Vacations Blog

Manarola from the hiking trail

The Cinque Terre region of Italy is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” in Italian and is a collection of five small villages nestled into the cliffs on the Ligurian Sea. The villages were founded on agriculture and fishing, but now survive with the help of tourists dollars.

Cinque Terre is an easy day trip from Florence, Pisa or Milan (Pisa is the closest airport), but you should plan at least two days on the shortest trip, and more like 4-5 if you really want to relax. There’s not a whole lot to do in Cinque Terre really, but that is its charm.

Each of the five villages has its own distinct personality. Monterosso is the most resorty of the towns. It is the only one with full-service hotels and a true beach – though it is a rocky one. Just south of the town is Vernazza, another village popular with tourists and known for its picturesque harbor (it also has a very small beach).

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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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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 »

There really is nothing to do in the towns of Santa Paula and Ojai – and that’s exactly why we went. We could have driven 3 hours to Joshua Tree, sure, or gone down to Tijuana simply so we could write ‘…is in Mexico!’ on our Facebook profile and then hightail it back to San Diego – there’s enough to do outside of Los Angeles, but it all seemed so – goal orientated.

If you go to a National Park, you feel the need to hike and that’s just silly and in no way relaxing. If we went to a museum, I’d have to act like I know what my girlfriend was talking about all the while wondering if the café would give me a beer.

See – too many road trips out of town come with immense amounts of pressure. So when I asked ‘what’s there to do there?’ when she suggested it, she came back with ‘not a lot – there are some shops in Santa Paula and a cool little Mexican restaurant’, I was sold. Shops meant she had something to do and tequila meant I did as well. Read More »

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

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Many people think of the desert when they think of Southern Utah, but the desert can be beautiful. Encompassing over 3,700 acres, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes make an ideal location for part of your family adventure vacation. The dunes are created because winds flow between the Moccasin and Moquith mountains carrying grains of sand creating the beautiful park. The park is surrounded by the red sandstone cliffs Southern Utah is famous for. Add in the stunning blue sky and the green trees around the perimeter and you’ve got the perfect photo opportunity.

Yellow Flowers at Coral Pink Sand Dunes Utah State Park

If you go to Coral Pink Sand Dunes in your RV, there is an inexpensive campground on the premises. Kanab is nearby and makes a great place to stay if you’re not camping. You can rent off road vehicles in Kanab to play on the dunes as well as go hiking or sand tubing. Two popular places to hike are South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs, where ancient pictographs can be seen along the sand walls, and Moquith Mountains where you can actually see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The park has nice, maintained bathrooms and places for picnics. Check out the other nearby attractions here.

Photo credits – Top image by Passerine, bottom image by Respres.

Set in close proximity to the lovely Pisgah National Forest.  Nestled, and gently hugged by mountains and  guarded by rivers, Weaverville has that Relief Factor.  And, Brothers and Sister, I’ve not seen a Main Street this homespun since Bill Murray woke up in Punxsutawney.

Lets get you a place to stay, shall we?  You know, unload the van, stretch your legs.  The Inn on Main Street B&B has all you could ever need.  And when the Mrs. and I stayed there, for Breakfast, they served us up a frittata made with veggies and herbs out of the garden on premises.  Nice folks there.

Left Bank - Main Street Weaverville

Now that you have some fuel in you, lets get the kids into something before they eat the furniture.  May I suggest Lake Louise.  Just a short drive down HWY 23 (Meriman Ave.).  Ducks, geese…..and more ducks.  Lake Louise offers up a paved walking track perfect for strollers and when you hear the little Demons yell, “I’m sick of ducks!  Ducks are stupid!” Just point them in the direction of the fantastic playground and have a sit down.  The bench under the Willow tree is my favorite. Read More »