Category: Travel Planning

Art Institute of Chicago from Millenium Park

Art Institute of Chicago

For a visual treat we headed to The Art Institute of Chicago the second largest art museum in the United States. It’s claim to fame is a fabulous collection of Impressionist and Post Impressionist Art…amazing as these paintings are they are the tip of the iceburg. There’s an extensive collection of American art including iconic images such as ‘American Gothic’ and ‘Nighthawks’. The modern and contemporary art is awesome and its placement in the light and airy Modern Wing is a special treat. Then there’s armor, sculpture pottery and the best treat of all the doll house size rooms of the Thorne Miniature rooms on the lower level where 1:12 scale interiors show American, European and Asian interiors from the Middle Ages to 1930 when the rooms were constructed…..now I think I finally know the difference between Georgian and Regency.Plan on spending the day here. Audio guides added considerably to our appreciation of individual pieces.

Art Institute of Chicago Seurat, A Sunday on La Grand Jatte

Art Institute of Chicago, David Hockney

John Hancock Center, The Signature Room on the 95th floor, View from the loo

It’s fine and dandy to admire Chicago’s from ground level but consider an ariel view. Head for the John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue, when it was built in 1968 it was the world’s tallest building, now it is number 4 in Chicago. Rather than pay vast sums to visit the Observatory on the 100^th floor we opted for a more modest tab offered by enjoying drinks at “The Signature Room on the 95^th floor”.  Views vary depending on where you are seated BUT the most spectacular view of all is the one we found in the Ladies bathroom……check it out!

John Hancock Building, Chicago

John Hancock Building Chicago

La Jolla

Seals in La Jolla Harbor

Be sure to visit La Jolla, “The Jewel,” a sophisticated town just north of San Diego. Classy shops and restaurants line the streets and on a warm sunny day there is nowhere more perfect for an informal lunch and water views than George’s Ocean Terrace (858-454-4244).  Perfect for  lazy beach holiday but do not overlook a couple of sightseeing opportunities:

The Birch Aquarium At Scripps Institution of Oceanography is a delightful small aquarium packed with types of fish, sharks, sting rays, jellyfishes, and other sea life. There’s an area where you can feel some of the  inmates, a café and gift store. Before or after the visit you can spend time frolicking on nearby La Jolla Beach.

Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla

La Jolla town

Another very interesting museum is the Museum of Contemporary Art with its spectacular ocean views, interesting exhibits, and delightful café (858-454 3541, www.mcasd.org).

Two excellent bed & breakfasts in La Jolla are The Bed & Breakfast Inn At La Jolla and Scripps Inn.

George's Ocean Terrace, La Jolla

Disney Concert Hall

The Greater Los Angeles area has an incredible wealth of places to visit and things to do so we’ll present them alphabetical order. Choose those that appeal and stay nearby.

Disney Concert Hall: Over 16 years in the making, this is a magnificent building with futuristic stainless steel curves reflecting the bright southern California sun. Designed by California architect Frank Gehry and every bit as exciting as his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Portugal, the hall is home to the Los Angeles Philarmonic. Self-guided audio tours are available.

Open daily, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, 213-972-7211, www.musiccenter.org.

Disneyland

Disneyland: The wonderland created by Walt Disney needs no introduction. What child from two to ninety-two has not heard of this Magic Kingdom, home to such lovable characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Snow White? The park is a fantasyland of fun, divided into various theme areas. You enter into Main Street, USA and from there it is on to Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Adventureland, each with its own rides, entertainment, and restaurants. California Adventure, Disney’s newest theme park, is located right next door to the main park. Disneyland is open every day of the year and is located at 1313 Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim. (714-781-4565, www.disney.go.com)

Tram, Farmers Market/The Grove

The Farmers Market

The Farmers Market and The Grove: From its humbler beginnings as farm stands in the fields of the 1930s the Farmers Market has grown to a permanent complex of clapboard stalls linked to the adjacent shopping center, The Grove, by a double-decker trolley. The market still sells wares, fresh produce and baked goods but what attracts locals and tourists alike are the stands which offer every imaginable delicacy from gourmet Mexican and Cajun cuisine to fresh pressed peanut butter and orange juice and, of course, gourmet coffee. By contrast with the simple market The Grove is a glitsy Disney-style shopping street of various architectural styles from Las Vegas art deco to Italianate—you’ll find a great many of your favorite stores here. Located at Fairfax Avenue and W. Third Street, Los Angeles, 323-933-9211, www.farmersmarketla.com and 323-900-8080, www.thegrovela.com.

Getty Museum

The Getty Center: Climbing aboard the electric tram that takes you up to the Getty’s mountaintop location, you soon realize that this is not your usual museum visit. Arriving at the central plaza of gleaming white travertine rock and walking up the broad staircase, you soon discover there is so much more than museum exhibits. There is the architecture to admire, exquisite gardens to stroll in, inviting tree-lined pathways to follow, places to dine, quiet corners for contemplation, reflecting pools to gaze in, and spectacular views across the city to the ocean. The exhibition galleries house collections of European paintings (Van Gogh’s Irises, Monet’s Wheatstacks, and David Hockney’s Pearblossom Hwy No 2 being amongst the more well known), drawings (Michelangelo’s The Holy Family with Infant St. John the Baptist), sculpture (lots of Greek and Roman antiquities), illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts (there’s a wonderful collection of Louis XIV furniture), photographs, and changing exhibits. Admission is free. You do not need a reservation for the museum BUT you do need a parking reservation (fee for parking). Often parking reservations have to be made several weeks in advance. There is no convenient street parking. Buses—MTA Metro bus #561 (213-626-4455, www.mta.net) and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus #14 (310-451-5444, www.bigbluebus.com)—stop at the Getty Center. Closed Mondays and holidays, the museum is open weekends 10 am to 9 pm and weekdays 10 am to 6 pm or 9 pm. (310-440-7300, www.getty.edu)

The Getty Villa is modeled after a first-century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy. The villa was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, therefore the architects based their villa, and it’s landscaping, on elements from other ancient Roman houses. The Getty Villa houses the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of approximately 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. Over 1,200 works are on view in 23 galleries devoted to the permanent collection, with five additional galleries for changing exhibitions. You can tour with a “wand” or sign up on arrival for guided tours of the architecture and garden, an overview tour or an in depth look into one particular piece in the collection. Located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA 90272. Access to the Getty villa is only from the northbound, right hand lane, of the Pacific Coast Highway. You need a reservation for the museum, last minute reservations are often available online. There is a fee for parking. There is no convenient street parking. Open Thursday to Monday 10 am to 5 pm. Closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and holidays. (310-440-7300, www.getty.edu)

Mann Chinese Theatre

Hollywood Boulevard—Mann Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theatre, El Capitan Theater: There has been a renaissance of the heart of tinsel town. The glitzy new Highland and Hollywood shopping center houses the Kodak Theatre, home to the Academy Awards. You can easily recognize the spot where they unfurl the famous red carpet, threading its way through the indoor shopping mall past the pillars posting the names of Academy Award movies of the year. Tours of the sparkling theatre building itself are available, www.kodaktheatre.com. You can catch a distant glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign from the outdoor upper deck of the shopping complex. Next door visit the fantasy of Chinese pagodas and temples that comprise Mann’s Chinese Theatre. The courtyard is filled with famous cement hand – and footprints from legends such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe. For the price of a movie ticket (or tour) you can see the lavish interior. The Chinese Theatre may not be the best-preserved theater in Hollywood, that honor goes to the nearby Disney El Capitan Theater whose 1926 interior is now in fine fettle and comes complete with a state of the art projection and sound system, www.elcapitantickets.com. The sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard is inlaid with stars dedicated to the celebrities (some obscure, some that are household names) who made Hollywood great. Located at the junction of Hollywood and Highland Boulevards. Discounted parking (with validation) is available beneath the Hollywood and Highland complex, enter on Orange.

Le Brea tar Pits

Le Brea Tarpits: Learn what Los Angeles was like between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago when animals such as saber-toothed tigers and mammoths roamed the area, only to become trapped in the asphalt deposits that bubble to the surface in Hancock Park. Excavation of the pits started in 1908. Located amongst the rolling lawns each fenced excavation provides details of the prehistoric animals that were found there. Visit in summer and you can see the excavation of Pit 91 in action, watching paleontologists wrestle remains from the sticky tar. Most of the fossils are displayed in the adjacent Page Museum where you can watch recent finds being classified and examined. Of special interest is a tank that recreates how animals became stuck in the sticky La Brea asphalt, frantically trying to escape from an oily grave. Visitors can even touch a massive leg bone of an extinct giant ground sloth. 5801 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, 323-934-7243, www.tarpits.org.

NBC Television Studios: Los Angeles is the television capital of the world. To get an idea of what goes on behind the screen, visit the NBC Television Studios and take their one-hour tour that gives you a look at where the stars rehearse, how costumes are designed, how stage props are made, and what goes into the special effects. The tour also visits some of the show sets. The studios are located at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank. (818-840-3537)

El Pueblo de Los Angeles

El Pueblo de Los Angeles: With all the clamor and glamour of modern-day Los Angeles, it is easy to forget that this city was originally a pueblo founded in 1781 to grow food for the Spanish soldiers guarding this distant territory for their king. You catch a glimpse of the town’s history in El Pueblo de Los Angeles, a little bit of Mexico where Hispanic people sell colorful Mexican souvenirs and operate interesting restaurants on Olivera Street. The 44-acre complex of old buildings (some dating back to the 1780s) has been restored and is now a state park. Be sure to visit Plaza Firehouse – the oldest firehouse in Los Angeles, the Chinese American Museum with its historic Chinese herbalist display on the ground floor and rotating art exhibits on the upper floors, and Mission Nuestra Señora Reina founded in 1781. El Pueblo is located opposite Union Station (impressive art-deco building), on the Red Line Metro at 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles. (213-628-1274, www.cityofla.org/elp)

Rodeo Drive: Rodeo drive is as much a tourist destination as it is a deluxe shopping street. It is great fun to browse the windows of Gucci, Armani, Harry Winston, Tiffany’s, Hermes and the like. At the southern end of Rodeo Drive, where it joins Wilshire Boulevard, is Via Rodeo, a curvy cobblestoned street designed to resemble an Italian via—perfect for picture-taking. Located in Beverly Hills at Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, Red Line buses run along Wilshire.

Warner Brothers Studios: Do a little celebrity snooping on a VIP tour of the backlot sets, sound stages, crafts shops and prop warehouses of one of Hollywood’s famous movie studios. No two tours are alike—it depends on what is open and available but chances are you will get to visit the sound stage of a current Warner Brothers production and stroll down Midwest Street, made famous in the musical A Music Man, and Gilmore Girls. (818-846-1403)

Universal Studios

Universal Studios: Visiting Universal Studios, the biggest, busiest movie studio in the world, is like going to a vast amusement park, there is so much to see and do that you must spend a whole day here. Included in the admission price is a two-hour tram journey that takes you around the 420-acre lot, out of the real world and into make-believe: along the way you venture inside the Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, encounter the howling fury of King Kong, and tremble in a terrifying 8.3 earthquake. Water World, a live sea war spectacular, Back to the Future, a time-travel ride from the age of the dinosaurs to 2015, and Backdraft’s raging firestorm thrill you with their excitement, while the Animal Planet Live show and the re-creation of the zany Lucille Ball sitcoms give you the chance to laugh away all that adrenaline in your blood. New in 2002 is the Spider Man Rocks rock ’n’ roll stunt show. The studios are just off the Hollywood Freeway at the Universal Center Drive exit. (www.universalstudios.com).

When visiting LA we love to stay near the beach a couple of our favorite places are Casa Malibu in Malibu and Chanel Inn in Santa Monica.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Without a doubt the main event in the seaside city of Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium with over 200 galleries and exhibits. The centerpieces of the Aquarium are the huge glass tanks that showcase the underwater world of the local offshore marine habitat from the diverse tidepools to the multitude of life in the Monterey Bay: one tank is populated by huge sharks and colorful schools of fish while another contains a mature kelp forest teeming with fish.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Other exhibits include; playful otters and seahorses. The Outer Bay exhibit, a vast tank of water representative of the outer ocean, brings a new dimension to the Aquarium and leaves the visitor with a memorable impression of just how little is known about this body of water. (www.montereybayaquarium.org, 831-648-4888)

Kayaking lets you enjoy another perspective on aquatic life from an open-deck kayak paddling out amongst the seals and otters.  All equipment, loose-fitting rain gear (although plan on getting wet), life jackets, and instruction are included in the rental price. Located on the Coastguard pier, 32 Cannery Row, 831-647-0147.

A fun way to explore the landward side of Monterey Bay is to rent a side-by-side tricycle near the aquarium and pedal along Cannery Row (once the center of this area’s thriving sardine industry now filled with small stores) to the Marina and Fisherman’s Wharf, a quaint wooden fishing pier lined with shops and restaurants. At the end of the pier huge sea lions vie for the fish cast off the fishing boats.

Old Town Monterey

Old Town Monterey

History buffs follow a 3-mile tour of Old Town Monterey which links the restored adobe structures of early Monterey.

Our favorite place to stay is the Old Monterey Inn.

Monterey Fisherman's Wharf

Monterey Fisherman's Wharf

Cannery Row near Monterey Aquarium

Cannery Row near Monterey Aquarium

Hanapepe

Hanapepe bookstore

Walk on a historic wooden suspension bridge, visit the westernmost bookstore in the United States, discover the art capital of Kauai and eat pie on a Friday night.

Hanapepe

Hanapepe

When Kauai’s main road bypassed this farming town the main street went into decline to be rescued by the “art community” who breathed new life into the picturesque old stores of the early 1900s. As you tour the galleries they often display photos from the buildings former lives when they were rice brokers headquarters, the dry cleaners or a restaurant.

Hanapepe

The Right Slice

On Friday night the town is at its busiest from 5pm to 9pm when the stores are lit with twinkling lights, classical musicians gather on the corner, guitarists strum on the front porch of the bookstore, galleries are open for business, the town’s only restaurant serves dinner and the pie man (The Right Slice www.therightslice.com) comes to town offering ten different types of mouthwatering pie for dessert. Being  a dessertaholic I relished: chocolate pie, and traditional apple. Others in our group raved about the chocolate macaroon and banana cream pie. (Our only disappointment were tacos from Monster Taco…Heather no longer runs the truck. Our “homemade” tortilla was burnt to a crisp, cold and barely edible….we would have complained but the server appeared stoned.)

Location: 17 miles from Lihue, a slight jog off  Route 50.

First stop the

National Tropical Botanical Garden Visitors Center

housed in a 1920’s sugar plantation home just across the road from Spouting Horn Beach Park at 4425 Lawai Road a 10 minute drive from Poipu beach. This is the check in point for the tram that takes you to Allerton and McBryde Gardens. The home has a pretty garden and a giftshop and is well worth a visit as a glimpse (for free) of what you can expect at Allerton and McBryde Gardens. Cost is $45 for a 2½  hour guided tour of Allerton Garden, $20 for a self guided tour of McBryde Garden using the shuttle from the visitor’s center. The gardens are situated adjacent to each other.

Allerton Garden

Allerton Garden

Allerton Garden: Queen Emma, King Kamehameha IV’s wife has her summer cottage here in the Lawai valley. In the 19^th century the entire valley, including what is today McBryde Garden, was sold to the McBryde family as a sugar plantation. Robert Allerton, son of a wealthy Chicago industrialist, had a passion for garden design and purchased a portion of the plantation including Queen Emma’s cottage. He moved here in 1938 with his “partner/grown-adopted-son” John Gregg Allerton, an architect. Together they transformed their acreage into a garden of large rooms with interconnecting pathways bringing in trees and plants collected on their world travels.

Allerton Garden Queen Emma's Cottage

Allerton Garden

The only way to see this garden is with a guide. Our guide, Juan, was full of interesting stories and very entertaining. The pace is slow with lots of stops….no striding along and enjoying the scenery. Highlights include: the sprawling roots of the Moreton Bay fig trees  featured in “Jurassic Park; the soothing pulse of decorative fountains and waterfalls;  buddha in the golden bamboo grove; the lofty walled dining room where the Allertons’ held their grand parties; Queen Emma’s bougainvillea and the peaceful beach where sea turtles lay their eggs.

Allerton Garden: http://ntbg.org/gardens/allerton.php

Allerton Garden Moreton Bay Fig

Moreton Bay Fig-Jurassic Park eggs site

McBryde Gardens: Arm yourself with a map, an essential item that has photos of all the plants you encounter as well as maps outlining “walks” and tram stops. Board  the tram for the 20 minute ride from the visitors center to McBryde Garden. Our recommendation is to a alight at “A Walk Among the Natives”, walk up to “Canoe Plants of Ancient Polynesia” enjoy a picnic on the covered deck then walk beside river down the valley to “Reading Palms Walk”, cross the bamboo bridge (assuming it has been re-built) to “Spice of Life Walk” then continue down the valley to the tram stop.

McBryde Gardens: http://ntbg.org/gardens/mcbryde.php

Tel: 808 742 2623

McBryde Garden

McBryde Garden

McBryde Garden

McBryde Garden

Makauwahi Cave

We enjoyed a bracing winter coastal walk along the Mahaulepu coast from Shipwreck Beach to the not to be missed Mahaulepu Beach. In February we hiked on cloudy days perfect for not getting too hot or too sunburnt. The ocean was wild, the cliffs magnificent, whales spouted and slapped their tails far offshore and the Makauwahi Cave/sinkhole awed us.

Pinnacles Beach

Pinnacles Beach

We parked our rental car at Shipwreck Beach (between the Grand Hyatt and the Hyatt Golf Course) set off into the Ironwood trees and up the Paa Dunes. The path is not well defined but navigate along the cliffs and you pick up the main path to Pinnacles Beach just before you reach the edge of the golf course and the ancient Hawaiian “fish temple” remains (largely grown over but marked as a culturally sensitive area.)

Hike along the edge of the golf course (the cliff side path has eroded away) and onto the headland. December to March keep a sharp lookout for humpback whales offshore.

Makauwahi Cave

Makauwahi Cave

When you reach CJM stables (horses are available for hire http://www.cjmstables.com) follow the horse trail (ask at the stables for directions) watching carefully for brown and yellow markers directing you just off the clifftop to Makauwahi Cave. The sinkhole is a small portion of the largest limestone cave found in Hawaii. Paleoecological and archaeological excavations by Dr Burney and his wife, Lida Piggott Burney, of the sediment that has filled the pond in the sinkhole put its age at some 10,000 years, and have revealed details of ancient plants and animals on the island. Follow the self guided trail that skirts the edge of the sinkhole and goes down to the little wooden bridge. Do not cross the bridge but follow the river upstream to the cave entrance.The sinkhole is a small portion of the largest limestone cave found in Hawaii. Paleoecological and archaeological excavations by Dr Burney and his wife, Lida Piggott Burney, of the sediment that has filled the pond in the sinkhole put its age at some 10,000 years, and have revealed details of ancient plants and animals on the island. Follow the self guided trail that skirts the edge of the sinkhole and goes down to the little wooden bridge. Do not cross the bridge but follow the river upstream to the cave entrance. The cave is not always open. (Contact: Lida Pigott Burney, Manager, tel: 808 482 1059, makauwahi@gmail.com OR Mary Werthwine, Outreach Coordinator, mobile: 480 225 5604, marywerthwine@gmail.com).

After you visit to the cave cross the bridge and follow the far bank of the stream onto a magical strand of white sand beach. Here you find the Gillin House built by Elbert Gillin, a sugar plantation engineer in the 1950s. At the point you often find a a Hawaiian Monk Seal come ashore after a night feeding. This critically endangered species, only about 1,100 remain, is the only seal in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Mahaulupu Beach

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Because we missed the Makauwahi Cave on our first hike the next day we drove to CJM stables and asked for directions While they are in the business of taking people on trail rides they work closely with the Burneys’ to promote tourism to this part of Kauai. Directions: Follow the road beside the Poipu Grand Hyatt and past the Hyatt Golf Course. Continue on the dirt road and take the first right signed CJM stables.

http://www.hikemahaulepu.org/

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon is a joy to behold. The canyon is 10 miles long, 1 mile wide, and almost 2 miles deep. The canyon has a unique geologic history—it was formed not only by the steady process of erosion, but also by the collapse of the volcano that created Kauai. The lines in the canyon walls depict different volcanic eruptions and lava flows that have occurred over the centuries. Though smaller the canyon rivals the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Along the way lookouts and hikes offer wonderful views of the canyon and its waterfalls.

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

Just above Waimea Canyon is one the world’s most beautiful spots – Koke’e State Park. The Ranger’s Station at the Koke’e Museum has hiking maps of the area, restrooms, a restaurant and picnic tables. Continue to the end of the road for, weather permitting, magnificent views of the Napili coast

Napili Coast

Napili Coast

The Pihea Trail traverses the rim of Kalalau into the Alakai Swamp where endemic birds and flowers abound.

The Kaluapuhi Trail is an easy trek near the first lookout that leads back toward the trailhead for Awa’awa’puhi trail.

Directions: Take Highway 50 west from Lihue to Waimea. Waimea Canyon Drive is on the right just past Mile Marker #23 by Waimea Tech Center. The road travels above the canyon area and ends at Pu’u o Kila Lookout. Makaha Ridge Road runs off Waimea Canyon Road just before Mile Market #14 and travels to other lookouts. Views are usually best in a morning, by afternoon many areas are often shrouded in clouds.

There are no gas stations along the way so be sure to fill up before leaving Waimea town.

Higher up the valley it is a delicious 10-15 degrees cooler than in the valley.

Waimea, Jo Jo's Shave Ice

Jo Jo's Shave Ice

No better way to complete a grand day out than a shave ice at Jo Jo’s in Waimea. Whoever would have thought that Macadamia Ice Cream topped with shave ice and vanilla and butterscotch syrup (they were out of chocolate) could taste so divine.

For weather information call 808 245 6001

Sign Waimea Canyon

Waimea sign

Humpback Whale taken by Skip McDonald

Humpback Whale taken by Skip McDonald

Knowing that humpback whales are just off the coast of Kauai from December to April whale watching was something we just had to do.

As instructed we arrived 15 minutes early at Kukuiula Harbor near Poipu Beach. Captain Tara and her crew were there, as promised, to meet us. They launched their sturdy Zodiac boat….perfect for an adventure. Captain Tara greeted us, apologized for a family emergency and introduced her crew Nick and Captain Rob her stand in. Rob handled the boat well, made sure we were all comfortable and instructed us in how all 12 of us could assist him in spotting whales and sea turtles. He seemed to know just where to go. We were lucky enough to see half a dozen turtles and dozens of whales…Rob kept a respectful distance . It was an exceptional trip and the excitement was infectious.

Humpback Whale taken by Skip McDonald

Humpback Whale taken by Skip McDonald

Rob and Nick were knowledgeable and friendly. Waterproof sacks were provided for our belongings and we knew just what to expect as regards being splashed by waves and being bounced around. One of our group felt very queasy and tips were given to relieve her feeling seasick. A catered veggie tray, cold drinks and chocolates when we arrived back in harbor were nice touches.

http://www.kauaiseariders.com/adventure-tours/whale-watching-tour

Tel: (866) 522-1113

Beach from Captain Tara's boat

Alison & Carol whale watching