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.

We begin our series of tour guide interviews with Alison Merrill. Alison has been a tour guide for 13 years and is in it for life! She specializes in tours of the American West in both English and French, and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

I am university educated, with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and French Literature. I went to graduate school for many, many years, in French Literature.

So how did you get started as a tour guide?

When I moved to California, I needed to work, and my background was kind of limited to academia, fine languages, and personal travel. I knew about teaching and lecturing, which is similar to leading tours. Since San Francisco is a hub for tourism, I thought I could use my language skills as a tour guide.

What do you like about being a tour guide?

I like the flexible schedule—that fits my personality. I love not being in an office, and not having to commute. I work with a lot of foreign people, so I enjoy acting as an interpreter of American culture and politics. People are somewhat familiar with American life because of movies and the media, but I can give them a very different perspective and really teach them a lot.

Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah

What are your favorite kinds of tours to give?

I work in the American West, which as far as I’m concerned is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. California is famous the whole world over, and the tours around the Southwest and Canyon country are so unique and stunningly beautiful.

When is the best time of year to go to the Southwest?

Every season has its advantages. Summertime is the most convenient for families, but it’s also the hottest time of year, so you can’t do as much hiking. Springtime is nice but there are a lot of tour buses on the road so it can get crowded. September and October are beautiful because of the fall colors. And while it snows in the winter, that too can be really beautiful. All the parks stay open in the winter so it’s a great way to see them without the crowds. It’s beautiful all year round, so I would just recommend trying to go in the off-season to get lower plane ticket prices.

Zion National Park in the winter

What are the must-see destinations in the Southwest?

The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell, Zion Canyon, and Arches are the most popular. Many people spend 8-10 days doing a circle starting and ending in Las Vegas—they might take day trips to Death Valley or the Valley of Fire from Vegas and then continue on to the Grand Canyon and the rest. There’s a lot of driving, sometimes 250-300 miles a day, but people on my tours often say they don’t get bored because the scenery changes from morning to afternoon and is just so beautiful. So no napping on the bus!

View of Lake Powell from above

What activities do you recommend?

In Moab, Utah (near Arches), there is a wonderful Hummer tour that goes off-road and is really fun. In Monument Valley many people take the jeep tour as it’s the only way to get into the valley. If you’re looking for adventure, rafting out of Moab can be fun. Horseback riding is great in Bryce and in Page, near Lake Powell. The best way to see Arches is on a scenic air tour from Moab—very small planes with 4-9 passengers, on a 50 minute flight. Another great air tour is over Lake Powell. These are fantastic ways to see these huge places that you can’t see from a photo stop in your car, or even a hike won’t give you the perspective. In Lake Powell you get to see the contrast in colors of this turquoise blue ribbon cutting its path through the ochres and reds of the American desert.

What’s the best way to enjoy the Southwest while traveling with kids?

A great thing to do with kids is a Western-themed dinner. There will be singing cowboys on stage, and it’s a great family activity. There is one in Bryce and one in Moab. You can also get your kids cowboy hats and sheriff star badges, that makes for adorable pictures as well!

What are some good souvenirs you can find in the Southwest?

I always recommend people buy from Indian Country because many things are handmade—there is an endless selection of turquoise and silver jewelry, which are great souveniers and really unique. They also have handmade Indian dolls, pottery, baskets, statues, great wall hangings.

Do you ever get tired of working in the American West?

I’ve been doing it for 13 years, and must have seen the Grand Canyon over 150 times, but I don’t get sick of it. To me it’s the most beautiful place in the world, and I never get tired of seeing my passengers’ faces—I love watching how much pleasure they get out of their trip.

We love these travel blog posts about the Southwest — click for more!

• Joshua Tree on MatadorNetwork
• Packing list for the Grand Canyon on MatadorNetwork
• Romantic Arizona Roadtrip on The Amateur Traveler

Years before I lived in New York City and worked at the Empire State Building, I was a new tourist, navigating the overwhelming streets for the first time, my head continuously tilted back to take in the towering view above me.

My first stop in the city was the top of the Empire State Building. My mom and I got up early to be at the front of the line for the ear-popping ride up 86 floors. Immortalized in movies from King Kong to Sleepless in Seattle, the classic art deco icon stands so tall, you can walk past it on the street level without noticing. But from far away, it is a beacon, marking midtown and standing as a reminder of New York’s grand past when tall buildings, such as the Chrysler Building and 30 Rockefeller Center, were shaping New York’s skyline. In New England towns, it’s the church steeples that stick up above the rooftops and connect a town to its past – in New York, it’s the radio spire of the Empire State Building.

Now I work in the 34^th floor of the Empire State Building, and the platform at the top is one of my favorite corners of the city where I frequently take visiting friends and relatives. It is on this level that you can go outside into the New York breeze above pigeon level and water towers and skyscrapers. The entire city is stretched out to the horizon and up into the sky. The old-fashioned view finders stand at the corners, witnesses to how many people must have gazed out over the city, trying to spot the distant figure of the Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building lights up for Christmas

Yellow dots of taxis fill the narrow streets below. You can pick out the bridges to Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey, and point out rooftop swimming pools and restaurants. Central Park is a patch of green against the city gray; the curve of Madison Square Garden peeks around 34^th St.; 30 Rockefeller Center stretches high; the top of the Chrysler building gleams. And through the buildings, just a flicker of Times Square lights flash. You can see how the skyline dips lower between the skyscrapers of Midtown and the tall buildings of downtown. At night, the lights spread for miles. In the winter, tiny moving figures glide across the skating rinks in Bryant Park and Central Park.

Tourists from around the world gather to pick out their favorite sites in Manhattan, or to see the sites for the first time – from over 86 stories up.

This is not quite the top, though. Another small, old-fashioned elevator goes into the needle. An elevator operator pulls the gate shut and takes visitors up 16 stories, answering questions if there are any. One kind operator even held my friend’s hand as she braved her way to the top, although she was terrified of heights.

The needle is smaller, enclosed, and quieter. I find it to be the most peaceful place in the city. You duck around steel beams to get a 360 degree view out the windows of the city spread below. The taxis are even smaller, the harbor even further. It is truly the highest spot you can go in the city – and the swirl of the streets is that much farther away.

The Empire State Building by day

I found a postcard of the Empire State Building from my grandfather to his father in 1936, describing in his yellowed cursive being above the clouds after the fog rolled in and covered the “wonderful view.” I imagine the view from the Empire State Building has changed dramatically since he was there – buildings have risen and some have fallen. But the Empire State Building itself seems to never change.

I often leave work late, through the quiet, polished lobby where men are buffing the floors and shining the classic adornments. They are prepping the building for another day, keeping it fresh for the next batch of new faces to pass through the halls.

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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.

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California Tours offers customizable vacation packages to New York. For more information, please visit New York Vacation Packages by California Tours.

People seem to either love Los Angeles or hate it, and in the past I’ve always been a bit overwhelmed by the seemingly endless snarls of freeways that run through it and the blonde, beachy beauties that inhabit it. But a recent weekend spent in Los Angeles visiting family revealed to me some of the highlights of living there: a beautiful beach, endless sunshine, great shopping … and food trucks!

Beach Day

My perfect Los Angeles day began as my boyfriend and I met up with my cousin and her 18-month-old baby for a trip to Santa Monica Beach. The white sands stretched out before us as we trekked along, looking for the perfect spot.  The beach was fairly empty since for Los Angeles the 75 degrees was a little chilly. I kept Baby Lila entertained by hauling buckets of seawater back to our picnic spot so that we could play in the wet sand together, methodically creating and destroying drip castles. Finally, I could resist no longer–the warm waves of Southern California’s Pacific Ocean called to me and I spent nearly an hour bodysurfing and splashing in the water.

Next, finished with the beach, we took a long walk from Santa Monica Beach to Venice Beach, one of the most popular and scenic walks in Los Angeles. Though we were on foot (or in a stroller, in Lila’s case), many people whizzed by on roller blades or bicycles as we made our way along a concrete path lining the beach. Our arrival in Venice Beach was marked by stands hawking Bob Marley t-shirts and henna tattoos, beachfront shops selling surf-wear and plenty of ice cream places.

We briefly explored the beautiful canals that give Venice its name, and then shopped our way back to where the car was parked in Santa Monica, ambling along Main Street and stopping in boutiques and quirky art stores. In between purchasing a pack of Big Lebowski playing cards at a toy store and trying on summer dresses at a boutique, we happened upon what must have been a budding reality TV star. She beamed at the camera following her around as she pranced down the street; later we saw her happily eating a cupcake for the (presumed) viewers at home. What an LA experience!

A Night Out in Los Angeles

After a day in the sun, we were pretty drained, but we cleaned ourselves up, put on appropriately trendy outfits and headed out to Elysian Park for Los Angeles’ popular Outdoor Cinema Food Fest. Food trucks serving unique, gourmet food have grown in popularity around the US, even snagging their own reality TV show, but they were born in Los Angeles. This festival was a great way to experience Los Angeles: we got to try Los Angeles’ own multicultural culinary invention, Korean tacos, and we got to see a classic movie, LA Confidential, projected onto an outdoor screen with the skyline of downtown LA in the background.

Though full from all the food truck goodies, and tired out from a full day of fun, we had to make one last stop before heading home. We cruised by a few late-night Pasadena taco trucks before deciding on the one with the longest line. After a few tongue, brain and chorizo tacos scarfed down in a dark parking lot, we were ready to call it a night, but we resolved to return someday soon to Los Angeles for more fun!

Visit Los Angeles:

A weekend in Los Angeles is difficult without access to a car. If you don’t want to rent a car while you’re there, you can join tours that will transport you to all the famous sightseeing spots. California Tours offers a 3-day tour to Los Angeles from San Francisco that visits Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Santa Barbara and more. If you’d rather go on your own, staying in Universal City or Anaheim is a great choice for travelers with children, as these locations are walking distance from two great theme parks. The Los Angeles airport area is the most budget friendly while still being centrally located, whereas staying in Santa Monica can get pricey.

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For more on loving L.A., check out Fall in love (or at least like) with Los Angeles on A Little Adrift!

Let’s admit it: American Thanksgiving has changed drastically from a hallowed day of giving thanks and celebrating the pilgrims’ discovery of North America, to a commercialized occasion for eating egregiously and flailing over football. However, one thing that has not changed about Thanksgiving, held on the fourth Thursday of November, is the tradition of Americans spending time with their loved ones — consequently ramping up travel business by driving or flying hundreds of miles per capita over a mere four days.

Travel tips
Because Thanksgiving is a hectic time for travel, we suggest finalizing your plans now. Advance tickets and accommodations are more available in October than they will be even in early November. Furthermore, planes will be stuffed like a traditional turkey with all the passengers jetting cross-country, so pack light to eliminate checked bag fees and ensure you have space in the overhead bins. Roads will be more crowded on Thursday for trips under 100 miles, so consider driving on Wednesday for short distances. Likewise, airport and road traffic will be heavy Sunday, so plan accordingly!

Thanksgiving Traditions

Turkey Trots and Football
Americans often gain several pounds from November to January — after all, can you really refuse Nana’s third offering of mashed potatoes with gravy? Tripwolf’s blog paints a caricature of the typical Thanksgiving post-prandial state: “TV and movies don’t usually show the very unsexy parts of Thanksgiving where you’re watching football in a half-comatose state after having covertly unbuttoned your jeans.” So get out of that house or hotel!

Burn off those two (ok, three) slices of pumpkin pie by finding a Turkey Trot run or race near you. This is great for family bonding and guilt reduction, and many events allow you to run for a good cause. Check active.com’s event listings for a race in your city. You might also opt to start a friendly game of (American!) football in lieu of watching the NFL game on TV with 39 million others — to kill time while the chefs are in the kitchen!

© musicwala

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York
The famous parade of performers, floats and giant cartoon characters is a Thanksgiving tradition for many families as they anticipate the evening meal. For those not in New York, catch the parade on TV from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday. For a good seat when viewing in person, layer up, arrive as early as 6 a.m., and sip on hot chocolate while you wait. For less stress, head to the Museum of Natural History at Columbus and 77th on Wednesday around 4 p.m. to watch the giant balloons being inflated!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday
On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, try your luck alongside the millions of others nationwide who will line up early for store sales beginning at 5 AM, but be safe! Overly enthusiastic shoppers have been known to trample and fight others just to get their deal. Cyber Monday, an online discount shopping event following Thanksgiving weekend, should prove slightly more calm!

Travel Extras

• Pay homage to the original settlers of our country and sample the lifestyle of Colonial Williamsburg for Thanksgiving, including a holiday dinner package and a quaint stay in a local hotel.
• Consider a holiday trip to one of the National Parks for Thanksgiving, for a more adventurous alternative to a weekend indoors. (Californians doubtful of snow certainty can check onthesnow.com for ski reports!)

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Any advice for the best travel at this time of year?