The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Any visit to the island of Oahu would not be complete without a stop at the very famous Waikiki beach. The beach itself is very pretty surrounded by luxury hotels and restaurants and is the place to be. It's jam packed with sunbathers, swimmers, surfers and boogie boarders and it is a scene. After staying on the other major islands and taking in their glorious unspoiled beauty, we decided to stay at the Hilton … [Read more...]
As I planned our trip to Alaska, one of our main goals was to learn more about the native peoples-their history, their culture and their relationship with the land, surviving brutal winters in sub freezing temperatures. As we arrived in Anchorage we couldn't wait to explore the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a wonderful experiential museum that is a great introduction to all the native villages. Living in Alaska is … [Read more...]
As I've said many times before, locals are usually the winning bet for finding out where to get the best food. Arriving at the Embassy Suites Anchorage in the evening, my crew was famished . We asked the front desk clerk where we could grab a bite since it was already late (9:30 pm). She told us we just had to try The Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria around the corner-gourmet pizzas, salads, and other yummy treats … [Read more...]
So how crazy is this? When I was about 10 years old (I am dating myself here by telling you that was in 1975) my parents splurged big time and took my brothers and I on a trip to Hawaii. One of our more memorable stops was The Polynesian Cultural Center which will forever remain memorialized in my dad's vintage super 8 footage which my mom recently had converted to a dvd. If you can believe it, the entire … [Read more...]
Heading out of Honolulu on our way to the North Shore we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation to learn about one of Hawaii's signature crops. A word of warning, this "plantation" is a massive tourist trap. There are some free activities like a pineapple cutting demonstration but some of the other activities will cost you, like the enormous pineapple maze and the train ride and garden tour. We opted not to do … [Read more...]
If you are lucky enough or adventurous enough or both to head up to Barrow and you're looking for a good meal, you've just got to check out Niggivikput at the Top of The World Hotel. After our plane ride from Fairbanks we were famished and had just enough time to grab some lunch before our tour of Barrow with Tundra Tours. Lucky for us the hotel where the tour leaves from had a wonderful restaurant named … [Read more...]
Barrow is the northernmost city in the United States located at the very top on the Alaska coast on the Arctic Ocean. It's a place most folks will never visit but coming here was very important to me. To me visiting a remote place like Barrow is what it truly means to savor life-to take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to discover a place so unique, and a lifestyle so different from our own. There … [Read more...]
I have been really surprised at the flack I’ve been getting for one of my recent blogposts citing the embassy closing as just another reason to travel in the USA. Seth Kugel aka “The Frugal Traveler” of The NY Times in an email accused me of “fear mongering verging on xenophobia” (I am a pretty smart cookie but even I had to look that one up-an irrational fear of something foreign or strange). Another … [Read more...]
Sometimes you're starving and you pick out a place and hope for the best. Every once it a while (you breathe a sigh of relief as) you are happily blown away when it exceeds your expectations and everyone leaves happy and satisfied. Looking for a place to eat along the Sterling Highway, the kids and I stumbled across Gwin's lodge and decided to give it a try and man are we glad we did. Looking at the menu we … [Read more...]
Fly fishing for salmon on the Kenai river was one of the highlights of our entire trip. The only way I can describe being out on the river, at one with nature, is complete nirvana! It was not only a fun experience, but I felt as if my spiritual batteries had been recharged. It was an extremely special activity that my kids and I will never forget and one that I can't recommend highly enough if you get the chance to … [Read more...]
