The Americana at Brand - Christmas Time

There are many reasons to take a vacation in Los Angeles.  The L.A. area has something for everyone, and the holiday season is no exception.  Don’t let the lack of snow fool you.

A favorite pastime of locals and visitors alike is shopping.  Granted, this holds true regardless of season, but the holiday months really turn it up a notch.

Should your vacation plans find you in Southern California, namely Glendale, then you must stop in at The Americana at Brand.  Much like its sister location The Grove, The Americana is not just a place for shopping, but rather an experience.  There are stores, many of which most people can’t afford, and great places to eat, but it is the overall atmosphere that really sets the mood.

For Christmas they have lighting and decorations strung over the entire property, and many of the tenants that live above the stores in the luxury apartments decorate their balconies as well.  It’s quite festive.  If you only have a limited time to commit to your visit consider timing your arrival just prior to sunset.  This will allow you to appreciate the transformation of The Americana from sunny and hip to a winter wonderland (but still hip).

Santa will be visiting The Americana every night in December through Christmas Eve.

The Glendale Galleria is directly across the street and there is ample parking for both locations.  The Americana also has a nice gated play area for children.

All photos by Whit Honea

Spectacular Double Arch, at Arches National Park

It’s a dream of mine to take my kids to every National Park in the United States.  Obviously, I’ll never be able to do that, as there are just too many of them and too little time.

But at least we can visit the parks close to us in the west, like Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Olympic, and Arches.  Last spring, we planned a family vcation to see that last one, Arches National Park, in Utah.  The place surprised me with its uniqueness, beauty, and kid-friendliness.

The best part of the park, especially for families with young children, is that most of the major features are in a relatively small area, and none of them are too far from the road.  That means short hikes that won’t wear anybody out.  The park contains over 2,000 arches, but you’ll probably only see a dozen or so unless you take longer hikes into the backcountry.  Highlights include Double Arch, which is an awesome place for the kids to climb on sandstone formations.  Yes, they let you climb just about everywhere except on top of the arches themselves.

Through sandstone fins to Sand Dune Arch.

Our hikes were mostly a half-mile to just under two miles, on trails that were easy to traverse and, in some cases, paved.  There was one exception, which I’ll get to in a minute.  There’s such a wide variety of arches and formations in the park that at no time are you going to hear, “Oh, it’s just another arch,” from your kids.  They were excited to get out of the car and explore at every stop.  One of my favorites was the half-mile trek through sandstone fins and deep sand to the isolated Sand Dune Arch.  It felt like we were in another world.

At the end of the main road through the park is one of the longest trails, The Devils Garden.  You’ll see ten impressive arches on this 7-mile loop.  Or, you can do like we did and walk as far as Landscape Arch, about a mile in.  Landscape Arch is the longest span in the park at more than a football field in length.  Parts of it collapsed in 1991, so you might want to hurry before the whole thing comes down.  In fact, another arch a few hundred yards down the trail collapsed completely last August.

Running to Delicate Arch

We didn’t walk the entire Devils Garden loop because we were saving our energy for what I think is the must-do hike in the entire park, the 3-mile round-trip trek to the iconic Delicate Arch.  This is the arch you see on Utah license plates.  It’s a free-standing sandstone arch that reminded my son of a giant pair of pants.  You can’t see the arch while you’re on the somewhat strenuous trail, which includes some steep sections of slickrock.  Because it’s out of view the whole way, it’s something of a treat to have it come into view as you round the final corner of the trail.  My tired kids found a burst of energy when they saw it and took off running to the other side of the “bowl” so they could walk underneath the arch.

It’s an absolutely stunning scene, with the La Sal Mountains in the background, and plunging cliffs on either side of the arch.  There are plenty of nooks and crannies along the cliffs above Delicate Arch where you can lay out a blanket and enjoy some snacks before heading back down.  It took us about three hours for the entire hike, so you’ll want to start it in the morning or early afternoon.  Of all the arches you see in the park, this is the one that you’ll remember best.

We stayed in nearby Moab, Utah, where there are plenty of inexpensive hotels to choose from.  If you’re looking for a great place to eat after a day of hiking, seek out some carbs at Pasta Jay’s, an Italian restaurant that made every member of my family happy.  Best Chicken Parmigiana I’ve ever had!

If you want to start visiting our incredible National Parks with your young kids, Arches is the perfect place to begin with them.  They’ll see and experience nature at its most weird and wonderful.

Winding trail through Park Avenue Canyon.

Arches National Park

Climbing near Double Arch

All photos by Phil Corless

Photo by Whit Honea

The Manor at Glen Laurel Inn

There are times when a weekend getaway is in order. You just need a bit of pampering, a respite from the hectic daily grind, an escape from reality. An escape from the kids! The Glen Laurel Inn in Rockbridge, Ohio offers the penultimate romantic weekend getaway. Nestled well off the beaten path in the woods of Hocking Hills in Licking County The Glen Laurel Inn sits on a 140 acre estate among wooded trails, gorges and scenic waterfalls which only enhance the allure of this peaceful Scottish Country Inn.

The Inn offers a variety of accommodations from the well apportioned rooms and suites at the Manor or Carriage House to the private crofts (Scottish for small house) or cottages. And while each might be appealing in it’s own particular way, I highly recommend the cottages. Highly.

MacLeod Cottage

The cottages have a nice living area where you can wile away the hours nestled on the couch staring into the huge stone fireplace or out of the large window and into the woods and gorge below. Don’t worry, if you’re not good at staring at fires or trees there’s an entertainment center where you can play movies or listen to your favorite music.

There are huge sleigh beds in the bedrooms and and enormous bathroom with a shower for two. The real draw here, though, is that through the double French doors in the bedroom leading to the back deck is your very own private hot tub. From there you can enjoy the soothing warmth of the water as you relax taking in the constantly changing nature with which you are surrounded. Nothing quite compares.

The Camusfearna Gorge at Glen Laurel

The Glen Laurel Inn lists numerous on-site and local activities:

• Hiking in the Camusfearna Gorge. Over two miles of the most beautiful and breathtaking nature trails imaginable.
• Over 50 species of birds have been identified at Glen Laurel including a pair of Bald Eagles
• The seclusion of Glen Laurel makes perfect opportunity for star gazing. Clear skies abound.
• There is a fire pit available to guests for evening bonfires.
• Golf is available at the nearby Brass Ring Golf Club
• Horseback riding at the local Spotted Horse Ranch
• Antique shopping in nearby Logan
• Canoeing at Lake Logan
• Local workshops (photography, kayaking, riding)

Please visit the website at the Inn for more detailed information on these activities. Since our last visit, they have added a day spa.

For the record, I have participated in none of the extra activities listed above. That’s ZERO. Glen Laurel is so absolutely comfortable and inviting that there is, in my humble opinion, no reason to leave the cottage. Except….(There’s always an except!)

Nothing Says Dinnertime Like Bagpipes!

Dinner. While the cottages are equipped with a small kitchenette and you could easily survive your romantic getaway on wine, cheese, frosted flakes, finger sandwiches and vitamin B (all readily available at the local grocery) you will definitely want to partake in the Inn’s famous five or seven course dinner.

The Edinburgh Dining Room at Glen Laurel

Guests are called to dinner by the distinctive sounds of bagpipes wafting through the early evening air. That waft is soon followed by the aroma of what can only be described as gourmet goodness. It’s a dinner that will not be soon forgotten, served intimately in the manor dining hall. There’s candlelight, music, poetry and visits with the chef. (Jackets are required on Saturday evenings.)

The Glen Laurel Inn has been labeled “the premier romantic getaway in the Midwest.” It’s a moniker well deserved. I suppose the only drawback is that at some point, you have to return to reality and back to your own home.

The Glen Laurel Inn has very specific policies regarding pets and children, please be sure to contact them prior to arriving with either. All photos courtesy of the Glen Laurel Inn.