Author: Jim Fatzinger
Behind the Scenes along the Inside Passage…
Alaska Cruise Tips for Independent Travelers Focus of this destination report An Alaska cruise is a bucket list item for many people. Most who make this trip will let their cruise line arrange their excursions. Even so, they may find some helpful ideas in this guide. For those, however, who enjoy independent travel and prefer…
Kupanaha Oahu: Day Trips from Waikiki, Hawaii
“Kupanaha” means “amazing” in Hawaiian. Oahu, home to 2/3 of all Hawaiians (and, it seems, 90% of all vehicles with Hawaiian license plates!) sometimes gets a bad rap because of its routinely congested interstate highways (how does an island have “interstate” highways, anyway?). Because of the notorious traffic as well as high prices for gas…
The Road to Hana (on Maui): A Must-Have Hawaii Adventure
What has 617 white knuckle turns, 56 one-lane bridges, steep drop-offs and some of the world’s most spectacular scenery in a distance of just 52 miles? Answer? The road to Hana – which appears first on Travel + Leisure’s list of “America’s Most Scenic Roads.” This destination report is arranged by (sometimes non-existent) mile markers…
Discover Upcountry Maui: The Island’s Best Kept Secret
Visitors to Maui spend most of their time at the resorts stretching out along the western-facing shoreline – and for good reason. A good number make their way to the summit of Haleakala to view the sunrise or hike the otherworldly moonscape of its crater. A smaller number drive the road to Hana which is…
Visiting Hawaii: Experience Oahu (Without a Rental Car!)
You can find plenty of ideas online for what to do on Oahu. What makes this report different is that we did everything described below is how we were able to experience Oahu without a rental car. We took this angle for a few reasons. Weekly airport (where most cars are picked up) rentals right…
Northern CA Wine Country: The Merry Wines of Windsor
The title of this post is an homage to Shakespeare’s comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor. Windsor, CA makes a superb base for a visit to Northern California’s wine country. Dozens of wineries have a Windsor address; this post features five that represent the breadth of experience possible. Both IHG and Hilton have properties just…