-
California state park captures gold rush era. a western version of colonial williamsburg, virginia
Main Street in Columbia State Historic Park is designated for only horse-drawn vehicles. The state park is California’s version of Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum. Road tripping in Northern California? If you are headed to Yosemite National Park, plan a visit to Columbia, a State Park in Tuolumne County. California has the nation’s largest…
-
Top five favorite places in Switzerland.
My top five favorite places In Switzerland range from the Jungfrau region to Lake Maggiore in the south and they are easy to reach by train. At the Zurich International Airport, I jumped on a train and three hours later I stepped off in the fairy tale town of Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region, nestled…
-
How do you avoid the crowds? Overtourism, flight guilt and how to travel responsibly
Today most travelers have experienced overtourism and huge crowds at the popular tourist destinations: the Statue of Liberty, Yosemite National Park, Barcelona, the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. The statistics of overtourism in Europe are staggering: Barcelona received 9.7 million tourists in 2022, with 29.8 million overnight stays recorded in all. Many consumers are feeling pangs of…
-
Escape to Norway and cruise the fjords
Emerald fjords carved into the coast by glaciers are the ultimate symbol of Norway. If exploring this breathtaking scenery is on your bucket list, then a cruise is the way to go. After two sunny days in vibrant Amsterdam, we left the city always ready to party. Fortunately, we didn’t leave the fun-loving people behind.…
-
How to visit national parks and avoid crowds
For years I’ve been trying to figure out how to visit National Parks and avoid the crowds. From the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone and Bryce and Zion (all my favorite national parks), I’m zoning in on one park and 4 tips to help you enjoy your vacation. Yosemite National Park attracts 4.5 to 5 million…
-
Southern Italy where they’ve perfected the art of slowing down
When our cook, Fausta Solfa, mentioned that dinner would be at 7:30 pm, someone in our group asked: “Is that 7:30 pm regular time or Italia time?” The rest of us started laughing. Four days into our week-long sojourn in southern Italy and we were finally getting used to the pace: be ready by 8:30…
-
Holland america line celebrates new ship rotterdam
“Isn’t this fabulous? We are making history together as Holland America names the new ship Rotterdam with her Royal Highness” said Julia from Amsterdam. I agreed with Julia as we raised our mugs of cold Dutch beer in a toast. My husband and I had never been to a “Royal Ceremony” and we didn’t know…
-
Go beyond the vineyards for the sonoma county you may not know
When you think of Sonoma County, images come to mind of vineyards and vine-covered hillsides, elegant tasting rooms and fabulous dinners at intimate restaurants. Beyond the famous food, wine and vineyards, Sonoma offers plenty more to discover. Go West Beyond the rolling hills of vineyards, go west and discover forests of majestic redwoods along the…
-
Paris tips for women, solo travelers, romance.
Paris promises something for everyone – sophistication, beauty, culture, history, cuisines, art, escape and that nebulous quality called ambiance and tips from a resident help you capture it all. Hopefully when you visit Paris you’ll carve out time to do more than rush to the major tourists sites; the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the…
-
Treasures of california gold country
History, adventure, chic western towns and gold: You’ll find them all in California’s Calaveras County. As we drove to California Gold Country, between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, I was wowed from the get-go: a vivid landscape of golden-hued hills, grazing cows, a bounty of vineyards and picture postcard historic towns. What was less obvious is…
-
Carmel, monterey and big sur with your pet
Carmel, Monterey and beyond with your pet. Tips for pet travel. When I was young our pets stayed in the kitchen. When we started planning our pet travel to Monterey, Carmel and beyond, we were clueless. In the past, our poodles and terriers always knew their place–at the bottom of the family hierarchy. Over the…
-
Ditch the diet and follow the foodies along Napa Valley’s gourmet mile”
Now is not the time to start a diet: ditch your guilt and follow the foodies along Napa Valley’s Gourmet Mile! In the land of culinary riches that is Napa Valley, Yountville, a small town has big reputation for exceptional cuisine and extraordinary wine. Located in the heart of Napa, about an hour drive from San Francisco,…
-
Sonoma: jack London state park
After weeks of lockdown, my husband and I were eager to get moving again and enjoy a change of scenery. The Sonoma County Jack London State Park caught our attention. Many trails close to San Francisco, such as those on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, are super crowded on weekends, so we looked north to…
-
Stepping out solo in Paris
Alone in Paris. The art of dining alone. Text by Stephanie Levin Traveling alone for a woman affords multiple advantageous: she meets people she would never mingle with when traveling with a companion, she depends on herself for all decisions from where to hang her hat to switching itinerary mid-trip, no discussion. There are…
-
Love nepal? me too. here’s someone you need to meet. olga at nepal youth foundation.
Love Nepal? So do I. Meet Olga who founded the Nepal Youth Foundation and has served over 50,000 Nepalese children. The people of Nepal are personal to me. Years ago, I lost myself in the temple-filled alleys of Kathmandu, the quiet beauty of vistas from my tent in the high Himalayas, the thrill of walking…