Traveling the world...searching, seeking - for that ultimate vacation!

2012 Mayan Prophecy - Cancun/ Mayan Riveria have some fascinating stories

2012-01-13T00:17:00.000-08:00

Undeterred by travel warnings and frightening headlines about safety in Mexico, we decided to book our Cancun trip. Cancun is definitely touristy and a destination that we had furiously avoided these years. With the end of the world in sight in 2012, and so much discussion centered around the apocalyptic omen, it seemed appropriate that we head to Cancun and check out the Mayan calendar that has been the focus of so much discussions, speculations and prophecy.

Mayan Calendar

Cancun was a deserted island until the late 1960s, when government agencies apparently ran a computer simulation called "Bugsy" to pick the most perfect spot for a tourist paradise. Cancun emerged and the rest is history. (Yes, Cancun does seems to have shades of Vegas - a strip that is flashy and as touristy as it gets). The island is composed of lagoons, marshes, jungles and coral reefs along with some incredible historical tours.

We have trended these last few years to making quick decisions and easy vacation choices. Costco for hotel ($880 for the 7 nights) and expedia for plane tickets. Absolute no-brainer decision, hit Submit (that was early November) and next thing you know, we were scampering to get the year closed out and take the early morning flight to Cancun. We considered these all inclusive monster deals, but we had visions of putting on 20 lbs on our way back, and our food and drinks being simple as they are (vegetarian and teetotalers), we decided to not opt for the ALL INCLUSIVE deals, which seemingly are a big rage for Mexico’s tourists. Summer time, the all inclusive (hotel only) deals run for $200 (food, hotel + excursions) and Winter they can run $500+. Mind you, if you don’t go for the all inclusive package, be prepared to spend $200/day for food. If you go after a hurricane hits Cancun, the prices have usually plummeted to rock bottom

Our flight was uneventful with our “full-service airline”. Be prepared to be solicited for everything as you step outside after customs. Just like taking a cab from San Franciso into South Bay, the cab fares are steep from Cancun to the hotel zone $40 to $50, but check with your travel package / hotel – they may have a shuttle running from the airport.

We were at the Marriott Casa Magna.

The hotel is great; next door to the JW Marriott. You get to pick between the restaurants @ JW and Casa Magna, as they are conveniently connected. The location of these hotels is not perfect (the Carribean seas are a tad choppy, windy - and the beach has a receding line syndrome, and sand "cliffs" of about 3 to 5 feet are emerging on the coastline to preserve the beach area for siesta loving tourists). You are better off staying near one of the shopping malls like LA ISLA MALL (Sheraton Resorts is one of the choices) INCLUDE MAP.

But it is a safe tourist town and cabs/ buses work very well to get out. Buses are $8.50 Pesos a ride to anywhere in town and their frequency is quite good. Most tourists and locals just use the bus service to get around. The cab fares in and around Cancun hotel zone are very reasonable $7 to $12.

Restaurants – We loved a couple restaurants around Marriott Casa Magn, the Thai restaurant (inside Casa Magna) and SAVIOs. The GUSTINO’s Italian restaurant in J W Marriott is over-rated, we found the service lacking and portions very small – 30% of what is typical in the bay area.

SHOPPING: The malls (ISLA MALL, FORUM mall) have the junk that we tourists seek – but the flea markets are more fun. There is a flea market in downtown MERCADO 28, which has lots of eating choices too. If you enjoy the inevitable bargaining in the flea market you may love it. But the place to strike real bargains is at Chichen Itza.You can shop for Leather, silver, pottery, postcards, hair braids, frames, magnets, glassware, art work, handicrafts, etc. The prices in the mall are …well overpriced. Don't expect to find anything "out of the ordinary" or terribly unique though, all the marketplaces in Cancun sell all the same types of things. Chichen Itza though is particularly easy to strike some great bargains. More on that later.

Suzanne our travel agent in Cancun (0529981365060) got us some great deals for our excursion trip. Our trip to Chichen Itza was through “Cancun Sightseeing” $45/adult $23/kid. Knowing these prices, you can decide if you want to pre-purchase prior to your trip on the web. Here is another tour company http://www.grayline.com/Cancun/Chichen_Itza_Deluxe_Tour#Highlights
Chichen Itza, founded in the year 514 AD, was once the capital of the ancient Mayan civilization and was recently declared one of the “7 Modern Wonders of the World.” The ruins are steeped in a magical history of bloody rituals of human sacrifice, a warrior culture, astrological discovery, and elaborately constructed Maya-Toltec buildings. The ruins are a must see for any visit to Cancun. Here is what a typical tour will cover for you.
• The Majestic Observatory
• The Sacred Cenote - Where sacrifices once took place, and you can take a dip in the cool waters.
• The Ball Court - The largest and deadliest Ball Game in Mesoamerica. The arena is 168 meters in length and 70 meters in width with perfect acoustics.
• The Pyramid of Kukulcan - Where both theology and astronomy combine to produce a unique spectacle twice a year, the Spring Equinox and the Autumn Solstice. On these days, the shadows projected over the architectural elements of the building resemble a serpent descending into the ground. Located inside the pyramid, is the famous Chac Mool sculpture and the Jaguar Throne.
It is a long drive to get to Chichen Itza, and it is highly likely the bus tour will lead you into a tourist trap, prior to lunch. Check out the offerings, but you are better off purchasing once you arrive at Chichen Itza. In fact, I would highly recommend it as THE place for you to shop for your quaint Mexican artifacts. For example, we bought a few Obsidian stones at really good prices. The prices we were quoted in the tourist trap was in the $40 to $100. And we got the same stone for <100 pesos ($7.70). The tour guide at Chicen Itza (arranged by our tour company) was excellent and provided some great insights into the history.

The Sacred Cenote

The pyramid of Kukulcan

(see serpent at the bottom)

We got to Chichen Itza a bit late ~2:30pm and with the gates closing @ 5pm – barely gave us any time to explore the place though. If you are adventurous, consider renting a car for the day and driving up there….will definitely provide you more time to explore. But it is a long day (Leave the hotel @ 7pm and back to the hotel after 8pm).

So what is Obsidian is not a gemstone. It is formed during fast cooling of la va products after a volcanic eruption - that’s why they call it “volcanic glass”. According to ancient superstition, Obsidian brings to its wearer the energy of Earth, thus strengthening his spirit and healing his body. Ancient people called Obsidian "Satan's claws' fragments". A legend says the stone was named after a Roman warrior Obsidian who brought this stone from Ethiopia.. All Obsidians are talismans which offer strong shield against any negativity http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/obsidian-stone.html

The second trip to Tulum Coba was through TANSLOMEX http://www.translamex.com/– that included lunch. We got this for $50/adult $30/kid (under 12). The Tulum Coba combo is hard to find as it is not a preferred option for many. So this combo operates only on certain days.

Tulum, the great walled city, where you can be entranced by the cliff top view over the Caribbean and one of the area's most beautiful beaches. This history as you tour the ruins and learn about the advanced civilization of the Mayas is indeed fascinating.

Then it's off to Coba, much larger than Tulum, and less touristed. Here you can climb the great pyramid, one of the area's most exciting attractions. You can rent a rickshaw at Coba to be chauffeur driven around the site, or you can rent a bicycle if you'd like to give it a go on your own.

During the Coba tour, you will visit the original mayan stone stele, which is the origin about the prophecies and confusions about the 2012, the original stone stele enclosed and protected.This mayan stone stele, full with glyphs and historic writting of the mayas, is part of a serie of steles, correspondent to the Nohoch Mul group of stones, with the same name as the Coba Pyramid. This glyphs includes the real true about the 2012 prophecies, written during the Kalach Uinic. In the main stele, there is the December 21th 2012 prophecies, where the confusion and the theory begin. The theories that the tour guides have chosen to stick to is that – the Mayan Calendar was crafted only till December 21st 2012. Another theory is that the Mayas, great wise people of the millenary cultures, have left a message for us that this not the end of the times, but refer to the general human kind mind change that we will have in 2012.

Coba is less accessible than Chichen Itza, but because the visitors tend to be more considerate of the archeology, visitors are allowed more direct access to the ruins. At Coba you will be able to climb the great pyramid of Nohoch Mul, the highest Pyramid in the Yucatan peninnsula. You also have virtually unrestricted access to many other smaller but equally impressive ruins. Chichen Itza pyramid is out of bounds, but we were allowed to climb Nohoch Mul in Coba. 29 meters tall. Going up is easy – as long as you don’t look behind. But coming down, it is a lot easier if you pair up, and hold hands – with one leading and the other following behind. The person in the lead is constantly being pulled back by the person behind and the person lagging, stepping down has the support of the person in front. If you can muster up the courage, you definitely need to climb. At the top of Nohoch Mul you can view a panorama of dense jungle with other pyramids and buildings poking up through the lush green carpet in all directions. As you stand at the top of Nohoch Mul you will have a view similar to that offered to the Mayan Priests over 1500 years ago. Be aware the climb of Nohoch Mul is not a cake walk. There are 124 steps to get to the top. The pyramid rises at a significant angle, so if you have a weak heart or very young children with you the full climb is best avoided. A thick rope down the middle of the pyramid has been provided that can make the climb a little easier.
A large number of Stelae (stone slabs inscribed with Mayan hieroglyphics) have been found and by deciphering these stelae much of the information we now know about Coba has been discovered. Due to the importance of these stelae, many have been removed to Mexico City for analysis. However a small number have been left in place. They normally have been given a small thatched roof to protect them as best as is possible from further erosion. The ball courts are fascinating too. The tour guides look to explain it all.

The rest of the time in Cancun, we hung out by the Caribbean Sea's turquoise water and the hotel pool. Many short naps, and relaxing lunches and dinners. Cancun turned out to be OK - provided us a beach vacation along with an opportunity to soak in Mayan culture. Highly recommend it!

There are other attractions like Xela, Isla Mojares etc - but they didn't creep up into our list - but definitely excursion options that you may want to consider

FROM USA TODAY
Cancun was a deserted island until the late 1960s, when government agencies created a plan to make it a tourist destination, according to Cancun’s Official Travel Information website. The island, composed of lagoons, marshes, jungles and coral reefs, welcomes visitors who wish to enjoy its pristine beaches and wildlife. Cancun sightseeing tours provides vacationers with several touring options, whether they want to traverse through the jungle, get close to marine life or explore archeological ruins.
Chichen Itza Tour from Cancun
Named one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” Chichen Itza features Maya-Toltec ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. Tourists see structures once used for worship, human sacrifice, and mathematical and scientific discovery, such as the Pyramid of Kukulcan, the Ball Court and the Majestic Observatory. The Chichen Itza Tour by Gray Line Cancun includes round-trip transportation from Cancun hotels, entrance fee to Chichen Itza, bilingual-certified INAH guides, extra time to explore the ruins and use of Mayaland Hotel and Resort. It takes about 12 hours to complete this tour, including the hour and a half guided portion. Ticket prices vary for adults and children and depend on upgrades, such as horseback riding, added to ticket packages. Gray Line Cancun Robalo #30 SM 3 Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico 77500 800-235-4079 graylinecancun.com
Xcaret Day Trip Tours
My Cancun Tours Xcaret Day Trip Tours provide a variety of activities for sightseers. Activities on the tour consist of visiting Mexican cemeteries and landmarks, exploring jungle trails, underwater adventures in a coral reef, visiting Mayan villages and swimming with dolphins. The prices of packages include admission to Xcaret Ecological Park, transportation to and from hotels, water activities, life jackets, Jaguar Island, the Bat Cave and a night show. Packages don’t offer meals, snacks and beverages. Xcaret provides rental lockers to store personal belongings. It also prohibits the use of suntan lotions or sun blocks that are not biodegradable; sightseers may bring their own biodegradable products or purchase them at the facility. Ticket prices vary, but children less than 40 inches tall enter for free. My Cancun Tours Boulevard Kukulkan, Km 3.5 Plaza Nautilus, Local 20 B, Hotel Zone Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico 866-235-8889 mycancuntours.com
Paradise Sub See Explorer
Aquaworld Cancun Tours’ Paradise Sub See Explorer consists of exploring the Punta Nizuc coral reef from the inside of a yellow submarine. Visitors see the diverse marine life in the coral reef, possibly even a dolphin. Two-hour tour packages include bilingual tour guides, lunch at Aquaworld’s outdoor restaurant, bottled water and lockers. Combination packages consist of the submarine tour and unlimited snorkeling after the submarine ride. Tours begin at Aquaworld, where sightseers board a boat and take a 30-minute ride through the lagoon’s mangrove jungle to the coral reef. Upon arrival, tourists get on the Sub See Explorer and a bilingual tour guide points out marine life and underwater plant life. At the end of the tour, tourists return to the Aquaworld. Ticket prices vary for adults, children and groups and depend on whether sightseers combine packages or not. Aquaworld Coastal Avenue Km 3.5 Cozumel, Mexico 011-52-998-848-83-27 aquaworld.com.mx

Read more: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/Mexico/Estado_de_Quintana_Roo/Cancun-959663/Shopping-Cancun-Markets-BR-1.html#ixzz1jJlZ3b1U

DC to Maine

2010-11-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

Day 1 through Day 4 New York City
Day 5 To DC via Philly
Day 6, 7, 8 - DC
Day 9 - Boston
Day 10 - Acadia, Maine
Day 12 - NJ

Pura Vida Costa Rican Style – Absolutely Directo !

2010-04-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Pura Vida (POO-rah VEE-dah), literally translated means “Pure Life.", rather intriguing....We asked a friendly Costa Rican to define it for us. And he spent the next ten minutes extolling the virtues of PURA VIDA. Contextually, it means “Full of Life”, “This is living!”, “Going great!” It is used as a greeting, a farewell, and anything else. Our view – a Costa Rican expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of leisurely pace, good fortune and un-inhibited friendliness for one and all. The local population certainly make it easy for us tourists. No wonder, tourism has emerged as the major industry for Costa Ricans – casting bananas and coffee by the wayside. The tourist traffic into Costa Rica has gone up exponentially every year, and now draws more than two million visitors from all over the world.

Views of Quepos - near Manuel Antonio

As we emerged from immigration at San Jose airport....seemed quite chaotic. I was almost expecting Sakaram to tap me on my shoulders to help with my luggage. We had packed light (very unusual for us) considering the hefty airline charges for checked in baggage and it just made travel lot more comfortable. As it turned out, we didn’t buy unnecessary touristy junk that ultimately gets discarded after sitting in the garage. There were couple things on our immediate agenda, as we exited immigration – currency exchange and the Hertz rental. The Fodor’s 2010 Costa Rica guide, that we had thoughtfully picked up from the library had tons of valuable information – that we had skimmed over on the flight. Some very valuable pointers indeed! The Bank of San Jose located within the aiport (24 hours service) was very convenient. We didn’t have to exchange any more currency after this first exchange, and we hoarded the Colones until the last day splurge. We rented a 4WD Daihatsu Terios, which turned out unexpectedly to be a stick-shift. We loaded up on the insurance – collision, 3rd party, wind-shield/ tires coverage, added up more than the rental itself, but well worth it considering our language handicap. For the most part though, the folks we met were quite nice, affable and there is generally not a need to be extra precautions. Armed with the directions from the folks at Hertz, we were zipping along the highway heading to La Fortuna, Arenal volcano area.The initial hesitation with the stick-shift quickly faded away. There were fruit stands along the highway, and we found it a bit strange to stop roadside / on the inter-state highway, but this all was destined to change towards the tail end of the trip. We passed through towns such as San Ramon, Sacramento and San Francisco – and we were going through a major identity crisis. We stopped at San Ramon to stock up on some snacks and drinks. We hit some rain and fog as we drove up, sometimes stuck behind a slow truck. The country side was clean, roads were great in some parts and just about bearable at others, but nevertheless it was easy driving on the narrow highways. You certainly don't want to be lost in those parts though. We kept a lookout for the the Arenal Volcano signs and found ourselves at our hotel just before nightfall.

The next few days were spent at Hotel Montana De Fuego with some excellent views of Arenal volcanoe, which one of our friends had recommended. It was located a couple miles from the Arenal National Park. The lush tropical vegetation around eased us into the vacation spirit. The hotel was probably at 30% capacity and our evening dinner at the hotel restaurant was great, thanks to all the extra attention. The meals had an almost home cooked flavor to it and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The kids ended up playing pool prior to dinner and the itouches and iphones were active thanks to the Wi-Fi. My blackberry had international coverage turned out, but AT&T and it's alliances, unfortunately did not have coverage (what's new!). We called it an early night after a stroll around the hotel's lush vegetation. The hotel TV had quite a few Spanish shows going on and we chanced upon a Brazilian based soap with an Indian theme and even snippets of Hindi interspersed with the Spanish....very interesting. Read bout it here

The next day, the rains came down hard. We had to literally coax ourselves out of that monsoon stupor for th drive upto Arenal National Park.... it was still pouring. We took a detour to the Hanging Bridges/ Arenal dam area. That had indeed some beautiful sights, and made it worthwhile. The hanging bridges are good too, but the ticket price is a bit steep and coming across wild-life is a hit or miss…..the bridges tour has been highly recommended by everyone. We ended up at Baldi hot springs. Pretty impressive array of 27 pools that inter-mix the hot springs with cooler water to make it a splendid experience (un-adulterated hot springs is at a burning 152 F). Lots of different options, spas are dispersed around the hotel. Highly recommend it! La Fortuna has tons of hotels which go a-begging in economies like these - one of which is Springs Spa and Resort in Arenal which has 19 natural hot springs, neon red, blue and yellow birds on your balcony, a straight-shot view of the volcano. We had thoughts of heading to La Fortuna for dinner, but decided to try the hotel restaurant for the 2nd night. Later that night, our son threw up in the middle of the night and had some mild temperature the next day - which we attributed to the restaurant food. But, turns out, kids are prone to get sick after going to the hot springs - perhaps drinking the pool water? Be prepared, take some medication as that is inevitable. Coconut water helps with such cases and we had plenty of that - helped towards a quick recovery.

Next morning, we were supposed to drive up to Monte Verde, on the way to Manuel Antonio, but the upset stomach put the brakes on these plans. Having a rental provided some flexibility. We lingered around in the Arenal area before heading down to the Central Coast tourist trap - Manuel Antonio via Jaco. We had to skip the horse-back ride that we had planned at La Fortuna Water falls. We have heard the drive from La Fortuna to Monte Verde is scenic too – we obviously missed out on that. The signs are not too clear at major intersection points and we relied on local taxi drivers to direct us – who were mostly too helpful, even referring us to their English speaking colleagues. The macro directions were provided by the hotel, but we had to rely on the locals for micro directions. We stopped by roadside fruit stalls to enjoy the fresh fruits and the coconut water. Driving in the countryside didn't have too many issues – we did try to ensure that we were not driving in the night, as we share the highways with cyclists – and driving can become a tense experience. Jaco is very touristy, becoming a spring break destination for the east coast universities.

We arrived at Manuel Antonio – and headed to Casita Eclipse, where we were staying. The published web rates are $300. We had done some upfront negotiation to drop the rates at tad – but this hotel had some major challenges. Apparently, all the hotels in Manuel Antonio are over-priced, but this one was a rip-off we felt. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g309274-Manuel_Antonio_National_Park_Province_of_Puntarenas-Hotels.html We had made the cardinal mistake of making a reservation without going through the trip advisor reviews. Never again! As we parked and walked into the registration area - our kids remarked that the hotel was not very impressive. We made another mistake, we should have checked the room and that might have coaxed us to negotiate ourselves out from this one. We almost wanted to leave after the first night, but that would throw our plans astray and we had no choice but to grin and bear. We were so annoyed with the overpriced room - we ended up not taking the hotel packages. The hotel breakfast package was no great shakes @ Del Negro - with a soup-nazi type waiter. The hotel trails ares extensive, with some wild life, but the zillion steps deterred us from exploring it (a half hour hike to the Manuel Antonio Park from inside the hotel). Monchados Restaurant in Quepos was quite good and also the Acai Sandwiches and Smoothies (above the Super Mas – across the bus stand). Banana chips flavored with lime was our favorite snack that most of the super markets stocked. The coconut water and guavas sold on the beaches and road-side were a treat too.

We negotiated the mangrove tour from the company itself - almost 50% off what the hotel offered us. The mangrove tour is worthwhile, but hyped up a tad - we were waiting to see the Boa Constrictor and Alligators which somehow eluded us. We also went through the Canopy Safari zipling experience, very safe and very well done – well worth it, includes the tarzan swings and rappelling. You just need to be a bit careful to ensure you research the safari for safety, governmental approvals prior to making the reservations. The hotels are generally good at providing that info too. Canopy Safari had an excellent set of folks manning the different areas and there is not much room for error. Make sure you put on some strong mosquito repelleant if you head out into the wilderness. We missed heading into the beach inside the Manuel Antonio State park - but that is worth checking out.

The drive from Manuel Antonio to Juan Santamaria Interrnational airport takes barely 3 hours thanks to the wonderful freeway – recently built (Make a left turn where the freeway ends once you are in San jose and go DIRECTO). We were finally back in San Jose. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport after returning our rental.

All in all, an excellent experience. We do hope to be back someday.

Mangrove Forest and the beautiful Manuel Antonio sunset

Sizzling hot - South Beach, Miami

2010-01-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

Miami, South Beach, , Americas Riviera of the east coast – attracts millions every year. The two of us spent some quality time there last weekend, seeking to combine business with some (just a tad bit) pleasure.

As we entered Miami Dade County, we were reminded of hanging chads and the fiasco, which made US the laughing stock for a good eight years. Infamy …notoriety call it what you may! At least there are lots of 9 year old Chads walking around now…. There were signs all over of the upcoming Super Bowl XLIV, the city was all decked up in anticipation.

We found ourselves in South Beach - palms swaying over the artistic angles of a world of deco delight, tropical Bohemia at its finest. Hang out of photographers, supermodels, artists, entrepreneurs, hipsters, movie stars, tycoons, queens - South Beach is about 23 blocks between Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. We were in the Art Deco district. This is the heart of Miami, pretty much everything is within walking distance. This district offers some unique architecture. It was considered ultramodern and chic back in 1920s and 1930s with neoclassical styles and application of exotic motifs such as flora, fauna, and fountains based on geometric patterns. It is gone totally retro now. These structures were in danger of being demolished in the 70s, but designers then began highlighting long-lost architectural details with soft sherbet shades of peach, turquoise etc. If this evokes some interest visit the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr. (tel. 305/531-3484), which is run by the Miami Design Preservation League.

South Beach is a tad pricey, *not* value-for-money (to some extent), but everything good has a price to pay, right? Ocean Drive extends from 1st street to 15th and I would highly recommend staying in one of the hotels there. There are very many located outside of Ocean Drive on Collins Avenue – within the Art Deco district, but you may not get the true South Beach experience, that you get at Ocean Drive. Hmm…I wonder what the true South Beach experience is? You gotta find out for yourself. There are many splendid hotels to choose from and with the tripadvisor reviews, you cannot go wrong with picking the right one (hint – lots of reading, gory details, about bed bugs and cockroaches and much more).

I would recommend the Delano, where celebrities hangout, pool is legendary as they say and as busy during weekend brunch as one of its weekly VIP-packed parties. We ended up picking a quaint art-deco styled hotel Cardozo Hotel owned by Gloria Estefan, Cardozo Hotel South Beach - Articles 1300 Ocean Drive | Miami Beach, FL 33139 | 305.695.2822. www.cardozohotel.com/index.cfm/id/95.html... overlooking the ocean - met our needs well. The Cardozo hotel was used in many movies and seemed a tad familar to us: Hole in the Head with Frank Sinatra; Something About Mary with Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon; Pronto with Peter Faulk; and Any Given Sunday with Al Paccino. It was also used in The Birdcage movie with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. The deal on their website was compelling, they threw in dinner vouchers, club VIP passes, valet parking and their staff was friendly and very helpful. All our reading had indicated biased treatment towards Cubans, but it was not at all visible to us. Everyone was friendly and just a huge blend of ethnicity that lends South Beach that tremendous aura.

Map is here

January is supposedly off-peak which presents South Beach in different shades. Temperatures can dip into the 30s occasionally, but we lucked out. The day-time high was in the 70s and 80s with night time dipping into the 60s, which made it quite pleasant for us. Summers are hot and only good to do some heavy baking. But January found us amidst a couple showers, but generally glorious weather. In fact, even the showers had a great Bombay feel to it.

The beach? Clear water and sprawling golden sand for miles! Even on a Thursday, the beach was relatively crowded and by Saturday the beaches were really packed like sardines – that too on a January weekend. Splendid! There are parties every day of the week at South Beach and the morning starts at around Noon or so. We would sleep in - the little pleasures of life- and start the day with breakfast at the Front Porch. Very nice selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch to choose from, while people watching…very relaxing I must say, a wonderful start for a morning! Get used to the 17% gratuity that is automagically attached to every meal in Miami. The other breakfast place recommended is David’s Cafe off Lincoln Mall at 1654 Meridian Avenue if you would like to start your morning like a local. Lot of the cuisine is Cuban and meat based, so vegetarians may not find too many choices.

At any time of the day, take a stroll along Ocean Drive for the best view of sidewalk cafes, bars, colorful hotels, and even more colorful people. Another great place for a walk is Lincoln Road, which is lined with boutiques, large chain stores, cafes, and funky art and antiques stores. We had dinner there the last evening of our stay. It may not have the ambiance of Ocean drive, but is still hustling and bustling over the weekend. On a tiny street in South Beach, there's a piece of Spain that makes you feel as if you are in Madonna's La Isla Bonita video. The historic Mediterranean-revival-style Spanish Village -- or Plaza De España -- complete with fountain, stretches from Washington Avenue to Drexel Avenue and features charming boutiques, cafes, and a weekend market.

After breakfast, we really enjoyed long walks along the beach. Long stretch of open sand, warm waters makes it very enjoyable indeed. Take along something to sip as you walk along the shores. When you get bored with the walk on the beach, come on out and just walk on Ocean drive, inhaling the sights and sounds, window shopping or whatever else you fancy. Do not forget to check out Versace’s castle – very impressive home of Swargvasee Versace right in the heart of South Beach.

If you are feeling like a drive, get out and explore Virginia Key Beach is one of the most interesting beaches in South Florida. It’s located right off the Rickenbacker Causeway (on both the north and south sides) near the Miami Seaquarium.

And what about the clubs eh? Some of the ones recommended were Club Space, Opium garden, Clevelander, Mac’ club Deuce, Tobacco Road, Churchill”s hideway, Twist, Score and the brand new Halo. Latin nightclub like La Covacha, Kimbara Cumbara and Hoy Como Ayer. The most popular Latin Nightspot on South Beach is Mango’s Tropical Café. They have the best party geared for tourists. The office crowd visiting town on a conference (dressed in suits and ties sometimes), tourists, localities out for a good time – all hustle for a spot to check out the dancers and partake in the fun. This place gets packed! The party goes on all night long and Mango knows how to throw one. The cover charge goes up as the night gets younger. Some very good dancers, musicians on stage, along with a friendly, welcoming, inviting demeanor, make it for a fun night.

There are other clubs like Clevelander within a stone’s throw on the strip – pick one and have a good time. The hotels are generally good with providing recommendations – based on their read of what your taste is. Also, be prepared to accept VIP passes to various clubs as you stroll along South Beach – if you look like you are out to have a fun night, you will be way laid and offered VIP passes – probably happens only during the off peak, but we were all too happy picking up the VIP ribbons There are plenty of choices for dinner. Larios – owned by the Estefan family is quite good. We also had dinner at the Mango’s Tropical Café and it was good too. January, being off-peak, we felt good getting aggressively invited by the dressed-to-kill restaurant hostess’ along Ocean drive, but we could typically assess how good or bad the food was based on how crowded the restaurant was. If you decide to experience the real Cuban scene, you will have to head west to Miami to explore Little Havana and check out a local salsa club.

There is more to this obviously...All in all, we had a great weekend. Splendid place – and definitely worth a visit. A great way to splurge and kick-back enjoy the weekend – get away from it all.
Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/

KEYWEST
We spent a day driving upto Florida Keys. It is highly recommended to stay overnight at Florida Keys to get the total experience. Ours was a day trip, and we missed getting to Everglades National Park and we were in a rush. Make sure you exit onto Homestead to check out the Coral Castle - 28655 South Dixie Highway, Homestead, FL 33033. One man’s work for a lost love – a Taj Mahal of sorts, hand carved into natural coral @ www.coralcastle.com. Also, get off at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and ride on the glass bottom the 65-foot Spirit of Pennekamp.

While many visitors seek the quaint vistas of Margaritaville in Key West- Jimmy Buffet’s favorite city has great restaurants, bars, sandy beaches and quiet mangroves. It is a bit more quiet and family oriented. We got an impression that it is more geared for Floridans getting out for the weekend. Visiting the Keys is all about the drive. Recommended stop at the southern edge of the state is the Knauss Berry Farm (Turnpike at SW 248th Street) - discover the hot-from-the-oven sticky cinnamon buns, freshly blended strawberry. Certainly buy some home made jam and local honey too! The Mutineer Restaurant parking lot at 11 SE 1st Ave in Homestead is recommended too. www.mutineer.biz/kid-frame.html
One the drive there, you can exit to Card Sound Road (SR905) – can’t miss it on the GPS. This has some very good scenes and animal life – drive at your own sweet pace. At the end of the drive, you will hit a toll booth next to Alabama Jacks. If you are hungry venture in there. www.alabamajacks.com
Keep an eye on the mile markers. Bob’s Bunz (MM81.5) serves breakfast at sunrise and a variety of sugary sweets. Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen (MM 99.4) is another recommended spot. For lunch, Buzzard’s Roost Inn on Garden Cove Drive (MM106.5) offers fresh seafood. www.buzzroost.com
Probably not worth driving all the way down south for a day trip.

Check this article out for additional details http://www.southbeach-usa.com/news/travel/2008/01/14/10-things-miami-1/

The Canadian Rockies -

2010-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

(Click on any picture to Enlarge)

One of the fantastic views @ Banff

Medicine Lake - Jasper National Park (on the drive to Maligne Lake)

Some vacations are best not planned...we did one of those in July this year.
Firstly, for a variety of reasons our dates kept moving. Eventually, it became a now or never and we just took the plunge with scarcely a thought or a plan. Worked out good nevertheless!

The plan was to spend time in Seattle/ Vancouver, but just a few days prior, bumped into a few friends who were absolutely raving about the Canadian Rockies and the San Juan Islands etc. We were still not sure about our plans as we settled into the first night in Seattle. The next morning we drove into Canada with not a plan in mind.

The border crossing can take up quite some time in the summer months. This is a good website that shows the wait times for the border crossing. We picked the I-539 border crossing, which worked out very well. Summer months/ weekends, the I-5 border crossings have a typical wait time of an hour to 2 hours. The I-539 crossing has a lower volume, not many folks know about it or prefer not to use it. But Canadian immigration seems to have a lot more time on their hands at this crossing. It reminded me of the viva exams, was asked a set of good 10 questions, 9 more than I have ever been asked while crossing into Canada. Stay away from the immigration gal there (our lane moved very slow).... she is persistent and grilled me as if I was the Kumar dude escapee from Guantanamo Bay. But not to dis-credit the rest of the Canadian junta, they are one of the friendliest I have ever come across (not to discount the natives of Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin where I spent some quality winter consulting time and the officer who pulled me over on a dreary winter night, only to let me drive away).

As we entered into Canada, we were still not sure which way to head, Vancouver or to the Canadian Rockies. We ultimately settled onto the Canadian Rockies after some major hungama and hesitation - it was a long drive after all.

We also didn't have a GPS - our GPS covered only the US and we hadn't had the chance to order the Canada/Mexico SD card. It was pretty amazing how the blackberry and iPhone apps worked out so very well, to the point that a GPS was hardly required. I do see the death knell of the stand alone GPS device....just a matter of time now.

Jasper
Vancouver, Jasper and Banff (part of the Canadian Rockies National Park system) form a triangle. We picked Jasper because the drive to Jasper is shorter than the drive to Banff (took us about 7 hours from the border crossing). On the drive to Jasper, we also made reservations thanks to some tourist guide that we picked up along the way. The highway into Jasper is very well maintained and I got some *very* good speeds thanks to the KIA rental, while keeping up with the Canadian brethrens who were speeding along with carefree abandon. We found ourselves in the town of Jasper just prior to sunset ~6 to 7 hours after we had done the border crossing. The rangers were as usual *very* friendly and even briefed us on dinner potentials. We settled on a pizza place, Jasper Pizza, which was pretty good and eventually checked-in to catch a few hours of zzzs.

Some of the things worth checking out within Jasper NP are Maligne Lake (take a cruise here to spirit island, will become your highlight of the vacation with some fantastic scenes, expensive and some say overrated), Gondola ride (short and sweet), Sulfur Skyline Trail Hike, Miette Hot Springs, Mount Edith Cavell (Hike to Angel glacier is definitely nice)... Pick and choose what you feel like doing. The hot springs, Gondola ride are also at Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, so pick and choose what you want to experience.

On the drive to Maligne Lake - we particularly enjoyed the Medicine Lake (see picture above). Medicine lake is a geologic anomaly, not exactly a lake but the area in which the Maligne River (flowing from Maligne Lake into the Athabasca River) backs up and suddenly disappears underground. The Lake in summer behaves like a bathtub that is filled too fast for it to drain, it becomes laden with water until it can slowly drain as the runoff is s reduced. The disappearing of water was mystical to the natives and the lake was highly revered. The lake had a quiet elegance about it and we spent some time by its shores. We felt Maligne Lake was overrated and we turned right back. There are trails and hikes that surely must offer some speectacular views.

The drive to Banff from Jasper is about 3-4 hours with some stunning sights along the way. The day time temperature all through our time there was in the low 90s - very hot considering that spring does not arrive here until late May or early June sometimes. As a result, much of the wild life lay burrowed in to avoid the heat, and we missed out some great wild life sightings, which I was told becomes a tame affair by the time we typically leave the Canadian Rockies. Well, we didn't quite experience that! Wild-life sighting is common if you take the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy #1A) - which is slower than Highway 1 - between Banff and Jasper.

It is worthwhile to take the Columbia Ice field tour and also check out Lake Louise, Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls and Canyon etc. while driving between Jasper and Banff. From Lake Louise, you can visit Moraine Lake 14kms away (depending on time). En route, you can also visit Johnston Canyon, walk to lower and upper falls etc.

LAKE LOUISE VILLAGE doesn't amount to much, centered around a single mall, Samson Mall There's almost nothing to do in the village. There are canoe rentals on the lake and make sure you don't fall into the frigid waters. Depending on time - Lake Louise Gondola (the "Friendly Giant") can take you partway up Mount Whitehorn. You can choose between enclosed gondola cars, open chairs, or chairs with bubble domes - which can get you a unique fearful experience. A trail takes you to the summit of Mount Whitehorn, for the fearless only. There are some nice trails...Lake Louise can give you that breather in your hectic vacation schedule where you can stop and 'smell the roses'. Around Lake Louise considering checking out Takkakaw Falls, Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake

The Bus Ride to the Columbia Ice Field

The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield south of Alaska, shimmering glacial ice and snow cover some 400 sq. km with a depth of 300 to 600 meters. The Snowcoach tour onto the Athabasca Glacier is unlike any Alaskan backyard view Russia experience. We took that and it is indeed an experience! The Columbia Icefield is a true "hydrological apex," for its meltwater feeds streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. Take this unique experience to the next level by spending a night at the Columbia Icefield in the Glacier View Inn. The lighting in the evening and morning hours is spectacular and is the perfect complement to the magnificent glaciers.

Athabasca Glacier

A view of the Athabasca glacier while standing atop the Columbia Ice Field.

In this pic, you can see the bus route onto the Columbia Ice Field
View from the visitor center (click to enlarge)

Banff
As you near Banff, the highway evolves into a 4 lane separated highway with a 90KMH speed limit. There is fencing by the side to prevent animals from butting heads with cars, and some 'natural bridges' enable the essential animal crossings. Very well thought out I must say! The town of Banff has a commercial feel to it in comparison to Jasper. We liked it a lot. Jasper is much smaller but has a unique identity of its own too. Strolling down Banff's main shopping street can be relaxing too as you browse into the various retail stores. Hotel choices Brewster Mountain Lodge, Lady Macdonald Country Inn, Georgetown Inn in Canmore etc. Fairmont Hotel is located at Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff and is certainly top rated.

Everyone seems to want to ride the gondola up Sulphur Mountain. The hot springs is right by the GOndola ride and that was one of the best experiences for us during this trip. The hot springs are made to flow into a swimming pool like enclave and the temperature dropped to 40C from the typical hot springs temperature of 50C - which makes it a very enjoyable experience. With the beautiful views around it, this must be one of the exotic hot springs of the world. This can be a wonderful model for other hot springs - it is certainly commercialized but enriches the whole experience. The Gondola ride up the mountains has some wonderful sights - so not to be missed.
Some Top-Rated Banff Hotels Fox Hotel & Suites , Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Post Hotel & Spa, Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa, The Fairmont Banff Springs
Some Top-Rated Banff B&Bs - Buffaloberry Bed and Breakfast, The Poplar Inn, Treetops Banff Bed and Breakfast, Banff Avenue B&B
If you stay at the Fairmont Banff springs hotel, you can do a quick stroll to Bow falls. Not sure if it is worth checking out otherwise.

View of Banff from Sulphur Mountain

While leaving Banff (heading to Vancouver) considering visiting Yoho National Park and checking out Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. A visit to Calgary didn't fit in our itinerary and I am sure we missed out on a nice city. You also hit Glacier National Park, which has a couple attractions as well.

We left Banff on a Friday afternoon, hoping to get into Vancouver late evening. But the highway is much slower, typically one lane upto Kamloops. We hit some heavy traffic too and we decided to call it a night at Kamloops. Every hotel in town seemed to be sold out due to a variety of ongoing activities, and we had to settle into a motel, that jacked up their rates, for the night. I missed the Clinton era 40% differential in the US Canadian dollars - that would have lessened the pain - but certainly one of the hazards of unplanned travel that we were ready to face upto. The recession the world was going through certainly made this last minute travel a bit easier.

The Coquihalla Highway toll route, south from Kamloops, cuts time by heading diagonally southwest to the town of Hope.

Vancouver
Our time in Vancouver was smack in the middle of the the weekend. Prior to leaving, I had remarked that we should get our weekend reservations squared away. We didn't quite do that - our travel plans being in a state of flux - and we had to scamper to make reservations for Vancouver (once again made while driving into Vancouver). All the recommended hotels were sold out and we luckily managed to get accommodating at the SandMan Hotels - primarily based on their location - walking distance to the fireworks. The views of the city and the ocean, standing outside the balcony was wonderful, the sunsets exotic. THere was a reason why we struggled to get a hotel accommodation, the Gay Lesbian parade was happening beneath our hotel, streets were cordoned off and there was palpable excitement in the city, with multiple activities planned for the weekend including the renowned fireworks. The fireworks brought an unprecedented amount of crowd to the waterfront, reminded us of the ball dropping in NYC. But the crowd behaved well, the fireworks (sponsored by China) was spectacular and worth while.

At Vancouver, check out the views from Vancouver Lookout. Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge (SRK shot in Pardes), Punjab Marg (over-rated) are other POIs. We spent some time in Granville Island - but in retrospect we should have skipped it. YOu can park at Stanley Park and walk onto the Lions Gate Bridge ~1.1 mile in comparison to the Golden Gate's 1.7 miles. There are some lovely beaches in Stanley Park (3rd beach, Jericho Beach), but it is crowded on the weekends and parking is hard to find. Did I say the people in Canada are friendly? As we entered the parking area of Stanely Park, someone gave us their day long parking permit as they left the park. Capilano Bridge is a neat attraction - fun to walk on the dangling suspension bridge. A lady handed us a coupon (free entry) into the Capilano Bridge as we waited in line. Definitely worth walking on the bridges connecting the trees at the other end of the Capilano Bridge. Grouse Mountain Gondola ride (a short drive from Capilano) is worthwhile too. Spend some time in the Gas Town (downtown), checking out the narrowest commercial building (Guinness Book of World Record), shopping, eating etc.

The streets below our hotel had a million restaurants to pick from. Amazing choices. Stephos PLace Restaurant was highly recommended - perpetual long lines outside. Good middle-eastern food, got my mind thinking of La Shish in Dearborn.

Vancouver indeed is an exciting city and I would love to go back again - a city that reminds me of Bombay, considering the mixed living concept that is so rampant all over downtown with intermixing of apartments and commercial.

We missed out on going to Whistler (rated very highly by one of my buddies - one of the most beautiful sights). We missed out on Victoria too, and we have gotten conflicting reviews about Victoria. If you are going, better to take the ferry from Vancouver itself - instead of taking it from Seattle.

We exited Canada from the I-5 point early morning on a Sunday. There are signs all over indicating the wait time at the border crossing. We chose the 1 hour wait versus the 2 hour wait - this is a royal pain. Do not forget to get the VAT Tax refunded from the duty free shopping area before you leave Canada.

Couple things to watch out for
- Call your credit card company in advance, to ensure that your credit card will work in Canada. Usually they are blocked from being used internationally.
- If you have an iphone / blackberry, turn on the international coverage plan - otherwise you will end up seeing a hefty charge on your next bill

Where to cruise Web to find the best cruise deals?

2009-11-02T18:04:00.001-08:00

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Travel Q&A: Where to find best cruise deals

By Ann Tatko-Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 10/30/2009 12:00:00 PM PDT

Travel Q&A

Q: Thank you for your Oct. 4 article, "Choices abound for international airfare deals." The Web sites you listed are great resources. Might you point your readers toward some favorite Web sites that provide the same kind of service on cruise deals? My wife and I are contemplating a cruise to Alaska in 2010.

A: Try searching for "cruises" on the Internet and you will trip over hundreds of Web sites boasting discounts and deals. Picking a favorite site depends on the type of deals you want and how you like to search for them. All sites I include here allow you to search by cruise line, destination, departure city and desired travel dates.

Here's a small sample of sites that I like:

# CruisesOnly.com — If there's a great deal to be had, this site always seems to know about it. Cruise consultants are available 24-7, 365 days a year. CruisesOnly offers exclusive deals for California residents and for guests age 55 or older. Plus, it offers a "Satisfaction Guarantee," but there are restrictions, so read the terms and conditions.

# iCruise.com — This site has partnered with the 24 major cruise lines and has a "Request a Quote" option, where you submit your desired travel parameters and receive a quoted price. Special-deals sections include Hot Deals (best bargains
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available), Last Minute, Holiday and one specifically for Alaska.

# CruiseCompete.com — This is like Priceline for cruises. You search for the cruise you want, request quotes to get competing offers from travel agents and then decide if you want to book one. It also lets you search for discounts and deals for specialty cruises such as music, family and repositioning.

# CruiseCritic.com — This is not the best site for deals, although it does feature a deal of the week. I rank it as my favorite cruise-related site because of its incredible reader-generated reviews, insider tips and message boards. Use this site to find a cruise ship and itinerary you like, then pop over to one of the above sites to find the best deal on it.

# Cruise lines — If you find cruise lines that have the amenities and destination you want, check out their deals/specials page and sign up to receive alerts. My parents are avid cruisers and they have uses these alerts to book several jaw-dropping deals (including $499 for a 10-day Mediterranean cruise).

Also consider using a travel agent, especially if you are new to cruising. (Search for one in your area at the Cruise Lines International Association's Web site, www.cruising.org.) These cruise specialists know all the tricks for getting great deals, recommending excursions and finding you the right cabin.

I used an agent a few years ago for a Mexican Riviera cruise. Not only did she save us $150 off the lowest published price, she also got us a free upgrade from an obstructed ocean view to a balcony cabin.

Have a question of general interest? Send it to Ann Tatko-Peterson at travel@bayareanewsgroup.com.

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Hawaii - Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono.

2009-04-13T20:39:00.001-07:00

Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono.
The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness

We spent a week in Kauai and Big Island in early April 2009.

Our trip was originally planned last year, but due to ATA, Aloha airlines going kaput the same week, we postponed the trip. Our trip had started with a desire to check out the volcanoes, and evolved from there. We ended up spending 5 nights in Kauai and 3 nights in Big Island. Turned out to be not the best timing, it seemed to rain every day we were there - one of the rainiest spell in recent years for Hawaii.

Kauai - We discovered lush greenery there. We were staying in the northern part of the island Princeville - at the Westin. The best beaches are a short drive from the hotel and the area is not at all commercial. But it does tend to get a lot more rain than the southern portion.

We set out to do usual suspects - the island is not too expansive and you can drive end to end within a few hours. The west coast is a bit rugged and the only way to check it out is via a helicopter or boat ride. The beaches were not too enjoyable due to the cloudy weather, but it was a an experience indeed to feel the gentle showers with the sun streaming down hard.

Waimea Canyon is spectacular - where we bumped into Kanye West, who was doing a commercial shoot. Mount Wai-'ale'ale here has up to 350 rainy days annually. Rainbow sightings are inevitable while trekking around Waimea Canyon. We couldn't help reminiscing the Grand Canyon.

Click on pictures to enlarge

We were originally slated to be in the Poipu beach area, but settled on the Princeville. Poipu seems to be a nice area, lots of resorts. This is right within the Spouting Horn vicinity. That is worth checking out... we got a kick out of this kid scaring everyone with "The monster is very angry" in a scary hushed tone. We had urges to check out the Na Pali Coast - after we had glimpsed it from one of the lookout points But the only way to navigate through is via a helicopter ride or boat ride. The cloudy cool weather didn't let us muster the enthusiasm for it.

There are many traditional Hawaiian sacred places called HEIAUS where important historic events, such as human sacrifices, births of kings and others major events have occured. Today, Hawaiians consider these places a very important part of their culture and they show respect when they visit these locations. We tried to be cognizant of this while we visited such sacred place in Hawaii. The area by Opaeka'a falls (by Wailua river) is one such area. The falls - Wailua and Opaeka'a are nothing spectacular though and can be skipped.

Poliahu Heiau

Across Opaekaa Falls and overlooking the Wailua Rives lies the Poliahu Heiau. It is believed to be a luakini heiau or a sacrificial temple. The stone walls and paved floors make for quite an impressive sight.

We particularly enjoyed the Kauai's Hindu Monastery. - right past Opaeka'a Falls. The daily worship starts at 9AM and it is quite unlike a regular Hindu worship. It was quite fascinating, we came upon the Rudraksha forest at the http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ssc/hawaii/ Definitely worth a visit. The area underneath these trees had a layer of unpicked rudraksha beads, pretty much in the form in which they are available commercially. Apparently nature takes its toll in unraveling the blue outer coating to reveal the beautiful Rudraksha bead.

The lighthouse by the Princeville area is definitely worth checking out. You can experience some whale sightings as also some exotic rare birds .

Kauai is known for its rich landscape, and movie shootings too. There are tours organized around these special spots....locations where Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii, Six Days Seven nights, Lilo and Stitch, Honeymoon in Vegas amongst many others have been shot.

Do not forget to check out Kaua'i Granola SUGAR CANE Snax store in the town of Waimea. We enjoyed the shaved ice too, particularly in the town of Hanalei. This turned out to be a no pressure, laid back vacation.

BIG ISLAND
As our plane taxied into the runway, the sharp contrast between Kauai and Big Island was readily apparent. Big Island is more desolate, lot of volcanic remnants around, burnt landscape. We flew into Kona and flew out of the Hilo side, which makes it lot more efficient.

Big Island is the largest of all the Hawaiian island, most recent and is still settling down. You have volcanic activity, hurricanes, tsunami - you name it.

We ended up renting a condo in Kona - a few miles away from the heart of Kona - Kona Bali Kai. Friends of ours had rented it a few months earlier and it was absolutely the right choice for a single night. The furniture is a tad dated, but nothing beats the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks - the beach is just a drop from the balcony. The beach is a accessible by all the locals, which does not make a good site at times. While having dinner in town, we ended up meeting this couple who were originally from Los Gatos, now retired in Kona. They were excited to find someone from their home town, got nostalgic a tad and readily offered up some wonderful travel tips. They had bought their place in 1988 and rented it out, and eventually moved out there in early 2000. They are right on the hills off Kona and we later discovered (at the Volcano National Park ranger talk) that an eruption of Mauna Kea is due anytime now. The oldest volcanoes are on the northern part of the island and the youngest more turbulent ones are in the southern part, the infamous Goddess Pele, around the Kilauea Caldera.

We had an uneventful night in Kona and we proceeded the next day to the Volcano National Forest area - which will pretty much take up the whole day, considering all the stops on the way. We stopped enroute at the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, which is definitely worth a visit. The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu or one of the ancient laws against the gods could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or "puʻuhonua". The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the puʻuhonua were home to several generations of powerful chiefs.

The rental car agreement is picky and does not let you drive on certain roads. Thus, we could not drive on Saddle Road - perhaps renting a 4WD might have helped. We did end up driving on South Point Road to get to the southernmost point of the 50 states, for the "Been there, done that" check mark. We missed out on seeing Mauna Loa due to the cloudy weather and we missed out on Mauna Kea also, partially due to the short span of our stay. Perhaps, Kona and Hilo can be avoided altogether in retrospect to free up some time for the other stuff. If you intend going to Mauna Kea, you have the option to drive up all the way to 13,000 ft, so ensure that you do your homework prior to getting up there.

Right outside the Volcano National Park area, we spent two nights at the Kileau Lodge. We were given the option to rent a house (Pia Mona house) which is owned by the owners of Kileau Lodge, which was just perfect. Every single detail has been thought of, including a towel warmer rack in every bathroom, creamer in the fridge, a nice hot tub ready to use, board games, hand picked reading material, you name it. We found many interesting books stacked here and one of them was just based upon the bad luck (letters from folks returning rocks they had 'stolen') that people had encountered after picking up a volcanic rock and taking it back home. Goddess Pele ain't too pleased about it and you will be cursed!

As you walk around in the Volcano National Park, you will find ground surrounded with lava rocks forming a circle. You should never enter a heiau or climb over the lava rocks because this will disturb the spirits. It is said that this action will cause bad luck for the person who dared to enter it. Also, there is a fine of $10,000 for people who disregard these rules and steal or damage parts or the surrounding areas of a Hawaiian sacred site.

A good idea when visiting a Hawaiian sacred place is to bring a small gift, such as a lei, a fruit, nuts or something else. Bringing a gift to the spirits is an unwritten rule and we did see gifts at these sacred place. Sit down in silence and experience it!

Puu Loa Petroglyphs - Location: Chain of Craters Rd., Mile Marker 16, Volcano. Meaning "Long Hill," Puu Loa is considered to be sacred grounds among Hawaiians where fathers go and leave their infants’ umbilical cords to wish long life for their children. This vast petroglyph field can be reached by hiking from the Chain of Craters Road. That was a nice walk - 1.2 miles from the road. This particular field consists of over 15,000 individual petroglyph images that have been scratched and pecked into the hard pahoehoe surface.

Within the park, the Lava Tubes and the Devastation trail will definitely be of interest. Do not forget to check out the movie in the visitor center, prior to embarking out.

We took the night drive to Kalapana to see Gooddess Pele upclose, which is a good 30 mile drive from the heart of Volcano National Park.... and it wasn't worth it.... We just saw a faint glow from a distance.

On the drive to the airport we went through the town of Hilo and spent a couple hours going through the scenic route in the town. Akaka Falls can be avoided also. The town is frankly a bit scary for some reason and you are better off avoiding it altogether.

This is a quick summary. Hope to complete this and add further details to this.

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What's new on Hawaiian Islands

By Ann Tatko-Peterson
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 09/25/2009 12:00:00 PM PDT

What's new on the Hawaiian Islands this year? Here's a small sample of hotel updates, as provided by the Hawaiian Visitors and Convention Bureau:

Days Inn opened its first hotel in Hawaii, Maui Oceanfront near Keawakapu Beach. The hotel also features Sarento's Italian restaurant. www.daysinn.com.

The Honua Kai Resort and Spa is opening in phases, with much of the Maui luxury resort completed. Already open are 318 suites, a pool, fitness center and market. The Duke's beach-side restaurant will open later this year, and the final 310 guest suites, two pools and spa follow in early 2010. Great deals are available during the final construction phases.

Hawaii

href="http://www.HonuaKaiMaui.com">www.HonuaKaiMaui.com.™...

The Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk in Oahu will open in early November and is already taking reservations. The hotel will include a spa, the Trump Kids program and Laurent Tourondel's BLT Steak restaurant. www.TrumpWaikikiHotel.com.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Ka'upulehu on the Big Island completed its $40 million renovations, which include an expanded 28,000-square-foot spa, 20 new suites, an updated beachfront bar and restaurant and two new boutique shops. www.FourSeasons.com/Hualalai.

King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel on

the Big Island has renovated its 230-room West Tower and will soon begin upgrading its East Tower. www.KonaBeachHotel.com.
Here's a small sample of new activities and tours, as provided by the HVCB:

Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore has teamed with Shaka Kayaks to offer guests daily kayak tours. www.TurtleBayResort.com. or www.ShakaKayaks.com.

Kandoo Island off the shores of Oahu's Waikiki Beach has a 98-ton catamaran offering snorkeling, scuba diving, jet ski trips and more. www.GoKandoo.com.

Hawaiian Walkways on the Big Island has a two-hour Waipio tour that includes hiking through the rain forest and swimming in a waterfall poll. www.HawaiianWalkways.com.

Waimea Valley on Oahu will host the "Waimea Poi Supper" on Nov. 21 with food and entertainment to celebrate the Hawaiian harvest. www.WaimeaValley.net.
To see more new things on the islands, visit www.VisitHawaii.com.

Exploring the Big Island: From Captain Cook to active volcanoes

By Tony Hicks
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 09/25/2009 12:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 09/25/2009 04:38:25 PM PDT
We motored the Zodiac into Kealakekua Bay around noon, the sun gleaming off what I'd been looking for: The Captain Cook monument, its ivory surface and vertical shape sharply contrasting the green foliage background.

It marks the spot on the Big Island where one of the world's great explorers, Captain James Cook, met the initially welcoming Hawaiian people in 1779 — the first encounter between Hawaiians and the Western world. It began a long, often rocky relationship that more than a century later resulted in American rule of Hawaii and a two-part "Brady Bunch" episode featuring Vincent Price.

It's also where the natives killed Cook rather brutally after a disagreement over a boat.

But never mind

the ugliness. Because the bay is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island (only minutes later I'd be scrambling to see a manta ray disappearing into the depths), the area was relatively full of people.

The Cook monument is no more than a square encompassing about 400 square feet and accessible on land by a rugged trail. It also is said to be the only non-embassy in the United States that sits on land owned by the British government.

Well, that did it. My ancestry is British. I've never actually been there, but my brand new third-degree sunburn assured me that, at the very least, my skin was very British. I asked the boss of our Sea Quest tour boat, the very entertaining Captain Liam Powers, how we would get the boat to
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shore.

"We don't," he said, adding that doing so would destroy the pristine coral.

"Can I swim there?" I asked.

"No."

"Wade?"

"No."

"But I'm kind of British," I pleaded.

Powers just smiled. Maybe the British thing doesn't go so far in Hawaii anymore.

That was the only thing that didn't work on our seven-day adventure exploring the Big Island. My wife and I experienced probably the best of our half dozen-plus Hawaiian trips.

Strong start

While autumn on the mainland may not scream vacation, it makes perfect sense in Hawaii. The weather is warm and mostly mild. The prices are relatively reasonable. There's far less waiting for that restaurant table facing the sunset and far more room for give-and-take with tour guides. And with school back in session, you have fewer children in the way when gazing into a volcano.

You need at least a week to properly see the Big Island, the biggest in the Hawaiian chain. We traveled from Kailua Kona around the southern tip to Hilo in the east, then around the northern tip to the resort area of Waikoloa. The pace was constantly brisk.

The Sea Quest snorkeling tour was the best of four Hawaii snorkeling trips I've taken. It covered three sites in five hours, including the aforementioned Kealakekua Bay and Honaunau Bay, near the historic Place of Refuge. The latter is where we encountered a 5-foot white tip reef shark, casually swimming toward us near a coral wall. The water was so clear, it felt like we were swimming in the fish tunnel at an aquarium.

With only minutes left on the trip, Captain Powers found a pod of spinner dolphins, which he estimated at 100 strong. A number of babies were learning to jump and spin like their mothers. One, Powers estimated, was only days old.

The Place of Refuge itself lies on what was royal grounds in Kona, with a handful of thatched buildings, guarded by giant tikis (for Hunter S. Thompson fans, this was where he allegedly hid at the end of "The Curse of Lono"). A massive, 16th century stone wall survives, ensconcing the area considered a sanctuary for ancient Hawaiians. It's also one of the best sea turtle viewing sites in Kona. My wife almost stepped on one.

Lovin' lava

We spent our first two nights at Ka'awa Loa Plantation, about 1,200 feet up, with a great view of Kealakekua Bay and roughly 50 miles of southern shoreline. Nestled into lush hillside vegetation, the small coffee and fruit plantation had a colonial feel, despite the outdoor hot tub and steam room with a view. There are also two outdoor lava rock showers, festooned with tropical plants. Best of all, co-owner Michael Martinage's superior breakfast-cooking skills provided the most delicious meals we had all week.

Well fed, we began exploring an island seeped in history, due to the dominance of island-creating volcanoes and constant blending of Hawaiian mythology and science.

Mauna Loa is the world's largest mountain by volume, and the incredible, steam-belching Kilauea anchors Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Lush rain forest ends at the barren, moon-like landscape of the Kilauea Caldera and its surrounding steam vents. The hiking is tremendous, with sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and optional descents into lava tubes (do the free guided tour into the unlit section of the Thurston tube, which requires flashlights and some nerve). The Jagger Museum sits next to the U.S. Geographical Station monitoring the volcano, providing excellent historical context to the steaming crater outside.

Judging by the lack of tourists, Lava Tree State Park is one of the island's best-kept secrets. Taking a KapohoKine Adventures tour, we ventured on a short but gorgeous walk featuring trees covered by lava from a 1790 eruption that stand among giant ferns and massive newer trees. In driving but warm rain, and armed with flashlights, we trekked about a mile onto an old lava flow. The trail ended 500 yards from the crashing surf's standoff with a relentless flow of fiery red lava. Even at a distance, this was a spectacular sight, although we wished we had brought binoculars.

Nature Part II

The schedule didn't allow for more time in laid-back Hilo, although we did spend an hour at the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Hilo has been partially destroyed by tsunamis twice since World War II, the history of which the museum covers thoroughly.

Hilo is also home to the relatively new Imiloa Astronomy Center, which merges science and Hawaiian mythology in its exhibits and first-rate planetarium shows.

After stopping at Hawaii's tallest waterfall, the beautiful Akaka Falls, we drove around the northern tip to the west side and the newly renovated Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The resort sits on a massive lava flow with the surrounding desert-like landscape reminiscent of Palm Springs or Arizona. The pool area is massive, with a small beach beyond that perfectly frames the sunset.

This served as our jumping-off point to a Kohala Waterfalls Adventure offered by Hawaii Forest & Trail. The seven-hour trip into northern waterfall country took a major bite out of the day but was rescued by tour guide Bob Fewell. He kept us entertained with good humor and an encyclopedia-like knowledge of Hawaii. On a relatively easy loop hike through the forest, we saw almost a dozen small to good sized waterfalls, even stopping to swim in one (I washed my hair with a fruit that Fewell said was a main ingredient in expensive shampoo).

Grand finale

We were impressed enough to try another Hawaii Forest & Trail trip, this one the Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Adventure. If you're going to drop good money on a trip ($185 per person for the summit trip versus $169 for the waterfalls), this is the clear victor. It was easily the best outing of the week.

We journeyed by van to the 13,796-foot peak of Mauna Kea, with its handful of giant international telescopes, to see a spectacular sunset. The road was bumpy and the peak was chilly, but no one cared.

As night fell, we drove back down to the visitors center, where guide Nate Clark set up a telescope in what is considered one of the best star-viewing site on earth (seeing Jupiter's stripes and moons was incredible). For city people, this may be the only time you can see the Milky Way run from horizon to horizon. The vastness was overwhelming.

Again, we felt Mother Nature's presence on the Big Island. Little did we know, we had saved the best for last.

# Where to stay: Ka"awa Loa Plantation, Kealakekua; 808-323-2686; www.kaawaloaplantation.com. This small bed-and-breakfast has great service and views. Rates from $115 a night.

# Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, 71 Banyan Dr., Hilo; 808-935-9361; www.castleresorts.com. Although a bit behind on amenities and food, the hotel is in a great location and has great views of Hilo Bay. Rates from $110.

# Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, 69-275 Waikoloa Beach Dr., Waikoloa; 808-886-6789; www.marriott.com. The newly renovated hotel is first class in all areas. Rates from $265.

# Where to eat: Kona Brewing Company, 75-5629 Kuakini Hwy., Kailua Kona; 808-334-27-39; www.konabrewingco.com. Just a few miles from the Kona Airport, it excels at both homemade brews and food.

# Bongo Bens, 75-5819 Alii Dr., Kailua Kona; 808-329-9203; www.bongobens.com. You can watch the sun set to live music while indulging on very good food.

# Volcano House, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; 808-967-7321; www.volcanohousehotel.com. The view of the crater makes up for the average buffet food.

# Hilo Bay Cafe, 315 Makaala St., Hilo; 808-935-4939; www.hilobaycafe.com. The seafood is very good but pricier than advertised.

# Cafe Pesto, Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo; 808-969-6640; www.cafepesto.com. It has a good reputation for ethnically diverse Island cuisine.

# Imiloa Sky Garden Restaurant, Imiloa Astronomy Center, Hilo; 808-969-9753. The cafe was surprisingly good, one of the best meals on the trip, with a diverse menu of standard American fare, seafood and a mostly Korean buffet.

# What to do: Sea Quest in Kona is a fantastic boat expedition company offering snorkel tours, rafting and more. Tours from $56 (excluding taxes). 808-329-7238; www.seaquesthawaii.com.

# Punalu"u Black Sand Beach and Place of Refuge at Honaunau are ideal for observing sea turtles.

# Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a must see with two of the world"s most active volcanoes; cost $10 per vehicle and $5 per individual for seven days. 808-985-6000; www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.

# KapohoKine Adventures in Pepeekeo turns viewing lava flows into an inclusive event with hiking, helicopter tours, dinner and a trip to Lava Trees State Park. 866-965-9552; www.kapohokine.com.

# Tsunami Museum at 130 Kamehameha Ave. in Hilo is surprisingly good; cost $8 general, $7 seniors; $4 children ages 6-17.808-935-0926; www.tsunami.org.

# Hawaii Forest & Trail in Kailua Kona offers waterfall tours and the incredible Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Adventure. That tour takes visitors up the 13,796-foot mountain to stargaze. Many countries have large observatories here. The tour costs $185 (excluding taxes). 800-464-1993; www.hawaii-forest.com.

# More info: Big Island Visitors Bureau "” 808-961-5797; www.bigisland.org.

More Photos

See a slide show of pictures from the Big Island at www.ContraCostaTimes.com/Travel. or www.InsideBayArea.com/Travel.

Poipu is sure thing for Hawaiian vacation

By Gary A. Warner

Posted: 09/25/2009 12:00:00 PM PDT

Poipu is postcard perfect Hawaii, guaranteed. Or as close to it as you can get in the real world. The resort strip on the southern end of Kauai is an as-advertised version of an island vacation — endless sun, great beaches, good food, maybe some golf or snorkeling. Days filled with activity or idleness, nights of romance or just a sound sleep to the soundtrack of crashing waves.

Sure, it's a little safe. Hanalei, to the north, is more lush and beautiful — but it can rain a lot. Waimea, to the west, is more authentic and uncrowded — but a bit uncharted and scruffy. The Coconut Coast to the east has better prices and more to do, but is often hectic and crowded.

Poipu has that Goldilocks factor
going for it — not too much of one thing or another. Just right. When I am traveling on the company dime, I can afford to be adventurous. I can book a cottage on the North Shore and get five days of rain or a too-funky cinderblock motel on a windswept portion of the island.
But when readers are planning their own first trip to the Garden Island — using their own real (and scarce) coin and time — I hedge my bets. I might extol the wonders of North, West and East, but in the end I settle on aiming them at the almost always sure thing — Poipu. It doesn't disappoint. It may not have the highs of my favorite spots around the island, but is has fewer lows. If the traveler falls in love, as I have, with Kauai, there

will be return trips to stretch farther afield.

Splurge for stay

Yes, Poipu can all seem a little sterile. Beyond the copper and green luxury of the uproariously expensive Hyatt Regency, it's pretty much a sea of conventional hotels and condo resorts where the sand and surf is nice, with a few bed-and-breakfasts on rocky shorefronts off toward Spouting Horn.

But when you have a family of six, a two-bedroom condo with kitchen that sits near a kid-friendly beach sounds pretty good.
If you have a little extra cash stashed away, splurge on the Hyatt. This is one of my favorite hotels in the islands. Its low-slung Arts & Crafts architecture fits snugly into a hillside. There are parrots in the lobby and hula shows at night. It has a great spa, fine dining and golf (the resort's Poipu Bay course is the former home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf).
For me, the dealmaker is the pool. It's different from the water-park atmosphere of the Westin Maui and Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island or acres of water at the Marriott Kauai and Princeville Resort in Kauai or smaller jewel-like pools at the Halekulani in Waikiki and the Hotel Hana-Maui.
Guests can splash in a 5-acre saltwater lagoon or a couple of freshwater pools. But what gets the Grand Hyatt on my list is the wandering man-made river that flows from the hotel's terraced gardens down to a small pool next to the saltwater lagoon. Along the way are lots of inlets and grottoes for a watery version of hide and seek. On the downside, the channel is about 4 feet deep and covers a lot of territory, so keep an eye on the youngest of your swimmers.

Best beach

Otherwise, I head for the condo hotels nearest to Poipu Beach. Kauai is making great noise this year about Hanalei Bay, on the north side of the island, being named Best Beach in the U.S. by a Florida oceanography professor who goes by the name of Dr. Beach. The secret is Hanalei isn't even the top beach on Kauai, according to Dr. Beach. The professor gives this annual award and then bars the winning sand strand from a repeat appearance in the contest. Poipu Beach won in 2001 — seven beaches (including one in North Carolina) before Hanalei Bay.

Facing the ocean, to the left, is a small beach with good body surfing. But most people head to the right, to the lagoonlike baby beach where a rock breakwater stops the waves, leaving a sandy-bottom beach that is no more than two to three feet deep. It's where many locals from around the island bring their littlest ones for that first exposure to the ocean, and lots of first-time snorkelers are around, too. On the other side of the breakwater is a choppy small bay where the more experienced snorkelers go out.

Meal time

Poipu has all the great places to eat — including one of the award-winning outposts of Roy's, the gourmet Pacific Rim fusion foodie haven. But just when you think your wallet is about to break under the strain, there is the road to Koloa Town. Unlike so many resorts on the island, there is a real town with real-people prices just a short drive from Poipu.

After absorbing a few $25 resort breakfasts, I find myself driving daily to Koloa to stock up on cheap grub. If you have a condo with a kitchen, it's the place to go to pack your pantry. I usually grab some decent take-away sushi and a bag of Kauai ground coffee from Big Save supermarket. Some ribs and Chinese noodles from TomKat, Macadamia Nut ice cream and an espresso from Lappert's. By the time I get back with my stash — much less than a room service meal — my only worry is that in the time I have been gone the family has fallen asleep after a day in the sun and surf.
My favorite Poipu spot is Brennecke's Beach Broiler, with a second-floor dining area that allows ocean breezes to waft in as you enjoy fresh fish or a juicy hamburger. It's also a great spot for that Mai Tai, Rum Punch or other sundowner cocktail.

Exploring past

While wandering Koloa, check out the town's History Center, set off behind the shopping district. It shows that life wasn't always easy and fun in the area. Workers brought over from Japan toiled in the sugar cane fields, then spent the evenings in their communal bathhouses soaking away the aches and pains of field work. They were part of an immigrant workforce that also came from the Philippines and China, as well as foremen often hired from Germany.

Evidence of the workers' impact on the island can be found at the Jodo Mission, a Buddhist temple built in 1910. The workers would probably feel at home among the ramshackle buildings of the town, although the tourist businesses today selling swimwear, gourmet coffee and dolphin sculptures would be alien
If you have a car, make the drive down to Spouting Horn, where waves crash through a blowhole making a whistling water spout. It's especially active in the more turbulent summer months when the southern swells are largest.
There is usually a large collection of tented curios shops where you can get Red Dirt T-shirts or, my favorite, shark's tooth necklaces. What better souvenir for a postcard-perfect Hawaiian vacation?

WHERE TO STAY: Grand Hyatt Kauai, 1571 Poipu Road, Koloa; 808-742-1234; www.grandhyattkauai.com. Rates from $395 per night (check for special packages).

WHERE TO EAT: Roy"s Poipu Bar & Grill, Kiahuna Village Shopping Center, Poipu; 808-742-5000; www.roysrestaurant.com. I"ve never been disappointed by meals at this Roy"s, unlike some of his other spots.

WHAT TO DO: Koloa Heritage Trail; www.koloaheritagetrail.info. Driving and walking tour of historic highlights of old Hawaiian and sugar plantation era sites.

MORE INFO: www.poipubeach.org.; www.kauaidiscovery.com.

Seeing Kauai's many sights - one day trip at a time
By Christine Klinger
Cox News Service

It may be called the Garden Island, but Kauai is as full of adventure, art and history as it is beautiful flora.
One way to take on the island is to travel around its perimeter, according to your interests, staying at a new place every few nights. Or you can choose, as we did, to plant yourself in a centrally located home base, such as Kapaa on the east coast, then take day trips from there. Here are some recommendations:
NORTHERN DAY TRIPS
Kilauea Point National
Wildlife Refuge
This protected, 200-acre lookout is a sanctuary to several types of migratory birds, such as the golden plover, the Laysan albatross, frigates and Hawaii's state bird, the endangered Nene goose. Monk seals, dolphins and humpback whales also can be spotted from there. Volunteers lead nature hikes from the visitor center.
Details: Go to www.kauai-hawaii.com and click on "activities and recreation" or "north shore" for destinations. The site is great for planning this and any other part of your island plan.
Na Aina Kai Tropical
Botanical Gardens
Na Aina Kai ("Lands by the sea" in Hawaiian) is 240 acres of ever-changing botanical gardens. Na Aina Kai is the lifelong creation of founders Joyce and Ed Doty and is formed from their private estate. They built 13 gardens, among them desert, orchid, lagoon, fern and tree. These, along with a Poinciana Maze,

Children's Garden, more than 70 life-size bronze sculptures and all the fauna that live in and around this place combine to make a trip to Na Aina Kai truly worthwhile.
Details: Both walking and riding tours are offered. Reservations recommended but not required; Na Aina Kai is closed on weekends and holidays. www.naainakai.org.
SOUTHERN DAY TRIPS
Fern Grotto and
Opaekaa Falls
A few miles south of Kapaa, just inland from the central east coast, is the magical Fern Grotto. In this same area, you will see the "twin waterfalls" of Opaekaa, the location for TV's "Fantasy Island."
And on the banks of the Wailua River is a reconstructed primitive Hawaiian village, which sits on what was once a Hawaiian settlement. The village has a dozen thatched buildings with informational signage, giving you an idea of how native Hawaiians lived hundreds of years ago.
Details: The village tour is free; there is a fee for visiting the Fern Garden, as it is somewhat remote and requires a boat tour up the river (or a self-guided canoe trip). The boat tour is by Smith Family Gardens, www.smithskauai .com., which also host luaus.

Kauai Museum in Lihue
There are two parts to this museum - a permanent collection of historic displays, including ancient artifacts, turn-of-the-century photographs and contemporary Hawaiian art in the beautiful 1920s-era Wilcox Building, and exhibits of the geological, archaeological and cultural history of Hawaii in the adjacent, 1960s-era Rice Building.
Details: Get a glimpse at the exhibits at www.kauaimuseum.org.

Hanapepe
Hanapepe, farther south, is a charming little town known for its contemporary art galleries. Blues musician Taj Mahal loves Hanapepe; he has a home there and even wrote an album titled "Hanapepe Dream."
My favorite galleries are right across the street from each other. One is owned by an Ecuadorian transplant named Jorge, whose self-named gallery is Giorgio's - "because I like how it sounds!" he said. Giorgio (Italian for Jorge, or George) is a painter who showed his work, his brother's, another painter he knows and a clay sculptor. The artwork is vivid, local scenes - some traditional, some whimsical - all wonderful. See a preview at www.giorgiosart.com.
Another gallery I love is Timespace Gallery. The owner is a charming painter from Mexico named Antonio Arellanes who uses Mylar in his work. (His paintings glow.) Some are abstracts, some collage. Fantastic. Other artists in his gallery (all painters) are also amazing: a Polish woman living in Southern California, a Dutch woman living in Kauai, a Spaniard who builds up his paintings with some sort of texture that looks like lava. Great stuff. Check out a preview at www.timespaceintl.com.

Poipu Beach
Snorkeling at Poipu Beach is worth the effort. The air and water are clear, even if the waves are rough with a strong undercurrent, making it tricky to swim and trickier still to stand up on the rocks with flippers. There were fantastically colorful fish all around and one I didn't care to see - a sea snake.

Kilohana Plantation
Located just outside Lihue, Kilohana is a beautifully restored, 36-acre sugar plantation. A living museum, this place gives a glimpse of what plantation life was like in Hawaii in the 1930s. There are many things to do there: dine in the lovely indoor/outdoor restaurant, relax in the lodge-like great room, stroll the gorgeous grounds, take a carriage ride, meander in the galleries and gift shops, or visit a working clay studio and gallery.
Details: Plantation info, www.kilohanakauai.com. Clayworks, www.clayworksatkilohana.com.
INLAND
Waimea Canyon
Heading back up the coast, take a side trip inland up the long and winding road to Waimea Canyon. Fantastic views (which you'll also see from a helicopter tour). Dubbed by Mark Twain as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," Waimea Canyon is 10 miles long, one mile wide and 3,600 feet deep. It was created from layers of flowing lava; the colors vary as clouds moved in and out.
Details: If you want to take a tour, go to www.alohatopten.com., click on Kauai, then sightseeing tours. These tours depart from major hotels in Wailua, Poipu and Lihue. Or you can drive to the area yourself from any of these towns.

Spouting Horn
Be sure to see the famous Spouting Horn, a lava tube which forces spumes of salty surf up to 50 feet in the air, causing strange groaning sounds.
Many Hawaiian legends surround this phenomenon. My favorite is one in which the sound is caused by the sobbing of a giant sea lizard. Upon learning that his sister had died, he was blinded with tears and accidentally swam into the hole and was trapped forever.
Details: Spouting Horn is off Lawai Road, which runs west from the south end of Poipu Road (part of Route 520).

Discovering the gems of the Big Island's west coast

Eric Noland / L.A. Daily News

Posted: 04/23/2007 12:16:04 PM PDT

Updated: 07/20/2007 10:33:07 AM PDT

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii – Sun-washed days and gentle breezes. Calm waters crowded with tropical fish, spinner dolphins and humpback whales on winter vacation. Magnificent sunsets framed by coconut palms.
There is a lot to like about Hawaii's Kona Coast, which enjoys this friendly climate because it shelters in the lee of the Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanos on the west side of the Big Island. But unfortunately – and not surprisingly – there are a lot of people doing the liking these days.
This is a standard stop for Hawaii's burgeoning cruise industry, such that the town of Kailua-Kona, once an unpretentious little burg of rich history and slightly scruffy charm, has descended into cruise-port blight, clogged with souvenir stands selling cheap shell jewelry, T-shirts and Kona coffee gift packs. Up the mountain slope, residential housing is sprouting at an astonishing rate. And the hotels and vacation-rental condos along the water's edge – long a value-priced alternative to the exclusive Kohala Coast resorts to the north – enjoy robust occupancy rates despite the fact that many of them aren't exactly aging gracefully.
Even the 6.7 earthquake that rolled through Kona last Oct. 15,

though it opened a few cracks and loosened a few boulders, sent only a slight shudder through the region's appeal.
But none of this should be surprising, for Kona has been beguiling visitors for ages. As far back as 1866, Mark Twain declared it "a land where you may fold your tired hands and slumber your lives peacefully away," and added, "A week there ought to cure the saddest of you all."
Today's visitor, however, must be judicious in seeking out Kona's gems, leaving the unwary hordes to endure the traffic jams of Alii Drive, prowl the tacky tourist shops, and crowd onto such overrun beaches as Kahaluu and Magic Sands.
Here are the best offerings of the Kona Coast:
An ancient refuge
Warfare was savage in ancient Hawaii, in that it was commonplace for a victor to exterminate the entire losing side. But some 500 years ago, a burial ground for chiefs was established in a walled compound on the coast, and a prohibition was placed on the shedding of blood within its sanctified confines.
The local populace didn't miss the significance of this, and Puuhonua o Honaunau became a refuge for anyone with a death sentence hanging over his head. All a person had to do was get inside that enclosure – though this was no easy feat.
Today the site is a national historical park, with an imposing Great Wall that dates to about 1550 and an adjacent complex of reconstructed royal buildings. As we walked along the periphery of the refuge, we concluded that a fugitive's best bet was to swim in from the ocean or dash around its extreme edge. The wall is 8 to 10 feet tall and perhaps 17 feet thick, and would present a formidable obstacle with warriors in hot pursuit.
The wall was constructed of lava boulders without the aid of mortar, and it suffered a bit in the October earthquake – but only because an opening in the wall was created for visitors some years ago.
"On both sides of that walkway, portions of the rock have loosened up and it's unstable right now," said Terry Reveira, chief of interpretation. "The base rock pulled away, and a whole section could fall. We're in the process of trying to get that looked at by experts and see what it will take to stabilize it."
In the meantime, visitors can walk to the northern extremity of the wall, where the Hale o Keawe (circa 1650) stands, and enter the enclosure as desperate Hawaiians once did – though in much less haste.
While strolling the grounds, be sure to look for Hawaiian green sea turtles in the cove that was the chiefs' canoe landing (they camouflage with the boulders) and also watch for saffron finches – with feathers of brilliant yellow and green – in the shrubbery of the parking lot.
Today's visitors aren't allowed to eat anything within the Place of Refuge, but a wonderful picnic ground can be reached on a short dirt road to the south. Few people venture here, resulting in a peaceful setting of picnic tables in the sand beneath shady palms, and tidepools on a vast lava plain. (This is also a great spot to watch the sun set.) A historic trail can be hiked along the coast to the south.
Artist colony
Holualoa, a quaint little village just up the mountain slope from Kailua-Kona, was settled in the 19th century by immigrant farmers from Japan, China, Portugal and America. They were attracted to its rich volcanic soil and a climate that was hospitable to coffee, citrus fruit, sugar cane and the raising of livestock.
Today, buildings that were homes and businesses in the early 1900s are studios and galleries for a community of artists. The structures are often as intriguing as the art itself, with bold paint jobs, corrugated tin roofs, well-scuffed wooden floors and sliding windows that overlook the ocean far below.
"This was the home of a Japanese dentist in the '20s," said Sunny Pauole as she painted a modern oil in her Pauole gallery. The walls held paintings in vivid colors of island scenes and flowers, as well as koa wood canoe paddles polished to a high gleam.
The Holualoa Ukulele Gallery, meanwhile, is housed in the former post office – it still has weathered post office boxes on the exterior wall. Owner Sam Rosen and other local craftsmen make the instruments on display here, and he'll also teach you how to strum a few chords.
"It's a happy instrument. There are no sad songs on a ukulele," Rosen said, noting that jam sessions convene here every Wednesday evening if anyone wants to stop by to play or just listen.
Ululani gallery used to be Ito Garage in the 1930s. In that unlikely setting are displayed whimsical paintings of fish and barnyard animals, all beautifully framed. Another gallery, Hawaii Colors, shows impressionistic island scenes painted by Darrell Hill – plantation cottages, beach landscapes, portraits.
But the finest gallery in town is directly behind that old post office. Dovetail exhibits exquisite wood furniture, ceramic pots, paintings, jewelry and sculpture, the furniture and ceramics by owner Gerald Ben, other works by local artists.
For sustenance on a visit here, stop by the Holuakoa Cafe, a locals hangout with superb coffee brewed from local beans and some tasty breakfast and lunch selections.
Taking the plunge
A fascinating underwater garden of coral and rainbow-hued marine life lies just off many of Hawaii's coasts, but getting tossed about in ocean currents or banging the shins in the shore break can be intimidating to people who aren't particularly strong swimmers.
The beach at Honaunau, just south of famed Kealakekua Bay – where British Capt. James Cook was killed by natives in 1779 – solves both concerns. It isn't really a beach, more of a black-lava shelf (a sunbathing griddle for some). But at one spot along its edge there are two natural stone steps down into the water, which makes getting in and out a snap. Further, the water is usually placid here, as well as warm and relatively shallow.
Welcome to the aquarium. There are many varieties of tropical fish here, but the darling of this cove is the bright-yellow tang, which swims in schools. Because of the mild ocean conditions and abundance of fish, this might be one of the best shore diving spots in Hawaii.
Another way to get a glimpse of this island's underwater wonderland is to take a commercial snorkeling excursion.
One morning we set out on Fair Wind's 55-foot power catamaran, the Hula Kai, which employs hydrofoil technology to blunt the roughness of the ocean and get to dive sites a little quicker than conventional snorkel boats. It glided out of Keauhou Bay and headed to two prime coves to the south, Alahaka and Palikoholo.
Flitting among the ochre-colored florets of coral were more schools of yellow tang, as well as Moorish idols, a fish with bands of black, white and gold and a trailing dorsal streamer. Another highlight was the black triggerfish, with its feathery fins and neon-purple piping.
Guides provide a layer of security on a commercial snorkel outing – because they double as lifeguards. When an older woman began to founder in the chop a good distance from the boat, a crewman grabbed a float, plunged into the water and reached her in about four powerful strokes.
Life on board this excursion is a bit softer than the standard tour.
Breakfast included frittatas cooked in muffin cups, island fruit and coffee grown on the Kona farm of Fair Wind's owners. After the second and final snorkel spot, a gas grill was fired up in the stern, and flames rose to lap at half-pound Angus hamburgers, strips of teriyaki chicken and veggie burgers. Beer and wine were available for purchase.
On the way back, deck umbrellas were unfurled for shade and the sound system played such soothing tunes as "Moonglow" and the late Bruddah Iz's "Over the Rainbow."
"The locations we go to are for snorkel and dive enthusiasts," said boat captain Kurt Bell. "There's a little more swimming involved, a little more adventure. When conditions are right, we'll go into a lava tube and an underwater arch." (Alas, it was too rough for that on our day.)
Island worship
When missionaries arrived in Hawaii in the early 19th century, they built their churches with the most convenient materials at hand – lava rocks, mortar made with crushed coral, beams fashioned from ohia wood, pews crafted out of the now-precious koa. The churches have held up well over the years; some suffered cracks in the October earthquake but remain stable and open, with reinforcement work planned.
Few visitors fail to spot the tiny St. Peter's Church at water's edge just south of Kailua-Kona, but three other historic churches are also worthy of a visit:
– Mokuaikaua Church. In the heart of Kailua-Kona, this is where the first Christian services were held in the Hawaiian islands when missionaries arrived from Boston in 1820. The current building, constructed 17 years later, is supported by 50-foot ohia pillars.
This is the real-life church on which a segment of James Michener's "Hawaii" novel was based, and by perusing the plaques in the sanctuary and a small museum in the rear, you can match up the real-life names with the fictional characters of the story.
(Across the street from the church, the Hulihee Palace, a former governor's residence built in 1838, fared much less well in the quake. It suffered severe damage and has been closed indefinitely for restoration work, according to docent Kahea Beckley.)
– St. Benedict Catholic Church in South Kona is more commonly called the Painted Church. At the turn of the 20th century, Father John Berchmans Velge of Belgium painted elaborate biblical scenes on the interior walls of the small church. The ceiling was painted to resemble sky, while the tops of support posts sprout palm fronds.
– Kahikolu Congregational Church was built in 1824 on the Kealakekua peninsula, but was later moved up the mountainside. It was closed on the weekday we visited, but a caretaker graciously let us inside to see the pews made of finely polished koa. Today's artisans pay as much as $30 a board foot for that wood.
IF YOU GO
PUUHONUA O HONAUNAU: The national historical park is open daily, year round, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Its visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fee is $5 per vehicle. Information: www.nps.gov/puho; (808) 328-2288. Tip: This park is right next to the prime snorkel spot of Honaunau, which has only a few parking places. Hang onto your national park receipt, which is good for seven days; you can park your car in the national park lot and easily walk to the snorkel site.
HOLUALOA GALLERIES: Dovetail, (808) 322-4046; Hawaii Colors, (808) 324-1590; Holualoa Ukuklele Gallery, (808) 324-4100; Pauole (808) 989-2180; Ululani, (808) 322-7733.
HULA KAI SNORKEL CRUISE: The morning excursion, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and includes breakfast and lunch on board, costs
$149 per person (minimum age is 8 years). Fair Wind also offers a snorkel trip to Kealakekua Bay that is more family oriented, priced at $115 for adults, $69 for ages 4 to 12, $29 for age 3 and under. www.fair-wind; (800) 677-9461.
MISSION CHURCHES: Mokuaikaua Church, 75-5713 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona; St. Benedict Church, 84-5140 Painted Church Road, Honaunau; Kahikolu Congregational Church, on Napoopoo Road, Napoopoo.
LODGING: The Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort has replaced the tired, old Kona Surf, and there's no mistaking its best asset: location, on a black lava point on Keauhou Bay's southern lip. The most unfortunate casualty of the transformation was the hotel's saltwater swimming pool, a refreshing plunge that was located on a scenic promontory overlooking ocean and bay. It was said to be a maintenance headache, particularly in winter, and was converted to a vast slab of patio.
The Sheraton now has the requisite resort water park (in another location), with water slide and sandy lagoon. The hotel offers generous kamaaina (local resident) rates – less than half the lowest published rate of $350 per night – and as a result, that pool can get a little raucous on the weekends, when all the cousins and the aunts descend on the place. www.sheratonkeauhou.com; (888) 488-3535, (808) 930-4900. Other lodging options on the Kona Coast include rental condos and coffee country bed-and-breakfast inns.
DINING: Some of our worst dining in Kona was accompanied by an ocean view. Such restaurants (notably Huggo's) are assured a steady stream of tourist business. The establishments tucked away in nondescript shopping centers have to work a little harder to pull people in.
You can't go wrong at O's Bistro, which showcases local ingredients in creative preparations. One pasta dish, for example, is a deconstructed tuna casserole, featuring seasoned, wok-seared strips of fresh ahi tuna, orecchiette shell pasta in a light cream sauce with shiitake mushrooms and scallions, all of it crowned with some thinly sliced and lightly fried onions ($24). There is laudable pricing on the wine list; one tier lists more than a dozen selections, from all over the globe, each priced at $35 a bottle. In the Crossroads Shopping Center. www.osbistro.com; (808) 327-6565.
For exceptional Japanese fare, head to Kenichi Pacific, in the Keauhou Shopping Center. If so inclined, you can readily create a small-plates dinner from appetizers – notably the lobster summer rolls and Dungeness crab cakes – tempura selections and some delectable sushi rolls that are prepared to order. Main courses feature fusion preparations of ono, mahi-mahi, ahi and other local fishes. (808) 322-6400.
INFORMATION: One of the best guidebooks for exploring the Kona Coast (and all of this island) is Ray Riegert's "Hidden Big Island of Hawaii" (Ulysses Press; $13.95). The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau site, www.bigisland.org, lists information on events, golf, arts and other attractions on the island.

Published Feb. 25, 2007

Disneyland - Perpetual discovery

2009-01-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Disneyland is billed as the happiest place on earth...probably for a reason. Disneyland California opened in 1955 and California Adventure opened in 2001.

This was our 3rd trip out there. Here is a glimpse of what we discovered.
We had a pretty good idea of what was in store and we got very surgical in how we went about.

A little bit of research and I had gotten the top few things that we could potentially work into our schedule. There are always new attractions and always good to do some research. We had stayed inside the park in our first visit since it was all new then. Being veterans now, we stayed at the Embassy Suites with the Annaheim shuttle for transport - the free breakfast was a huge plus. Would be neat to take the bullet train into Annaheim a few years down the road

Got the corporate 3 day hopper pass. This qualified us for an early entry (7AM) instead of the regular 8AM, but only a certain days have this early entry available (Tue, Th, Sat). We didn't find it worthwhile to lose sleep and get there early.

Day 1 - we spent in Disneyland. It was a long day, starting at 10AM and by the time we got out it was 8:30PM. The first half day we spent in Tomorrow Land. Started with the Jedi Training. Both our boys made the cut list, got selected and were standing upfront with the Jedi training. That was a good experience.

We had already gotten the fastpass for Buzzlighter Astro Blaster before getting to the Jedi training. The key to Disneyland is to prioritize - get the fastpass and at the soonest elegible hour get your next fast pass. The Buzzlighter ride was enjoyed by all of us. The only fallacy in this ride is not being able to see how your shots are going and whether it was my shot that got the bullseye lit up. Well, they have fixed that with the Toy Story Mania - more about that later.

That done, we we walked up to the Adventureland and got the fast pass for Indian Jones - that was for 7PM - it is very popular and we should have gotten that fast pass first. We missed the Nemo Submarine Voyage as it does not have the fastpass. We had a filler on the 3rd day and we ended up doing it then. It is one of the next gen Disneyland attractions. Is it a movie that is playing underwater or is it a hollogram, or is it a robotic animation hard to tell.

Our kids are not into the roller coasters and that made our ordeal a lot simpler. It was the day after xmas and there were crowds galore. It needed the expert navigation of VT station to get through the horde. The lunch line was painful and everyone at the restaurant was stressed out. Made us think why we hadn't packed sandwiches as we usually do.

We had taken fast pass to AUTOPIA and we got back to complete it. We walked through Fantasyland, kids took a few rides and Mickey's Toontown. Having completed that we got the fast pass to Haunted Mansion Holiday the only thing worthwhile in New Orleans Square. It was right after Indian Jones and that worked out very well.

Haunted Mansion Holiday is very kiddish nothing extraordinary that puzzled our mind - ho humm lackluster. We skipped the Pirates of the Caribbean since it didn't have a fastpass - might have been worthwhile.

We totally skipped the Critter Country and Frontierland. The parades never seemed to have gotten to me in years past and I finally rebelled and proposed skipping it altogether. Our boys agreed and we went scot free this time. We did catch a glimpse of it, but the boys quickly scampered away for the next ride. We got another fast pass to the Buzzlight year ride. And the parents were tired, but the boys were still gung ho on going all out.

That was it for day 1. We skipped the fireworks, ho humm again in my mind. It is mind boggling to find families camped out at 6:30pm for a parade at 8:30pm and fireworks at 9:30pm - totally escapes me. Also, it was freezing cold for us whipmy Californias

Disneyland has a lots of kids, I mean a lot...little kids and if you are not sucked into the vortex of toddler rides, you will do fine. Two days are more than sufficient.

Day 2-
We thought we had enough of Disneyland nd we decided to try out CA adventure, where we had spent only a few hours in previous trips. We got in at 10:30AM and got out by 8:30AM. The day turned out to be much warmer and that made it a lot easier.

We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowd in CA Adventure. The experiencse was a lot more 'rich'. We started the day by first getting the fastpass to Screaming over California - a pretty neat ride. We then headed to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot. The Monsters Inc got our visit first. It was alright - some neat 3D animation. We inquired about the Aladdin - Musical spectacular and based up on that we planned the rest of the morning.

We got back to GOLDEN STATE and the Screaming over CA ride. Try to be in the #1 station - that way you get to sit on the topmost station and not have to see dangling legs of other folks. This is a simulation and just spectacular.

Grizzly Park River Run would be good in summer, but we didn't want to get wet in December.

We had heard a lot about the Toy Story MidWay Mania.

This is again the next gen attraction. Kinda version 2 of the earlier popular Buzz lighter ride. You get to actually see your shots hit the targets in 3D, and see the point being tabulated and compared with everyone else when your ride is done. Wonder which came first, LaserQuest or this one... I could totally get it why kids enjoy playing video games as much. I took this one four times, got a score of 80,000, jumped to 100,000. We were back the next day, I got to 130,000 and 132,000. It certainly got me a nice aerobic workout and my arm was totally stressed out after taking this ride twice in a row. THe key is to take the sling between the index and middle finger and pull rapidly using the other hand to guide the cannon. This is where Disney land is heading to. Lot of Math behind the scenes to get this one for us.

We got back in time for the Aladdin show. Too short I felt when it was over. Spectacular as always. Flying carpets, elephants, magical sets and the genie as always was the star of the show - a hollywood career awaits him, shades of Robin William. Very well done.

We proceeded to Bugs Land, the 3-D bug adventure was alright, but nothing urged us to go back for a 2nd time. Nothing like an interactive attraction to keep the crowd coming. The rides in there are geared for toddlers too.

Decided to head back to Toy Story Mania in Paradise Pier. We decided to stand in the singles line, a lot faster. Fortunately, there was a technical hitch soon as we completed our ride and we got a 'fastpass' voucher to come back soon as it was up.

We then headed back to Hollywood Pictures Backlot to visit Crush. That is another next gen Disney Attraction. It is possible they use a voice modulator to create the crush like voice, but the animation still befuddles us. We visited the Animation Academy, which helps kids understand the concept of animation and definitely worth it.

Turtle Talk

We decided to call it a day.

Day 3 - We got into the park by 10:30AM, as we had to pack and checkout. We had pretty much gone through the majority of Disneyland and CA Adventure. We decided to go for reruns. Top priority was Indiana Jones, Buzzlight Year Astroblaster and Toy Story Mania.

Indiana Jones is exhilarating to say the least and definitely worth a repeat experience.

We spent the morning taking rides in the Toy Story Mania. Had our lunch (shorter or non existent lines here in comparison to Disneyland) and proceeded to Disneyland. We got fastpasses for Disneyland and to kill time we took Nemo, which turned out to be pretty good.

Pretty good chances this was our final trip to Disneyland and CA Adventure for a few years. It was enjoyable as always.

By 3:30PM we were all done

Aruba - Hidden Paradise

2008-05-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Aruba is 17 miles from Venezuela in South America. Aruba was a colony of Holland until 1985. The economy was subsistent on gold and oil , but now dependent on tourism. Tourists from all the over the world primarily USA, Holland and South America visit Aruba.

Aruba is only 19 mile long and 6 miles wide. We saw Aruba in less than a day. The rest of the time we spent by the pool and the beaches.

Aruba offers stark contrast from the deserts of Arikok National Park to the beautiful sandy beaches. Aruba seemingly escapes the hurriacanes every year, and the only tell tale sign during the huricane season is the wind gales rushing through the island and causing dust storms.

All over the island you can spot the Aloe Vera plant (not indigenous) – Aruba is now the world’s largest explorer.

We checked out the Guadirikiri Cave famous for dark chambers that are illuminated by sunshine streaming through. Peer up and you see many bats resting in the cooler inner recesses of the cave.

The Fontein cave has drawings of Arawak Indians on the ceiling.
Don’t miss the Huliba cave – also called the tunnel of love due to the heart shaped entrance.
The old stone California lighthouse stands as a silent sentry in the area known as "Hudishibana," near the island's northwestern tip. The lighthouse is named for the U.S ship - the California - which sunk about two years previous to its construction in 1910.

Carnival Cruise to Cabo San Lucas

2008-01-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

View of Carnival Elation.

Sailing in the Sea of Cortez, watching hump back whales

View of Cabo San Lucas

Delhi Jaipur Agra – Golden Triangle.

2007-08-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

(THis is a rough draft of the salient points, will revisit soon to present the finer details )

Ajmer Fort

We considered taking the Palace on Wheels – it is expensive but runs only during the Indian Summer vacation schedule i.e April through mid June. Xzmde2 h2
Indian vacations are great, as we don’t have to do the fine grain granularity level planning, pack your bags and get rolling; you know what to expect, and we are able to think on the fly and improvise////as you will see…read on.

We were quite tied up with work activities and “Vacation Planning” just stayed on the TO DO list. We did surf quite a few web sites, and did some online exploration nothing serious. Airline reservations are good to have, and India pretty much works like the USA, the earlier you book the better off you are. You don’t need an Indian travel agent to help you mostly. The online world has enough information to help you navigate. And just talking to other folks who have been there, done that, certainly helps too.

We booked our tickets on Deccan, one of the cheapest airlines in India. Sometimes the fare was Rs 0/- and the taxes would get tagged on. Some pretty good deals, but it is a basic airline, does not offer the end to end experience of a Jet Airways - but makes us feel right at home considering the pathetic state of American Airlines. Depends on what you want. We ended up flying from Mumbai to Jaipur, and then to Delhi and then back to Bombay. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra form an isoceles triangle with each side being 250 kms. Thus, it is not advisable to fly between any of these points. Fly to one point and then drive down to the others. Doesn't matter which sequence you do it in.

We were planning this vacation in the month of August which is off peak season for India (as schools and vacations are taken during April – June) and the only advise that was offered to us was to take it easy and let things happen. There is no hurry to make the bookings. We took it too easy and made our flight reservations at the very last minute. We got our car reservations done for Jaipur and Delhi – through some family friends. At Jaipur, we had the INNOVA which was quite comfortable and ideal for city driving. At Delhi, we rented the Toyota Qualis, which is quite rugged, but a tad uncomfortable. The Qualis is now discontinued and we usually end up getting older run down SUVs - stay away from the Qualis. We didn’t bother to find out the specifics of the rental. Typically rental charges for the city is Rs. 900/day and you are restricted to 8 hours and 80 kms. Anything beyond that you need to get the rates set before you get into the car. The charges typically are Rs x for each extra hour and Rs Y/ each extra km. You can get an estimate of the total distance, everything is negotiable. If you have the car for a longer period (beyond 3-4 days) you can also negotiate a lumpsum payment.

JAIPUR
We had booked the ManSingh Hotel in Jaipur. The hotel is divided into two properties with separate rates – the ManSingh Towers and Hotel Mansingh. The Tower is 5 star, (we were told because it has a gym too), while the Hotel Mansingh is 4 star. This is not the Taj type hotel and needs a remodel but neverthless quite nice, breakfast included in the rates. We had negotiated a rate of Rs.4500/ for 2 nights. This was the rate that was offered to us also by calling the Mansingh hotels Mumbai office.

We ended up spending the first evening at Chokhi Dani, on the outskirts of Jaipur. This is an ethnic cultural fare hosted by the Chokhi Dani management team. A wonderful effort to provide a livelihood for the traditional people of Rajasthan. You get to understand the arts and crafts of Rajasthan with friendly locals. A Rajasthani Culture 101 of sorts. We took Camel rides, Elephant rides etc and also enjoyed a very traditional Rajasthani dinner. We spent a good 3 hours at Chokhi Dani.

The next day, we ended up visiting the 3 forts. Sangamner Fort, City Palace Hotel and the Jaisalmer fort. The City Palace hotel – where BHOOL BHULAIAN was shot at - is right in the heart of the city and not to be missed. Part of the palace continues to be occupied by the resident king and the the other half is exposed out as a tourist attraction. This is worth a visit. There is shopping inside the hotel and the prices are quite reasonable (specially because it was off peak season). You can done some of the shopping done here – or wait to get into the heart of the Jaipur shopping district. But no harm in checking out the merchandise that the merchants enthusiastically hawk at you. Hawa Mahal is right next door, so don't miss it. Be prepared to shelve out extra for the camcorder whereever you go. Jaisalmer Fort is quite striking and not to be missed. Sangamner Fort has hosted lots of Bollywood films and you will have that familiar feeling when you walk inside. The Hawa Mahal was under construction, but neverthless we walked in there.

The next day we ended up shoopping at Bapu Bazaar. Excellent shopping and very reasonable rates – do not miss out on the experience. We wanted to head to Puskhar – which is one of the pilgrimage - pure and pristine spots of India - has the only Brahma temple of India, but we didn’t make it there. There are lots of things to do around Jaipur and you can’t do them all- as they are a good driving distance. We also wanted to go to the Maqbara of

DELHI

We flew that evening to Delhi. We got stuck in the Delhi traffic. Delhi is seemingly like how Mumbai was in the mid 90s. Lots of traffic jams all over, they sorely are in need for flyovers and drainage systems. We got stuck due to an incessant downpour that water logged many of the roads. Delhi is certainly greener than Mumbai. We stayed in the **** area, at one of the non descript hotels. They all have hot water and air conditioning and make reasonable attempts to make you comfortable. The breakfast is typically included too. We spent the first day checking out the tourist attractions starting with the Red Fort. We checked out India Gate, Gandhi Samadhi, Kutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Swami Narayan Mandir etc. We made the cardinal mistake of allocating a Sunday for this and found most areas to be very crowded. Most places have separate lines for women and are usually much shorter, so make sure you leverage this facility instead of standing in long lines.

AGRA / MATHURA / VRINDAVAN
The day after we drove to Agra. We stopped on the way at the birthplace of Krishna - Mathura Vrindavan. The temples close at Noon, so make sure you get there prior to noon. We then drove to Fateh-pur-Sikri (passing Agra) which has lately become a tremendous tourist attraction due to Jodha Akbar. We also visited the Saint Chisti memorial behind Joda Bai’s palace.

AGRA
By the time we got back to Agra it was past 10PM. We were wishing we had driven down from Jaipur to Agra and finished up Fateh pur Sikri on the way. We had booked the Taj View hotel. We had been recommended the Oberoi hotel across the Yamuna with a view of the Taj - but that was Rs.30,000/night and we were looking for two rooms - and we couldn't quite get a deal for that one. The internet deal for Taj View was Rs.6000 for 2 nights which included breakfast and dinner. But we were staying only one night - and we were paying about Rs 5000/ night. We were supposed to have a Taj view – we got there late night and all we could see was a foggy view of the Taj Mahal about 5 kms away in the distance. The next day was a rainy day, not the best day, but we did the best we could. Put Anu’s recommendation. We scampered back to New Delhi where a new driver awaited us for our Char Dham trip.

Our pictures from the trip to Jaipur, Delhi, Vrindavan, Mathura, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and CharDham (Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) July 18, 2007 to August 2, 2007

CharDham Yatra -

2007-08-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Mount Shasta - Connecting with the Spirit

2007-03-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

An Indian Mystic has said "Really, one doesn't need to go to India. Everything I have needed to know about connecting to the spirit I learned meditating on a rock on the side of Mount Shasta. Its a place where the veils between the ethers are thinner than elsewhere, and where the Masters can communicate with you more easily. You should go there"

The Sanskrit word Shasta means one who lives according to divine law. Although, some say that Mount Shasta was actually named by French fur trappers who called it chaste, meaning "pure." Or, it could have received its name from the Tshastel Indians who lived in the area.

There is something uncanny about Mount Shasta. A buddymentioned how strange it was to see Mount Shasta rising above into the sky as he drove by on I-5....a sinister feeling to it. The mountain exerts a strange force. John Muir wrote that the first time he saw Shasta, "all my blood turned to wine and I have not been weary since." Peculiar and unexplained things have been happening around the mountain at least since 1883, when a young man in nearby Yreka named Frederick Spencer Oliver claimed his hand was seized by strange forces that made him write uncontrollably. The result was "Dweller on Two Planets," an occult classic that told the story of the Lemurians, an ancient race who abandoned their Atlantis-like continent when it sank beneath the Pacific Ocean and formed a mystical brotherhood inside Mount Shasta. (Many years later, Shirley MacLaine was browsing in a bookstore in Hong Kong and reported that this very book fell mysteriously off a shelf and landed in her hands.)

We spent a short weekend trying to experience Shasta country...and it was one wonderful weekend.

Here are some things to do in and around Shasta

We had camped out at http://www.yelp.com/biz/castle-crags-state-park-castella.
It is a fantastic location if you ignore the I-5 freeway noise that becomes a tad annoying more so in the middle of the night if you happen to wake up. It didn't bother me - sleep is not an issue. One of the amazing experiences of camping out here was to see the galaxy of stars, the milky way streaming up in the sky in a straight line. This was the only time I have seen it.

We took a short trail at Panthers Meadow and also a trail @ Castle Crags
We bought some crystals in the town - interesting experience (though a ripoff in retrospect)
We also drove upto Mount Shasta as far as we could and did a short hike.
I am sure I am missing a couple things.

Everitt Vista Point
Drive up Mount Shasta on the Everitt Memorial Highway (just follow Lake Street up out of the center of Mt. Shasta City past the high school). After you drive approximately 8 miles, you will see the sign for the popular Everitt Vista Point 1/2 mile before the destination. The view west over the valley from your car is breathtaking, but if you walk through the parking lot and take the trail starting next to the restroom facility, you will soon come to a stone lookout which affords a panoramic view to the south. On a clear day you will see Mount Lassen and Castle Crags in the south, with the sweep of the Eddy Mountains and distant Marble Mountain Wilderness Area to the west.

The Everitt Vista Point lookout is the location of frequent "star parties" during the summer, where local astronomers bring their telescopes and binoculars for the celestial show. Check the local newspaper the Mt. Shasta Herald, to see if a star gazing party is planned during your stay.

Panther Meadows is one of the most beautiful locations on Mount Shasta, with the purest spring you will ever find, and the most pristine energy in which to meditate, sleep, camp, etc. This area and its campground are reached from Everitt Memorial Highway, and is a short distance from Bunny Flat. The campsite is located in Lower Panther Meadows and is maintained by the Forest Service, so their regulations apply to all camping here. There are ten campsites, no drinking water, and vault toilets. The campground is open in mid-June through Labor Day, depending on weather conditions. anther Meadows, Shasta-Trinity National Forest: A two-minute walk on the south flank of Mount Shasta, 7,400 feet, takes you to this camp along a pristine meadow, with nearby hikes available to Gray Butte for eye-popping, long-distance views. Directions
To reach Panther Meadows, take the Central Mount Shasta exit off California's Interstate 5, head east on Lake Street through town, curve left onto Everitt Memorial Highway, and drive 13 miles up the mountain. There are plenty of campsites and vault toilets, but no drinking water except for the spring itself. The campground is open from mid-June through Labor Day, depending on weather conditions.

Here are extracts from a writeup in San Francisco Chronicle by John Flinn
I am following Beverly Ann Wilson through room after room of her sprawling crystal emporium, and Beverly is following a pair of twitching metal rods.
I'd come in to shop for a souvenir. But in Mount Shasta's Middle Earth Crystal Room, she informs me, customers don't choose their crystals. Crystals choose their customers.
Beverly is using the metal divining rods -- the same tools dowsers employ to find hidden water -- to tune into the vibrations emitting from "my" crystal.

Still trying to get a handle on the town's status as a "world renowned spiritual energy vortex," as a brochure I picked up in the visitor's center put it, I called the Circle of Life Wellness Center for Conscious Living and made an appointment to have my body's energy systems checked out by something called the Aurastar 2000.

In a little office above a Papa Murphy pizza restaurant, a woman named Carol Ito had me place my left hand on a device with 50 metal sensors and count backward from 100. Ito booted up her IBM ThinkPad laptop, and in a few seconds an image appeared on its screen -- Leonardo da Vinci's famous sketch of the male body superimposed on what looked uncannily like the swirling colors of a tie-dyed T-shirt.

Those colors, Ito explained, represented my energy fields. "It's the same as your aura, but we don't like to use that word," she said. "It's too charged. "

Examining the readout, Ito told me that my heart, solar plexus, spleen and root chakras were doing just fine, but that my neck and throat chakra wasn't doing so well -- probably stress -- and that my brain and third eye were working overtime.

"People use this feedback to make decisions in their life," she said.

Frankly, I wasn't much taken with the Aurastar 2000 -- until Ito noticed the band of gray around my midsection in the readout. "You've had an injury to your waist, haven't you?" she said. As a matter of fact, I had. I'd had a kidney removed three years earlier, the only serious trauma to my body in many years. I left her office a bit less skeptical than I arrived. On my last day in town I drove 15 miles up the Everett Memorial Highway to its end on Shasta's southwest flank, at about 7,900 feet. I set off walking up a rocky trail, past the last, stunted trees. Much of Shasta's paranormal activity has been reported in this area -- probably, the skeptic in me thought, because it has easy highway access.

Elephant Seal Walk - Guided Tour

2007-03-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Fifty-five miles south of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, a low, rocky, windswept point juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish maritime explorer Sebastian Vizcaino sailed by the point on January 3, 1603. His diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named it Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year's Point) for the day on which they sighted it in 1603.

Today, the point remains much as Vizcaino saw it from his passing ship. Lonely, undeveloped, wild. Elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands. It is a unique and unforgettable natural spectacle that hundreds of thousands of people come to witness each year.

Año Nuevo State Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing interest every winter for the past 19 years. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes.

During the breeding season, December through March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only. Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to Año Nuevo's beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be observed during this time through a permit system.

Alaska - Seward's Folly???

2006-12-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

Play Video

Mount McKinley (Denali)
29 Footer Ford Winnebago

Exit Glacier

Exit Glacier Closeup

Alaskan Totem Pole

Portage Glacier

Inside Denali

Play Video

Prep Stage:

We were quite enthused about this trip and did our best to plan ahead. We got the MILEPOST 2006 from the local library along with a couple of DVDs on Alaska (highly recommend ALASKA - SPIRIT OF THE WILD – watching this one at an IMAX theatre in San Diego implanted the Alaska bug in my mind). We took care of the three priority items - Flight / RV / Denali Park Bus Ride reservations (Denali Park Reservation Ph: 800-622-7275). We even contacted friends and got their itineraries from visits before. Alas, we stalled after that. We hemmed and hawed and couldn’t quite get to finish up on the minute details. Thus, the departure week we were still scampering.

Brace yourself before you leave, it is an eye-popping vacation. Prepping everyone with a bit of Alaskan history, IMAX movies / DVD, Ice Age, Glaciers etc certainly helps set the mood and the expectations. You will need fall/winter wear in peak summer and don't forget to shop for the ponchos, parkas etc. Mental reconciliation to the Alaskan summer/rainy season is also helpful.

Itinerary Considerations –
We considered going to Fairbanks http://fairbanks-alaska.com/faq.htm#aurora which has quite a few things to offer. It is a quick two lane highway connection after you leave Denali. We decided against it, primarily because it is early in the year to see the Northern Lights http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy). We did speak with the Fairbanks visitor's bureau to confirm. They recommend visiting in winter – in October and beyond months. This would ensure a high probability of generating the ideal conditions (dark, clear and cold nights) for the appearance of the Northern lights. The Arctic Circle is 198 miles from Fairbanks on the Dalton Highway. If you travel to the Arctic Circle, make certain you stop by the Visitor's Center and get your Arctic Circle Certificate! (NL light prediction @ http://www.gi.alaska.edu/predict.php3). But it didn’t make sense for us to be there to just get a picture at the Arctic circle highway sign and the certificate.

We also left Juneau and surrounding areas for a future cruise trip. We decided against taking a cruise, as we felt it may not give us the complete feel for Alaska, based on our prior cruise experience. We felt, we really need to drive around and soak in the splendor of Alaska. The one-way cruise is very appealing though.

Valdez – remember Exxon oil spill? - was recommended to us and is conveniently connected on your way to or from Denali, but it is a tad out of the way. It is 120 air miles east of Anchorage, or 305 miles by the Richardson and Glenn Highways. Due to it being an excellent ice-free port, Valdez developed in 1898 as a debarkation point for men seeking a route to the Klondike gold fields. Valdez soon became the supply center of its own gold mining region, and incorporated as a City in 1901. During the 1970's, construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline terminal and other cargo transportation facilities brought rapid growth to Valdez. Just being an ice-free port has been of tremendous asset for Valdez!

We had heard splendid reviews of the drive from Anchorage to Homer. This drive offers a completely different and rich landscape. Dahl Sheep at Windy Point, Turnagain Arm with belugas and eagles, Potters Marsh Bird Sanctuary, Turnagain Pass with great mountain scenery (Views from the highway here show off the distinctive U-shape valley created by retreating glaciers), Portage Glacier, Summit Lake’s calm and tranquil waters, Kenai Lake, Kenai River, The Glacier’s stark and barren landscape and the incredible views of Kachemak Bay and the glacier capped peaks. If you do plan to go to Homer read up on this link http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Alaska/Homer-738699/Things_To_Do-Homer-BR-1.html. Details on Homer further down in the write-up.

Due to time constraints, we made Seward our final destination in Alaska to check out the Kenai Fjords National Park for the overall glacier experience- http://www.nps.gov/kefj/#Kenai. The park is capped by the Harding Ice field, a relic from past ice-ages and the largest ice field entirely within

U.S.

borders.

Weather conditions - longer daylight hours. In Denali National Park around Summer Solistice, the sun rises around 3:30 a.m. and sets after midnight. It is uncanny. We visited in August and dusk was around 11AM at Denali. We loved the longer daylight, but you may want to consider taking a sleeping mask if you anticipate sleeping problems. Temperature wise, Anchorage has an average high of 65 ° F and average low of 52 ° F in July – which is presumably the warmest month. It rains almost three times in August (comparing average precipitation) in comparison to June. Don’t forget to take your heavy winter wear – gloves, ski caps, jackets etc. – and do take them on the cruises you take.

Good reference material that we carried along. Folks referred us to the MilePost 2006 and the Lonely Planet. The Milepost 2006 is very detailed and useful at times. We found the AAA Alaska handbook better though - more crisply laid out and information was easier to find and reference – considering the short timeframe of our vacation. Milepost was very useful to have a passenger read out as we passed the through various mileposts – lots of detailed information.

RV selection and tips/hints - There was a quite some thought into renting an RV versus taking the cruise. Driving a RV is certainly a bit daunting. But what we heard was Alaska has been built for RV vacations, which is very true. It was very encouraging to see other friends who had done that too.

We got the RV from Great Alaskan Holiday located on Old Seward Highway. Overall it was a fun experience, slowed us down a bit, but all in all worked out very well. Kids loved it so much, they want to rent RVs in our CA trips too. It is a bit more complex than renting a car - but that’s about it. Most RV camps have cable/water/electric hookup. The RV makers (this was a Ford Motor - Winnebago) have their act together. Do carry some good water proof gloves for the dump. Is it easy to dump the waste? I did it twice and it takes all in all about 5 minutes. But it is bothersome.

Great Alaskan Holiday are quite good - courteous customer service, a state of the art maintenance facility, and well maintained low mileage RVs in perfect condition. They do show a short video - an RV 101 of sorts, that we sorely needed. Key RV Tips/Hints –

Move past obstacles before you start turning due to the RV overhang from the rear tires – about 15 feet past.
Avoid any sharp turns.
Leave driveway slowly, at an angle to avoid the bottom rear portion of the RV bumping into the ground.
Watch out for trees, and be extra careful at gas stations, parking lots etc.
Keep a safe distance behind vehicles in front (24 car length)
Turn on TOW HAUL / Low gears to prevent brakes heating up, pull over to allow brakes to cool off
Watch out for clearance signs – our RV had a clearance limit of 12 feet or 4 meters.
Be careful of sway during high winds.
Check tire pressure often specially driving on gravel.
Check the exterior compartments every time before driving – sometimes they open up, even if locked. Return step to stowed position before driving,
Ensure bubble is fairly level after parking to prevent any equipment damage (fridge) inside the RV.

The video was fairly comprehensive and

Jordan

the friendly customer rep, answered all our questions and went over the details of the generator, dumping instructions etc. that the video had already covered. We were apprehensive but less so now.

Alaskan holiday gave us a choice to purchase the propane / gasoline upfront or fill-up before return. We discovered that we really don’t consume much propane (used for hot water, heating) and if you purchase the propane upfront, it may not be economical....... better to fill-up the propane and gas yourself before the return – if you have time for that. The attendant at the gas station will fill the propane.

The RV was convenient, and created a good comfort zone for the kids as they relaxed in the confines of the RV. It did not have a DVD player connected to the sound system, and that troubled us a bit, as we had taken our music DVDs. But carrying our favorite movies worked out great, as we did get a chance to watch them in the evening.

The economics maybe the same versus hotel rooms, but the intangible benefits are various. The convenience of not packing/unpacking every (other) day, built in restrooms – good things. We carried frozen half-cooked meal packs and we didn’t have to go searching for decent restaurants to eat at - saved us quite some time. Having the same room every night is good too. The shower area in the RV is certainly a bit cramped. We preferred using the RV park showers, which were clean and well maintained anyway.

It isn't too bad getting reservations into the RV camps etc, which means you can wait to make reservations after your plans are truly finalized. We did make RV reservations for every night before we left San Francisco, though we tweaked it a bit.

First Night in Anchorage

We flew from San Francisco to Anchorage via Vancouver and discovered that passports were not needed. Alaska airline escorts you into the next boarding area and thus you never need to go through immigration. On the plane to Anchorage – sit on the right / stern side – that way you get some great looks of the glaciers in the southern part of Alaska. Great Alaskan Holiday sent a shuttle for pick up at the airport. Their office closes at 7PM and by the time we got to their facility it was almost 5PM. They were short staffed and by the time we were checked in, it was almost 7PM – not very efficient.

Once we had checked-in and gotten the RV, our next stop was at the Fred Meyer on O'Malley. We had a shopping list (make sure you have yours) that included things like – Milk, Yoghurt, Water, Drinks, Fruits, Cooking oil, Paper products, Juice, bread, dishwasher liquid etc. We outlined our food plans the week before our trip and that made it quite efficient. Being vegetarian, does impose constraints, and planning ahead makes perfect sense. The tour saver coupon book http://www.toursaver.com/alaskatravel.php saves a bundle too. You can also get it most stores in Anchorage but also on eBay.

We had reservations at the Anchorage RV Park for the night. It is an excellent facility, we would recommend that in a heartbeat.....very clean facility, wonderful staff and you have your privacy too in your parked spot. Offers wireless internet too. It is right next door to the Alaskan Heritage center too.

We discovered that our hosepipe ( dump) was broken while doing the test drive, and had to head back the next day to Great Alaskan holiday to get that changed and also to pickup other minor things (sheets, pillows etc). Thus, it may be a good idea to not leave town until you are sure of the RV and its condition. Otherwise it may become a hassle trying to fix something.

Day 2 – Drive to Denali from Anchorage

We had a leisurely start from Anchorage RV park. Scenic drive, took us all day with so many stops. It drizzled all through the drive. The part of Route 1 from Anchorage to Willow is at least two lanes, and quite good, easy on the RV. Beyond that, Willow to Denali is one lane and gets quite bumpy, it was hard to go beyond 55 mph. Some sections have tire grooves dug into the freeway, and it seems like we are losing control of the RV at those point, as the tires try to fit in and ride those grooves. Milepost is good reference. We made sure that we were well fueled and stocked before we entered Denali. There aren’t any paved roads inside Denali – I would certainly want them paved soon – and driving an RV becomes a slow process.

After the customary picture at the Denali National Park entrance sign, we decided to stop by at the Visitor center. We discovered there that we would need to pick up the bus tickets from the Wilderness Access Center. (We had gotten the Teklanika pass for our bus tour in Denali – details here http://www.reservedenali.com/tek_pass.php - one of the three priority items from the first paragraph). This probably helped us avoid a trip back to collect the bus tickets – which we would have found out after getting to the Savage River checkpoint. This pass cannot be used to re-enter Denali National Park. If you go toward the park entrance beyond mile 20, you will need to purchase another shuttle ticket to reenter the park. You are advised to refill at Riley Wilderness Access Center, dump etc before entering Denali.

We had reservations at the Teklanika Campground http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Teklanika_campground_photos.htm – referred to as Tek, it does NOT have water/electrical hookups/ shower facilities. It is nicely located amidst some great foliage. The restrooms have flush toilets and running water (weather dependent). There are 53 sites. You can clearly hear the flow of the Teklanika river. See Tek campground picture above.

Details here http://www.denali.national-park.com/camping.htm & http://www.reservedenali.com/campground_teklanika.php

Day 3 – Inside Denali

We got the JV Shuttles to Wonder Lake. Make sure you sit on the left / aft side of the bus for McKinley viewing. Wild life can pop out from any and every direction. Watch out! Sharp eyes are well respected in the bus.

Shuttle travels 86 miles into the park, approximately 11 hours round trip. Be prepared to board 15 minutes prior to departure time. No food or water is available in the Park on shuttle route. Riley Creek Mercantile (approx. mile 0.5 on the park road) across from the Wilderness Access Center sells food items. $4 change/cancellation fee per shuttle bus ticket. Notification of change/cancel is required at least 2 hours prior to departure time. Children under the age of 4 years old, or under 40 pounds, have to be riding in a safety seat. Do not forget to carry your binoculars – but there is only one thing you can do use your binoculars or use the camera. Try to get into the earliest shuttle (starting at 5:15 AM) for your wild life viewing pleasure.

The next morning, we were at the Tek campground bus stop at 7:20AM – the one and only vacation we had an early start. This is almost a 10-12 hour bus tour so make sure you carry the things you need – no fancy dining places inside. Our main objective was to check out Mount McKinley, having been to Mount Whitney a few years back. We got lucky, as we got a couple sightings – luckily it had turned sunny for a brief couple hours. Statistics say that only 14% of the visitors get to peek at the peak. Wildlife is another reason why folks love Denali. We had been warned that wild life viewing is not as good as Yellowstone – and it lived up to its reputation. We saw a few Dahl sheep (like a blimp in the radar), a grizzly bear –the polar bear’s cousin - that crossed our bus’s path, Caribou etc, not a whole lot, but still worth the scenery experience – and for the “Been there done that”. The grizzly bear sighting was particularly good – it was completely ‘blonde’ unlike any bear we had seen so far. Someone sitting at the back spotted it and the driver immediately turned the engine off. A hush descended in the packed bus as everyone peered into the vegetation to spot the bear, camera clicking, kids focusing their binoculars, and some folks still peering into the landscape trying to spot. The bear seemed a bit agitated, probably due to the sound of the bus and kept moving. Our bus stayed put and we suddenly saw it cross the dirt road right in front of our bus. The bus crowd gasped – some in delight, some in surprise, while I fiddled with my camera. But as they say “ELVIS has left the building”, the grizzly bear, the king of Denali, had disappeared into the dense Denali jungle.

Some would say Denali is a bit too much hype, but we felt it was good to go, just for a glimpse of Denali (Mount McKinley). We were constantly comparing it to the African Safari and Yellowstone – having done both – and even the ‘native’ Alaskans we spoke with compared it to the two. But it is just good to go through Denali and get a feel for what it is like.

In retrospect, we spent almost 3 days towards our Denali trip – not sure if it was worth it. You may want to consider rail tours that are conducted from Anchorage to Denali and back, might be more time efficient. Doing a railroad/ RV combo might be a bit more difficult to pull together. But spending 3 days towards visiting Denali seems overkill, considering we spent only a day touring Denali.

Most of our Alaska visit, we missed the famed mosquitoes, but we found them at Wonder-Lake while having our lunch. So even though we had gallons of mosquito repellant, we barely used any all through our trip.

TEK Camp ground versus RILEY. The advantage of staying at Tek was we could catch the later 7:25AM bus, as against the 6:15AM bus if we had stayed in the Riley Creek facility. In retrospect, it does not make sense to camp at the Teklanika campground, as we really missed the electrical, water connection and the clean showers. Tek has a 3 night minimum, but we left after the first night and luckily found a spot in Riley. Riley and Tek management are two separate organizations and have to be dealt with separately. We loved our Riley camping spot, it was very private, clean restrooms and again, couldn’t ask for more.

Here is a nice video of Denali http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/places/videos/video_alaska_us_denalinationalpark.html

A nice writeup on climbing Denali http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/denali0211/denali.html?fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com

Day 4 – Drive back to Anchorage

We left leisurely in the afternoon after our lunch, and it was drizzling as we drove back to Anchorage. We Californians miss the rain all summer, and having an overcast sky was a welcome change, providing us a different perspective to the fantastic scenery playing out in front of our eyes. As usual, there were frequent RV stops, due to the Ooohs and AHhhs. We were doing 50 - 55 mph. It was a single lane highway both sides. Suddenly, we see this black bear start to cross over. By the time we started braking, it had crossed over our side and disappeared into the Chugach State Forest. What timing eh?

At Anchorage, we visited the Alaska Zoo to make up for all the wildlife that we missed at Denali. Alaska Zoo is no great shakes, but if you can catch the Polar bear (it was in siesta mode when we visited) it might be worthwhile. We were done with the zoo in about 30 minutes. The wildlife is good, and you can get quite close to them, but they all seemed unhappy, restless and wornout in their captive environment.

This was a good chance to also refill our pantry. We made the trip to Fred Meyer and then back to Anchorage RV. The Anchorage museum is quite good and worth a trip, but we didn't get to it.

Day 5 – Drive to Seward

The next morning, we found the Alaskan Native Heritage center, right next to the Anchorage RV park. The tickets are a bit expensive $90 family pass with AAA discount, but it is worthwhile. We took the 45 minute walking tour around the lake, which demonstrate how various cultures and tribes used to live in the bygone eras.... very informative tour. They had a drum and dance show after that. It is good education, especially for the kids in understanding the history and heritage of Alaska.

After this, we continued on our drive to Seward. Seward is named after Secretary of State, William Seward who bought Alaska from the Russians for 2 cents an acre and was generally regarded as Seward’s folly until gold and subsequently petroleum was discovered at Alaska.

From answers.com - Acquisition in 1867 by the

U.S.

from

Russia

of 586,412 sq mi (1.5 million sq km) at the northwestern tip of North America, comprising the current

U.S.

state of Alaska. The territory, held by

Russia

since 1741, was considered an economic liability, and in 1866 it was offered for sale. Pres. Andrew Johnson's secretary of state, William Seward, negotiated its purchase for $7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. Critics labeled the purchase “Seward's Folly.” Congressional opposition delayed the appropriation until 1868, when extensive lobbying and bribes by the Russian minister to the

U.S.

secured the required votes..... With the purchase of Alaska, the United States acquired an area twice as large as Texas, but it was not until the great Klondike gold strike in 1896 that Alaska came to be seen generally as a valuable addition to American territory.... Alaska Day celebrates the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States, which took place on October 18, 1867. Currently, Alaska celebrates the purchase on Seward's Day, the last Monday of March. http://www.answers.com/topic/alaska-purchase

On the way to Seward, we stopped over to take the cruise to Portage glacier. The visitor center there has a decent movie on Glaciers – 20 minutes. We also lucked out in getting 50% off deals for the last cruise of the day to Portage Glacier. This was our first upclose glacier sighting. It got very cold in the upper deck and we were glad to have our gloves, jackets etc. See pictures above

Talking to the ranger at the visitor center, I got some interesting tidbits on life there. Apparently, last winter they were so snowed in, they had to send someone through the dome to get inside the building. The river next to the visitor center gets frozen – 5 feet deep, hard as a rock - and folks camp out on the ice.....Veeerrrrry interesting! The ranger had a home in Phoenix and he was looking forward to his winter, considering it has been such a cold and rainy summer in Alaska.

At Seward, we stayed at the Stoney Creek RV Park 1-877-437-6366 http://www.stoneycreekrvpark.com/index.html. We had heard good things about this RV park, but were quite disappointed to see the setup like a parking lot. There is not much privacy and all the foliage is at the perimeter. The rain and the resultant window fogging produced some natural privacy. But restrooms were clean, you have water/ cable/electric hookups and if you had a laptop, you got internet connection. But I would have loved to try the RV camping by the water which is probably cheaper and offers splendid views. We didn’t quite explore what it would take to get a spot there, but we were too much in love with our water/electric/cable connection. This is surrounded by thick forest and in the night we could hear the sound of animals. A bit eerie!

Day 6 – Kenjai Ford cruise

This is an excellent cruise. We had booked this a couple of days before we left from San Francisco. On the way to Seward, we stopped by at the visitor center / Seward business center, who were not too helpful, but we did see a very nice stuffed bear and bald eagle on display. We had to park a bit away on Phoenix street off 4^th avenue and got their courtesy shuttle for the cruise. It is a catamaran, and sitting in the heated cabin feels more like a train, very comfortable. They serve lunch or dinner pretty decent. It is prepared and loaded from their restaurant at Fox island, the cruise makes a brief stop for the pickup. This island has excellent cabin accommodations that is also owned by the Kenjai Ford Cruise management. This cruise covers wildlife, glaciers, etc just like they advertise. The captain of the ship was a talker and patiently provided tidbits of information. It was time well spent. The cruise ship took us to the base of the Aialik glacier. This was like being at the IMAX movies.... indeed an experience traveling through icy water, with chunks of ice floating here and there. Once the cruise ship shuts off the engine, we can hear the rumble of ice breaking off in chunks and falling into the water. Indeed an experience. The young, the old, kids everyone quiets down waiting for chunks to fall. We lucked out spotting two hump back whales, whom we also saw on the return. We were at the fringe period where most whales are already heading towards Hawaii to spend the winter. We also saw Sea Otters, Sea Lions and lots of the bird species. The boat does rock quite a bit in free float mode after the engines are turned off. If you are prone to sea-sickness, remain seated in the heated cabin. There is a True Value / gift shop right across the cruise office, where we did a bit of Alaska shopping.

Day 7 - Exit Glacier and Trail of Hardinge Ice Trail

The next day, it was raining the hardest we had ever seen, and we reluctantly left the campground to check out the Exit Glacier and to do the trek to the Hardinge Ice Field. There are three trails, one leading up close to the glacier, another (center trail path) giving you a top view of the glacier, and the 3^rd Hardinge Trail – which is a 7.7 strenuous trail that apparently goes above the tree line. There was a bear family that most hikers were ‘bumping into’ on this trail. Unfortunately, with the prevailing damp, cold conditions we turned back farily quickly. Do the Hardinge trail some other time ....

As we walk towards the Exit Glacier, there are signs to show how the glacier has receded over the years starting from the year 1917. The base of the glacier is starkly barren of all vegetation – shows the power of the glacier as it erodes and cuts through everything in its path. Remnants of this force through is the dark landscape filled with small, tiny rocks. We did get a chunk of the glacier ice (hundreds of years old ice) and it is in the fridge now.

Day 8 – Drive to Anchorage, Wild life conservation center –

As we left Seward, the scenery was quite overwhelming, calm lake waters, overcast skies making it quite serene and peaceful – and then we see this bald eagle fly by against the dark gloomy sky. That was an amazing sight! We decided to stop by at the Wild Life Conservation center which is a few hundred yards away from the Portage Glacier exit. We spent about 45 minutes and it is better than the zoo or Denali to get up close to wildlife and get some good pictures.

With that done, we filled the required propane and gasoline into our RV and hurriedly packed up to return the RV. Soon, we were at the airport, where we discovered the additional security that had been enforced in our absence from the world. We were back to reality.

Cidade Marvilhosa - Rio de Janeiro

2006-12-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

View from PÃO DE AÇÚCAR

Samba Show

Our enticement with Brazilian soccer, endearing Rio footage led us to South America, a continent not visited by us thus far. We thought about it back in 1997, but couldn't get the logistics done, and we took a lame package deal to Acapulco. Rio - Cidade Marvilhosa (The marvellous city) invited us with open arms this time.

Here are some movie recommendations to warm you up - Cidade de Deus (City of Gods), Woman on Top, Lonely planet, Rio DVDs etc.. Don't forget to get the Brazilian Visa.

We used our NW frequent flier miles to travel to Rio – partially in business class - thanks to Delta's new flight from Atlanta. The Rio segment was mostly empty and we could stretch out and catch up on sleep (read – no jet lag). We had boarded with a big group at San Francisco, saw them at Atlanta and later at Rio in our very hotel, very strange.

http://bloggrk.blogspot.com/, has a few Portugues words that we had printed out, and we were practicing on the flight, so were other couples, even at the immigration line…strangely we didn’t see a whole lot of families with kids visit Rio for the holidays. The airport seemed to be like the Mumbai airport decades ago.

One of my corporate colleagues had very kindly arranged a private cab to pick us up from the airport (180 Reals, $1=4Reals at that time). Armando (his business card said ‘Executivo Motorista”) was not English speaking and we dropped him in a hurry once we were at the hotel. I got a chance to try out a few lines of Portuguese on Armando and I got a reply back, which was encouraging, though I didn't understand a word. He did check with me if I was born in the area, and asked if the wife was French (strangely!).

We had reservations at the Copocabana Palace Hotel for 6 nights. Copacabana Palace is a neoclassical gem by French architect Joseph Gire. It has played an important role in the social and cultural life of Rio since it opened in 1920's. Edith Piaf, Orson Wells, Carmen Miranda, Rock Hudson, Queen Elisabeth (and Prince Charles and Diana) have all enjoyed their hospitality at this hotel. Seemed like the ideal place for us to spend our sixnights. We checked in, and caught up with some sleep.

That evening, we were in the city with a few of my corporate colleagues in a little bar. We had to pick up a standard menu - put our name on it when we entered this bar. The waiters would check mark what we ordered on this menu and we were to pay on our way out. If we lost it, the damages would be very high! Nice place, live music and the young and the old were there to have a good time. The city has a Las Vegas feel to it, where everyone is out to have a good time and the world be damned. There was a woman in Red who was doing the Samba – we couldn’t get our eyes off her - seemed like she had come down straight from the office with a quick change – and man she knew how to move. One of the locals drew the moves on a napkin 1 through 12 steps – mainly how to move the feet (seemed like a big knotty mess to me), but the people dancing seemed to have seen this drawing, and seemingly adhered to it. We tried out Caprinha and it was a bit too strong for both of us. When we left this bar, one of the guys took us for a quick tour around the city, including some great tips and hints. We ended up at Xmas tree on the lake, where we first tried out GUARANA, kinda like sprite, but has its unique flavor.

The next morning, we started having second thoughts about the hotel. The room we had didn’t have an ocean view – they were sold out for the tourist season, we had a city view which was not much. The room was small and definitely not in comparison with a Venetian – Las Vegas does have some magnificent hotels we reminisced. We did have breakfast buffet included, but it was alright – nothing to write home about. The hotel seemed to be a little too traditional and sometimes stuckup too. It wasn’t as bad as this review below, but there was nothing exciting about this hotel.

The facade is beautiful but once you get inside the building is old, damp, and smelly! And I'm not being a snob about this! The mattress was stiff as a board. The sheets were of very poor quality. And the rooms all were so so wet from the air that we had to move rooms - our clothes were actually getting wet. I found the staff could have care less about helping us with our room, and when we asked about renting bikes, the front desk started empyting out the ask trays while answering my questions (which was they couldnt help me). This hotel has looong since passed it's heyday. Go somewhere else where you get a good night's sleep - and your money's worth!

They did have a nice executive floor wherein you could do your work while having a fax machine, computer and a butler at your disposal. I spent a couple hours there doing my research on Rio, that was nice.

We decided to tryout the Marriott where I was hoping to get the corporate rate. We did not get the corporate rate, but we got the ocean view on the Executive floor. Worked out great!. The executive floor had access to breakfast and also an evening reception. We loved both aspects of it, the staff was very helpful. Even the Concierge ROSANE was one of the finest concierge person we have interacted with. They had all the answers and really helped us. Unfortunately, we moved there on Saturday 11/25/2005 and that was the only rainy day we hit. We ended up not doing a whole lot that day, walked to the Fort Copocabana which was a short walk from the hotel. This fort had some great views of Copocabana, but it was a cloudy day. The café inside this fort was well worth it though. They charge you 2 Reals (1 to get inside to the café and another two if you want to take a tour of the inside fort (not a whole lot). Brazilian coffee was great, very strong – and we loved it. (Unfortunately this was impacting our sleep and we abstained from it after a couple days). We had a leisurely stroll down to Rua Vinícius de Morais — a strip lined with bars, shops and restaurants, including the famous Garota de Ipanema Bar (originally called the Velloso Bar). It was here that Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Morais penned the lyrics to "The Girl from Ipanema." Seemed like a tourist trap, we also checked out Dolce Dolce and wanted to do some shopping there, but it was past 5PM and many of them had already closed. They were also closed on Sundays, a tad strange.

The hotel has the evening reception and breakfast included – as we were on the executive floor. It was quite good. Breakfast ended at 11AM, and we would be there a little after 10AM and find it completely empty, the office crowd already gone. The reception had decent hors d'oeuvre and the staff was very friendly

View from the Marriott Terrace

CURRENCY: The feedback I had got speaking with Brazilians (I knew in the

) was it should be cheap – the

$ should go a long way. We discovered that the

$ had fallen in value since then, at least that is what we surmised, and this vacation was turning out quite expensive. Things seemed to be overpriced. We saw a chess board in the Barra shopping mall that was selling for 30 Reals i.e $15 (1 US Dollar == 2.2 Brazilian Real). This same chess board was available in the mall in Bombay for Rs.150 (4 US Dollars). We were told to take ATM card and not carry too much cash. But we had decided to take travelers check. The travel agency money changers do not like Travelers Check or rip you off if you want to exchange travelers check and we ended up cashing our travelers check at the American Express next to the Copocabana Palace hotel. They give you “same as cash” rate for the travelers check. We stayed away from travel agencies who also exchanged cash.

The next day, was a Sunday. The forecast was still cloudy and rainy. We got up rather late and were pleasantly surprised to on drawing the curtains to see a great sunny day. The beach was thronging with zillions of Cariocas – just like in the promo shots. After a quick breakfast we joined the Cariocas. We do look a bit Brazilian – I was asked a couple times if I was a native of

Brazil

– . We tried hard to blend in. We had learnt the numbers and with a little broken Portuguese managed to wheel and deal with the Cariocas. We ended up taking a nice walk into Ipanema where the Sunday morning Hippie Faire was in progress. There were vendors selling anything from precious stones (quite a deal I heard, though hard to judge) to Brazilian art, and touristy stuff. Selling semi precious stones in some sophisticated necklaces by Evan & Bruno for $10. (that is the only place he sells, Bruno spends the rest of the week designing and crafting.) A little bit negotiation was OK, but we enjoyed the flea market across HELP bar on the strip (do NOT think of entering this bar) a little bit more conducive to bargaining. Prices we felt were better at this Flea market that is held almost every evening from 6PM to 10PM. We shopped for some soccer shirts, shorts, hats. Rio de Janeiros has 4 teams in the 1st league : Flamengo ( 2 times World champion ), Vasco, Fluminense ( the best team right now ), Botafogo.

From the Sunday fair, we ended up on the Ipanema beach and walked back to Copocabana. The beaches are indeed a treat to be at. Specially watching the Brazilian Wizardry with the soccer ball. Cariocas stand around in circles and kick the ball using the legs, body, head, – ensuirng that it never lands on the ground. Everyone one – even teenage girls – had great ball handling skills – no pun intended, and was a treat to watch. There are folks also jogging on the wavy sidewalks next to the beach, and sipping a cold coconut water and people watching – certainly relaxing. The beach Cariocas also enjoy playing VolleyBall and everyone seems to be particularly good at it, but from time to time would see a group that would play volleyball with their feet. Amazing! Most weekday evenings, the schools would descend into the beaches with soccer practice and training time. The Favelas along with the Carioca elite have a common meeting place – the beach. The beaches are indeed a treat. You can spend hours there and not get bored.

There are lots of eating choices in the Copocabana area – catered for the tourists, which are open till late 2AM or so. Multi-ethnic cuisine that is quite decent. We ate some Arabic, Italian, Chinese and some Brazilian. Food is expensive, but what do you expect in the heart of the touristy area. The location is quite nice, you get to see the street, the beach and the mountains while seated having your lunch, dinner whatever. “Siri Mole and Cia” was a decent Brazilian restaurant, that we had lunch at, which worked out to 110 Reals, almost $55 – rather expensive, but quite good. Tips are included in the check (10%) and we usually did not add to it. There are two Indian restaurants too in Rio, but we didn’t get a chance to try them out (Nataraja, RaajMahal – see below). We had been recommended to try out Vatapa, Acarajé, Moqueca food from Bahia ... basically they use beans and seafood on their dishes... some are very spicy, but we didn’t get a chance. This is a very good restaurante in Rio http://www.marius.com.br/html/restaurantes_linguas/ingles/crustaceos_ingles.htm. Make sure you have the national drink- caipirinha- This traditional Brazilian drink prepared with cachaça is all the rage in Europe and the US now. I guess you could say it USED TO be Brazil's best-kept secret, now it's the connoisseur's cocktail of choice from New York City to Miami, commanding hefty prices. Some of the foods to eat with caipirinhas: fried manioc, codfish balls, and caldinho de feijão (soupy black beans served in a tall glass or a small bowl).

Monday – we saw the samba show at Platforma http://www.plataforma1.com.br/default.asp it's a famous

barbecue house, that now has a theatre and shows. They also have a meal plan, but most eating in

Brazil

is meat oriented. Samba show was quite good. It is almost never too late to Samba. You can learn how to Samba at the Samba School. Or get vicarious thrills at performances like the ones at La Platforma. La Platforma has a touristy show of girls in gorgeous costumes. After a while the loud music becomes a bit monotonous, but the photo opportunities abound. Best seats are actually on the balcony upstairs, but visibility is good throughout the theatre. The hotel concierge arranged this for us, that included the pick up and drop off. For the drop off we talked our driver into taking us to a club in Ipanema, but didn’t meet our expectations.

Tuesday – we woke up and got the urgency bug, time to check out the tourist attractions. We headed to Corcovado. We decided to not take the private taxi (the yellow cabs are way cheaper anyway) as we wanted to take the train ride up the mountain. That was quite good, and some fantastic views. We got there a little after noon and turned out not the best time to shoot the statue. Morning would be better I think. It was crowded, but if you wait a few minutes, you will hit a window where everyone disappears and you can get some great pictures. On the train ride, don’t forget to take pictures of the luscious huge jackfruits hanging from the trees.

View from Corcovado

After we got back, we decided to go to the Sugar Loaf . It is awesome! We timed it to be there for sunset. We got there about an hour before sunset and the place does get packed. It does get cool, up high in the mountains, so make sure you pack a sweater. It is definitely worth it to be there for sunset. The cable car base is a short cab ride from the Copocabana area (20 Reals). You can purchase your tickets (Round trip 70 Reals per person) at the cable car station. There is also a restaurant on the top, which promptly shuts off at sunset. The cable car stops midway to the destination and you can choose to disembark there, and hop onto the next one, after taking some pictures. If it is cloudy day, the trip is worthless.

Wednesday - we were focused on doing some shopping. We went to the flea market across HELP and also at the Brara Shopping Mall - the new mall - the biggest mall in Rio – the hotel arranged a nice bus for us to take us to the mall. It was a very nice mall. Things seemed to be overpriced. We saw a chess board in the Barra shopping mall that was selling for 30 Reals i.e $15 (1 US Dollar == 2.2 Brazilian Real). This same chess board was available in the mall in Bombay for Rs.150 (4 US Dollars).

Thursday was our trip back. We decided to take the cab to the Botantical Garden. Last couple days had been muggy and we were not in the mood to do much walking. We did walk around and met mainly visitors like us – none of the locals were there on a Thursday afternoon. If you have nothing to do, this is a pretty good option J . We had checked out the hotel but placed our valuables in the hotel safe – lobby area.

One regret, we did miss out visiting the Iguaçu Falls which is *absolutely*amazing. We skipped it as we wanted to make this vacation relaxing, and this was a 4 hour flight away from Rio. If you decide to go, I would highly recommend both the Falls ("Iguaçu) and the Dam ("Itaipu"). The falls are unequally divided between

Brazil

and

Argentina

. To see them properly, you must visit both sides. In

Brazil

you get the grand overview and in

Argentina

you get a closer look. The 275 falls are over 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide and 80 meters (260 feet) high, which makes them wider than Victoria, higher than Niagra, and more beautiful than either. Neither words nor photographs do the falls justice - they must be seen and heard in person. The view at the precipice is hypnotizing. You will be treated to a multi-sensory experience: roaring falls, hugh rainbow arcs, drenching mist, and, in the distance, parrots and hawks cruising over a deep green jungle. Really nice BERBEN hotel, right underneath the falls - GOL - is the low cost airline for

brazil

. Can do online booking. Better to do get a

Brazil

city hopper type deal.

Trip back to US that night was not bad - we were confident enough to take the yellow taxi, which worked out to 35 Reals The cab drivers are all very nice people. Overall our impression of Rio was very nice - friendly people everywhere we went. Made it a pleasure vacation. Brazilians are a warm-hearted people and very much receptive of foreigners. So I guess just observe the usual travel precautions and avoid clothes that scream "tourist", "American" .

Check out your corporate travel advisory, as we did, but here are some additional tips given to us

Don't leave anything on the sand, it will be swiped.
Watch out for hungry kids. They will swipe and run. Petty theft is a serious problem.
Atlantic avenue - walking and running, very nice.
Go have a SHURASKO - eating @ PORCAO - 35 Reals you get a continous type of meat.
Saturdays - national dish - seijodo -say yo jada - big plate of beans with meat.
Try to blend in. don’t carry camera on your neck. Don’t flash your camera on the beach. - if you plan to bring digital camera, you should try to bring a small one and don't carry it showing the machine or even the camera's bag ... keep it inside any other bag or in the pant's pocket... first look who is around before taking snaps, mainly at the seashore... At Pão de Açucar and Corcovado, you can feel free to take as many pictures you want, those places are very safe.

Don't take jewellery - don't attract attention.
Don't take the side streets.
Avoid using ATMs. 90% chances your ATM card will get duplicated (image and pin captured) and money withdrawn.

The currency is the REAL. Don't carry too much cash. Always use ATMs INSIDE the hotel and not the street since there's alot of thieves. $1.00R = 2.30Real. Your money goes far. Good to buy gems in Brazil- BlueTopaz, Emeralds, Aquamarines etc...

On the way back on the flight, the wife commented about our honeymoons. Our first one was in Goa – Portuguese India and our 2^nd one was in Rio – Portuguese South

America

….some connection there.

Las Vegas - Sin City Half off

2006-12-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

We had visited Vegas on numerous occassions - for corporate events or as tourists with the been-there-done-that attitude. This was our first attempt at really exploring the show biz aspect of Vegas. Our plan was to spend some quality time with quality shows. Here goes a quick writeup on some of the shows, tips and hints on procuring tickets to these shows etc.

We were in the Venetian right across Treasure Island. We love the ambience at Venetian and are quite familiar with its layout, and have a natural inclination towards it. We did rent a car, but typically parked at an optimal point and walked...Bellagio is probably quite central and we ended up valet parking there for most events, walk for every thing and at the end of the night drive back from Bellagio. Traffic is quite bad, but walking is quite tiring.

We have tried the monorail, it may be a long walk depending on what your destination is, the ticket is priced at $5/ride, but if you get an all day ticket, it works out quite cheap. Again, it depends on your destination proximity to the train station - how you can get that extra mile from your all day monorail ticket. It is quite convenient, compared to sitting in traffic on the strop.

Try to decide on the shows and book them before you get there....Otherwise, we do end up spending some time in booking them, and then the seating is not as good. Two of the shows for which we booked months in advance was the Phantom (Venetian ) - which was quite alright - and also David Copperfield. David Copperfield can be a really amazing first time experience. He will love this .....

We attended the Bellagio museum of arts that has a audio tour for the paintings of Van Gogh, Monet etc. That is quite nice.

We also went to George Wallace in the Flamingo, stand up comedy. Hewas boring at times, but he is a legend in his own right and quite witty at times.He does have quite a following.

ZUMANITY in New York New York was very artistic, but got boring at times...it has acrobatic features, comedy, everthing, but all classy. Most of the shows have become like variety entertainment packages try to squeeze in something for everyone.

It is best to take seating in the center close to the stage, that is where you feel like you are part of the show. The half price tickets are only available for not the high demand shows, and their seating is not good. We found George Wallace show through the half price tickets at the showcase mall (see below writeup on details of the half ticket). The seating was terrible. But you can even upgrade the half tickets for better setas.

Once you get these half price tickets (which are really vouchers), it is critical to go exchange these vouchers immediately into tickets so that you can get the best available seating. They will tell you where exactly to go to exchange them. For example to exchange zumanity vouchers into tickets, there are a few casinos that let you exchange it.

Your kids will like Stratosphere, tower in Stratosphere has some rides. We didn't go up. We did go up the Eiffel tower, was alright. New York New York has an arcade for kids, but kids don't seem to have too many things to do in Vegas, as Vegas attempts to correct the ambience - it is no longer a family friendly place that they tried in the 90s.

You may want to dress up in the evenings, it does get casual due to the heat, but dressing up is better than down. Try to take good walking evening shoes, otherwise it gets very tiring on the feet. Some people just wear sneakers in the evening and that is acceptable in Vegas, as people know how tired the feet get with all the walking.

We had the buffet at Wynn (The Buffet) brunch...was multi ethnic and decent quality. But I felt the Bellagio buffet is better. We ate at Tamba, http://tambalounge.com/ opposite New York NewYork in one of the inside strip malls. Their buffet is better (had that in January) than their dinner. I am sure you will enjoy the buffets at most of the good casinos ( Paris, Bellagio etc.). THere is an Indian restaurant in RIO - Gaylords, very nice decor, but quite expensive. Lots of Asian fusion restaurants eg in Luxor, very good presentation and decent food. Cannot go wrong with the food in the nicer casinos. With the rest you have to watch out.

The heat in June is like 100 F, so you can't really sit poolside except in the evenings. Unless you find an indoor pool. Best part of Vegas that I like is just walking on Las Vegas Blvd in the evenings, lots of people are walking and it is a nice walk in 80 degree evening heat. We don't seem to get these warm evenings in the bay area.

I started appreciating what Vegas has to offer. Most folks enjoy the luxurious living, great food and opulent setting (kinda like a cruise ship vacation, but this is bigger as are in a big city with a lot of attractions for you to pick and choose what you want, hard to get such a vacation anywhere else).

Here is excerpts on the FAQ

The Half Price Tickets in Vegas FAQ

First, there are two main half price tickets vendors. They are Tickets2Nite and Tix4Tonite. Both vendors open at noon daily, and close around 9pm, pending on when the last show starts that they are selling tickets for. They sell half price tickets for day of the show ONLY. And Tix4Tonite also sells discounted (not 50%) tickets for some of the major shows. These are listed further in the FAQ.

Tickets2Nite is located on the strip in the Showcase Mall next to the “big Coke bottle” across from the Monte Carlo Hotel and next to the MGM hotel.

Contact info:

Tickets2Nite
http://www.tickets2nite.com
3785 Las Vegas Blvd. S
1-888-4-TIX2NITE

Tix4Tonite has several locations on the strip. They are:

south strip. Next to the Harley Davidson Cafe on the corner of Harmon and LV Blvd.

Fashion Show Mall. The entrance is located right off the street near Neiman Marcus

north strip. Across from the Stardust, and next to the Riviera.

Tix4Tonite
http://www.tix4tonight.com
1-877-849-4868

Okay, so what shows do they offer? Do a google search now

Disney World Land and Ocean Cruise - package deal for everyone

2006-12-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

DisneyWorld, Orlando Week of December 15th-We had a package deal, 3 day land cruise and a 4 day Ocean Cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Cruise. We rented a car instead of Disney transportation and it was probably a good thing. There is a nice outlet shopping close to DisneyWorld if you want to shop and get some alternative fast food.

We were quite beat by the 2nd day. Nice "Mickey Christmas" @ Magic Kingdom in the evening, for which special
tickets need to be bought. Good thing is if you end up staying late @ this Mickey Christmas, you can
get all the rides with not much wait.

The breakfast with the Stars was a bit too hyped up. We had reservations all 3 days. After the first day we cancelled the others. Snow on Main Street was nice...lots of Christmas shows all over.You definitely need to see the Xmas lights. We should have skipped Magic Kingdom as it is pretty much the same as Disneyland which we have been to numerous times. Epcot Center - our kids are too litle to enjoy it, and we breezed by it. MGM has a few things from California Adventure. Animal Kingdom was just right for us. We were always rushing and missed couple things.

Cruise:
We were 2nd floor AFT and it was very noisy the morning we got back to Port Canaveral.We were on the Starboard side and the food loading happens right there.2nd floor was just fine, as everything on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floor.Do not take the sea sickness medication for 4 day cruise. The cruise ship covers a short distance, and there is no need to pick up high speeds. Plus the cruise ship apparently has negated 90% of the potential sway - helping avoid sea sickness. I took the medication and was very drowsy, kinda like taking a cold medication. The ship does not pick up too much spped on this 4 night outing (except first night) and we are just fine.It is better to get the kids eat early and pick the late night dining option.

Dining is sitdown (a tad formal) and the kids might not like it.Diningi is formal in Tritons and if you go to Paolo. We skipped Paolo after booking it.Make sure you get the Paolo, spa reservations as soon as you board the ship.They get taken very quickly.Take the later dinner option, (you get to get up late on the 4th day), and the kids have eaten and in kids club, when you go for dinner. Our 3 year old didn't like the kids club too much inspite of much prepping.

Do not book the excursion tour, easier to get out on your own. We didn't like them, don't get value for $.
It is better to leave the passport in the locker in the ship, and get out at Nassau.take a cab and cruise the city. This is what we would did it again.There is shopping close to the disembarkation point in Nassau right where we exit from the ship.

If your kid is used to a stroller, you might want to take one, especially for the ship.We rented one at Disney World for both kids, which was VERY good, they were not tired - me the coolie got tired though :-(

Pictures, you may want a package like 10 pictures. They all add up very fast.Plan to build an itinerary for the day - it gets quite busy.The pace is very hectic on the ship. We loved the movie theatre in the ship and the shows in the Walt Disney Theatre were VERY nice.

Watch out for your $$, it flows like water on the ship.The ship is great, very immaculately kept, service is Fantastic, but food could be better, we felt. We are not meat eaters and veggie choices was limited. But can't expect too much anyway. We also requested desi food andwe got it, but it was just average, so we skipped the desi food next time. But the ship is lap of luxury.

We rented a car instead of Disney transportaiont and it was probably a good thing. We had to catch a late afternoon flight back and we went to Melbourne beaches. We were torn between the Kennedy space center and the beaches, but we love that stretch of the beach.

Have fun.

Puerto Vallarta - The Love Bridge Beckons

2006-12-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Play Video

Fisherman - PV downtown

Sea Horse - Mallecone

We received a few requests to help plan the PV trip, so here are some quick tips if you are interested to make Puerto Vallarta your vacation spot.

We flew by Alaskan, and it has typically great deals for <$270 round trip - we just used our Northwest frequent flier miles. The flights were only 60% full to and fro.

We stayed at The Fiesta Americana for 3 nights (which was gifted by Wells Fargo as part of our last REFI) and 4 nights at Paradise Village Resorts in Neuvo Vallarta, about 15 miles from the PV airport.

Fiesta American was very nice, with a pretty big contemporary pool with a consistent depth of 3 feet and also a big
toddler pool area (1 feet). This is the trend with the new pools looks like. It was very close to downtown PV and we loved it as it was conveniently located to some good eating choices for us and the kids. The beach there was not as nice as the one next to Paradise Village. The service was excellent. Rishub really liked the hotel - we didn't get a
kitchenette here though. This was close to the Boardwalk (Mallecone) and also the Marina (Marina Vallarta). We took the Pirate Cruise Ship (Marigalante) that leaves from Marina Pier - close to Marina Vallarta. This was well organized cruise, good service and they cooked a special veggie meal for us on request too. (Everything is negotiable in

Mexico

, and I mean everything - we negotiated the price of the ticket for this cruise ship. So give it a try. Towards the end of the trip, we were even negotiating the taxi cab rides bringing it down by 20% - only a couple bucks, but hey I felt right at home ;) The folks there are very nice and they love a smile and a friendly attitude) . The boardwalk near downtown had the HardRock cafe (decent food), Pipi's restaurant (Tex mex food that we hated, very expensive and bland) and lots of shopping. If you are at the boardwalk on Sunday evening, they usually have a outdoor
concert going on or the Mariachi playing, great ambience. The first two weeks in December has these Christmas Carol processions to the church of Guadalupe, through the streets and we saw a few of them, one of which was accompanied by Aztec

dancers and musicians - sometimes the best things in life are free.

We also saw the Love Bridge (see picture) of Richard Burton and Liz Taylor, which started PV on its path to fame a few decades ago. The shops at the Malecone are many and prices are not flexible, but they do have everything you have in mind. Mallecone has many of these famous sculptures by a renowned Mexican artist and we took pictures in front of most. We did try the flea market near the Mallecone, but we weren't in the mood to haggle too much and just shopped from a fixed price shop. It is easier to change currency at the hotel itself, as against dealing with the long lines at the banks. Banks need to see the passport and it is a pain to carry it around.

The famous arches Los Archos at the Mallecone, that gave the open air amphitheater its name, symbol of Puerto Vallarta around the world, was destroyed by Hurricane Kenna's fury October 25th, 2002 and was rebuilt. The town was wrecked by this hurricane and lots of rebuilding has happened. So - many things (like the Fiesta American
pool) are only a year old or so.

We stayed 4 nights at Paradise village. Picture below is the sunset at Paradise Village.

Paradise Village Sunset

Paradise Village is a resort tucked away in a corner of Neuvo Vallarta (new Puerto Vallarta, akin to New Bombay etc) and is quite cut away from the hustle bustle. They have some Tigers, Panthers, Lions caged at the resort, and was fascinating for the kids. They also had a baby Lion and a baby Tiger that were feisty but playful. An oversized Panther was just keen to lash out at them for some reason. Food wise, we found only a few choices in the mall nearby, if you are a vegeteranian. This place is too Americanized, every person there seemed to be from the

USA

Canada

. The Spa there is world famous and Seema loved it. There is an alligator slide in the pool of the hotel that may be challege for toddlers, but should be fun. The beach is wonderful there and I enjoyed some great jogs in the early morning sunrise. The day started by 10AM - for the resort guests and if you were up earlier, you had the world to yourself. Wonderful shells on the beach, water was nice and warm. We also went to Bucerias - a sleepy fishing town close to Paradise Village which also had cliff divers (we had seen them in Apaculco) but looks like the AAA book made a mistake - we didn;t see any. The shopping a bit cheaper than the Mallecone. The idea is not to go anywhere once you are here at the resort and the pool area would be jam packed each day with pool volleyball, bingo etc arranged for the lazy holiday crowd. The service was not very impressive in the hotel though.The mall close to the resort was overpriced and totally catered to the American crowd, nothing mexican about the mall or stuff in it. But the whole resort created a very secure setting for the Americans to come vacation and feel at home.... fits right into the typical American expectations. They even had Dominos and McDonalds in the mall , along with Brazilian, Mexican, Italian food + a deli. Saturday nights the resort even have a party for the kids (Pinata) with lotsa free giveaways - Guys had to draw a smiley on the tummy with a lipstick to get the golf voucher, not my forte I admitted ;)

BTW the coconut water was the best part of the trip, they sold it outside for 15 pesos ($1.50). The papayas were great too.

The place thrives on tourism and the resorts, hotels are very keen to have the 'Kali-phornians' take a 90 minute presentation to either buy into a time share or a points program or some such thing. So avoid following up on a conversation that is initiated by a local, he is just trying to coax you into another presentation.

And one last thing, as a green card holder, you do need a visa for

Mexico

- rules have changed.

citizens can take their passports / naturalization paper

I am sure you will surf and find many great links..

Old and new blend in Puerto Vallarta
By Laurence Iliff
Dallas Morning News
Posted: 01/15/2009 12:24:14 PM PST
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Two states of mind coexist in this resort area on the warm Pacific Coast. And they couldn't be more different, as my sister and I discovered.
To the north of the airport lies spanking new Nuevo Vallarta in Nayarit state. To the south, old Vallarta in Jalisco.
My sister and her husband stayed at the new jewel of Nayarit's tourism industry — the Four Seasons Resort at Punta Mita — and even weeks of planning weren't enough for them to get the digs they wanted.
They ended up slumming, relatively speaking, in the cheapest room at just over $600 per night with twin beds and no ocean view.
I, on the other hand, was actually slumming, picking the best bargain I could find on a couple of weeks' notice in the heart of old Puerto Vallarta.
My entire package — three days, two nights in a two-star hotel and round-trip airfare from Mexico City — was still $200 shy of their nightly room rate. And their six-day holiday cost thousands of dollars.
Vallarta, to use the generic term that covers both old and new areas, is unique among Mexican resorts in the variety of what it offers along more than 50 miles of beautiful coastline. It ranges from cobblestone streets bordered by outdoor cafes popular among the locals, to absolute seclusion where English is the official language and the only other people you will see are fellow guests and the hosts.
Americans are flocking to buy multimillion-dollar beach lots in Nayarit as well as hillside condos in the so-called "romantic zone" in the extreme south of the port.
I was determined to enjoy my vacation on the cheap and not allow it to pale in comparison to my relatives' just because of the thousands of dollars that marked the gap between our budgets.
But let's begin in the lap of luxury.
For a price
I tracked down my sister and brother-in-law in the bustling airport on a Saturday. They were easy enough to find since their driver was waiting for them with a prominent sign.
We were whisked into a nearby Suburban and offered moist towels and refreshments.
About 45 minutes later, the Four Seasons guard tower appeared, and we were waved in by smiling greeters.
Minutes later, an English-language tour of the extensive grounds commenced aboard an electric golf cart. Soon, we were noshing on the chips, guacamole and salsa spread out before our arrival.
On our first walkabout, a peacefulness filled the jungle-like grounds where the ocean ebbed far below, birds chirped and only the occasional passing of a golf cart momentarily broke the spell of being on a deserted island.
More than a hotel, the Four Seasons at Punta Mita is a paradisiacal compound, with gourmet restaurants, a full-service spa, and acres and acres dotted with the agave plants used to make tequila.
The setting is striking, on a hillside overlooking a remarkable chunk of sandy, wild real estate.
Live guitar music wafts through the lobby, voices are kept to a murmur, the stars are brighter because of the seclusion, and the ocean provides the soundtrack.
On the cheap
Shift south.
Diesel buses and music blaring from overtaxed radios at taco stands were the first sounds I heard after venturing a half-block from my hotel, El Pescador.
But inside, the hotel was quiet and clean. I passed up the $16 per night charge for an ocean view and even turned down the $5 per night mini-fridge.
With two convenience stores and a supermarket within two blocks, cold drinks and cheap food were five minutes away.
So was the bus stop. As I waited for my room to be readied, I ventured toward the sea wall area, or malecón, which took about 10 minutes by bus. Cost: 45 cents.
The sea wall is dotted with sculptures, some whimsical (aliens walking up a ladder on their way back to outer space) and some with a local feel (a Mexican couple dancing in traditional dress).
On the other side of the street, early afternoon party-types were buying drinks along the seemingly endless line of restaurants, bars and clubs that face the ocean, my favorite being the Cuban haunt Bodeguita del Medio.
As the sea wall ends, the Zona Romantica begins. It's dominated by older hotels, some remodeled, others in just passable shape. But most are inexpensive, and nearly everything is within walking distance.
The area has outdoor cafes, sandwich shops and retro bars.
After taking the bus back to the hotel, I found my room tidy if a little dark. My window looked onto a hallway. Only a sliver of ocean was visible.
The pool was simple but nice, and there was free Internet service in the lobby (or a computer with Internet that could be rented).
During my weekend stay, the beach was packed near the restaurants and bars, but not so much in other areas.
Drinks were cheap, about $2.50, and included an umbrella for shade and a couple of chairs.
malecón night life was lively, with different musical styles pouring from both gringo-ish and very chic Mexican clubs, and the Zona Romantica was hopping well past midnight.
My sister and her husband were probably already asleep. The Four Seasons lobby-bar had closed, and the place probably was dead quiet.
But that was the beauty of slumming. With $20 in my pocket, I could stay out late and have enough for a $4 dollar taxi ride back to my hotel and drinks on the beach the next day.
There, I would close my eyes and hear the same ocean that was crashing onto sands at Punta Mita, and the same seagulls, interrupted, to be sure, by murmuring voices.
All in all, it's still the beach, still Vallarta, and definitely worth every cent.
If you go
Where to stay:
Hotel El Pescador, (877) 813-6712, www.hotelelpescador.com.
Four Seasons Punta Mita, (800) 819-5053, www.fourseasons.com/puntamita.
Tourism info:
General information on Puerto Vallarta, www.vallarta-info.com. Nuevo Vallarta"s official site, www.rivieranayarit.com.

Hikers Hut - Weekend Tryst in the Saratoga Mountains

2006-12-11T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hikers Hut Weekend trip - San Mateo County, Northern California

7/16/06

Play this Video - The Loma Prieta Chapter Hikers' Hut, located in beautiful Sam MacDonald County Park, is a wonderful destination for those seeking a great outdoor experience close to home. Less than an hour's drive from most Bay Area locations - close to the city of Palo Alto, CA, you can experience the magic of a redwood forest and the open space vistas of the Coast Range hilltops in a moderate 1.5- mile hike from the parking lot to the Hikers' Hut

There weren't many detailed writeups on the HIKERS HUT that google found, even though it is perpetually sold out during the summer weekends. So here goes. Writing this, the night we got back from the hut, things are still fresh in my mind.

Bit of marketing speel The Sierra Club’s (Loma Prieta Chapter) Hikers' Hut, located in beautiful Sam MacDonald County Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is a wonderful destination for those seeking a great outdoor experience close to home. Less than an hour's drive from most Bay Area locations - west of Menlo Park and Skyline Blvd., near LaHonda / Palo Alto, CA, you can experience the magic of a Redwood forest and the open space vistas of the Coast Range hilltops in a moderate 1.5- mile hike from the parking lot at the Park entrance to the Hikers' Hut. The Hut is surrounded by 5,000 acres of public and semi-public land. . Try to be at the parking lot of Sam McDonald Park at around 4PM if in the evening, or 8AM if in the morning – in case you are expecting a hot day. The time between may be very strenuous for your body, you sweat like a pig during the hike, moreso if you are carrying stuff.

History Opened in December 1977, the Hikers Hut, costing all of $28,000 including shipping, was designed and prefabricated in Denmark and erected in only three weeks by two Danish carpenters (who could read the blueprints), flown in specially by the manufacturer. The Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo are the perfect locale for huts and trails from the ocean to the

creeks, the trees and the precious peace we find not so very far away from the hubbub of the Bayside cities.

How to make reservations: Read this http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/ to see details. After you book it, make sure you get the combination lock code – and take it with you for your trip.

How do we get there?? – Here are the directions we used. Start at 20300 HERRIMAN AVE, SARATOGA - go 0.1 mi. Turn on SARATOGA SUNNYVALE RD - go 0.6 mi Turn on BIG BASIN WAY[CA-9] - go 7.3 mi Turn on SKYLINE BLVD - go 6.4 mi Turn on ALPINE RD - go 7.3 mi Turn on PESCADERO RD - go 0.7 mi Arrive at 13435 PESCADERO RD, LA HONDA. Most of the drive is OK, but Alpine road, stretch of 7 miles is very bumpy and not comfortable at all. Watch out for motion sickness. Carry barf bags? Once you park, there is no option but to walk the 1.5 miles. Search for Hikers' Hut in Sam McDonald Park on this page http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/ to see details. Print Trail maps here

http://www.eparks.net/smc/department/home/0,,5556687_12313313_12345086,00.html

If you are staying for the weekend, do try to leave work early on Friday, so that you can be at the parking lot between 4 PM and 5 PM. It took us slightly more than two hours to get to the hut. We took a lot of breaks as we had too many things to carry, and we were so burnt out when we got to the hut.

Things you may need / not need during your stay:

Travel light, Travel light, Travel light, Travel light, Travel light, Travel light.

Some recommendations

a) If you are not a coolie – or would like to train to be one, pack light. Think, rethink and think again what you are taking, take only the bare essentials. A hikers backpack is highly recommended. If you don’t have one, about time to go to REI or Any Mountain and invest in one. Wives who like to pack the whole house, better listen to your hubbies.

b) We went in the summer 2nd weekend in July, and the hut was almost a furnace - specially on the 2nd level. So in retrospect, there was no need to take blankets. BUT, on the other hand, prior visitors have complained that it was freezing cold. So please check the weather forecast. We actually ended up sleeping on the 2^nd level without any covers, on top of our sleeping bag. Comforters, blankets – maybe a bit difficult to carry too. Take some warm clothing along for sure. The hut sleeps 14, but I think not more than 5 kids should be there at any time, so not more than 12 people – that includes 5 or 6 kids.

c) You can even skip on the sleeping bags. The mattress upstairs are about an inch thick and serve their purpose well. There are two bunk beds, and even the danish sofas can sleep the little kids on their sleeping bags. There is a twin bed in one of the bedrooms and a bunk bed in the 2^nd bedroom. There is a sign that warns about sleeping upstairs as it is a potential fire hazard(?). It is hot in the upper level, but once you turn the lights off, the upstairs cools considerably. But it was very hot weekend in San Jose around +95 F when we visited the hut.

d) No need to carry any games – plenty in stock. They have a pictionary, Scrabble, a guitar, playing cards etc. Please keep the nature Gods happy and not take any electronics. Preserve the ambience. Cell phones do work due to the tower.

e) Music - The hut already has a guitar if someone in your group knows how to play one – which is perfectly in tune.

f) Food:

a. Breakfast we took simple cereal in zip lock bags. Take things for your tea / coffee – inclusive of milk, sugar etc

b. Lunch / Dinner - keep it simple. Pack nutritious meals - with a little reward too for long hikes. Carry food that does not weigh a ton. We catered food – was a little pain to carry up and we took plenty of ice to ensure storage – dry ice packs are particularly good. The fridge is small, but can hold chinese food boxes and small sized milk cartons.

c. Do not take water, there is a fountain right outside the hut. Take ~2 cold water bottles per person for the walk to the hut, incase the day is too hot. Once you are there, you can refill the water bottles and place inside the fridge. Take a small water cooler filled with the water and ice. The fridge does not cool very well but is adequate.

d. There are lots of firewood.

g) Mosquito repellant is a good idea and so is sun screen

h) Take a single camera. Tuck the camera in your pocket.

i) If you are squeamish about rats, carry some rat-traps with you.

j) Flashlights are very helpful.

k) Paper plates, napkins, forks and spoons are good. Remember, you have to carry the trash back yourself.

The walk to the hut: The first half hour may be hard depending on the shape you are in, but don’t give up – it gets moderately difficult after that J Travel light or take some hurly burly porters with you. After you have crossed the ranger station gate, you will hit a long open area which may be very hot due to no shade, depending on the time of the day. You will soon see the first sign for the hikers hut. At this point, you are very close to the hut. Make sure you hop onto a trail – follow the Hikers hut sign very closely. That is an uphill climb, but is a lot cooler amidst the trees, and you make it to the hut in less than 20 minutes. If you continue on the wider dirt path, you will eventually end up at the cell phone tower and eventually the hut, but will be drained off any semblance of moisture left in your limp body. We were very foolish (and brain dead) and continued up the wider dirt path, which curves, dips a million times and finally ends up at the cell phone tower and then you have to climb another steep 200 yards, go down another 100 yards before you hit the hut – which means about an hour of wasted effort. Foolish! Do NOT DO THAT. As you can tell, this is very important. Cut into the trail path and follow it up the incline – makes it a lot easier.

What you may contemplate carrying and leaving for other guests

a) Carbon Mono-Oxide detector. There is a wood burning stove inside, but if you do use it, it is probably a good idea to have a CO detector.

b) Paper napkins are good to leave there

c) Rat Traps

d) Brass plaque there needs to be cleaned – the one from 1977.

e) Any games you want to leave – that you feel are fun.

f) A dictionary for the Pictionary game

g) Air Freshners are good – there is a musty odor due to the rats or whatever, though the hut is quite clean

Warnings

a) Deck – one of the tables topples over like a see saw if you sit on one side, watch out for that, a few nails are popping out too, so take a hammer and hammer them in. Watch out for cracks in the deck through which your precious diamond rings may easily fall through. We lost the guitar pick and had to struggle to get it out.

b) Once you get there, the combination lock can be a hassle, try permutations and combinations if the one given to you does not work. We did!

c) Watch out for rats and rat droppings

d) Pack light

e) Seniors and toddlers might have a difficult time – unless they are used to trekking. If you are carrying a baby – make sure you have a baby carrier and be very careful.

f) There is lot of poison Oak on the walk to the hut – so stay away from folliage, particularly as you get close to the hut, that might very well spoil your weekend.

What we did

There are diaries of visitors left there, which makes very interesting reading. Someone needs to publish it on the WWW. Make sure you put in your comments. Make sure you skim through some of them.

We particulary enjoyed watching the stars sitting on the wooden bench which is ~20 yards away from the hut. The morning sunrise is very good and so is the sunset. The hut has some splendid folliage and we enjoyed taking pictures of that. It is definitely relaxing to be sitting out in the deck at any time of the day and just chatting about nothing. We did see a blue jay that is seemingly attached to the hut. The kids wanted to take GameBoy which was denied, and they eventually ended up discovering new games and one of them even declared that he was happy without his GameBoy. Another kid discovered one defining moment as we trekked up to the hut, that probably defines a lifetime, how perseverance is important to anything we do – probably not that drastic. But the kids didn’t want to chip in and carry stuff on the way to the hut, but on the return all the kids wanted to carry a backpack or something and get some porter training - never know when that would be of use.

We enjoyed playing the games, the guitar and songs added to the ambience.

The Heritage Grove trails sounds pretty good, We didn’t do it completely as it was a hot day. But it would be a nice trek. Be cognizant of the weather as you do this trek.

Return

For the return, some of us distraught due to the strenuous journey to the hut – (so lesson learnt travel real light.. Wives will want a porter service for the way back), called the ranger for some help to carry our stuff. We were politely informed “Ma’m that is why it is called hikers hut”. Don’t rely on a porter showing up there even if you have arranged for it. On the way back, some folks wanted to leave at 2PM on a 95 degree day, good thing we decided against it. We left at 4:30 and carrying the same amount of luggage sans 20%, we made it back in about 50 minutes which includes two breaks, that included kids. Much of the return walk is downhill and a breeze.

All in all, it is short and sweet weekend, cut away from the city, and very relaxing to say the least.

Some other Google links

http://www.eparks.net/smc/department/home/0,,5556687_12313313_12345082,00.html

http://www-us.flickr.com/photos/airplane_journal/23815334/

http://kevingong.com/Hiking/200304HeritageGroveTrail.html

http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/smcp.html

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=11216576&blogID=89249074&MyToken=7b47ccbe-6c6c-4c2d-8f22-a2a5563b50b9

Here is another writeup from the bahikers – quoted verbatim below.

http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/smcp.html

Sam McDonald's most unusual and prized feature (besides the redwoods) may be Hikers' Hut, operated by the Sierra Club. Perched near the high point of Towne Ridge, the A-frame building makes great, rustic accommodations for a group. The hut has a simple kitchen with drinking water, small common area, large wooden deck, and tiny upstairs loft. There are no beds, but 14 sleeping mats are included. Many hikers are fond of spending the night outside on the deck in agreeable weather, easing the strain of the limited indoor sleeping space. Vault toilets are located outside the hut.

The Loma Prieta Chapter Hikers' Hut, located in beautiful Sam MacDonald County Park, is a wonderful destination for those seeking a great outdoor experience close to home. Less than an hour's drive from most Bay Area locations, you can experience the magic of a redwood forest and the open space vistas of the Coast Range hilltops in a moderate 1.5- mile hike from the parking lot to the Hikers' Hut. Once there, you will find a furnished Danish "Hut," complete with sleeping accommodations for twelve, tables, chairs, a wood burning stove, microwave, (2) two-burner electric cooktops, and hot/cold running water. >From the large deck, visitors can see the Coast Range, Butano Ridge, and the ocean! A network of trails of varying degrees of length and difficulty are accessible from the Hut.

Jack Brook Trail offers hikers spectacular views west to the ocean. On Canyon Trail you'll look north to the hills and ridges west of Skyline Boulevard (State Highway 35). This fall, both trails are open to hikers only; horseback riders will also be welcome to use them next spring.

Anyone with small children who want to do a very short hike to show the kiddies big redwoods should consider Heritage Grove, right beside Alpine Road on the west side of Skyline. There is limited parking and a half mile trail to the lower grove and a slightly longer trail to the upper grove.

Start at the south edge of the parking lot, near the picnic area. A large park sign indicates the mileage to several prominent destinations; it's 14 miles from here to Big Basin State Park. Towne Trail, open to hikers and equestrians, heads into a redwood forest, with huckleberry, thimbleberry, ferns, hazelnut, and currant in the understory. After about 300 feet, the trail reaches Pescadero Road. Carefully cross the pavement and rejoin Towne Trail on the other side. The trail widens to fire road width, and begins to climb somewhat steeply. A large water tank is visible, its squat shape a contrast to the towering redwoods. At 0.28 mile, Big Tree Trail breaks off to the left at a signed junction. Bear left onto Big Tree Trail.
The narrow hiking only path winds uphill, then rejoins the fire road. Turn left. The two run together for a short stretch, then Big Tree departs again, this time for good, on the left at a signed junction. Bear left. Big Tree Trail begins a steep descent into a gulch. Once at the forest floor, the trail winds at a more reasonable grade. Redwoods dominate the landscape, but look closer to the ground in spring for trillium, starflower, and redwood sorrel. At 0.72 mile, Heritage Grove Trail sets out to the right from a signed junction. Turn right on Heritage Grove Trail.
The narrow hiking only trail keeps a level pace through the dense, dark forest of redwoods. Banana slugs are common. Tanoak, huckleberry, and hazelnut manage to eek out enough light to accompany the Sequoia sempervirens. Orchid-like flowers including helleborine and shinleaf wintergreen lend an exotic air to the trailside flora in summer. Traffic noise from Alpine and Pescadero Roads fades as you wander through this very quiet section of the park. Rather abruptly, Heritage Grove Trail enters a mixed woodland, with California bay, coast live oak, Douglas fir, tanoak, and a few madrones lining the path. Poison oak, creambush, ferns, ceanothus, and wild rose bask in the dappled sunlight. Although redwoods quickly step back into the picture, their dominance is diminished as they are mixed with other trees and plants. Heritage Grove Trail crosses a creek and soon after reaches a signed junction at 2.43 miles. The trail straight visits Heritage Grove, an option if you'd like to extend the hike and see more redwoods. (The path ends at Alpine Road; from there retrace your steps to this junction.) Turn right and remain on Heritage Grove Trail, toward Hikers' Hut.
The hiking only trail climbs gently through a scenic stretch of woods. Coast live oak, Douglas fir, California bay, big leaf maple, and tanoak, along with thimbleberry, nettles, sticky monkeyflower, gooseberry, creambush, currant, hazelnut, and blackberry line the path. Look for hound's tongue in early spring, and the shiny red berries of baneberry (poisonous) in summer. The trail winds uphill like a slithering snake, but then takes a sharp turn to the right and climbs straight uphill. Just past a gate and stile, the trail steps out into a pretty meadow rimmed with Douglas fir. A few steps later, at 2.75 miles, Heritage Grove Trail ends at a signed junction with Towne Trail. Turn left, but instead of the fire road, take the slight but obvious trail that heads back into the woods.
The path winds uphill, passes a massive multi-limbed Douglas fir, then reaches Hikers' Hut at 2.86 miles. Unless you have a reservation, continue uphill on a path that dumps unto a wide dirt fire road, and keep climbing uphill. At 3.04 miles, the fire road ends at an unsigned junction and viewpoint. At elevation 1316 feet, there are unobstructed views of the forested ridges to the south. This is a nice place for a lunch break if it's not too hot. When you're ready, turn around, bear left and head downhill on the fire road. At 3.16 miles, you'll reach an unsigned junction with Towne Trail. Turn right.
The hiking and equestrian fire road descends easily, with creambush, coyote brush, poison oak, and a big leaf maple lining the way. At 3.44 miles, you'll reach a previously encountered junction with Heritage Grove Trail (and a connector to Brook Loop Trail). Continue straight on Towne Trail.
The trail bisects a pretty meadow, where even in summer a few California poppies enliven the blonde grass. Brook Loop Trail runs a few feet to the left, bordering a descending hillside of coyote brush. Towne Trail makes a brief foray through a mixed woodland, then reemerges into thistle-choked grassland. At 3.87 miles, Brook Loop Trail feeds into Towne Trail from the left. Continue straight on Towne Trail. (Brook Trail heads south into Pescadero Creek County Park.)
After a slight descent, you'll pass through/around a gate, and reach the junction with Horse Camp at 4.10 miles. Turn left, and then a few steps later, turn right at a signed junction, to "McDonald Ranger Station." (From here you could extend your hike into the northern section of the park. Continue straight on Ridge Trail, and once across Pescadero Road, look for Forest Loop to the right. Take this path back to the trailhead.)
You might see quail and deer along the trail, which quickly begins to descend back into a redwood forest. The steep slopes of a gulch fall away to the right. Traveling in this direction, you might notice blackened bark on only one side of the redwood trunks, evidence that a fire once ripped down the canyon to the north. As you make progress downhill, traffic noises from Pescadero Road drift uphill. Stay on the fire road as you pass two previously encountered junctions with Big Tree Trail, then retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Total distance: 4.80 miles
Last hiked: Wednesday, June 28, 2001