Since I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel a bit lately, I’ve noticed a trend in my behavior. When my itinerary dictates I stay in one locale for a number of days (such as when I tag along with Keith on a business trip) I find myself gravitating to a specific spot in that city. It may be a historic landmark, a luxury spot, a monument, a piece of art or a famous travel destination I’ve heard of all my life and feel the need to see firsthand.
On a recent trip to San Diego, I had four full days to explore the area and see things I have a preconceived notion that I will enjoy. I do a varying amount of research for each upcoming trip: checking out travel guides, the area’s CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau), checking with friends and family, and any other sources I can discover.
On two 2016 separate trips to downtown Chicago, my first goal was to see the Beluga whales at Shedds Aquarium where my grandmother took me 41 years earlier. Walking from our hotel along Lake Michigan, I passed the Cloud Gate Structure (also known as The Bean created by Sir Anish Kapoor) in Millennium Park. I’d seen this iconic sculpture on television and in books, but was clueless about the amazing experience it would be to visit and enter this piece. Once I discovered the thrill of photographing the stainless-steel sculpture, I couldn’t get enough: the angles and reflections I captured of individuals (and myself) enjoying the sight in addition to the distortion the structure made of our reflections.
“Cloud Gate or The Bean” 
Cloud inner reflections 
Beluga at the Shedd
My obsession in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, was The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shore of Lake Erie. I knew Keith would enjoy it and so did I. But when we came out of “The Power of Rock Experience“ film in Connor Theatre which ended in a performance including Tom Petty and Prince with the light and sound enhancements of this experience, the recent deaths of both artists were powerful in my mind as I walked out of the theatre. Well, I was walking until a display in the hallway caught my attention and made me turn back. In the case was a mannequin wearing the exact suit Prince wore in the film. I couldn’t get enough of standing there and staring.
My obsession in San Francisco is always the seals at Pier 39. There have to be hundreds of them sunning on specially-made floating docks. In fall 2019, I had the opportunity to see them at night. I made Keith walk about 20 blocks in the blustery cold to experience this. The ambience was cool, but the photographs were not. Hearing them moan and bark in the shadows was a unique experience though.
My obsession in San Diego is The Del – The Hotel Del Coronado (did you know that Coronado Island is really an isthmus and not an island?) A short drive over a high bridge from downtown San Diego gets you to the island and a few minutes later to The Del. Opened in 1988 when it was the single largest resort in the world, the seven-story structure boasting seven restaurants is still opulent. Crystal chandeliers, an ornate Victorian grill elevator, glassed in walkways to upper rooms, a mini shopping mall downstairs, the Spreckels Sweets and Treats shop, a lush inner courtyard and the Sun Deck where craft cocktails, coastal treats can be enjoyed at a table or firepit while watching the sunset over the West Coast. One day? I’m staying there!
Main Entrance to The Del 
Lobby Crystal Chandelier 
Original Elevator in Lobby 
View from the water’s edge
My obsession in Las Vegas is the Bellagio; more specifically, the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens which changes every few months. In May 2018 there was a Japanese-inspired theme. I went back in November 2018 expecting the same garden and found a holiday exhibit with a horse-drawn carriage, huge Christmas tree and a floor-to-ceiling Snow Queen. The horses’ tails even twitched!
Christmas 2018 
The Horse Tails Swished 
Japanese Garden May 2018
My obsession in Palo Alto, California is The Café Venetian serving coffee sourced from a northern Italian roaster, high quality espresso, delectable pastries and a refined setting. They also feature a wine tasting room specializing in Italian wines with classic food pairings. Last year I discovered Bubble & Wrap in Redwood City serving Hong Kong-style waffles made to order topped with ice cream and other goodies – the green matcha tea waffle with ice cream was fantastic and the savory offerings such as pizza and bacon and eggs are on my list for next time.
Latte and pastry from Cafe Venetia
My obsession on Isla Mujeres, an island reachable by ferry from Cancun, was the resort itself – Isla Mujeres Palace. It is a smaller resort and lying under a palapa on the beach and getting waited on for food and drinks was the best. My obsession in Tulum, Mexico was the Tulum Ruins (the only Mayan ruins on a beach). The walk down a bluff-side stairway to reach the beach and walk between monolithic rocks with the surf splashing in and out was thrilling. Though our resort, Dreams Tulum, as an hour-and-a-half van ride from Cancun International Airport, it was fun riding along with other visitors and going off the main road to drop them at different hotels. It was a great way to see what other accommodations were offered on The Yucatan Peninsula. The international restaurants at the resort and the nightly entertainment were topnotch.
A special travel opportunity I had in 2012 and 2014 was a visit to India. These trips made for a different kind of obsession. Since we did not stay in one city very long, I had several sites I was obsessed with but could only visit once. One was Bangalore Palace with its gorgeous landscaping and incredible luxury on the interiors. The second was The Taj Mahal (meaning “Crown of the Palaces”) a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city of Agra, Uttar Paresh. Our tour guide began teaching us about this marble mausoleum inside the exterior red stone fort walls. After a short walk from the entrance, I turned away from our guide and was face to face with the doorway into the Taj Mahal’s grounds. Seeing the glowing-white marble structure (completed in 1653 at the commission of Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal) I began to weep. Photographs do not do it justice. The sunlight plays on the stones of the building whose construction techniques and materials are only known by the descendants of the original builders’ families.
There are so many more places I could name and I’m sure you have your favorite go-to spots. Please share with me and our readers where you like to visit in specific locals. I’d love the referrals.
Thanks for reading,
Cathy
