After the stresses of non stop travel the past month I was ready for some serious R&R. Seashell Momi is a Diver's and Surfer's hangout about 45 minutes south of the capital Nadi. Arriving in the dark after passing through beautiful green hills as far as the eye could see, I simply crashed. It was 8pm. I awoke the next morning, 14 hours later at 10am - still tired but certainly more refreshed. Apparently there are only 5 people staying here out of … [Read more...]
Touring Koror, Palau
Whenever we arrive to a new place, we attempt to learn about the country. Therefore, our first stop in Palau was the Belau National Museum where the exhibit: “A Cherechar A Lokelii: Palau Through the Years” gave us a detailed introductory education. Strolling through the halls we learned about the past presence and influences of the Spanish, Germans, Japanese and the United States from a historical context. The Spanish first visited Palau in … [Read more...]
Catalina Island: Crown Jewel of the Channel Islands
What: Santa Catalina Island, California When: Growing into a year round destination, but glorious in Spring/Summer Where: 22 miles (35 km) SouthWest of Los Angeles How: Private Boat, Helicopter, Jet Ski, or my favorite ferry… Catalina Express Ever visited the Channel Islands set conveniently off of Southern California? Then you may already be in-the-know. With a blended ambience of old hollywood meets quaint small town, … [Read more...]
7th Annual LA Travel & Adventure Show Packs Heat with an International Fiery Foods Challenge
New demos and competitions at the Culinary Stage announced LONG BEACH, CA - Any travel experience would be far from complete without exploring the destination's cuisine. Accordingly, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show TM, taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center on January 14-15, will feature delicious, interactive demonstrations at the Culinary Stage. The International Fiery Foods Challenge invites guests to take their taste … [Read more...]
Hacienda Campo Rico – Puerto Rico
We visited Hacienda Campo Rico today minutes from central San Juan in Puerto Rico. This 2000 acre plus "ranch" is home to several companies offering a variety of activities. After hopping on ATV's we ripped through the ranch, screaming through tall grass fields until reaching hills. Rocky, limestone, steep and rough were key components of driving here. We thought we had received our adrenaline boost for the day. Wrong, the Argo Amphibious … [Read more...]
More LA Times Travel Show
As always Los Angeles is a study in contrasts and that is the beauty of this incredible city. I'm just as comfortable at an exclusive party at a secret location on one of the blvd's in Hollywood or Beverly Hills as I am slurping up Menudo or enjoying Horchatas at a small taco stand in the heart of South Central or Watts. I'm always in town every year for the annual LA Times Travel Show. Like many things that are "big" in LA, this the largest … [Read more...]
Brand New Pavilion Hotel, Descanso Beach Club and Avalon Grille All Set to Open in May
Pavilion Hotel and Descanso Beach Club Anticipated for May 14th Opening, Avalon Grille on May 24th AVALON, Catalina Island, Calif. (May 12, 2010) - Santa Catalina Island is being reinvented this May with the opening of the new Pavilion Hotel and the completely transformed Descanso Beach Club on May 14 and the opening of Avalon Grille, the new waterfront restaurant, on May 24. The Pavilion Hotel, formerly the Pavilion Lodge, will re-open … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – Queenstown
Queenstown is the hub of outdoor activities on the South Island - IE the outdoor capital of New Zealand, especially in the summertime. The activities are seemingly endless! These include bungee jumping (A.J. Hackett founded the world's first commercial bungy jumping company in New Zealand) paragliding, hang gliding, zip lining, helicopter tours and jet boating. This area of New Zealand has been compared to the resort area of Lake Tahoe in … [Read more...]
Catalina, CA – Transportation
There are several ways to reach Catalina from the mainland including ferry, helicopter and private boat or plane. While Catalina has one airport (Airport in the Sky), this airport is not setup for commercial service. There are currently four mainland ports serviced by ferry to Avalon: San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point Catalina Express is the primary shuttle ferry operating out of three locations: Long Beach (the … [Read more...]
Catalina, CA – Activities
Cape Canyon Expedition offers a unique eco-adventure experience into the interior of the island. Tour offered once daily in the morning - guests meet at the Tour Plaza (next to the Golf Gardens). The tour is conducted using an eco friendly H1 Hummer (with a covered roof yet open/breezy experience. This vehicle runs on bio fuel from recycled vegetable oil collected from local restaurants in Avalon. The tour itself is rugged at times accessing … [Read more...]