The Forbidden City encompasses nearly 1,000 beautiful red buildings with intricately painted ceilings and wing tipped gold roofs. Dragons and lions stand guard. The vast complex of symmetrical edifices, courtyards and pathways, reminds me of a college campus. While the Imperial Palace emphasizes long, low horizontal lines, the Summer Palace celebrates with towering temples, designed organically around the lake and a steep rocky hillside. I’d prefer to live in the trees at the Summer Palace.

Summer in Beijing is hot, muggy and packed with tourists. We meandered through the palace grounds, slipping into the museum gift shops whenever possible to escape the heat into a bit of air conditioning. The interior of the historic buildings are roped off, so the modern tourist must catch glimpses of the royal court via iPhone photo, snapped with a selfie stick held above the crowd and aimed toward the darkened doorways.

You know the souvenir photos in western towns where you can dress up as a gunslinger or saloon showgirl? In the palace, you can dress up as an emperor or an empress! In fact, all over Beijing they were photo shoots of women in wedding dresses, couture and historical costumes. Every girl wants to feel adored like an empress.

Walking toward the palace that first morning, I thought for a moment there was a parade because so many ladies held aloft decorative parasols. They were so pretty, like bouquets of flowers crossing over the arched bridge and reflected in the water below. They are an unexpected fashion accessory to shield the hot summer sun.

Speaking of palatial, I’ve moved up from the trailer park to the penthouse. This may be the nicest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in, all paid for with Hilton Honors points. Best of all, the HH executive lounge offers an outstanding buffet throughout the day that I don’t have to cook or clean up. Now that is the kind of royal treatment this princess likes on her vacations.