Category Archives: Trip Reports

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PSA: National Park Passes Not Valid at Parks Operated by Contractors [Updated]

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Update 8:15am PT on 11/14/17: Clearly I made a mistake and I apologize. I posted the information I received way too quickly and without verifying it. My friend read that though the senior pass is a good value, because there are fees and charges at parks operated by contractors that the passes don’t cover, it can add a lot of money to what might seem like a good deal. He misunderstood and thought entry fees weren’t covered at parks using contractors. When I received this information from him, it seemed like a good idea to let people know. But of course, it was wrong and the entry fee is indeed covered by the pass. It’s good to have readers who call you out on these kinds of mistakes!

Did you purchase a National Park Pass before the rates went up? If you did, or know anyone who has one, it’s important to remember this! Though the passes are valid at parks operated the National Park Service, they are NOT valid at parks operated by CONTRACTORS. One popular National Park that falls into this category is Yosemite. Always remember to check into this or you might be surprised when you’re asked to pay an entrance fee!

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Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park

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​​7 Tips to Maximize your Fun at the San Diego Zoo

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Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend.  I just got back from a great San Diego weekend trip and had an amazing time at the world famous San Diego Zoo, so I wanted to share some tips to maximize the amount of fun you will have at the zoo too.  I am no expert at seeing zoos, but I think some of these tips will help make your visit more enjoyable.  For those who haven’t been to the San Diego Zoo before (or in a long time), the zoo recently celebrated its 100th birthday and made many improvements over the last few years.  Without further ado, here are my 7 tips to maximize your fun at the San Diego Zoo (with 2 bonus ideas at the end).

1 – Buy discount San Diego Zoo tickets online.  The normal price for tickets is $52, but if you buy them through Groupon, you can get tickets for only $39.99.  This deal is only good through December 20, but I am sure the Groupon discount comes around often.  To super charge your Groupon purchase, sign up for Ebates and earn cash back on your Groupon purchase.

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Vancouver Wonderful Walks #2: Gastown, Yaletown & False Creek Loop

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Please check out my first post: Vancouver Wonderful Walks #1: Seawall Loop through Stanley Park

You might say I travel a lot, and though many of those miles are spent in the air, if I kept track, I’d bet I walk as many miles as I fly! When I wrote about how to spend the perfect long weekend in Vancouver, I touched on my favorite walks, but didn’t go into much detail. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities for walking! During my recent trip to Vancouver, I took my favorite walks, only this time I made extensive notes so I could share them with you. Here’s one of my favorites, which I call the Gastown / Yaletown / False Creek loop.

I stay at the Hyatt Regency when I visit Vancouver, and it never disappoints me. As you’ll see in the photos, luck was on my side for this week because the weather in late October was amazing. Beautiful fall foliage everywhere. So let’s start this walk from the Hyatt. You’ll exit onto Burrard Street and head north towards the water. As you walk towards the water, you’ll pass a historic and architecturally stunning building, the Marine Building. The art deco details are worth seeing so make sure to go into the lobby of the building and look around. Take the elevator up a few floors and when you get out you’ll have an overhead view of the lobby. Beautiful! On the ground floor of this building, you will find one of my favorite JJ Bean coffee locations. It has seating on the second floor if you want to relax, read, talk, and stay a while.

Make a right on Cordova Street. You’ll be heading to Gastown. This area of Vancouver can be touristy, but many locals live/work/play here too. There are lots of restaurants and coffee shops worth visiting. The steam clock on the corner of Cambie and Water Streets is probably the number one site people come to see here and it’s a fun photo opportunity. You’ve actually walked two miles already!

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Gastown Steam Clock. Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_clock

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Vancouver Wonderful Walks #1: Seawall Loop through Stanley Park

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You might say I travel a lot, and though many of those miles are spent in the air, if I kept track, I’d bet I walk as many miles as I fly! When I wrote about how to spend the perfect long weekend in Vancouver, I touched on my favorite walks, but didn’t go into much detail. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities for walking! During my recent trip to Vancouver, I took my favorite walks, only this time, I made extensive notes so I could share them with you. Here’s one of my favorites, which I call the Seawall Loop. I stay at the Hyatt Regency when I visit Vancouver, and it never disappoints me. As you’ll see in the photos, luck was on my side for this week because the weather in late October was amazing. Beautiful fall foliage everywhere.

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Fall has arrived in Vancouver

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These are NOT your Mother’s Fanny Packs! Check out my 5 Favorites!

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It all started back in the early 1980’s. I was in Japan studying Japanese art and culture. I had an incredibly wonderful experience and came back to the states sporting a new look. No, I wasn’t wearing a kimono. But I was wearing a fanny pack! It was a small one and made of beautiful smooth black leather. Everyone in Japan wore one. But not in the States. Back then, almost no one had seen a fanny pack, much less was wearing one. I got all kinds of questions about where I got it. And lots of people thought it looked funny. Back then, women were still carrying purses the size of carry-on luggage, and men kept bulging wallets, a la George Costanza, in their rear pants pocket!

But I loved my fanny pack and wore it everywhere. A few years later in the 1990’s, it seemed like everyone was sporting a fanny pack. And then the fad died. For years, I never saw people wearing them. But now they seem to be back in style again. Some people call them lumbar bags, some call them hip packs, and I’ve heard others calling them waist packs. But to me, they are all fanny packs!

These days I mostly wear one for hiking and taking long walks. But they sure have become more versatile and popular. And throwing a small one in my luggage is a given, seeing as how when getting to know a new city, I love to walk long distances or go out for a run. Whether you want to carry a snack, pack your phone, stash hydration, or speed through airport security, a fanny pack helps you do it all without the hassle of shoulder straps or unreachable zippers.

Sure, using a fanny pack can be nerdy, but in a good way. They are not for everyone, but do have a certain appeal. I especially recommend them to my health/fitness clients who have shoulder or neck issues. It can feel like such a relief to take the weight of a backpack off your shoulders. That’s what actually got me thinking about writing this post and recommending some different types of fanny packs. In talking with my clients, I realized anyone who travels might be interested in knowing about the best fanny packs, whether they use them when they travel or at home. Continue reading →