How to plan that perfect (well, almost perfect) road trip We recently dined with old friends, including one couple where she had recently retired, and was looking forward to the retirement of her husband – and to them making those long-delayed road trips. Whether retired or planning that next vacation, here are suggestions for planning that [...]
Murphys, Calaveras Big Trees, Bear Valley and Lake Alpine – all on Hwy. 4 – offer a world apart! Last week, I shared our favorite summer destinations on the Hwy. 108 corridor above Sonora; this week we offer recommendations for fun along Hwy. 4, from Murphys east to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Bear Valley [...]
Dealing with emergencies when “on the road”; seeking your personal horror stories… I am seeking your insight into emergencies you might have suffered “on the road”; and I’ll make these into a future article in the Record’s travel pages. So, what is your experience? Have you had auto emergencies, trouble with passports/visas, medical emergencies, or [...]
Those pesky emergencies on the road; preventing them, dealing with them; perhaps enjoying them? Since we both retired a little more than four years ago, my wife and I have traveled across the US and Canada (three times), multiple short to mid-range trips throughout the west (logging about 100,000 auto miles), vacationed in Hawaii four [...]
Search on-line travel features in the Record; a huge variety of destinations and travel topics! Did you know the Record offers a wide variety of travel features, approaching 300 articles, which can be selected by “Category” (various portions of the USA and Canada)? Hence, you can go to the Stockton Record’s blog site, choose ‘Valley [...]
Cycling in Stockton and San Joaquin County; exploring your town from the seat of a bicycle… Summer is almost upon us and, like me, I suspect many of you are thinking of becoming more active and dropping a few pounds. Let’s make this summer your time to increase your physical activity and add the fun [...]
Seeking your favorite vacation places! Or, would you like a travel speaker? For a future travel feature, we’re seeking your favorite destinations within an hour or two of STOCKTON for close-to-home long-weekends or vacations. Send me your destination, why you like it, and if you have a favorite picture, attach that as well. We will [...]
Carrizo Plain, Pinnacles and Ft. Ord; wildflower explosion all through central and coastal California We had been up-and-down the state of California on Interstate 5 dozens of times, but never turned off near Buttonwillow to see the Carrizo Plain National Monument just an hour to the west. But several friends had recently posted photos of [...]
We are a couple of days into National Park Week, April 15–23- still time to visit nearby national parks like Yosemite, Pinnacles, Death Valley, Joshua Tree NPs and nearby national monuments like Ft. Ord NM near Monterey, Carrizo NM just west of Buttonwillow and many others. So, get out this weekend, or, plan your trips [...]
Dodge Ridge, Bear Valley celebrate an epic winter with late openings and special events! With a big winter bringing almost 40 feet of snow to Bear Valley and Dodge Ridge Ski Resorts (closest ski resorts to home for residents of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties), here are updates sent along by the two resorts: Dodge Ridge’s [...]
