Archive for Travel Resources

Spring Update from Squaw Valley

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

May 1st, 2012

Lots of fun in the “off season” at Lake Tahoe…

Squaw Valley in Spring is a Great Catch!

Personally, I love “off season” for traveling.  Spring at lake Tahoe means fresh green grass, wildflowers swaying in a soft breeze and less crowds.  You can hear the wind whistling in the pines and the lake lapping on the shore in the quiet.

And my favorite place to stay, the Resort at Squaw Creek at Squaw Valley has some wondrous and fun May activities scheduled.

Skiing:

There’s still time for a few last runs of the year—at Alpine Meadows, which will be open for skiing Fridays – Sundays through May 13.

Biking and hiking:

May can be a terrific time for biking (Resort at Squaw Creek rents bikes).  A twenty-mile long paved bike path meanders through the pines and along the shore of the sparkling blue lake.

Also, hiking to nearby waterfalls in Shirley Canyon at the far western edge of Squaw Valley or Eagle Falls near Emerald Bay should be possible due to the lower than average snowfall this year.

Read More→

The Winter Wonderland at Squaw Valley, California

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

March 3, 2012
Squaw Valley, California

Diane Covington here, one of TouristTravel.com’s roving reporters, today writing to you from beautiful Squaw Valley, California.

Winter made her fashionably late entrance with a blast of over four feet of fresh snow in the past few days and more is on its way.

I’m staying with my fiancé at the beautiful Resort at Squaw Creek, which Conde Nast Traveler magazine ranked among the top 50 ski resorts in North America.  The resort is known for both family and romantic vacations and when you stay here you can see why.  (AAA also gave it a Four-Diamond rating.)

Skiing fresh powder at Squaw ValleyWe love that we can hop on a lift right outside our suite when we’re ready to ski. We skied the fresh powder at Squaw Valley, stopping for lunch at Rocker’s Restaurant at the base—don’t miss the hot spinach artichoke flatbread, topped with jack and Parmesan cheese, real après ski comfort food.

We skied back to the Resort at Squaw Creek in time for a soak in the outdoor hot pools before our massages at the spa.  The heated blankets on the massage table welcome me from the cold and the massage relaxed all the muscles we’d used all day.  I lounged in both the sauna and steam room before heading back to our room.

Our cozy suite looks out over the valley that has transformed into a Winter Wonderland in the last few days.  We can choose between skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or ice-skating, not to mention the heated pools and spa or staying by the fireplace in our room, curled up with a book.

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Kayaking the Florida Keys from Cow Key to Key Largo

Monday, October 10th, 2011

The Florida Keys are made up of some 1,700 islands.  From Miami to Key West, this archipelago stretches over 150 miles alone.  It’s here where I found some unique saltwater kayaking opportunities stretching from the Cow Key to Key Largo.

Kayaking through the Cow Key Channel

Cow Key  - Lazy Dog KayakThe two hour, 1.5 mile roundtrip through the Cow Key Channel beginning at US Highway MM (mile marker) 4.1(just outside of Key West) with Lazy Dog Kayak Guides involved a steady current that’s heavily influenced by the two high and low tides coming from both the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean each day.  The firm breeze helped to counter the muggy conditions.  Bethany and her four-legged companion Tucker (a.k.a. “Mr. T”) served as our guides.

Through her guidance as we kayaked through open waters 2-10 foot deep, a natural mangrove creek and one “hurricane hole” (a pond surrounded by mangroves that offer more protection from hurricanes), I got an up close and personal view of primary Red Mangrove trees, whose prop roots filter out about 95 per cent of the saltwater while the trees leaves sacrifice themselves to filter out the rest of the salt so the trees can have “potable” water.   Their death means decomposition in the channel, which creates the soil ingredients to build up the small islands.

In my 12 foot Perception model, I heard the soundtrack of osprey, Great Blue and White Heron as I paddled through the waters, ranging in depth of two to ten feet.  Bethany often stopped alongside the mangrove growth to educate our group about the plant and animal life thriving here, letting us hold them.  Creatures like the prickly-feeling Florida Spiny Sea Star, and the Sea Cucumber, which has the feel of its vegetable counterpart.   She was excited when she came across a government-protected Queen Conch, a large creepy-looking snail that would make the subject of a good horror film.

Venturing to the Key with “No Name”

The Author paddling at "No Name"Just four miles off of US 1 at MM 30, I found a more isolated, off the beaten path world, where I kayaked roundtrip over a couple of hours in waters 1-18 feet in depth from Big Pine Key to the No Name Key (where the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion was staged).   The winds whistled through the palms on a mostly cloudy morning and afternoon, helping to keep the heat and mugginess in check.   Our guide from Big Pine Kayak Adventures, was Bill Keogh.  He’s kayaked some 800 Florida Keys.

Like Bethany at Cow Key, Keogh’s four-footed friend joined, a friendly mixed breed named Scupper, who quickly won my fondness.  As we set off from Big Pine Key, the scent of sulfur permeated my nostrils because of the decomposing seagrass which this Key catches from Florida Bay.  Getting to the Key with “No Name” meant crossing the Bogie Channel’s choppy waters (about a 1/3 mile long) in a 12 foot Vapor that weighed 50 pounds.

When I looked down into the more shallow waters, I caught the sight of flat Turtle Grass, round Manatee Grass, and soft-looking Shoal Grass waving back and forth.   Being out in this wide channel heightened my sense of isolation from the hustle and bustle only a few miles away.  My eyes took in the sight of a kettle of Turkey Vultures heading south for winter.   Arriving at the No Name Key, we paddled into a deep mangrove forest via a very narrow creek, so narrow that I dismantled my paddle into halves, using one along with low-hanging branches to navigate hundreds of feet.  But awaiting my camera was a camouflaged Yellow-Crowned Night Heron bouncing around from tree to tree as well as a variety of crabs climbing the densely-packed branches. Read More→

Guest post by Constance Owens

Le Charmois Farmhouse

The road was only a dirt lane leading up to the house.  We huffed and puffed our way past cows lowing in the fields at the dairy farm nearby.  The calves lying close to the fence started and darted away as we approached. Then, we ran past more fields with horses swatting flies with their thick brown tails.    On occasion we would hear a car or tractor off in the distance.  For the most part, we were alone with the steady pounding of our feet.

We were in Moyen, Belgium,  which is in the French speaking region of Eastern Wallonia in the Semois Valley near the French border.

A good, long run, followed by a hearty breakfast feeds the soul like nothing else, which is one of the reasons we came here. We wanted to “rest” on this vacation—mentally as well as physically. We did not want to fill our days rushing around crowded tourist sites trying to squeeze in everything in a few days. We were looking for a “local” experience.

We found Le Charmois, a lovingly restored nineteenth century farmhouse resting on several acres of pastoral land in the Belgian Lorraine. According to DK’s Eyewitness Travel Book on Belgium—a most unlikely place to find such a quaint bed and breakfast.  Normally the best B&B’s are found by stumbling upon them, not scouring guidebooks. Luck was on our side when we booked the reservation by calling directly to the farmhouse. Read More→

Part two – The Journey in England continues…


The Paddington Bear stories were a favorite with my daughters and now with my grand daughters.  Here at Paddington Station, the bear sits ready to be adopted and enjoyed, along with copies of the stories.

July 4, 2011

We’re continuing our journey using only our own steam and public transportation in England and France. So far, so good—a real fun adventure.

In London, with our light bags, we took the tube from our hotel to Paddington Station, then walked to the Brit Rail terminal there to connect to our train for the short jaunt to the quaint village of Henley-on-Thames. My partner Landon, was competing in the Henley Masters rowing regatta.

Standing with my one rolling bag and my carry on, on the train ready to leave for Henley-on-Thames.  We'd just been on two subways and walked a ways through the station, so appreciated the light bags.

We settled in for the trip and relaxed– someone else was in charge, our job was to enjoy the beauty of the changing countryside as it unfolded in front of us.

We passed neat farms, quaint villages clustered around a church steeple and fields of bright yellow and purple wild flowers. We read and day dreamed. I relished the ease of the train and the relief from driving.

When we arrived in Henley, we walked the several blocks to our apartment, which overlooked the river. For the next six days, we got around by bicycle or walking.

Having an apartment meant that we could prepare some of our own meals, or make ourselves a cup of coffee or tea. I enjoy shopping in other countries, looking at all the interesting foods and their unique labels, buying fresh fruits and vegetables at the open markets and feeling like a local.

My partner won both of his races and I enjoyed cycling along the Thames or wandering around the quaint village of Henley.

We rested up for a big day of travel on our next jaunt—back to London, then to Paris on the Eurostar and then continuing on to Normandy.

 

 

  • For information on traveling by train in England, visit BritRail.com
  • For information on renting an apartment in England, visit HolidayLettings

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More in this series:
Part One: Arriving in London – but without the luggage
Part Two: The English Countryside and on to Paris