Phila Airport Parking Vacations

The West Coast is famous for many of the rare exhibits of our country. California has the coasts, Oregon and Washington have the lush forests, and even Texas can claim a home in the West with it’s circus of entertainment and adventure. However, I can’t shake the different kind of excitement that is offered by our opposing coastal friends and their culture on the East Coast.

I seem to always have found my home in the Western United States, so my exposure to the East Coast has been limited to visits there. Returning from these visits, I would always feel a loss of the certain charms I saw in the East that were vacant in my own part of the world. Maybe with great effort, we can bring some Eastern delights to our side of town.

One particular delight that the East Coast has mastered would definitely be, pizza. Sure there is the famous California Kitchen with it’s thin crust, that I prefer to call pizza chips. But, what compares to a Chicago Deep Dish? I’m not talking Domino’s either.

You can’t order pizza like this anywhere you go. The East is swarming with the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth pizza that can only compare to Italy itself. If you can’t fold the pieces in half, feel it dripping down your arm, or stretch the cheese across the table, than you dare not claim any quality close to these superb East Coast pizzerias.

Search all you want to in Utah, California, Washington, or even the laughable pizza of Texas, and it won’t hold the tiniest candle to New York City’s or Chicago’s perfected pizza pies. However, man cannot live on pizza alone, and there are other like enjoyments depriving the westerners. Not surprisingly for me, I’m also referring to food in this case also.

Buffalo Wings got their name for a reason. Don’t think I’m talking about Buffalo, Wyoming either. What the South has done with barbecue sauce, the East has done with a chicken wing. The delightful sensation or gnawing chicken bits off the bone has thrived all over, but not to the level of quality of the original in Buffalo, New York. Just give in and order yourself a whole bucketful, and watch it disappear.

I like hot wings just like the next person, especially smothered in bleu cheese, but my all time passion has got to be sandwiches. This passion was founded during my time in a place called Pittsburgh. This town has concocted the most unusual mouth watering creations ever found on a sub. The cheese steak sandwich taking the cake, with steak, cheese, coleslaw and fries — this is all on the sandwich, mind you — is a shame to miss out on.

And for all you Reuben fans, don’t assume you’ve had the best until you come to Pittsburgh. Even widening the expanse to gyros, pitas, or pierogies, Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the East, holds the rights to these culinary treasures. Take a chance of asking anyone in California to make you one of those. You’d be better not to embarrass them.

Too many of my cravings have been left ungratified because I sadly live on the wrong side of the country. However, while we may not have these certain things for ourselves in the good old West, we do have claim to our own luxuries that have no business on the Eastern seaboard. These favorites of the East Coast must make the east what it is, and therefore they can keep it too themselves. I can always come back for a visit.

It’s that special time of the year when you and your sweetheart can freely share an unforgettable experience to rekindle your romance. The West Coast inns, bed and breakfasts and boutique hotels offer a unique and time-tested recipe for pampering, refreshment and wonderful dining experiences.

For information about the most romantic B&Bs in California and the Pacific Northwest, check out popular travel writer Karen Brown’s website. Full of information about these areas, Karen Brown’s World of Travel offers detailed trip itineraries, maps and listings for hundreds of unique inns in these areas as well as exciting destinations around the world.

Karen Brown’s readers have voted and chosen the following lodging choices as the “Most Romantic” and best “Splendid Splurges” in California and the Pacific Northwest. For a romantic getaway, the following is a good place to begin your search:

The Tickle Pink Inn, located just south of Carmel, an unbelievably beautiful seaside village on California’s Central Coast, was voted “Most Romantic” in California by Karen Brown readersand for good reason. With access to excellent shopping, unique gourmet restaurants and world-class golf courses, this charming inn is loaded with amenities. Near the edge of Big Sur, The Tickle Pink Inn is intimate, private and elegant. Enjoy a luxurious continental breakfast in the early mornings and a fantastic evening reception with classical music playing softly in the background while you taste local wines, fresh fruits and fantastic cheeses. The rooms are well-appointed and present quaint balconies from which to enjoy the seaside view, and most are equipped with wood burning fireplaces as well. The most elegant suites boast whirlpool tubs and the luxurious king beds are graced with Egyptian cotton and down comforters.

The Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for the best “Splendid Splurge” in California goes to The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito. Every room has excellent views of the panoramic San Francisco Bay and offers unbelievably plush accommodations. Most of the rooms contain fireplaces and private decks, affording exquisite vistas of the night lights in the city. Enjoy the oversized tubs, flat screen TVs, luxurious linens, soft robes and Bvlgari bath products. Continental breakfasts are fabulous, and the evening wine and cheese reception is not to be missed. The Inn Above Tide also offers the Penthouse Suite with a glass-enclosed whirlpool tub overlooking the bay as well as a romantic fireplace and private deck.

While not as posh as some of the inns listed in this article, the Channel House in Depoe Bay, Oregon, has plenty to offer. The location affords almost total privacy, located right on the edge of the Oregon coast. Many of the guest rooms have a deck with an ocean view hot tub, as well as a fireplace. A continental breakfast buffet is served in a room that affords stunning sea vistas, a perfect start to the day. The staff is happy to help guests plan their daily adventures, offering suggestions for activities and local restaurants. The area is ideal for whale watching and The Whale Center is located within walking distance of the inn. The Channel House was the recipient of the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for “Most Romantic” lodging in the Pacific Northwest.

The Sooke Harbour House in Canada’s glorious province of British Columbia is a fanciful destination. Located on the Whiffen Spit Beach in the village of Sooke, this boutique hotel offers some truly unique accommodations. Each of the rooms offers a view of mountains, gardens or the sea and all have a fireplace and private balcony or terrace. The dcor is what truly sets this place apart from other coastal inns. For example, the Passion Flower room includes a bed with a headboard that resembles wooden doors opening onto a mural of a garden path. The Kitchen’s Garden room includes a shower surrounded on three sides by stained glass. Original artwork and unique furnishings decorate the other guest rooms, and each has a different theme. The hotel also has a full-service spa and a gourmet restaurant. Sooke Harbour House won the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for best “Splendid Splurge” in the Pacific Northwest.