Stopping the Clock in Scotland
The garden terrace at GlenEagles, perfect for breakfast I love the term the folks across the pond use for vacations: holidays, or “hols” for short. It’s perfectly descriptive, suggesting a sense of celebration and release. Another evocative term they use is “break,” as in the kids are on school break. It suggests a break from [...]
Rancho La Puerta: A Wellness Retreat Ahead of Its Time
Sunrise on Mount Kuchumaa This week I have a chance to visit a place I’ve been hearing about all my life. Legendary Esalen, the Big Sur retreat that everyone raved about while I was growing up in the crazy ’70s? Nope, not Esalen — Esalen was modeled on this place. It’s Rancho La Puerta, founded [...]
10 Fun Things to Do with Teens in Chicago
Chicago’s a famously family-friendly town, but many of the top attractions, like Navy Pier and the Shedd Aquarium, are best for school-age kids and lack the “cool” factor that commits something to a teen’s memory banks. Here are ten things to do with teens in Chicago that they a) can’t do anywhere else b) won’t [...]
Chicago the Cycling City
The first thing we realized when planning our trip to Chicago was how much there was to see. Four days wasn’t going to be nearly enough time to make it to our long list of “must-dos”: The Art Institute, Millennium Park, the Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, The Museum of Science and Industry, [...]
5 Top Resource Blogs for Active Adventures
“I need my own personal expedition planner,” a friend said to me the other day at a party. “I want to plan biking and hiking trips but don’t know where to start.” I know the feeling. I could try to answer all the questions that turn up in post comments asking about bike rides, river [...]
Best Bay Area Walks: Wildflowers and Waterfalls, Part I
Spring flowers may be the primary product of April showers according to conventional wisdom, and in the hills and green belt areas that ring the San Francisco Bay Area there are plenty of those. But another result of all that water is, well…. more water than most of us are used to. Which means certain [...]
Pool Pursuit in Phoenix: A Healthy Family Spring Break
Wish your kids were a tad more — well, active? Want a surefire weapon to combat couch potato syndrome? A great way to tempt kids outdoors and keep them active and engaged is to plan a family getaway around a hotel with a great kid-friendly pool. Add features like water slides and lazy rivers and [...]
How Do You Stay Healthy and Energized When You Travel?
Jet lag, too much good food, nowhere to exercise – there are lots of barriers to staying healthy when you travel, and it’s all too common to arrive home tired, achy, and ready to pull out your “fat jeans.” At a recent travel writers twittathon, I was asked the above question, and it made me [...]
A New Year’s Goal: 12 Months, 12 Peak Experiences
New Year’s resolutions most often seem to take the form of numbers, lists and steps. But so often this goal-forming process leads us to focus on the trivial rather than the significant. Wbether we set out to lose ten pounds, clear our clutter or get a new job, these goals keep us sequestered squarely in [...]
Following the Sun South to Find Outdoor Adventure
When I have to scrape ice off my car before driving my kids to school, I start obsessing about heading south in search of warmth and sun. Like many people, I suspect, I love the outdoors, but hate the cold. Let’s face it, hiking just isn’t as fun when your nose is pink and your [...]
