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Winter Advisory Alert: Lake Tahoe is in Perfect Condition for Your Ski Trip Vacation

January 11, 2012 at 5:00 am

Lake Tahoe Skier       

       Lake Tahoe is one of the most sought after ski vacation destinations in the US, and once you’ve seen it with your own eyes, you need not wonder why. As the largest alpine lake in North America, there are 72 miles of shoreline spilling into California and Nevada. The cold lake waters are crystal clear mirrors to the endless azure sky, creating an awe-inspiring effect of immeasurable blue. As if that wasn’t enough, the lake is surrounded by the famous Sierra Nevada Mountains covered in sparkling snow and pines.

       The vastness of the area is separated into two main areas: the North and South Shores.  Both are equally as scenic, but different in their offerings. The North Shore has the majority of the ski resorts, but the South shore has the largest and most popular ones.  The South Shore is also bumping with a myriad of entertainment some within walking distance or just a short cab ride away.

I suggest planning your trip to the South Shore instead of the North, especially if it’s your first time, just to get a good feel of all that Lake Tahoe has to offer in a more condensed and navigable way. The following list is comprised of options for South Lake Tahoe you can take into consideration when planning your ski trip.

 1. Getting there:

  • Driving – It is definitely the most straightforward way, but it doesn’t go without its hassles.  Weather alerts and tire chain requirements can add impediments and headaches and should be considered in advance.
  • Flying – The closest commercial airport is the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (about 1 hr away from South Shore). Continental and United Airlines offer direct flights to Reno from San Francisco International Airport. South Tahoe Express offers 10 shuttles daily from the Reno airport to South Lake Tahoe resorts or you can rent a car.
  • Train/Amtrak – The California Zephyr Amtrak combined bus/train service picks up in San Francisco Union Square (bus) and Emeryville, CA (train) and travels to the Truckee, CA station.
  • Bus – There are bus services and rideshares from San Francisco Bay area with varying schedules and pick-up times. AlterNetRides is a website that coordinates rideshares, and you can also call your resort in advance to see what shuttles they offer from Sacramento, Truckee, and Reno.

2. Staying there:  You really have your pick when it comes to choosing accommodations in South Lake Tahoe. They range from cream of the crop luxury hotels to salt-of-the-Earth rustic cabins. There are campgrounds, RV parks, bed and breakfasts, hotels, resorts, and even vacation homes fully equipped with additional amenities such as kitchens and laundry. Visit the South Lake Tahoe Official Site for detailed lists of accommodations.

3. Skiing there: With 40ft falling per year, the snow in Tahoe is the main winter attraction.  There are three major ski resorts in the South Shore. Heavenly Ski Resort has the largest ski area and according to OnTheSnow.com it is the 2nd mosSkiert popular one in the US.  The other two resorts are Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe.  All three offer diverse slopes to fit skill levels of beginners, intermediate, advanced, and extreme terrain. If you are showing up sans equipment, no need to fret. You can rent skiing and snowboarding equipment on site (or offsite if more convenient) and even take instructional lessons if needed. For a complete listing of ski resorts, please visit Tahoe.com to see which resort is most appealing.

4. What else to do there:  South Lake Tahoe is a large community filled with food, nightlife, and entertainment. Gone are the days of hunt and gather, you can fill up at 4 star restaurants, buffets, chains, diners, and more. After replenishing over a meal, you could head to one of the many casinos on the Nevada side to test your luck. Once you’re rolling in the gambling winnings, you can move onto a ritzy nightclub for VIP treatment, a hipster dive bar for some low-key fun, or even a pub or dance club.

         South Lake Tahoe is a bustling destination that offers an amazing balance of natural beauty and endless entertainment for a full sensory experience. You will not be disappointed by all the variety in store for you when planning your next ski trip vacation.

For any additional information, please visit the Official Lake Tahoe Visitor Bureau Website.

April Reed calls San Francisco home but radiates out as far as a weekend can take her. She has a penchant for the great outdoors, preferring snow and sun in equal parts, but is always willing to bask in the pulchritude of the world.

 

 

 

Kauai – A True Outdoor Paradise

January 2, 2012 at 5:00 am

Kauai — A True Outdoor Paradise

The remarkable, opening scene of verdant mountains and undulating valleys from the legendary flick, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” was captured in none other than lush Kauai. And it’s no secret that the velvety greens and sapphire blues of the landscape and ocean have enticed producers worldwide to select Kauai as the backdrop for nearly one hundred films. Elvis Presley’s famous “Blue Hawaii” was shot on location. And Jurassic Park, King Kong, and even the iconic TV show Gilligan’s Island locked in celluloid dreamscapes on this island gem.

At its very heart, Kauai remains true to its nickname, the Garden Isle. Unlike bustling Oahu, and larger-than-life Hawaii Island, small Kauai takes life easy in the slow lane.  As the fourth largest island in Hawaii, with only 552 square miles, the island is segmented into five main districts: Lihue (in the south east), East Side, North Shore, South shore and West Side.

Outdoor lovers will revel in its unparalleled and haunting beauty, and it is no wonder that visitors return year after year. When you go, be sure to spend time in these five beloved locales:

1. Waimea Canyon – Plan on spending an entire day here in what is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Bring a picnic lunch and explore this breathtaking canyon  measured at one mile wide, ten miles in length and over 3,500-feet in depth. Popular are helicopter flights that take tourists above and into the canyon itself. The Kalalau Lookout, in particular, yields unspoiled views of the valley, descending 4,000 feet to the ocean.

2. Na Pali Coast – This pristine 17-mile of coastline on the North Shore is world-renowned. Be sure to jump on a chartered boat excursion to see the variety of caves, jagged mountains and cliffs which are nothing less than jaw-dropping.  It can only be accessed via sea tour, air, or foot.

3. Poipu Beach Park – On the South Shore, this lovely stretch of beach was once named American’s best beach. Why? It is ringed with palm trees, soft white sand, and provides great opportunities for snorkeling to see tropical fish up close.  The park offers restrooms, showers, picnic tables and lifeguards to keep everyone safe.  From December to May, you can see humpback whales in their glory.

4. Wailua, Hanalei, and Huleia rivers – Rent a kayak and paddle on these navigable rivers for majestic scenery you have only seen in the  movies. Sacred waterfalls, unfathomable mountains – it’s the stuff dreams are made of.  The river waters are relatively calm, and you can also take a guided tour intended for all skill levels. Also available are zipline safaris for access into private ranches and rare waterfalls near the Huleia River.  The Wailua River, however, remains one of the most popular.

5. Fern Grotto – Take a Wailua river boat ride and get an eyeful of this natural amphitheater that is so spectacular it plays hosts to weddings throughout the year. Opulent ferns create a canopy on lava rock, and a typical cruise up the river to the grotto takes about 40 minutes. A short paved walk extends from the dock to the famous grotto while Hawaiian musicians serenade in the background.

This list is a sampling of the dynamic outdoor diversions of Kauai. Whether it’s your first or fiftieth time on the Garden Isle, the charms of Kauai never grow old. For travel info, visit www.kauaidiscovery.com or call the Kauai Visitors Bureau at +1 (800) 262-1400. Check out California Tours’ Hawaii Packages and book your flight and hotel today! Aloha!

 

Kathy Chin Leong must get her Hawaii fix every two years or she will definitely suffer withdrawal symptoms. This author has written about Hawaii for Sunset Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine, Islands Magazine, TravelAge West, and www.BayAreaFamilyTravel.com

Road Trip: Cruising the California Coast

December 27, 2011 at 5:00 am

Road Trip: Cruising the California Coast

California cities have a lot to offer, but for the true California beach experience, hop in a car, roll down the windows – or better yet, roll back the top – and cruise along California’s beautiful coastline. A drive can take three days or three weeks depending on how much time you have to take in the views, try out the seafood, and go for a swim.

Santa Cruz, just South of San Francisco, claims to be “the Original Surf City,” and boasts a variety of surf shops and seafood restaurants to prove it. The main attraction is the boardwalk with a tall, wooden roller coaster, a ferris wheel, and a 1911 carousel among other rides. For a slower pace, but a lovely view, walk along the pier that stretches into the ocean. You can stroll to the end, popping in for a surf sweatshirt or fried calamari.  But a detour down the stairs toward the barking leads to sea lions lying on the pilings and flopping up on the platform. They want to be left alone, but don’t mind being watched as they laze around and lap up the waves.

Road Trip: Cruising the California CoastNext along the coast is the tourist town of Monterey. It used to be the gritty home of the characters in John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row, in which he described the town as “a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” But now the town is less grit and more shopping – a tourist hotspot where you can have a plate of oysters and watch sea otters play in the water. It is also home to Monterey Bay Aquarium, which has an astounding collection of sea life swimming on display, including penguins, a kelp forest, and an open sea exhibit that includes jelly fish, sharks, and turtles in one enormous tank. And if you aren’t familiar with sea otters, they are possibly the most adorable creature ever. A tall tank at the aquarium allows visitors to watch them swim underwater, and then go above water where they surface and play.

Farther south is the Cyprus-dotted 17-mile drive past and through the Pebble Beach golf course, which offers dramatic views of the ocean, as well as sea lions and, if you are lucky, harbor seals. A map hints at places along the way to stop to see the plants, wildlife, and ocean views. The Lone Cyprus is a tree that is celebrated for its tenacity as its roots cling to the rock it lives on. At Bird Rock, you can smell and hear the animals before you can see them. Peek through the viewing glasses out toward the huge rock to watch the sea lions and harbor seals sleeping, hopping over each other, and diving in the water. And at Point Joe, you can pause to watch the waves crash violently against the turbulent cliffs.

A short drive down the coast is Carmel-by-the-Sea, a romantic city with bed and breakfasts, art galleries, and charming architecture where house eaves curve around and little doors and gardens hint at elves or gnomes around every corner. Clint Eastwood was once mayor of the town. The beach is just a short walk off the main street.

The next stretch of Highway 1, generally known as Big Sur, has some of the most spectacular views available of the Pacific Ocean. The road winds along the edge of the coast, rarely leaving sight of the water. The wandering road requires full attention, but thankfully for the driver, there are vista points to pull off and take in the dramatic views – of the cliffs, horizon, and waves. If you are lucky, as we were, you can just catch a picture of the sun sinking from a sky of colors into the water.

Road Trip: Cruising the California CoastAt the end of the drive is San Simeon where you can tour the grand Hearst Castle or picnic along the coast. Nearby is Pasa Robles and over 180 wineries, specializing mainly in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Chardonnay, Petite Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. It is easy to spend a day popping from vineyard to vineyard for a tasting, or it is a relaxing break in the drive to duck into a tasting room and try a local bottle.

The central beach towns are Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and San Luis Obispo.  Any of them is a nice place to rent bikes or buy a kite and head to the coast, but each has its own distinct features. Morro Bay has an enormous rock, formed from plugs of extinct volcanoes, that is a preserve for peregrine falcons. Pismo Beach has sand dunes to climb on and a 1,200 foot pier. San Luis Obispo is a good place for ballooning, biking, hiking, and, of course, surfing. Whether or not you actually hit the waves, there are plenty of well-known surf shops to pick up a sweatshirt, including Pancho’s, Moondoggies, and Wavelengths.

One note on California cuisine – it’s fresh and good and worth stopping at along the way. Almost anything grows in California, and the roadside in certain areas has plenty of fruit and vegetable stands for a just-off-the-vine-or-tree flavor that is better than anything you can ever get at a supermarket. There are also the prices – such as 10 avacados for $1 – that are enough to make you drool. For barbeque, stop at any tri-tip stand in Santa Maria. Tri-tip is a delicious cut of meat not well-known outside of California, but adored in the state. You can eat it in a sandwich or just chow down on hunks of it. And if you want some fish and chips, clam strips, fried calamari, or delicious fish tacos, a stop at Neptune’s Net at the end of Malibu is a must. It’s also a favorite stop for local surfers who park all along the road to dive into the waves just across the street.

As an end to the roadtrip, it’s hard to pass up Santa Monica. It has the oldest pier in California, which includes an amusement park, arcade, aquarium, and even a trapeze school. Nearby at Venice Beach, known for its artistic flavor, you can rent some rollerblades and cruise along Muscle Beach, where outdoor equipment, including parallel bars, rings, and jungle gyms are available for use. It’s also good for people-watching to catch some of the more eclectic styles of California dress and hairstyles.

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.

Need more of the gorgeous California coast? Consider another perspective — we love this article about California by rail. Contact California Tours today for your own customizable California coast vacation package!

An Interview with Tour Guide Rick Spear – San Francisco’s Wine Country

December 21, 2011 at 11:00 am

Rick Spear is an experienced tour guide based in San Francisco who specializes in private tours of destinations such as Monterey, Yosemite, Wine Country and of course San Francisco. He is an avid traveler himself and has visited six continents and lived on five of them. In this interview, we have asked him to share some of his extensive knowledge about the Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Region located an hour north of San Francisco. 

How did you get started as a tour guide?

I used to work for the federal government, managing children and refugee programs, but on the side I also lead tours as a docent with the National Park Service. In 2002 I wanted to make a career change, and since I so enjoyed leading the walking tours for the Park Service and I’ve always loved travelling, I decided tour guiding would be good. I’ve been a full time tour guide since 2003, and I get to meet people from all over the world, from every US State, and every continent except Antarctica—since the penguins never join my tours!

Do you have any interesting stories from any of your tours?

A couple booked a private wine country tour with me, and then a few days later the guy called me up and asked if there was anywhere nice to propose while on the tour. I suggested a very beautiful winery called Quintessa, at the top of a hill overlooking the vineyards. I called the winery and arranged it, and after the tour and tasting he told his soon-to-be-fiancee that he wanted to take another picture at the top of the hill—she came back down with a ring.

What are your favorite wineries in Napa and Sonoma?

I usually tell people I don’t have a favorite winery. Different wineries work for different people. If you like white wine, I won’t take you to a winery specializing in cabernet. If you like palatial estates, I won’t take you to a “garage” winery.

For me, wine tasting is not so much about the wine as it is about the experience. Pretty much everybody up there has good wine, but not everyone can offer good experiences. I prefer family owned vineyards. I visit Trefethen a lot, because they have nice, friendly staff, a beautiful building, and a good variety of wine including a good selection of both white and red wines. I like Domaine Carneros, because you can just sit out on their terrace overlooking their rolling vineyards while sipping some bubbly. For a really over-the-top experience, you can’t beat Hall Rutherford Winery—they have very special, very high-end wine, and the winery is on the property where the Halls live, which is unbelievable and just spectacularly beautiful.

What’s the difference between Napa and Sonoma?

Napa has more ego and more pretense. You find palaces in Napa, whereas you don’t find that as much in Sonoma. Napa is about cabernet, and when land sells for $225,000 per acre they need to sell their wines for a lot. If you want to have a gourmet meal at lunch, Napa is the place to go.

Sonoma is more laid back, and is also much bigger. There is Sonoma Valley, but also there is Carneros, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley. So those different regions have different specialties. Russian River has good chardonnay, and there’s great Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley. These areas are actually my favorite parts of Wine Country, because they have mostly family wineries, and are not as crowded—it’s not winery after winery.

Where is the best place for gourmet dining in Wine Country?

If you have the patience to get a reservation, everybody wants to go to the French Laundry—that is, everybody who wants to spend $290 per person for dinner not including wine. But it’s extremely difficult to get a reservation. I know of two tricks for getting in—one, is to stay up there and have the concierge book it for you—they often have more luck. Another trick is to go with ten people and get the private dining room.

I really like Auberge de Soleil in Napa. The food is phenomenal, and the view is the best. Go when it’s light out—for lunch or dinner in the summer.

For casual dining in Napa, Mustard’s is great for American food—they have the best onion rings ever. There’s also Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, the Farmstead up in St. Helena, and for Italian casual you have Bistro Don Giovanni. If you can’t get into French Laundry but you want ultra-gourmet, try Cyrus in Healdsburg. It’s easier to get into, and you won’t have to mortgage your house!

In Healdsburg, I like Willi’s Seafood, Zin, and Bistro Ralph. In Sonoma, Sunflower Caffé is great for sandwiches and salads, with nice fresh good food, and you can sit out back in the garden. The Girl + the Fig has really good French influenced Californian food.

What are some good activities for families in Wine Country?

I usually tell families with kids to rethink it. Napa and Sonoma are not very kid friendly. But if you do want to bring your kids, you can do olive oil tasting. The best place is Round Pond Olive Mill in Rutherford. They have a 90 minute tour of the mill along with a tasting of oil and vinegar paired with bread.

The most kid-friendly wineries are Sterling, which has a gondola or cable car that you ride up to the winery, and Castello di Amorosa because it’s basically a big castle. Over in Sonoma there is the Charles Schulz Museum, but you have to be a really big fan of the Peanuts cartoon to enjoy that. You can also visit Muir Woods in the morning and then Napa and Sonoma in the afternoon.

Do you have any tips for getting the most out of your visit to Wine Country?

Keep it reasonable. I get people who call me saying they want to do 7 wineries in a day. This isn’t the death march of wine tasting! Have fun, avoid Saturdays when it’s most crowded, and keep it reasonably paced so that you actually enjoy it! Try to include one or two wineries that are only open by appointment, because that means the crowds are limited. But also don’t make too many appointments, because you want to be flexible and not have to constantly be checking your watch. If you have done one winery tour—ever in your life—you are set. How many identical barrels of wine do you want to see? So I recommend doing one winery tour and just doing a tasting everywhere else.

 

To book a private tour of Wine Country with Rick, check out California Tours’ San Francisco and Wine Country packages and then contact us with your dates of travel!

For more information on Napa and Sonoma visit legendarynapavalley.com and sonomacounty.com. If you plan to be in Napa Valley to ring in 2012, take a look at suggestions for your midnight glass from The Cork Board!