This unique beach located in Fort Bragg, California actually used to be a dump. Back in the 50s, people threw all kinds of trash here and it was a big mess. In 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board outlawed the dumping and in the 90s, they removed all toxic and hazardous materials. What remains is a beach made of glass…sea glass, polished and smoothed after 30 years of being pounded by the surf. Today, it’s owned by the California parks department as part of Mackerricher State Park. Tourists are welcome to walk along the glittery beach and explore its tidepools but don’t even think of snagging a piece of glass as a souvenir because removing it is strictly prohibited.

MacKerricher State Park

Head over to My Adventures to read about our trip to Portland, Maine and see pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Although I had been to Maine as a kid, it was only for camping in the remote areas. Will and I really wanted to check out a city, so we were off to Portland for a couple of days.

Highlights:

-All the action in Portland happens in the Old Port. There are quaint shops, bars, restaurants and waterfront activities. Most of Portland’s big hotels are in walking distance so it’s the perfect place to stroll. Don’t miss Beals gourmet ice cream, a local favorite for the past 15 years.

-Whenever I picture Maine, I see lighthouses and there are more than 60 of them along the state’s coastline. The Portland Head Light is the most popular because you can actually go inside of it. There is a museum, gift shop and a lovely trail along the water with plenty of stops for great pictures of the lighthouse from different angles. The area is surrounded by a large park so it’s not unusual to see people enjoying picnics and kite flying on a nice day.

-I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I had to visit Len Libby Candies, a chocolate shop that’s been serving up hand made treats since 1926. It’s also home to Lenny, the world’s only life-sized chocolate moose!

-If you are want to get a closer look at animals native to the state, the Maine Wildlife Park is the perfect place. Just 30 minutes from Portland, the park is home to over 30 different species that can no longer survive in the wild including black bears, moose and bald eagles.

-For the best shopping, make sure you head over to Freeport which is 20 minutes outside of Portland. It has over 200 outlet stores including the gigantic L.L. Bean Flagship Store which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

Although Portland is the largest city in Maine, it still has a small town feel and all the New England charm you would expect to find in the state.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Portland Links:
Portland Official Site
Old Port
Portland Head Light
Len Libby Candies
Maine Wildlife Park
Freeport Official Site
L.L. Bean

As first glance, the Delsey Helium Fusion suitcase looks like any other, but what makes it special is its built in weight indicator to help you avoid airline charges for overweight luggage. Once you cross the 50lb penalty threshold, a red indicator light switches on so you can remove items or redistribute accordingly.

$240 Macys.com (but it’s currently on sale for $119.99 and you can always find good Macy’s coupons with a quick Google search!)

About an hour north of New York City in the Hudson Valley sits a 500 acre outdoor art gallery called the Storm King Art Center. It’s permanent collection consists of over 120 sculptures by some of the most influential modern artists including Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi and Donald Judd. It’s a beautiful place to spend a nice day walking the trails and picnicking by the turtle pond and if you like shopping, it’s only a 15 minute drive from the Woodbury Common Outlet shops!

Storm King Art Center

Have you ever wondered what the most expensive hotel room in the world is? Well, wonder no more….it’s the Royal Penthouse Suite at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland which rents for a cool $55,000/night. What exactly do you get for your money? Aside from spectacular views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, you get a private elevator, bulletproof doors and windows and a full security team. It’s actually reserved for celebrities and heads of state but, if you have the cash, I’m guessing you can get in.

President Wilson Hotel

Check out My Adventures to read about our trip to San Antonio, Texas and see pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

I’ve always been fascinated with Texas. I’ve visited many other states in the south, but I knew Texas was different; different accent, different style, different attitude. It’s also the largest state in the U.S. after Alaska. With only a few days for our trip, deciding what part to visit was a tough decision for Will and me. We settled on San Antonio because it seemed to have so many interesting attractions, especially historical sites.

Highlights:

-In the 18th century, the Catholic church set up a series of mission complexes in San Antonio where Native Americans were fed, protected and educated in exchange for their conversion to Christianity. The first, and the most famous, was the Alamo. Today it is the most well known landmark in Texas because it was the location of a pivotal battle against Mexico for control of the state. On February 23, 1836 the Mexican army made a surprise attack on the Alamo and, though they were far outnumbered, the Americans famously defended the fortress for 13 days. Legend has it that the Colonel drew a line in the sand asking all the men willing to die for their country to step across it and all but one did. Although they were eventually defeated, the Alamo came to symbolize those that would lay down their lives to fight for America and memorialized by the famous phrase “Remember the Alamo”.

-In addition to the Alamo, there were four other missions in San Antonio: Mission San José, Mission Concepción, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. Some have been better preserved than others, but all are worth visiting since they each offer a different view of early American life in Texas.

-One of the most unique places to visit in the city is the River Walk, a 2 1/2 mile paved pedestrian walkway that winds along the San Antonio River passing restaurants, shops and hotels. If you don’t feel like walking it, there are also boat rides that will take you on a tour or taxi you to various stops.

-Will and I have always loved exploring underground caves, so we were excited to check out the Natural Bridge Caverns. There are a lot of different tours offered, depending on the weather conditions. We took the Discovery Tour which lasts 75 minutes and takes you through the most popular areas. It was pretty spectacular and I really liked seeing the fried egg formations at the end of the tour because I had never seen them anywhere else.

I definitely think San Antonio is an underrated city and was really happy that we stayed there on our first visit to Texas. The people were so friendly and laid back and we never ran out of things to see and do.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

San Antonio Links:
San Antonio Official Site
The Alamo
San Antonio Missions
River Walk
Natural Bridge Caverns