womantraveler

Bedazzled in San Francisco's St. Regis

The new St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco is a bow to luxury at every turn. A butler and carefully chosen signature art works for each room, plus plasma TVs in the bathrooms. Thanks in part to the art, rooms and suites feel more like private apartments in the center of an energetic city. Commissioned by local and international artists as part of the hotel's design, the artistic themes symbolize San Francisco's position as a gateway from East to West. "Art is the signature of civilizations," said composer Jean Sibelius, and we feel especially civilized in this elegant 40-story property in the trendy South of Market area. The Museum of the African Diaspora is located within the hotel, the SF Museum of Modern Art is next door -- and within walking distance up Market Street is the fabuloso new West Coast Bloomingdales, the largest in the US.

Napa Valley Wine Train -- All Aboard!

  Of all the great ways to go wine-tasting in Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Wine Train is not only the easiest, but probably the safest. Though casual valley-style, it also turned out to be surprising elegant and a lot of fun. The three-hour trip for lunch or dinner starts in the town of Napa, slowly cruises north along the 1847 railway line to St. Helena and turns around.

Even in the off-season, when the grapes are resting and the air is crisp, it's a beautiful time in Napa Valley -- and the Wine Train special events keep it even more interesting. We opted for a weekday, when the crowds aren't so crazy, and the elegant Gourmet Express experience ($89 each) in the 1915-1917 vintage Pullman and Lounge cars, that over the pricier Vista Dome glass-topped 1947 Pullman. It's an elegant old train, with vaulted ceilings, white table cloths, silver flatware, drapes and ceiling fans. I appreciated the orchid on the table and the upholstered chairs. Totally charming, wonderful eating and generous service. What a lovely way to spend part of a day! After our appetizer and main course, we "repaired" to a club-style parlor car for dessert and sight-seeing. There are two seatings, as on a cruise ship, and well-mannered children will enjoy it, too.

There are several ways to do the wine train. Some people preferred to hang out in the less expensive Wine Tasting Lounge Car (which is open to everyone) or eat more casually a la carte. But from whatever your appetite, there are stunning wine country panoramas, and you don't have to thread along the highways with the tourists hopping from winery to winery.

The hokiest part was the obligatory lecture at the depot before taking off -- a little too Vegas-y. But in the 15-minute talk we we learned that there are 140 different types of soil in Napa Valley (making for a multitude of grape-to-wine options) -- and the perfect way to swirl to get the "wine nose" -- and thus the authentic aromas -- to the top of the glass. Even for afficionados, a good tip to launch the excursion.

2 Michelin Stars in Sonoma

The stars are aligned for Sonoma Valley wine country's hottest restaurant, Cyrus, which is offering a midwinter dining and hotel special with the Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza. That's the good news for epicureans -- the bad news is that a newspaper article led to 700 inquiries and a waiting list at the 12-room inn, which is quickly coming up with some more options. While Cyrus' reputation clearly is in the starry zone, its reputation alone didn't count for the popularity of the special package. While a typical evening at the 2-Star Michelin restaurant could approach $300 for two, the special is just $325 (for two), including a 4-course meal and luxury inn room with wine, truffles and breakfast in bed. Check into both places to get the latest availability. While in charming Healdsburg, about an hour north of San Francisco on US 101, go up to the Jimtown Store, an artist's hip remake of a vintage country store.

Shop 'til You Drop on Your Handheld

It's easier and easier to shop by mobile phone or PDA while you're on the road. Here's a roundup of the most popular Web shopping sites with their special slimmed-down interfaces for small screens -- and links to a few lesser-known sites as well. Save this for wirelessly happy travels.

Dark History, Bright Future in Little Tokyo

Witnessing the dark history of the US incarceration of its own citizens during World War II is a sobering experience at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Not only are we taken into the concentration camps in the US West -- where 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned for more than three years from 1942 to 1945 -- but we are provoked anew regarding the fragility of democracy and our responsibility for preserving it. The museum excels at storytelling -- videos, pictures and written messages by first-generation immigrants and their second-generation children who were born citizens before World War II, considered themselves loyal Americans and then were segregated simply because of their appearance in a time of war. They lost everything and had to rebuild their American dreams -- with a spirit of silent acceptance and courageous resilience.

Many of us were never taught this history growing up in the US -- and fortunately we can now learn it through such exhibits as Ansel Adams at Manzanar (which closes Feb. 18, 2007). His poignant photos of the concentration camp in the eastern desert of California illustrated his view that "America has not assimilated all who have assimilated America." Whether Japanese American or not, we will all find reflections of our experiences as Americans in this museum, especially as World War II veterans or as sons, daughters and grandchildren of that "Greatest Generation." If any city can teach us about the bounty and challenges of diversity in the US, then it is LA -- and this museum is a leader in showcasing how the story of one ethnic group in the US is the story of us all.

Little Tokyo is only a few-block area, just east of the downtown center, close to the Latino Olvera Street market and preserved by Japanese American businessmen in the 1980s before the re-development bulldozers could level it. One of the buildings on the Japanese American Museum's campus is the first Buddhist temple built in LA in 1925 and now a National Historic landmark. The Geffen "wing" of LA's Museum of Contemporary Art is on the same block.

Be sure to take advantage of the Japanese cuisine along East First St. -- sushi and beyond to ramen (noodle) dishes, fish plates (mackerel, black cod and salmon) and light curries. Recommended are the Suehiro Cafe, 337 E. First St. (wide range of items), Daiko Kuya Original Noodle and Rice Bowl a few doors away (it's tiny so be prepared to stand in line outside up to 30 minutes) and the Miyako Hotel's own restaurant across the street. Downstairs, its Cafe Take 5 coffee shop even serves green tea latte. The museum's Chef Akira's Garden Cafe also offers salads, sandwiches and hot plates built around Japanese ingredients in the range of $5 to $7.50 each.

The Miyako Hotel is an inexpensive but well-run and comfortable focal point. Its spa, open 3 pm to midnight M-F and 12 noon to midnight (Sat-Sun), offers shiatsu massages starting at $60 for 45 minutes, and less for members or hotel guests.

Tax-tracking Business Travel

It's that time of the year again when the W-9s and 1099s start rolling in in anticipation of spring tax season. If you're a business traveler, especially an independent business traveler like me, you're either well-organized and way ahead of the game -- or facing a pile of uncatalogued receipts. So file this advice away now and follow it -- some quick tips for keeping better records on the road.

Navigating the Washington, DC Landscape

As Congress and the White House launch their much-anticipated 2007 battles this week, thoughts turn to the US Capital and its attraction as a not-to-be-missed nerve center of the world. However, having lived in the Washington, DC happily off and on since the '60s, I'm alarmed what a struggle it is to visit now for work or pleasure. The region is practically unnavigable! Cultural expansion, a wealth of historical and political tourism and a breathtaking influx of new residents from home and abroad have resulted in a transportation nightmare (an overburdened Metrorail system, gridlock on the roadways and a dearth of downtown parking). Since 1960 the DC area has more than doubled in size to 5 million, and the giddy lack of planning controls is unfortunately evident today.

Fortunately there are bright spots -- the major improvements finally starting to go on line at Dulles International Airport and the growth of urban centers in surrounding communities, making a trip downtown often unnecessary for business travelers.

One tip for making DC manageable is to stay in one of the dozens of new hotels in close-in suburbs, such as Arlington, Virginia. Thirty years ago Arlington's Ballston area was a suburban crossroads of auto dealerships and small retail stores; today it's a bustling urban center served by Metrorail, Interstate 66 and hundreds of restaurants (many of them, particularly in the Clarendon area about two miles east along the same corridor retaining their Mom-and-Pop ethnic or neighborhood pub feel). A Ballston center dining highlight was the hibachi-style Matsukake Steak & Sushi Restaurant, where knife-juggling hibachi chefs entertain diners at large communal counters. There's also a new P.F. Chang's and, less expensive quality options in chain specialties such as Chipotle, Panera Bread and Chevy's Fresh Mex. (Beware of long lines by office workers at lunch.)

This explosive growth also is bringing spiffy new hotels, including the Westin Arlington Gateway, a high-rise structure at the multi-lane intersection of Wilson Blvd. and North Glebe Road. As a longtime Westin and Starwood hotels fan, I wish I could be more positive about the experience.