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It recently struck me that my real blog (not my weekly newsletter that some people also consider a blog, but my actual blog) totally sucks and that I need to do something about it. Fortunately, I had an epiphany: I should start blogging daily on useful, cool and/or new travel websites, and update it with fun pictures of places I’m currently visiting. So, if you want to check out some very helpful websites then be sure to log on to JohnnyJet.com/blog/myblog.html (and tell your friends, too!) P.S. If you know of any brand new travel websites you think I should check out, please email Whitney@JohnnyJet.com.

Cheers from Palm Beach, Florida! Last time we left off, I was in Fès, Morocco (here’s the link) and this week we travel all over the place. We go from Fès to Rabat to Casablanca to New York to Los Angeles to South Florida! If you’re excited to see a whole slew of places including where Rick’s Café is (from the movie Casablanca), I have the scoop. For those of you who are in a hurry or have ADD (it’s okay, I have it too), there’s a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week’s story. Also, our newest writer Ally Stoltz, who is a student at Loyola Marymount University, loves to travel and has written about a recent backpacker’s trip to Byron Bay, Australia!

RABAT
The distance from Fès to Rabat is 198 km (123 miles), which is about a 3-hour drive. There’s a lot to see in Rabat and the Atlantic coast shoreline is picturesque, but I didn’t have a lot of time to really check it out because I needed to be in Casablanca for dinner. I was there to have lunch with Moroccan tourism officials at one of Rabat’s best restaurants called Salle à Manger. It’s inside the 30 Room, 6 Suite Villa Mandarine (rates per night begin at 1,967.86 MAD [$232 USD]). The guesthouse is located down a residential street on a former orange grove and the restaurant attracts a very trendy, international crowd, many whom (like me) are meeting with Moroccan government officials. The food is colorful and the service is excellent. Guests can dine inside or out on the terrace with a view of the garden. The Villa Mandarine, 19 Rue Ouled Bousbaa, Souissi Rabat; tel.: +212 (0)37 75 20 77.

RABAT TO CASABLANCA
Rabat to Casablanca is 93 km (57 miles) and took 90 minutes to drive. I checked into Le Royal Mansour Méridien, which is located in the center of town and is one of Starwood’s preferred properties (it will cost you 7,000 Starpoints for a free night). The five-star hotel was built in the 1950s and is considered the most prestigious in the city and is a favorite among business travelers for its setting, service and food. The marble lobby entrance is impressive with its huge bouquet of roses below the picture of the former King Hassan II (1961–1999). FYI: Every place I went into in Morocco had either a picture of King Hassan II or the current King Mohammed VI. The hotel’s service is very good and new arrivals are greeted with sweet Moroccan tea and traditional cookies.

LE ROYAL MANSOUR MERIDIEN
My fourth floor room at Le Royal Mansour Méridien was so comfortable I didn’t want to leave to go to dinner. And the marble bathroom has to be one of the nicest I have ever been in. When I went to use the loo, I was shocked to see rose petals floating around. I have had them in the bath before but never in the toilet! Pretty cool, eh? Also not to be missed is their daily breakfast buffet, which is included in the daily rate (rates begin at $200 USD per night). I will now add this to my list of top 10 best breakfast buffets. It’s served elegantly in the atrium near the lobby and offers a wide variety of fresh squeezed juices, breads, pastries, eggs to order, handmade pancakes, with all kinds of freshly-made jellies and other condiments … Before going out for the day be sure to go to the ninth floor rooftop balcony, which has a terrific view of the Casablanca skyline. My biggest complaint about the hotel is that Internet cost 300MAD ($35 USD) a day – what a rip! Le Royal Mansour Méridien, 27 avenue de l'Armée Royale; tel.: 800/543-4300.

CASABLANCA
To me, the name Casablanca has always conjured up images of a far-off, mysterious land. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. First of all, Casablanca is not that far –it’s just over a six-hour flight from NYC. Secondly, the city is a cement jungle and doesn’t have a lot to offer to leisure travelers so no wonder most bypass it. Another huge disappointment to many will be when they learn that the 1942 movie Casablanca wasn’t even filmed here but instead, in Warner Bros’ studios in Hollywood. This means that Rick’s Café never even existed – though after the movie’s release, many started popping up. The most popular is in the Hyatt Regency Casablanca which is just a few blocks away from Le Royal Mansour Méridien.

HYATT REGENCY CASABLANCA
Of course, I went in to take a picture in front of Rick’s Café like every other foolish tourist. When I walked into the luxurious, modern lobby of the Hyatt, I was told by the doorman that Rick’s Café was closed for remodeling. I still decided to check out the hotel and I heard some faint music coming from behind a closed door. I opened it to sneak a peek and the sound drew me closer. I was in the hotel’s restaurant, Dar Beida, and wow, was it cool! It was dark, and designed like a traditional Moroccan restaurant, reminiscent of an Arab tent. There was an eight-piece Oriental orchestra with singers and a belly dancer entertaining guests in real Moroccan style (this takes place every night from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am). My friends and I sat at down at one of the few empty lounge chairs and tables. We ordered a round of drinks even though we figured it would cost us an arm and a leg. Surprisingly, it didn’t – I think beers were about $8 USD each. The highlight was watching the table of high-profile Middle Eastern businessmen at the table next to us (they had bodyguards and high-class hookers —always a good indication that it’s going to be a good night for "people-watching"). When their "girls" got up to sing and dance with the band, one of the Sheikhs (if that’s what they were) would shower them with a pocket of bills. The bills weren’t worth the standard $1 which is what I would be using. After seeing that the paper notes were equivalent to Ben Franklins, I almost got up, grabbed the mike and started shaking my butt but I didn’t want one of the bodyguards to put a cap in my ass. The Hyatt has 255 rooms and suites and rates begin at 1440.00 MAD (169.89 USD). Hyatt Regency Casablanca, Place des Nations Unies, Casablanca, Morocco; Tel: + 212 22 43 1234.

L’ OSTREA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
For dinner, we went down to Casablanca's port, which is a bit seedy but has good and inexpensive seafood restaurants (they also offer "land lubber" dishes). L'Ostrea was recommended to us by a local friend and the two-floor restaurant is small, crowded, loud and smoky but does indeed have good and inexpensive seafood. L'Ostrea, Sur le parc a huitres 007, OUALIDIA, Casablanca (tel. +212 023 36 63 24.

MOSQUE HASSAN II
After dinner, I took a drive along Casablanca’s coast to at least see the place before I departed early the next morning. The beach area is called Le Corniche and it has private clubs similar to St. Tropez where locals and tourists can spend all day lounging on beach chairs near small pools. The coastline is long and the highlight was seeing The Mosque Hassan II, which looks like a huge lighthouse from afar. It’s not – but it is the world's tallest mosque and third largest in size. It was completed in 1993 and is one of the few Moroccan mosques where non-Muslims can enter. The public can tour the library and non-praying areas. There’s a retractable roof and a glass floor. The inside has enough space for 25,000 worshippers and outside can accommodate another 80,000.

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