02 August 2023

To holiday as a family of 4 adults does become very expensive. You are usually looking for 2 hotel rooms now which means your holiday price doubles. We decided that we would try something different this time and hired an RV to travel around in, so we all had some space and we could have an adventure together. First stop on the US adventure is a couple of nights in Anaheim. We have stayed in the Howard Johnson hotel, which is a perfect 10 mins walk to Disneyland, with the added bonus of being able to watch the fireworks from the hotel! A great family friendly hotel with a small splash park and pool. We last visited Disneyland in 2009, on a day trip from Santa Monica, and although some parts have changed dramatically the core of the park is as we remembered. A top tip is to make the most of the jet lag and get to the park as soon as it opens and head straight to Galaxy’s Edge. If you are a Star Wars fan this is a must visit. The attention to detail is amazing and all the staff are always in character. The Smugglers Run is a great simulation ride which brings out the competive side of our family, whilst the Rise of the Resistance has some fantastic visuals. I had seen the images of the area, but to see it close up was amazing. We loved the rest of the park with all the favourites such as Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and Indiana Jones. Strongly advise getting the Genie + for the lightening lanes as the queues can get high. A new experience for us was the California Adventure Park, this is the home of the Avengers Campus, Carsland and Toy Story. There are loads of meet and greet opportunities around here to interact with characters. Websligers was one of our favourite rides. It is so much fun and we ended up 3rd on the leaderboard for the day when we left ???? Again lightening lane is the way forward. It cannot be used on the Cars ride, which always has a queue of 60minutes more! It is so worth it, especially if you have grown up with the Cars films. The Carsland is Radiator Springs and so real. For the thrill seekers there is the Incredicoaster and the Guardians of the Galaxy (tower of terror). I actually preferred the feel of this park, especially the boardwalk area. It has a lovely feel to it. You need 2 full days to get around both parks. They are great fun and it was fantastic to revisit. If you have a spare couple of days on the road trip you should do it. To give us the space, we went for the largest RV that Cruise America provide…..a 30 foot beast. It can sleep 6/8. It means that we have a bedroom, with a curtain. India slept on a large bed over the drivers area and Lewis had a small double bed in the main area. It also has a small kitchen area, shower and toilet. When you pick up an RV, although you get the keys quickly, you take ages to unpack and find your way round the vehicle. The first stop is Walmart to stock up. Be aware the RV comes without a GPS. If you have one take it with you as they do not hire them out! To go from driving my little car to driving this is massive. I had driven large transit van’s before but this is something else. However once you get used to the size and make allowances it is okay. Although trying to U turn on a busy road is hard, especially when it turns into a 3 point turn! Also picking up in Los Angeles and then navigating the 5/6 lane highways straight out is a baptism of fire. After picking up the RV and getting the shopping we made it onto the road. When planning I thought I would be on the road for 3 at the latest, in reality it was 4.30! We were making our way up to Santa Margarita. This was about 250 miles. It was a race against time to get there before dark. The drive was lovely, along the highway near Santa Barbara and the California coastline, although we also experienced the amazing sea mist that comes out of nowhere. Unfortunately the time got the better of us and we got to the campsite, down country lanes, in the dark and I had to then park in the dark, reversing into a space and setting up the electrics. It was an experience. The campsite was stunning in the morning when we woke up. Everything you imagine. It was a pity we were only there for the night. The reason for choosing it was its location to San Louis Obispo. When in an RV it is not as easy to park in small towns. We wanted to go into SLO but was not sure how to do it, the car park at the famous Madonna Inn was a perfect stop, a 15 minute walk from SLO centre. It was the perfect opportunity to peak into this wonderful eclectic hotel with its pink rooms. Next time I want to stay! SLO is a college town and has a fantastic California laid back vibe with its small boutiques, FroYo bars and coffee shops. We first visited it over 20 years ago and it still has that fantastic appeal. From SLO, the next stop was Monterey. As you can imagine it was a drive to test my skills with the RV! It handles well and you just need to pull over sometimes to let faster cars pass. Monterey was a new stop for us and we chose to park in the Monterey fairgrounds. It gave us a glimpse into how seriously some take the RV life. The site next to us had their dogs with them, all in penned areas around the RV, complete with fake grass! We have learnt this is not unusual and some people spend months just travelling up and down the coast. It was a basic park, with a 30 minutes walk into Monterey, along the old railway line that used to link Monterey and it’s famous canning business with the rest of the coast. Monterey used to be the main port for the Western coast and still boasts its old Custom House. It is somewhere that I have wanted to visit for a while and was a larger town than I imagined. We ate fish on the famous fisherman’s wharf. There is also the Canneries to visit and also the Monterey aquarium.

02 August 2023

The drive from Monterey to San Francisco had a stop that we just had to do. Having 2 avid Lost Boys fans with us meant we had to stop at the famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Be aware that parking can be expensive in an RV, but there is parking in the bus car park at the end of the pier. Santa Cruz Boardwalk is everything you imagine a US boardwalk to be, lots of rides, game stalls, shops and food. This one is famous for being the boardwalk used in Lost Boys, and other films. I hadn’t told Paul and India this fact before hand and it was great to see their faces when they realised where they were. It did also mean that they then kept quoting lines from the film????? Also the shopping here is fantastic if you have teenagers. It is the home of the Santa Cruz clothing line, and all the shops sell the whole brand! The beach is lovely and soft sand, and it had a real family holiday vibe to it. Well worth an afternoon stop. San Francisco We met the 6 lane freeways again as we entered the San Francisco area, which was a shock after the 2 lanes we were used to. Our stop was Pacifica, which is about 10 miles from SF. We really did not want to tackle the hills in an RV! Our RV park was by the sea and we had a fantastic evening whale watching from the cliff. The Pelicans flying by were a sight to see, and we were lucky enough to see the whales as well. What we learnt quickly the next day was that within that 10 mile zone from Pacifica to SF the weather changes dramatically. We left the camp in cool and foggy conditions and arrived in SF in sunshine! Paul and I last visited SF about 20 plus years ago, and my first visit was 30 years ago. We always vowed to come back and are so glad we did. We had Alcatraz booked for day 2, so that first day we decided to walk from Union Square to the Golden Gate Bridge, and then across it! This was fantastic, but hard work. We fully covered the city, discovering amazing buildings, lovely coffee stops and the majesty of the bridge. You can imagine our disappointment after glimpsing the bridge to then not be able to see it due to the mist. You have to have patience as the most changes ever few minutes. The walk across the bridge is a challenge with the wind blowing and we all came off with windburn ????? Fisherman’s Wharf when we last visited was a lovely small area with Sea lions, pier 39 and a selection of shops and restaurants. Now it is a street full of souvenir shops, Madam Tussauds and other tourist traps. There are still some lovely places like the Franciscan Crab restaurant, where you can eat whilst looking at Alcatraz. But be aware it is a busy area with lots going on. You must book Alcatraz before you go. There was a 10 day wait for the next available slot when we was there. It was the only thing we had booked apart from camp sites for the whole trip. It is a fantastic and interesting excursion to do. You can take an audio tour round the prison and it really gives you a feel for how prisoners felt. There is also now an exhibition about when a group of native Indians took over the Island in the 70’s in protest of how they had been treated and had land taken from them. There are lots of personal stories which make it a powerful exhibition and makes you think. Apart from the isolation of the Island there is a lot of beauty with the birds that now inhabit it and the gardens that are maintained on it. As well as the views of the city, harbour bridge and Bay Area. Our final day was spent walking again. We went to see the painted ladies houses, used in so many films and tv shows. The kids wanted to find the Fuller House, which was also in Pacific Heights. From here we went to Lombard Street, to see the world’s most crooked Road, finally finishing of with the famous trolley cars and the turning circle. We had planned to travel in each day by train, but Uber worked out cheaper and easier and also gave us a different view of the city each time. It is a city of have and have nots. There is a lot of poverty below the Union Square area. It is a city with a lot of traffic, but it is still somewhere that we hold dear and will always look on with fondness. Nobody warned me about the drive from San Francisco to Yosemite! Firstly we had to cross the very long San Mateo Haywards bridge, which crosses the SFO bay. It is the 25th longest bridge in the world and measures 7 miles. It is awesome to look at. The drive up to our camp site, which was 20milesoutside of the park entrance was winding and steep. I think it went to 4000 feet, with amazing scenery and long drops!! Yosemite Pines was a great campsite, with a lovely pool to escape the heat, it was hot! As well as lots of trees for shade and no light pollution, so the star gazing was fantastic. We were up early the next day to get the bus to Yosemite valley and the chance to do some walking. Boots at the ready, we set off and soon was in awe at the scenery. Prior to this trip all I had looked into was the giant redwoods, I was not really prepared for the beauty of the rocks and the waterfalls. The glaciers at the peaks are still melting which means we were lucky enough to see Yosemite Falls at its gushing best. You could hear the roar and feel the spray well before you saw it. We went walking, I strongly recommend walking boots or good solid trainers. There are lots of hikes you can do. The boys set of at a good pace, whilst India was with me, to different destinations. The boys did a good 8 mile circuit to Mirror Lake, whilst we did an 5 mile circuit to Happy Isles. Whenever you turn a corner the scenery blows you away and with lots of squirrels and blue Jay flying around it was a really satisfying experience. We just didn’t get to see any bears?? There are lots of different accommodation options, both in and out of the park, depending on what you are wanting. It was a great experience and I would love to visit again to see other parts of the park.

02 August 2023

The big drive…. Leaving Yosemite we looked on the phone for a route and they were all saying 5-6 hours back via Los Angeles,to get us to the next campsite in Lone Pines, so you can imagine our delight when the sat nav said about 3 hours, which is what we had expected when we planned the route. Weknewis would be a challenging drive with lots of curves and climbing but we were ready for the challenge. So off we set at 9.30am in the direction of Yosemite and the Tioga pass. With temperatures high the last thing we excepted when we got to the gate was to be told the pass was closed due to snow! I asked the guy at the gate if there was a small detour, to which he smiled and gave me a piece of paper with an alternative route. He told me not to take the first 2 roads in an RV as they were not suitable. We said thanks, turned around and set off again. What we did not realise was that this detour would take us a full day, through some icon destinations, and landscapes! We travelled along the old pony express highway, the first part of the detour was almost 100 miles. We went through Sonoro, where Mark Twain had his log cabin, in parts climbing to over 8000 feet in elevation before dropping down to the stunning Lake Tahoe before joining the historic US 395 to Mammoth Lakes. We then travelled alongside the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains before reaching our camp site in the shadow of Mount Whitney and close the the hottest place on earth, Death Valley. A detour that made us appreciate the size of California, the difference in temperature from snow capped mountains to 100 degree plus desert and also the geography of the state. Ironically the Tioga Pass reopened 4 days later????? Lone Pines. Situated in the middle of the Sierra Nevada and in the foothills of Mount Whitney, Lone Pines looks like a Western town. It even has a museum of Western Films. The area around it has been used as a backdrop from everything from the old Maverick series to Django Unchained and Iron Man. The feeling of space is what you get here. You can see for miles ahead in the desert and still not see the end of the road. The fact it is very close to Death Valley means that it is also very hot. Which is strange as you can still see the snow on the mountain tops. The reason for this stop was to experience the desert, and the clear stars at night. The star show is amazing, as there is very little artificial light. We used this place to stop and relax for a couple of nights and it was a great chance to do this after travelling around. One stop we did make was to a place call Manzanar. It was something we knew nothing about from a history point of view. It was one of 10 Japanese Internment Camps in the US. These were used during WW2 to house all American Japanese citizens. These people were given 48 hours to collect their belongings and leave their homes and belongings and sent to these camps, where they had to live in shared blocks and grow and work for there food as they were deemed a threat to the State, even if they were born in the US. It was a really thought provoking place and interesting to speak to the park rangers who were really honest but embarrassed about this part of their history. It was something we knew nothing about and the last thing we expected in the middle of nowhere. We had planned to visit Death Valley but the heat in Lone Pines was over 100f and that was enough in our little RV. Mojave Desert. Still following the gold rush towns and the heat our next stop is Barstow. It is in the Desert and has grown as from being a crossroads of the pioneer trails. It also dropped us onto a bit of route 66, which could be our next road trip. The RV really attracts the heat and it can be unbearable when the fan is not on. It took us a day or so to realise we could leave it on all night. The electric is included in the campsite costs. Talking of the RV. You do get RV envy when you see the amazing and huge mobile homes the Americans travel in. We have discovered they travel for months and sometimes years at a time. Many have retirement homes they can go back to when they are ready, but happy to live the nomad life for a while, with all the luxury comforts. Barstow gave the kids the chance to do some shopping at the outlets and also a chance to top up at Walmart for some essentials. We have also learnt a lot of RV parks have nothing around them, so you have to unhook every time you want to go out. 3 miles from the park is Calico. It is an abandoned silver mine that has been loving restored to its original state. It is a great place to visit to experience how tough life was for the pioneers. The heat alone is extreme, let alone when you go down into the mines. The saloon is still the original building and some houses remain and offer gifts and refreshments. The next stop feels like we are going back into civilisation after being out in nature for a while. I am going to miss the feeling of space and the amazing stars at night.

02 August 2023

For as long as I can remember India has wanted to go to San Diego Zoo. It is one of the best kept and reputable zoo’s in the world that does a lot of work with rescued and endangered animals. Set in over 100 acres it is massive. We thought okay, maybe a couple of hours…..7 hours later we finish. Travelling around the zoo with 15000 steps and by cable car and bus! It is very impressive. The zoo is set in Balboa Park, which is a lovely park also housing a railway and museums. Paul and I visited San Diego briefly many years ago to visit a friend Lisa Lewek. We remember going to La Jolla and all we saw really of San Diego was where we picked up our hire car. I remember there being lots of parking lots and not much to the city. It has changed so much over the years, we missed Comic Con by a day, but it does house a huge convention centre, lots of stunning hotels around the waterfront and in the older buildings in the gas lamp area. It is a modern city with lots of high rise buildings, and more building work going on. We visited the USS Medway, which is docked at the harbour, across from the newer and more modern Navy fleet. The Medway is a huge aircraft carrier that saw service in both Vietnam and Desert Storm and was home to 120 aircraft. Being in San Diego, it pays homage to Top Gun, with the F14 on board for you to see, and pretend to be Tom Cruise! It is really interesting to visit, the size is hard to get your head around, the aircraft flying overhead on manoeuvres really add to the experience. As well as the modern San Diego you can visit Old Town San Diego, which is about 7 miles away. This is a carefully maintained area that gives you the feel of what San Diego was in the 1800’s. It also shows the history since it was created as the birthplace of California in 1769 by the Spanish Missionaries. In the 1800 Mexico took control of the area and that influence is very strong still today. We also visited the Whaley House, which is supposed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. It was built on a hanging site and the history books show about 8 deaths in the house and land. I am sorry to say we had no ghostly experiences, but we did find the connection that the family were linked to the Whaley abbey, in Whaley Lancashire! San Diego was a fantastic and interesting couple of days. It was an easy city to get around. We travelled in my the Pacific Surfliner or Coaster which is great value at $15 a day. Our final camp stop was at Oceanside. It is a community North of San Diego by approx 30 miles. It is easy to access the whole Californian coast by train from the station using either the coaster or the surfliner. The area is a really eclectic area very popular with surfers and boarders. The beaches are daily with families and groups of friends and you can hire rods to fish off the pier. The beach is famous for the volleyball scene in Top Gun and also the house used in the film as Kelly McGillis’s home. There is also a replica of the motorbike outside the house. It is an area with a lot of craft breweries and restaurants and on a Thursday evening holds a fun sunset market with lots of food stalls and small traders. There is live music on every corner and it has a great vibe. It was a great place to finish the trip, as the drive back upto LA is only 74 miles! After living in an RV for nearly 3 weeks, it was nice to get back into a house with space for us all and a big comfy bed! Disneyland seems so long ago, but was a great way to start the holiday. In the RV we covered 1595 miles! There has been so many highlights for all of us, but for me personally I loved the stunning landscape of Yosemite, the clear night skies and stars in the desert and San Francisco. If you are thinking of this type of trip, it is a great experience for a family or a couple. The sense of freedom is great, and once you are away from the campsites in the cities you can really feel the nature around you. The city campsites are proper communities as some people spend months on them, and a weekend turns into a cook out around the camp. The forest and desert campsites have a different feel and are people travelling around. You meet all different nationalities. Some things that we have learnt, especially as a family of non campers..... The van is basic. It has 3 rings to cook on and a microwave/oven. We only really used the rings to boil water on. The only proper mattress is on the double bed. The other beds are the converted sofa and the space over the driving area. The table can convert down into a bed as well, but we never used this. You will need to go to Walmart or Target for outdoor chairs and maybe pillows and more towels. You can re gift these at the end of your trip. Be prepared to be resourceful. We did have issues with some leaks from the water tank inside and outside the RV. We did report them, but as we were moving on we could not stop to get them fixed, however we managed to resolve most of these by either not refilling the water tank past 2/3rds and also turning off the city water when we were not using it or asleep. Use campsite facilities. For the sake of your fellow travellers use the campsite and not the RV facilities when in camp! Be aware that the campsites are usually quiet isolated and have food in the freezer. Most do allow BBQ's so long as wood is not burned. We even stayed at one that had big burners you could use. If you want to eat out in the evening you would need to unhook and drive the RV there usually. In cities it is easier as you can use Uber. The most important lesson was to relax and go with it. It is so much fun to do and for parents with teenagers, most sites do have WIFI! It was great in the evenings to relax and play cards together, or just to sit outside and take in the view.

05 April 2023

Madeira – A Gem of an Island. Madeira is a destination that is going through a renaissance now. Post pandemic it was one of the first places to open up and it is good to see that tourism to the Island has gone from strength to strength. My knowledge of Madeira prior to travelling was Madeira Wine, hills, flowers and possibly an older clientele, What I was not aware of was the beauty and diversity of the Island, the amazing food and the variety of accommodation to suit all clients. I will start with the accommodation. Funchal has lots of resort hotels along the Lido. The important thing to note is that they are amazing resort hotels, with no beach. There ais access to the sea from the lido or the pontoons at some of the hotels. It is amazing how quickly you adapt to no beach. The pools in the hotels are lovely and nearly all hotels also offer an indoor pool. Hotels in Funchal. We stayed at the Enotel Lido and the Pestana Royal. The Enotel is a large modern hotel built around the swimming and sunbathing area in the middle as well as the buffet restaurant. It has lounge areas and entertainment in the evening and these are very well attended by the older guests that were staying there. It is an easy hotel to get around as the lifts mean you do not have to walk up or down a hill and the entrance is on the main road. It is really well located for the other hotels, restaurants, bars and shops and is easy to walk into town from here. Along this stretch you will also find 1 of my favourite hotels, The Cliff Bay. This is a little more traditional in décor and service and is also home to the two Michelin starred Il Gallo d’Oro. It is a hotel that has lovely, manicured grounds, classic style rooms and a lovely pool area. I have had guests that have stayed here previously and returned again as they love it so much. Further into Funchal you have the Savoy Palace. This is a large glass hotel with a cool feel. It has a feeling of space in the communal areas and is currently opening a premier section of the hotel for it’s suite guests. It reminded me of some of the cool Dubai hotels and as well as the pool area it also has a hot rooftop scene with a pool, bar and DJ’s at weekends. What to do? Madeira has lots for you to fill your days with if the pool is not for you. I had the chance to experience a great catamaran ride from the harbour to find the dolphins and whales. It was a lovely sunny day so I can say it was a really relaxing experience, chilling on the nets at the front of the catamaran. It is about a 3-hour excursion and we were so lucky to see a few pods of whales really clearly. They were playing in the water close to us for ages. It was really special. The excursion then anchored for a while in a different area so those who wanted could have a swim. I was not brave enough for that as the water was still cold. I know I have mentioned the food, it is amazing in Madeira and we took part in a local food and history tour of Funchal. Our guide was so knowledgeable and took us to local businesses. We tased the local tea that is grown on the Island, visited the oldest biscuit factory, visited the farmers market to try fruit, chocolate and wine and we visited a local restaurant to try Espetada Madeirense (Beef on a laurel skewer) and Filete de Espada (Scabbard Filet) served with Bolo do Caco. A trip to Madeira means that you can eat well every lunchtime and evening meal. There are lots of talented chiefs on the Island promoting the local produce. A real treat for foodies. If you want to see the stunning sunset then I can recommend a Sunset Jeep Safari. This really felt like a special evening as we went out in a couple of jeeps with local tour guides. They showed us some of the local roads on the drive to the sunset point, some of which look very scary. The old tunnels are like driving through an entrance to a castle. All that was missing was the fire flares on the wall. We then diverted off on to a local little used track, which eventually finished in a field. We were encouraged to wander down towards the end of the cliffs to see the view, before going back up to a small field where a picnic had been set up for us with wine and music to watch what was a glorious sunset. It was an evening I will not forget. There is more to Madeira than Funchal and I strongly recommend either getting a guide, joining a tour or if you are brave enough driving a car through the mountains. From here you will see the diversity of the crops that they grow, how well they use their land, see inland waterfalls, cows grazing at the plateau of the mountain and if you wanted to you could even go trekking through the forests. My favourite is the lava pools in Porto Moniz. These are made from volcanic rock and allow you to swimming in a protected area whilst the waves crash over you. It is stunning. The waves on the North Coast are bigger and more suitable for surfing and the landscape is rugged. It offers the perfect 2 centre holiday with Funchal if you wanted to experience it for longer. Hotels outside of Funchal. In Porto Moniz there is the lovely Aqua Nature Bay. Nearly every room has a dramatic sea or mountain view across the road from the Natural swimming pools. It is a hotel that is very much aware of its surroundings and it is very eco with its build and facilities. It caters a lot for wellness with its spa and treatments and it does encourage to turn off the air conditioner, keep the fly net on and open the door to allow the fresh air in. Sacchrum. Calheta is not far from Funchal, and is home to 1 of the white sandy man made beaches in Madeira. It is overlooking the marina and is probably one of the last types of hotels to find here. It is part of the Madeira Savoy Group and is an amazing design led hotel. It is built on the site of an old sugar mill, which it has taken its inspiration from. It has a dark warm feel to it, the opposite of the brightness outside, but once in the rooms it opens up to stunning rooms. There is even an indoor squash court if you wanted. I have definitely come home wanting to see more of the Island as I feel I have only scratched the surface. It is somewhere for all ages, and not just the older demographic, especially with the new hotels and the refurbishments going on. It is somewhere that I feel will only grow, especially as a winter destination for Europe. If it interests, you don’t leave it too late to visit.

02 September 2019

I last visited Singapore nearly 30 years ago, and I really did not like it as it felt too controlling and clean. This time I could appreciate how the city has changed beyond recognition whilst regaining its character. We stayed at Clarkes Quay, next to the river and on the doorstep of a great number of restaurants and bars. It was a lovely area to wander around at night and you felt safe. It is well connected to the rest of the city by MTR, or as we used the tourist hop on hop off bus. We bought a 2 day ticket and managed to get around to everywhere that we wanted on a 3 night stopover. The city is clean, but it is the work they have done to bring green spaces into the city that is really impressive. It is not unusual to see apartment or office buildings with gardens halfway up or on the roof. Also the creative architecture makes you forget you are in a city of skyscrapers, as they are not just grey boxes. Sitting on the top deck of the bus gives you a great view of this, along with the areas of old Singapore rubbing shoulders with New Singapore. The Botanical Gardens was a great place to escape the City. They are a beautiful, peaceful sanctuary to wander through. You can do a Canopy Walk, a wander round the Swan Lake, or just sit in the couple swings people watching. You forget where you are. Little India gives you a feel for old Singapore, as well as the old Malay area near the Great Mosque. The smells of the food stalls around this area are so tempting. The Marina Bay area is a place you need to visit. The hotel, Trees and domes dominate this area, and round the corner is the Grand Prix track. It is an awesome view day or night. A word of warning in that it does get really busy at night in this area. Across the road from the hotel is the shopping mall. This is designer shop heaven and great for window shopping, in the air conditioning. A trip to Singapore would not be complete without a trip to the reopened Raffles and a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar. It is an indulgence, and the kids loved the monkey nuts just being thrown on the floor. You can also walk around the outside grounds of this historic hotel, but need a reservation to go inside. As a family we really enjoyed Singapore. It has a lot to offer adults and kids, this was without even visiting Sentosa and Universal or doing the night safari....oh well maybe on the next trip?

02 September 2019

24 years ago Paul and I went on our first holiday together and that adventure included Bali. We have such special memories of the Island and especially Ubud that it was with excitement we returned. The first big change is the traffic....be aware that the traffic in Bali is madness and so busy. We arrived into the domestic terminal, after transferring in Jakarta to be told by Kimmy, our driver that the journey could be anything between 50 minutes to 2.5hours! It did take about 2 hours of nose to nose traffic all the way, with motorbikes dashing around us. I am so glad I was not driving. We had booked into the Ubud Wani resort on the outskirts of Ubud. What a fantastic sanctuary this place was. We had booked a family suite, which had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, one of which was an outdoor bathroom. I recommend you try a shower at least once in an outdoor shower. It is a wonderful experience. The hotel is on Monkey Forest Road and is only a 20 minute walk into Ubud, although the hotel also runs a shuttle bus. There are lots of lovely restaurants and bars near the hotel and that is where we stayed at nice, happily eating my favourite Nasi Goreng. I am glad we walked into Ubud as it brought back so many memories for Paul and I. There are lots of shops and stalls to look at on the way and an abundance of Australian Surfer Brands which the kids loved. Our main aim was to get to the Royal Palace in Ubud. This is where we stayed when we visited last time. It is still a great place to wander, however I do not think you can stay there anymore. It was a strange experience last time as you would be sat having breakfast in your little hut with tourists wandering around outside. The kids thought this was so funny. Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali and has lots of arts and craft shops, however if you have the time get a driver to take you to the nearby villages that produce the wood or batik and you will get a better price. The walk back to the hotel gave us the opportunity to visit the Monkey Forest. This is an area that is filled with temples, waterfalls and walkways and lots of monkeys. It is a lovey place to wander, we was later in the day and so not very packed. The monkeys are such fun to watch, however you have to be careful of your belongings as they may try and take them. If you are in Bali then I would recommend a couple of days in Ubud. It is such a magical place once the day trippers have gone and some amazing hotels and restaurants.

04 June 2019

We discovered Hua Hin and Cha-am whilst touring round Thailand on our honeymoon. We were sat in Chiang Mia trying to decide where to go next for a beach and we discovered a hotel in Cha-am that looked great and the idea of just flying to Bangkok instead of a couple of flights was ideal. We flew to Bangkok the next day and got a car to meet us at the airport. To get to Hua Hin or Cha am it involves a 3-hour car journey. I would recommend always booking a luxury transfer as the roads in Thailand can be very bumpy! Cha-am and Hua Hin are about 20 minutes from each other. We originally stayed in the Regent in Cha-am, which is a large hotel on the beach. Cha-am has some lovely bars and is a weekend beach getaway spot for the residents of Bangkok and can become lively at weekends. We also used to travel into Hua Hin at night and we remembered it being a lovely town. Fast forward a few years and a couple of kids later we decided to go to Hua Hin again as we had such amazing memories of the place. It was this time that we stayed in my favourite hotel. The Centara Grand. Hua Hin is Thailand's original beach resort. It is a real mix of city and sea with lively markets, golf courses and waterparks. It is also home to the summer palace for the Thai royal family. It is an excellent place to take kids as they can get to see the wonderful Thai culture, eat the amazing food but avoid the sleazy side. Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin first opened its doors in the early 1920s at a time when Hua Hin was still a sleepy coastal village. This beachfront resort was built along the classic lines of that era, with phenomenal gardens and spacious rooms and suites (up to 170 sqm.) with high ceilings, polished hardwood flooring, period furniture, and Thai silk. The 42 villas offer privacy, space (up to 120 sqm.) and a terrace with Jacuzzi or plunge pool. The resort has plenty of leisure options for adults and children: 4 swimming pools and children’s pools, a spa, a fitness centre, 2 tennis courts, Muay Thai and Tai Chi classes, and 2 kids clubs. It is such an amazing resort with the city on the doorstop. The night markets are really lovely, with great restaurants and an amazing vibe. A short taxi ride away is the Black Mountain Water Park. This is somewhere the kids still speak of as a great day out, probably because we had the park to ourselves. It has loads of slides and a wave pool, and for me...lots of sunbeds to chill out on. Hua Hin is perfect to twin with a Bangkok break if you do not want to fly to the Islands. The beach is not the Palm Tree paradise of the Islands, but it is lovely, and the hotels are amazing. Just thinking about it now is making me want to get on a plane now!

04 June 2019

Milan is not the most obvious destination for a weekend break, but it has always been a favourite of mine. There was a time a few years when my Mum and I would go over for a couple of days once a year. Milan is a city that comes with an image of industry and glamour, and it does live up to the reputation. A lot of the time it reminded me of Manchester. The large imposing Duomo is a sight to be seen. It has 135 spires and 3159 statues. It dominates the piazza and is stunning. If possible, go up to the roof and have a look at the amazing statues a bit closer. Next to the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. This shopping mall with small boutiques and restaurants is a great place to sit and just listen to the locals around you, looking chic going about their daily life. It is a great way to spend an hour or so. The Piazza side of the building is home to the Rinascente. The top floor of this store also has an amazing view of the top of the Duomo. It is a great department store which sells everything. I still have lots of pots and bowls that I could not resist getting from here, this was when I was just setting up my own home and they have carried with me ever since, along with some Christmas Decorations. The Galleria connects the Piazza Duomo with the Teatro Alla Scala. Another place to sit and watch people going to the opera. It is a great entertainment for the evening. For the designer shopping or even just window shopping, head to the Quadrilatero d’Oro. This Golden Rectangle is made up of four streets of pure fashion, the Quadrilatero d’Oro is every shopaholic’s dream. Head to the Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni or Via Sant’Andrea for the best of haute couture, with famous names including Armani, Prada, Versace and Roberto Cavalli. Milan is a great place that does have a piece of my heart. It is a great gateway to Europe with the amazing train connections to other Italian Cities and he rest of Europe. Give it a go for a great weekend.

22 May 2019

In the late 90s and early 2000s, most of our holidays involved a brief stop in Bangkok. Usually as a stop-off place to somewhere else. Bangkok is unlike anywhere else and somewhere that has to be experienced. It never seems to stop, the horns are blaring, the river always has boats on it and the tuk-tuks dart in and out of the traffic. With the skytrain within reach of many hotels, it is an easy city to get around. There is a hotel for every budget, from the 5* luxury brands such as the Shangri-La near the river, the boutique hotels such as the Akara to the hostels of the famous Khao San Road. As you would expect, there are loads of temples to visit in Bangkok, just remember to dress appropriately. A sarong comes in really useful for this as can be used round the shoulders or waist. I remember we hired a tuk-tuk driver for the day who was amazing and not only took us to the main temples of Way Arun and Wat Pho, but also to lots of small local temples, where we were able to speak to the locals and even had the odd kick about with the kids who all wanted to talk football. Football seems to be a common conversation topic wherever we went. The Grand Palace is a must for all visitors to the city. It is so richly decorated and the famous emerald buddha. It sits alongside the river and if it is a special occasion, you can also see the dragonboats. There are also loads of hawker food stalls around the outside of the temple selling everything you could imagine cooked on the little grill! Another great experience we had was on a trip out of Bangkok. If you are only there for a few days then I would recommend going to Kanchanaburi. You can do this by train or even on a day trip. It is a couple of hours from Bangkok but it is where you can see for yourself the Bridge over the River Kwai and the death railway. It is a real thought provoking trip as there is a museum and the war graves there. So many POWs lost their lives building this railway and to visit it gives you a real understanding of the heat and the terrain they were working in. There is so much more to see and do in Bangkok with world-class restaurants, amazing shopping, and some fantastic rooftop bars and pools.

22 May 2019

Marrakech is such a great place for a long weekend, just 3hrs 45 mins from Manchester and you find yourself into a completely different world. The smell and sights are to be experienced. We decided to have a weekend away to celebrate a birthday in December. We stayed in a Riad in the heart of the Medina. It was basically a heavy door that opened into an oasis. With a rooftop terrace that looked over the rooftops, it was like a secret world. The Djema el-fina is just what you see on the tv and in films. There are snake charmers and food vendors everywhere. It is a tourist mecca which is best observed from a café balcony drinking mint tea. We arranged for a walking guide to show us the city for a morning and had a great locals insight into daily life as well as visiting the main sights of the Saadian Tombs and the Marrakech Museum. We also took a tour out of the city to the Ouzoud Waterfalls and the Grand Atlas mountains. It was lovely to get out of the city and see a bit more of the country. A trip to Marrakech would not be complete without a trip round the souk shopping. Just remember to barter hard. I remember I bought jewellery. I hope you are enjoying these destination memories, it would be great to hear your travel memories.

03 May 2019

Day 2 and lets go Stateside today. When kids come along we got told we would need to change the way we holiday, no more adventures and only hotels with kids club. We never liked to do the normal we decided that we would take the family holiday and turn it into the trips we had seen on films and went for the American family Holiday, This involved travelling with a 4 year old and a 6 year old to Virginia. We rented a log cabin, okay make that a 5 bedroom house, with a den, a deck and a hot tub, in the Blue Ridge Mountains close to a lake! This was our amazing home for 10 days and it was a holiday that had a great impact on us all. We walked in the woods, swam in the lake, India who was 6 at the time swam to the pontoon in the lake with Paul and dived off, which was amazing. We visited the Shenandoah National Park and went on a real life bear hunt! Unfortunately we did not get to see the bears but we did see deer. The kids, and adults learnt all about Stalactites and Stalagmites at Luray Caverns, how to pan for gold and also started discussions about slavery and the history of it. I am sure that visiting the American Civil War Battlefields in the area helped influence the obsession with Alexander Hamilton that came later. The kids also experienced their first proper water park at Massunutten which is when we discovered they had no fear, as well as the opportunity to go tubing on the dry ski slopes. As a family it was amazing to spend the time together learning new things, seeing the wonder in the kids eyes and having fun away from the everyday. The evenings were film night in the den after a BBQ on the deck and of course a dip in the hot tub.

02 May 2019

Manchester, my wonderful home town. It is a vibrant, historical and fun city to visit and live. There is lots to do linked with the music and football history, especially the Football Museum. What it also has is 3 important libraries that are all worth a visit in their own right. The Central Library dominates St Peters Square and is a large round building. It houses a small theatre in the basement and lots of various exhibitions celebrating aspects from Manchester, especially the suffragette movement. I love wandering round the music library with its manuscripts and instruments. John Rylands library on Deansgate is a late Victorian neo Gothic building. It holds one of the finest collection of old books and manuscripts and its Gothic interior makes you feel like you are in Harry Potter. The reading room always makes me want to study there. The third library is Cheetham's Library. It is in the school of music and you can only access on a tour. It is the oldest free public reference library in the UK and you can see the desk and alcove where Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels works on the communist Manifesto. Just up from Cheethams you can get to the Northern Quarter in Manchester where you will find lots of fantastic food and drink establishments. If cake and milkshake is your thing call into Home Sweet Home, you will not be dissapointed. Lots of great street art on the way.

27 November 2018

Looking for somewhere different to go on holiday? Seattle is not the first place that springs to mind. But the flights were available and great times and an adventure was beckoning. Seattle is famous for music, coffee and Bill Gates, as well as being close to the Canadian border. It is here that we decided to start our journey, as we had a soccer game to go to. Travelling with two pre-teens, we were trying to ensure that they had things to do and soccer was top of my son’s list. You can travel to Vancouver by train, boat or coach from Vancouver, and for ease we got the coach from Seattle Airport to our hotel in Vancouver. It was a 4-hour journey taking in some lovely scenery and I must say the first view of Vancouver was impressive with the mountains in the background. We had a fantastic bus driver who insisted as we were English that we should sit at the front, so he could point out places of interest on the way. Vancouver is a city that is easy to get around. Just the right size for a couple of days. We stayed at the Hampton Inn, close to the soccer stadium and the Ice Hockey stadium. It was an ideal location to explore the city, with some great places to eat nearby. We invested in an all-day hop on and hop off ticket which gave us a great opportunity to see the whole of the city. Stanley Park is a day on its own. The amazing totems, relaxing parkland and wonderful aquarium make this a hit with the whole family. If we had more time, we would have hired bikes for a couple of hours. It is also great fun just sitting watching the seaplanes take off and land. Lots of shopping in Vancouver, with all your usual brands, however for something different I can recommend Granville Island. It has lots of small individual merchants as well as a great market with some lovely food. The historic side of Vancouver is Gastown. This was where the first settlers called home and was the heart of Vancouver. A great place for people watching and having a lazy lunch. Just outside of Vancouver is Grouse Mountain and Capiliano suspension bridge. It was lovely shorts weather in Vancouver but still snow on the top of Grouse Mountain. Some amazing views up here and a chance to sledge or ski if you wish. It is accessed by cable car, where as well as the view, you are encouraged to look for the bears on the hillside. Unfortunately, we were unable to spot them. The suspension bridge is over the stunning Capiliano River. It offers awesome views and a great trail for adults and kids alike to learn more about the BC nature and wildlife. For the brave people, try the Cliffwalk. A walkway clinging to the side of a cliff over a sheer drop. Not for the faint hearted. We decided to travel by car out of Vancouver and took a ferry to Vancouver Island. We wanted to see a bit more of the authentic Canada. We then drove through the mountains to Tofino. Situated on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, the drive takes you through the giant Redwood Trees and pass some stunning scenery, into the Pacific Rim National Park. The area in season is famous for whale watching, surfing and paddle boarding. However, we were not in season and was greeted by a large downfall of rain, that continued for our whole stay! We did not let this stop us and had booked into the Ocean Village Resort with small wooden cabins on the beach. It would be beautiful in the sunshine! There are lots of walks along the coast and through the National Park taking in the wildlife, lots of deer in the streets. We were fortunate to have seen Orcas from the ferry, seals in the water, a Golden Eagle and a Woodpecker. A wonderful meal in Tofino at Sobo finished our time here. On the way back to the ferry we stopped in Victoria for a night. This is a lovely city, with a very English feel to it. A lovely marina with shops and restaurants a plenty. It was only a quick overnight so no opportunity to visit the numerous gardens in this area. It was onwards and back down to Seattle for a few days to explore this famous city. We stayed at the Mayflower hotel, right in the heart of Seattle and easy access from there to all areas of the city. The room we had was like a small suite, with a separate living area and two bathrooms. Just what was needed for four of us. Seattle surprised us, we loved it. It had a feel very similar to Manchester, with the attitude of the people and the weather.... rain. It is an easy city to navigate and you can easily spend a couple of hours walking about exploring shops and small bars. Pike Place Market is like a show, watching the fishmongers selling their wares, wandering the stalls and going for a coffee in the first Starbucks. The waterfront was being renovated when we were there, however we could still visit the big wheel and the aquarium. As well as some fab places to eat. The must in Seattle is the Space Needle, but also try and visit the Science Museum and other activities near it. A really good day out and also do not underestimate the time in the Museum of Pop Culture. This ticked all our boxes as a family. The top floor is full of instruments and recording booths to play in, kept us going for a good hour or so. There is also a chance to vote for your favourite songs of all time, a Nirvana exhibition and whilst we were there a Hello Kitty Expo, a gaming festival and a homage to Jimi Hendrix. On top of this there are film memorabilia and sports memorabilia from the Seahawks and the Sounders. What more can you ask for. It was a holiday with a difference, with lots to see and do, but also lots of great memories made.

15 July 2018

As a family with a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old, most of the communication with them is via technology. To get them away from the Xbox or Snapchat is hard, which is something that I am sure most of you will understand. It can be frustrating especially when you know that when they are unplugged they are inquisitive and engaging people. We have always travelled with them and tried to teach them that there is a world to explore and now that they are older we decided that it was time to introduce the short city break. Most people think of adults only when they think of a city break, but with a little planning and a slightly slower pace, we discovered what lovely young adults we were nurturing. We chose carefully for our first city break and went for Barcelona. It ticked the boxes that we all wanted, a bit of culture, shops, nice food and most importantly for our family, a football game. We flew out of Manchester with EasyJet in April 2017, leaving behind rainy Manchester for sunny Barcelona, preparing the kids for a four-day trip of exploring. Barcelona is a fantastic city in which to immerse yourself and so easy to get around either by bus, underground or walk. We agreed that the easiest way for us to see the city in a short space of time was by the hop on and hop off bus. What we didn’t know was that there were two different companies running these bus services. Make sure you know which tickets apply to which stops, as we spent a hot 20 minutes at the wrong stop and tried to get the wrong bus…doh! You can buy a two-day pass that lets you travel on any bus or you can buy for the line you want. The two-day was great value. My son loved sitting there with his headphones on listening to the commentary as we went around the city. He listened a lot more of that than he would to me talking about it! He also discovered an interest in architecture and in Gaudi, especially the Casa Mila. He loved telling us all about the history and the small details on buildings. The bus also gave us a great idea of where things were for the days we were exploring on foot, especially the location of every teenage girls dream, Sephora. Some of the highlights of the sightseeing were Parc Guell, Montjic and the Olympic Stadium, The Port and the Gothic Quarter. A hint is to book the Parc Guell if you want to visit it fully as it gets booked up very quickly. The Aquarium at the port is good to escape the weather. It is large with some good exhibits and lots of hands on things to do. The Sagrada Familia was breath-taking. Again, try and book online to avoid the queues, and try and go early in the morning before the coach parties arrive, although even when busy you can still find space to yourself to reflect and take in the way the light comes in. Every church we have visited since is compared to this by the kids. The main reason for the trip was a visit to the Nou Camp Stadium and the chance to watch Barcelona in action. Even if you are not a massive football fan, you cannot fail to be impressed by the stadium and the tour. I would not like the job of cleaning all the silverware. It is a self-guided tour and so can be done at your own pace, although give yourself a few hours, as well as a bit of spare cash for the shop at the end! We were lucky to be able to secure tickets for the Barcelona v Sevilla game, which was an amazing experience. Just be prepared for an open stadium with no roof, which is great apart from those few days when it rains in Barcelona, which is what happened to us, although being Mancunians we were okay with it. We did allow the kids phones during the trip, so they were still engaged in the world, however the conversations we had over tapas and the opinions they shared were what made this trip extra special. Life is fast these days and a lot of the time we think of just sitting on a sunbed with kids in the pool or kids club as a holiday, but a city break gives you chance to connect on every level and share some wonderful experiences. Would we do it again…yes! And we have since, Malaga and Venice and working on the next one. If you want any information on Barcelona or just city breaks in general, please give me a call or drop me a line. Hints and Tips: Book Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia so as not to miss out Get bus tour tickets, but make sure you get the right ones. Find a small tapas bar and people watch in the Gothic Quarter. Visit the Camp Nou...the tour buses also stop there. Sit and enjoy the boats and people at the harbour.