We are giving away prizes all month long during November, our Thank-A-Reader month!
The first prize was a $50 Gift Certificate for Southwest Airlines and the contest ended today.
Thank you to all who participated. Please see the winner below. Watch this blog during the next few days for details on the next giveaway item.
Please note the giveaway is open to residents of the United States only and is sponsored solely by TravelingWithTheJones.
This guest post is by Brenda Richman, a Kansas City-based small business consultant.
San Diego is my favorite US city.
First, I love its nearly perfect weather, year-round sunshine, mild average temperatures, and little rain or humidity.
Second, it’s set on California’s lovely southern-most coast, and third, there are an amazing variety of fun things to do there!
1. Old Town – Provides you with a peak at San Diego’s history while enjoying two historic parks and a charming neighborhood with restaurants, shopping and live entertainment. What a delightful place to spend several hours!
Hotel Del Coronado
2. Hotel Del Coronado Speaking of history, the Hotel Del Coronado is one of my favorite hotels of all time. Whether you stay there, visit for drinks or dinner, or come to catch the sunset, you will not be disappointed. Opened in 1888, this is one of few surviving examples of an American, wooden, Victorian, beachfront resort. Before travel was as easy as today, guests would come and stay for “the season” which was weeks long. Sign me up!
A Surfer Catches a Wave at Blacks Beach — southern Torrey Pines State Reserve
3. Beaches – San Diego County has 70 miles of coastline which provide great places to enjoy the sand and surf with friends and family. My personal favorites are the beaches on Coronado – gorgeous sands – and the northern beach of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve – great beach with rugged cliff backdrops, below the Torrey Pines golf course.
4. Fresh Seafood – Have a fresh seafood meal overlooking the water – two of my favorites are Jakes on the beach at Del Mar, where the sunsets are almost as good as the food! And, on the harbor is the Fish Market which lets you watch the busy harbor action.
Coronado Bay Bridge spanning the San Diego Bay Photo by Hortont424
5. The Harbor — There’s usually something fun and interesting happening in San Diego’s harbor. Harbor traffic includes huge naval ships, submarines, navy seals, sailboats (everything from America’s Cup caliber down to small), commercial vessels as well as fighter jets taking off and landing. There are several ways to enjoy the harbor. I love taking a harbor cruise which also provides lovely views of the city. Or, stroll along the seawall at Seaport Village, which lies along the middle of the harbor and is also an interesting place to shop or dine.
6. Wildlife Viewing – San Diego is blessed with three incredible destinations. First, the not-to-be missed, world-class San Diego Zoo is a delight even for those who are not big zoo fans. If you still want to see more animals, in an even more “natural” environment, take in the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. Or, if you prefer ocean creatures, SeaWorld is a real treat.
Balboa Park Museum Photo by Stephane D’Alu
7. Balboa Park is a beautiful and unique place to enjoy in San Diego. It covers 1200 acres in the heart of the city and is home to gardens, 15 museums, the San Diego Zoo and theaters.
8. Cabrillo National Monument — one more stop I enjoy making is Cabrillo National Monument which commemorates Cabrillo’s landing here in 1542. The drive to the end of the Point Loma Peninsula takes you through the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, bringing gratitude for those who serve in our country’s military. On clear days, views from this vantage point are amazing. You can see down to Mexico, the city of San Diego, the harbor, Coronado and North Island. There’s also a historic lighthouse, a museum and good bookstore onsite. If you decide to take the walk down the cliff road, you can check out the tide pools at low tide.
What’s your favorite US city to visit? Please share in comments below.
Entrepreneur Brenda Richman has a passion for experiencing the world through travel adventures.
Learn more about Brenda’s travel experiences here, and her consulting work helping businesses increase market penetration and enhance the quality of their client experiences here.
Posts about other U.S. Cities that you might also enjoy…..
We are giving away prizes all month long, starting with a $50 Gift Certificate for Southwest Airlines. The first Giveaway closes on 11/11/12 and is open to residents of the United States only and is sponsored by TravelingWithTheJones.
Like many frequent travelers, we try to pack light when we travel. Like many couples, packing lighter is often easier achieved by the husband (Mr. Jones) than for the wife (me).
As career road warriors, we’ve both worked on traveling lighter despite some issues that pose an ongoing challenge:
Although we’ve gotten better over the years, we still find ourselves wishing we had brought a lighter load, especially related to our carry-ons.
With an upcoming international trip involving numerous plane changes and strict weight limitations, it seems like a good time to focus on how we can lighten our travel load. We want to do so without sacrificing the clothes, shoes, or technology to keep us looking good, feeling good, and being productive while on the road.
This week we asked a group of friends to share their tips for packing lighter when they travel.
Here’s the List of 11 Tips For Packing Lighter When You Travel:
From Evie of Overland Park, Kansas:
From Diane of Leawood, Kansas:
From Monica, of Des Moines, Iowa who recently traveled to Europe for 21 days with one backpack:
From Jamie, of Indianapolis, Indiana who regularly travels for days with one carry-on:
Rachel of Ames, Iowa who spent last summer traveling in Europe, agrees:
What’s your tip for packing lighter when you travel?
This guest post is by Brenda Richman, a Kansas City-based small business consultant.
Sunrise over Gatlinburg TN. Photo courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the Tennessee/North Carolina border and encompasses over 500,000 acres. It is a wonderful place to experience the beauty and the rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachia. There are fun things to see and do to suit everyone’s taste. Below are six of my favorite activities around the Great Smoky Mountains.
Cades Cove, Smoky Mountains. Photo courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com
1. Bicycling the 11 mile loop in Cades Cove is truly memorable! Rent a bike at the Cades Cove store nearby the campground, and then pedal the loop at your leisure on Wednesday or Saturday morning. From sunrise to 10am the road is closed to vehicles and reserved exclusively for walkers and bikers. Stop along the way at the preserved, historic churches and homesteads, see wildlife, and enjoy the breeze in your face. For a mountain park, the road here is relatively flat, no big hills to tackle.
Hiking Chimneys Trail, Smoky Mountains. Photo courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com
2. Hiking – Choose from over 800 miles of trails ranging from paved, widely used walkways to more rugged, multi-day backpacking treks through the backcountry. My favorites are hikes to lovely waterfalls, and through “virgin”, also called old-growth, forests that were not logged when the park was still private land.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina Photo by JcPollock
3. Visiting The Biltmore in Asheville NC is a short, pretty drive from the Smoky Mountains. The incredible architecture, art and furnishings of this grand French chateau-style home are amazing as are the grounds surrounding it. After you have toured the estate, the winery, shops and restaurants are worth taking in as well.
4. Driving – You can explore a lot by car with over 270 miles of paved roads in the National Park.
5. Whitewater rafting – There are a number places to raft in guided groups. It’s great fun and the water is refreshingly cool during the summer.
6. Golf – There are a variety of very good courses in this area. We played one and checked out a couple more for next time.
If you have more time to spend or are interested in other choices, there’s plenty more to choose from here – camping, exploring caves, fishing, horseback riding, Dollywood or shopping.
When to go?
Since the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most visited US National Park with 8-10 million visitors a year, your trip may be more enjoyable by planning to avoid crowds. There are two peak times for visitors, Jun 15- Aug 15 and the month of October.
April through Jun 15, or Aug 15 through September are great times to visit the Smoky Mountains since they offer pleasant weather and smaller crowds. The spring season brings flowering plants. Late September brings the driest weather and sometimes the beginning of leaf turning, although peak leaf color occurs the first two weeks of October. Regardless of when you visit, early mornings before 10 am are the least crowded time of day in the park. For more information on visiting the Smokies, visit SmokiesInformation.org.
What National Park would you like to visit next? Please share below in Comments.
Entrepreneur Brenda Richman has a passion for experiencing the world through travel adventures.
Learn more about Brenda’s travel experiences here, and her consulting work helping businesses increase market penetration and enhance the quality of their client experiences here.
Other posts on National Parks that you might enjoy reading…….
Win prizes all month long, starting with a $50 Gift Certificate for Southwest Airlines. Enter today! Giveaway closes on 11/11/12 and is open to residents of the United States only and is sponsored by TravelingWithTheJones.
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