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HYPER LINK = WEBSITE HOUSE KEEPING: Remember when you click on the pictures in "Where's Johnny Jet," they will open up in another window. Just click the "x"(close) in each picture to get back to the newsletter. This should alleviate complaints about closing Johnny Jet. Thanks again for your support, and remember: If you book trips on the web, please go through JohnnyJet.com. (It will save you money). "Maps of Johnny's travels courtesy of MyTripJournal.com. Start a travel website of your own for free now." Check Out Johnny Jet's New Blog! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Greetings from Southern California! And yes…it’s nice to be home. Before we get started I want to alert everyone that we made a Hurricane Katrina webpage. It's for everyone affected by the hurricane - which is all of us. On that page -- besides travel news -- is information on where to donate money, miles and points. Please do what you can, and keep everyone in your prayers. LONDON HEATHROW Last week we left off at Heathrow Airport in London. It was a madhouse -- and this was BEFORE the British Airways strike. I flew United Airlines. The check-in lines were around the corner, and not moving quickly. I was fortunate to be flying First Class, but I still had to wait 30 minutes. That’s totally ridiculous. If I had paid the $14,700 ticket price (Instead of using 100,000 miles) I would’ve gone ape. UNITED Fortunately, every airline’s first and business class passengers were allowed to bypass the long security line, using Fast Track. This speedier alternative took only 15 minutes. I have no idea how long the normal line was, but my advice is to show up at Heathrow a good 2 ½ to 3 hours before your flight. Instead of going shopping (Heathrow has tons of great places), I went to United’s International First Class Lounge. It’s a bit nicer than United’s Red Carpet Lounge (for members and International Business Class passengers), because it is less crowded and has plenty of free snacks and drinks. From there I went to the gate, where there was another huge line. Again, United didn’t take care of its top paying customers. There was no separate line for first and business class passengers, like at other airlines. Instead I watched them wait like everyone else. I didn’t care, because when I’m on a long-haul flight in first class (meaning guaranteed overhead space) I like to be one of the last on the plane. Besides, it was amusing to see the premium passengers’ reactions when they were told to get to the back of the line (a 30-minute wait). LHR-LAX The 10-hour, 35-minute flight was easy like Sunday morning. I sat in seat 1A (yeah baby!), which had a 180-degree flat bed, my own personal video monitor complete with an in-flight map, and a number of TV shows and movies. In addition, first class passengers could choose from a briefcase filled with films. I watched "Life Aquatic." Passengers who wanted to work on their laptops could use an electric outlet (it requires a special adapter, which can be bought on the plane from duty free for about $100). The flight attendants were pleasant, but nothing special, and the other passengers kept to themselves. FOOD ON THE PLANE We had two main meals. Dinner was served an hour after takeoff. For starters I had a salad with tandoori chicken. My entrée was chicken breast with vegetables. My favorite course -- dessert—was fresh fruit, cheese, crackers and a hot fudge sundae. A couple of hours before landing we had lunch (I think that’s what it was): a cheese plate with fruit. (For a more detailed description, here’s a scanned copy of the menu). The highlight of the flight (besides landing safely) was flying over Iceland and Greenland. I’m sure the flight attendants thought I had never flown before, because I was waving to my friends in Iceland, snapping pictures left and right. Hey, if you can’t be excited flying in first class, then where can you? LOS ANGELES I was the first off the plane and one of the first to go through customs, but the agent said to me, "You’re not in the system." My stomach dropped. Then I said, "Come to think of it, I never went through any passport control leaving England." When she chuckled, I was very relieved. She typed for a few minutes, and I was on my way. MALIBU After settling in at home, I went to Geoffrey’s in Malibu for Sunday brunch. The drive from LAX takes about 45 minutes (without traffic) ,and most of it is along beautiful PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). The restaurant is past Pepperdine University, on a cliff with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean. This setting is California dreaming at its best. I was surprised there wasn’t a big buffet, just a normal menu. It’s just as well though, because I would definitely have overeaten like I always do at buffets. Geoffrey’s Malibu, 27400 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA; tel.: 310-457-1519. A VACATION FROM MY VACATION A couple of days later I was thinking, "I really need a vacation from my vacation." I know you’re thinking, "Poor Johnny is wiped out from three weeks in Europe?" But running around is exhausting. In fact, I walked so much that when I weighed myself at home, I had lost 8 pounds. Maybe I should start a new diet: "the Europe Effect." Since I had not had a chance to kick back and relax in Europe I was ready for another vacation, but I didn’t want to deal with airports, trains or long drives. So I jumped in my car and went down to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel for two nights. LAGUNA BEACH / DANA POINT The Ritz Carlton is 60 miles from LAX, 24 miles from SNA (Orange County Airport), and 66 miles from SAN (San Diego Airport). I hadn’t been to this Ritz in at least 10 years. Even then I did not sleep there; I just picked up my parents after a romantic weekend. I wasn’t sure of the location, so after driving through the quaint artsy beach town of Laguna Beach I stopped a couple of middle- aged dudes in a pickup truck for directions. When I mentioned the Ritz-Carlton, their eyes lit up with envy. They smiled and said "oh" (that meant "you lucky bastard"), and pointed me down the road just a couple of miles to Dana Point. The hotel really is in Dana Point -- but it used to be Laguna Beach, until the city changed its zoning to collect more taxes. The hotel kept the name, which is smart. No offense to Dana Point, but most people know Laguna Beach. Even if they don’t, the word "Laguna" still sounds a whole lot better. RITZ CARLTON LAGUNA NIGUEL Pulling into the perfectly manicured driveway and being immediately swarmed by a horde of bellmen/valets ($25 for overnight parking) quickly reminded me why the Ritz Carlton is known for excellent service. It was top notch. The hotel is massive: 393 guest rooms in a four-story Mediterranean-style building that sits on a 150 foot-bluff, with 18 acres of unbelievable panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The location of the hotel is perfect, which is why the lobby has floor-to-ceiling picture glass windows. I could never get sick of that view. Looking out over the beach reminded me of Don Henley’s "The Boys of Summer" video. If they didn’t film it there, they should have. The hotel is so large, it’s hard not to get lost the first few times walking around. But that’s okay. The Ritz-Carlton is all about service. Wherever you look, you’ll see an employee happy to stop what he/she’s doing to point you in the right direction. ROOM All the guest rooms recently had a $40 million dollar makeover. So did most public spaces. I was in a standard room on the ground floor, and it was stylish. It wasn’t overly huge, but it was cozy --especially the king-size bed with a goose down comforter and pillows (guests with allergies can get non-allergenic foam). The first thing I noticed was the 42-inch plasma screen TV – connected to a DVD player. Bring some DVDs with you, because that TV and bed make a perfect combo to watch a movie. To make the experience complete, raid the mini-bar. The bathroom was sleek. It had white/gray wall-to-wall marble, with European bath products and soft towels. To make lounging in the room more comfortable I donned the lightweight terrycloth robe, and pretended I was Hugh Hefner (minus the pipe and hookers). When I felt like checking email I had a desk with a high-speed internet cord (the internet was included in the $20 resort fee). I’m not a big fan of resort fees, but I’d rather pay one that includes use of the tennis courts, gym and aerobic classes than pay for each service separately. However, I think they should just charge $20 extra for the room and make everyone feel it’s free. Then again, what do I know about hotel pricing? Every room has a private balcony -- though because I was on the ground floor, it wasn’t particularly private. Still, I enjoyed sitting outside admiring the view and watching the bunnies, chipmunks and squirrels run around and play in the grass. CLUB LEVEL The one thing I did not like about the room was that I could hear people walking by in the hall. To avoid this, request a room away from hallway traffic (the end of a hallway is best). Another option is to pay an extra $100 and reserve one of the 38 rooms on the Club Level. A hundred dollars seems steep, but not only is there less traffic up there – you’re really paying for the five daily complimentary food and beverage presentations. They looked tasty! They also had jars of candy lined up along the mantle above the wood-burning marble fireplace. Now that’s worth mentioning! FOOD Speaking of food: I had dinner in the new Restaurant 162’ (that’s how high it is above sea level). It was good, fresh and creative (especially the dessert). Half of the hotel’s guests are there on business, attending either a meeting or corporate event. That’s why there are 18 banquet rooms, and there is always a function in one of the courtyards or yard areas. I even saw a wedding. WORK OUT The other half of the hotel guests are there for leisure, and about 90 percent of them are from L.A. People from L.A. love to work out, and they won’t be disappointed with the Ritz-Carlton hotel gym. It’s definitely the nicest hotel fitness center I’ve ever seen. That’s not just because they have state-of-the-art machines and free bottles of water everywhere. The view is so inspiring. I bet folks could ride these bikes five times longer than they could in a dark, depressing room (I know I did). In addition to the fine gym, the hotel offers Pilates, tai chi and yoga classes in a quiet outdoor gazebo. And don’t forget about playing tennis (remember, it’s included in the resort fee) on one of the four courts, or a round of golf at the nearby Monarch Beach course (green fees start at $153). BEACH For those (ahem, me) who want to kick back, there are two pools. Both are kid-friendly; however, most kids hang at the larger Dana Pool. The most peaceful place to lie down (and my favorite) is the beach out front. If you don’t feel like walking up or down the steep stairs and walkway, the hotel offers a free shuttle every five minutes. The driver will even round up beach chairs and an umbrella if you ask. It’s all part of the resort fee. SPA The ultimate place to relax is the Spa. Guests will relax the moment they walk in the entrance, because the wall consists of a cascading water fountain. Down the hall are separate men’s and women’s lounges. The very attentive attendants provide locker keys, sandals, towels and robes. There are showers, sauna, steam (after the hot steam try the ice-cold, dripping wet cucumber- infused towels), and a peaceful room to relax before getting a massage. The room has fresh fruit, nuts, Fiji water and elixir drinks. My masseuse, Anna, has been working at the hotel since it opened in 1984. That’s impressive! You don’t find such dedication at many U.S. hotels. I had a Swedish massage ($135 for 50 minutes). Other types are offered, as well as body treatments and skin care services. Mine was perfect. Afterwards Anna said, "You had a lot of knots. Have you been carrying a lot of luggage?" I just laughed. LAGUNA There is so much to do at the Ritz and in Laguna that I could easily have spent a week. I could’ve shopped, explored the art galleries and dined in Laguna Beach, visited Mission San Juan Capistrano or gone hiking in Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. But when you stay at a hotel as nice and big as the Ritz, guests get in a lazy mode (at least I did). That’s exactly what I needed. While researching this article I learned the hotel is consistently ranked among the best resorts in the world. After my short but rejuvenating stay, I now know why. The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, One Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point, California, tel.: 949-240-2000. During peak season (June to Sept 6), rooms start at $425. During off peak season, rooms start at $375. Through December 31, 2005 they have a great package deal. NEXT WEEK Next week we explore more of Southern California, as we travel down the coast to San Diego. We stay in another plush hotel, and catch a couple ball games at the new Petco Park. Plus, we enjoy a behind-the-scenes story that will knock your baseball caps off. Happy Travels, Johnny Jet *Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!
Editor-In-Chief Johnny Jet Editor Dan Woog | ||||||||||||||||||||
