Mazatlan a charming Mexican haven
MAZATLAN, Mexico — The atmosphere in the Plaza de Toros, hot in the afternoon sun, crackled like popcorn, leaving visitors wondering just how long the crowd, growing larger by the minute, would sit patiently and wait. But as late arrivals searched for the last free seats, their concerns melted away.
There are few water arrivals in the Northwest more exhilarating than Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The venerable Empress Hotel commands attention front and center with the stately B.C. Parliament Buildings to her left. Water taxis, yachts and seaplanes all jockey for position in the small harbor, along with the two main daily water transports from Washington: The MV Coho out of Port Angeles and the Victoria Clipper from Seattle. I recently took a day trip to Victoria to see what I could pack in – without packing a bag.
BORA BORA, French Polynesia — It was just after 6 a.m. when the sound of a ship’s horn awakened us. My husband, Jeff, and I looked at each other sleepily, then scrambled to our knees so we could look out the window above our bed. There it was in all its glory: a massive cruise liner that overwhelmed Bora Bora’s western lagoon.
RAVENNA, Italy — The Italian mosaic master sat poised behind her small, wooden work stand, a log placed on end and embedded with a small, sharp steel tool.
It’s always great to experience a new location in a unique way. For those bold travelers who enjoy testing exhilarating stunts, rides, and thrills, the members and editors of virtualtourist.com compiled a list of the “Top 10 Best Spots to Get an Adrenaline Rush.” Here are their recommendations:
For the past decade, I’ve headed to Arizona in midwinter to visit family and catch a respite from cold weather. Each year, as I leave its warm, dry air to return to my snowy home, I’m told, “You really should come when the desert is in bloom. It’s spectacular.”
LONE PINE, Calif. — As howling winds tore through the eastern Sierra, Dan Gillespie and his wife Carol trudged along a narrow gravel path, their eyes alternating between photos they carried and the contours of a cove guarded by granite walls.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Striped balloons dot a bright blue sky. Red rocks silhouette a lone dead tree. A white ladder leans on a brown adobe dwelling.
DUMAGUETE CITY, PHILIPPINES – If you’re looking for a tropical adventure to add to your bucket list, a trip to the island of Negros in the Philippines might be just the ticket.
Circling an entire city block at Southwest 10th Avenue and Alder Street in downtown Portland is an outdoor food court like none other. About 60 tiny restaurants are scrunched together, offering diners four styles of falafel, Thai street food, fried Scottish fish, pierogi and dumplings.
Rose City’s big, blooming bounty Portland’s location at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers and a good 100 miles south of Puget Sound gives it a leg up on the growing season. Naturally, it’s a gardener’s paradise.
Few things celebrate the end of winter like a great drive and enjoying the beach. Whether you can put the top down or not, members and editors of travel website VirtualTourist.com are sure you’ll enjoy any of their top 10 coastal drives.
BURLINGTON, Vt. — There was a McDonald’s downtown in Vermont’s largest city for years, but then Vermont’s largest city decided it didn’t want McDonald’s anymore. So the McDonald’s closed.
MAUN, Botswana – If you’ve paid for an African safari, but you’re still not clear about the details, bad on you. Making the same mistake, I didn’t dig into the heart of the adventure before I headed to southern Africa for my first wildlife safari because I was always too busy. Bad on me!
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston is awash in history and Southern charm and becoming widely known as a culinary town. Each year it hosts major events ranging from the Spoleto Festival USA to the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament. But there are a lot of free things to do for visitors drawn to the city founded in 1670. Here are five suggestions:
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▶ Wows and Vows: Planning a Wedding in Telluride
▶ Hard Days, Soft Nights in Peru
▶ Postcard Perfect: Blue Ridge Parkway
▶ Hard Days, Soft Nights in Peru
▶ Postcard Perfect: Blue Ridge Parkway
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