Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde National Park 2023

 Far View Lodge -  June 28, 2023

We decided to take a quick family trip to Four Corners Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park. In researching the places to stay, I decided on the Far View Lodge, right in the heart of Mesa Verde National Park. It looked to me like the next best option would put me in Cortez, Colorado, about a 15 minute drive from the National Park. at $175 per night, it was expensive but not too much more than other options. The room was nice with amazing views although the air conditioning quit working just before bedtime making it pretty warm that night, even at 8,000 feet elevation. There were a few spider webs and spiders we noticed as well but that is to be somewhat expected given the location. And speaking of location, it can't be beat - close to the sights and, as mentioned before, spectacular views. The staff was friendly although nothing was ever done or offered about our air conditioning going out beyond, "Thank you. I'll let our maintenance personnel know so they can fix it" as I was checking out. 

Here are some pictures of our room:

This is the main building at the Far View Lodge where you check in. There is also a restaurant located here.

This is what the hotel rooms look like from the outside.

This is our room (with the door open).

The shower was nice but felt a little small.

Each room has a back porch with chairs and a great view. We loved sitting on the porch to eat and just take in the scenery.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas June 2020

On our way to the High Sierras in California, we decided to stay in Las Vegas at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. 

Living in Southern Utah, we drive past the Excalibur on I-15 as we head to Disneyland every year. And when the kids were younger, they would always get really excited when they passed it because of it's fairytale look. They affectionately named it, "Diamond Sparkle."

Now that they are older, we fondly remember that nick name every time we pass by. So on this occasion, I thought I would surprise them by staying there.

What made it a little more interesting was the Covid-19 craze that made the lines to the elevators look like attraction lines at Disneyland. 

Arriving in the evening time, we didn't spend too much time at the hotel during our stay (other than in our room) - just grabbed dinner at Johnny Rockets in the lobby and took it back to our room to eat. The next morning, excited to get to the High Sierras, we woke up and checked out. 

Here are a look at the rooms:

 

Rock Creek Lakes Resort, High Sierras

Ever since I can remember, my family liked to vacation in the High Sierra Mountains of California. We stayed a few years at a little cabin called Elani Lodge. But the majority of the time we spent at Rock Creek Lakes Resort, near Bishop, CA.

At an elevation of about 10,000 feet above sea level, Rock Creek Lakes resort has eleven cabins nestled into a pine and aspen forest, accessed by a well maintained dirt road. Just a short walk - or even shorter drive - from the cabins is Rock Creek Lake, home to great trout fishing. The two most prevalent types of trout in the lake are Rainbows and Browns. The resort offers both half day and full day boat rentals, but we chose to fish from the shore. There is also a campground on one side of the lake.

I love to hike! There is a trail that winds all the way around the lake which is a picturesque, 2 mile hike. Also, just a couple of miles up the road from Rock Creek is the Mosquito Flats trail head. Trails lead up to Morgan and Mono Passes. Make sure to bring bug repellent because Mosquito Flats got it's name for a reason! There is also great fishing at Mosquito Flats.

There is also a General Store at Rock Creek Lakes Resort where you can pick up most necessities and even get a hot meal or a delicious pie! Reservations typically book quickly for the year, many times up to a year in advance.

I took my kids there, ages 16, 13, 12, 10, and 5 for the first time in June of 2019 and they loved it. We spent 3 days hiking, fishing, exploring, and playing in the snow. They are already looking forward to our next visit!

To get there, take Rock Creek Road by Tom's Place, off of hwy 395, about 22 miles north of Bishop, CA. Rock Creek Lakes Resort is about 8.5 miles up Rock Creek Road.

Here's a look at Rock Creek Road. 

Here are some pictures of the Resort:

Here's a look at the General Store

Here's a look inside the General Store at the counter where I ate many a meal as a child.

We stayed in Cabin 7

This is what you see when you first open the door...

...and here's a look back at the door. The sofa is a sofa bed which slept our 16 and 13 year olds.

Here's the kitchen area. It comes furnished with plates, silverware, pots, pans, and glasses. 

Bedroom 1

The bathroom (the shower is on the left, blocked from view by the door).

Bedroom 2.

Here's a look at the back of cabin 7.

And here's a look at the porch, complete with an arsenal of snow balls courtesy of the kids. 

This is the boat ramp.

And here's the dock with some of the boats to rent - both paddle and motorboats.

Here's another look at Rock Creek Lake

Here's a look at the trail that circles the lake.

Mosquito Flats:

Fishing at Mosquito Flats.

Hiking to the trail head.

Looking back down the trail towards the trail head.

We quickly encountered snow, even in the middle of June!

This is the point where the trails to Morgan and Mono Passes break off, as marked by the sign.

Here is a look at each of the cabins:

This is Cabin 1, the first cabin you come to as you head up the road. Cabin 1 is a 2 bedroom that can sleep up to 6 people.

Situated between Cabin's 1 and 3, Cabin 2 (pictured here) is also a 2 bedroom cabin that can sleep up to 6 people.

I remember staying in cabin 3 (pictured here) as a child. It is a big two story cabin with 2 bedrooms down stairs and a loft upstairs. It sleeps up to 10 people.

Up the road just a little further from cabin's 1-3 are cabin's 4 and 5. Cabin 4 (pictured here) is a duplex cabin, so there is a 4A and a 4B. Each side is a one bedroom and can sleep up to 4 people.

Cabin 5 is just past cabin 4 and is probably the most secluded of the cabins. It sleeps up to 6 people. 

Up the road a little farther, and on the left, is cabin 6. This is a picture of it from the road. Cabin 6 is a larger 2 bedroom cabin that sleeps 7 people.

Across the street from cabin 6 and slightly more up the road is the cabin we stayed in, cabin 7, which I detailed earlier in the post.

This is cabin 8, another cabin I stayed in as a child. It is a large 2 story cabin with 2 bedrooms down stairs and a loft upstairs. it sleeps up to 12 people. It is located at the end of the road on the left.

Cabin 9 is located at the end of the road, between cabins 8 and 10. It is a 2 bedroom and sleeps up to 6 people.

Finally, Cabin 10 is located at the end of the road, all the way to the right. It is another 2 bedroom that sleeps up to 6 people.

 To find out more about Rock Creek Lakes Resort or to reserve a cabin you can visit their website here.

Kona Kai Resort, San Diego

The Kona Kai Resort is located just south of Mission Bay on Shelter Island in San Diego. It is just 10 minutes from Cabrillo National Monument, 20 minutes from Sea World and the San Diego Zoo, and 30 minutes from Qualcomm Stadium.

The resort has it's own private beach, pool and hot tub, fitness facility, and even a small courtyard with ladder ball. The parking area is very secure in that it requires a room key to enter and to exit the lot.

The rooms come equipped with a TV, mini fridge, coffee maker, and safe. Here are some pictures of our room and the resort:

The door into the bathroom was a rather unique sliding door.

The presentation of the Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash was fantastic. 

The closet is located inside the bathroom, which was a little awkward...

The mini fridge is located in the cabinet to the right under the TV while drawers are located in the cabinet to the left.

Expensive bottles of water were placed strategically around the room. 

A look at the pool, hot tub, and harbor from our balcony.

Here's a look at the courtyard from our room.

And finally, here's a look at the private beach.

We enjoyed our stay at the Kona Kai. The scenery here is by far superior to any of the other hotels in which we have stayed in San Diego. With that said, there is no continental breakfast at Kona Kai which is important to us since we had a family of 5 travelling and dining bills can add up quickly! Also, while there was a sense of security with the parking set up, it was rather inconvenient to have to have your room key handy to get in and out of the parking lot.