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Family Fun in San Francisco’s Presidio
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 8 August 2011
The list of kid-friendly things to do in San Francisco goes on and on. Even kids lucky enough to live here have a tough time keeping up. The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Fisherman's Wharf are just a few of San Francisco’s world-renowned tourist attractions. If you have a day to spare, the Presidio is a great addition to any family-friendly itinerary.
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San Francisco Chinatown: Fun Things to Do on a Budget
Blog: The Silent I - 5 August 2011
One of my favorite movie musicals as a child was Rogers & Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song, mainly because it was the first movie I ever saw that had Asian and Asian-American actors in leading roles. It didn't matter to me...
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Why We Love San Francisco
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 2 August 2011
Some people misunderstand our constant wandering. They think we are in search of a home, a perfect corner of the world where we’ll eventually settle down. The truth is that we have no such quest – for now we are perfectly happy with our nomadic lives and have no desire to choose just one place [...]
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A shucking awesome day in Tomales Bay
Blog: La Tortuga Viajera - 20 July 2011
Announcement: I’m heavily considering giving up my professional pursuits to just dig shellfish. Perhaps I’m not entirely serious, but what is the deal with me and mollusks? I’m kind of obsessed. Initially, I didn’t have any intentions of shellfishing when heading north of San Francisco to Tomales Bay a couple of weeks ago. But when [...]
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Summertime Family Fun on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 20 July 2011
Part of the beauty of summer vacation is being able to get up and just go. A tank of gas and a little gusto can have huge payoff, especially when the final destination for your family is a place like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Getting There About a two hour drive from San Francisco, the Boardwalk and summer go hand in hand. You’ll spend the first hour on the freeway, but the second hour, after you pass ...
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Hiking to Malibu’s Grotto (not Hef’s)
Blog: Vagabond3 - 15 July 2011
Something about the word “grotto” makes me feel like it’s a secret place that no one else has discovered. When I told Bob that we were hiking to a grotto for his birthday, he asked if we were headed to Hugh Hefner’s Playboy grotto. …I guess the word means different things to different people. Since we obviously weren’t headed to Hugh’s, Bob started guessing where this grotto might be,...
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Grab the Family and Dive into the Wine Country
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 14 July 2011
The Northern California Wine Country is one of the world’s top destinations to visit — without your kids. It’s got a bad reputation when it comes to being family-friendly. I understand how the rumor probably got started. Kids drink milk not wine. The Wine Country has been fighting the bad rap for years, and this summer they landed a knockout punch thanks to Francis Ford Coppola. The man who gave us Apocalypse Now and The Godfather had a vision of a winery ...
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Best Urban Park
Blog: Kate McVaugh's Rambles - 12 July 2011
It has to be the most beautiful urban park in the San Francisco bay area; Mountain View Cemetery, situated in Oakland California.
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The Great Beach Debate: East Coast vs West Coast
Blog: Broke-Ass Stuart's Goddamn Website - 2 July 2011
Having recently traveled to Hermosa Beach in California, and consecutively attempted to hit up all of New York beaches, I feel like each has something to offer. These two coastlines couldn’t be more different, and that’s mostly because of the people who flock to them rather than the physical landscape itself.
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Kid-Friendly Beachside Bliss at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 2 July 2011
I’m so incredibly lucky. My kids are great travelers and it's rare we don't have fun on a trip. But every now and then you have those trips that make you go Wow! We just got back from a Wow trip to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. It's one of the best family-friendly resorts I've come across, and it's located in the heart of Huntington Beach, California. It's one of those places where it’s okay to feel spoiled and escape the day to day craziness ...
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Robert Louis Stevenson – Writing Vagabond
Blog: Vagobond.com - 17 June 2011
Though he lived for just 44 years, Stevenson has become immortal through his works which have inspired travelers, vagabonds, and adventurers.
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Red, White and Snow in Lake Tahoe
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 13 June 2011
Fourth of July is synonymous with summer fun. Parades loaded with kids on decorated bikes, fireworks, barbecues, warm pie with ice cream and sunshine. The list could go on, but you get the idea. Even having lived through years of cold patriotic celebrations in San Francisco, one thing I don't think of on Independence Day is snow. This year things are different.
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Disneyland's New Soundsational Parade
Blog: The Silent I - 13 June 2011
Disneyland's new Mickey's Soundsational Parade down Main Street litterally takes off with a bang...of drums played by a rocking drumline, and then the Mouse himself. Part of our press tour last week involved some excellent viewing of the new spectacle....
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What’s New for Summer 2011 at Disneyland Resort
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 10 June 2011
Ciao Bambino was recently invited for a two-day media event to check out what's new for summer 2011 at Disneyland Resort. If you haven’t been to the park in awhile, now is a great time to visit! New rides, a "soundsational" parade in Disneyland, and a huge expansion at Disney’s California Adventure mean families with kids of all ages can partake in new experiences.
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Ariel's Undersea Adventure: The Little Mermaid Comes to Life
Blog: The Silent I - 8 June 2011
Attention all "Little Mermaid" Fans: There's a new ride in town with your name on it. It's called "Ariel's Undersea Adventure" and is a colorful, musical extravaganza located in Disney's California Adventure. I was one of the lucky members of...
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Disneyland's Star Tours: New and Improved
Blog: The Silent I - 6 June 2011
On June 3, Disneyland unveiled the newly refurbished Star Tours attraction. We were fortunate enough to be sponsored to attend the media events surrounding Star Tours, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, and the new Soundsational Summer Parade by the folks at Disney...
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Family-Friendly Luxury Getaway at Rosewood Sand Hill
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 6 June 2011
When I need a break from the daily grind, a weekend overnight or two at a luxury hotel does wonders. Sometimes it's just too challenging not to work while at home — my "to do" list is always calling and by Sunday night I feel like I've had no downtime. As a consequence, I always have a list of favorite getaways ready for relaxation emergencies. In the San Francisco Bay Area, this list includes Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay ...
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Lake Tahoe, California Wishes You Were Here
Blog: Suzy Guese - 3 June 2011
I can hear the crashing of waves as I fall asleep. No wonder I was out like a rock after the long drive from Park City, Utah. I haven’t reached the Pacific just yet, but rather Lake Tahoe, falling in muddled territory between Nevada and California. The winds today have brought in the waves of [...]
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Carnival of Cities for 1 June 2011 – from Abu Dhabi to Athens
Blog: Sophie's World - 1 June 2011
Welcome! I’m happy to host this edition of the Carnival of Cities! After publishing the 18 May 2011 edition on Perceptive Travel Blog, Sheila Scarborough handed the baton to me....Carnival of Cities for 1 June 2011 – from Abu Dhabi to Athens is a post from Sophie's World
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Hearst Castle – My Dream Pool – Have You Been Here?
Blog: Vagobond.com - 31 May 2011
California. If I had a billion dollars, I'd probably either buy the Hearst Castle or build something like it somewhere else.
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Skull Rock: Travel Photo Thursday
Blog: Vagabond3 - 26 May 2011
Skull Rock, Joshua Tree National Park Even though the name says it all, it wasn’t until we rounded the trail that I realized how literal the translation was- the rock looked exactly like a skull, the biggest skull I have ever seen! It even seemed like he had a personality- he was one bad ass rock! (And, yes, he is a he, because he looked like he could eat you.) The rock’s...
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Truck Stops & Penny Slots: An Ode to the American Road Trip
Blog: Coconut Radio - 22 May 2011
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Photos That Inspire – Joshua Tree National Park, California
Blog: Flying Coach - 11 May 2011
Our first trip to Joshua Tree National Park was a really special memory. In 2003, Mackenzie had just turned nine. We decided that it was time to introduce her to camping. Since it was going to be her first camping experience, we thought that we should make it an easy one for her. So, [...]
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10 Essential LA Travel Tips
Blog: Vagabond3 - 11 May 2011
Every day the beautiful landscapes, beaches, and people of Los Angeles are splashed across TV screens in every country in the world. So no matter where you are from, the look and feel of LA is probably very familiar. However, to make Los Angeles look as awesome as the movies makers do, movies and television shows bend reality a bit; for instance, Hollywood is no where near the beach and...
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From L.A. to Mexico on one street corner
Blog: Vagabond3 - 5 May 2011
One great thing about the massive amount of people who live in L.A., are the awesome, small neighborhoods that have developed centered around different cultures. (There are almost as many of these neighborhoods as there are taco trucks- and that’s a lot!) Some of them, like Little Ethopia or Koreatown, have a lot of restaurants and stores all in the same area, but not a separate dedicated street. Olvera Street in downtown...
