Honolulu: America’s Most Exotic City!
By: Eric Alexander Hamilton Once the exclusive destination of the very rich, Hawaii has become one of the most popular holiday locations in the world. This exotic, tropical place is within the United States of America (U.S.A.), which means that you are guaranteed a high standard of living and service, and unlike most tropical destinations you can drink the water without getting sick! Honolulu and its surrounding areas have something to offer everyone: warm, sunny weather all-year round; beautiful white sandy beaches; lush tropical rainforests; exotic colorful flowers mingled with palm trees and tropical plants; a huge variety of sporting opportunities that includes sailing, snorkeling, swimming, diving, fishing, and golfing; and abundant shopping...
Read MorePortland, Oregon: Visiting the City of Roses
By: Eric Alexander Hamilton Imagine a city built on the banks of two huge rivers that has year-round mild climate, a mixture of beautiful historic and modern buildings, numerous parks with green forests and colorful gardens, tree-lined streets, elegant neighborhoods, a major university (Portland State University) and an efficient public transit system of light-rail trains and streetcars that connects all parts of the city to each other. That city is Portland, Oregon. In this city you can easily go anywhere in the downtown area by foot or by transit—a rarity in the United States. Portland is located in the Northwestern section of the United States, directly across the river from Vancouver, Washington. Lying about 70 miles (124 km.) from the Pacific Coast,...
Read MoreMemories of Road Trips, Geysers, Mud Pools and Fishing
By: Susy Q I remember my first visit to Yellowstone National Park. Its ethereal aura doesn’t just provide an amazing backdrop for memories. It stays with you forever. My parents loved to travel. Summer vacation was very important to Dad. It was a chance to get out of the big city, be free in the mountains and lakes, or the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. My parents loved the New England States. Mostly we stayed in rented cottages, explored the East Coast, travelled to the Maritimes, and swam in the cold Atlantic. Almost every summer Dad would find a way to include a camping trip to northern Quebec, where we would cross the lake in our boat and pitch a camp in the wilderness. We would pick blueberries the size of my Dad’s thumbnail and he would fish...
Read MoreWeekend Summer Getaways in the Mount Baker, Washington Area
By: Paula Wallis Head south on the Trans Canada Highway from Vancouver, through the Fraser Valley, and you’ll be greeted by the impressive sight of Mount Baker on the horizon. Mount Baker offers spectacular skiing and snowboarding in a particularly scenic area of the Cascade Mountain Range, located in Washington State. The mountain itself is actually an active volcano; it is also the second most glaciated mountain in the Cascades. It is also, locals will proudly inform you, known as one of the snowiest place in the world. In 1990, Mount Baker set the world record for snowfall in a single season. All of these make for great reasons to throw your skis and snowboards on the roof-rack and head south of the border from Vancouver for some fun in the snow....
Read MoreChristmas in New York City
By: Paula Wallis We’ve all seen Miracle on 34th Street. New York City lit up like a Christmas tree, good cheer everywhere, Macy’s window displays. What could be more Christmas than New York City on Christmas Eve? So, I decided, a couple of Christmases ago, to surprise my husband with a last minute getaway to the Big Apple. (Did I really just use the word Christmas four – no – five times?) We were scheduled to fly in on December 20th, leaving on Christmas Eve, just in time to arrive back home to spend the big day with family and friends. Didn’t quite work out that way; our flight was delayed by 8 hours, so we spent much of Christmas Eve at JFK airport, and then our connecting flight at Chicago O’Hare was canceled due to a white-out blizzard, so we...
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