Hi, thanks for visiting my site. I enjoy sharing my travel articles and photos so I try to keep these pages updated. Recent trips, outings and photos are featured on this home page. But please be sure to read my articles and blog on this site for more detailed travel info.

I recently returned from a fabulous trip to San Antonio, Texas. We were there for Fiesta, an annual celebration with music, parades and great food. So much fun! www.VisitSanAntonio.com.

For L.A. residents or those visiting the City of Angels, this spring weather is ideal for hiking and ocean kayaking. This following link offers sea-worthy outings.
 http://laparentvalley.digitalparenthood.com/DigitalAnywhere/viewer.aspx?id=20&pageId=32&refid=7577&s=share 

Get away from city noise and traffic to these serene natural areas. http://laparent-city.digitalparenthood.com/DigitalAnywhere/viewer.aspx?id=20&pageId=18.

I recently returned from a visit to McAllen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, a border town that is known for its birding centers. See my photos and descriptions to the right.

Planning your family travels? There's a great site designed for families with kids ages 17 and younger.  www.MiniTime.com has lots of great destinations to get you started. Safe travels!

We love the diversity Oahu offers families. One of our favorite things to do is relaxing on a secluded beach. Shown here: Lanikai Beach.

My daughter Christina and I had exciting adventures in Kona (below).

A network of river ways meander throughout San Antonio, making this a pleasantly walkable city. Portions of the river walk downtown are lined with cafes, shops and hotels. You can also take a boat tour to learn more about the seven-and-a-half miles of the river walk and expansion plans. Please read my article about San Antonio for more info and photos.

The geographic location and climate of McAllen is conducive to biking and hiking through natural areas for wildlife viewing. At this state park, we biked to birding stations and even saw a bobcat lounging on a log.

About a two hour drive from Santa Fe, NM, Red River Ski Area is a small town (about 500 residents!) with lots of spacious trails and terrain parks for skiing and riding. It's a classic ski resort with about half a dozen lifts, aspen-lined trails and three casual restaurants. Fun is the focus here. Apres ski, try a shot ski at the Lift House Bar & Grill.

Just about 16 miles (and a scenic winding road) from Santa Fe is the Ski Santa Fe resort, another family-owned resort. The views of New Mexico from this resort are breath-taking. The Millennium Triple Chairlift takes skiers and riders up
of 12,075 feet! Ski Santa Fe recently expanded its cafeteria (La Casa Cafe Grill), rental area and ski shop. Worth a stop to relax or enjoy a drink on the sunny deck is the Totemoff Bar/Grill. www.skisantafe.com

Before we got to Taos (another family-owned ski resort), I heard all about its steepness - so I admit I was a bit intimidated. I signed up for an intermediate ski class and had a blast exploring the mountain and even skiing on some bumps (moguls). This is an exhilarating mountain to ski! And the food is so satisfying. I especially enjoyed the tacos at Tim's Stray Dog, green chili burger at Rhoda's, and drinks at The Martini Bar - the perfect place apres ski place. I have to add that I had an amazing lasagne at the Edelweiss Lodge in town.
www.skitaos.org.

While in Kona, someone we met referred to Hilo as "the dark side."  We laughed but understood what he meant. Black sand beaches and frequent (albeit short) rain showers are in contrast to Kona's white sand beaches and sunshine.
However, Hilo is also lush and flush with waterfalls and streams. And, of course, is situated on the outskirts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a must-see region. We spent an entire day at the park hiking to the bottom of the crater and staying for the amazing glow from Halemamau crater. As the sun begins setting, the glow starts out as a faded pink and intensifies as the sky darkens. It gets very cold there! Be prepared and wear a jacket. Read more about it on my blog.

Sure, there's a lot to do in Hawaii but my favorite thing is to play on its various beaches. No surprise, right, since Hawaii is known for its gorgeous beaches. We stumbled upon Secret Beach, a pristine stretch of sand and coves that we had all to ourselves! From Waikiki's city beaches to the North Shore's famous surf beaches, there's a sandy site for everyone. Each time we visit, we rent a car and drive around the island, stopping for views, meals and swimming. It only takes about three and a half hours - with stops along the way - to circle the entire island.
On this recent trip, we stayed at the Aston Waikiki Banyan hotel, which has city and ocean views from its location one block from the beach. Waikiki Beach is calm, ideal for learning to surf or floating on a raft. I bought a $3 raft from one of the many ABC stores (they filled it with air for an extra 60 cents). While in Waikiki we took free ukulele and lei-making classes at the Royal Hawaiian Center, sipped Mai Tais at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, rode segways (www.segwayof hawaii.com)along the shoreline and did standup paddling in a lagoon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
In contrast to the fun hustle bustle of a city/beach town with shops and restaurants at our fingertips, our next stop - Ko Olina - was secluded and serene. Here, we settled quite comfortably into the oceanfront Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa (right next to the Disney Aulani Resort). Our spacious room with private lanai overlooking the ocean enabled us to sleep to the sound of the waves. Paddle boards, kayaks and snorkel gear are available to rent for use in the cove.
A trip highlight for us was a snorkel tour with Wild Side Specialty Tours (www.sailhawaii.com). The three-hour morning tour brought us to turtle and dolphin sites. Crew briefed us on how to swim alongside but not touch marine life.