Category: Travel in my mind

Have you ever been – by the beach, looking out to the sea, and wonder where that seemingly endless water could take you?  Have you thought beyond the shifting sands of the beach to places unknown – places you had gone to in your mind?

Well, I have – for far too many times than you can count on my fingers and toes.

Wherever you may find yourself – walking on the pier, sitting on the smooth sands of a beach, looking out from a restaurant’s seaside seat or a ship’s railing – just watching the waves created by the water’s movement somehow has a very calming effect.

Yes, there are so many choices in terms of where to go, what to do and how to spend your time at your pace and within your budget.  So consider this – IF you want a cost-effective, time-productive and the most relaxing way to enjoy your vacation, taking a cruise vacation may fit the bill.

Why a cruise?   Allow me to just list down a few of the many reasons:   (1)  the variety of itinerary, i.e. your choice of domestic or international destination;  (2) the all-inclusive cruise fare, i.e. the cost of the trip;   (3)  the ease of travel, i.e. no need to pack & unpack at each location;  and,  (4)  the luxury of knowing where you are sleeping each night.

There are always choices as far as cruising is concerned. Cannot really take that vacation right now?  Book that harbor cruise for the night and enjoy the starlit night or the lulling motion of the ship.  Of course, there are those 1-5 day cruises that are closer to home;  or, take a one-week leisurely cruise somewhere you’ve never been.  Why not take the whole 2 weeks vacation and splurge it on an exotic location!

With the summer season already in full swing, you still have time to go on that long-awaited vacation.  Take time to pamper yourself – the ‘idle mind’ usually cooks up the best ideas!

Happy sailing!

The plan was to take the 72-mile shoreline drive of Lake Tahoe – but with the fog that has descended on the Ridge Resorts building I am billeted in, it was not likely to happen.

Waking up at 0630 hours, I could still see the building tops shrouded by the fog.  However, after 4-1/2 hours, it had gotten worse.  More like the dusky gloom of morning sun trying to peek through the fog failed completely.  It is now more of white screen as I look out the window.

Coming up to Lake Tahoe, my group started out early on Saturday morning by leaving Los Angeles at around 0600 hours using the “BackWay,” as my family calls it – taking the Fwy 134 East to Interstate 5 North to the Antelope Valley Fwy 14 North then the Fwy 395 thru Hwy 207 up Kingsbury Grade and finally to the Ridge Resorts property.  Except for 2 quick pit stops and one for lunch at Erick Schat’s Bakery (where my brother-in-law, Raffy, took over the wheels), the drive was calming and filled with beautiful panoramas.

We’ve been here for two days now and we already enjoyed the recreational activities being offered by the resort – played racquetball, badminton & volleyball in the courts; used the sauna & Jacuzzi.  We also had encountered a very jovial catholic priest at Our Lady of Tahoe yesterday – who pulled a practical joke on us by telling us that the church had been sold to a Christian church called “Witnesses of Christ.”  He even offered us monetary enticement if we join their congregation.  It felt like the 3 times that the devil tempted Christ at the mount!  But no matter, the temptation was rejected and we are all safe!

If you are staying in a place that has at least a refrigerator & microwave, eating in would be the best option. That is, unless you are on a perpetual “foodie trip” and are focused on the next big thing in culinary arts!  Well, we weren’t.  We stocked our refrigerators with chicken & steak, filled the pantry with groceries & snack foods.  This way, we are in control of what, when & how much we ate at a given time.

But, that fact does not deter us from going to those “Must-stops” like the Sno-Flake Drive-in where the burgers are moist and delicious while the milkshakes are sinful and oh-so-worthy of taking in all those calories!

Yes, staying at the resort while the precipitation lifts is not a hardship for us.  There are still those many trails to ponder over, the swimming pool to dip our toes in, mini-golf to win and a lot more to discover!  After more than 20 years of my family and I vacationing up here, my expectations have always been high – in terms of activities, dining, relaxation and more.  And this time is no different.

At an early age, I had always wanted to transport myself to certain locations which I believe to be more exciting, that is, having something more to offer than what or where I was.

It is not a matter of physical locations or sites, it is more of a desire to be “somewhere else”.  Understand that being a city-girl for more years than I could remember,  “going out of town” has a ring to it that beckons.  I can picture all the numerous resorts with long stretches of beach frontage – the choppy waves smoothly hugging the sand and showering it with water droplets.  Or,  the vision of fresh growth among the age-old trees whose long branches provide both sustenance and shade to both human and non-human species.

Having been born and bred in the Philippines, an archipelago located in Southeast Asia, there are a number of vacation options to choose from.  The beach is but a jeepney’s ride away from Manila while air-conditioned buses ply the main highways going to and from far away locations where one can enjoy the fresh sea breezes or inhale the pleasant smells of trees growing by the wayside.  There are mountain paths to hike, deep seas to explore and much more to discover.

Hence, having been uprooted from Manila and re-planted in Los Angeles, it felt like I never left the Philippines.  The city traffic congestion, the noise, the daily grind of human bodies going to work and getting back home….then comes the weekend when everyone seems to leave the city.  One would think that there are enough venues for everything that one may want to do with their free time in the city but the lure of being “out-of-town” always beckons.  Just like in Manila, Los Angeles is close to everything – the beach, the mountains, museums, parks – you think it, the city has it.

The take-away here is that no matter where you are, be adventurous in your own backyard before you set your eyes on something far away.  Knowing what you have in terms of hidden local treasures would surely make you appreciate other locales you may visit, or vice versa.

Happy travels!