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Five easy hikes in San Francisco
With over 40 hilltops (and 70 by some accounts), San Francisco is the second hilliest city in the world. While we residents are accustomed to our unusual topography, visitors can get weak in the knees just thinking about some of our epic ascents. As the founder of Urban Hiker SF, it’s my job and my pleasure…
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Five easy hikes in San Francisco
With over 40 hilltops (and 70 by some accounts), San Francisco is the second hilliest city in the world. While we residents are accustomed to our unusual topography, visitors can get weak in the knees just thinking about some of our epic ascents. As the founder of Urban Hiker SF, it’s my job and my pleasure…
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Snag off-season discounts at luxury resorts
From Cape Cod to Lake Tahoe, luxury properties at ski resorts and beaches offer deep discounts in their off season – springtime. Here are some springtime getaway ideas for travelers with wanderlust. Ritz Carlton (Lake Tahoe, California): Beginning May 6th, starting rates drop 40%, starting at $199 per night. Special romance, golf or Spring Spa…
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Ten tips to avoid jet lag
As a travel writer, I frequently fly across oceans and time zones. Here are my travel-tested tips to avoid jet lag or minimize jet lag fatigue. 1. Avoid alcoholic beverages, or salty drinks (like Bloody Mary mix) and caffeine during the flight. 2. Drink a glass of water every hour you travel. 3. Keep your feet…
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Celebrate remission from breast cancer with a trip.
When Judy’s doctor called and gave her the good news about her remission from breast cancer, we screamed, laughed and cried together. “Let’s do something big – let’s take a trip,” Judy suggested. For several months we were always too busy –work, family, doctors appointments, dog sitters — there were always good excuses. Finally the…
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Celebrate remission from breast cancer with a trip.
When Judy’s doctor called and gave her the good news about her remission from breast cancer, we screamed, laughed and cried together. “Let’s do something big – let’s take a trip,” Judy suggested. For several months we were always too busy –work, family, doctors appointments, dog sitters — there were always good excuses. Finally the…
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Check list: day before travel
Packing is such a pain. Lists help me reduce the stress. Here’s my list of last minute items I’ve forgotten in the past: cell phone charger, night gown, toothpaste, washcloth (many hotels overseas do not provide them), large safety pin or clothespin to fully close hotel drapes, a rubber door stopper for added security in hotel…
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Visit the star-studded sunnylands in palm springs
Truth be told I didn’t expect to be so spellbound by Sunnylands. The name put me off. I rather expected a Hollywood set. The 200-acre historic estate, located in Rancho Mirage, CA near Palm Springs, is quite the opposite; filled with priceless art, gorgeous gardens, and renowned architecture where, for more than forty years, celebrities…
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Book: “Gutsy Mamas: Travel Tips and Wisdom for Mothers on the Road”
In this pocket tome, Marybeth Bond dispenses invaluable advice on staying healthy on the road, traveling to third world countries and close to home, traveling to adopt abroad, and keeping children of all ages entertained and adults energized. If you have infants, toddlers, or teens, whether you’re going on your first trip as a mother…
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Summer travel tips
Summer travel tips so your vacation will go more smoothly. Most of us plan our vacations months before we travel. The more preparation we do, the less stress we’ll have when the time come to take off. In this short video, I share some tips that will minimize the misery and maximize the magic…
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Summer travel tips
Summer travel tips so your vacation will go more smoothly. Most of us plan our vacations months before we travel. The more preparation we do, the less stress we’ll have when the time come to take off. In this short video, I share some tips that will minimize the misery and maximize the magic…
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A scorpion hunt for nature enthusiasts. follow the call of the weird and wild.
In addition to birding or hiking, many nature enthusiasts look for the weird and wild such as a scorpion hunt to break out of the mold. Consider these wild and wooly events some national wildlife refuges have planned this spring. Earn bragging rights on a Scorpion Hunt Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge – Alamo, NV Moapa…
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The best meat in Hong Kong (foodie heaven)
Hong Kong really has become foodie heaven with a truly dizzying array of restaurants in a relatively small area. I find the combination of street food, Asian influences and the vast wealth that brings some of the world’s top chefs and restaurant brands works together to create a Disneyland of the palate. Blue Butcher is a newer spot in…
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My favorite walks in San Francisco
Despite its reputation for dizzying hills, San Francisco is a town for walking. Every weekend for seven years when I lived in San Francisco, I laced up my comfiest walking shoes and headed for varied neighborhoods and parks. Try a few of these walks and you too will be struck by the juxtaposition of urbanity and…
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Travel life lesson #2: feeling small
I’ve stood at the precipitous edge of the Grand Canyon and felt as tiny as a flea. I’ve climbed to the top of Mt. Nimbus in the Canadian Rockies with my daughter and walked across a precarious suspension bridge, feeling dwarfed by the natural wonders around me. I’ve plunged into the paradise blue of the ocean…
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The 10 cities with the most pride
From Miami to Honolulu and every town in between, people are generally very proud of the place they are from. But what makes the citizens of a certain city passionate about it? For one, it has to have character; something that is unique to that city that one won’t find anywhere else. Second, the positive…