Apr

30

Adventure Combating Autism in Mongolia

Posted by Darya Mead

Mongolia couldn’t be farther from Mexico and the epicenter of Swine Flu hysteria sweeping the globe. I have always wanted to visit Mongolia, in Central Asia, the home of Genghis Kahn and the Mongolian Horsemen I studied in a college Anthro class. Inspiration of late came in the form of numerous travel articles boasting that Mongolia is the new Prague, or that unusual ‘it’ spot that is attracting young travelers looking for adventure. A burgeoning art scene in Ulan Bator/ Ulaanbaatar and the warmth and generosity of the people who live there despite such a harsh environment, peaked my interest even more. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Autism and Travel, Family Travel, Feature, Medical Tourism, Travel

Apr

20

Skiing and Sushi

Posted by Darya Mead

You know you live in California when you can take your cross-country ski gear out for a whirl and then stop for a picnic of sushi. We were up in the mountains last week for Spring Break visiting my sister–in-law who lives in South Lake Tahoe. The weather was perfect; about 35 degrees and alternately sunny and snowy. Folks were cycling around Lake Tahoe in their shorts and we headed up to 8000 feet near Kirkwood to ski in full winter regalia; long underwear, ski pants, hats, gloves and tons of sun block. It was such a pleasant spring getaway. When I lived in France, the French always used to say how important it was to experience ‘Le Sport d’Hiver’ (winter sports) each year. Necessary, they used to say, for the constitution. Chapped, rosy cheeked and with huge appetites, my boys and I enjoyed a couple of yummy meals after a long day of skiing.  Goodfellas pizza and Taqueria Jalisco were our favorite picks, recommended by my brother-in-law who was a chef in Hawaii before moving to the mountains. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under California, Cross Country Skiing, Family Travel, Hike/Backpack, Lake Tahoe, Northern California, Skiing

Apr

17

Triporati’s Christopher P. Baker on Cuba Travel

Posted by Larry Habegger

Triporati’s travel experts spend a lot of their time reporting on news and events around the world, so it’s no surprise that Christopher P. Baker, our Cuba expert, has some things to say about the Obama Administration’s softening of travel restrictions to Cuba. On his blog at Moon Guides he makes the case for pushing to lift all travel restrictions. If you agree with him, you can follow his steps to take action; if you disagree with him, you can tell him what you think.

Christopher calls this first step “tremendous, and long overdue.” You can see and hear his comments on Palm Springs’s ABC News Channel 3, and listen to a live radio interview with him on KGO Newstalk with Travels with John Hamilton, Saturday, April 18. See also his comments on CNN.com.

Seems to me normalized relations with Cuba are long overdue.

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Caribbean, Cuba, Travel

Apr

12

Tidepooling

Posted by Darya Mead

Local Bay Area residents or visitors from out of town will love taking the family tide pooling at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve on a sunny day down the coast from San Francisco near Montara in San Mateo County. It is about a half hour drive from the city just a few miles north of Half Moon Bay. It can be crowded but the excitement in finding star fish, or sea stars as my five-year-old says they are now called, is immense.

Bring your water sandals and be prepared for some slippery rocks. Check the tides so you can be sure to have the best conditions for viewing. Harbor seals bask in the sun out on the rocks and kids and adults alike enjoy an up close and personal look at the sea life. You can see barnacles, sea stars, limpets, crabs, anemones, sponges and nudibranchs in the area sometimes called the Splash Zone. Continue reading »

Leave a Comment | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Budget Travel, California, Family Travel, Feature, Hike/Backpack, Tide Pools, United States