The San Xavier del Bac Mission, located just south of Tucson, Arizona, was built from 1783 – 1797 by a pair of Franciscan Fathers. It has been in continuous operation as a functioning parish church of the Diocese of Tucson since its construction. The mission mixes styles from Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architectures – its elaborate arches, domes, and towers can be seen on the horizon for miles around the area.

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As I mentioned in my previous entry, I joined my husband last weekend up in Flagstaff, since he had to work a job up there and the hotel room was, therefore, free.

On Saturday night we went out on the town. We’re trying not to spend a whole lot of money, these days – I think everyone is feeling that way, lately. So our goal was to have as much fun and hit as many places as we could, for as little money as possible.

First we stopped at Altitudes and had a beer ($3.25 each – we like microbrews, domestic beer is cheaper), and we split the hummus plate with veggies and pita triangles ($6.99). We lounged there for a good hour, watching college football and conversing with the bartenders. Grand total spent (including a $5 tip): $19.84.

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Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is home to the world’s largest natural hot springs pool.  Perfect for those cold winter days.  Or, in our case, a blizzard-like spring day.  As the snow fell that afternoon, there was no better place for my wife and kids to be than in the balmy 98-degree water of the Glenwood Hot Springs.

A Wordless Wednesday contribution.

Photo by Phil Corless

Lake Como, Switzerland

I was 16 years old when I visited Lake Como, Switzerland.

That was over *cough, cough* a lot of years ago, but it’s a place that instantly carved itself into my heart and I vowed before leaving to return someday.  I have traveled to many places since then, and Lake Como remains one of my favorite locations on Earth.

Lake Como is located between Milan and Switzerland and my visit there was a short day trip in the middle of an Italian vacation.  We made our way to the town of Como from Milan and spent time shopping in the village before touring the lake itself. Read More »

The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.

Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.

Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).

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Until a few years back, a vacation meant piling the kids into the back and hitting the road. But times change, and now you have a whole new bunch of requirements to fulfill before you can even think about the beach, a cold beer and some peace and quiet.

Beach Vacation

If you don’t want your neighbors and colleagues to look down on you, follow this list of ’friendly’ things that your vacation has to be.

1. Environment-friendly:- It’s bad enough that your vacation destroys your entire year’s savings. Don’t let your vacation be blamed for the destruction of the earth. Find a destination which cares about their surroundings, get a green hotel, try to avoid trips by air and don’t do stuff which will be harmful to the environment – like wasting water, and leaving trash and beer cans in the outdoors or on the road. Read More »

Diamond Head - the peak is the edge of a huge crater

I didn’t do much research before I went to Oahu.  There, I said it.  I was fine just going with the flow, no guidebook to refer to, consulting the internet for information.  So when the airplane was touching down in Honolulu and my seatmate, a local resident, pointed out Diamond Head to me and said that you can hike to the top, I mentally put that on my to-do list.  Other island dwellers suggested I hike early, before it gets too hot, and at sunrise if possible.

No, not possible.  I was on the run from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep every one of the few days I was there, so the best I could do was set my alarm for 6:15 on a Sunday morning, the day I was scheduled to catch a 12:30 PM flight.  My hotel was just a short ride from the Diamond Head Visitor’s Center, and my internet research told me the hike would be short, so I figured I could fit it in before breakfast.

And so I did.  And because I was not up there literally at the crack of dawn, I had a better time of it.  You see, this is one of those bus tour type of attractions, and that morning there were several on site with loads of tourists who had ascended to watch the sun come up.  I had the pleasure of greeting them all on their way down, which left a few stragglers at the top once I arrived, and even pockets of pure, quiet solitude. Read More »

Are you looking for ideas for your next vacation?  Want to go somewhere, but can’t decide exactly where?

Perhaps you should check out one of the Top 10 US Cities to Visit.  Of course, whether or not a city is the best is a subjective opinion – but Conde Nast Traveler has taken a poll of its readers collective subjective opinions and come up with 10 American Cities that you’re most likely to enjoy visiting.  With cities from across the country highlighted, there should be a great vacation destination for everyone.

Top 10 Best Places To Visit In The Us

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge - Best US City to Visit

1.  San Francisco, California

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of San Francisco, California is The Golden Gate Bridge.  Residents rave about the culture and the year round mild weather that’s never too hot or too cold.  Visitors to San Francisco can stay in some of the country’s most eco-friendly hotels and enjoy organic dining.  UpTake’s own Cat Lincoln shares insider information on San Francisco via podcast.

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