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Oregon's Wine Country

 

Who knew that Oregon even had "wine country" but it does. So wine connoisseurs out there can take a different tour by traveling to Oregon to check out the some 400-plus wineries that process the fruit of about 20,000 acres of grapes. Napa Valley and France are the places typically associated with wine and champagnes. Turns out Oregon can holds its own. There are wineries in Washington, Yamhill (dozens in Yamhill) and Polk counties among others. You might consider starting in Yamhill county since the majority of the wineries can be found here. Work with your travel agent to map out the best tours, places to stay and sights to see.

 

North Coast Springtime Escape

The unexpected early spring has invited the flowers to bloom and the sun to shine along California's North Coast. You can drive up or down Highway 1 and enjoy the colorful rainbow of wild flowers blooming in all of their glory. Notice the poppies, daffodils and even tulips decorating the landscape in their colorful array of clusters sprinkled throughout the green grass of the coastal range. The sun is shining bright and warm. You can start your trip on Highway 101 and cut through on Highway 29 or 120 and drive through the tall redwoods where it's green, wet and lush with spring runoff. Make your way as far north as Fort Bragg and invest in a weekend package that includes excursions through the redwoods on the famous Skunk Train or a stroll through the Botanical Gardens where you can whale watch off the cliffs and see for miles off into the clear horizon. Choose from one of the numerous lodges right on the ocean such as the Northside Sea Cliff Inn, open your slider and hear the crash of the waves, and fill the jacuzzi tub that sits next to the door and just listen. The Northside serves a continental breakfast with muffins and fruit as part of your stay. Get up the next day, stroll old Fort Bragg, and stop for lunch at one of the numerous cafes that line the main street. If you don't have children along, maybe make an appointment at the Bamboo Spa and enjoy a relaxing massage. 

Best Place for a Picnic in San Francisco - Baker Beach

San Francisco isn't known for its beaches, but it does have a few in the area. Mile-long Baker Beach is among the most famous and makes a great place to enjoy a family picnic and fly a kite or two. When the sun comes out, the climate is tepid and cool. You can go down, bring some food, and some great beach toys and spend an enjoyable afternoon playing on the beach. In the summer months when it's not foggy, you can enjoy some sunbathing, too. The public picnic area has tables, grills and restroom facilities. Located near the foot of the rugged western shoreline of the Presidio, the view from the beach gives you a spectacular outlook on the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. Many quintessential movies and TV shows have filmed the Golden Gate Bridge from this viewpoint. 

Kirk Creek Campground

The central California coast in winter is tepid, mild and lacks fog, which is quintessential to California's coast in the summer. In winter, expect some rainy days, but if you plan your trip right, you can visit on a mild weekend when the sun shines. Sunset magazine released the top 10 California campgrounds and rounding out no. #6 is Kirk Creek Campground in the Los Padres National Forest in Big Sur. This pristine campground is located near Big Sur, which is also a little artist's community. You can drive up Highway 1 and find numerous galleries and some fantastic restaurants including the Post Ranch Inn's Sierra Mar, which offers four-star cuisine. Please beware it's expensive. If you want to camp, make sure you get your reservations well in advance of your trip. Most state and federal campgrounds fill up fast, especially in the high season.

Tips on Tipping

The mysterious tipping process. How do you know when, who and how to tip? Different occasions have different tipping ideas. You can use the following information to help you decide how to tip when you're on vacation.

Cruise Ships -- You can now pre-tip per a specified scale before you get on your cruise ship. Some passengers don't like this idea. They want their servers to earn their tips and give more or less dependent upon good or bad service. Tips on cruise ships go to: cleaning and maid service, head steward, table service waiters and waitresses and head waiters, and chefs. You can expect to pay roughly $350-$450 in tips on a weeklong cruise. If elect to tip more then you may pay more. 

Resorts and Lodges -- Tips should go to your bellboy or girl. Recommended tip per piece of luggage is $5 each piece. Now a bellboy who does nothing more than remove a piece of luggage from your trunk, give him or her a $1 per luggage. 

Restaurants -- You can tip your waiter or waitress the standard 15%. If they do an exceptional job, 20% is always a generous tip. In California, an easy trick is to simply double the sales tax to come up with your tip amount. 

Spas -- Recommended tip for spa service is the same as restaurants, 15%. Spa services are generally pricy in the first place, so if you drop it to 10% you are still likely to be giving your service provider a healthy tip. Unlike waiters and waitresses who barely make minimum wage, spa providers make a decent income outside of tips. So a 10% tip still helps and keeps your services to an affordable level. 

Great Roadside Diner -- Taylor in St. Helena and Napa

Sometimes all you want is a great hamburger but not necessarily the fast food variety. When traveling with your family through the Napa Valley, consider a quick stop at Taylor's Refresher on 933 Main Street that runs through St. Helena for those traveling the main road and do not wish to detour. They have two other locations in Napa. Taylors offers gourmet family food with a bent toward good nutrition. Now some might argue a hamburger under any circumstances is not nutritious, but compared to its competitors, Taylors' burgers are a healthy alternative for your family to get a quick bite while on the road. They serve a variety of organic options, but the burgers and sweet potato fries will absolutely satiate your desire for a homemade delight. The sweet potato fries are scrumptious too. They have outdoor seating so when it's warm and dry, this stop makes the perfect place to get out of the car, rest, eat and let your kids stretch their legs.

Three Important and Valuable Travel Tips

Restaurants in Tourist Areas -- never assume that when you order a day's special entree that it will match the prices on the menu. If you're dining in an area that is a known tourist hotspot, be careful when presented with a "special" and be sure to ask the price. While the other entrees on the menu might be economically priced, a "special" might be two or three times the price. Sometimes the wait staff counts on your "assumption" that the price will be in the same range as the other dishes to deliver a meal five times the price. So, always ask for the specific price lest you end up with an unexpected bill.

Tropical, Wet Weather -- in places like Hawaii or the Caribbean while you may stay nicely warm, it doesn't mean you will stay dry particularly in the wet season. Make sure you bring a poncho or at least an umbrella so you don't get stuck needing to buy one. Also, be sure to wear things like capri pants or heels so that your pant legs don't drag on the wet and puddled ground and necessitate more laundry than you anticipated. Very heavy downpours can literally come in and out just as quickly and unexpectedly so carry some kind of poncho or umbrella in your purse or bag. Also, while it maybe warm enough to wear short-sleeve or even sleeveless shirts and dresses, once you're drenched and a breeze blows, you will catch a chill. So bring a light sweater in your luggage (besides, you'll want one for the plane ride). 

Taxi Cabs -- you can't predict what your taxi driver will be like. Some drivers weave in and out of traffic and hit the breaks in a sudden and rapid pace. When you get in your taxi, make sure you politely ask your driver to slow down and be careful. Tell them you get easily car sick if you feel uncomfortable asking them to slow down. Taxi drivers do this every day and sometimes lose perspective on their passenger's feelings in a strange city. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. You are paying for the ride after all. 

A True Foodies Delight -- Culinary Tours

Did you know that you can take culinary tours through countries? Yes, you can arrange with your travel agent to take a culinary tour where the trip is focused on either learning to cook the foreign foods or just eating and/or cooking. Some fantastic countries famous for culinary tours include:

France -- you can arrange a culinary tour through French wine country and then down to Provence and St. Tropez. As noted, you can elect to cook your way through the experience or simply eat your way through the country. France is famous for pastries, blood sausage and seafood delicacies along the coastline. 

Italy -- of course Italy is world-famous for its foods. Different regions, though, are well-known for specific foods, from pizza to pasta. Italian pizza is not what we eat here in America. They don't put cheese on it, and it's more like a flat bread with herbs and season to bring out the tastes. Florence, for example, is famous for its specific cuisine. So sit down with your travel agent and design your trip around the foods that please you.

Germany -- another country world-famous for its Bavarian specialties, and of course, beer. You can enjoy authentic choices such as bratwurst or sauerkraut. Design an eating tour around Octoberfest and the beer gardens. 

Please note: some countries are now famous for their food. In fact, some countries serve common foods that a lot of people will not like. What we eat here in America that is considered, for example, authentic Chinese food isn't even close. So, be discerning on your choice of culinary trips and be sure it's what you expect. 

Apple Pickings

If you've headed to the world-famous Apple Hill near Camino, California then you know that during prime apple-picking season, it can be as popular as Disneyland with traffic backed for miles up into Placerville. So you either have to go very early or late in the season mostly to avoid the traffic congestion. If you would rather pick your own fruit outside of Apple Hill, then use this handy directory to find places throughout California to pick your own fruits and vegetables and avoid the crowds. You can create your produce tour up and down the great farm state. Look for a location near a great destination and make it a weekend soiree.

Visit Maine in Fall

The turn of the leaves comes to Maine around the last week of September and first week in October. A tour throughout the state of Maine in the fall is one of the prettiest and most breathtaking fall trips you can take anywhere in the United States. We recommend you begin in the north and travel south, as the leaves turn northern to southern based on the temperature drops that turn the leaves. Favorite cities to visit include Bangor, Portland, Rockland and Waterville. The further north and inland you go you will find more deciduous forests that mix ever-greens with colorful maples and other trees with leaves that transform from green to bright yellow, orange, red and deep purple. If you really want to see the countryside, arrange a bus tour throughout the state with key stops along the coastline. Don't forget to enjoy some of the best lobster in the world and some fresh seafood and New England clam chowder right from the source. You can also plan to launch from Maine and travel up to Nova Scotia in Canada, which you will need a Passport to go in and out of Canada.