USA
Epic Whale Watching in Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is home to one of the deepest canyons in the earth’s seabed and it’s brimming with life. Take a boat out to the edge of the canyon and, if conditions are right, you’ll witness the nature of the Pacific in its full awe-inspiring glory.
All the food in New Orleans
Food in New Orleans includes Cajun, Creole, Caribbean, African and European heritage. Be prepared to come out of there a few pounds heavier than when you went in. Here’s what to eat and drink in the Big Easy.
Two of the Best Day Trips from New Orleans
Two fabulous New Orleans day trips. Firstly, take a New Orleans plantation tour, offering history, romance and architecture before foraying into eco-territory with a Cajun swamp tour and wildlife spotting. You’ll still be back in New Orleans with time to enjoy a night out in NOLA.
3 Days in New Orleans – What to see and do in the Big Easy
The ultimate guide for what to do in 3 days in New Orleans from walking tours, free attractions, food, bars and excursions with tips on where to stay and when to go.
Five Scenic Drives for a Southwest USA Road Trip
A big part of an American road trip is to get your music blasting as you head out on the highway and soak up the scenery. Here are my top five drives in America’s Southwest guaranteed to get your wheels rolling.
Sedona – Red Hued Views and Vortexes
Sedona is surrounded by a landscape of red rock vistas, pinnacles and sandstone columns set against clear blue skies. It’s also known for what you can’t see – its vortexes. We went in search…
Seligman, Arizona – Kicks and Kitsch on Route 66
It would be wrong to take a US Road Trip without eating up a few miles of the Mother Road. Seligman, Arizona was the perfect stop for Route 66 kicks kitsch.
The Grand Canyon – West Rim Views
The Grand Canyon has to be Arizona’s most famous landmark and it’s a must-see if you’re on a road trip through America’s southwest. Here are my tips for visiting.
Beyond Vegas – Visiting Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam sits in Black Canyon holding back the mighty Colorado River on the Nevada-Arizona border. I wasn’t too fussed about visiting Hoover but was so glad I did…
Top Ten Vegas Must Dos Besides Gambling
Las Vegas is the gambling mecca of the world. But what has Vegas got to offer if you’re just not into gambling? Actually, there are lots of fabulous things to keep you entertained in sin city. In no particular order, here are my top ten things to see and do in and around Las Vegas besides gambling.
Driving Death Valley – the Highs and the Lows
The drive through Death Valley National Park was yet another highlight along the route of our South West US road trip. Death Valley possesses a sun-bleached grandeur, and desolate sense of vastness intersperced with green shrubs, vivid striata, sparkling white salt flats and open-air history.
Exploring Yosemite in a Day
Yosemite National Park is known for its incredible natural beauty, giant sequoia trees, iconic vistas, gushing waterfalls, green meadows and the towering granite giants of El Capitan and Half Dome cliffs. But what if you only have a day to explore? Here are my tips to help you get the best out of a day in Yosemite.
Monterey Bay in a Day
When I hear Monterey mentioned I get a memory flash of dazzling cobalt blue so it doesn’t surprise me that Monterey has been described as the ‘greatest meeting of land, sea and sky’. It’s also teeming with wildlife – here’s what we spotted in one day in Monterey…
Road Trip Itinerary – Southwest USA
Our road trip itinerary for a route through South West America taking in California and Arizona. Here’s how we planned our trip and an outline of the stops on the way from San Francisco through to our flight home from Phoenix.
What to See and do in San Francisco
There are certain things every visitor to the city should see and do; get up close to The Golden Gate Bridge, check out the best views, take a boat across the bay to visit ‘The Rock’ home of Alcatraz, and trundle up the city’s hills on an iconic cable car for both the experience and the views. And that’s just for starters. Here are my tips on what to see and do in San Francisco, the ‘City by the Bay’.
San Francisco Highs at Coit Tower
The Coit Tower, San Francisco is shaped like the nozzle of a fire hose and stands at 210 ft. Head up to the top of the tower in its Art Deco elevator and you’ll get to take in the stunning 360 degree views of the city from its open-air observation deck.
San Francisco – Biking the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge stretches for 1.7 miles crossing the Strait of The Golden Gate which links San Francisco Bay with Marin County. We got to see it up close and personal when we biked the bridge with Blazing Saddles.
My Top Five New York Views
In pictures – My five favourite iconic views of New York from Brooklyn Bridge to the avenue of trees in Central Park and Downtown Manhattan to Grand Central Terminal.
Beyond Vegas: A Visit to the Valley of Fire
A road tour from Las Vegas to Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park to see a landscape of russet-red rock formations, petrified sand dunes, slot canyons and arches eroded by wind, water and time.
Vegas Kitsch and the Neon Boneyard
A tour of The Neon Museum and Boneyard, Las Vegas to check out the vintage neon signs which once illuminated down town Vegas and seduced weary travellers into its hotels, motels, bars and casinos. As well as getting up close and personal to these vintage Vegas signs there are tales of the early Vegas hotels and the characters that used them.
What’s Free to see in New York City – Instagrammed
I went back to New York City for the first time in 18 years and discovered some changes, new attractions and re-discovered some old favourites. There’s so much to see that won’t cost you a dime so here’s my favourites, in no particular order, via Instagram – one of my favourite social media platforms.
New York City – Walking the High Line
The High Line promenades through New York City and ribbons its way between dilapidated warehouses and striking new developments with imaginative planting, reflective spaces and intriguing art installations en-route.