During our family trip out West, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort was home base. This 4,000 acre ranch next to Zion National Park is about a 90 minute drive from St. George airport and 3 hour drive from Las Vegas. So yes, it is remote, but that’s part of the beauty. We stayed in a cabin, though there are many different lodging options, including camping, glamping or even Conestoga Wagon! This is a special place. Here are some of our favorite things about the ranch. Continue reading
by Cindy
In 2009, my husband Joe and I did a trip to Utah to visit five National Parks: Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion. We also visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on that trip. We were blown away by what we saw and have talked about that trip a lot!
Well, our children were listening and decided they would like to see that part of the country for themselves. So when it was time to discuss the summer vacation, the yearly beach trip was changed to a Utah trip. The grandchildren were older now and ready for this great adventure. Nine of us visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion. Six of us visited Bryce.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit that area again, much less with my children and grandchildren. It was equally amazing seeing it again for myself and now through the eyes of my children and grandchildren. We did some wonderful hikes together. I hope their memories of these awesome places will stay in their minds and hearts as it has mine.
UTAH ROCKS!
by Wendy
We decided to go to Les Invalides because of rain in the Paris forecast. A museum day seems like a good idea, and none of us have been here before. It’s open on Tuesday, unlike The Louvre, and easy to access via Metro.
MJ, Sunny and Jimmy and I walk down a long tree-lined boulevard toward the entrance, as the sky wavers from blue to grey, bright to cloudy. Continue reading
by Wendy
I have a few more tips to share since my last post on the fabulous city of Philadelphia. Jack and I spent a couple of days here after the Thanksgiving holiday and our fondness for Philadelphia continues to grow. Continue reading
by Cindy
On Joe and my recent trip to Banff National Park in Canada, we took tons of pictures of the beautiful scenery, but I can’t believe how many of those photos were of lakes. Continue reading
by Wendy
Here are a few basics for when you visit San Sebastian – you know you’re thinking about it. Continue reading
by Wendy
It goes something like this.
Bonjour Paris! Time to explore the city. Maybe visit Notre Dame and walk along the Seine?
Where do you want to go for breakfast? This cafe looks nice.
This cafe is the best! I could stay here for hours. Should we have another coffee?
Is Notre Dame this way?
Look at the dresses in those store windows. Tres chic! Which one would you choose? Continue reading
by Wendy
Sunday passed in a jet lag fog, with the Roissy bus from the airport, sleepy walk around the neighborhood, settling in our hotel, slightly dazed dinner and early bedtime. Monday we woke a little more alert and very hungry. We wandered a few blocks to a place we spotted the evening before, Cafe Dalayrac, to order petit dejeuner, or breakfast.
It was a gorgeous day around 11am, and we sat on the border of outside/inside seating so we could watch the street scene and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The basic petit dejeuner a la francaise is about 7 euros: boisson chaude (hot drink like coffee, tea or hot chocolate), une viennoiserie ou tartine (either a croissant pastry or bread with butter and jam), and jus d’orange (orange juice). For another 7 euros, you have petit dejeuner anglais, with an added dish of 2 oeufs au choix (eggs of your choice): au plat (fried sunny side up), brouilles (scrambled), or omelette. We opted for the anglais, which was delicious, and thus began our fond friendship with Cafe Dalayrac. Continue reading
by Jack and Wendy
Living and working in DC, Jack and I mingle with tourists on a frequent basis. It’s great to see visitors enjoying their trips to our city. As frequent tourists ourselves, it can be entertaining to observe behaviors from the perspective of locals. Here are a few random tips for the Washington DC tourist: Continue reading
by Wendy
As I’ve mentioned, Jack and I are trying to learn Spanish. One of the assignments in our class was to create a short tourist brochure. I chose Iceland, and had fun drafting very basic sentences about the country and including a few photos from our trip several months ago. This was right up my alley – kind of like a travel post in Spanish! So I had to share. Continue reading