A View of the Atlantic From Oak Bluffs

As a lifelong New England resident, it was hard to believe that I had never been to Martha’s Vineyard.  My husband and I decided to remedy that earlier this summer, when we celebrated our tenth anniversary on the Vineyard.  The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce had offered to host us for a two-night stay, so we sent our kids to Grandma and Grandpa, and got on our Steamship Authority ferry to the island.

At the time, I wasn’t too familiar with the different towns on the Island, so I let the experts choose our location.  We were booked at the Edgartown Commons, an efficiency hotel located walking distance from the town center.  In hindsight, that was absolutely the right location for us – there were loads of shops and restaurants within walking distance, as well as a fabulous, quiet beach (Lighthouse Beach).

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This is a guest post from Yvonne Condes, a blogger in Los Angeles who specializes in gluten-free baking.  She and her husband and two young boys look for moderate to easy hikes to enjoy together on the weekends.  Note the many places where you can get a spectacular view of the ocean.

One of the great things about visiting Los Angeles is access to hiking, biking, and walking trails. Here are a few fun, easy to moderate hikes to do with your kids.

Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains:  This hike works well with both younger and older kids. There’s a nice paved trail that will take you to the ruins of the beautiful Roberts House, which was destroyed in a 1982 wildfire. If you’re feeling adventurous, the family can climb over a few rocks and see some lovely little waterfalls. Or if you feel like a workout, you can head to Upper Solstice Canyon and enjoy a 3 hour hike with spectacular ocean views.

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Downtown Chandler Arizona

Chandler Arizona is kicking off the fall season with its annual TASTE Culinary Festival on Saturday, October 2nd. Enjoy the cooling (FINALLY!) weather as you stroll among the shops and restaurants along the Historic Downtown Chandler Promenade. The gourmet food and wine tasting event showcases Chandler’s diverse business and restaurant population.

Featured restaurants include Cathy’s Rum Cake, Red White and Brew, The Urban Tea Loft, and Kokopelli Winery and Bistro, among many others. A silent auction benefiting the Chandler Service Club includes dozens of items, such as tickets to football games, rounds of golf, food and beverage gift cards, and a night for two at The Buttes.

General admission is $45.00 per person, and includes unlimited food tasting, as well as twelve beverage tastings from local wine, spirit, and beer vendors. VIP tickets cost $75.00 per person, or $135.00 per couple. VIP admission includes valet parking, access to the culinary courtyard and VIP lounge, demonstrations by the Le Cordon Bleu School Chef, live jazz music, and a chance to win a cruise for two. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. and continues until 10:00.

My husband and I are going. It’s a great opportunity to hold hands and stroll, sample good food and listen to good music, and get all romantic with our bad selves.

Photo Credit: Kevin Dooley on Flickr Creative Commons.

The Popular "Shoe" Ride at Storyland

If you are a New England parent of little ones, at some point in your life you’ll probably consider visiting Story Land, located in Glen, New Hampshire in the heart of the White Mountains.  Story Land, which is most appropriate for kids 8 and under, is an institution in New Hampshire, and has entertained generations of children.

We like to go to Story Land over two days.  If you purchase a full-price admission ticket during the last three hours of any day (after 3:00pm July and August, or after 2:00pm other months), and you’ll receive a free pass to come back the next day.  We’ll go one day right at the three hour mark and do most of the activities at the front of the park, and then on day two, we head straight to the back of the park. Read More »