The Providence Mountains nestled within the state-run recreation area, in a region otherwise surrounded by National Preserve land, is its own unique desert destination, distinguished by a range of mountains that bring cooler air and a botanic garden of cacti and pinyon. The bright red rhyolite in the higher elevations is home to Bighorn sheep …
Board your ‘Fantasy Flight’ on the Pan Am Experience
If you long for the nostalgic days of flying when passengers dressed up, wined and dined and enjoyed plenty of personal service, then now you can take a “fantasy flight” to relive a romantic era when flying was one of the best parts of your vacation. Before the long security lines, cramped seats and packaged …
Explore ‘Hidden’ La Jolla
La Jolla’s nickname, the Jeweled City, says it all. It sparkles like a multifaceted gem, from its seven miles of curving beachfront with glittering surf to its hillside estates and bistro- and boutique-filled Village. People come to explore nature at wondrous Torrey Pines State Reserve and play golf on fabled Torrey Pines Golf Course …
Corral the Romance of the Old West in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, founded as a farming town in the late 1800s, was coined the “The West’s Most Western Town” in the 1950s. Today, the city is a sprawling mecca of luxury with shopping, fine dining, resorts and myriad golf course communities which might make it seem fairly removed from its Old West moniker. However, if you …
Eat your Way Around the World: Top 4 Foodie Adventures
There are many reasons why we visit different destinations—from scenic beauty to music and architecture. But did you know that among the top vacation choices is food. Actually, it is the third reason we go, according to a recent U.N. World Tourism Organization report on gastronomy and visitation. Since food helps define a destination’s culture, …
Hidden Paradise in the Marquesas Islands
Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora…French Polynesia’s better-known destinations— famous for exotic beauty, sparkling sands and turquoise lagoons, shiny black pearls, and an envious bohemian lifestyle. But, just a three-hour commuter flight away, a string of islands known as the Marquesas lures those in search of more seclusion, rich archaeological remains, jungles filled with wild orchids and …
Cruises Re-Open to the Channel Islands
Island Packers, the authorized boat transportation to the Channel Islands, is back in business to take you on your own “Galapagos”-style adventure just a few hours from Los Angeles, following the 101. A dozen miles off Southern California’s Pacific coastline near Ventura is a sparkling ribbon of rocks that seem to float on the horizon. …
Check off your “Bucket List”: Whale Watching
Travel surveys reveal that Whale Watching is consistently listed in the Top Ten Travel Bucket List. People arrive from all over the world for this uniquely West Coast phenomenon that can only be experienced a few months of the year—late winter through spring. Choose from a long list of whale watching experiences—from guaranteed whale sightings …
Eco Pleasures of Espiritu Santa Island
Within the warm, aqua waters of the Sea of Cortez are treasures to discover and adventures to take—an eco-retreat experience that guarantees an unforgettable vacation memory. Cousteau called these waters surrounding La Paz “the world’s aquarium”—a most fitting description of the area’s rich and diverse ecosystems found in bay after aqua-blue bay with white- sand …
More Time to Drink More Wine: Wine Tours with European Waterways
Maybe the French didn’t invent wine-making, but you have to agree, they’ve perfected the art. European Waterways is offering wine lovers a unique, limited opportunity to visit two world renowned wine making regions – the eponymous Champagne, and Burgundy, France – with a new “Back-to-Back” two-week cruise option. Through this option, guests can book the Panache hotel …
3 ‘New’ Reasons to Visit the Mojave Now
1. Tour Mitchell Caverns California’s equivalent to the Carlsbad Caverns has been closed to the public for nearly seven years. In November, the Mitchell Caverns re-opened for public tours. As the only limestone caves in the California State Park system (and only one of two you can enter), the natural attraction offers fascinating stalactite and …