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Travel Gifts for the Holidays and a Vacation Idea
During 2019, I searched out new products that are worthy of mention in my year-end travel gift column. Here are my recommendations for clothing, shoes, and accessories, along with a vacation tip. Head to Toe Outdoor Research manufactures top of the line travel clothing, most with UPF 50+. Here is a fashionable trifecta: lightweight Swift[…]
Pechanga Resort Casino
Pechanga Resort Casino There’s nothing better than a quick getaway destination with good food, amenities galore, reasonable rates, and a casino. Since I had read about Pechanga’s $300 million expansion last year, I decided to give it a try. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t disappointed. History The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians has called the[…]
San Diego’s Halloween Haunts & Horrors
History: The festival of Samhain is the forerunner to today’s Halloween. Over 2,000 years ago, ancient Celts in the UK and Northern France would light bonfires and wear costumes in the fall to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III proclaimed November 1 as a day to honor every saint. All Saints[…]
Summer’s Over in San Diego – What Now?
It’s that time of the year when the tourists are gone, school is in full swing, the weather is perfect, and there is a lot going on in San Diego. Old Town celebrates its 250th anniversary on September 14 & 15. This free event marks the year, 1769, that “Alta California” was first settled with[…]
The Jewel of Jamul
The small town of Jamul is located in San Diego’s East County. Its highlights are the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge and several regional parks offering camping, hiking, fishing, and grand vistas. My visit was to check out the three year old Jamul Casino located 20 minutes from downtown San Diego. Tribal History The Jamul[…]
California’s Central Valley’s Gem: Chico
Recent History: Chico, CA has been in the news a lot since the devastating fire that destroyed its neighbor, Paradise. It became the the staging ground for Cal Fire and volunteers from around the state and country. Chico was also inundated with almost 20,000 displaced persons. The community was impacted greatly but is slowly recovering.[…]
Staying and Playing in La Jolla
Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer. If a beach vacation is in your plans, head to San Diego’s “jewel,” La Jolla. Although it has an upscale reputation, there are lots of ways to enjoy inexpensive meals and free things to do. I’ve lived in La Jolla for 45+ years, so I’ve shopped around[…]
Part 3: A Tale of Three Cities in Switzerland
Lugano, Pontresina, and Zurich are examples of Switzerland’s appeal; something for everyone. In Lugano, one gets the feeling of stumbling into Italy, because of the language and food. In Pontresina, while hiking, you expect either Heidi or the Von Trapp family to pop up over the next hill. Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland (400,000+),[…]
Riding the Rails: Switzerland
Switzerland is smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. That, and the Swiss penchant for efficiency, means travel from city to city by rail is easy and scenic. Here’s my “To Do” list for the following destinations which are all short train rides apart: Interlaken Ride the cable car to Harder Kulm to sightsee, eat,[…]
The Swiss Adventure Begins
Edelweiss Air’s seasonal San Diego to Zurich non-stop flight follows Archimedes’ rule: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The plane was comfortable and the crew friendly and attentive. There were free movies galore, plus plenty of good food and a wide assortment of beverages. The Zurich airport is well marked and[…]