The Overnighter

from My Dad

My perfect hostel might be more like a converted warehouse close to the train station near a cool neighborhood. Large and open, with lots of small walled-off spaces as private rooms that are an assortment of sizes, such as one queen sized bed, 2 queen sized beds, 4 full sized beds and 8 single beds, or one giant wall of sleeping queen-sized pods with doors. The kitchen is a huge galley affair with a couple of those 12-burner stoves, massive refrigerators, and wooden prep counters. The dining area is, like the rooms, a combination of 2-top, 4-top and long farmhouse tables for eating on. There are several chill-out areas  - a library - a media lab, a tv room and a garden. There is also a swimming pool, a climbing wall and daily yoga classes.

Day 28/Indie Travel Art Project: "What song amps you up for travel?"

I adore adventure. I quest for quiet. I search for the seaside. I bow down to budget travel. I pray for an all-inclusive package. Yet, the perfect trip is not a location, a price or a package. The perfect trip is 3 things:

Without cell phone

With a healthy dose of curiosity mixed with friendliness

(If traveling with a companion) With someone whom has a healthy dose of curiosity, friendliness and self-reliance

My bags are packed - where do you want to go?

Hooray - show n' tell!!

Favorite photo: Stumbled upon a wedding in Rome at the church Santa Maria sopra Minerva, directly facing Bernini's "Elephant & Obleisk" sculpture in Piazza della Minerva. These two gentlemen were groomsmen at the wedding - Giorgio and Gianni. They arranged the bride/groom car, also below. Living the dream.

Worst/Funniest selfie (or usie): Entertaining ourselves on the bus from San Sebastian to Bilbao.

Photo from out an airplane window: Somewhere between Seattle and Oakland. Judging by the sunlight, closer to Oakland.

Food-porn photo: At Café Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar in New Orleans. Gulf prawn corndog coated with saffron batter and Velveeta cheese sauce. This is the only instance where cooking with Velveeta is okay with me.

Funny photo, or photo of a funny thing you saw: It's not really that funny in retrospect but at the time it was. This cat lives at El Minzah Hotel in Tangier, primarily in the Misbah Club/swimming pool area. We first noticed him because he had been napping on one of the chairs at our table. Once he woke up to give us some privacy, we realized he had been allowing his lunch to digest - the remnants of which you can see in the photo.

Note that while the story below is true, the hotel that the story is about is under new ownership and has been completely renovated.

The band of disheveled ventriloquists camped out rehearsing on the neighboring stoop should have been an indicator. I ignored this sign and entered the lobby anyway.

The concierge, Jimmy, had a Transylvanian accent, made more ominous by his thick glasses and confounding hairstyle featuring a brown wig topped with a black toupee. He was being paid in one hundred $1-bills by a handsome young man in a white eyelet lace pantsuit, black eyeliner and blue nail polish. It was New York City, 1995 on 51st Street between 8th and 9th Ave. The Hotel Washington-Jefferson. Also known as the Hotel Wilmington-Jorgenson with the undercover types.

I asked the weekly rate at this Times Square throwback. “Vun hundrrrrrred dollars for vun veek.” Hiding my delight, I asked the price of the junior suite. “Two hundrrrrrred dollars for vun veek.” Done and done.

The junior suite at the Wilmington-Jorgenson was on the second floor of seven, directly across 51st Street from a blinking cross that said “Sin Will Find You Out” and “Get Right with God.” There was a skitter as I turned on the lights, but the aqua walls and quilted naugahyde furniture made me forget all that immediately. This was prime NYC real estate for  budget-minded recent-grads. Still, I wondered, why do the walls seem to be oozing brown gunk?

Over-joyed with my vintage-hotel find, I arranged a soiree at the Russian Tea Room. I could afford it now!

I returned to the WJ later that evening after a detour to the Rainbow Room. Upon entering, I noticed the walls had oozed a bit more and saw that the maid had come by to bring some fresh towels and a few wrapped rectangles of Cashmere Bouquet. Ignoring the “wall issue” and marveling at my detailed cleaning staff, I went to throw open the curtains to reflect on the day’s triumphs, but was stopped by a what seemed to be a new rug on the floor in front of the quilted naugahyde couch. That rug had not been there before. The maid must have brought it. But why?

As I gingerly touched  corner of the rug, I asked myself if I should have a witness in the room before uncovering this mystery. But my curiosity got the best of me and I yanked up the corner, now staring at a big red stain in the carpet. That stain wasn’t there when I arrived.

Recoiling, I climbed out the windows and onto the fire escape. What had happened in there? What was that substance? Was it the maid? Was it the concierge? Was it someone else? Was this hotel possessed? Was the stain related to the “wall issue”? The laughter of the ventriloquists caught my attention, prompting my mind  to retrace the day’s steps.

It was my inkwell of red ink. I must not have closed the cap after writing Grandma her postcard and the maid spilled it while dusting. Yes, there it was, tossed in the quilted naugahyde garbage can under the quilted naugahyde table.

For me, it's the journey, not the destination that makes roadtripping a blast: the company, the clothes, the food, the playlist. I recently blogged about my 3 favorite US roadtrips -read it here- so this post will focus on the journey.

Dream Roadtrip Car: Corvette Convertible Roadster

Dream Roadtrip Music: A combination of a themed playlist of the genres and artists made popular by the region I'm driving through, plus periodic breaks to check out local AM and FM radio stations.

Dream Roadtrip Partner: my fiance or my best girlfriend

Dream Roadtrip Fashion: scarf and big glasses, natch!

Dream Roadtrip Food: For snackage, stop at local fruit stands along the road and pick up berries or dried fruit., or a local general-store type place for old school candy such as Abba-Zaba, Zots, Mary Janes, Big Hunk, Milk Duds, Bit-o-Honey or Lemon Heads. Popcorn made with olive oil makes a sensible snack as well, leaving room for grilled cheeses and french fries at any roadside diners that catch your eye.

To GPS or not to GPS? I like to use real fold-out maps. In other words, by day, I'm the navigator and my roadtrip partner is the driver. but by night, that Corvette is all mine!

Sacramento, California: 24 hours

The River City. The Capital City. Sactown Sack-o-tomatos. Good ol' Sacramento, California. The city where I grew up. So, take it from a native: this place can be fun!

Sacramento is 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and about 100 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. It has an international airport, a network of freeways, 3 rivers, a Delta, a network of train tracks including Amtrak and a light rail system. When I tell people I grew up in Sacramento, they usually say, "I drove through there once. Straight through." Next time, I suggest you stop. Here's what to see and where to go:

If you love the water and the outdoors:

Raft the American River. There are several places along the river to rent rafts , all near strategic put-in spots. Shuttles pick you up at the take-out points. In summer, locals put in rafts and tubes at Sunrise Blvd and float down to Goethe Park.About 3 hours if you go slow. If you need to rent equipment, get it at American River Raft Rentals.

Learn to sail. The Delta is a goof place to try tacking and jibing! Check out the Delta Sailing School.

Dine with a view. Pearl on the River is lovely, and the Virgin Sturgeon is a classic!

Bike the river. There are miles of awesome bike trails in Sactown. Choose your path and go crazy!

Stay at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. This hotel sits under a tree canapy across from the State Capitol Building and has a great swimming pool for lounging and swimming.

If you are an historian:

Wander the streets of Old Sacramento. Don't be afraid to step into all the tiny museums - you will see what life used to be like when Old Sac was the city center, especially when the river rose to the 2nd floor!

Cruise the Fabulous Forties. By foot or by car, this is a swanky neighborhood to spy on. If you love all things vintage, retro, deco and beautiful, this is the hood for you! It's especially decked-out during Christmas. Pack a picnic and stop at nearby McKinley Park for people watching and a nosh.

Tour the California State Capitol Museum. Stunning. Important. Locals sometimes bury their pets in the rose garden at night. But don't be creeped out by that.

Explore Sutter's Fort. My orthodontist's office was across the street from this place. Whenever I biked there to get my hideous face hardware tightened, I would marvel that this area used to be the wild lands. Now it's a charming and quaint part of Downtown Sac, and has been since the 1940's.

Pilgrimage to the Tower Theatre before it gets torn down. There is drama going on with this Sactown icon so I am linking to their Facebook page. It was the name of this cinema that gave birth to the Tower Records/Books/etc chain that dominated global cities in the 1960s through 1990s, the original store sharing a building. In the mid-2000's there was a threat of the theatre closing it's doors. Tower Cafe is a delicious spot for alfresco dining and soaking up the history and film buff vibes.

If you are a hipster or an artist:

See "Tower Theatre" in section above

Tune into 98 Rock. 98.5 FM. Used to be called KZAP. Still the best radio station on the planet.

Mainline coffee at the Weatherstone. Cool staff, free wifi, brick courtyard.

Splurge at Cheap Thrills. Excellent vintage shopping.

Crawl the boutiques, bars and galleries in Midtown. I particularly enjoy the nightlife in this part of town. The neighborhood website is helpful.

If you are a politician:

Attend a rally at the Capitol building

Schedule a power lunch at Frank Fat's

Dream about your next election at the Governor's Mansion

Stay at the Embassy Suites Riverfront Promenade

Get some local culture at the Crocker Art Museum

Visit the Sacramento Vacation Information website to supplement info above, as well as the Sacramento News & Review site for concert listings and goings-on. Enjoy!!

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boys pops The Question to girl. Girl says YES! Boy and girl announce The Big Day to friends and family. Parisienne Friend offers her flat for the Honeymoon. Says she will be out of town. For a week. The flat...oh the flat. In the 16th. The Seine. La Tour. A wedding in June.

2014.