United States Archives - Page 3 of 10

A Cave Crawling Weekend at Pinnacles National Park

It was two days before the long weekend in January when I found out we also got the coming Monday off. The forecast called for dry weather and I figured it was another great opportunity to see more of what Northern California has to offer. Roger had the great suggestion of driving a few hours south to Pinnacles National Park, which is the country’s newest national park, having just been designated in 2013. I immediately took a look at the Airbnb’s in its surrounding cities, but actually found that the hotels in the area were more competitively priced. Because I already had local plans on Saturday, we ended up driving down to Pinnacles early Sunday morning and spending the night in the small town of Hollister (no association with the clothing brand). Our weekend at Pinnacles National Park was incredibly worthwhile. Its vast network of deep and winding talus caves and towering volcanic formations are not to be missed for locals and California tourists alike.

Weekend Trip: A Holiday-Themed Retreat to Monterey

After spending a week in Mexico last month, I was fortunate enough to spend another weekend at the beach along the central California coast. A close friend and I drove south from the Bay Area for a less than 48 hour jaunt to Monterey and its surrounding coastal towns. I had never visited the region during such a traditionally cold month, but the sandy destination ended up being a wonderful spot to retreat to in December. We were greeted with clear blue skies and even dipped our toes into the fresh Pacific water. From holiday festivities along the Monterey wharf to a monarch butterflies viewing in Pacific Grove, the Monterey region is a great destination during the cold season. If you’re looking for things to do along the central coast in fall/winter, keep reading to see what we managed to pack into our retreat to Monterey and beyond.

More Than Theme Parks: 6 Days in Orlando, Florida

Earlier this month, one of my oldest friends and I jetted off to Orlando, Florida to explore the wonders of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However, what we found was that the region has so much more to offer than just great theme parks and expensive souvenirs. In addition to some much needed pool lounging time, we fell in love with some local restaurants and indulged in a fun history lesson by traversing some of Central Florida’s lakes and canals. We particularly enjoyed our time in Winter Park, which is a town right next to the theme park capital. If you’re planning a getaway to the area, here are the ins and outs of our trip and our 6 day Orlando, Florida itinerary.

2 Days of Magic: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Tips & Recommendations

After competing in Cotopaxi Questival in San Francisco, one of my oldest friends and I almost immediately jetted off to Orlando, Florida for some much needed pool time, shopping, local exploration, and most importantly – to get lost in the wonders of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had high expectations, but it was even better than I dreamed. As lifelong Harry Potter fans, we nerded out to say the least. The amount of detail at the theme park is truly spectacular and we never wanted to leave! We had a lot of questions about the logistics of the Wizarding World prior to our trip so I hope to provide some essential Wizarding World of Harry Potter tips and recommendations if you’re planning to visit.