The more I travel to Québec, Canada, the longer I want to stay . . . From following the culinary trail in Montréal, to celebrating Winter Carnival in Québec City, to sampling the restorative spas in Lanaudière and Mauricie . . . For my latest exploration, I’m off to the charming Charlevoix region an hour northeast of […]
By Land, By Ship & By Sea
Pack Light with Favorite Travel Items – Part II
I received so many helpful responses to the question I posed to fellow travelers, “How do you pack light?” that devoting only one blog post to the topic wasn’t enough to cover everyone’s packing suggestions. So in addition to Items to Lighten Your Luggage, here are a few more ideas to keep you traveling light: […]
Seafair: Seattle’s Favorite Summer Festival
Since the 1950’s, Seafair has ruled as Seattle’s favorite summer festival spanning several weeks. For most Seattleites, Seafair traditions include the Blue Angels, hydroplane races on Lake Washington and the Torchlight Parade. Even smaller neighborhood events like the Milk Carton Derby at Green Lake and the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival are all part of […]
Tightwads on the Loose – A Spirited Sailing Adventure
Tightwads on the Loose, Wendy Hinman’s engaging, fast-paced memoir, shares an important lesson: “The weather trumps all plans.” Breaking Away To quell their restless spirits, Hinman and her husband Garth embark on a seven year Pacific odyssey aboard their 31-foot sailboat, Velella, named for tiny jellyfish-like creatures propelled by prevailing winds. The author traces their […]
The Dalles: Family-Friendly Vacation Destination
Here’s why The Dalles, a mere 84 miles east of Portland, Oregon, gets my vote for an ideal vacation destination: 1) Spectacular Scenery Want to explore a visually stunning byway? Meander along the magnificent Columbia River as it winds its way from Portland to The Dalles, Oregon to see what I mean. Go on a cruise or […]
Sun-Tripping in The Dalles, Oregon
View from Dry Hollow Vineyards For Seattleites seeking a sunny getaway, The Dalles, Oregon offers a welcome solution. For starters, compare Seattle’s average yearly precipitation of 38 inches with The Dalles’ average of 14.6 inches. That’s about 150 days of rain in Seattle versus 93 or so in central Oregon each year, thanks to the […]
Whidbey Island Sunset
For this week’s Photo Friday, here’s a sunset scene from Whidbey Island, WA to carry you into the weekend. Ahh . . . You can find more fun photos at Delicious Baby. Wander on! Nancy What’s your favorite sunset memory, Wanderboomers?
Z is for Zihuatanejo Bay!
Photo courtesy of Rory Finneren – flickr To wrap up my participation in the April A – Z Blogging Challenge – and coincidentally the last day of National Poetry Month – I’m ending with three distinct travel destinations: I. Photo courtesy of Rory Finneren – flickr Z zips us to Mexico’s tropical coast, Zihuatanejo Bay. Come […]
Y is for Yosemite Falls
Photo courtesy of Kevin Eldon – flickr “Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.” – John Muir, naturalist and preservationist Thanks to visionary, vocal advocates like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. […]
X is for Xi’an
Photo courtesy of kevinpoh – flickr China holds a special place in my heart as the country where my daughter was born. But while my travels have taken me to Beijing, Nanchang, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, there’s still so much of the country I’d like to explore, including Shanghai, Guilin and Xi’an. In 1974 a […]