There’s no place like home, but when a trip is ending, I’m always a little sad unless I’ve got the next excursion in mind. Coming home after almost three weeks of having a fantastic time in the Emilia-Romagna and Puglia regions of Italy, I needed to plan a getaway! I found solace in Carmel-by-the-Sea. About a two-hour drive south from San Francisco, Carmel is a convenient getaway for area residents or visitors to San Francisco Bay Area. … [Read more...]
Search found 27 results for: Camino
A Perfect Day in Santa Fe
When people think of Santa Fe, they usually conjure up images of adobe buildings or art. While art and architecture are intrinsic parts of Santa Fe's identity, there's a whole lot more going on in the City Different. Unofficially, we're the funny bumper sticker capital of America. The city is also extremely old, as Santa Fe was founded thirteen years before the Pilgrims made it to Plymouth Rock. If you only have one day to visit, here's how to … [Read more...]
I’m Off Then
I'm Off Then by Hape Kerkeling Hape admits he is sometimes a couch potato but sets off anyways on the intriguing and spiritual journey across the Pyrenees to the Spanish shrine of St. James (Santiago de Compostela). This is story of Hape's interesting and at times humorous experiences (Hape is a well-known German comedian and his humor definitely shows through in this book) on the Camino Santiago where "pilgrims" stay in free refugios and … [Read more...]
The Golden Triangle of Andalucia
The rattle of castanets and the sob of guitars drift into the narrow streets from hole-in-the-wall flamenco night spots. Not since tears would come to my eyes when Hansel and Gretel got lost in the woods, had I ever imagined that I could be lost in a forest. But here I was, fully-grown and wandering in the late afternoon gloom, softly calling for my husband. Softly because this was no ordinary woods but a hallowed forest with 850 towering … [Read more...]
LA Freeways, Los Angeles Freeways
Los Angeles, CA – LA Freeways, Los Angeles Freeways - The freeways of Los Angeles and Orange County. The people of Southern California are in a love hate relationship with their freeways. The logo of Los Angeles could be a number of things, but it might very well in fact be one of the automobile. There is an intensity and power found on Los Angeles freeways rarely found in other big cities. The freeways in Los Angeles were among the first and … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – City Parks
As of last count,there are over 600 public parks within the Los Angeles city limits - ranging from tiny green spaces to larger parks tucked away in the Hollywood Hills. We continue to explore the city's public park terrain and will update this page as time permits. Barnsdall Park is located right off Hollywood Blvd in East Hollywood (about 2 miles East of the 101 Freeway) on top of a hill ("Olive Hill") which affords one superb views of much … [Read more...]
Colima, Mexico – Hotels
Hotels in Colima range from dingy to better then average. We initially list the cheapest hotels below, and then some that we recommend for travelers with slightly larger budgets. Hotel La Merced is a clean, cheap and comfortable place to stay. During the hot and humid months, they even have a small "kiddies" pool available on their front lawn. Be sure to look at the rooms first - the best ones are in the back of the hotel. Hotel La Merced is … [Read more...]
Guadalajara, Mexico – Hotels
Because Guadalajara is so spread out geographically, driving distances between hotels can be as much as 30+ minutes. Note: some of these hotels are located in Tlaquepaque, an artisan based suburb about 20 minutes from downtown Guadalajara. We have visited, stayed or received recommendations for most of the ones listed below. Readers have also emailed us their comments about some of these hotels and in some cases have suggested additional … [Read more...]
Guadalajara, Mexico – Restaurants
From personal experience visiting other Mexican cities including Guadalajara, I have found that the cleanest restaurants and the ones with generally very good food are located in larger hotels. However, one should not overlook the smaller restaurants - do not rely solely on online ratings, ask locals for recommendations. Any prices listed are rough estimates for the cost of dinner for one person. However, most of these restaurants serve lunch … [Read more...]
Monterey, CA – Monterey Hotels
The prices listed below range from the lowest (the off season rates/single person - 1 room) to the highest (holidays and weekends /double person - one room). 'Motel Row' is situated along part of Munras Ave where motels are stacked up like houses, one after the other. These tend to be smaller one or two story older but well maintained properties, (unlike for instance, "Motel Row" in Tahoe's South Shore). Most are not immediately within a short … [Read more...]