My New Years resolution this year is to travel more often. I might only have a few weeks off a year, but I intend to use them well! I also plan on taking advantage of as many long weekends as possible. Follow me here as I explore as many new destinations as I can. Here is a step by step guide to making sure travel is in your future.
After warming up in California for a week, I will be enjoying a quiet and relaxing Christmas at home this year. However, December 25th is an excellent day to travel, the flight loads are generally light and often the deals you can find with airlines and resorts are quite notable.
Downtown Disney also becomes very festive at Christmas time, with Christmas trees, lights, decorations and holiday treats. This year you can even go ice skating on Olaf’s Frozen ice rink, set up for you to enjoy right beside the ESPN zone. You will also find a winter village set up where you can browse gifts, souvenirs and treats.
California adventure also has a great Christmas Overlay with decorations around every corner. Although the spectacular Christmas tree on Main Street USA in Disneyland is pretty hard to beat, The World of Color Winter Dreams show alone is worth dragging yourself out of Disneyland and into California Adventure for even more Christmas fun.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was only 8 years old and would have been as excited back then, as I am now to hear about the new Disneyland and Disney World expansions.
If you like Candy Canes you will love the handmade ones available at the Candy Palace on Main Street USA. Make sure you stop by first thing in the morning as they sell out quickly for the day. You will also love the peppermint ice cream or peppermint mocha, which will surely put you in the Christmas spirit, here are a few more treats worth trying…
One of the greatest times of the year to enjoy Disneyland is at Christmas. The park transforms into a Christmas wonderland with so many amazing decorations, from the 60 foot Christmas tree on Main Street USA to the snow covered Sleeping Beauty Castle glowing with blue lights and icicles…
Earl’s also claims one of the top restaurant treats you will find anywhere. They have one of the best Sticky Toffee puddings you will ever try. Dripping delicious, this one even gives the Gordon Ramsey version a run for his money…
Earl’s has been a favorite for years, it is no surprise that a day trip into Vancouver would end in a visit to one of the many locations. They have a wide variety of great dishes from the Blackened Chicken Caesar to a great Steak. But one of my all time favorites is the spicy Hunan Kung Pow, an absolute must to try…
The Capilano Suspension bridge is a fun way to spend any given day with the spectacular views as you walk across the canyon, through the trees or along the Cliff Walk. Now add Christmas lights to the mix and the view becomes really amazing…
This little German Christmas market complete with a carousel offers a wide variety of Christmas crafts and a number of delicious food and treats. Many beverage options are available for adults. For the kids, you will find a magnificent real hot chocolate that is out of this world. Get into the spirit with christmas carols and unique gifts at The Vancouver Christmas Market which runs Nov 21 – Dec 24
If you are looking for the bizarre then this is the beach for you. The Venice Beach Boardwalk will provide you with ample opportunity to people watch…
A great California beach is just 45 minutes from the LAX airport. Enjoy miles of beautiful, clean sandy beaches. The Santa Monica Pier offers an amusement park right on the Pier with a great Roller Coaster and Ferris Wheel as well as a few other fun rides. Although the rides are no match to a large theme park, the uniqueness of the pier make it worth a visit. You will find a few great dining selections right on the Pier. The most notable being the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The Third Street Promenade is just a few blocks up from the Pier with a lot of great shopping and all of the usual comforts.
Enjoy some of the seasonal treats available during the Halloween season at Disneyland. Especially all the various pumpkin flavored treats like the cheesecake or beignets. Here are just a few of the delicious additions you will want to sink your fangs into…
If you love dressing up for Halloween, you will find no better place to visit than Disneyland during Mickey’s not so scary Halloween party! This is one of the coolest special events to enjoy in the park. Halloween is the only time of the year where you will see all of the Disney Villains come out and roam the park. You will love all of the seasonal Halloween treats as well as the Halloween overlays…
A marvelous happy hour can be found at Chuckanut Manor Seafood & Grill where they have some terrific appetizers and entrees. Make sure you save room for dessert. Several other fine restaurants can be be found along this amazing drive…
Take this amazing scenic drive which overlooks Chuckanut and Samish bay. This winding two lane cliffhanger road also gives you spectacular views of San Juan Islands. The drive will take you from Fairhaven to Burlington, take exit 250 from the I-5 and follow the signs from WA-11. Coming from Burlington, take exit 231fro WA-11, off the I-5. You will find a number of great restaurants along this beautiful drive which boasts spectacular views.
The Fragrance Lake trail is an easy 5.5 mile round trip hike. Enjoy the scent of bark and pine as you make your way through this old growth forest. The entrance can be found on Chuckanut Drive across from the main entrance to Larabee state park. A Discover pass is required to park here and leashed dogs are permitted. This will surely please and offer up a solid work out with some steep inclines. Make sure you bring plenty of water and a camera to snap some gorgeous scenic shots.
You can travel the world and find the most amazing desserts, but you will never find a doughnut as amazing and fun as the one you can find in Portland. If you can only have one treat while you are here, look no further than Voodoo Doughnuts, expect to stand in line for ten to sixty minutes, it is worth the wait…
If you only have time for one thing in Portland, you must stop by Mother’s Bistro for an absolutely amazing breakfast that you will not want to miss. Portland is also home to hundreds of food trucks with every kind of cuisine you could imagine and a few you didn’t know existed. You can expect to enjoy any kind of food you can think of, here are a few more worthy of making a stop for…
Always Stir 