Posts Tagged ‘summer’
Thursday, July 9th, 2015
San Miguel de Allende is known for its Spanish colonial architecture, great food, pleasant summer climate, and incredible vistas. So, when do you plan to book your trip there? Photo Credit: Jiuguang Wang (https://goo.gl/bDa73z)
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
July 4th has come and gone. While many people limit their days off to Independence Day week, August, and perhaps Labor Day, the e-Management Travel Team knows that July is a great month to travel; so we got together and created our vacation recommendations for summer travelers. Check them out!
Try the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Located approximately 100 miles north of Seattle, the scenic islands are popular in July. Surrounded by pristine blue ocean and made up of spectacularly lush green terrain, summer temperatures on the islands are in the comfortable 70-degree range. The islands are also known for their small towns and villages, vineyards, and fine cuisine prepared from local food sources. Nature and marine life enthusiasts may find orca whale watching fascinating. Known for its annual Tour de Lopez (on Lopez Island), the area is great for cycling. The San Juan Islands may be one of the country’s best kept summer secrets.
Explore La Fête Nationale in France. For those who fancy international travel destinations, France in July is a wonderful option. Americans who enjoy Independence Day celebrations on July 4th should certainly check out how the French party and celebrate their Bastille Day (officially La Fête Nationale). The July 14th holiday commemorates the start of the French Revolution. Events are nationwide, but visitors may want to visit Paris for the Military Parade on the Champs-Élysées. Visitors will love the annual concert on the Champs-de-Mars. As with any big celebration, there are major fireworks lighting the sky around the Eiffel Tower. Traveling on a budget? The has a page for finding deals in France.
Visit the Heart of Mexico. Time magazine picked July as a great month to visit San Miguel de Allende located in the heart of the Mexico and we agree. Named after General Ignacio Allende (a prominent leader in Mexico’s quest for independence from Spain), the town is rich in history and charm. For those who love architecture, the town is known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial buildings and edifices. San Miguel offers low humidity and comfortable temperatures during the day and cool nights. Foodies will love a sundry of rooftop restaurants that provide stunning views of the town. July also offers lower lodging costs for budget-conscious travelers. *** Great food, low prices, and amazing views…what are you waiting for, call your travel agent today. J ***
Discover Maui. Ranked at the top of the U.S. News & World Report Best Summer Vacations list, Maui is a great destination for those looking for a happy medium between upbeat nightlife and complete tranquility. First of all, the island has over 30 miles of celebrated beaches. Travelers who enjoy a good game of golf may be interested to know that the island has some of the best courses in the world. Nature lovers may want to take a day trip to Haleakala National Park, the perfect destination for hiking, camping, and viewing stunning sunsets and sunrises. For nightlife and a fine dining, check out Kihei and Lahaina. Each is known for singalong bars, dance clubs, and sports pubs. Visitors can relax in the tiered Pools of Oheo, which are filled by waterfalls.
Enjoy San Francisco. Contrary to popular belief, Mark Twain never said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Hopefully, that revelation alone should encourage visitors to consider this picturesque city in the summer. Besides, most people don’t go to San Fran for the weather. They go for the variety of options for fun. What’s so great this town? Everything! You get to ride on vintage-style cable cars that are popular with visitors of all ages and backgrounds! There’s the scenic Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps the most famous overpass in the nation. Other tourist attractions include one of the country’s most infamous prisons Alcatraz, the eclectic Fisherman’s Wharf, and the charming Palace of Fine Arts. Traveling with young ones or teens? Check out the Walt Disney Family Museum. Its Tomorrowland: Walt’s Vision for Today exhibition runs from July 22 through December 7, 2015! San Francisco has a little bit of something for everyone.
The Best of July
That’s our shortlist of places to visit in July. The Travel Channel lists other options like Barbados, Provincetown (Massachusetts), and Pamplona (Spain). Those are certainly on our bucket lists! (1) Do you plan to travel this summer? (2) What are your favorite summer destinations? (3) What other times of the year are great times to travel based on your experiences?
Tags: Bastille Day, Champs-Élysées, Dennis Powell, , Eiffel Tower, foodie, France, Golden Gate Bridge, golf, Hawaii, Maui, Mexico, Ola Sage, San Francisco, San Juan Islands, San Miguel de Allende, summer, Tomorrowland, tourist, Travel
Posted in Dining, Events, Family, Lifestyle, Travel | 24 Comments »
Adventures of the “Younger” Colleen (Part II)
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
by Colleen Schuler, e-Management
Hey, thanks for coming back! To recap from Part I, my family is just about ready to start a vacation with two adults, five kids, and a dog with a 7-year-old station wagon pulling a 19-foot trailer. Whew!
We’re living in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan—about 25 miles from the Canadian border. We’re on our way to the World’s Fair in Montreal. The day of the trip looms bright and early—but not early enough for my dad. We need to get a move on! We finally pull out of the driveway. But before we cross the border, my dad wants to stop at the bank and exchange some currency. As we see him disappear into the bank, we notice steam slowly coming out from underneath the hood. Oh boy.
The U.S. Pavilion at the Word’s Fair (Expo ’67) in Montreal.
We find a garage that can fix the car (a leaky radiator hose) that day but by the time it’s done, it’s early afternoon. And there’s no way dad can make it to the campground before dark. So he decides that we’re going back home and starting all over tomorrow! As you can imagine, we’re all pretty upset about it and my two younger sisters are crying their eyes out all the way back to the base.
Next day, we do get an earlier start since the trailer’s already packed. But unfortunately, when we reach Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, we’re smack dab in the middle of an Airstream trailer caravan—about 300 or so of them. They’re pouring out of every side street! (Airstreams have a distinctive aluminum body with a sausage-like shape.) My dad is just a tad bit nervous—Airstreamers are seasoned travelers and my dad is just a novice. This is his first time hauling a loaded trailer!
We make it ok to the campground the first night. But parking the trailer was a bit tricky…it wasn’t a drive through spot—my dad had to back the trailer up. To make matters worse, the ground was muddy, the tires were slipping, and my dad has to drive it over a slight hump in front of the parking spot. Oh, and the rear edge of the parking spot has a 5-foot drop to a creek. Thankfully, there were no mishaps.
The road conditions weren’t that great—a two-lane gravel road for most of the journey. On the second day, we’re going downhill around a curve when we hear a thumpety-thump noise. Oh boy, the right rear tire is flat. So now, we (mostly my dad and brother) have to unhitch the trailer and unload the back of the wagon in order to get to the spare. Dad can’t get off the road completely because it’s very narrow with hardly any shoulder, so my mom takes my sister’s red sweater and traipses back up the hill to wave people to slow down. My dad said that the only people who stopped to offer assistance were those hauling trailers, too. (Let’s hear it for the community of RVers!)
We make it to the campground about 30 miles away from the fair. The first two days are fine. We’re enjoying the fair, having a blast. On the third night returning to the campground, the engine shuts down (Oh boy). No warning, no nothing, it just stops. Dad can’t find anything wrong with the car. But miraculously it starts up again. We eventually take it to a local garage; but “Bessie” will keep quitting on us periodically for the rest of the trip. Guess what happens the fourth night? Just as we’re pulling up to the trailer…whoosh! Another flat (Oh boy).
On our return trip, Dad decides to go the southern route through Lower Michigan than chance the graveled roads of Ontario. But even on a level highway, my dad could never get the car going past 55 mph. And during on stretch, we almost ran out of gas, the fuel consumption was high, and the gas station were far between.
That was the start of many family vacations with the trailer (much shorter distances, though!). However, my dad said that one of his happiest days happened when he sold the trailer for $500 and saw it towed out of our driveway! Bessie, our ’60 Chevy wagon, not only survived the trip but lasted another 5 years and went with us to Guam. (It will be some months following our World Fair’s trip—and several part changes before the car gets fixed.)
My family still takes the occasional vacation together…and we still get along with each other!
Have you ever taken a trip where everything that could go wrong did? Did you have a great time despite all of the drama? What was your favorite summer adventure or road trip? What are some of your tips to help others avoid some of the mishaps my family experienced during our big adventure to the World’s Fair in Montreal?
Photo courtesy of Alamedainfo.com
Tags: Airstreamers, Canada, Chevy, Colleen Schuler, dogs, Family, Guam, Honda, Michigan, Montreal, Ontario, Quebec, road trip, RV, Sault Ste. Marie, summer, travel tips, vacation, World's Fair
Posted in Entertainment, Events, Lifestyle, Travel, Uncategorized | 11 Comments »
The Adventures of the “Younger” Colleen (Part I)
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
By Colleen Schuler, e-Management
Ah summer…it’s just around the corner and that time of year again…to take the dreaded family vacation!
Well, let me tell you about mine when I was in middle school. Back then they called it junior high. But before I tell you about my family vacation, I have to set the stage.
My lovely family…
At the time of the vacation, my dad was a military officer. And no, he was not a stern taskmaster. Really, at heart, he is a marshmallow and it’s gotten much worse! Although he did, and still does, have a penchant for being on time. One thing the military taught him, though, was to plan. A few days before the trip, he got out his Rand McNally atlas, ruler, paper and pen (pre-historic GPS!) to calculate how far he could drive before having to get gas, stop for lunch, etc. He even budgeted time for pit stops! It was always 10 minutes. I don’t think we ever made it in that time, but it did accomplish the real purpose: no lollygagging. Oh, did I mention there are five kids in this scenario AND a dog? That my dad’s pulling a 19-foot trailer? That we’d have to set up camp, preferably when it’s light out? My dad had to bring some sort of order to our chaos!
Our family took many vacations in our 1960 Chevy station wagon.
My mom is the quiet backbone of our family. How she planned for this vacation with five kids is beyond me. I mean, I just have trouble figuring out what to pack for a 3-day weekend, forget planning meals and what pots and pans to bring! And let me tell you, my mom can cook, whether it’s on a stove top, gas grill, or hibachi pot. She was famous for her dinner parties with homemade ravioli and cannoli (filling and the pasta), tomato sauce, garlic bread, even the salad dressing… Oh, dear, I’m getting hungry just writing about it! Sadly, the majority of those genes did a flyby over me!
I have four siblings…three sisters and a younger brother; we span 10 years in age. My brother at this point is starting to get taller than me, which really helps when it comes to setting up camp. We had a tent to supplement our sleeping space. My dad relies on my older sister and brother to help him with that…I just try to stay out of the way! Hey, my brother was always good at putting things together…like airplane models and a Honda banana-seat scooter. So why not put his skills to work?
My two younger sisters are different but two peas in a pod…and both were cute as buttons, usually dressed in outfits my mom made them (yep, another gene flyby). They would usually land in the very back of the station wagon since there wasn’t a third seat. This was before seat belts were required for all passengers—can you imagine?! They entertained us with songs they picked up on the playground (You know, real uplifting songs like, “Comet, it makes your mouth so green, Comet, it tastes like gasoline…!” ). What can I say about my big sis? We could fight like cats and dogs but I looked up to her, wanted to dress like her and she was my protector. Oh, and by the way, all of my mom’s genes landed on her.
Our dog was a poodle. He would do a funny thing when we’d get in the station wagon after a pit stop: he’d hop from the front seat to the back seat to the very back and then reverse it….counting noses I guess, to make sure we were all there.
Oh, and one last “family member”: Bessie, our 1960 Chevy station wagon. She plays an integral part in this story…
So what adventures could two adults, five kids, a dog, and an old station wagon pulling a 19-foot trailer on a two-lane road possibly have? Stay tuned for Part II next week!
But in the meantime, let’s talk about you! What’s it like to go on vacation with your family or friends? Do you have a “lollygagger” in your midst? What do you do or where do you go on your vacation? To visit family, a fun place, or event? What was your most memorable family vacation? Share your story now and be sure to come back next week for Part II!
Photo courtesy of Stationwagon.com
Tags: banana-seat, Chevy, Colleen Schuler, , Family, Honda, military, Rand McNally atlas, scooter, station wagon, summer, vacation
Posted in Entertainment, Events, Travel, Uncategorized | 16 Comments »
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