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 [...]
Surfing – in Montreal?
I’d never heard of river surfing until I was planning a recent trip to Montreal. Then suddenly it seemed it was all anyone asked about – “are you going to try surfing the St. Lawrence while you’re in Montreal?” I confess I was a bit perplexed. As a native Californian, I associate surfing solely with [...]
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 [...]
My Top 5 Travel Blogs for 2010 (So Far)
I’m addicted to travel, and when I’m home I’m addicted to reading about travel. Lately my passion has taken the form of finding new travel blogs to follow. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good travel magazine, with big glossy pictures, a can’t-stop-reading narrative and lots of helpful boxes to cut out and save. [...]
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 [...]
Rows of Empty Beach Chairs Line Ixtapa/Zihua Beaches: Are They Calling to You?
Mexico’s had a really hard time lately. In fact let’s be honest; this poor country’s gotten a really bum rap. Crime wave? It was limited to a few border cities most Gringos rarely visit. Swine flu? It turned out to be worse in the states. The last thing they needed was a hijacking — which, [...]
Living Lightly on the Central Coast
There are all kinds of trips, and sometimes what you most need is a getaway in the deepest sense of that word. To get away from every aspect of your normal routine and try something a little different. Treebones Resort, at the southern end of Big Sur, is the kind of place you can do [...]
Labor No More: Labor Day Weekend Suggestions to Restore Sanity
I’m all for honoring unions, but the name given to the long weekend in September that marks the end of summer and return to school-year craziness has always seemed like such a silly misnomer to me. After all, Labor Day weekend offers us one last chance to refresh our minds and bodies before gearing up [...]
Adventure Vacations Bring Parents and Teens Closer
In my opinion, absolutely the best vacation for a family with teenagers is an adventure-soaked trip full of unexpected challenges. Nothing helps parents and teens overcome the distance, dissing, and disrespect that divide us like clutching each other and screaming down class 3 rapids, or trying together to translate directions on a local bus in [...]
Yelapa: An Hour By Boat Yet Centuries Away from Puerto Vallarta
The contrast between the high-rise resorts of Puerto Vallarta and your first glimpse of Yelapa couldn’t be greater. Accessible only by water taxi or private boat, the tiny fishing village is little but a rundown pier, a few stores and colorful houses that stagger up the hillside behind the cove. There’s also one of the [...]
