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Austin TX

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...

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York

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!

Visit York

York Pass: £42 1-day, £84, £126

Things to do in York:

 

Outside York

 

Events

 

Logistics

 
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Italia!

Follow Danielle's board Italy on Pinterest.

Follow Brigid's board Italia! on Pinterest.

Brigid's Google map

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New York City

Lots to do! Follow Brigid's board NYC Baby! on Pinterest.

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Park City UT

Flights

  • American Airlines - if you have status, you can check a ski/snowboard bag (50 lb max) and a boot bag for free if both people are on the same reservation.
  • United Airlines - if you have status, you can check a ski/snowboard bag (50 lb max) and a boot bag for free if both people are on the same reservation.

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)

  1. Park City Mountain Resort
  2. Canyons Resort
    • Lift Tickets: 1 - $84, 2 - $164, 3 - $240, 4 - $312
    • Zip Line: Red Pine Loop (3) $29, Epic Loop (4) $49
  3. Deer Valley Resort
    • Lift Tickets: 1 - $114, 2 - $228, 3 - $330, 4 - $424

Vegetarian-friendly restaurants:

Calendar

Tuesday 2/3 - Full Moon

Wednesday 2/4

Thursday 2/5

Friday 2/6

Saturday 2/7

Sunday 2/8

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San Diego Things to Do

Fun things to do in San Diego County and beyond

... and the Breweries and Wineries

Some events

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New England/Canada Leaf Peeper Cruise

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:

  1. online check-in and print Express Docs
  2. pick and reserve any must-do excursions - suggestions
  3. pack cozy layers!

Notes:

  • D&G - B202, Deck 9, by the back elevator
  • B&S - BB038, Deck 10, slightly more midship that M&G but still toward the back of the boat
  • Coin operated self-service laundry available - washer, dryer, iron, ironing board - Decks 9 & 5
  • We can each bring one bottle of wine on board in our luggage
  • Each person has a $50 on-board beverage credit - not sure if alcohol is included
  • Each cabin has a general $50 on-board credit
  • Catholic Mass is held daily onboard except for loading and unloading days
  • Dinner served5:15pm to 9:00pm
  • Vegetarian menu (main dining room)
  • Food:
    • Terrace Grill - Deck 11 - burgers, dogs, nachos & pizza
    • Lido Restaurant - Deck 11 - buffet
    • Upper Rotterdam Dining Room - Deck 8
    • Lower Rotterdam Dining Room - Deck 7
    • Canaletto Restaurant  - Deck 11 - +$10 pp
    • Pinnacle Grill - Deck 8 - +$30 pp
  • Bars:
    • Crow's Nest bar - Deck 12 - looks like a great view for disembarkation!
    • Lido Pool Bar - Deck 11
    • Ocean Bar - Deck 8
    • Explorer's Lounge - Deck 8
    • Mix - Deck 8
  • Get-away rooms:
    • Observation Deck - Deck 11
    • Lido Terrace - Deck 11
    • Neptune Lounge -Deck 10
    • Explorations Cafe (coffee bar) - Deck 8
  • Walk around ship - Deck 6
  • Bridge - Deck 10

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)

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Steamboat Springs CO

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

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Maui HI

Heading to Maui!

  1. Staying at The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, deluxe studio villa.
  2. Costco to stock up on day 1
  3. Snorkeling!
    1. 1 mile walk from Black Rock :)
    2. Honolua Bay - excellent snorkeling - 7.3 mi
    3. Kapalua - 5 mi
    4. Lahaina - 4 mi
    5. snorkel map
  4. 5k or 2.5 mi Whale Foundation walk on 2/1
  5. Maui Whale Festival/
  6. Tom's Barefoot whale watching tours
  7. Pacific Whale Foundation raft tour from Lahaina
  8. Tom's Barefoot other activities
  9. Maui Ocean Center
  10. The Maui Film Festival
  11. Friday Night Town Party
  12. Maui News for current events
  13. map of beaches and trails on Maui
  14. bird watching guide
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Eastern Sierra Research

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:

  1. Red Rock Canyon
    1. off the CA-14
  2. Boron
  3. China Lake
  4. Trona
    1. Trona Pinnacles to see the tufas
    2. Indian Joe's
  5. Little Lake
  6. Death Valley
  7. Lone Pine
    1. Alabama Hills
      1. morning viewing would be best
      2. hike to arch
    2. Mount Whitney trailhead
    3. Movie filming location tour
  8. Japanese internment camp - Manzanar
  9. Independence
    1. Mary Austin house - author of Land of Little Rain
    2. train restoration
  10. Big Pine
  11. small dam
  12. Ancient Bristlecone Forest
  13. Bishop
  14. Tom's Place
  15. Convict Lake
  16. Mammoth
    1. Devil's Postpile
  17. June Lake
  18. Yosemite
  19. Mono Lake
    1. tufas
    2. Lee Vining
  20. Bodie ghost town
  21. Bridgeport
  22. natural hot springs
  23. Walker
  24. Topaz
  25. Lake Tahoe
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Cruising Suggestions

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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Utah Tips

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="183,184"]

  • Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park are unique, surreal and spectacular, if you have some time to take the SR9->SR89 by St George north instead of I-15.
  • Salt Lake City - wandering through the Mormon Temple Square is quite an experience, especially if you stumble on the choir practicing. I do remember being frustrated by lots of one-way streets...
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Wyoming Tips

  • Jackson
    • Million Dollar Cowboy Bar- has saddle bar stools and great Western decor :) I once saw Jeff Gordon there!
    • Great art shops and very cool antler arch in the main square
National Elk Refuge
National Elk Refuge
  • just outside of town, before you get to the Grand Tetons, look for National Elk Refuge. Lots of bison and elk, and mountain goats.
  • I remember Jenny Lake in the Grand Teton National Park being just gorgeous, but really anywhere in the park is breathtaking.
Bison in Yellowstone
Bison in Yellowstone
  • Yellowstone National Park
    • you gotta go see Old Faithful in the center of the park
    • and a must-see is the Mammoth Hot Springs by the north entrance - walk around the colorful hot springs (hold your nose!) and there are some nice short hikes up into the hills
    • as mentioned above, pop out into West Yellowstone to see the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.
    • the drive along the north end of the park is usually less crowded (Mammoth Hot Springs toward Tower-Roosevelt and beyond). This is where we saw bison fighting on the road
    • Check out the Roosevelt arch at the north entrance (just outside Gardiner, MT)
    • Devil's Tower National Monument - close to South Dakota, about 30 minutes off I-90 at Sundance. I just love it there.
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Catalina Island Research

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:

  1. the Catalina Flyer which has a single Avalon trip each way each day from (9:00am) / to (4:30pm) Newport Beach, currently $70 per person, round trip
  2. the Catalina Express which runs from (north to south) San Pedro, Queen Mary, Long Beach and Dana Point to Avalon as well as Two Harbors (only from San Pedro), up to 8 times a day. Currently between $73 and $75 per person, round trip.

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.

Hamilton Cove
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

Lover's Cove
Lover's Cove
  1. Underwater experiences:
    1. Snorkeling in Lover's Cove -  a few minute's walk east past the dock on Pebbly Beach Road. You can bring snorkel gear, or rent it nearby. There are tours, but that's really not necessary as there are lots of fish, especially bright garabaldi, and the cove is protected. You just have to watch out for the glass bottom boats that come by periodically!
    2. Scuba diving - supposed to be amazing, but I'm not certified
    3. Unique underwater experiences - snuba ($79) and Sea Trek ($109)
    4. Kayaking - rent one at Wet Spot close to the dock: half day $45 for single, $60 for double (currently they have a $5 off coupon on the website). The waters near Avalon are generally very calm so you can take off from Avalon and head west along the shore, stopping for snorkeling at secluded beaches.
    5. Hiking - you can hike around the east end of the island in an afternoon via the Garden to Sky loop hike (up through Wrigley Gardens and turn right at the top, 4 miles), or around the East Peak (up through Wrigley Gardens and turn left at the top, about 8 miles), There aren't very many trails, so you shouldn't get lost. If you want an adventure, you could do the Trans-Catalina Trail (37.2 mi)
    6. Zipline - we are fans of ziplining and might do it this time ($120 ea)
    7. Golf Gardens for miniature golf
    8. Food tours - Icons of Avalon (4pm, $30) and Taste of Catalina (11:15am, $79)
    9. Movie in the Avalon Theater in the Casino - nightly at 7:30, Thu and Sat at 4:30 ($15)
    10. Laugh Factory Comedy Club - Fri during the summer at 6:30pm and 9pm ($30)
    11. Scavenger hunt - three different options: walking, biking, golf cart. Download the app onto a smart phone ($49, need internet access)
    12. Tours - there are tons of them, on boats, in the water, walking around town, hiking, up to the airport, driving through the backcountry, etc. I've done a few, but none really pop as must-do's.

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.

Mt Ada
Mt Ada
  1. Lunch at the Inn on Mt Ada - if staying there is too pricey, check out breakfast ($25) or lunch ($33). Best view on the island. Need reservations.
  2. El Galleon is right on the beach, so plenty of people watching. Good margaritas, interesting decor and near the pier so it's convenient if you are waiting for a tour.
  3. Mi Casita is a good Mexican place with the traditional fun decor. Also has good margaritas!
  4. Ristorante Villa Portofino - good Italian food
  5. Restaurant rankings on TripAdvisor

More info

Summer 2013 visitor's guide

Catalina Island Conservancy

Santa Catalina Island Company tours

Catalina Tours

Summer 2013 

coupons

 from the Catalina Express

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South Dakota Tips

  • Crazy Horse Memorial (not part of the national park system) - just fantastic, and cool to see a work in progress
  • Mount Rushmore National Memorial - nice hiking trails
  • Sturgis - lots of biker-themed stuff, most significant town in the area before Rapid City
  • Wind Cave National Park - I haven't been there, but heard good things
  • Bear Country USA (Rapid City) - a park where you drive your car through pods of bears, elk, wolves, etc. Can get some great pics!
  • Wall Drug - kitschy town with old west theme - amusing stop on I-90 about an hour east of Rapid City, near the Badlands
  • Badlands National Park - incredibly surprising and dramatic, watch out for sudden windstorms
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