Colorado - Aspen

We traveled to Aspen for our honeymoon in Sept 2001.  We were able to get a great last minute deal at The Sardy House (our original plans had us going to France but due to 9/11 we postponed France and ended up toing there in May 2002).  So instead, we traveled around Colorado in mid-September.  We started in Aspen for a few days and then headed down to Telluride. 

The Sardy House was lovely.  It was the perfect little get away.  We had a great room with a separate sitting area and The Sardy House also has it's own restaurant which was also fantastic.  In looking for their web site, it appears that The Sardy House has since been sold and is now a private residence.  If it opens again to the public, I would definitely recommend it.

Here are some picutres of The Sardy House and of Aspen:

Views while hiking in Aspen

My husband in front of The Sardy House

Bedroom

Sitting area in our room

Turks and Caicos - Providenciales

We stayed in Turks and Caicos in Jan 2001 (this is the trip where we got engaged so we did not have kids yet).  We stayed in a wonderful inn called Caribbean Paradise Inn.  This inn was simple with a lovely pool in the middle and a nice path that you walked down to a pretty much empty beach. 

They had a great breakfast buffet in the mornings and they were walking distance to several great restaurants.  They also had snorkel equipment and beach chairs you could borrow.

We rented a car for just a day so we could explore the island a bit which was fun (but not necessary).  We also did a snorkleling cruise which was really fun.

Link:
Caribbean Paradise Inn: http://www.caribbean-paradise-inn.com/

Pictures:

Pool view from our room

View of hotel from the beach

The day after we got engaged (after breakfast out by the pool)

Hawaii - O'ahu

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Hawaii in Feb 2008 (we were there for the pro-bowl) and my husband won the trip there through work.  We did not pay for the lodging at the Hilton but I think it is fairly reasonable.  We were in a standard hotel room which was nice and had great views.  The restaurants on site were pretty good and you can walk along the beach to other restaurants as well.  The on-site spa was great and you can pay for the day (to use the pool and work out facilities) or use the facilities with a spa service.  My husband and I both had massages which were very nice. 

Link:
HHV:  http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/

Pictures:

Pool at the spa (smaller but nice and quiet)

View of Honolulu from our room

Beach in front of the hotel

Hawaii - Kuau'i

In Jan 2004 after spending 5 days on The Big Island we went to Kuau'i for a few days (this was a pre-kid trip).  We stayed at the Marriott Resort and Beach Club in Kuau'i.  It was a very nice large resort with beautiful pool area and nice private beach.  They had good food and a little breakfast cart that you could buy coffee, fruit, etc and eat outside or in your room.

We also did a helicopter tour from Kuau'i and went to the Beach House restaurant (highly recommended) at the southern point of the island for sunset.

Links:
Marriott:  http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lihhi-kauai-marriott-resort-and-beach-club
The Beach House:  http://www.the-beach-house.com/

Marriott pictures:

Pool area at the Marriott

View of our hotel from the helicopter

Hawaii - Big Hisland

We have traveled without kids on 3 different occasions (2004, 2005 and 2008) to The Big Island in Hawaii.  On 2 of those trips we also went to other islands (once to Kaua'i and once to O'ahu -- see separate posts for where we stayed there).  Our favorite Island is The Big Island and our favorite place to stay is The Hapuna Beach Prince Resort.  See pictures at the bottom of this post of all locations we stayed at. 

Hapuna Beach Prince Resort (Jan 2004, Jan 2005 and Feb 2008):
We LOVE the Hapuna.  It only has regular hotel rooms and suites so not sure how family friendly it is (if you want 2 room suites it may be possible but I am not sure if they have kitcens in any of the rooms or not).  The Hapuna does have a great breakfast but it is a little pricey so if you can get a hotel deal that includes the breakfast it is definitely worth it.  The restaurants on site are great and the pool and beach are wonderful. 

Their sister property, The Mauna Kea, also offers some great features like a Lu'au and Clambake.  We have never done the Lu'au but we have done the Clambake twice and the food is amazing.  Details can be found on their web site.  It is a little pricey but it is right on the water and the food is fresh and amazing.  You can take a hotel bus (compliementary) between the 2 properties or walk.  The Manua Kea was recently remodeled.

Links: 
Hapuna:  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/hapuna-beach-prince-hotel.php
Mauna Kea:  http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel/luxury-big-island-hotels.php

Kilauea Lodge (Jan 2004):
Also on The Big Island we stayed at a little Bed and Breakfast near the volcano.  It is called the Kilauea Lodge.  It is an old YMCA Camp and it has nice rooms and a restaurant on site with fabulous dinner and breakfast.  They also served 100% Kona coffee which was delish ... even for me, a non-coffee drinker.  The B&B is close to Volcanoes National Park so it makes for a great spot to explore the volcano.  They also have a hot tub and allow children.

Links:
Kilauea Lodge:  http://www.kilauealodge.com/
Volcanos National Park: http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Holualoa Inn (Jan 2005):
We also stayed at the Holualoa Inn near Kona and it was awesome.  Very peaceful with wonderful rooms and breakfast.  They also offered snacks out by the pool and wonderful 100% Kona coffee.

Links:
Holuloa Inn:  http://www.holualoainn.com/


Hapuna Pictures:

Front sign at the entrance

Lobby area where breakfast is served that looks out over the ocean

Front lobby where you check in and enjoy your complimentary juice and cold towel upon arrival

View from balcony!

View from in the room looking out during sunset!

My husband in our room at the Hapuna

Kilauea Lodge Pictures:

Front Sign of Kilauea Lodge

Front of Lodge and Rooms

At Volcanoes National Park

Holualoa Inn Pictures:

Holualoa Inn front sign

Pool area

Our room (I think the bedding has been updated since we were there -- check out pics on their web site)

Colorado - Breckenridge

Breckenridge is a nice town for visiting in all seasons. We have spent a lot of time traveling to Breckenridge including in Sept of 2001 for our wedding. I will include many of the places we have stayed in Breckenridge below.

Breckenridge, Colorado (stayed here February 2008)

This was another one of our large ski trips that we plan for friends each year. We had 9 people and 3 kids (under the age of 3) staying in a 5 Bedroom / 3 bath house right in town in Breckenridge.

The house was very nice and comfortable and had a private hot tub and was walking distance to the Gondola and to shops and restaurants in town. Details of the house can be found at
http://www.vrbo.com/62606.

Pictures:

Our friend hanging out with our son in the living room, just taking it easy!

Kicking back after a day of skiing

Colorado - Steamboat

Steaboat Springs, Colorado (stayed here February 2007 & March 2003)

2007:
We were supposed to stay in the same house we rented in 2003 and they ended up having some damage to the house that had to be repaired. We ended up in a 3 bedroom ski in / ski out condo on the hill instead. Luckily the owner of the house was able to assist us in finding a replacement for our accommodations.

The place we ended up staying at was Storm Meadows: Spa Unit that we rented through Special Places. http://www.steamboatspecialplaces.com/index.php?option=com_estateagent&Itemid=0&func=showObject&info=expose&objid=70

Our daughter hanging out in the living room

It was a very nice roomy unit. We had 2 couples, 2 kids (under 2), and 4 singles so it worked out good for our group. There was also a nice hot tub just outside our unit.

For those traveling to Steamboat the local rec center has hot springs, a fitness center, massage and child care available. I spent a great afternoon swimming, having a massage, working out (all while my daughter played in the child care facility on site). http://steamboathotsprings.org/

2003:
We stayed in a 5 bedroom / 4 bath house for our annual ski trip. We had 12 people join us in this large house on the bus route for the ski hill. Details of the house that we rented can be seen at http://www.vrbo.com/3067. There was a private hot tub, nice living areas and tons of space for our large group.

Wyoming - Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole, Wyoming (stayed here April 2006)

This was another one of our large group ski trips. By this time a few of us had kids so we were able to rent a large 5 bedroom / 4 bath house that was ski in (and sort of ski out ... it required a bit of a walk). We had 3 kids with us (3 kids under 2). The house worked pretty well for kids. It did have a large stair case but we were able to block off the stairs with a bench so it was not an issue. The house was also pet friendly which allowed us to bring our dog.

Details of the house can be seen at http://www.vrbo.com/28371. It was a nice house with lots of space. It can sleep up to 17 people. We even saw a moose in our driveway!

We went at the end of ski season so the house and lift tickets were a bit cheaper.

Colorado - Winter Park

Winter Park / Fraser Colorado (stayed here February 2005)

We stayed here for one of our annual ski trips. This trip had 10 adults and we stayed in a house in Fraser, Colorado. Fraser is about 5 miles from the Winter Park ski area.

The house we stayed at was a dog friendly, 5 bedroom house with private hot tub. Details can be seen at http://www.vrbo.com/17384.

This house was close to the supermarket and had a nice walking trail right out the back door. The hot tub was nice and the rooms and accommodations were nice and comfortable as well.

Winterpark ski area is a favorite for Colorado Locals. Also, if you are in the area, Hernando's Pizza and Pasta Pub is awesome!

Colorado - Telluride

Telluride, Colorado (stayed here Feb 2004).

We plan a yearly ski trip to a Colorado Skil hill each year in the Feb/March time frame. The group usually consists of 8-18 people. We have become experts at finding large vacation rentals in colorado or how to find several units next to each other.

We call the trip "Best Ski Trip of Your Life" (BSTOYL) and this particular year we headed to Telluride. Telluride is a wonderful place to ski, stay and play! If you stay in the town of Telluride you can walk to shops, restaurants, coffee shops and the ski lifts. Since Telluride is a little harder to get to there is also barely ever a lift line.

This was the year prior to having any kids so this was an adult only trip.

We stayed in 2 units:

VRBO 30485 (http://www.vrbo.com/30485) - 3 Bedroom / 2 Bath unit right in town. This place was fabulous. Very nice place with full kitchen and close to everything.

Ballard House - We had a 2 Bedroom Unit in this building across the street from VRBO 30485. It was a really nice place with a hot tub on their private patio. (http://www.skihills.com/r119/b945_ballard_house.html).

Both places were wonderful and included underground parking. Although if you do have large group goinng to Telluride try to take only a few cars as street parking is hard to come by. For this trip we were able to accommodate 12 people in the 2 units.

Florida - Delray Beach

Delray Beach (stayed here July 2006)

We stayed at Breakers On the Ocean (http://www.breakersontheocean.com/index.htm) in July of 2006. We met up with some friends and we both had our own condo next to each other. We were traveling with our then 1 year old daughter. We stayed in room 7 which looked out at the pool and the putting green. The beach was also just steps away.

We had a 1 bedroom unit with a full kitchen. They supplied a full size crib and bedding. This place is clean and comfortable but nothing fancy. You sort of feel like you have stepped back in time. Our unit looked much like the one shown on their accommodations page (http://www.breakersontheocean.com/accommodations.htm).

I would recommend this if going to the area ... although next time I would maybe mix things up by trying to stay in the town of Delray Beach where there are shops and restaurants. There are not a ton of accommodations for large groups so if you have a larger group the Breakders On the Ocean might be a good option if you get many units near each other. Breakfast was also included in our rate.

Florida - Lauderdale By The Sea

Lauderdale By The Sea, FL (stayed here July 2006)

Lauderdale by the Sea is a wonderful community just north of Ft. Lauderdale (about 10 miles north of the Ft. Lauderdale airport).

We stayed at the Windjammer Resort and Beach Club (http://www.windjammerresort.com/) in July of 2006 with our then 1 year old daughter.

We rented one of their 1 bedroom condos (unit #3 on the ground floor right by the south pool).

The accommodations were clean and comfortable. We had our own kitchen (although there was not an oven but there was a stove top ... so we figured out how to make break n bake cookies in a frying pan ... mmmm, delsih!). They had a high chair and crib for our daughter so we did not have to travel with those items.

This is not a super high end place, but it is very nice for what you get and perfect for a family traveling together. They have Studio's, 1 Bedroom Units and 2 Bedroom Units. It is also right on the ocean so you can play in both the ocean and the 2 pools on site.

Lauderdale By the Sea is also nice because you can walk to just about everything so we were able to put our daughter in the stroller and go out to eat and walk around town.

Welcome to my travel tips!

Hi all -

I have spent much time traveling across the US, Europe and Mexico and hope to bring you some travel tips, accommodations reviews and other helpful hints for while traveling. I have experience with small inn's and B&B's as well has condo and house rental and large hotels. I have planned travel for me and my husband and well as for us with our small kids and for large groups.

I hope you find this helpful as you plan your own trips!