Vacations Blog

Mickey O'Lantern

It’s now.  I mean, if you were wondering.

Just after school starts, on a weekday in the fall, during a recession.

My husband and I took our boys there today for the first time.  Aside from two rides with waiting times of an hour each, we hardly waited for anything.  No unruly crowds, no unbearable heat, short wait times, even multiple passes on the same ride. No waits for food.  No lines for the rest room.

And if I can be a bit more specific, if your birthday is between tomorrow and December 31, 2009, the best time to go would be your birthday.  You get free admission to the park, a spiffy button that says “Happy Birthday [name]” and birthday wishes from strangers all day long.

Five minute wait for this ride? Unheard of!

[photos by Kim and Stewart Prince]

Seattle Central Library: Admission Always Free

If you are one of the thousands or travelers to Seattle every week and are looking for a few ‘inexpensive’ things to see to supplement your stay, read on.

Considering that the Fall weather in Seattle is still pleasant and at times beautiful, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to take in this cosmopolitan city which is surrounded by abundant natural beauty.  With that in mind, here is a short list of  FREE (You can’t get any less expensive than that)activities in my fair city that can fill up an agenda and serve as a supplement to a memorable Northwest vacation.  See you around town.

1. Free Sail at Center for Wooden Boats - Located on the South end of picturesqe Lake Union, the Center for Wooden Boats moors dozens of beautiful wooden boats of all shapes and sizes.  Most are sail boats, and on Sunday afternoons you can show up a little before 2:00 PM and sign up to take a free family sail.  It is a terrific way to enjoy the water with stunning views of the surrounding city. Read More »

Fall Offers Some Great Northwest Hiking Opportunities

Autumn in the Northwest is a beautiful time of the year.  And although it means that cooler temperatures and wet weather are just around the corner, it doesn’t  also mean the end of your opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the natural beauty of the region.  October ushers in the vibrant colors of the season to the regions abundant hiking trails.

Many hiking opportunities are just a short drive from metropolitan Seattle and can have you home and relaxing before the earlier dusk settles in.  Not sure where to start?  A great place to start is this link from the Washington Trails Association highlighting Fall hiking in the region.  A quick Internet search will also yield plenty of other options. 

So, if you are looking for a refreshing way to experience the colors of Northwest  this Fall, consider a local hiking trail.  Just remember to be safe out there.

Photo courtesy of brianholsclaw from flickr creative commons

Taliesin West, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is an estate designed and built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The property was built as his personal residence, where he lived until his death in 1959 at the age of 92. The property is currently the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

Tours of the property are offered year-round – the most popular of which is the 90-minute “Insights” tour, which features the newly restored living quarters and “Garden Room”. Other tours feature outbuildings and hiking paths throughout the surrounding Sonoran Desert. A three-hour “behind the scenes” tour is offered for architecture enthusiasts. Select dates during the Christmas season feature the 2-Hour “Holiday Night Lights”, during which refreshments are served and carols entertain the visitors as they view the property decked out in holiday splendor.

Taliesin West is located at 12621 North Frank LLoyd Wright Blvd in Scottsdale. The entrance is located at the intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd and Cactus Road. Parking is free and tour tickets can be purchased in the Gift Shop, which is close to the main parking lots. A variety of pricing packages (from $18 to $55) are available depending on which parts of the property you wish to tour. Reservations are recommended.

Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- “Taliesin West” by Bluecanary Dreams on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Taliesin West Interior” by AndyB on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Taliesin West” by Khamis Hammoudeh on Flickr Creative Commons.

My regular readers reader knows that I’ve written once or twice about my home town of Clayton.  Well, I would be dreadfully remiss in my “representin” duties if I did not blog about our annual Oktoberfest.

This year’s Oktoberfest was held on the weekend of September 26-27. Yea, I know. Don’t ask me. I guess all the weekends in October were spoken for. Whatever. In fairness though, that other Oktoberfest actually begins mid-late September, and ends in early October, so I guess we Claytonites just decided to jump right into the middle of the whole brew-ha-ha.  Get it??

*crickets*

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Majestic Lake Powell in Page, Arizona

With nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, Lake Powell stretches into both Utah and Arizona. On a houseboat you can explore the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell area. The rock canyons and towers are one of the most beautiful sites in the world. If you don’t want to stay on the water or guide your own boat, there are tours available as well as hotels RV parks, and campgrounds. All together it makes a complete family vacation package in a place with a rich history of being a backdrop for numerous movies such as Planet of the Apes and Maverick.

Family oriented activities include golf, guided fishing excursions, boat rentals with GPS, powerboat with water toy rentals and a complimentary Lake Powell Explorer pack aimed at younger kids and their parents. The pack includes a parent’s guide, hiking maps, word puzzles and a field trip to the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center.

Glen Canyon near Lake Powell, Page, Arizona

Book a package with days between November 5th to 8th and you can be a part of the Balloon Street Fair and watch the Hot Air Balloon Regatta fly overhead.

Photo credits both go to Wolfgang Staudt.

A sad day for Gizmo – a tiny pomeranian, who has been banned from entering Aspen, CO. The grevious crime for this horrible punishment? Biting the ankle of a worker at the Aspen Club on Aug 28, who then called the cops and had the dog thrown into Aspen Animal Shelter for 10 days.

Pomeranian

But that wasn’t enough. Municipal Judge Brooke Peterson ordered Gizmo’s owner Melinda Goldrich to ensure that the vicious dog would never be seen again in Aspen, on pain of being ‘confiscated’ and put to death.

Gizmo can no longer sit under the Aspens in Aspen, bark at the falling leaves and bite any passing ankle that he fancies. He can no longer wait for you to get off the ski-lift at Snowmass. He cannot hide under your seat in the shuttle bus which takes you to the majesty of the Maroon Bells. And he’s going to miss his personal favorite – stuck with the nice, fat ankles of tasty tourists in a gondola at Glenwood Caverns – with no escape route.

I’m sure you’re thinking this is all hyperbole. I mean, it would be understandable if the dog was a ferocious American Pit Bull Terrier. But Gizmo is a tiny Pomeranian.

See, the thing is, Gizmo has a thing for tasty ankles. He’s a serial biter and has already done time for the same offence. He was hauled up before the same judge earlier this year after biting someone in February. At that time, the judge had ordered Melinda Goldrich to make sure that the dog was never left unattended and free to pursue his ‘hobby.’

Tourists visiting Aspen can now walk around safely again – thanks to the courageous actions of the bitten victims, the long leash of the Aspen Police Dept and the Solomon-like wisdom of the Judiciary, who have split the dog from it’s owner. The reign of ankle-biting terror unleashed by Gizmo the Pomeranian is now over.

Only one question remains – Where did they send him to?

Photo by kjurnstorm

Travel to exciting destinations while receiving expert instruction to expand your photography skills!

Y Explore offers custom photography tours/workshops of Yosemite National Park. Learn techniques from expert photography instructors in the dramatic scenery that Yosemite is famous for. Photographic subjects during the tour include granite monoliths and domes, waterfalls, wildflowers, black bears, and other wildlife. All levels of photography experience are welcome. Prices range from $250 to $600 per person, depending on the workshop.

Combine your photography vacation to Northern California with Shasta Cascade regional destinations, such as exploring Historic Highway 99, taking a trip on the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train, or indulging in a luxury houseboat rental from Silverthorn Resort.

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