BBBBenny and the Jets...

We're heading to Jamaica! AND we walk onto a 3 month old airplane! United is stepping it up!

And the blue lights change to red during the evenings for the sunset!

Still the essentials, but in a new way...

 Much better use of space!

Excited to fly in this incredible vessel!

'Twas the Night Before...

...our flight, to where you might ask?

You might get a fright, at 10:30 at night. 

This may seem an impossible task.

Well, If you insist to know, we don't know either! Ah, the joy of stand-by flying. Tomorrow I may be lounging watching the teal blue waters of the Caribbean lap the shores of Jamaica. Or, digging my toes in the sands of Mata Palo Beach in Costa Rica observing the deep blue waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the beach. 

Most people ask, "How do you not plan everything?" Or say, "Geez, you guys must be low maintenance!" 

But, once you travel this way, it's hard to go back. We have a general idea of the attractions and activities we are interested in doing, but leave wiggle room for unforeseen activities that locals may suggest or places we stumble upon. 

Happy new year and happy birthday to me! (Thanks Trevor for my birthday celebration flight!)

Dia de los Muertos - Corpus Christi, TX 2014

Check out the even Corpus Christi hold every year. More than 40,000 people show up with many streets blocked off. They usually host 3 stages for bands, lots of food and beer and plenty of people in costumes.

Top 10 for San Francisco

While living in the Bay Area, I was able to enjoy visiting San Francisco on several occasions. Generally, the weather in the area is temperate. It can be chilly, even in September, so BRING A JACKET. San Francisco is a great city with a lot to do. Outside the city lies the famous 17 Mile Drive and Pebble Beach, Big Sur down the 101, Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, or Redwoods National Park. However, the city itself can keep you busy. I would not recommend trying to do everything in one trip.
But here are the TOP 10 things to do in San Francisco:

Some crazy people swim this

1. Alcatraz. Duh. If you are going to check out the rock, go big or don’t do it. The night tour, which leaves at 6:15 pm (in September) is worth every bit of the $33 fee. 

We drove across it!

2. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge. It is one of the many trademark's of this great city, but  it is mostly  covered in FOG, but everyone seems to enjoy it. Walk, bike, drive, whatever your cup of tea may be.

Underrated... beautiful views

3. Golden Gate Recreational Park. After crossing the bridge, head west and climb the trails to get stunning, one of a kind views of San Francisco (not to be confused with Golden Gate Park in the city).

Got to try local foods!

4. Clam Chowder in bread bowls at Fisherman’s Wharf. Basically anything on Pier 39 will do justice. Do some shopping while you are there, or people watch because both are great! Bushman is real

5. Whale Watching Tour. I never got a chance to do this, but it looked fun. It is about a 6 hour round trip to Farallon Island, and I hear the chances are good of seeing a whale. Don’t hold me to that. 

6. Lombard Street. There isn’t a whole lot to it, but it is pretty cool to see. Bonus is to actually drive down it!

7. China Town! Hard to imagine basically a city inside a city. You almost feel as if you're in a foreign Asian country for the few blocks that cover China Town. Immigrants moved here in 1850 and have grown to be 10,000 strong since. Be bold and try to buy something… maybe food?

Parents came to visit!

8. Coit Tower. Not as popular as Alcatraz, but this 210’ tall tower gives a great 360 degree view of the city and bay. Coit Tower is situated in the ethnic North Beach bordering “little Italy”. But beware of the wild parrots!

9. Aquarium of the Bay. I am an animal lover, so of course this will be on my list. But like all well maintained aquariums, it is worth it. Home to 20,000 marine animals!

You can't actually do this... Dad being himself

10. Cable Car/ BART/Subway. Embrace the public transportation. This is one of the best in the USA and you can get to any of the above locations using public transportation combined with some walking. 

Go Card

Lake Tahoe... Summer vs Winter

LOVE hiking!

Oftentimes, Lake Tahoe is seen as a winter wonderland. As much as this is true, Lake Tahoe also is a great fall getaway too. We’ve experienced Lake Tahoe during the first week of October and the first week of January.

First, there is South Lake Tahoe and North Lake Tahoe. Our experiences were mostly in South Lake Tahoe, but we did hit the slopes on the north side.

SUMMER/FALL

Hitting the trails

Fall is a great time to visit. The lows are in the upper 40’s and the highs in the lower 70’s with plenty of sunshine. The fall is the shoulder season and therefore the crowds are down and prices lowered. Casino Resorts (which are actually in Nevada) range $100-$150 per night. Of course there are smaller, locally owned motels available. Lake Tahoe is also a big vacation destination for people willing to rent out their homes during certain times of the year. South Lake Tahoe has plenty of trails to explore. Check out this site to look up trails. They have day hikes, short hikes, easy hikes, everything is great. You can’t go wrong. We took an afternoon hike to a vantage point that looked over Lake Tahoe. It was worth every step, and I don’t think we crossed paths with more than 5 people.  After the nice hike we cleaned up and headed to Nevada to check out events or shows. Mount Bleu was hosting an Oktoberfest and we decided to check that out. It was great with everyone in full spirit.

Oktoberfest!

There was a live folk band and authentic German food/drink available. There was an older crowd there but nevertheless, it was great. We played some games at the casino but we are not big gamblers. Before leaving the next morning we took a drive around the lake. It is a must, such beauty and tranquility.







I did not get a chance to do this, but check out some time on the lake doing a booze cruise

WINTER

Picture perfect at Heavenly

As nice as Tahoe is during the summer and fall months, it gets a lot of traffic in the winter months. This is actually the peak season where hotel and resort prices go up about $100/night. If you and your significant other want a winter wonderland escape, Tahoe is perfect. If you want to round up 10 of your best buds and hit the slopes, Tahoe is perfect. If you do the latter, the most economical thing to do is to rent out a lodge. We used Tahoe Accommodations to rent out a 12 sleeper lodge that was a quarter of a mile from Heavenly Mountain slope entrance. This is a great way to save money, but also have everyone under one roof.  I was living in San Francisco at the time and my cousin drove over from Utah, so we had the benefit of having vehicles, but taxis are abundant. Plus who wants to drive in the snow anyway?

On lift at Northstar

Trails:

Heavenly Mountain: This will be your most easily accessible resort if you stay in South Tahoe. The setup gives nice views, while the trails vary on all levels. We actually visited when snowfall was low and the snow machine was in action. Not as great as the real thing but still had a blast.

Northstar: Located in North Tahoe, this is the premier stop. Outside of the amazing views the 93 trails give you, the “village” has top tier shopping and eating.

Squaw Valley: I did not have the opportunity to try this one out, but as the host of the 1960 Winter Games, there is a lot to offer. I hear it is phenomenal, but it is also a little harder to get to. Recently Squaw Valley combined with Alpine Meadows making it quite massive (270 trails & 6,000 skiable acres)

Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe are two trails off the beaten path. You see them coming into South Tahoe from the Bay Area.

Always remember to check Groupon or Amazon Local for deals. We used Groupon to get good deals on rental equipment!

Only food recommendation is Cafe Fiore on South Tahoe.

Boston Fall 2014 (Video)

Here is an overview of our 3 day trip to Boston. The fall is a great time to go, especially if you plan to hit up Salem!




Here is the famed Freedom Trail Video
Boston Freedom Trail

Best Stops in Napa & Sonoma

Napa and Sonoma Valley is well know throughout the USA and even in the world. It is home to many wineries that offer taste tests and tours. With this is mind, you can't just visit one winery! There is no one way to hop from winery to winery, in fact the weather is very favorable and cyling is very common way to do this. Of course for the people who want to see more and do it with class, there are limo services that offer extensive tours. But where to go? Let us help!

Let's start with the first commercial winery in California... Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma. Minus the historic significance, the wine is good too! Founded in 1857, this winery offers many types of tours. Also famous for the picnicking. Private tours.......$30pp; Barrel tours....... $35pp

Inglenook Winery, or formally known as Rubicon, located in Napa Valley, is one of the top five selling wines to US restaurants. Housing a beatiful chateau that includes tasting in caves, this is a must do! Daily Tours....... $50pp; Wine Education....... $45pp

Speaking of chateau, take a visit to Domaine Carneros Winery in Napa Valley. The chateau was inspired from the 18th century Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France. Focusing mostly on sparkling wines (supposedly the best) and pinot noir. Daily Tours....... $40pp; Connoisseur Tours....... $95pp

For the penny pinching crowd, we have Gloria Ferrer Winery in Sonoma. This was the first winery to mass produce sparkling wine in the area. In addition they also have pinot noir and chardonnay. They are also dog friendly! Daily Tours.......$20pp

Becky getting told a story from a bottle

O'Brien Estate Winery may seem like a typical Napa winery with a great view. They grow all their grapes organically and also add a special touch on their bottles. Their wine bottles tell a story, a romantic story. Daily Tours...... $25pp

Artesa Vineyard is neighbors with Domaine Carneros Winery. The set up of Artesa is the kicker... the vineyard sits a top a rolling hill giving it a great vantage point. Artesa stays away from the vintage historic look and embraces a modern architecture with and elaborate water fountain system. Daily Tours.......$20pp

The wonderful scenery was a major reason why we did our engagement photos in Sonoma. The wine was an added benefit :)

Redwoods National Park

The drive to Redwoods National Park

The great redwood trees tower above the lands. The tallest tree stands just shy of 380 feet and the largest trunk is measured at 26 feet in diameter. Some of these remarkable trees are even hidden from the public to protect the growth and natural habitat. This doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the numerous other giant trees. I do warn that Redwood National Park is a solid beautiful 5 hour drive north of San Francisco. Located in central California is Sequoia National Park, home to the Sequoia Trees that are in the same family as the Redwoods. I don't think someone not within driving range should make this trip solely to see the redwoods (unless you want to) but you could easily group this with a trip to the Bay Area.

Waves Crashing outside of Eureka, CA

We took 3 days and 2 nights on our adventure. Trevor was living in the Bay Area at the time and Becky came to visit for Thanksgiving. Figuring the city may be packed with family and most shops closed, we decided to get in touch with our nature side. We used Eureka as a base point. The drive up the 101 is very beautiful. It is full of river crossings and rolling hills. We rolled into small town Eureka late afternoon with no reservation. We had a little bit of a tough time but we eventually found a hotel. We toured around the city, visiting the old Victorian style homes that interest Becky. I hope we don't have to buy one now... It was Thanksgiving so we found a place having a great special and pigged out before our hiking adventure the next day.

We headed North to Kuchel Visitor Center. The drive along the coast was filled with power waves crashing onto the beach. It was simply incredible. Coming on a holiday had its perks... we hardly saw any people, but also we hardly saw any people to get advice on where to go! We headed down Bald Hills Rd. You will find good view points at Redwood Creek Overlook. This road also takes you to Tall Trees Grove. But you need a permit to get in and since we could not find anyone... so we went in anyways! Just kidding. When you get the permit, they give you a combo to unlock the gate. Tall Trees Grove is where the former tallest tree in the world, Libbey, stands. We headed towards Prairie Creek Visitor to access the BIG TREE.
Before this visitor center there is a nice, very easy hike (60 minutes round trip) called Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail. Very casual walk with lots of history apparently. At the park center we took off for the Big Tree... it took all of 5 mins! But the tree was massive. Towering 300 feet tall and 21 feet in diameter. It has a 68 foot circumference. I couldn't even get a picture that captured its massive size. Try to find the "corkscrew" tree. It is 4 trees trunks intertwined to become one! We went back to Davidson Rd to head to Gold Bluffs Beach. If I would have done some research, I would have taken the Coastal Trail to get a good view of the ocean.

Fern Canyon begins where Davidson Rd ends. It was a moderate 7 mile hike, but a different view point. Most of the hike is through the gully that Jurassic Park was filmed it. The falls of the gully are 50 feet and there is lots of water. One of us was prepared for the water... the other wasn't. Davidson Rd is not paved and the wet weather had us nervous so we called it a day.




Redwood National Park has much more to offer and has plenty of campgrounds and hiking to extend the visit. Plus there are more adventures north near Crescent City.

Next to Founder's Tree

After a good night's sleep we headed south back home but made some stops along the way. Our major stop was Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Do not blow past this on hwy 101, take the 32 mile scenic drive called the Avenue of Giants. Coming south, from Eureka, the first stop is outside Pepperwood for the Gridled Tree. The tree had a large portion of its bark removed for some selfish people in the city. Somehow it survived. Heading further South towards Weott, is the best stop in my opinion. A very short, 30 minute hike will get you to Founder's Tree, Most of these trails are ADA Accessible. Founder's Tree is remarkable for the height at which limbs start. Almost 200 feet of solid trunk before the first limb. Even more remarkable is Dyerville Giant.

Ain't no way!

This was once the largest tree at 372 feet but in 1991 fell over! This is equivalent to a 30 story building! Trevor jumped the railing and climbed INTO the tree trunk. He had to CLIMB to get to the center. As we were finishing the drive we stopped in Myers Flat to attempt to drive through a redwood! But our monster Texas sized truck could not fit. We did walk through it to compromise! Here are the Top Ten Redwoods to see. The Stratosphere Giant, which is the 4th largest tree is hidden somewhere in HRNP, but the location is kept a secret... good luck!

Hanging inside Dyerville Giant!

I would love to one day do a kayaking or canoe trip through the South Fork River that flows alongside this Park.

Top 5 things for San Diego

1. Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego’s downtown. It has a vibrant night life and good eateries. Although they like to compare themselves to the French Quarter (they even have a Mardi Gras celebration) but it isn’t quite the same. Try to book your hotel near Gaslamp because the public trolley runs through the Quarter. Check out more on this area here.

2. Pay the $20 to visit the USS Midway. Located right near downtown, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon! They have self-guided tours to help you go along at your own pace, but also have very informative guided tours. Find out more here.

3. Now I could spend the ENTIRE day at the San Diego Zoo. It is top notch and the largest zoo in the world with 3,700 animals. Make sure to take a lift on the tram "Skyfari." The zoo houses some of the rarest species of animals and it is one of four US zoo’s to have giant pandas. Learn more about the zoo. Sorry for all the photos... not really.

Hanging out with the giraffes

Bears!

His companion!

Riding the Skyfari

4. The best beach to hit up is La Jolla. Only located a couple miles north of town, relaxing in the sun is a necessity. The best part is, this can basically be done year round! Play some golf at Torrey Pines and make sure to grab a bite in the downtown area.

5. Coronado Island… well not really an island, but close enough. I recommend making way towards the USS Midway, hitching a ride on the ferry, and tackling Coronado by foot. I mostly enjoyed admiring the houses, as the architecture expands more than a century. Coronado is home to many resorts, but Hotel del Coronado I thought was the nicest. Hang out on the beach too!

Interested in using the public transportation? It is cheap, easy, and will even take you down to the border! Here is their website.

Riding a Trolley!

Mexico anyone?

Things to Do and Eat in Boston

Boston from the water

Boston is a great city with a rich history. We highly encourage everyone to make it out and at least spend 3 days in Boston. The weather is very enjoyable from about May to October with enough things to do to make you ask yourself, “Why didn't I stay longer?”

What to do:

Enjoying the trail

Boston Freedom Trail

This is the quintessential  attraction for the city. It is a 2.5 mile walk through the country’s rebellious origins. This is a free walk with some admission fees to enter buildings along the way. You will see and hear names such as Ben Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere and many others. Check out our more in depth analysis here.

Fenway Park

Although we did not catch a game or do a tour, word is, this is a good attraction.

 

Entering Havard

Harvard and MIT Universities

Two of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. are located in Boston. Harvard has a historical background with buildings older than our country. A walk through Harvard Yard is a must and do some shopping at Harvard Square. Take a walk along the Charles River (a little long) or hop on the subway to MIT. Check out the MIT museum full of innovative exhibits by students. Take a walk down Main street and do some shopping. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get a lot of the jokes. If you are looking for some grub while over there, feed the inner nerd and go to Asgard Irish Pub. They have authentic Irish food and tons of beer to chose from.

 

Sampling some Flights!

Breweries

Boston likes beer. Sam Adams is one of the major producers that offers a tour. In our opinion, it is a little out of the way and gives the generic "large company" tour. Check out one of the local ones instead! We walked to Harpoon Brewery and enjoyed ourselves. You may have to get there early to reserve a spot on the tour ($5)  an hour ahead (reservations are in person only).  While waiting or instead of going on a tour, head over to the tasting room and enjoy a beer or a flight!

 

Hanging with some rebels

Museums

We love museums and enjoyed looking at what MIT had to offer. We also checked out the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum which uses live actors to reenact the events that took place the night the tea was dumped into the harbor. The Boston Massacre Museum (housed in the Old South Meeting House on the Freedom Trail) explained the events that led up to the incident and located in the building the massacre occurred in front of. Some attractions even offer free explanations, like aboard the USS Constitution.

Right across from Daily Catch

Food and Beer

The North End will have everything you need. Located in the heart of Boston and nick named "Little Italy," the North End has delicioius food, beer, and desserts. We finished off our Freedom Trail at the restaurant Daily Catch which boasts a Sicilian-style seafood. It is a small kitchen with 6 tables and CASH ONLY. There may be a little wait, but totally worth it.  Right across the street is Mike's Pastry for dessert, like a delicious cannoli.

The feud is a street battle!

The Union Oyster House has always been a tourist favorite as being the oldest restaurant in America. We didn’t think the hour and a half wait was worth it, so we just hopped in a neighboring restaurant called the Blackstone Grill and tried some delicious homemade meatloaf. 

Now as far as beer goes... there is a little feud going on as to which bar is the oldest, Bell in Hand Tavern or Green Dragon Tavern. The Green Dragon Tavern is an Irish pub that serves some local favorites such as a lobster roll and clam chowder. You really can't go wrong for beer.

 For breakfast, we went to check out Maria's Pastry (which rivals Mike's) but it was closed so we went next door to Bread + Butter. It was decent, but no Mike’s or Maria’s. If you want lunch on the water, we had a good meal at the Legal Seafood on the Long Wharf overlooking the water.

 

Sit back and relax!

Transportation

Boston is a small city in area and very walkable. To get to outlying attractions in surrounding areas for destinations like Harvard/MIT, take the subway. It costs $2.65 one way. If you know you will be traveling a lot by subway, get a day pass or week pass. We invested in the week pass for $18 and it was definitely worth it.

Taxis are common and easy to get. You will pay more for some convenience. Try downloading the Uber app and give that a shot. We used it to get from the airport at 1am (after subway stopped) and it saved us a good hour from waiting in the taxi line.

Buses are very efficient and full of all sorts of people. We only used the bus when we were by MIT, but they are all around the city. Look up their route online.

We used the commuter rail to visit Salem. It cost us $29  for the 30 minute ride. Not a bad deal! See where else you can get to!

Outside Boston

Boston is nice, but like mentioned above, we took a day trip to Salem. Salem takes Halloween very seriously and we visited a week before Halloween, so it was a must and it was worth it! There was so much to do that our original half day plan turned into a full day. We checked out the Witch House and the Witch Museum. If we were to do it again, we would say skip the long line at the Witch Museum and go to the hanging ground. They have a live reenactment of the famous witch hunt. Famous Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his Seven Gables book based off a home he visited frequently located in Salem. Check out the tour at Seven Gables to learn more. 

Before you go, pick up some candy at the oldest candy store in America across the street from The House of Seven Gables at the Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie. We went during a very festive time with local arts and craft tents set up all along the main pass and a nice carnival-like set up across from the Witch Museum. It was relaxing with exceptionally good people watching!