Hotel Toyo is very conveniently located and I slept very comfortably and well there. Some people will not like the tatami floor + thin futon combo, but it was lovely for me.
The common area is nice and the free wi-fi everywhere is great. The showers are a little complicated because there's only one room on the ground floor with two stalls. Two men can use it at the same time, but the standard procedure is that a woman can lock the door for safety and privacy. On the bright side, shampoo, conditioner, and soap are provided.
Upstairs, the hallways are a little shabby and the floors are chipped and inside the rooms, the walls are similarly distressed. There's a smell of aggressive cleaner in the air, but to be honest, I never felt gross or grimy.
A good price, a great location, and very clean rooms all came together to make K's House Kyoto possibly the nicest place I have ever stayed. Everything smells nice and the beds are really comfortable, the staff is really helpful and speaks great English, and it's close to a good rail line.
There's a guy stationed at the bus terminal and he swoops right over as soon as you get off the bus. He's friendly and it's not overbearing, and in my case, it was perfect because my friend and I had decided last minute to visit Melaka!
The hostel itself is pretty cool: it's in a good spot and I didn't feel uncomfortable in any way at any time. The floor in my room was not as smooth and lovely as the photos on their facebook page, but they weren't really something to complain about. I believe there are two floors of rooms, but I didn't explore.
The receptionist was a really friendly and talkative Malaysian who speaks an ungodly number of languages. He also smokes, but I didn't really notice a smell anywhere in the hostel.
I recommend it, and if I ever go back to Melaka (I would love to!), I'll probably stay here.
The hostel itself is 5 stars, but they have a troubling policy of no Malaysians, Middle Easterners, or Indians, and I can't get any information on why. I understand age limits at hostels, but race?
But let's talk pros: if it weren't for the fact that it has dorms, this would be a hotel. There are singles and doubles available, as well as female-only dorms, but as a female traveling with only one female companion, I felt perfectly comfortable in the mixed dorm. Even the largest mixed dorm has lockable cupboards and comfortable queen-sized curtained bunks with linens and a towel. They also had powerful AC and they weren't afraid to pump it hardcore all the time.
They were a bit confused at check-in: I think they need to more clearly state that the bunks are assigned and you can't just change willy-nilly, but the local staff was accommodating and helpful with fixing this and recommending buses for getting to nearby sights. The international staff were not as useful and... a little bitchy.
The bathrooms are not bad: there were 4 or 5 for the mixed-dorm floor, but I had no waiting times. Behind each door was a toilet, shower, and sink.
The hostel is in a nicely renovated building, and it truly feels like a colonial mansion... right down to the exclusionism.
They would get 4 stars except the price was so high. My friends and I were not expecting that, and it is probably partially our fault, but $20 US each for a hot pot meat? It would have been nice to have a lower-priced option. However, the meat is very good and the vegetable and other stuff selection is excellent. The Häagen-Dasz is a fun topper to the meal as well!
I stayed here for 9 days on the company dime, and that's the only reason I didn't choose another hotel. There was almost always a sewage smell in my room. It was never too pervasive, but it was always just enough to be uncomfortable. There were many other shabby details, but the smell was the worst offender.
I went with my friend for a little good-bye dinner, and we were both very impressed by the food, the decor, the ambiance, and the people. Our service was slow, but I am going to hazard a guess that it had to do with being there on their second day open. I look forward to visiting after they have fully settled in.
Keep an eye out for the hippie bus and the dumbwaiter that gets food up to the second story. Very fun!
Although expensive, the Midway is a fascinating piece of history with a lot to see. I have gone both alone and with a group, and it is definitely better to go alone, so you can move at your own speed and not worry about losing anyone.
This little place has real potential. It's interesting enough right now with the wandering peacocks (look out for the albino!) and the old buildings, but once Carlsbad has finished refurbishing it, it should be on par with some of the smaller California missions.
Perhaps it is not fair to judge Coronado cupcakes against Los Angeles cupcakes like those from the magnificent <a href="http://www.geckogo.com/Listings/?item=100724572"Crumbs Beverly Hills</a>, but I have to, because I have had both. I got their birthday cupcake, a very cute and simple vanilla-vanilla. No one who tried it was impressed, and in fact, the only person satisfied with their choice had the banana nut muffin. Other flavors tried included Coconut Carla and Black-Bottom Betty.
My friends and I really wanted to try <a href="http://www.geckogo.com/Listings/?item=23770791">Sprinkles</a> a while back, but the line was out the door and we couldn't be bothered to wait 45 minutes or more. We continued down the street and saw Crumbs, and thought it was very cute. Our cupcakes were large, beautiful, and magnificent in every way. I'm writing this review about a year and a half later, and I do not feel that I'm exaggerating at all as I recall the wonder of that cupcake.
All of the food I tried was delicious, including the ribs, the brisket sandwich, and the corn fritters. The honey butter for the corn fritters was spiced with cinnamon, and I could have eaten the little cupful on its own. Because of slow service, the corn fritters were a little cold, which caused them to be a bit tough. The side order of curly fries had the same problem, but worse. Once they were sent back, though, they were tasty but normal fries with seasoning.
The ribs were extremely tender with an appealing richness that one of my fellow diners almost disapprovingly called "creamy." I had no problem with them, and although I don't like barbecue sauce normally, I had no problem with my brisket sandwich either. The sauce was not overpowering, and the flavor of the meat was strong and delicious.
The service was slow and not particularly attentive, partially because of how busy the restaurant was. Nevertheless, it was significant enough to drag down the rating.
I never thought I would enjoy a sandwich with no meat in it so much, but my pesto and gouda sandwich was delicious! Their soup of the day was also fantastic, with surprisingly subtle flavors.
I heartily recommend Bread & Cie (Cie is the French abbreviation for company, if you were wondering), especially in the course of a day spent wandering Hillcrest.
The portions are very large and delicious, but the prices are a little higher than I expected. However, everything is definitely big enough to split and I recommend that, so that you can each order something and try more items on the menu!
The drinks are priced about the same as drinks anywhere else on the strip, and that's all the good I have to say about Pure.
The floor was insanely crowded, and the DJ was hit or miss. There were some very clever segues, but then there were a lot of clunkers. If you love to dance and don't mind extreme crowds, give it a chance. Showing up before midnight will get ladies in free, and your hotel concierge can probably help you with the rest.
The positives: convenient to Stratosphere guests, cheese fries, competent service.
The negatives: everything but the cheese fries.
Spanky was a good waiter (awkward 50s nicknames are part of the ambiance) but part of the gimmick is that they sing, and when they called up Lollipop, she seemed distinctly uncomfortable on the mic. They called her up, she began her song, and proceeded to walk around the restaurant singing, both bored and terrified, if that's possible. None of this was helped by the poor quality of the food: on my plate, the reheated vegetables were the most appetizing part of the meal.
Prices are reasonable for Las Vegas, parking is free, and the bars are pretty good. The rooms are small but not cramped, and although our TV was on the fritz, someone came up to see about it pretty quickly. Everything was clean, but their toiletries aren't that great (the conditioner had separated?!), so be prepared for that.
Location, location, location: there are always complaints about the distance from the good part of the Strip, but during the day, it's not a bad walk, and at night you can get a taxi for about $16 from the middle of the Strip, or better yet, buy a monorail ticket and take it to the Sahara. The monorail is one of the best things about the Strip!
The wait is often absurdly long, but once you're seated it won't matter anymore because the ramen is amazing and the sushi is tasty as well. Service is pretty quick, and if you sit at the bar, you can watch them work in the kitchen.
I had the lunch special, which is a half sandwich and fries or chips, along with a large drink. It's not a bad value and the food is not bad either, but it is far from spectacular, or even good. I had the eggplant parmigiana sub and was not impressed.
The decor is a bit shabby, although the mural covering the entire inside is a cool touch. It's near a high school, apparently, so take into account that you may get noisy high schoolers if you time your visit wrong (2pm).
I love El Cholo, and it is not necessarily because of the food, although it is very good. The prices are cheap to acceptable, and there are discounts if you are a USC student (or somehow have a USC ID on you).
No, I love El Cholo because of the memories, the history, and because of their praline cookies. Those cookies are sugar heaven.
Tasty food reasonably priced, good service. I had the "il forno" pizza and found it delicious and filling (I took most of it home), but the highlight is really the free bread: it's fantastic!
I played at the opening of the Krikorian, and worked there for college money, so me and this place go way back. The lobby features some bizarre wall paintings, but the theater itself is quite nice. The seats are very cushy, and recline comfortably (not too far, and not on their own).
The corridor to screens 2 and 3 is rumored to be haunted, which strikes me as especially silly, since the theater's not old enough to have a history.
If you want to help the staff, push your armrests up when you leave. It saves them a little time and effort.
Nothing beats a leisurely day walking Oceanside Beach and Oceanside Pier. Sunny, cloudy, windy, or rainy, it's always pleasant to walk along the ocean alone of with friends.
There's a playground just north of the pier, fishing (and fishermen) all along it, and a Ruby's at the end. The beach at the pier is one of the first places I go anytime I'm back in Oceanside.
Ruby's food is solid, but what you're really paying for is location. I have only ever been to one other location, and it was about the same, except not on a pier like this one.
The Oceanside Ruby's sits at the end of the pier and therefore has great views of the ocean and a pleasant yet very faint rocking motion.
Dinner time can get crowded, so put your name on the waiting list in person as soon as you can. Last time I checked, they didn't take reservations.
The stairs would be a lot more impressive if they could be used. I understand that they are old, but it's terrible to go and just look, especially since the chapel itself is very small and can really only be looked at for so long. The gift shop is practically bigger than the chapel.
Negatives aside, it really is a fascinating Gothic building in the midst of so much adobe. The homeless man outside was very considerate, and warned me (after I told him I had no cash) that it wasn't free to look at the stairs.
I knew very little of Georgia O'Keeffe or her work when I went, so I found this museum very informative and pretty reasonably priced. It was good to learn that she painted more than flowers reminiscent of lady bits, and even better to learn that this other stuff is marvelous. If you are lucky enough to go when her travel-inspired works are up, check out the room from her Peru trip(s?). There is a tiny green painting that is gorgeous and perfect.
Go for breakfast and just buy it all over the market. There are all kinds of fresh fruit, and pastries baked that morning, and goat cheese, and honey, and...
There is a lot to see at this farmers' market, and a lot of free samples to be had. If you're interested in pottery, go across the tracks and check out the the items on offer there. They don't offer free samples, though.
I rate this low because my expectations were high. I went at the end of September, which is still in the site's off-season, and it was pleasant to have no one around and be so isolated, but without a burning interest in ancient Native American history or petroglyphs in general, the drive wasn't worth it.
This was not a problem for me, but take note that there is no potable water on site.
Dinner for Two is an interesting study in contrasts. In many ways, it has an entirely family-run restaurant feel, but the food is exquisite in ways you might expect only in extremely chi-chi restaurants in real cities (let's be realistic here, Santa Fe).
The decor is nice, nothing special, but partly thwarted by the building itself, which looks better suited as a surf shop in Venice Beach. Each table has a different teapot as an accent, which I thought was a cute touch. Another plus is being able to see the kitchen from the bar. I imagine it's spectacular when the restaurant is full.
The food is great: fancy yet accessible. The people are friendly: the chef's mom was my server because I showed up at the very beginning of dinner hours, before the waitresses had arrived, and she was quick and chatty without being overbearing. I have recommended this restaurant to everyone I know that might ever go to Santa Fe.
Bandelier is a gorgeous national park, but go in a group because the entry fee is $12/car, which is a lot for one person.
The trails I went on were clear and easy to use, but not awkwardly civilized. Perhaps it was my timing, but once I was past the main loop trail, I was alone for most of the rest of the hike, which was lovely. Be sure to take the trail to the Long House, which requires climbing 140 feet of ladders. Don't worry: it's not all once and the ladders are very secure. There's a fantastic kiva at the top, and the view along the valley is great.
Don't let its touristy nature put you off. Even on a day as gray as when I went, the Eiffel Tower provides a beautiful view of Paris. The lines can be long, though, so consider taking the stairs as far as possible!
If you're around in the evening, watch the light show. It's not amazing, but it certainly is fun.
