By Roger Petterson
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 05/11/08 6:47 AM
Take a stroll in the California sunshine, breathing in the tang of ocean air while waves roll ashore under your feet — and do it without getting your feet wet and while staying within easy reach of food and amusements. And while you’re at it, do a little saltwater fishing.
By Scott Vogel
- WASHINGTON POST Updated: 05/11/08 6:47 AM
Q: Some friends and I areplanning to tour theold Route 66 from Chicagoto Santa Monica, but I wastold that a portion of thatroad is somewhat depressing.What can I expect?
Cheap hotels, every kind of food you can imagine. Plenty of sizzle, spectacle, first-rate theatrical productions, giant red rocks for climbing and water playgrounds.
Are you as tired as I am of those hotel “best” lists where the average prices start at around $400 a night and go up from there? Do you wonder who really pays those rates? If you do, you’ll want to take a look at a new series of “best” lists based on data from TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com). That’s the leading online site for hotel reviews posted by real-world travelers on real-world budgets. The most useful list is the 100 “Best Value” hotels around the world, which is based on TripAdvisor findings and posted on the Web site for Budget Travel (budgettravel.com), the nation’s leading budget travel magazine. For each hotel, the Best Value list includes its numerical score (on a scale of one to 100), contact information, price per night reported by TripAdvisor contributors, and a brief contributor comment. Here are some highlights, but I urge you to visit the complete set of lists.
By Christine Smyczynski
- SPECIAL TO THE NEWS Updated: 05/11/08 6:47 AM
The warmer weather is upon us and school is almost out. However, many kids would be content staying indoors playing video games and watching TV, instead of enjoying nature. Now is the perfect time to introduce them to something new; perhaps they can learn to talk a walk on the wild side and get back to nature.
By Joseph B. Frazier
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 05/11/08 6:47 AM
NEWPORT, Ore. –Oregon’s coast is still wild enough to be a windy wonder, tame enough for the squeamish, surprisingly affordable and uncrowded –yet diverse enough to please at least someone in the car most of the time.
By Beth J. Harpaz
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 05/11/08 7:03 AM
PORTLAND, Ore. –Some cities are hard for the casual visitor to handle. Traffic, confusing maps, far-flung attractions and too many chain stores can make the tourist’s quest for a hassle-free yet authentic connection to the local vibe all but impossible.
By Scott Vogel
- WASHINGTON POST Updated: 05/04/08 6:47 AM
Q: My son and I are planninga road trip fromMaryland to the Badlands ofSouth Dakota, across Wyoming,through Yellowstoneand back through Coloradoand Missouri. We will be ina Suburban. How wise it isfor us to take our fairly largedog (husky mix) with us?
By Roger Petterson
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 05/04/08 6:47 AM
The next time you’re thinking of an urban getaway, turn on your computer and see what the Internet can tell you about Denver. It’s a lot more than just a place to pass through on your way to a ski resort in the Rockies.
Lonely Planet, the guidebook publishing company, is relaunching its series on national parks with four books out this spring: “Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks”; “Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks”; “Grand Canyon National Park”; and “Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks.”
By Dorothy L. Delmonte
- SPECIAL TO THE NEWS Updated: 05/04/08 6:47 AM
I’ve been in love with lilacs since childhood, when each spring my Mom and I would pick them from the two flowering bushes that graced the side of our home. My love affair with this woody wonder is not unique.
