How, you ask, are the UpTake Vacation writers spending their fall? Well, thanks for asking. We’re doing a lot of this:

Lehner Pumpkin Farm in Radnor, Ohio

Linus: Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He’s gotta pick this one. He’s got to. I don’t see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there’s not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

Entry and photo by Ed.

Read More »

The W is for woof.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to stay at the W Hotel in beautiful San Diego.  My mixed feelings on that will come out in a later post.  Hey, that’s like suspense!

On the corner outside of the hotel’s main entrance you will find this water station for your canine companion, which is a nice touch.  Downtown San Diego is great for walking, which means yours dogs bark and your dogs get thirsty.

Seeing as right inside the lobby the price of water jumps up about $6 per bottle, you may want to sneak a sip or two for yourself.  It’s a recession, people.

Photo by Whit Honea

For more family-friendly (what? dogs are family!) travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

What's your Twitter handle, pal?

Here’s how I learned to never underestimate a tourist attraction.

One advantage of being a social person is that I get to meet lots of different people and I’m not afraid to find out what their stories are.  I’m truly interested in them.  And because of that, interesting things come my way.  And so it happened that during my very short stay in Hawaii, I found myself in a submarine 107 feet below the surface of Waikiki bay.  And it was awesome.
Read More »

Who can argue that autumn is one of the most colorful times of year?

That was a rhetorical question.

Fall is pretty, mostly because of the glorious displays put on by the fall leaves changing color.  This phenomenon occurs all over the United States, but some spots offer better views than others.  Grab your camera and a road atlas and take a day trip to one of the 11 best fall foliage sites in America.

11 Places To See Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves on Carriage Road at Acadia National Park

1.  Acadia National Park – Maine

Of course anywhere in the North East is going to boast spectacular fall foliage.  The Acadia National Park offers gorgeous views and extensive Ranger-led educational programs so that you can learn more about what you’re staring at.  Make sure to head to Bar Harbor Maine before the end of October to take full advantage of the sights and services available.

Fall Leaves at Oak Mountain State Park

2.  Oak Mountain State Park – Alabama

Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama’s largest state park.  This nearly 10,000 acre forest is featured on several sight seeing lists.  Admission is only $3 for adults on weekends and holidays.  You can visit the park for fall foliage viewing from 7am to sundown.

Fall Foliage in New Hampshire

3.  Mt. Washington – New Hampshire

While it’s typical to see fall foliage while you’re driving, the Mount offers guided cruises on the M/S Mount Washington.  Starting Sunday, September 27, the Mount will offer Fall Foliage Dinner Cruises from 4:30 to 7 p.m. each Sunday through mid-October. The cruise departs from Weirs Beach, boarding at 4 p.m. Cost for adults is$43. Visit Cruise Mount Washington for more information.

Fall Color in Colorado

4.  Aspen – Colorado

It’s no surprise that Aspen, Colorado is the perfect place to watch the Aspen trees change colors with the seasons.  San Isabel National Forest offers extensive trails for viewing of some of the most fabulous aspen trees in Colorado.

New York Fall Foliage

5.  The Catskills – New York

The Catskills and Hudson Valley region is about a two hour drive from New York City.  One of the unique features of this area is that the color changing season lasts about six weeks, with colors rivaling those of its North Eastern neighbors, Vermont and Massachusetts.

Read More »

It’s time for another rousing edition of Travel Around the Internet! Brace yourself.

Here are just a few of the items that have shuffled across our inbox lately:

Disney Cruise specials and kids sail free!

Marriott wants to Twitter, email and Facebook you to Hawai’i! By all means, let them!

Read More »

Shadow Play

With school underway the extended weekend and multi-day trips will be harder and harder to come by.  Unless you don’t have school-aged kids, then bite me. Read More »

Aerial view of the Grand Canyon

The friendly informative pilot of my Southwest Air flight from Chicago to Los Angeles one sunny July day pointed out this incredible view from our airplane.  Sometimes it pays to be unable to sleep during air travel.  This photo was shot with an iPhone.

Objects in mirror are dorkier than they appear.

My husband and I leave on our Epic Summer Road Trip (links to the five-part story of our planning process are at the end of this entry) in exactly 40 hours. We’ve been scurrying, and list-making, and list-checking-off, and thinking of a dozen last-minute details that need to be accomplished before we leave.

For instance, we need to buy a rat tonight to feed our snake, who eats every two to three weeks. It just wouldn’t do to leave our daughter, who is house sitting for us, at the mercy of a hungry 5 1/2 foot Ball Python, now would it?

Hard drive storage suddenly became a concern, because I plan on taking a lot of pictures. I probably won’t follow my own advice about putting the camera down, so we ended up putting the portable hard drive on the list of gear to pack. See, we rented some lenses for our Canon Rebel XTi, and I’m enjoying them so much so far that I anticipate taking many, MANY more pictures than would be my usual desire.

Read More »