Americas | Sandal Road

Hotel review: Drisco, San Francisco

January 5, 2019 By Christina Hegele Leave a Comment

I procrastinated writing this review for a while. Not because I had any problems with the hotel or my experience of it. No, simply because it’s one of the best hotels I’ve been to, and I wanted to adequately reflect that in my post.

I’ll go through all my regular categories, but you’ll see that there’s just so much more to it than solely cleanliness, food, room size, and the other usual suspects.

Alright, here we go:

Room: Our queen bedroom was quite big, and our window faced the tiny interior courtyard. Sure, the view towards the Golden Gate Bridge would have been nicer, but we knew we had booked a budget special, so didn’t expect marvelous views either. And to be honest, the nice little courtyard made it a very quiet option. The room looked just like we had imagined it from pictures on the hotel’s website; a beautifully decorated room with excellent furniture and nice unique touches. We had the most comfortable, soft bathrobes, a big TV with all the channels one could possibly want, and our bathroom was fantastic both in terms of decor and size.

Location: We loved staying in Pacific Heights, and we found it a really good alternative to staying in the city center. It’s a lovely neighborhood, quite affluent, with beautiful homes, and the hotel is not far away from the shops and restaurants of Fillmore Street. It doesn’t take long to go the city center by bus or taxi either, and we felt by staying there we got to see more than just the tourism and business centers of San Francisco.

Atmosphere and service: These two go hand in hand in this hotel. The Drisco is certainly not a big anonymous chain hotel. Instead, it is friendly, more homely, welcoming and makes an effort to properly host you. We received a very warm welcome from all the staff we encountered. It was always really nice to talk to the employees, from cleaner to waiter to concierge. We had a very friendly chat with the front desk when we asked for bars and clubs to go out on the weekend, and we were recommended exactly the right spots for our age group and taste in music and crowd. The cleaning lady was so mindful and always greeted us with a kind smile, and that just made for a really nice start to the day. Service is written big in this hotel. It’s not just another corporate culture value system that staff has to internalize only to forget it on their first day of work. It is omnipresent and alive and kicking!

All in all, I’d say Chip Conley’s philosophy for his Joie de Vivre hotels really comes through at the Drisco – celebrating the joy of life surely comes naturally there. I almost forgot to mention the complimentary cheese and wine tasting in the afternoon… And yes, it’s clean. It’s spick and span, everywhere. Nothing more to add here.

If San Francisco wasn’t such a beautiful city, I would have been tempted to stay in the hotel all day. I can’t wait to stay at Drisco again, should I ever be fortunate enough to revisit San Francisco. So long then!

Ben & Jerry’s factory tour in Waterbury, Vermont

December 13, 2018 By Christina Hegele Leave a Comment

Vermont. Freedom and Unity, or so the state motto goes. Lots of forest, greenery, and hills. Maple syrup galore, and New England at its finest. But what is more, it is home to one famous ice cream brand.

After seemingly endless stretches of straight road in Ontario and Quebec, and landscapes, though beautiful, but flat as a pancake, it was a welcome change of scenery that greeted us across the US-Canadian border. Rolling green hills and lots of forests as far as the eye could see. Having passed the border, I set out to program our GPS for our final destination for the day: Portland, Maine. We still had 6 hours of driving ahead of us and had taken the advice of our friends to break up our journey with one of Vermont’s star attractions, perfect for an hour-long stop to recharge the batteries: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory in Waterbury, VT.

Entrance to Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont

Feeling lucky, I instructed our GPS to find Ben & Jerry as a waypoint, and lo and behold; it actually knew what I was talking about! A few hours later we rolled up to the huge parking lot just outside the small town of Waterbury. A little apprehensive about hyperactive kids on a sugar rush, we approached the factory’s visitor centre. You could hardly miss it, with cow signposts pointing the way to ice cream nirvana.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream history — Ben & Jerry’s great moments in ice cream history

On entering the visitor centre, all our senses were immediately taken hostage by all the colourful displays, excited babble and laughter, and of course, the smell of sugar and cream. Not that there were waiters running around with copious amounts of free ice cream samples as I had secretly pictured. What awaited was a huge gift shop that was painted like a pre-school playroom, and tons of informative panels on the walls, explaining the history and philosophy of Ben & Jerry’s as a company. It was all a bit over the top and overwhelming for the (European) senses, but still surprisingly pleasant.

Euophoric flavours at Ben & Jerry’s Waterbury factory

We decided to take the factory tour for $3 a pop which promised 30 minutes of induction into the philosophy of the company, a tour of their facilities and, finally, a free sample of their flavour of the day.

Ben & Jerry’s factory tour in Waterbury, Vermont: Ben & Jerry’s Hall of Flavours

The tour was led by an enthusiastic student from a nearby university. She had only started her job 2 days prior but had excellent knowledge of the company’s operations. Her commentary was actually hilarious although you could tell she probably did this a dozen times every day.

New stuff in the fridge at Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, VT

The tour begins with the group being seated in Ben and Jerry’s very own little movie theatre to watch a movie on the origins of the company. Visitors are surprised to find that the company’s founders, Ben Cohen, and Jerry Greenfield, started their operations in 1977 after having completed a correspondence course in ice cream making. The film goes on to explain how the ice cream parlor that started out in a renovated gas station in the town of Burlington, VT, became one of the world’s most-recognised ice cream brands, including their philosophy of “free cone day”.

Lab at Ben and Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont

The tour continued with the visitors being led through the production parts of the factory, where you can look down into the factory hall where the ice cream is actually produced and packaged. More films were being shown with informative commentary on facts and figures on the production and distribution of the many flavours of ice cream.

Finally, the free sample and flavour of the day, literally.

And finally, the tour ended with the most anticipated part of anyone’s visit: a free ice cream tasting in the tasting room. Visitors were served a generous scoop of the ice cream flavour that is being produced on that day. When I read the flavour of the day on the tasting room fridge, my heart sank. “Vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge-covered potato chip clusters.” I thought it couldn’t possibly get any more disgusting than this. Who would put potato crisps together with chocolate and ice cream? Well, Ben & Jerry would.

I am not sure it will make the top 10 flavours of all time, but boy was I wrong in my premature judgment. The flavour was aptly named “Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Snack”, and in hindsight, I think it’s ingenious. This is exactly what you want to eat when you’ve got the munchies and cannot make up your mind between sweet and salty treats. Just try this ice cream, and you’d be surprised how tasty it is!

Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard. Photo by jimmywayne @ Flickr

Even if a flavour doesn’t find approval in the mass market and its production is discontinued, it certainly won’t be forgotten. Ben & Jerry’s has a special place for every ice cream flavour they ever created – it’s either the hall of fame or the flavour graveyard!

If you are ever on a road trip through New England, I’d recommend you stop at Ben & Jerry’s. It’s quite an experience, both visually and for the taste buds, and you’re guaranteed an entertaining break on your long drive through beautiful Vermont.

Would you take part in Ben & Jerry’s factory tour?

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Cliffwalk, Vancouver

November 12, 2018 By Christina Hegele 2 Comments

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is what it says on the tin: a park built around the famous suspension bridge. And it recently got an addition to its set-up: the Capilano Cliffwalk.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver — Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Cliffwalk, Vancouver

Capilano Suspension Bridge sits just outside of Vancouver. The suspension bridge, which is one of Vancouver’s most famous and most visited attractions, has been around for a while: since 1889. Back then, George Grant Mackay constructed a footbridge, made of hemp rope and planks, to span the canyon and connect the two patches of the forest he had bought on either side of the Capilano River. Quite a feat at that time!

Totem pole in Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

In 1904 the hemp was replaced by wire cables, and the bridge changed owners a few times over the decades, as did the cabin erected right at the edge off the cliff. One of the owners invited First Nations people to place totem poles in the park, and thanks to them the park now hosts one of the largest private collection of First Nations totem poles.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park consists of a few elements. Obviously, the bridge itself, but before you even get to it, you walk through the Story Center. Plenty of interpretive displays tell the history of the bridge and the story of the people who owned the land and the bridge and the involvement of the First Nations people. You can opt to take a tour with a guide who, dressed in a period costume, entertains your group with the story of the famous bridge and the people connected to it.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

And then, on to the bridge itself. Try walking straight and completely upright across the total 136 metres of wobbliness that is Capilano Suspension Bridge, and don’t forget to stop once in a while and enjoy the view of the canyon 70 metres below you. With the bridge being such a popular destination, it is likely you will be crossing it with a few others. There is quite a bit of movement up and down, which is especially noticeable if you don’t walk in the middle but on the sides and hold on to the steel cable.

A note for the nervous: there is a little security stand on either side of the bridge, where staff monitor what’s happening on the bridge, plus, the railing is really high, so there’s really nothing to worry about.

Treetops Adventure

On the other side of the bridge awaits the park, with a lot more attractions than most people are aware of. The park features rainforest, beautifully landscaped gardens, ponds, nature trails, wildlife and Treetops Adventure.

Treetops Adventure is basically a boardwalk leading from tree to tree in up to 30m height. It’s an exhilarating and calm experience at the same time, venturing up and out among those old, tall Douglas firs and walking from platform to platform, admiring the sea of green beneath and above you.

Licking a banana slug…, and other creatures of the Pacific Northwest.

Banana slug at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Say what?! Back on the ground, it is time to get to know some of the local forest inhabitants, such as the banana slug. Our tour guide kindly picked one up for us and held it out for everyone to admire. Little did we know that she had more in mind with that innocent little creature. Apparently, it is a rite of passage for kids in British Columbia to pick one up and lick it. Why? Because your tongue goes numb! Unfortunately, we didn’t have any takers in our group…

Owl - Suspension Bridge park — Owl at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

While the banana slug didn’t make any new friends that day, this little guy did for sure. Everyone was really taken with him. I have no idea what his keeper said, that’s how mesmerised I was. He was just so beautiful!

Pond - Capilano Suspension Bridge park — Pond in the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Capilano Cliffwalk

The end of our tour led us to another highlight of the park, which was only added in 2012 – the Capilano Cliffwalk. The cliff walk is built on the side of the cliffs over the Capilano River. A series of platforms, connected by cantilevered walkways, bridges and stairs, leads around the granite precipice. It can definitely get your heart pumping, walking along the narrow walkways and standing on the glass platforms, looking straight past your feet down to the bottom of the canyon!

I had a great few hours at the park, visiting the various attractions. And it has to be said, the gift shop at the entrance/exit is a great place to pick up a useful and stylish souvenir, among which there are many handcrafted items and First Nations art.

Would you do the Cliffwalk? Or rather lick the banana slug?

Disclosure: I visited Capilano Suspension Bridge Park as part of my #WhyYVR competition win. However, all opinions are my own. A big thank you to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Tourism Vancouver for their fantastic hospitality.

Mountain Luxury at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

November 10, 2018 By Christina Hegele Leave a Comment

I was in Whistler in the summer and had the pleasure of staying at the Fairmont Chateau. I also stayed at another Fairmont hotel in Vancouver, the Fairmont Pacific Rim, which I loved, and the Whistler branch certainly did not disappoint. On the contrary.

I cannot stress enough how very different these two hotels are, and yet I felt at home in both. While the Pacific Rim had an amazing modern design, cool, understated, and in perfect balance with such a stylish city, the Whistler branch was quite the opposite.

Nestled at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler Village, it sits not far from the Sea to Sky Highway in one hell of a stunning location in BC. To be honest, the European I am I was very skeptical of the use of the word “chateau” in a North American context and had researched the hotel online beforehand. While I am admittedly not a fan of its exterior, I can only admire what awaits inside.

Welcome in the lobby of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler

I was travelling with the group from Virgin Atlantic as part of their inaugural flight from London to Vancouver, and we were given a very warm welcome by a First Nations group. Right afterwards, I joined the champagne reception in a wonderful lounge on the 5th floor, which looked out onto the outdoor pools and jacuzzies, with the mountains and the forest right behind.

Incredibly pink and cream wallpapered corridors lead to the guest rooms. A bit of a surprise after the huge and wide lobby with all the stone features, but very cosy and elegant at the same time.

On entering the room, I discovered another welcome gift: a personalised card and a very tasty aperitif! That homemade jam was to die for, and so was the charcuterie. Nothing better than a beautifully presented and yummy snack after a 3-hour bus ride.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel review: Fairmont Chateau Whistler welcome plate

While Pacific Rim was uber-stylish, the Fairmont Chateau allows you to live it up old school style. The wooden furniture, golden decor here and there, the fireplace, the heavy armchairs, and woolen throws really harmonize to create that mountain chalet feeling – a luxury one, though, not the rustic mountain hut kind!

I was particularly impressed with the bathroom. Every woman loves a big stylish bathroom, so no surprise there. Again, just like at the Pacific Rim, the toiletries were from Le Labo, with a particularly pleasant rose scent. All the gold details in the bathroom, the high-end toiletries, and the very polished presentation give it a very elegant feel that completes the luxury experience.

I had a fantastic stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and I am already looking forward to visiting again in the wintertime. The hotel is the perfect ski-in ski-out place, so I’ve heard, so I’ll put that to the test!

Booking.com

Disclosure: I stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler as part of my #WhyYVR competition win. However, all opinions are my own. A big thank you to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for their fantastic hospitality.

Seaplane flight from Coal Harbour, Vancouver: flightseeing in BC

November 1, 2018 By Christina Hegele 2 Comments

Last time I was in Vancouver, I indulged in some aerial exploration of this beauty of a city. As you know, I hopped on a helicopter on Grouse Mountain to see what everyone’s oohing and aaaahing about when they talk about the scenery of BC.

Flightseeing is great, and I immediately thought I’d have to do this again soon. Little did I know it would be so soon. My itinerary with the Virgin Atlantic crew was quite a jam-packed one, and although there was nothing on our paper schedule in the form of further aerial pursuits, they managed to put a “surprise” on there.

Well, one evening, just before heading off to the legendary VIP party where I would have a drink with Richard Branson and Cory Monteith, we all assembled in the stylish lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim and were told our “surprise” was only a few minutes’ walks away. It all became perfectly clear when we walked down the stairs to the seaplane terminal!

Seaplane flight from Coal Harbour

It was the tiniest airplane I’ve ever been in – until I went skydiving. You couldn’t stand up straight, and the seats were arranged in a 3-2 pattern, i.e., 3 on one side, 2 on the other. Given it’s such a small aircraft, it’s surprising it even fits that constellation!

Cockpit of a seaplane in Coal Harbour — The cockpit of a seaplane in Coal Harbour – Floatplane in Vancouver

Seaplane flight from Coal Harbour — The safety instructions on a seaplane – by the captain himself, turning around in his seat, smiling with his sunglasses on. Style!

Of course, we couldn’t take off without the obligatory safety instructions – from the pilot himself, who turned around in his seat and flashed a safety card! And then we were off. Well, it actually took a while until we really took off. A lot of floating around on the water, at increasing speed, and with quite some noise, but it didn’t feel choppy at all. Just the normal sort of movement you would feel in a normal airplane that’s accelerating on the runway.

View from the floatplane over West Vancouver.

Once airborne, everything was very smooth. And given such a fine day, I was very happy to have a window seat. Here are some of the shots I took, with my nose glued to the window 🙂

View over Horseshoe Bay, from a seaplane moments away from Vancouver.

View over Vancouver from a seaplane. Gorgeous day!

View onto the Burrard Inlet from a Harbour Air floatplane, Vancouver, BC.

Views from the seaplane cockpit onto downtown Vancouver — Views from the seaplane cockpit, airborne, onto downtown Vancouver, Canada Place, Coal Harbour.

View from seat 1C onto Coal Harbour highrises, through the cockpit of the Harbour Air seaplane, at Seaplane Terminal 2, Vancouver Harbour.

Floatplanes in Coal Harbour, Vancouver

What the daily commute on a floatplane must be like? These floatplanes are parked at the seaport in Coal Harbour, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Would you go flightseeing on a floatplane? Where would you preferably take to the skies to discover a destination from above?

Mountain biking in Whistler

November 1, 2018 By Christina Hegele Leave a Comment

“Pedal and paddle” – mountain biking and canoeing in Whistler, British Columbia. When I saw this activity listed as one of the activities on the itinerary of my recent trip to British Columbia, I couldn’t possibly NOT go for it. Admittedly, the other options for our only morning in Whistler were quite enticing, too (a spa in the mountains, zip lining in Whistler, hiking to Nairn Falls or playing golf, just to mention a few), but having two sporty outdoor activities in one and guilt-tripping myself over lazing about in a spa when I’m in a gorgeous place like Whistler had me choose mountain biking and canoeing almost instantly.

Choosing our bikes for the pedal and paddle tour with Whistler Eco Tours in Whistler, BC.

Almost, because I was wondering what level of fitness would be expected; visualizing the mountains I was getting a bit anxious as to what mountain biking in Whistler actually meant…; it’s British Columbia, it’s proper mountains, after all (the Coast Mountain range, to be precise).

Mountain Biking In Whistler

But, to my relief, Whistler Eco Tours were not expecting participants of Olympic calibre. I joined the group behind the Fairmont Chateau Hotel, where our tour guide was already waiting with all the equipment. One after the other, we were fitted with helmets, given our bikes and were briefed on how to adjust our saddles and use our brakes. Obvious, you would think, but apparently which brake controls the front and the back wheels is exactly opposite to how it works in Britain! Who knew! So as to avoid involuntary somersault off the front of our bikes, we all tested our brakes until we felt comfortable, and then headed off through Whistler Village towards the park.

Mountain biking in Whistler: Whistler Village. Photo by Tourism BC

What About Bears?

Of course, most people in the group being from Britain, the topic of bears had to be discussed before we got anywhere near a bush or tree. Our guide told us that sometimes bears could be spotted from the cycle path. But since he took the lead and rode ahead, he would get eaten first warn us in good time so we could take a detour or head back in the opposite direction. That whole discussion made me imagine dirt tracks and wilderness to the extent of having to wrestle tree branches and riding through the thick undergrowth when the route we took was actually quite a comfortable ride through residential streets to start out with, then paved bicycle paths through the woods, the park and around the lake. Still relatively at the start of our bike ride, we took the first stop at the golf course to gather everyone and take a scenic picture break, of which as many as we wanted were to follow. There are lots of golfing to be done in Whistler – it has four (!) championship golf courses.

Canoeing on Alta Lake

Shortly after, we ditched our bikes for canoes. Again, brief and to the point instructions on lifevests, how to paddle, and how to steer. And for the lucky ones like me, how to relax in the middle seat and take pictures. Not that I needed any instructions on that. And out on the lake, we went.

Canoe trip on Alta Lake — Starting the canoe trip on Alta Lake

Canoeing in Whistler — Christina canoeing in Whistler

We took an epic tour of Alta Lake, paddling out in the sunshine, with big smiles on our faces. We paddled all across the lake, stopping here and there to take in the views of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains – you could even see the peak-to-peak gondola. The peak-to-peak basically links the summits of the two mountains, and it’s great for skiers and snowboarders as they can travel to the other mountain in just 11 minutes! I’d like to try that on my next trip, snowboarding there in the winter. But back to summer sports: we paddled into the nooks of the lake to watch some wildlife and had a heated debate on what lakeside properties were the most beautiful. It’s a tough choice!

Canoeing on Alta Lake — Excellent insight into all things lakes and mountains from one of our guides!

Canoeing on Alta Lake Whistler — My personal favourite. Just gorgeous, this house!

We paddled back to Wayside Park, where we had left our mountain bikes, and devoured the yummy muesli bars our guides distributed. Soon after we hopped back on our bikes and cycled the Valley Trail, heading to our next destination, Rainbow Park, which even has a sandy beach.

Biking around Alta Lake — Happy biking around Alta Lake on the Valley Trail

Signs of bears

This sign at Rainbow Park is quite encouraging – if you are looking to find bears. Makes it seem like they are regulars. But alas, none to be seen sunbathing on the beach. So after another brief stop to take in the beautiful scenery, we hopped on our bikes to complete our tour and cycle back to the Fairmont. And just when we thought that was as close as we would get to a bear, we saw this:

Scoop of bear poop — Fresh scoop of bear poop!

This cycle path has “I was here” written all over it, in bear writing. Apparently, this is what bear droppings look like. Especially surprising to the German in me; Germans refer to liquorice as “Bärendreck” (bear droppings). There’s your cultural insight for the day 🙂

Cycling and golf course in Whistler — Mountain biking in Whistler: Cycling next to the golf course in Whistler

We completed our tour with a very scenic ride along the golf course with Whistler and Blackcomb mountains in the backdrop.

To be fair, this tour is definitely on the leisure side of things, not the full-on mountain bike fitness challenge, and thus also suitable for people with a lower level of fitness, or those that prefer having a recreational few hours of casual cycling with plenty of opportunity to take in the scenery and enjoy nature at a slow pace. There are no real mountains involved – there is a bit of downhill in a residential neighbourhood, but the track around the lake is flat and only before you reach the lake, and at the end of the tour there are short bits where you need to go slightly uphill.

If you’re looking for a more adrenaline-fuelled mountain biking adventure, this won’t be your chosen tour, but you could go downhill mountain biking in Whistler Mountain Bike Park that ends right in Whistler Village, or choose one of the more challenging tours offered by Whistler Eco Tours.

Mountain biking in Whistler: Whistler Mountain Bike Park

I’m almost sad that my next trip to Whistler will be in the wintertime. I am sure the snowboarding will be great, but I have gotten to know Whistler as a summertime destination and really liked it.

Getting to Whistler

Virgin Atlantic fly to Vancouver from London four times a week. Whistler is approximately a 2.5-hour drive from Vancouver airport, along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Disclosure: This activity was part of my #WhyYVR competition win. My trip to Vancouver was courtesy of Virgin Atlantic and Tourism British Columbia. However, all opinions are my own. Very special thanks to Tourism Whistler, Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Whistler Eco Tours for their hospitality.

Canoes at Alta Lake in Whistler, Canada

This is Alta Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Alta Lake is located just outside of Whistler, and you can get there by foot or bike on the Valley Trail that starts in the North Village. The lake itself is stunning, and whilst you can lounge on one of its beaches, I would recommend getting a canoe and going out on the lake. The water is calm, and from your canoe, you get the best views of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains and the peak to peak gondola that connects the two.

Alta Lake is surrounded by forest and has a few parks on its shore, where visitors camp, picnic, have barbecues or access the beach from to go swimming or windsurfing.

Have you been to Whistler? What would you want to do there?