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From the Golden Gate to the Aspens |
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San Francisco
Park Hyatt Hotel A few notes on San Francisco revisited. On this occasion we stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel in the business district, downtown. Our room was elegant, with a pleasant view over the Bay. The amenities are everything one expects from a luxury hotel and the service is impeccable. A special “Hats Off” to the team of Concierges for whom no request was a problem...restaurant reservations, advice on walking tours, transportation...all done in a trice.
Postrio Restaurant
Chic’s Seafood Restaurant We fared much better at two other restaurants, neither of which could lay claim to being purveyors of haute cuisine. The first was at Chic’s on Pier 39, where we were served a perfectly cooked fish-and-chip lunch overlooking the sea lions.
The Hayes Street Grill
Departing San Francisco
Away from the coast, hills clothed in forest are the home of herds of elk; this terrain gives way to the wetlands around Tamales Bay, a birdwatcher’s paradise.
We stayed on the edge of the wetlands at the
The Olema Inn
Manka’s Lodge This hunting lodge hidden deep in the wilderness with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Tamales Bay on the other was the surprise of our vacation. In such bucolic surroundings our expectations were not high. We were asked to wait in a crowded sitting room; after a few minutes we were ushered, en masse, into a candle-lit formal dining
room. A staff of knowledgeable and most attentive waiters served an elegant, delicious meal. Again, the ingredients were all local produce. An extensive wine list was well-priced and selected. We came away delectably satisfied and enormously impressed. Later I learned that the Los Angeles Times had selected Manka’s as one of the best restaurants in Northern
California. Well-earned indeed.
Farewell California…
Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen was a 19th Century silver mining town which, when the seams ran out, might have become just another of the ghost towns dotted around the Colorado landscape. Instead, it has been reborn twice, first as the glamorous winter resort to which the ski elite are irresistibly drawn and, more recently, as a summer playground for
hikers and naturalists during the day and for lovers of music, day and night.
Hotel Jerome The building dates from the gold mining days and has a complete and tasteful modernization, retaining much of the charm of yesteryear. Our room was unusually spacious. I must comment on the bed which was the most comfortable and sleep-inducing of any that I have been in, in any hotel for many years. Service is cheerful,
attentive, efficient and rapid. In particular, I must commend the Concierges who satisfied our every request for hard-to-get reservations in a town that was very crowded. They knew every hiking trail and every place in the vicinity worth visiting.
The Century Room of Hotel Jerome.
The Century Room has exquisite culinary creations nightly amidst a comfortable, elegant setting. By far the best food that we ate in Aspen. Todd Slossberg, nominated by the James Beard Foundation as the best chef in the Southwest, has designed and executed an imaginative and delicious menu. Signature items include Lobster and Crab Cakes with Spicy Fried Angel Hair Pasta, Native Rack of Lamb with toasted Barley Cassoulet and Lamb jus, served by a staff of eager hotel trainees, most of whom, this year, were imported from the U.K. There are many places to see in the Aspen area. The one that should not be missed is the Maroon Bells Wilderness and its lake in the White River National Forest. Leaving Aspen we drove to a small ski village on its outskirts, beyond which private cars were not permitted. Instead we rode a bus ($5 or $3 for Seniors or children)
into the mountains through the forest of aspen and pine trees; it was a pretty drive but one that did not prepare us for the glorious sight when we arrived at the lake.
There are enough trails to risk scenic overload; all of them are worth seeing.
The Wheeler Opera House The historic Wheeler Opera House has been meticulously restored to its 19th. Century glory; it is an intimate hall with excellent acoustics which, on the night we were there displayed, at their best, the talented cast that performed La Boheme. At all of these venues the performances are excitingly vibrant and the lectures,
discussions and Master classes are absorbing. Wherever we went, in the streets and the restaurants, we found small groups of young musicians playing everything from jazz to chamber music. Our walks to and from the concert tent were through an older part of the town; the homes are shingled houses dating from the early 20th Century, lovingly maintained, painted in pastel colors and each
one set in a pretty flower garden.
Rustique Bistro This restaurant says it all with its name. Hearty food from a varied menu, nicely prepared and served.
Pacifica Seafood Brasserie We dined out –of-doors on a balmy evening with no traffic smells to compete with our sense of taste. The last time I was in Colorado, trout seemed to be the only available seafood. This restaurant, more than a thousand miles from the nearest sea, had a comprehensive selection that would have done credit to any coastal city.
Service was friendly and prompt and the food was tasty and well presented.
Mother Lode Restaurant Here too we dined outdoors while being serenaded by a string trio who were heavily into Fritz Kreisler---nice! Our leisurely meal came from a wide, predominantly Italian, menu and was very good indeed. Our week in Aspen was most pleasant and heartily to be recommended. |
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