Tag Archives: california

Cash Strapped? Check Out These California Travel Packages

Whether you enjoy spending time with your family camping on the top of a mountain or you prefer kicking back on a powder soft beach watching the sun dip below the horizon the state of California has got you covered. However, in these tough economic times many families are putting the brakes on their summer getaways. The trend is not going unnoticed by California businesses that count on tourists to stay afloat. Hence the following travel packages designed especially for travelers who are watching their wallets, but still want to treat the kids to some summer fun: MAMMOTH LAKES Mammoth … Continue reading →

What to Know Before You Go—San Francisco Part 2

Now that you know that the home of the Golden Gate Bridge is not made of Rice-a-Roni and that you should never utter the words “Frisco” or “San Fran” in the presence of locals let’s review some other helpful tips that will ensure your next visit to San Francisco is a pleasant one. No Smoking. If haven’t kicked the bad habit before you visit the Bay area you are going to have a hard time keeping your cancer sticks lit. Finding a legal place to light up a cigarette in San Francisco is next to impossible. Smoking is banned in … Continue reading →

Summer Travel: A Saintly Destination

Have you ever wondered how city leaders decide what names to give the streets, roads and avenues we travel on day in and day out? I live near Titletown, U.S.A., home of the world famous Green Bay Packers, so it’s no surprise that the streets I frequent have names such as Brett Favre Pass, Bart Starr Drive and Reggie White Way. But in one of the country’s most populated cities, the art of naming streets has become the subject of a new museum exhibit. If you are looking for a family friendly summer travel destination that will provide more than … Continue reading →

What to Know Before You Go—San Francisco

Now that you know where to go when you arrive in San Francisco it’s helpful to know what NOT to do while you are visiting the northern California hot spot. First and foremost never, ever (no matter how tempting it is) call the city “Frisco” or “San Fran.” This is a lesson my neighbor in Hawaii learned the hard way when she was waiting in line at the Honolulu International Airport. She referred to the city as “San Fran” and got an earful from a resident of the area telling her that the cutesy abbreviated version of San Francisco was … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation: Spending Less in California

Continuing my series “Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation” today we are looking at more ways to save in California. As I mentioned in my previous blogs the fact that financial analysts are warning that we are on the brink of a recession has some contemplating giving up their annual family vacations in order to spare their household’s bottom line. However, I’m here to show you that a little planning can go a long way to help save your family’s road trip. If you simply spend some time researching travel attractions that don’t require you to spend a ton of … Continue reading →

Affordable Lodgings in North America

Gas prices are soaring, the price of homes is dropping and the stock market is unstable. For many families the thought of taking a vacation during these tough economic times is simply out of the question. Which is why I’ve been writing a series of blogs on how to travel without going bankrupt. In previous blogs I listed a variety of hotels that are offering incredible savings on rooms–only to take advantage of the deals you would have to journey to the far reaches of the globe. If you are looking to stay a bit closer to home (provided “home” … Continue reading →

Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation

With the economy slumping, the price of gas at an all time high, and food costs soaring some families are seriously considering staying home this summer instead of embarking on an annual vacation. As such I have decided to create a new series in the TRAVEL blogs called: “Saving Money on Your Summer Vacation.” Each week I will spotlight a popular family friendly vacation destination and list ways you can take in the sights without breaking the bank. Today we begin with San Diego, California. It’s one of the nation’s top tourist destinations, but it is also one of the … Continue reading →

Kristi Yamaguchi’s San Francisco

Kristi Yamaguchi may be calling Los Angeles home during her stint on this season’s “Dancing with the Stars” (and judging by the way she busts a move she’ll likely be there for a while), but the Olympic gold medal–winning figure skater’s heart will forever remain in her childhood home of San Francisco. The city by the bay is where Yamaguchi, her hockey star husband Bret Hedican and their two young daughters live part of the year. (They spend the hockey season at their sprawling mansion in Raleigh, North Carolina—-home of Hedican’s Carolina Hurricanes.) San Francisco is also where you can … Continue reading →

Don’t Put Away Your Skis Yet

Residents and travelers to Wisconsin aren’t. Parts of the state just got slammed with a whopping 16 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. So much for a spring thaw. But the Midwest is not the only place in the world where you can take advantage of late-season powder. Slopes from Colorado to Vermont to Austria are offering spring ski deals that are worth checking out. Here are a couple money saving deals that might inspire you to take a final run down some of the world’s most famous mountains: MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CALIFORNIA It’s one of North America’s most … Continue reading →

Celebrating Summer in San Francisco

When I was a child my family would travel from Hawaii to San Francisco to visit my dad’s brother and his family. They lived in a beautiful home in a quaint suburb in the City by the Bay. And as I mentioned in my previous blog because of our school schedule we traditionally made our journeys to the California hot spot during the summer months. While we may have missed out on everything the city had to offer during the spring we certainly got our fill of summer festivities. Here are some of my favorites: During the month of June … Continue reading →