What do the Carnaval de Québec, skiing at the Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, Mardi Gras,
and Mauna Kea have in common? They are all on Fodors list
of the most unforgettable experiences. The list is an eclectic selection of things to do around the globe, some of
which are adventuresome, some of which are more touristy. But I will give it to Fodors, that the list is nicely
diverse. No mention of Disneyland, thank goodness.
La Jolla
I just spent a few minutes reading this short
Seattle Times piece on
La Jolla, and found myself daydreaming of the warm sun and blue sea I saw there just a few months ago.
My mom and I visited
La
Jolla on a Sunday morning this past August, while vacationing in San Diego. Driving into town, passing all the
shops and restaurants, La Jolla had an upper crust luxe feel to it. But we found the quaint beach town to be quite
charming as well. Attending services at the tiny mission-style chapel Our Lady of the Sea was a welcoming way to begin
our Sunday stroll. After mass, we stopped at the
My Place Bistro on Girard for an early lunch.
For $25 we enjoyed French-onion soup, sandwiches and goat cheese salad at an outdoor cafe table. Ready to walk off our
meal, we headed down the steep hill towards the water, where I snapped this shot of Children’s Beach, home to seals,
swimmers and divers who struggle
to cohabitate in the cove. There was a band setting up in the park along the waterfront, and a crowd gathering to enjoy
the free afternoon concert.
Unfortunately, that was all we got to see, but as the article mentions, there is lots more to this quirky California
town, home to Dr. Suess, the Salk Institute, nude beaches and a state park. This website says it all:
La Jolla: Shelter from the Norm.
Galapagos in Wanderlust
Well, even though one of the islands in the Galapagos might be erupting, you can still go…but
maybe you should wait a bit. Anyway, I did some across this
article on the islands in this month’s issue of Wanderlust, a UK-based travel magazine.
Now, taking a trip to the Galapagos along with Charles Darwin’s great great great grandson is unlikely going to be
your experience. But the wildlife there, assuming they are glad you’ve come, will be plentiful. And according to the
article, they are. Iguanas and tortoises are teeming over the islands, and the place has more boobies than a Hooters
convention. So now I’m back on the Galapagos bandwagon. Ready to set sail, volcano or no.
Galapagos Erupts
Bill Reals, one of the diver dudes over at sister blog Divester, alerts us to
the news that a volcano has
erupted in the Galapagos. These islands, famous for helping Darwin develop his theory of natural selection (and
where he perfected his recipe for Finch Stew…yummy!), are a prime diving and tourism spot, so visitors planning a
vacation there would be wise to check on what is open and closed.
Some tourist centers near the island if Isabella, where the
eruption is occurring, are closed.
Actually, some 2,000 people live in Puerto Villamil on Isabela’s southern there is thankfully “no risk to the
population.” By the way, if you are looking for a fantastic book about the islands (other than Darwin’s) I urge you to
read the Pulitzer Prize-winning volume
The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner. This is one of the best pop sci books I’ve ever read.
NYT Adventure Travel Guide to the Caribbean
This is a very well-done means of showing
how/where to go in the Caribbean. Snorkeling, windsurfing, diving, mountain biking…you name it. If water sports
in warm climes are your forte, this is a neat way of looking at what’s available to you in the region. Click on the
sport and get a useful little write up, then download the PDF for printing. Some of the entries have photos. The Times
consistently does excellent Flash interactives, and this is one to bookmark if you are headed to the Caribbean.