http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Those looking for a sunny seaside getaway complete with Big City attractions could hardly do better than a trip to San Diego, a long-time favorite among travelers of all ages. With dependable weather, a vibrant waterfront and many excellent choices for lo... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1243301_29.html 23rd November 2009 Catalina will be memorable no matter what, but if you want your trip to rank among the best you've ever experienced, we have just the solution. Try, this time, visiting Catalina Island by helicopter. Your honey will feel like you two have won the Re... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1230844_29.html 12th November 2009 With departures from San Diego and L.A., California residents have it easy when it comes to taking a world-class ocean cruise. This is the ideal scenario for the first-time cruiser who wants a no-muss, no-fuss way to test the cruise waters. Our recent ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1225739_29.html 11th November 2009 If you're like most people, you are at least mildly interested when you see a production company at work filming a TV show or movie in the L.A. area. But then there are some people who won't even admit they are interested. A certain wife comes to mind ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1140209_29.html 01st October 2009 You have a large family and you want a vacation that makes everyone happy, yet allows everyone -- including the parents -- a little time away from the crowd. The answer: a really big houseboat. Being confined to a boat might not immediately top your li... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1101469_29.html 21st September 2009 It's sometimes hard to separate out the really great getaways from the "just average" and it's especially rewarding when the accommodations and/or service turn out to be even better than on the website. Such is the case with these two accommodations in C... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1077662_29.html 11th September 2009 You've heard of Santa Monica or Venice Beach, but chances are Hermosa Beach is not at the top of your list of vacation destinations. If you want to visit a more hidden L.A. beach destination, Hermosa may be a good choice. The beach bunnies in Hermosa B... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1063375_29.html 03rd September 2009 Few California getaways offer the variety of easy-to-see attractions that you find on the San Diego waterfront. From the Gaslamp District to historic Navy ships, there will be plenty to see and do. If you don't have much time to spend, but want to pack... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1056413_29.html 30th August 2009 If California theme parks conjure up images of long lines for attractions and food, visitors to the San Francisco Bay area will find nirvana with a stop at California's Great America, a Santa Clara sister park to famous Knotts Berry Farm. Even in August, ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1043838_29.html 20th August 2009 Nowadays, with new technology, you can book your entire vacation with the click of a mouse. For techno-geeks, the next frontier is GPS travel and already you read and hear about GPS users who meet up on the Internet and then make a game out of finding ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1026281_29.html 10th August 2009 In the old days, prominent Seattle families such as the C.D. Stimsons used to escape the Big City, traveling over hill and dale to what felt to them like the far reaches of the Northwest wilderness. Today, Seattle families and visitors hop on the 405 Free... http://www.articlealley.com/article_1019614_29.html 05th August 2009 Legoland California continues to post excellent numbers for both Legoland and their new Sea Life Aquarium, one of several attractions the park has added over the past few years. "I think we really have an advantage," said Legoland's Julie Estrada. "We'... http://www.articlealley.com/article_993996_29.html 23rd July 2009 Summer concerts, a great bed-and-breakfast and the nation's premiere national park -- what more could you ask for your next getaway? It turns out Yosemite has it all. If there's a getaway that seems to hit all the buttons, this one is it. Outdoor conce... http://www.articlealley.com/article_957768_29.html 30th June 2009 Only a short distance from Bellingham, Washington, the Mt. Baker recreation area is a treasure trove of trails and scenery ideal for your weekend escape. In fact, the entire county of Whatcom is sky-high on anyone's beautiful scenery list. As a jumping... http://www.articlealley.com/article_946847_29.html 22nd June 2009 If you grew up in the '60's, the term "Surf City" has the power to tap into memories that bring back a flood of emotions ranging from your first encounters with the opposite sex to your earliest addiction to rock and roll. No matter where you were in the ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_942436_29.html 18th June 2009 The Lazy Z Resort is off the beaten path -- unless of course, you count the paths right on the resort grounds. This California Gold Country resort offers trails and wildlife without ever leaving the resort. The Lazy Z is located in the Sierra Nevada fo... http://www.articlealley.com/article_939377_29.html 16th June 2009 Spend some time exploring Puget Sound and you'll be both surprised and enchanted by the islands, waterways and hundreds of miles of shoreline that provide visitors a thousand opportunities for scenic photographs that they will treasure for a lifetime. Vis... http://www.articlealley.com/article_920000_29.html 06th June 2009 Way back in the 1950's there was a television show called "Queen for a Day" which, despite present-day connotations, was about taking an everyday person and changing her entire life -- if only for a day. It was a chance for some deserving person to really... http://www.articlealley.com/article_916114_29.html 05th June 2009 The kids will vote for Disneyland every time but if you want to try something different this year - if only for a night - try stopping at the Seven Sycamores Ranch on your way up or down the San Joaquin Valley. It's a fun destination that will show your y... http://www.articlealley.com/article_890418_29.html 13th May 2009 If you've ever wanted to try houseboating, rent your first boat on New Melones Lake, an ideal location that is easy for boat captains and rich in California history. Even if you just want to enjoy the peace and relative solitude of the 12,500-acre lake... http://www.articlealley.com/article_882727_29.html 08th May 2009 Tucked neatly along the southern shore of the Monterey Peninsula is the one-square-mile village called Carmel-by-the-sea, a name that seems fitting for a place known for its fairy-tale architecture and its popularity with artists. Just 4,500 people live i... http://www.articlealley.com/article_818241_29.html 10th March 2009 The pristine beaches, luxury enclaves and spectacular sunsets have long attracted vacationers to this idyllic region. A number of major resorts have sprouted up along the coast. Now there's one more - and it's a doozy. The Resort at Pelican Hill opened... http://www.articlealley.com/article_816911_29.html 10th March 2009 Avila Beach is a little off the beaten path, but really just short drive from the better-known Pismo Beach on California's Central Coast. If you're looking for quiet and laid-back, you've found it. Not that children would be unwelcome - Avila is a play... http://www.articlealley.com/article_811732_29.html 09th March 2009 Start saving now if you're looking for a gift that we think trumps almost anything we can imagine for that hard-to-buy-for Significant Other. Forget the clothes, the jewelry, the flowers and the candy - nothing will say "I love you" like a weekend at a Ca... http://www.articlealley.com/article_806751_29.html 03rd March 2009 Explorer Richard Henry Dana knew perfection when he found it. He called Dana Point "the only romantic cove in California." Nowadays you might find some folks who would beg to differ, but all can agree that this magical part of the California coast is o... http://www.articlealley.com/article_802776_29.html 02nd March 2009 Drive just a few miles off the main highway in the Sierra Nevada and you'll come across Bodie -- the state's best preserved ghost town and a window into the past. Just as you imagined what life must have been like in those last fateful hours of the Tit... http://www.articlealley.com/article_801054_29.html 28th February 2009 Got an urge to go on a cruise? Well get a good taste of it on the Queen Mary, the historic cruise liner where you can spend the night without leaving the dock. The Queen Mary in Long Beach is not going anyplace soon. But it really doesn't need to - the... http://www.articlealley.com/article_793425_29.html 20th February 2009 Everybody needs a romantic break once in awhile, and you want it to be the perfect place -- easy to get to, with special touches and someplace that will make just the right impression. Problem is, it can be a bit of a crapshoot making your selection. E... http://www.articlealley.com/article_775789_29.html 02nd February 2009 If a complete and total escape from the city is among your vacation objectives this year, you could hardly do better than to visit one of California's guest ranches. Located in some of the most beautiful and pristine wilderness the state has to offer, the... http://www.articlealley.com/article_774574_29.html 01st February 2009 There are no televisions, no mini-bars, no spas, no swimming pools and barely enough room to get around, but a stay at the Morton Peak Fire Lookout is going to be a getaway you'll not soon forget. You could hardly find a more unique getaway than stayin... http://www.articlealley.com/article_773103_29.html 31st January 2009 While living in or visiting Southern California, a trip to the mountains is closer than you might think. The San Jacinto range offers a stark contrast to the warm, arid climate just a few miles away and, for that reason, places like Idyllwild have become ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_767805_29.html 26th January 2009 No need to own a yacht to experience Marina del Rey. Just stay dockside at the Ritz-Carlton and choose from dozens of nearby restaurants -- not to mention the water activities. Marina del Rey also happens to be located just minutes from such popular L.... http://www.articlealley.com/article_765580_29.html 22nd January 2009 There's nothing like that first time as the captain of your own houseboat. You step on board, crank up those growly engines and head off for waterways unknown -- on your way to one of the most fun adventures you'll ever experience. It's almost like you... http://www.articlealley.com/article_763546_29.html 21st January 2009 If you're looking for Gold Rush history, you could hardly do better than to visit Mark Twain's former home, Calaveras County, which today shows off many of the same attributes that attracted Twain. Students of Mark Twain will remember The Celebrated Ju... http://www.articlealley.com/article_760486_29.html 20th January 2009 No need to drive for hours from the Big City to get rural charm and spectacular coastal beauty. Half Moon Bay is just a half hour from San Francisco. It's in this small village that you'll find quaint shops and a little more laid-back pace than the bay... http://www.articlealley.com/article_753189_29.html 14th January 2009 Looking for some sizzle in your next Southern California weekend? The menu of attractions in Los Angeles ensures that your getaway will never be boring. Our recent weekend in L.A. reminded us of just how much there is to see and do in that city at any ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_726202_29.html 18th December 2008 Seattle may not get much snow, but there is plenty of Christmas spirit, and that makes it a special place for a Christmas shopping getaway. From Seattle Center to Westlake Center to the Pike Place Market, the usual visitor attractions become just a lit... http://www.articlealley.com/article_714493_29.html 08th December 2008 Sometimes you just want a vacation or getaway that is different from anything you've done before -- something you can take back to work and talk about around the water cooler. California is blessed with many such unique vacation adventures, and here ar... http://www.articlealley.com/article_700805_29.html 01st December 2008 It is said that Death Valley gets 1.8 inches of rainfall each year and, in our fist visit to this "parched" landscape, it felt like we got it all on our first day. It was enough, anyway, to wash out a bridge and require us to take a 40-mile detour just to... http://www.articlealley.com/article_698600_29.html 30th November 2008 Once we're onboard the Catalina Express, we immediately get the sense that we are leaving Southern California freeway traffic and congestion far behind. Leaving from Dana Point, we are soon "at sea" between L.A. and Catalina Island. We're on our way to... http://www.articlealley.com/article_694853_29.html 26th November 2008 For a city that home ports one-third of the U.S. Navy fleet, it seems surprising that it took until the 21st Century for the city to open a naval museum to rival similar attractions on the East Coast. But now that it's here, the U.S.S. Midway has made an ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_691209_29.html 21st November 2008 Okay, just where can parents take their kids nowadays where both the kids and parents will have a good time? Here are three examples of great getaways for holidays, or for any other time of year that you can take the kids along. San Francisco San... http://www.articlealley.com/article_686779_29.html 13th November 2008 Riverside, California, is a seeming metropolis and part of the L.A. basin, but it's hard to think of one distinguishing characteristic. But get on down off the freeway and you'll find one of the most unique getaway experiences in the state - an experie... http://www.articlealley.com/article_680434_29.html 31st October 2008 When you visit La Quinta, you can see why the Spaniards chose this place for a base -- it's ideally located near the mountains on the way to the San Gabriel Mission, and it's also a great location for the La Quinta Resort. Several centuries later, alon... http://www.articlealley.com/article_668645_29.html 17th October 2008 Point Reyes is an amazing preserved part of the California coastline that is just like a little bit of the Irish Coast. But this is not Ireland. This is the Point Reyes Seashore, a couple walking along the road an awe-inspiring landscape that brings to... http://www.articlealley.com/article_666309_29.html 15th October 2008 Venture into the northwest part of Washington State and it's like vacationing on the National Geographic Channel. Without question, you'll find more picture-postcard settings in this part of the state than any other - which is really saying something, con... http://www.articlealley.com/article_662423_29.html 13th October 2008 On your next visit to California, why not stay in a storybook cottage just footsteps from the beach and within easy driving distance of Hearst Castle? If you're the type who loves to take long walks on the beach, then Moonstone Beach in Cambria, Califo... http://www.articlealley.com/article_659760_29.html 08th October 2008 Sorensen's is not only a resort -- it's a town. We noticed on our Rand McNally map there is in fact a town called Sorensen's at the intersection of Highways 89 and 88 near Lake Tahoe. We double-checked with Innkeeper John Brissenden and, yep, there are... http://www.articlealley.com/article_654220_29.html 01st October 2008 For those who've tried them, Mexican beach resorts are among the most relaxing vacations or getaways one can imagine — long stretches of beach, palm trees, a cerveza or margarita never far from one's grasp. It's easy to drift along like some white fluff... http://www.articlealley.com/article_649594_29.html 26th September 2008 History buffs could hardly do better than a visit to California's Gold Country in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada where gold was discovered in the mid-19th Century, setting off a population explosion that helped shape what California is today. And mayb... http://www.articlealley.com/article_642734_29.html 19th September 2008