Hi!  I am still here!  I’ve just been busy moving to my new place in Southwest Portland.  After days of lifting and heaving and pushing and dropping all of my belongings, nothing sounds better to me right now than a morning at a luxurious spa followed by an afternoon on the beach.  Isn’t it lucky for me that The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean are offering some great specials right now for summer getaways!

I like my new place and all, but I’d definitely rather have this view right now, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan:

Right now at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan and The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica, you can reserve four nights for the price of three.  And at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, pay for four nights and get a complimentary fifth night.  It’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a luxurious long weekend.  Ritz-Carlton hotels feature the finest luxury accommodations, plus five-star spa services and unforgettable vacation activities — whether you’re looking for romance, family fun, or just the ultimate in relaxation, these destinations will deliver.

Visit www.ritzcarlton.com or call 1-800-241-3333 to make reservations and take advantage of these special offers.

Lots of hotels try to pass themselves off as friends of the environment, but for the vast majority, all that means is that they don’t change your towels daily.  Sure, that helps conserve energy and water, but this policy requires absolutely no effort on the part of the hotel.  It’s nice to see more hotels that are environmentally conscious, but I don’t consider a resort to be green unless I see proactive environmental policies in place.

Southernmost on the Beach, a luxury resort in Key West, Florida, embraces the latest in green technology, setting an example I’d like to see other hotels follow.

When we checked in, the front desk clerk explained one of the green features of our room — the keycard-activated electricity.  Right next to the door is the keycard slot pictured here.  In order to adjust your thermostat, you have to insert your key.  When you leave the room, remove your key, and the thermostat goes into “efficiency mode.”  It’s ridiculous for an air conditioner to work at full blast all day when most hotel guests aren’t in their rooms at all — this simple innovation is a major energy saver, and you get the added bonus of not losing your key somewhere in the room — it’s always right by the door for you.

I found several more green touches in the bathroom.  The complimentary toiletries are from the BeeKind line by Gilchrist & Soames — organic products packaged in eco-friendly paper bottles that reduce waste by up to 92% compared to hotel toiletries packaged in standard plastic bottles.

Southernmost on the Beach conserves water with dual-flush toilets in the guest rooms.  Most of the time, all you need is a light, low-water flush.  These commodes let you use only the water you need.  And of course, the towels are only replaced if you ask.

When a hotel embraces green policies and technology, that’s great for the environment, but it’s also great for the bottom line.  Saving energy and water means lower utility bills for the hotel — savings that they can pass on to guests with lower room rates.  Southernmost on the Beach is constantly updating its guest rooms and facilities to include more green innovations.  It’s a beautiful resort, and true friend of the environment.

Craps is my favorite casino game.  Everyone’s playing together, rooting for the same thing (except that a-hole betting the Don’t Pass — he can suck it), the dealers are the friendliest in gaming, and the house edge is small enough that even with a small bankroll, you can usually play for a long time.  The rules are complicated, but the basics are simple and the dealers and other players are always helpful.

Last night, I was on a pretty hot streak at the Sahara.  I was having a lot of fun and I had a lot of money on the table.  I usually only play the pass line, one come bet, and odds on each number, but every few rolls, I try to tip the dealers with a two-way hardway bet.  (Two-way bets are one bet for me and one bet for the dealers on the same roll.)  On one roll, I had a dollar chip on the hard eight.  When the guy next to me rolled a pair of fours, I was feeling frisky, so I called out “Parlay!”  I’ve never done that before — usually when a bet wins, I take my money and run, but by parlaying, I was letting my winnings ride, hoping for the 10-to-1 payoff to turn my original $1 bet into a black chip.

My neighbor rolled forever.  I am good at math.  I knew it was very unlikely to see that hard eight again, but I was watching for it eagerly, getting excited over the possibility of my big payout.  With every roll of the dice, my heart beat faster.  And I mean it, this guy rolled for ages.  He rolled about a dozen 3’s, 11’s, and 12’s, but didn’t hit his point or any 8’s.  After about five minutes of this, my heart was pounding like I’d just run a marathon, and I wasn’t even moving!

I could tell that the rest of the table was feeling the same way.  This guy wasn’t rolling 7’s, but he wasn’t hitting any numbers, either.  We were all on edge, and every time the dice went out, we’d all lean forward and look — then I saw a 4… My eyes darted around for the other die — ALSO A 4!  Before the dealers could call out “HARD EIGHT!” I was screaming like a teenager at a Justin Timberlake concert, jumping up and down and hugging the shooter.  I collected my black chip and took down my hard eight bet.  The next roll?  Seven out.

I think that roll is why my muscles are sore today.

Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities on the planet.  I guess you either love it or hate it, but I’m firmly in the love it! camp.  Because cards are kind of the thing in that city, and I’m kind of a card player, I get to go a lot, but this week is the first time in a long time I’m going to Sin City and NOT playing bridge 14 hours a day.

I’ll only be in town for five days, not quite enough time to sample every craps table, night club, performance, and wine bar on the strip, but I’m going to do my best!

Stay tuned for a week of updates from the Entertainment Capital of the World!

When that little groundhog told us we were in for a long winter, was anyone prepared for all the snow, snow, and more snow that’s been falling?  Everyone dreams of a white Christmas, but come mid-February, we’re back to dreaming of flowers blossoming, green trees, and warm rays of sunlight, right?  It might be a while before you see any of that at home, but it’s all waiting for you at Grand Cayman island in the Caribbean Sea.  The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is offering a special Stingray Splash vacation package with a complimentary fifth night at the luxury hotel.

The package includes accommodations at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, a trip for two to Stingray City, and a free fifth night of your vacation.  What is this Stingray City?  According to ocean explorer and preservationist Jean-Michel Cousteau, it is one of the best snorkeling sites in the world.  To get there, you’ll board the Intrepid motor yacht at the resort’s dock with a group of no more than 8 total visitors.  It’s a 15-minute boat ride to the shallow sandbar in Cayman’s North sound known as Stingray City.

In crystal clear, 3-foot-deep waters, guests can snorkel, play with and feed the gentle stingrays which are accustomed to human visitors.

When you’re not communing with friendly rays, there’s plenty more to enjoy at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman:  Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment family program, Blue Tip, a 9-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman, and of course all the fine dining options you’d expect at any Ritz-Carlton property.

The Stingray Splash package starts at $609 per night for the high season.  Visit www.ritzcarlton.com for reservations and more information.

Valentine’s Day isn’t really known as a big travel holiday, but what’s a more romantic Valentine’s Day gift than a luxurious getaway for the two of you?  The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills is offering up an unforgettable Valentine’s Day experience this year called Everlasting Valentine’s Day.

Couples will stay in newly-renovated luxury guest rooms, dine on a romantic breakfast for two, and sip custom Valentine’s Day cocktails like the Chocolate Covered Orange Martini or the Chocolate Covered Raspberry Martini.  Here’s the everlasting part:  the two of you will meet with Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour perfume specialist Kedra Hart in a private suite to create your own custom-blended fragrance.   Hart will work with you to select your favorite aromas and blends, and while creating your signature scent, you will learn about the history of scent in conjunction with love rituals throughout the ages.  At the end of the experience, you’ll get to take home a 2oz Eau de Parfum spray and a travel size roll on.  Your personalized perfume formula will remain on file so that you can order refills in the future.

This sounds like a truly romantic experience for any couple, but an especially great idea for couples planning a wedding.  You can create your own wedding day perfume, or give your signature fragrance as a bridesmaid gift or wedding favor.

The Everlasting Valentine’s Day Package is available Friday, February 12, Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14, starting at $535 per night.

If you want to sweeten your romantic getaway even more, sign up for the Lover’s Duet Couples Massage at the spa.  Choose either a 60-minute or 90-minute aromatherapy massage for two in a private suite, complete with rose petals and romantic music.  Couples will be given champagne elixirs infused with dark chocolate and passion fruit and special keepsake items of custom blended massage oil and bath salts.  If you’d like to bring the spa experience home, ask about the 30-minute private massage instructional session for you and your sweetie.

A romantic getaway like this will go down in history as one of your greatest Valentine’s Days of all times.  Treat each other to something spectacular this year.

Bermuda is exactly the kind of place where you don’t miss the internet.

Could this be me one day?

I work out every day.  I’m strong and athletic, but not at all coordinated.  I’m in great shape, but holy jebus, snowboarding kicked my ass.  Did you know there are muscles in the backs of your knees?  I didn’t, but mine are sore today.  I broke nothing and I bled not a drop.  I fell a few times, but far fewer than I expected.  I’m a little battered and bruised, and sore pretty much everywhere.  That said, I’m sure I’ll mend quickly, and when I do, I’d gladly try snowboarding some more.  Just not today.

My lesson was yesterday at 9:30, but I was so nervous that I woke up at 5.  I spent four hours trying to fight off visions of horrendous wipeouts before I made it up to the Burton Snowboarding Academy at Northstar for my lesson.  The Academy is located up on the mountain, so you have to ride a gondola to get there.  I shared my gondola with three skiers who told me that I would have a great time and that everyone they know who takes lessons here does very well.  That was good to hear, and calmed my nerves somewhat.

When I checked in for my lesson, Adrienne at the Burton Academy fitted me with a board and boots, and put my boots on for me like my mother did when I was a little girl going out to sled in the back yard.  If she hadn’t been there to help, I’d probably still be trying to jam my right foot into the thing, or struggling with the laces.  Thanks, Adrienne!  Next, she took my lunch order –

“Oh, for after the lesson?  That’s nice…”
“No,” she said, “for the break — your lesson goes until 3:30.”

Oh wow.  Would I survive that long?

Finally, I met my instructor, Kevin McCarthy, and the lesson got started.  There was only one other student in my class, Megan, who had just a little bit more experience than me.  Kevin said the most they ever put in a group class is four people, so everyone gets lots of personal attention.  He gave us a rundown of what we’d do that day, starting with learning the basics in the mini pipe.

The Superpipe at Northstar

I pictured a smaller version of the half pipes I’d seen in the X-games, but I really should’ve chilled out.  The mini pipe has about a 2% grade on each “slope.”  This I could handle.

Kevin first went over safety and form, and then helped us strap into our boards.  I learned that I’m a goofy-footer, meaning right foot in front when I ride.  Apparently this is backwards from the norm.  Of course.  We went one at a time, with Kevin pushing us side to side and holding us steady as we practiced some basic moves on the mini pipe.  I was pretty good at these basics, and started to get cocky.

Even working on the basics on the very tame mini pipe was quite a workout, and the three of us were all shedding layers within a few minutes of getting started.  It was a beautiful sunny day on the mountain, and 35 degrees felt like a Phoenix summer.  But after my first fall, I decided being hot was better than crashing with no padding.

Soon, Kevin decided we were ready to start riding downhill.  I did not agree, but Kevin was the expert and I didn’t want to hold Megan back.  He took us about 20 yards up a very slight hill and asked us how it looked.  “No problem,” said Megan.  “Like a black diamond,” I thought.  We went down one at a time, working on the basics we’d learned on the mini pipe.  Kevin rode down with each of us, gently holding on and guiding us down, telling us what to do with our bodies.  A few more tries and he took us even higher on the same hill, eventually letting go and letting us ride on our own.  Megan caught on way faster than I did — I’d left my confidence in the mini pipe.

The Big Easy slope looked big, but not easy when I first stepped onto my snowboard.

After a third run down this small but intimidating hill, Kevin told us we were going to the chair lift for some real runs.  My heartbeat registered a 5 on the Richter Scale.  I hadn’t really fallen yet — a couple of slow wipeouts, but I was sure my time was nigh.

The chair lift was one of the most challenging parts of the day.  Kevin used a picnic bench to show us how it would work with our snowboards, and had us practice getting off.  I still hadn’t mastered it when we got in line, but he rode next to me so he could pull me up like a momma cat when it was time to dismount.  This worked pretty well, but I was nervous every time.

The first time down the hill, Kevin held me lightly by my waist so he could guide me, and I made it all the way down without wiping out, but I felt that if my teacher hadn’t been there, I would probably have flown head first into the nearest tree.  I still had no idea how to control my board.  We got on the lift again, and this time Kevin said he wasn’t going to be so hands on.  Yikes…

At the top of the Big Easy, Kevin went over steering and control with me one more time, then pointed my board in the right direction, gave me a push, and sent me down on my own.  Without him there, it was amazing how my instincts kicked in.  I was able to control my speed very well, and even direction for the most part.  I was probably going slower than walking speed, but I made it down all by myself without wiping out.  It’s a good thing, too, because I never did master getting up on my own.  It requires a kind of flexibility that I just don’t have.

When we broke for lunch, I was able to relax for the first time all day, and I realized just how tense I’d been.  I was having fun in the snow, but I could’ve used a couple more hours on the couch before heading back out there…

Riding on a full stomach is dicey.  You sort of get into that food coma state, and it’s harder to balance and focus.  I had my first real wipeout on our first run after lunch.  I caught myself with my hands as I fell backward, which is exactly why wrist injuries are the most common snowboarding injuries.  You’re supposed to just let yourself fall on your bum, or on your elbows if you’re falling forward.  Unfortunately, the instinct to catch yourself is pretty strong, and I sprained my right wrist.  I kept going, though…

Here’s the part of the story where I admit that I’m a little bit stupid.  I have chronic coccyx (tailbone) pain.  It used to be really bad all the time, but now it doesn’t really bother me much.  Still, I knew that snowboarding would involve a lot of falling on my tush, and I knew I was asking for trouble.  On the next run, I was doing pretty well.  I was on my own, heading down the steepest hill of the day.  At the very end of the run, my board turned and I started going faster than I was comfortable with.  Trying to regain control, I lost my balance and fell back, hard.  With already tender wrists, I just let myself fall on my butt…and I was done for the day.

If it hadn’t been for my chronic pain issues, this fall would’ve stung, but I would’ve been fine in a minute.  I’d pushed my own limits enough, though, and I left after about 5 hours of riding.

This is what I’ll learn at my next lesson

Going into yesterday’s lesson, I had ZERO experience, and I had extreme clumsiness working against me.  I never would’ve imagined doing half of what I was able to do in just one lesson.  Sure I’m sore and achy today, but that’s just because I was using so many of these muscles for the first time ever.  Kevin was an incredible instructor, and the Burton Academy method works.  Megan was also a total newbie, and she was an all star by the end of the day.  If I can do this, anyone can.  I’ll need another lesson or two before I’m comfortable on the slopes on my own, but I’ll get there.  I’ll be back at Tahoe in March, and I plan to make another date with Kevin then.

When Adrienne checked me into the Academy yesterday, she asked me what my goal for the lesson would be.  I said “not dying.”  Mission accomplished, and then some.  I think it’s actually reasonable now to amend my snowboarding goal to “proficiency.”

Check out the Burton Academy at Northstar for skiing or snowboarding lessons.  Those people are miracle workers.  If only they had a way to make me look less dorky in my goggles…

McKenzie and I had a few days to kill between our bridge tournament in Reno and a visit to Lake Tahoe (where I will attempt to learn to snowboard — you won’t want to miss Tuesday’s blog), so we found the cheapest hotel the internet had to offer in Sparks, Nevada, about 5 minutes outside of Reno.  We’re at Western Village Inn & Casino, a cheap but not grungy hotel that’s actually been quite satisfying.

When we booked the room, we were told we had a beach view — we assumed this was a typo, but whaddya know, our third floor window looks right out over a cute little lake, complete with paddle boats, a boardwalk, and even a small beach.

Across the parking lot is the casino part of the establishment.  It’s not a large casino, but it’s got a lot going on.  Everyone says the steakhouse inside is worth the trip, but this vegetarian stuck to the Marina Cafe.  Western Village is owned by Peppermill, which is immediately clear from the neon Lisa Frank color scheme.  The cafe menu will be very familiar to anyone who’s ever dined at the Peppermill restaurant:  a large selection of burgers, sandwiches, and ethnic dishes, and breakfast all day.  Come with an empty stomach because the portions are enormous, and the prices are incredibly low.  I recommend the omelets.

The casino itself is loads of fun.  It’s small, but there’s a lot to offer — slot machines and video games in all denominations, a sports book, and low-limit table games: $0.25 roulette, $1 craps, and $2, $3, and $5 blackjack (for high rollers).  Craps rules are okay — single roll bets pay 30-to-1, but you can only play double odds on any point.  Hey, it’s a dollar.  The blackjack rules are fantastic, though — all single deck, double down on any two, and blackjack pays 3 to 2.

The dealers here are some of the area’s friendliest.  Stop by the Western Village casino and say hi to my new friends at the craps table — Jacob, Roger, and Brian on the day shift, and Robert, Warren, and Ron on the evening shift.  These guys are a blast.  Don’t forget to tip the dealers, win or lose.  It’s good casino karma.

If you’ve got business in Reno, Western Village is just a 5-minute drive from the city, and it’s a great place to stay if you’re looking for a cheap room and good food and gaming.  When you check in, you’ll be given a pile of coupons for free drinks, free bets, meal discounts, and more.  It’s not a luxury resort by any stretch, but it’s a great value — and it’s got a beach view!

In the two days leading up to this morning’s ribbon cutting at the new Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, over 30 inches of snow fell at the Northstar-at-Tahoe summit.  The brand new resort opens to a winter wonderland that couldn’t have been scripted better.

Photo courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe

The beautiful Ritz-Carlton resort is the first all-new resort at Lake Tahoe in decades.  The contemporary design is modeled after the great early-20th century mountain lodges, particularly inspired by the Ahwahnee in Yosemite and the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (aka this writer’s favorite place in the world).  The finished product is a gorgeous, rustic building full of modern luxuries.

Guests will enjoy ski-in, ski-out access and mountain concierge services.  As with any Ritz-Carlton property, you’ll find top quality dining and spa services at the Ritz-Carlton Highlands.  The resort’s signature restaurant is Manzanita, created by award-winning San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins.

The 17,000 square foot spa is designed around a water and woods theme — try one of the signature water therapy treatments to unwind after a day on the slopes, or take advantage of the state-of-the-art fitness center in the spa, including group classes and a co-ed outdoor heated lap pool with breathtaking views of the mountain slopes.

The Ritz-Carlton brand is committed to eco-friendly luxury.  The new Ritz-Carlton Highlands resort is seeking LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.  The resort features underground parking instead of asphalt lots, recycled steel, a pedestrian-friendly layout, energy efficient heating and cooling, and public transit in the form of the Highlands Gondola, which connects the resort with the nearby Village-at-Northstar.

I’ll be stopping by the new Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe in a few weeks to see it for myself.  Wish me luck on the slopes — I’ll probably need it.  It’s a good thing there’s a spa on site…