I'll be heading to Texas to chaperone nieces who are going to an animation festival... while I explore the city!
Jotting down some suggestions...
Heading to York!
We have to go to the UK for business, and wanted to attach a holiday too! Since we have been to London, and live by the ocean, we decided to go inland, to somewhere we could experience lots of history. So York it is! Romans, Vikings, Normans, Scots, Tudors - lots of history!
Brigid's Google map
Lots to do! Follow Brigid's board NYC Baby! on Pinterest.
Flights
Getting from SLC to Park City:
In Park City - Bus Route (7am-11pm, some routes til 3am on Fri and Sat)
Skiing - discounts at Ski N See (not in Park City)
Vegetarian-friendly restaurants:
Calendar
Tuesday 2/3 - Full Moon
Wednesday 2/4
Thursday 2/5
Friday 2/6
Saturday 2/7
Sunday 2/8
Fun things to do in San Diego County and beyond
... and the Breweries and Wineries
Some events
We are doing another cruise! Last time it was the Panama Canal on Norwegian, this time it's New England/Canada on Holland America!Countdown:
I put together some helpful docs last time that we will re-use:
Things to do:
Notes:
Port descriptions and research
Fall foliage conditions in Maine!
Day 1 : D&G drive to Kevin's and Kevin's family drives them to the Boston Hotel Buckminster
DayPortArriveDepart
2Boston, Massachusetts, US embarkation 11:30am - 3:00pm4 PM
3Bar Harbor, Maine, US (tender) - Historic Lighthouses & Acadia National Park by Sea - Acadia National Forest7 AM3 PM
4Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA * this is Canadian Thanksgiving so things may be closed * - The Heart of Historic Halifax - Public Gardens - Maritime Museum - Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (NARM) - Immigration Museum9 AM6 PM
5Sydney,Canada - "Little Scotland" - Don Blackwood tour to Bras d'Or area and Baddeck - Alexander Graham Bell = Baddeck - Bird Island Nature Cruise: puffins!10 AM5 PM
6Charlottetown, Prince Edward CA - Island Drive & Anne of Green Gables - lighthouses - Founders Hall - Confederation Centre of the Arts9 AM6 PM
7Cruising Gulf of St. Lawrence - birds, whales, porpoises, seals - oh my!
8Quebec City, Quebec, CA - pickup car - Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré - Montmorency Falls - Moulin Petit Pre winery7 AM5 PM
8Saint Lawrence River Cruising - blue, fin or beluga whales, porpoises, dolphins, and countless bird species
9Montreal, Quebec, CA - Pick up car - Check into hotel (2pm-10pm) John XXIII Pavilion at St Joseph's Oratory - Masses 4:30, 7:307 AM
Day 10: Drive from Montreal to Kevin's (5.5 hrs), drop off D&G, B&S go to airport (1 hr)
Airline baggage rates United status : get 3 bags at 70 lbs each complementary. Companion joins faster lines for economy plus seating. CC : self and companion on same reservation - 1st & 2nd bag free for each traveler
Heading to Maui!
We love traveling in the Eastern Sierras, on the US-395 through lots of really quaint towns. We have passed through during a number of ski trips while driving from San Diego to either Mammoth or Lake Tahoe. But it needs to be a destination in itself! Here are some highlights:
I did a bunch of research on what to pack, and how to get the best cruise experience... and some ideas were very useful while others we tossed overboard :) Here's my advice:
Some things to pack (in addition to clothes, toiletries, etc - check out the comprehensive packing list):
over-the-door organizer - with limited counter space, this was an easy way to keep everything organized and in reach
comfy slip on shoes - I got a pair of Sketchers GOWalk and they were perfect
team/school/town clothing - a great conversation starter
binoculars
games, if you want to play them with your group. We brought cribbage and Dixit (without the box)
sunscreen, after-sun aloe, bug spray, anti-itch med
Emergen-C and/or Electromix packets - really help if you start feeling under the weather, or dehydrated
lanyard - you can get the desk to punch a hole in your card and then wear it around your neck. Much more convenient, and harder to lose than if you keep it in your pocket. Majority of people do this.
rash guard - if you are going snorkeling or kayaking, you should get one of these.
decent map of the whole area you are cruising, plus more detailed ones of your ports. We didn't do this, and were wishing we did!
Take advantage of:
stretch class in the morning - it was a great way to start the day, though it's hard to do any yoga on one foot with the gentle rocking of the boat!
progressive trivia - fun and you get to feel more of a community since you see people consistently
art auctions - educational and fun
cruisecritic.com - you can get on a message board for your specific boat/trip and meet up with them and some of the crew one of the first days of the trip. They also have lots of tips.
wine packages - makes it easier (and cheaper) to choose wine at dinner
excursions sponsored by the boat - sign up early if there is anything you really want to do, or that might last until you need to board at the end of the day. The boat will wait if you are on an excursion sponsored by them but not if you made private arrangements. But if you just want to wander around town, or something short go ahead and do it on your own. Best to do some research on providers and preferably book it beforehand instead of relying on picking one of the many vendors hawking experiences on the dock.
laundry specials - on our ship, every 4 or 5 days, we could fill a (provided) large bag with laundry for $25, versus paying per piece, as at a hotel. Tip: roll up your clothes to make more fit!
the game room - it was pretty full each night. If you have a group, and like to play games, this is great. Our games were cribbage and Dixit!
Don't fret about:
coffee - you can make it in your cabin
hair dryer - also supplied
internet - take a break! If you need to check email (or if you want to do quick blog posts on the road!), you can use a kindle with 3G to do so while docked at most ports, for free though it is slow and klunky. They do also have internet on board for a price.
portable clothes line - there's one in the shower to hang swimsuits, etc.
"today only" on-board shop/jewelry sales - they will be going on for the whole cruise
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We are heading to Catalina for our anniversary, specifically Avalon. I've been there before, and here are my tips! I have not been to Two Harbors, though, so that side of the island is not included. Transport
There are 2 options for the ferry:
We decided to go with Catalina Express since Dana Point is farthest south (we live in San Diego) and it gives us more options for times.
Lodging
Hotels are pretty expensive on the island, which is predictable. There are other options, though, which make it more affordable if you have a group or want to camp. A group of 5 girlfriends did a trip and we investigated home rentals on VRBO before settling on a great place in Hamilton Cove.
It's more than walking distance from town, but a golf cart was included in our rental. I did camp at Hermit Gulch, near Avalon, once which was good. But for an anniversary trip we wanted to get a place with some creature comforts. We settled on the Catalina Island Inn mostly by doing research on TripAdvisor. Pretty much every hotel is just blocks from the beach, so location is not really a consideration, except for Catalina Canyon which is inland a little ways out of town, which was a bit inconvenient after a night out. And the Inn on Mt Ada, which is a spectacular old Wrigley mansion on the bluff above the town.
Activities
There is lots to do on the island. And there is nothing to do. You can pretty much cover all the self-catered activities in a few hours as the town is small, so a day is fine. But to really relax into Catalina style you should stay overnight and let the island isolation sink in. The place really clears out by about 7pm when most of the ferries have taken day trippers back to the mainland.
Top 10 picks
Food
We are vegetarians, and there seem to be some options at most places (default=veggie burger), but the focus is more on meat-based cuisine. So Mexican and Italian places are usually the best options for us.
More info
Santa Catalina Island Company tours
Summer 2013
from the Catalina Express
