How to Plan & Book an Alaska Cruise in 2023
For many people, an Alaska cruise is a dream vacation. After saving for years, they finally make the decision to go – and then realize there are a lot of decisions to make in the process. Choosing a company, itinerary, cabin class, excursions… the list of decisions goes on and on, and often leads to overwhelm or decision fatigue...
Baja Packing List: 7 Essentials to Pack for the Peninsula
Stark landscapes, sweeping vistas, and starry skies... These are the words I associate with the Baja Peninsula – a state that seems like a world unto itself compared with mainland Mexico. While Baja is certainly Mexican in many delightful and delicious ways, it is also unique: informed by unique native heritage and influenced by different scars of Spanish colonization. Today, Baja is both a getaway destination if you want to escape during the cold months further north and an outdoor playground if you're up for adventure...
UnCruise Baja Review: A Week on the Gulf of California
The taste of lime and salt mix on my tongue as the van hurdles back down the highway toward the marina of Puerto Escondido in Baja California Sur. Like so many memories of my UnCruise in Baja, it was unplanned but entirely entrancing. See, for most people, a van breaking down on vacation is a good way to ruin the day – with UnCruise, it's just another adventure, another chance to dive deep into the place you're visiting...
Alaska in May: How to Plan a Shoulder Season Visit
There's a stark difference between living in Alaska and visiting: when I lived in Alaska, I would have told you that the best time to visit is "during the summer" or maybe – if I was feeling like a less-petulant and more helpful teenager – "June." Now that I've moved away and I plan my own trips each year, I know better: shoulder season is the sweet spot...
Rancho Cacachilas Review: Experience Astrotourism in Baja California Sur
Are you an environmentally conscious traveler? Do you enjoy seeing a dark night sky? Consider how these two ideas go together. Ecotourism is an increasingly popular trend as travelers become aware of the impact of tourism on destinations and ecosystems. Simultaneously, more of us are interested in astrotourism – traveling to experience the night sky...
5 Reasons to Visit Alaska in the Spring
A lot of readers – and a lot of friends in real life – ask me for my tips about visiting Alaska. Since I grew up there, they assume I'm full of handy tips on how to do it for less money, with less stress, and for an even more unforgettable trip. After years of writing about Alaska, I do have loads of tips...
The 22 Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops for Your West Coast Road Trip
Cypress trees and sea stacks. Lighthouses and bridges. Oh, and I can't forget those epic sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. There's real magic along the Pacific Coast Highway – that's part of why I loved living in the San Francisco Bay Area (and Seattle before) and exploring the coast on my weekends...
Where to Stay in Valdez: 4 Nice Hotels in the Land of Waterfalls
Alaska is a big, wild, beautiful place – and each Alaska traveler I've met has a different list of places they want to go, things they want to experience, and memories they want to bring home. For some folks, escaping the crowds and cruise ships is essential, and research quickly shows that Valdez is a great option if you're willing to take the journey and have the time...
3 Days in San Jose, CA: Itinerary of the Best Things to Do in the South Bay
When you think of visiting the Bay Area, where comes to mind? San Francisco, definitely. Probably Oakland and/or Berkeley. Maybe somewhere in the North Bay like Napa or Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. Does San Jose come to mind? There are far more things to do in San Jose than you might think. San Jose is the final piece of the puzzle – the South Bay’s great weekend destination...
