The best way to see the National Parks during the busy summer tourist season is simply not to do it. Stay home. Come back in the fall, when there are fewer visitors and lower temperatures. But if summer travel is your only option, as it was for my husband and me, follow these tips to beat the crowds— and the heat.
Start Early: Many National Parks actually close their parking lots during the day, either …
A road trip around the South Island of New Zealand with my partner was a fun-packed adventure. From breathtaking scenery to amazing wildlife, not to mention the friendly (and occasionally quirky!) locals, our road trip provided us with an abundance of incredible memories. Here is my pick of ten highlights from our South Island escapade.
Jet Boating at Buller Gorge
For a thrilling jet boat ride through pink granite rock canyons, head to Buller near …
It’s only 10 p.m., but everyone has retreated to bed except the five of us playing cards in the hostel dining room.
“Deal another round,” I say, “I’m staying up all night.” Sleep seems unlikely when the temperature is plunging towards minus 12 degrees C (10 deg F), there’s no hot water for showers, and six people are sharing each room where the beds are blocks of salt.
I’ve discovered that you can’t enjoy the …
Lately, I’ve had a lot of bad luck with my luggage while traveling on long-haul flights. My bags were delayed three trips in a row – reaching my destination only 1 to 3 days after I had arrived. After these three consecutive luggage mishaps, I was confident the airlines could not mess up a fourth time.
They didn’t – but my bout of bad luck did not end with that fourth flight. Arriving at Paris …
Everyone wants to go to Ireland, and it seems that everyone wants to go in the summer. Now don’t get me wrong. There is much good to be said about the warm days of summer on the greenest of islands. However, fall, winter, and spring offer their own special charms, as well as being amazingly affordable times to travel. The scenery is still stunning, the people are still Irish (and maybe more so, relieved of …
Sitting amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia – yes, the mountains actually do have a bluish tinge – Roanoke is a city in which many cherished old red-brick buildings have been re-purposed into cool restaurants and hotels. With a population of about 100,000, it’s a surprisingly-cosmopolitan city, with sophisticated cultural amenities, important historical sites, excellent dining and nightlife, a vibrant downtown, and more memorable experiences than many larger cities. And here are some …
