Author Archives: California Tours

California Tours features a series of interviews with the tour guides who lead our tours around the US. They’ll share funny stories, travel tips, and details about the destinations that they visit so often.

This week, we speak with Tim Dewart, a professional tour guide based in Boston who switched from a life of performance and theatrical arts to the fine art of giving tours! Throughout the East Coast and all across the National Parks, Tim has spent years cultivating a passion for travel and adventure in the United States.

Boston’s high-end Beacon Hill district

If the thought of going to Miami conjures up images of hedonistic nightclubs and topless beaches, let me assure you there’s more to this Florida vacation spot than meets the naked eye. For the outdoor adventure seeker, sensational water action alone is worth the flight. Further, hiking and bicycling tours guarantee unforgettable day trips to scenic destinations other location can replicate.

Consider this: the region offers over 600 miles of pristine Florida coastline to explore with seafaring opportunities of every ilk. Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County, a major metropolitan area in southern Florida with 35 incorporated cities topping population charts at 2.5 million residents.

Other popular cities in the county include Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, and Coral Gables. Since the county is home to a vibrant Latin American community, tourists gain an eclectic appreciation for Miami’s ethnic foods, Latin culture, architecture, and language with every visit.

According to insiders, the best time of year to come if you want to escape the cold is the winter season, from January to March. That is when temperatures are mild, but crowds are heavy at this peak time. If you want to come during a slower season, the months of April and May are ideal after college and high school spring breaks, and hotel rooms may be cheaper.

What to do and where to go for that natural high? Consider these options:

1) Learn a new water sport. Outfitters will teach you to windsurf, kayak, stand-up paddle board, scuba dive in a few hours. Sailboards Miami of Key Biscayne is at your beck and call for these types of lessons.  See www.sailboardsmiami.com.

2) Take a bike tour or go off on your own. Local travel company dubbed City Discovery offers an Art Deco South Beach Bike Tour so you learn about the city’s architecture, history and culture while you ride. South Beach, trendy and hip with retail stores and restaurants,  is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Miami. Details can be found at www.city-discovery.com./miami.

3) Sign up for a boat ride, but not just any boat ride. Want to hire a yacht for a party with its own skipper? Is your idea of romance defined by sailing out on a glass-bottom catamaran?  How about a speed boat excursion with a glass of champagne a la Mission Impossible? Thriller Miami Speedboat Tours may suit you fine if an adrenaline boost is what it takes to get you grinning. Check out www.thrillermiami.com.

4) Visit one or both national parks. Miami is the only city in the United States that borders two national parks: Everglades and Biscayne. Both parks offer tours, hiking, biking, camping, and boating among unique foliage and wildlife.  See both national parks at www.nps.gov.

5) Dive into as many beaches as you can. Enjoy the variety of Greater Miami beaches which offer a myriad of landscapes and a variety of amenities. Key Biscayne, on the southern tip of the state, features a historic lighthouse, picnic tables, food and drink stands, and bicycling trails. Haulover Beach Park, however, boasts a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, a kite flying area, and pedestrian tunnels.  Log onto www.miamiandbeaches.com

6) Fish, fish, fish. Embark on an unforgettable journey with Reel Adventure Charters. Experienced fishermen will transform you into a macho angler during  an all-day fishing trip or half-day excursion. The Florida waters are rife with marlin, mahi dolphin, barracuda, shark, and more. Reel Adventure Charters charges $650 for a half-day and $1250 for an all-day outing.  See www.reeladventurecharters.com for reservations.

This is only a sampling of what you can do in Miami while you are working on that gorgeous tan. You can also check out Florida Vacation Packages offered by California Tours. Surfs up, dude!

Award-winning writer Kathy Chin Leong hopes to visit Florida again to catch her first marlin. She is editor of www.bayareafamilytravel.com.

Most people have an idea of their dream home – a swimming pool, a spacious kitchen, maybe vaulted ceilings. Or, if you are William Randolph Hearst, a 115-room mansion surrounded by three guesthouses, with two swimming pools, a movie theater, tennis courts, and a 360 degree view of his land all the way down to the Pacific Ocean. And he had the money to build that dream.

Hearst’s reputation is well known as a ruthless newspaper baron who helped drive the sensationalism of yellow journalism in the early twentieth century. But his publishing accomplishments fade away when you stand before his grand estate in San Simeon where the enormous presence of the house overtakes any myth of the man.

To get there, it’s a bumpy 20-minute ride in a bus from the visitors center, climbing up the hills, catching a beautiful view of the coastline and, possibly, a zebra – a lasting legacy of the private zoo Hearst once had with more than 300 animals.  As the house comes into view, reality seems far away. You have the sense that you are stepping into someone’s else’s vision of what life can be.

The bus stops at the base of Casa Grande – the main house – and you are led to the Neptune pool. It is outdoors, surrounded by Roman statues and marble arches through which you can see out to the ocean. The water is a clear, enticing blue, inviting you to grab a bathing suit from one of the pool houses and dive in as the guests used to do. If only!

At sunset, the colors of the sky give the pool a warm glow. It was the perfect time for a couple to slip away from an evening tour I was on. In front of the pool, he handed his girlfriend a rose with a diamond ring. Not surprisingly, she said yes.

The house is so big, it is broken up into three separate tours. Casa Grande is always a good place to start. In the heyday of his entertaining, Hearst regularly invited the most influential people of the 1920’s and 30’s – actors, artists, politicians and writers that stayed in the 84 bedrooms available on the estate. His guest list included Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Louis B. Meyer, Calvin Coolidge, George Bernard Shaw, and Howard Hughes.

He wanted to curry favors and glean scoops, but he also wanted to be entertained. Being a good storyteller was a good way to be invited back – and most people wanted to be invited back. Dinners were at a long table in a huge dining room modeled after a monastery. He seated the newest arrivals nearest to him, and they were moved farther down the line the longer they stayed.

Next to the dining room was a large sitting room with books and seating arranged to encourage conversation. But, a guide told me on a tour, it came with a rule – a two-drink maximum. After dinner, a movie was featured in his private, plush movie theater.

And then there are the bedrooms – opulent and unique, they spread down hallways and into turrets, anticipating every guest’s possible desire. Almost. Rule #2 was that unmarried men and women could not room together. He did not practice this himself –  he built an entire wing of the castle for his mistress, actress Marion Davis, while his wife lived in a different home.

During special evening tours, actors dress up in costumes from the 1920’s and act as guests – playing tennis on the court, lounging in the sitting room, chatting in the bedrooms as they pretend to get ready for dinner. It sounds cheesy, but it actually does make the house come alive. Touring with a group, it is so hard to imagine anyone actually living there, becoming accustomed to the surrounding splendor.

The final stop on the tour is the second swimming pool. It is all tile – with stars on the bottom as if when you are underwater, the bottom is up. And there’s a diving platform to dive into the stars.

After the tour is over, you are shuttled down the mountain to – lets face it – a less splendid reality.

Or, as I did last time, to get another ticket for a different tour and return to the castle.

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Book your vacation along the California coast with California Tours today and don’t miss the history and decadence of Hearst Castle!

Drake Lucas is a former journalist based in Brooklyn, now working in communications for a non-profit organization. She loves a good travel adventure wherever it comes, whether it’s a spontaneous safari in India or stumbling onto a movie set during a hike in Yosemite. Follow her on Twitter: @drake_lucas.

So, going to Orlando anytime soon? If you are like zany thousands who parade into the mega theme parks annually, you can march in lockstep with the robotic throng and do the Same Old-Same Old, OR you can plan ahead, carving out a special experience you can call your own.  Ta da! At no extra charge I give you these activities for light bulb inspiration:

1) Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom – What can you do in this Orlando Disney World Magic Kingdom Park that is unique to this locale? Be a pirate! When you pay the $29.95 online fee to join the Pirates League, you can become a First Mate (if you are a boy) or an Empress (if you’re a girl), get a real pirate name, a bunch of pirate costume stuff, and a shiver-me-timbers makeup makeover. Have your portrait taken and act out your sword welding fantasies in the Adventureland pirate parade with your newfound swashbuckling friends. Whoopee! See details at www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.

2) Holy Land Experience – This quieter theme park is based on the holy lands of the Bible. If you cannot afford Jerusalem this year, go to Orlando! The focus here is on experiencing the life and times of Jesus Christ, through re-enactments, show presentations, and historic areas that replicate markets and walking paths in the Middle East. There aren’t too many times or places where you can share and partake  in the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples.  Pretty good for water cooler conversation back at the office, yes?  Find out more at www.holylandexperience.com.

3) Busch Gardens Orlando – Also dubbed Busch Gardens Africa, you can swing from a roller coaster and pet an animal in one day. With coasters and water rides, the park also boasts a section where you will see African animals and birds. Rhinos, cheetahs, elephants, chimpanzees will delight your inner zookeeper.  The $39.95 Sunset Safari takes you on a 45-minute tour of the 65-acre Serengeti plain where you can hand feed a giraffe and see zebras up close. The $199.95 elephant keeper experience takes you behind-the-scenes to meet the elephant trainers and interact with one of the largest animals on the planet. See www.buschgardensorlando.com.

4) Discovery Cove – This tropical getaway fits in nicely after you have pummeled your feet around the Disney theme parks for several days. The manmade beaches with different water zones for snorkeling and swimming, and private cabanas (yes!) are the perfect antidote for relaxation. However, for bragging rights to make your friends jealous, do sign up early to go swimming with dolphins or to walk the tropical fish ocean floor in a Sea Venture dive helmet. Details are at www.discoverycove.com.

5)Walt Disney World Resort Hollywood Studios- Everyone’s heard of American Idol, but did you know you can be on the American Idol stage or in the audience at no extra cost?  By preparing your own audition song, you can come to the park and sign up early to audition for a chance to sing in front of a live audience that will vote accordingly.  If you win, you can compete at a higher level. The stage has all the bells and whistles of the original American Idol set. See www.disneyworld.disney.go.com.

Kathy Chin Leong, editor of www.bayareafamilytravel.com, isn’t brave enough to sing on the American Idol stage, but she successfully mastered a Sea Venture dive under the water in a giant fish tank.