Author Archive: Wayne and Judy Bayliff
A Five-Star Experience at the Hayfield Manor in Cork, Ireland
Hayfield Manor is an elegant boutique hotel near the city center of Cork. When you combine a spectacular attraction like Blarney Castle with an extraordinary hotel like Hayfield Manor, you have brewed up a “must do” itinerary while visiting the Emerald Isle. “Leave the hectic pace of city life and enter the tranquil country garden setting …
Best Places to Stay Along the Northern California Coast: The Unrivaled Inn at Newport Ranch
The latest subject in our series of articles about luxuriously uncommon coastal lodgings in Northern California is unique in many respects. This coastal cattle ranch covers 2000 remote acres chock-full of forests and plains. It’s the perfect location for a wedding, corporate gathering, or a romantic getaway. The property stretches along a mile of picturesque …
Ephesus, a Bucket List Item in Turkey
Ephesus was a Greek city founded approximately 3,000 years ago in Asia Minor in what is now western Turkey. A visit to Ephesus gives the imaginative global traveler a sense of what life was like in the golden age of Greece and Rome. The rise and fall of a great city In the time of …
A Vacation in Mexico Where Much of the Fun is Getting There
It’s been a rainy winter at our home on the Oregon coast, so we decided to hunt for some sun and sand on the western coast of Mexico. There’s a lot of ways to get to the famous Mexican Riviera. We decided on a Princess Cruise, and we are so glad we did. Our cruise …
Best Places to Stay Along the Northern California Coast: The Historic Benbow Inn is an Oasis of Comfort and Luxury Among the Giant Redwoods
Wherever you decide to stay, a drive along the northern California coast is visually breathtaking, and if you find a comfortable inn to lay your head, so much the better. The Benbow Historic Inn is just such a place. It is also as interesting an auberge as you will find anywhere along the great and …
Princess Cruise Ships: What Makes Them Sparkle
We recently took a Princess cruise to the Mexican Riviera on the Grand Princess. This was our third sailing on the Grand since she was commissioned in 1998. You might wonder, after 20 years of service and tens of thousands of passengers, how does Princess keep her looking fresh and appealing to prospective guests. We …
Best Places to Stay Along the Northern California Coast: Scopa at the Sea
Preface Lodging preferences are so personal. With the advent of the internet, travel magazine advertisements have given way to lodging websites and individual reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. Of course, lodging websites are no more objective than print ads – which leaves us to depend on personal reviews to help us decide on the best …
Surrounded by the Spirit of Christmas in a Connecticut Castle
Prelude to Christmas At the turn of the 20th century, William Gillette was a renowned American actor and playwright. In 1914 he purchased a scenic 184-acre plot of land that overlooked the majestic Connecticut River in East Haddam, Connecticut. On a ridge at the site, Gillette constructed a magnificent hand-tooled stone castle where he hoped …
Holiday Gift Guide 2018
Judy and I have posted holiday gift recommendations in various publications for the past several years. Every year we receive a number of unsolicited service and product samples, test them, and those we like are featured as recommendations in our annual Holiday Gift Guide. Out of seventeen tests this year, we are presenting the following thirteen …
Discover the Legendary Powerscourt Estate and Gardens in County Wicklow, Ireland
Ireland is referred to as The Emerald Isle because of its seemingly endless expanses of verdant trees, deep woods, and rolling green hills. County Wicklow is called the Garden of Ireland, and 47 of the county’s best acres are home to the Powerscourt House and Gardens. A long and noble history The Powerscourt site was first settled in …
Recent Comments