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A guide to historic Route 66 motels and hotels along the entire stretch of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. We list over 50 vintage Route 66 motels and hotels along the route with information and booking details for each one. We also include a Route 66 motel map. We focus on historical Route 6... Read More...
A travel guide to things to do in Caldwell Ohio and Noble County Ohio from a local. Provides travel information on how to get to Caldwell, what to do, where to eat, and where to stay. Covers the Old Town Jail, Baker Glass Museum, Thorla-McKee Oil Well, Big Muskie, Caldwell-Ball House, Noble County F... Read More...
Our comprehensive guide to 6 Charleston plantations. Trying to choose which Charleston plantation to visit? We give you all the details you need to decide and plan your own visit to these plantations. Our guide to the plantations near Charleston includes how to get to each plantations, tips for savi... Read More...
A comprehensive guide to visiting The Alamo in San Antonio as well as the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. We'll give you a brief history of The Alamo and the Battle of the Alamo and tell you everything you need to know in order to visit The Alamo in San Antonio Texas, including how t... Read More...
A travel guide to the top things to do in Huntsville Alabama. Includes information on how to get there, how to get around, where to eat, where to stay, what to do, and ideas for taking local day trips from Huntsville.... Read More...
A detailed guide to visiting the six covered bridges of Madison County Iowa: Cedar Bridge, Imes Bridge, Roseman Bridge, Holliwell Bridge, Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, and Hogback Bridge. The covered bridges were made famous by the novel and film The Bridges of Madison County. We also share information on ... Read More...
Route 66 is the ultimate American road trip and we've put together a comprehensive 2 week Route 66 itinerary to help drivers navigate this historic route. The detailed day-by-day Route 66 itinerary covers all the basic details (mileage, general route) and sightseeing highlights along the 2,400 mile ... Read More...
A comprehenisve guide to Route 66 in Albuquerque by a former local, including attractions, neon signs, historical sites, places to eat, and places to stay. Albuquerque is a great place to "get your kicks" and we'll provide a brief history of Route 66 in Albuquerque, share information on how to find ... Read More...
A guide to finding afternoon tea in Albuquerque New Mexico. Let’s face it, you’ve probably never thought of having afternoon tea in Albuquerque New Mexico. So you might be surprised that one of my favorite places for afternoon tea, St. James Tearoom, is located in Albuquerque. I have been to St.... Read More...
October brings the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta! Every year, the international hot air balloon festival is held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Interested in attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta? We’ll cover some logistics, give loads of tips, and provide lots of photos of past ... Read More...
The Stanley Hotel is best known for being the inspiration for Stephen King's bestselling novel The Shining and the subsequent film starring Jack Nicholson as the slowly driven mad overseer. The Stanley Hotel is located in Estes Park Colorado, the gateway to one of the most visited national parks in ... Read More...
A comprehensive guide to Louisiana Plantations along the River Road. We recently visited 12 Louisiana plantations along Louisiana's River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Louisiana's River Road parallels the east and west banks of the Mississippi River for about 70 miles (about 100 miles of... Read More...
Oak Alley Plantation is one of over a dozen Louisiana plantation homes open to the public that line the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We toured, ate, and stayed overnight at Oak Alley Plantation. We provide all the information you need to decide if you want to take the plana... Read More...
A Route 66 road trip is a 2,400 mile driving adventure along what is probably the most famous road in the world. Our Route 66 planning guide will help you plan your American road trip adventure including, when to go, how many days you need, how to rent a car, what to see, where to stay, etc.... Read More...
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Planning a California Pacific Coast Highway road trip? Driving along the California Pacific Coast Highway is perhaps one of the greatest road trips in the world. Over the past five years, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to visit many of the towns and city's along the Golden Coast. But it wa... Read More...
Hemingway in Key West. One of the most notable people to live in Key West was writer and avid traveler Ernest Hemingway, and as a visitor you can still find many traces of Hemingway in Key West. In April 1928, Hemingway and his wife Pauline Pfeiffer would come to Key West to pick up a car and while ... Read More...
A guide to things to do in Amish Country Ohio from a local Ohioan. Amish Country Ohio is located in northeast central Ohio and Holmes County has the largest community of Amish in the world. Our Amish Country guide covers what to see, things to do, where to eat, where to shop, and where to stay in Am... Read More...
San Francisco Native Tours is a new walking tour company in San Francisco that focuses on locally-led walks around this popular city. They strive to be different from many other walking tour companies by only hiring native guides who have grown up in the city, being actively involved in the local co... Read More...
The Wilds is one of the largest conservation centers in North America, set on about 10,000 acres of land in Southeast Ohio. The Wilds safari park is home to a number of rare and endangered animals from around the world, including cheetah, rhinos, camels, antelope, zebra, and giraffes. We'll give you... Read More...
Things to Do in Redding California! We recently spent a lovely three-day weekend in Redding California, which lies within the Shasta Cascade area that covers a large portion of northern California. Redding is an approximate 2.5 hour drive from Sacramento or 3.5 hour drive from San Francisco, a perfe... Read More...
Taking a food tour in San Francisco is really a no brainer as San Francisco is a city full of culinary delights from artisan coffee to fresh caught seafood to old-fashioned ice cream. We didn't hesitate when Avital Food Tours asked us to review one of their walking food tours. Currently, this small ... Read More...
I was really surprised to learn that there was an African wildlife preserve called Safari West located only 75 miles north of San Francisco. Safari West is a 400-acre wildlife preserve containing over 100 species and over 700 individual animals, including giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, flamingoes, rhin... Read More...
Morro Bay is a charming seaside town with a bustling waterfront, charming old town, and an enormous landmark in the form of Morro Rock which sits in the harbor. You'll likely first notice this large iconic rock from miles away as your approach the city. Morro Bay sits along the Central California Co... Read More...
Most visitors are surprised by the sheer size of Golden Gate Park, which is 20% larger than New York City’s Central Park, consisting of over 1,017 acres of land. Golden Gate Park is the city's lungs and is more than just a giant patch of grass destined for picnics and frisbees. Where else can you ... Read More...
Shave ice, or ice shave as it is known on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a dessert that is believed to have originated in Japan over a 1,000 years ago. Shave ice has become a local island food in Hawaii, particularly on the Big Island. On the Big Island, it is also called ice shave by many locals, alt... Read More...
After over 3 years of living in the San Francisco Bay area we finally made it to Alcatraz Island last week and did the Alcatraz Night Tour and explored the famous prison. While primarily known and visited because of the 29 years it served as the home for the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, t... Read More...
Pea Soup Andersen's is one of those quirky, roadside restaurants that has a strong cult following in California and its fame can be attributed to the humble pea. For generations, locals and travelers alike have swung by this old-fashioned restaurant for friendly service and a hot bowl of pea soup! P... Read More...
Ethan and I took advantage of the recent holiday and spent the day off work doing a Segway tour in San Francisco. This was our first time taking a Segway tour and we thought that Golden Gate Park might be the perfect place given its vast size. Golden Gate Park is actually 20% larger than New York Ci... Read More...
The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California is a nationally recognized public dry garden that contains a variety of rare and extraordinary cacti, succulents, trees, and shrubs from around the world. The 2.5-acre garden is unusual in that it focuses almost entirely on water-conserving and dr... Read More...
Ziplining on the Big Island of Hawaii is one of many potential adventures you might embark on when exploring this wonderful island. Zipline adventures allow you to soar from tree to tree in rain forests and across canyons, allowing you to take in views of waterfalls, rivers, and tropical wildlife fr... Read More...
Our guide to attending the Bracebirdge Dinner at Yosemite National Park in California during Chrsitmas. The Bracebridge Dinner at The Ahwahnee hotel (formerly known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel) is a long-held Christmas tradition at Yosemite National Park. Each December, The Ahwahnee hotel dining ... Read More...
The southern part of the Yosemite National Park has a lot to offer visitors and should not be missed. South Yosemite National Park offers the park’s largest group of ancient giant sequoia trees, the best place to learn about the history of Yosemite, the historic Victorian-era Wawona Hotel, and les... Read More...
The Yosemite National Park in California is one of the many gems of the American National Park System. Yosemite National Park is a World Heritage Site known for its giant granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear rivers and streams, ancient Giant Sequoia tree groves, large meadows, and a wilderness that sup... Read More...
A guide to visiting the PEZ Museum in Burlingame California. This weekend Ethan and I visited the Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia—that’s right a PEZ Museum! The quirky one-room museum is dedicated to the history of this iconic candy and displays over 800 unique PEZ dispensers. This PEZ Musu... Read More...
The Computer History Museum contains the largest international collection of computer-related artifacts in the world and the museum’s exhibits guide you through the past 2,000 years of computing history. At what other museum can you learn how to do calculations using Napier’s bones, play Pong, p... Read More...
The 17 Mile Drive in California first opened in 1881 to horse and carriages and has become one of the most famous scenic drives in the world. 17-Mile Drive is a privately owned 2-lane road that winds its way along the Monterey Peninsula through the Del Monte Forest, along the rocky Pacific Coast, an... Read More...
Hiking at Lands End is a great way to explore the rocky northwestern corner of San Francisco. We’ll tell you how to find the Lands End trail, provide some tips on making the most of your hike, and share our advice and experience of hiking at Lands End.... Read More...
Snorkeling on the Big Island of Hawaii is perhaps the best in the country. We’ll give our advice on the top Big Island snorkeling sites, discuss the pros and cons of doing it on your own versus going on a boat tour, provide tips about where to get your gear, and share our own Big Island snorkeling... Read More...
A comprehensive guide to visiting Hearst Castle, a hilltop mansion built by the late William Randolph Hearst located along the beautiful Central Coast of California in the tiny town of San Simeon. Find out how you can visit Hearst Castle, learn about our experience of visiting Hearst Castle, tips on... Read More...
Looking for a place to have afternoon tea in San Francisco? Look no further than the Palace Hotel tea which is served in a stunningly beautiful turn-of-the-century dining area called The Garden Court. Read about our experience at the Palace Hotel tea.... Read More...
Interested in viewing some Big Island waterfalls on your trip to Hawaii? This article provides a guide to all the top waterfalls on the Big Island. In addition, it also tells you which waterfalls are most accessible, highest, and most picturesque among the many waterfalls on the Big Island of Hawaii... Read More...
We ate at the French Laundry for our fourth anniversary. Here are our reflections and our review of French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, CA.... Read More...
A guide to things to do in Napa Valley besies drink wine. Napa Valley in California is one of the great wine destinations of the world, but there are plenty of things you can do in Napa Valley besides drink wine. Here is our guide to 10 things to do in Napa Valley without wine which include hiking, ... Read More...
French Laundry Reservation Tips. This article will provide tips on how to book French Laundry reservations and advice on how to increase your odds of making a reservation at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. This 3 Michelin-starred Thomas Keller restaurant is one of the most exclusive in... Read More...
Yesterday I got a really wonderful surprise when Ethan surprised me with reservations to The French Laundry restaurant for our anniversary. This was really meaningful to me given that he knew it was something that was on my bucket list, but had been one of the things he said he would be willing to d... Read More...
