Within about a 20-30 minute drive of Mammoth Lakes are a number of hot springs overlooking some of California's most scenic vistas. The hot springs tend to be small - either natural pools or concrete. The roads are often rough to reach these hot springs and an all wheel higher clearance vehicle is recommended - although if the roads are dry and you are careful - you can reach any of the ones listed below with a 2wd vehicle. Often people camp at … [Read more...]
Paros, Greece
The sun always shines with its comforting warmth, the beaches bask in its bright glow and the people are so tan they appear almost golden. This is Paros in the summer time. With the right balance between space, tourists and infrastrucutre complemented perfectly with beautiful vistas, Paros is one of our dream destinations. Located south of Athens among numerous islands, the two nearest islands are Antiparos and Naxos. Paros (population about … [Read more...]
Bishop, CA – Hotels
For a town its size there are a proportionately large number of hotels (and certainly many more hotels then some of its smaller town neighbors in both the north and south). Most offer free Wi-Fi and many are fisherman friendly (offering fish cleaning facilities). Unless otherwise noted all prices range from 1 person/1 room/1 bed to 2 person/1 room/2 beds. All ratings if available are listed with each hotel. Prices are subject to change … [Read more...]
Guadalajara, Mexico
This is the 3rd in a series of five travel articles written about select locations in Mexico. These select locations are Oaxaca, Manzanillo, Guadalajara, and Colima. More recently we have written an article on Xcalak, located in the Yucatan Peninsula, near the border of Belize. Guadalajara has approximately 1.5 million residents, with estimates of up to 4.5 million including the suburbs. Even with such a sizable population, I did not get the … [Read more...]
Guadalajara, Mexico – Tequila
Santiago de Tequila or simply, Tequila, is a typical Mexican town except for one major distinction; it is the home of tequila production including both larger factories as well as artisan producers and distilleries. It is the namesake city of this famous adult beverage. One realizes they are getting close to Tequila when passing by fields and fields of cultivated blue agave plants used to make the tequila. Historically the sugars from the … [Read more...]
Monterey, CA – Nearby Towns
Note that despite a fairly small population in Monterey and surrounding communities - during rush hour traffic can be quite bad in and around Monterey - in the Cannery Row area and Highway 1 in and around Sand City. Allow extra time if traveling during these early morning and late afternoon weekday times. Castroville is a small town about 20 minutes north of Monterey - located just off of Highway 1. The self anointed artichoke center of the … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico
We first visited the city of Oaxaca in December, during the dry season so some of our mentions in this article may be seasonally related. For example, some of the fruits we saw in the markets are only ripe during that time of year, and some of the festivals we experienced certainly only occur during December. Oaxaca (elevation 5,084 feet, population 265,000) is located in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The Oaxaca airport offers … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA
The city of Palm Springs quickly conjures up images of swaying palms, amorphous pools, golf courses, the strip, and heat. This is all true; there are many native and non native palm trees, a large plethora of golf courses, good shopping downtown and Palm Springs in the wintertime is often among the warmest areas to visit in the state of California. You can be hiking in the desert canyons nearby and the temperatures can be pushing 80 degrees while … [Read more...]
Palm Springs, CA – Tram Hike
We have visited Palm Springs a number of times in January for the warm wintertime weather. The weather was what we had expected during the day each trip with temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's. In fact the town of Coachella (south of Palm Springs) recorded the nation's high temperature during one of our trips. We were staying with a group of 15 people in a time share condo. The condo was built against the base of a hill, and at night the … [Read more...]
Oaxaca, Mexico – Markets
Oaxaca is known for both its artisan crafts and local foods. Brilliantly colored wood carvings are much sought after by visitors. These carvings often differ dramatically in both quality and price. A general rule is to spend time shopping around - do not purchase the first item you see just because you like it. With so many similar items available, competition is high for your peso. Perhaps you will return to that original item but chances are … [Read more...]
