I can’t stop raving about my Rick Ste
ves Convertible luggage. This is the ultimate in a carry-on bag. It has several pockets that allow you to really organize your packing. The bag itself only weighs about 3lbs unloaded. With the new weight restrictions it is key to have a lightweight pack that can take a heavy load. I tend to use the back pack straps the most often, but this pack also comes with a traditional padded sling. The back pack straps come in handy when I am forced to wheel my wife’s or children’s luggage. If you need a little extra room on the return flight, this bag can expand to 2,646 cubic inches.
Tags: Rick Steves
I just recently got back from a trip to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. I wanted to bring one pair of shoes that would do everything from casual dining to light hiking. The New Balance Country Walker fit the bill perfectly. The classic chocolate brown color went well with all my casual travel clothing. The tread was more than adequate for all of our trail walking and the Gore Tex liner kept my foot dry on some very wet days. This shoe was so supportive that I was able to leave my custom insoles
at home.
Tags: new balance
I know many of you probably have a portable GPS in your car for getting around town, but have you thought of taking it with you on vacation? Last year I had a customer take their GPS to Europe and raved about it’s accuracy. So when it came to vacation time this year, we took our GPS along with us to the Pacific Northwest. For a week we were able to successfully navigate Northern Washington and Canada without a bit a trouble at all. Removing one more stresser certainly makes travel that much more enjoyable.
Bean Hollow and Pebble Beach are located off Highway 1 
about 16 miles south of Half Moon Bay. Both of these beaches are small pocket sized with limited parking. Connecting the two is a mile long nature trail. The trail does have a few steps to climb and few bridges to cross, but overall it’s quite tame. You will experience some great views of the rugged coast. You are also likly to see a few Harbor Seals swimming in the surf and sun bathing on the rocks, but for my money the tide pools by Pebble Beach is the big show. These tide pools are easily accesesable off from the main trail. Low tide of course is always the best time to explore. Bathrooms are located at both beaches and there are a couple of benches located next to the trail. This is a great little 2 mile + tide pools gettaway for the entire family.
One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is exploring the rugged coast and tide pools. However, every year we hear a sad story of a family or a child swept out to sea by a rouge wave. The ocean can be unpredictable
so constant vigilance is always necessary. This becomes more challenging when you have two or more children and only one adult. When exploring tide pools with multiple children, I like to take one at a time. I leave the other child on high ground where they act as a spotter and early warning system for that rouge wave. This system has served me well and I would highly recommend you try it out next time your exploring the coastline.
If you have not already checked out the newly renovated Academy of Science, I highly recommend it (www.calacademy.org) The Academy of Science is located by Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. My suggestion would be to arrive early and head right over to the Rainforests of the World exhibit. This exhibit always seemed to have a big line, but it was worth wait. The butterfly garden and fish of the Amazon was a big hit with my kids. The entire Aquarium Level was also a must see. To wrap up the day, I would recommend heading to the Living Roof observation deck. This was a great way to spend the afternoon. You should allow
yourself about 5+ hours to see everything.
After a couple of months my Merrell Chameleon Iso’s are holding up great. Worked awesome fishing, hiking and all around town, i cant complain. I did however decide to upgrade the support and go with a Zapz custom moldable insole. I don’t think it was necessary with the Chameleons but you can never have to much support. For those not familiar with Zapz insoles they are a moldable insole insert. In the arch area they contain a gel like substance that when heated in the microwave for a certain amount of time become gelatinous and molds to the shape of your arch. They are super easy to fit and takes a max of 15 minutes and you are walking out the store with them. They also have great shock padding that really softens ever step including a nice deep heel cup to help you stay locked into your shoe. I would recommend them to anyone looking to add more support and a custom feel to their shoes.
I saw some of Steven’s work at the SVWP monthly meeting. I am a very novice photographer, but I was impressed by his presentation. I would not hesitate to recommend one of his workshops. You can learn more about Stephen at www.stephenoachs.com
Late last year I was diagnosed with a severely strained tendon on my right foot. My podiatrist made me a custom orthodic that was suppose to rectify the problem. Well this orthodic is crazy wide. My foot is a little wide as is, but this orthodic was ridiculous. So being the good patient I am, I committed to trying them out for a few months. My regular Merrells were going to be too small, so I moved up a half size and the Keen Voyageur fit like a glove. It was wide were it needed to be and very comfortable. I have worn this as an every day shoe as well as hiking and I have been very pleased. It is a very supportive shoe with great traction. They finally got worn down so I recently have switched to the Merrell Moab Ventilator in a wide width. I will let you know how that goes.
I recently had an opportunity to explore Rancho Canada from its main entrance off of Casa Lomo Road. Last year I hiked through the back side of the park from Calero County Park. This is a relatively new park so it really does not draw the big crowds. The wildflower displays are spectacular. The photo is from Trailsloggers Wildflower Photography Workshop back in April. This is also one of the few parks that also provides a paved path for handicap access. Wildlife abounds in this oak woodland park. Paul Dileanis who was our photography instructor said he has seen Tule Elk wandering the park. For more information go to: www.openspaceauthority.org