Golf bucket list: St. Andrews, Scotland

Ask any golfer what course is on her bucket list and the answer will be: the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland -- or for that matter, ANY course in St. Andrews. When I was asked to cross the pond again and visit Scotland in September, there was no hesitation -- especially when the invitation included playing golf.

My golf home away from home was the Old Course Hotel & Spa this past fall, although I was unable to play the course because the Dunhill pro-am tournament was in progress.

But I can still say I played in St. Andrews as I swung my clubs on one of the my now favorite courses, The Castle.

If you want to know more about golfing in St. Andrews, check out my Golflinks.com article: Hotels in St. Andrews.

Excerpt: "Scotland with its more than 500 golf courses each year welcomes thousands of golfers who make the pilgrimage to the country known as the Home of Golf. For many, staying in St. Andrews provides access to the ultimate golf experience and the best of the best golf courses, including the hotel with the most famous address: Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa. Many golfers prefer to purchase a package through Old Course Experience that includes guaranteed tee times and accommodations..."

And shoes? Golfer chicks now have dozens of gorgeous golf shoe styles to pick from. Click here for the shoe possibilities.

Until the next time,
Diana Rowe

Foxwoods Resort Casino

SHOES: February was cold in Connecticut -- a definite jolt to my Florida system. Definitely warm socks and boots, which made my packing difficult with flip-flops for Florida, boots for Connecticut...

Was it just barely over a week ago that I was on the road, or should I say air? Yes, it was. After my visit to Fort Lauderdale and the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center & Spa, I boarded yet another plan for Providence, Rhode Island airport. Weather delays weren't kind to me from here on out, but I did finally make it to Providence and then driven the one hour to Foxwoods Resort Casino.

My first impression -- HUGE! I mean super-sized big! About two years ago, I'd visited the nearby Mohegan Sun, an intimate tribal casino (that is also undergoing renovation and additions), but the Foxwoods is an impressive, huge complex, especially with its soon-to-debut addition: MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

I had no idea that Foxwoods is the largest casino in the world -- with 340,000 square feet of gaming space in a complex that covers 4.7 million square feet. More than 40,000 guests visit Foxwoods each day, and since I visited on a weekend, I can assure you it was packed! Lots of locals from the surrounding eastern states. It has a great location, near Mystic in the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut town of Mashantucket (less than 2 hours from Boston).

Here's the overview of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation owned-property Foxwoods:

• 1,416 guest rooms and suites, including the 824 room Grand Pequot Tower, 312 room Great Cedar Hotel and the 280 room Two Trees Inn. F
• More than 55,000 square feet of meeting space and 25 conference rooms.
• Impressive Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center with fascinating and engaging experiences with life-size walk-through dioramas, live performances and changing exhibits.
• $55 million renovation to bring luxury retail therapy and dining experiences.
• Easy access from Boston, New York, Hartford and Connecticut.
• Two 18-hole, Rees Jones-designed championship golf courses and Golf Academy.
• Six separate and distinctive casinos scattered throughout the resort, including several non-smoking gaming areas.
  

And then the new development MGM Grand at Foxwoods, debuting in May:

• $700 million development project, scheduled to open mid-May.
  Adding nearly 2 million square feet of overall space, featuring significantly increased hotel, entertainment, restaurants and gaming venues as well as enhanced corporate retreat, meeting and convention resources.
• The project will also positively impact the local employment landscape, with 2,300 new jobs expected to be generated. (In fact, I was told more than nearly 7,000 applications were filed!)

WOWZA! For those that are waiting a BIG experience, this is the place. Highlights of my visit to Foxwoods (besides the hard hat tour of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods):

Saturday Dinner at Paragon (AAA Four-Diamond) with French and Asian influences -- lobster bisque, oysters on half shell (FRESH!), excellent cut of filet and naughty dessert. Sunday evening dinner at the exclusive Southern Italian cuisine at Al Dente -- lobster ravioli to die for!

After dinner drinks at Hard Rock Cafe, where it was jamming on a Saturday night, wall-to-wall people. Great fun! (The Club, their destination nightclub, was closed for renovations.)

Exploring the Foxwoods took hours, lots of shops, boutiques, and restaurants from California Pizza Kitchen to Panera Bread. My favorite "bar" stop was the Atrium near the Hard Rock Cafe across from the buffet, and a perfect place to people watch.

And yes, I did try my luck at the casino. The blackjack video game rocked! I played six hands at once at 25 cents a hand, and came out $20 ahead. (Of course, the next day I gave it back.) Good news is that even though I left my new Harley Cross Bones at home, the casino by the Atrium bar had a Harley on display to tease me about my missing the beautiful riding weather in Denver.

Until the next trip Diana ;-)

Girlfriend, it's all about the shoes!

As as a single female, often traveling alone, and with the continued restrictions on baggage (carry-on and checked), I always take more shoes than the "normal" traveller Let me explain...

I read this greeting card forever ago that features a woman on the front saying something like, "What separates women from animals?" Then you open it up, and it says, "Why it's our ability to accessorize, girl!"

Am I the only girl that often carries the second bag and fills it with shoes? I mean which shoes do you pack when you want to include all options on your trip -- without going over weight limits? I want my flip flops for the beach, yet what if I have a chance to rent a motorcycle? Well, then I'll need my biker boots. After a day riding the road with the wind in my face, what if I want to follow the day with fine-dining? Well, then I'll need my come-to-mama-high heels to compliment my flirty dress. Or perhaps I want to swing my clubs at a top ranked golf course, that means I have to pack my golf shoes! You see what I mean? There's so many challenges to traveling.

So talk to me, chicas! What's a girl to do if she can't pack a second suitcase with shoes? Maybe $25 isn't much (and is that EACH way???), but those extra bucks could go to another pair of shoes, right?

Until next time! Diana

Manzanillo, Mexico & Barcelo Resorts

SHOES: Flip-flops all the way! But if you head out of the resort, I'd recommend closed toe shoes, because some areas aren't so clean (like downtown).

A couple of weeks ago, I was on assignment in Mexico, with multiple connections from Manzanillo. at Barcelo's Karmina Palace, Manzanillo is located in the State of Colima on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Puerto Vallarto. Beautiful golden beaches, lush green valleys, majestic mountains, with banana plantations lining the valleys and mountains.

Manzanillo is the the sailfish capital of the world, and this is the best place for deep sea fishing enthusiasts. Besides sailfish, other varieties caught include tuna, marlin, and dorado. This small fishing village admittedly needs some cleaning up, but their downtown is doing just that in preparation for their cruise ship traffic as a major port for cruise lines.

I stayed at my favorite Mexico all-inclusive chain: Barcelo's Karmina Palace. Several years ago, I visited Karmina before it was purchased by Barcelo, and the changes are subtle but noticeable. Service is definitely at a higher level. For an all-inclusive, the food is decent, and the breakfast buffet includes made to order omeletes and eggs. Other meal options included a fine dining restaurant "Carioca" as well as several other buffet, less formal meal spots, and a nightly show.

Other upscale amenties at Karmina Palace: oceanfront with white beaches, interconnected cascading swimming pools, two secluded adults-only areas, attentive staff - need I say more?

Shoes: optional. :-) but bring along your comfortable flip-flops for walking.

Next up -- the glitzy Acapulco and the Fairmont Acapulco Princess & Pierre Marques.

Your TravelingInHeels.com Host: Diana