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| John R Beyer always stays in his element |
Laureen and I generally never recommend one hotel over another unless we have had a tremendous stay or a terrible stay during our many travels. And believe me when I say we have had some awesome stays in the past and some dismal ones.
When we stayed at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji. That was one to talk about. A suite that overlooked Suva Bay and, further in the distance, the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Fabulous restaurants and a bar, attended by waiters and waitresses just waiting for us to order another drink. Well, waiting for me mainly.
Then we stayed in a thatched hut along the Amazon River in Peru, where guests were advised not to venture out into the jungle alone at night. Heck, the size of the insects crawling beneath our hammocks got us thinking that this was not where a sane person would wander day or night.
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| Our home away from home on the Amazon River, Peru |
As any traveler knows, accommodations can either enhance an experience or detract from that experience. Let’s be honest, traveling is not cheap unless you are a good sprinter and can land on an empty boxcar in one leap.
So, as we travel, we look for the best quality in places to spend our nights. Are we always correct? Nope, but we do our best, like most folks who want to go out and explore.
After a recent blog, we received a couple of emails asking why we don’t recommend a place here or there. It is as if we travel and never stay the night. We fly to Italy and then return the same day without putting our tired heads on pillows.
We’re not travel agents or work for hotel chains. We go out around the nation or world and explore the best we can, but a couple of questions make sense. So, for this blog, we will discuss a place that we stayed in recently in San Diego.
America’s Finest City, the nickname for San Diego, is a place we love to visit no matter the time of year. In fact, I lived there a million years ago before moving north to the High Desert. After visiting time and again, Laureen and I joined the marina crowd for years and had a floatel; that name was given to our boat by our loving daughters. A floating hotel which they loved to use in the perpetually beautiful weather of San Diego.
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| The Beyer floatel |
So, recently I suggested a weekend away. Laureen jumped at the idea, and we decided we wanted a place that we could just park our car and take the San Diego Trolley around town.
After a bit of research, I came upon a newly constructed hotel by Marriott: The Element, in Mission Valley, right off Interstate 8.
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| The trolley is a short 2 or 3 minute walk from the Element Hotel |
San Diego has an extensive trolley system that allows passengers the comfort and affordability to go pretty much anywhere they want in this city by the bay. The tracks run for nearly 70 miles North, South, East, and West. A visit to the Mexico border? Hop on board. A visit to the snooty, rich enclave of La Jolla? Hop on board. Visiting relatives in Santee? Hop on board. Want to go Downtown? Hop on board.
It is a great system, and we took full advantage of it on this recent trip.
After a long day of riding the trolley and visiting Downtown, Little Italy, and Old Town, it was time to enjoy the spacious room that we had booked.
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| Old Town geared up for the Day of the Dead festivities |
Our home base was The Element, which shares a large plot of land with the Marriott right next door. Both hotels are interlinked in the services rendered for their guests. The picturesque waterfall pool at the Marriott is enjoyed by guests from both hotels. There are gyms, restaurants, and bars that patrons can enjoy during their stay in San Diego. The hotel is very family-oriented, with each room having a small kitchen, large refrigerator, microwave, and more than enough room for a large family to be comfortable.
One item that is not shared is the bicycles that The Element loans out to their guests. Tired of the trolley and wanting to stretch our legs, Laureen and I took advantage and rode several miles along the paths next to the San Diego River. Helmets are provided, as well as a written waiver in case a careless rider takes a header on Mission Center Road.
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| Laureen Beyer loving the free bike |
The hotel also offers free breakfasts cooked on-site by professional chefs. They strive to be healthy, forgoing the usually highly processed breakfasts that most other hotels we have stayed at provide.
Our favorite breakfast was one egg, medium-cooked, laid upon a bed of mushrooms, ham, sweet potatoes, corn, onion, and spices. It was delicious.
Dinners have a large menu, from Flat Top Smash Cheeseburgers to Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Wraps. Of course, there are sides like the Tzatziki and Dill Pickle Chips ot the Salami and Fontina Board.
We had a view west toward Downtown overlooking the green belt surrounding the San Diego River. It was peaceful, quiet, and just a great place to rest and get re-energized for further adventures in the morning.
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| Overlooking the San Diego River from the Element Hotel |
And, yes - San Diego has so much to offer for a weekend or longer visits.
John can be contacted at beyersbyways@gmail.com
For further information:
https://www.sdmts.com/transit-services/trolley
