Independent Travel Cats
Savvy Travel Advice
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
