Cherry pie, cherry pancakes and cherry pastries galore. Lavender fields with 30,000 plants. Twenty-four county and state parks with endless miles of hiking trails, 53 swimming beaches with pristine water, 11 golf courses and 9 wineries. Welcome to Door County, Wisconsin, one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations. With a year-round population of nearly…
Category: USA and Canada
Rafting the Grand Canyon
I find myself fulfilling a lifelong dream as I float down the Colorado River on a large inflatable raft with 13 other adventurers and two guides. The air is hot but cool breezes intermittently arise from the cold river water to deflect the heat. Beneath us, the olive-green water rushes through the greatest geologic chasm in the world, the iconic Grand Canyon. All are silent as we absorb the majesty of this natural spectacle…
With or without snow, Mammoth attracts visitors year round
High on a mountainside near the Mammoth Lakes ski resort, I stood without a care as a breeze gently tussled the pines surrounding me, creating a sweet but melancholy melody among the trees’ needles. My sense of peace at that moment made me grateful to be in Mammoth that summer day, and later again in the fall, discovering what this world-famous ski destination offered without snow…
There’s always something new to do in Catalina
“Catalina reminds me of a Greek island with its golf carts, clear blue ocean water and laid-back European atmosphere,” a Norwegian visitor told me while we waited in line at Avalon’s only grocery store. I nodded in agreement because Catalina is a pretty unique place, accurately labeled “California’s island escape.” The truth be told, my…
Summer action in Big Bear Lake
My first experience driving a badass Jeep Wrangler 4×4 over impossibly rugged terrain near Big Bear Lake, California, can only be described as “crazy fun.” Being a novice driver in such an ungainly and powerful vehicle, it took a while for my confidence to reach a point where I could loosen my death grip on…
Peace and relaxation abound in Catalina Island’s charming Two Harbors
My wife and I have become huge fans of Catalina Island after visiting there twice in recent years. Having stayed previously in Avalon, this time we decided to explore Two Harbors, a tiny community eighteen miles northwest of Avalon. We had heard about it frequently, mainly as a place for boaters, so we weren’t sure…
Discovering a Sierra wilderness wonderland
John Muir, the sage of the Sierras, once wisely said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” My wife and I found the perfect place to practice what John Muir preached—at Mono Hot Springs, tucked in the…
A father and son find common interests in “Never-boring- Nashville”
There’s magic in a father and son relationship, but when your interests are quite different, it presents a challenge to find a mutually rewarding trip together. My son is an avid fan of sports, country music and craft beers, while I am a devotee of museums, hiking and history. The solution was a four-day visit to Nashville. Initially,…
Just another day at British Columbia’s Knight Inlet Lodge
Grizzlies, black bears, bald eagles and humpback whales Shortly after breakfast, ten of us donned our bright red lifejackets and cruised slowly across the misty inlet to begin our rainforest hike. Since bears outnumber people in this remote British Columbia wilderness, our guide sternly warned us, “If we encounter a grizzly bear, don’t run! Just…
Vancouver Island a scenic paradise
Vacationers fell in love with Canadian coastal region’s wildlife, hot springs, flowers I’ll share this secret with you if you promise to keep it to yourself: My wife and I discovered a place that’s easy to get to, has clean, safe, flower-filled cities surrounded by stunning forests, mountains and lakes, excellent wildlife viewing (killer whales,…