us up at Staybridge Suites Phoenix-Glendale, so we could check it out and be super close to the event. I arrived before Phillip and texted to tell him we should just move in there. Our one-bedroom suite felt like a little apartment with a living room, well-equipped kitchen, bedroom (with a door separating it from the living space), and bathroom.

Living Space

Side note: Why does it seem like most couples consist of a morning person and a night person? Phillip and I both started out as stay-up-late people, but he’s evolved into this setting-the-alarm-even-on-the-weekend guy who says things like “I’ll just get up and finish this before work.” It’s so baffling it must be a law of nature. Anyway.

The point is that if you’re traveling with someone who wants to stay up making popcorn and watching movies or whatever, and you’re ready to call it a night, you can just shut bedroom the door and hit the lights. Or, if you’re me, you can make yourself some dinner, plop down on the couch, get totally immersed in a National Geographic Channel show about the Bermuda Triangle, and then get sleepy and finish watching it on the second (!) flatscreen tv in the bedroom. The wild life of a geek.

Also like an apartment, it’s largely self-service. Housekeeping does not come every day – unless you request it. Unlike most self-service stays, however, you can help yourself to a breakfast buffet in the mornings. So it’s kinda the best of both worlds.

Kitchen

Speaking of eating, having a kitchen in the room gives you so many more food and beverage options. This isn’t some minifridge-and-coffeemaker-tucked-into-a-closet “kitchenette” either, it’s a full kitchen. Yes, there’s a coffeemaker. There’s also a grownup-size refrigerator (with an ice maker), sink, 2-burner stove, microwave, dishwasher, and cabinets stocked with dishes, cookware, and utensils. You’re all set for chopping, mixing, sautéing, warming things up, and keeping things cool.

Location and Cabela’s

It took me 25 or 30 minutes to walk from Staybridge Suites to the stadium. It’s even closer to shopping at Tanger Outlets and Westgate Entertainment District. And directly across the street is the outdoor/hunting/fishing gear store Cabela’s.

That’s not really my scene, but we stopped in to check it out anyway. Somewhere in between whispering at Whisper Scarves and wondering at an animatronic talking deer head (why?!), we found the indoor archery range and a sales associate with a crazy fish cap and green-painted face and hands (in puzzling homage to the Grinch).

Quick backstory: Long before we met, Phillip and I had both tried archery (him at 4H, me at Girl Scout camp), both enjoyed it, and both hadn’t picked it back up since we were teenagers.

Fast forward back to Fish Hat Grinch Man: he got us set up with the waivers we needed to sign and patiently demonstrated how to use the recursive bow. I took a few shots, each farther from the target than the last, and then took a (totally undeserved) Katniss Everdeen bow at the end.

Eating

University of Phoenix Stadium has some basic hamburger/hot dog/soft pretzel type concessions, and a couple food trucks were parked outside during Fan Fest. There are tons of restaurant options at Westgate and Tanger Outlets, as well as in downtown Glendale (about 10 minutes’ drive). We did a mix of our eating out and in, starting the day with Staybridge’s hot breakfast buffet.

Fired Pie at Tanger Outlets

Fired Pie is one of the few locally-based options in the area surrounding the stadium. We expected a sit-down restaurant, but it’s actually more fast casual. Think Chipotle for pizza, and you’re on the right track.

They have a great selection of quality ingredients for toppings like kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, and grilled chicken. You can order from the menu or customize your individual pizza or salad as much as you’d like. You can choose your pizza’s sauce, cheese, veggies, and/or meat. They wood fire it and have it ready for you in just a few minutes. We enjoyed it so much we’ve already been back – to the Chandler location.

Food trucks

Of course, the Burgers Amore truck isn’t always parked outside the stadium. However, they’re worth tracking down. They have delicious steak burgers and sweet potato fries.

Lenny’s

On the way home, we made an impromptu stop in downtown Glendale at Lenny’s Burger Shop to see if they had anything for a sweet tooth. Turns out they had chocolate peanut butter shakes. Um, yes, please. Great way to wrap up the weekend!

[UPDATE: That building is now Moe’s Burgers. I haven’t been there or to the other Lenny’s Burgers around the Valley.]

PS Did you spot Mr. Cheeseface?

Thank you to IHG / Staybridge Suites for providing our accommodations. Also, thanks to Fired Pie for our media discount.

November 8, 2014January 4, 2018

San Francisco is for makers

San Francisco is full of maker culture with generations-old bakeries, letterpress printers, neighborhood art galleries, and spaces like MakeShop and Makeshift Society. While we were there for the Re:Make conference, we also got to enjoy a little slice of the artisan goods and local flavor San Francisco makers have to offer.

This included a lot of food. Because, this is me we’re talking about.

Seriously, I could write an entire post on a lot of these places – and I might still – so please let me know if there’s something you’re particularly interested in in the comments. For now, here’s an overview of our Thursday through Monday in SF.

Thursday: SFO -> North Beach -> Pier 39

– Ate –

Pier Market – Tucked into the middle of the bustling Pier 39 are the bright blue awnings of the family-owned Pier Market restaurant.

It’s the kind of cloth-napkin casual dining experience that demonstrates a passion for good food without the stuffy formality. Our meal was delicious, and the servers were very knowledgeable about the menu, giving us great recommendations and walking Phillip through the local craft beer list.

They are a Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Restaurant Partner, which requires choosing more sustainable seafood and educating staff.

– Stayed –

The San Remo Hotel (3 nights) – It’s a boutique Victorian-era hotel with a charm and community vibe that make it feel more like a European pension or bed and breakfast, rather than a typical chain hotel. (No meals are included but there’s coffee in the lobby after 8am). It’s just really cozy. The furniture is antique, and the rooms are small with shared bathrooms (including pull-chain toilets).

The San Remo is on edge of the North Beach neighborhood (known for its Italian roots), so you’re walking distance from Saints Peter and Paul Church, Pier 39, Chinatown, and lots of good food. (On Sunday, we walked to our walking food tour. So that should give you an idea of how much deliciousness is nearby.)

Friday: Fort Mason

– Saw/Did –

Steph: Re:Make conference.
Phillip: Fort Mason, a center for cultural and historical sites, as well as events like Re:Make.

– Ate –

El Sur food truck at Off the Grid – We walked over to Off the Grid, where 30 food trucks, carts, and tents circle around with live music at Fort Mason every week (except in the winter). We ordered 2 empanadas to share – pollo saltado (pan-seared chicken) and champiñones (mushrooms) – from the El Sur truck, plopped down at a picnic table, and enjoyed.

– Stayed –

San Remo Hotel (night 2 of 3)

Saturday: the Bay

– Saw/Did/Ate –

Hornblower Cruises & Events San Francisco Champagne Brunch cruise – You start out sipping mimosas (or your brunch beverage of choice) and looking out at the Bay. Once the cruise gets underway, a pianist provides ambience and acts as emcee, announcing anniversaries and birthdays. The buffet tables are stocked with fruit, salmon, quiches, salads, and breakfast breads. There’s also a carving station. Hornblower uses local and sustainable items where possible. Our server Pavel answered our questions about the Bay while keeping our coffee topped off.

Outside on the upper decks, you take in the breeze and the gorgeous views of the shoreline and Golden Gate Bridge.

You pass Alcatraz, and, if time and currents allow, you may cruise under the Bay Bridge, as well. We spotted dolphins or maybe porpoises from the deck.

Happening back on dry ground:

Baseball game at AT&T Park
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
We rode a street car, sat in traffic, and chatted with a street performer covered in gold paint.
Re:Make Festival at Fort Mason – which we finally made it to.

– Stayed –

San Remo Hotel (night 3 of 3) – When we checked out the next day, they held our luggage in their office, carefully placing my vase full of flowers a friend had given me near a window. (I’m not sure cut flowers need light, but it was still a really thoughtful gesture.)

Sunday: North Beach -> Nob Hill

– Saw/Did/Ate –

Taqueria San Jose – Not fancy but good tacos and really good salsa.

Washington Square Park – A big green plaza in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church, where we hung out, people- (and dog-) watched, and wrote a postcard or two.

Victoria Pastry Co – We snacked on cookies and biscotti at this 100-year-old bakery.

Local Tastes of the City San Francisco Tours North Beach/Little Italy Walking Food Tour – This tasting tour takes you behind the scenes at many North Beach institutions.

At the first stop on the tour, I found myself sitting outside a cafe, drinking the best cappuccino I’d ever had. You guys, this is my kind of sightseeing. Afterwards, we crowded around the roaster to look at green coffee beans while our guide explained the roasting process.

You learn about the history of the area, walking through Washington Square Park and into Saints Peter and Paul Church. We also went to peek inside a bakery oven while munching on sourdough bread and macaroons, sampled balsamic vinegars to learn how aging makes a difference, learned about the business of fudge from the back room of a candy store, and tasted pasta, pizza, and antipasti.

I only wish we could have taken the tour earlier in the trip, because it introduced us to so many wonderful places we would’ve loved to revisit.

– Stayed –

InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco – You might ride a chaotic cable car down Mason Street, lug your luggage up Nob Hill, scan the names of buildings towering around you, and then finally spot InterContinental Mark Hopkins in all its roaring ’20s elegance. Walk through the revolving glass doors, under gorgeous chandeliers, and into the expansive lobby, where everything starts to feel more serene.

We checked in, and unlocked our door to the kind of cushy room you want to collapse into and never leave. It had a super comfy bed and a bathroom larger than some Manhattan apartments. There is free wifi for rewards club members, and you can even sign up on site. A few minutes after we checked in, they brought us fruit and local chocolate.

While our room had a fabulous view, you can see 360 degrees from the windows in the Top of the Mark restaurant on the top floor.

Monday: Mark Hopkins -> The Mission

– Saw/Did/Ate –

Just down the hill from Mark Hopkins (easy walking distance):

MakeShop – Brit + Co’s maker space
Union Square – High end shopping, cafes, theaters, and outdoor events.
Cafe La Taza – They brought my sandwich up to their quiet second story. I had a perfectly good tea, but totally regretted not ordering a Mexican mocha when I tried some of Phillip’s.

My cousin Julie met us at the cafe. We chatted, and she gave us a ride to the Mission District. Phillip wanted to see Clarion Alley. It was interesting to see what was still there and what had changed in the months since I’d been there.

From the Mission, we boarded BART to head back home.

Know Who’s Awesome?

Some of the businesses I mention in this post helped us out with complimentary or discounted media rates, so we could do more things and tell you about them. As always, I gave you my take on experiences. Opinions are my own, regardless of who picks up the check.

Thank you to the following businesses for providing complimentary or discounted tickets, meals, or accommodations: