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 :)