Hi Folks! I’ve been back in Minnesota for less than 48 hours, and already I’ve scouted tickets for my next adventure and ransacked my local library branch for literature and ideas. (Hint… I’ll be returning to the desert…)


When I go to Arizona, I’m lucky enough to stay at my parents’ lovely compound, free to cook, lounge, launder, and cocktail as I please. I have a free place to watch sunsets and a home base generally stocked with peach Fresca (well, I think… I”m guessing no one has touched it since I was there last, since I’m the only human I know who likes it…)


But what does a traveler do if they haven’t lucked out with such a homestay? Then we are likely in the market for a charming hotel, B & B, hostel, or other lodging to rest our heads after a long day of traveling and exploring. As your dedicated blog researcher, I’ve compiled a short list of worthy places worth checking out. 


1. BEST VIEW
…and the award goes to my most recent lodging, the Venice on the Beach Hotel (on Venice Beach, CA, as the name suggests…)
Highlights include the rooftop terrace perfect for watching sunrise/sunsets (see yesterday’s post for details…), free use of internet, outdoor patio, breakfast buffet, around the clock candy (I think I ate an entire bowl of caramels…), Peet’s coffee, use of a microwave and refrigerator in our room, and fabulous location. We were super happy with the hotel, and since we don’t need a lot of space it was perfect for our budget too. Plus, it’s pink, so I’m sold…

You can almost smell the salty beach air from your computer, right?

looks like San Francisco, but it is indeed Lisboa!