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Finding Adventure in Michigan

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When thinking of which exotic place to write about, a strange thought suddenly came to mind: Michigan.  Blame it on Thanksgiving and the inevitable homesickness it brings, but suddenly my home state seems like a worthy travel destination for any intrepid traveler.    Here are just a few reasons why the mitten-shaped state in the middle of the USA is worth a visit.

Camper’s Paradise

Michigan is made up of not one, but two enormous peninsulas just begging you to come and camp.   National Forests, State Parks and plenty of open space mean you can have your pick of incredible places to bond with nature.  Outside of Detroit and its suburbs, Michigan is largely forest, making for spectacular Autumn colors in Fall, and wonderful shade in summer.  Snow won’t stop you from enjoying the Great Outdoors.  In winter there are plenty of cozy cottages for rent.  In fact, going “up north” is a favorite for Michiganders (yes, that’s what we’re called), and almost every family has access to a cottage/cabin/or fishing shack for long weekends.

All the Beach You Can Handle

When you think of beach vacations you probably think of Florida or the Caribbean.  But lo and behold, unassuming Michigan has some of the most pristine beaches in the world.  With four of the five Great Lakes as neighbors, Michigan has more coastline than the entire Eastern Seaboard of America!  And most of them are empty.  That’s right, other than a few visitors from the Midwest, Michigan beaches manage to stay under the tourist radar, making them ideal for a relaxing trip.

Year Round Activities

Michigan is a state that embraces all four seasons.  With a climate that sees weather extremes from hot summers to cold winters, Michigan has learned to make the most out of every weather condition.  In summer the beaches beckon, as do the million trillion inland lakes and rivers.  Kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and good ol’ swimming are at your fingertips.  In winter there is skiing, hockey and plenty-o-sledding on every hill around.  Fall and Spring are perfect for biking, horseback riding or walking through any of the lovely forests.  Oh, and don’t forget, kiting.  We’re weirdly in love with kites and several beach towns host kite flying competitions in the spring and summer.

Cherries, Berries and Flippin’ Cute Small Towns

Small towns may be the unofficial mascot of the Midwest, but Michigan’s are in their own league of cuteness.  Driving up the West Coast of Michigan, along Lake Michigan, is a crash course in cherry trees, antique shops and even wine farms (who knew?).   Best of all, each small town, from Saugatuck to Petoskey, is authentic.  Their tourism caters primarily to other Michiganders (there’s that awful name again!), since they remain largely unknown outside of the state.  So, yes, the smiles are sincere and the jam really is homemade.

Motown

And, of course, you can’t think Michigan without acknowledging Motown.  Detroit may have a bad rep at the moment, but Motown still has soul.  Detroit is a city to appreciate music, good food and cars.  Sure, the rundown buildings and unemployment is there, but so are music festivals, organic markets and tucked away jazz clubs. This is a city that is still beating, and can definitely show you a good time.

Michigan just may be the spot for your next vacation.

Da Nang, Vietnam: the Most Underrated City in Southeast Asia

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You know Bangkok, and Hong Kong, and Singapore, and Hanoi…but what about little Da Nang?  While it may be just a paragraph in most travel guides, Da Nang, Vietnam is worth an entire chapter.  This city of under one million – teeny, tiny by Asian standards – is not just a stopover; it’s a travel destination in its own right.  Here’s why.

Beach, Beach, Beach

In Da Nang you are spoiled rotten by gorgeous beaches.  There’s the seemingly never-ending China Beach that frames one whole side of the city in post card white sand and turquoise sea.  This stunner is ten miles long and virtually empty all day long.  In a classic win-win situation, most Vietnamese people avoid the beach during the day (tans are not popular here), giving visitors and unique chance to enjoy a city side beach all on their own.  My Khe beach is just as splendid – and just as free of anyone but you.  And, if you’re really in the mood for cliché tropical paradise, Lang Co Beach is a quick scoot away.

Cheap Food, Cheap Stays, Cheap Tailors

Southeast Asia is comparatively cheap for travel.  Vietnam is comparatively cheap within Southeast Asia.  Da Nang is comparatively cheap within Vietnam.  Your money goes far here, and can be spent on incredible fresh seafood that you choose directly from fishermen or immaculately hand sewn suits from local tailors.  For such a small place, Da Nang has a surprisingly wide variety of restaurants, bars and activities.  Splurge on champagne brunch at the Intercontinental in the morning.  Go out diving in the afternoon.  Visit the ornate temples that are scattered all around the city.  Then wind down with live music and a beer along the riverfront (that’s right, Da Nang has a beach front and a river front).  When you’re ready to turn in, take your pick from eleven bagillion hotels with rooms that will cost you a whopping ten dollars.

Culture without the Throngs of Tourists

 

When you’re finished wining and dining yourself, you might remember that Da Nang is a hub of Vietnamese culture – without the crowds and hassles of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.  Of course there’s the Cham Museum that pops up in most tour guides, but there’s more to Da Nang than just one museum.  There’s the gorgeous (and enormous) Buddah statue that overlooks the city from her perch on the town’s mountain.  This green jungle in the middle of the city, called Son Tra, is a protected area with just a few small restaurants grandfathered in – and plenty of monkeys for your picture-taking pleasure!  There are temples and churches all around to remind of you of Vietnamese beliefs.  And, of course, there are the people themselves, who are all the more apt to sit and chat with you in this smaller, less congested Vietnamese city.

Lovely People

Da Nang is not a city; it’s just a big beach town.  Maybe that explains the laid-back attitude of the people here.  From the moment you arrive you will find people willing to help you, willing to walk you to where you need to go, and willing to try and understand your terrible, mispronounced Vietnamese.  And, no, they aren’t looking to charge you for it.  While other cities are full of scammers, Da Nang is quite sincere in its hospitality.   It’s new on the tourist scene and the people here want you to have a good time.  Within 24 hours of arriving here I’d had people offer to carry my suitcase, offer to help me get a cell phone and scoot me across town to the beach – and all refuse any sort of money.  People here are just plain nice.

Da Nang may not be the flashiest Asian city, but it’s one of the most authentic – and most enjoyable.  Happy travels to this lovely town!

How much travel planning is really necessary?

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You’re ready to travel.  Maybe your flight is not quite booked.  Maybe your bag is not quite packed.  But in your heart, you’re ready to go.

So now that you have the want, how do you make it a reality?  Do you call ahead to book your hotel for the week?  Do you research things to see and do in your locale of choice?  Do you reserve a tour to take you around?  Or do you book a one-way ticket, grab a few pairs of underwear and just wing it? In other words, how much travel planning is really necessary?

The answer: not much.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s ok to travel without a set plan.  Travel blogs are loaded with tips on how to source the best deals in advance, what you should pack for any given situation and what you should see in every country in the world.  It’s true that these tips might, in fact, save you a bit of money and a bit of hassle later on down the road.  But all too often the planning process is a turn off for would-be travelers.  Suddenly your trip has become a point of stress instead of a point of excitement.

If this happens, here’s what you do: just go.  The truth is you can adapt better than you expect.  In fact, you will adapt when the situation arises.  Whether you’re met at the airport by a chauffeur, or simply by the Great Unknown, you will manage to make a plan.

Traveling is all about the adventure it brings.  There’s no greater adventure than heading off to foreign place without an itinerary in place.  You can’t help but explore when you need a room for the night.  You can’t help but meet new people when you are looking for the cool bar in a new town.  Traveling without (much) planning forces you out of your comfort zone, and into the arms of the new place where you’ve landed.

Be safe if you arrive late at night.

Of course, it’s always smart to act smart.  Before embarking on your unplanned excursion, make sure you have enough money to cover a night at an expensive hotel if you can’t manage to find a cheap hostel.   Know how to get a hold of the information center and police if you need them.  Let friends at home know where you’re headed before you go.  If your flight arrives really late at night, maybe book a room for your first night and let the unplanned adventure begin the next day.

Once the basics are in place, buy that bus/train/plane ticket and GO!  The rest always manages to fall into place.

Hiking with Lions: An Active Trip to Cape Town

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Cape Town is a city that loves the outdoors.  While other places may attract visitors with fancy shopping and trendy clubs, Cape Town prefers to keep it natural.  She shows off her beaches, mountains and countryside whenever the opportunity arises.  In fact, the Mother City is a place that inspires you to take in the Great Outdoors.

Hiking is an ever-popular pursuit among Cape Town’s active visitors and residents.  There’s no shortage of windy paths through the Helderberg or Cederberg Mountains.  In fact, mountains are so predominant that Table Mountain is practically synonymous with the city.  But perhaps the best hike of all is up Lion’s Head, Cape Town’s “little” mountain.

Compared to Table Mountain, Lion’s Head looks unimpressive.  The views from the top, however, are anything but.  The trek up Lion’s Head is something that can be done in just a few hours, as opposed to the full day commitment other mountains demand.  You might hear that it’s more of a walk than a hike, but this is an understatement.  It’s a real hike that gives you a chance to test out your rock climbing skills if you choose, or opt for the gentler path around the top.

The beauty of Lion’s Head is the 360 degree look at Cape Town it provides.  As you make your way to the top, you alternate between views of the Twelve Apostles mountain range over Camps Bay, the shiny water surrounding Robben Island and the slick skyscrapers of downtown – all the elements that make up this complex town.  And once you reach the tip of the Lion, it’s Cape Town views on steroids!

So, go on.  Book your flights to Cape Town and enjoy Cape Town’s outdoors!

Top Ten (Underrated )Things to Do in Cape Town

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It’s no secret that Cape Town is a great city to visit.  Once again it was voted the top travel destination in the world by TripAdvisor.  It’s been named the World Design Capital for 2014 and its centerpiece, Table Mountain, has officially become one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.   There’s a lot going on here.

But while travel blogs and travel guides may sing their hymns of Camps Bay, Long Street and the V & A Waterfront, there are far more things to do in Cape Town that seem to slip under the radar.  Here are ten of the best, most underrated things to do on your next trip to the Mother City.

Blouberg Beach

Skip the high prices of Camps Bay beach and head west to Blouberg.  It’s all of a 15 minute drive from the city centre and, once you’re there, you’ll have one of the longest beaches in the country to yourself.  Blouberg Beach not only runs uninterrupted for miles, it’s also got that quintessential postcard view of Table Mountain.  There’s a paved path that runs most of the way along it that’s perfect for biking, rollerblading or skateboarding.  Forget the crowds of Clifton beach, Blouberg is a laid back beach where it’s not uncommon to walk for twenty minutes without seeing anyone else.  Small bakeries, restaurants and bars are tucked in here and there and charge half the price of places on the other side of town.

Wine Farms

Ok, the wine farms of Cape Town are not exactly a secret.  In fact, they’re a major draw for tourists from around the world.  But the secret is that visiting a wine farm does not have to be an expensive, tour bus affair.  The roads in and around Cape Town are well maintained and renting a car is easy.  Once you’re away from the tour guide inflated prices, you’ll find that Cape Town wine farms are cheap to visit.  In fact, many of them, especially on your way to Hermanus, are completely free.  Others, like Alluvia in Franschhoek subtract the cost of the tasting from any wine bottles that you choose to buy.  And you don’t need a guide to show you around.  Most wine farms offer complimentary maps of the surrounding farms and will give you honest recommendations on which to visit.

Philadelphia

No, not the one in Pennsylvania.  In fact, this Philadelphia couldn’t be more different.  The tiny farming town of Philadelphia lies just outside of Cape Town – about a half hour’s drive from the center of town.  It’s a picture perfect place, surrounded by green rolling hills (that are covered in wild flowers in the spring).  It’s also a Mecca for art lovers.  The two streets that make up the town are loaded with the work of local artists.  The few quirky restaurants serve homemade pancakes and delicious tea.  This is the perfect place to spend a weekend morning.

Melkbos

Melkbos is the place to be for seafood lovers, surfers and visitors who want to break from the norm.  Melkbos is a small town just west of Cape Town that remains true to its (largely Afrikaanse) South African roots.  Instead of hotels and fancy bars, you find seaside-cottages-turned- restaurants.  The hugely long beach offers one of the best surf spots in the area.  And, it seems impossible to leave without meeting at least half the locals.

Simon’s Town

There’s more to Simon’s Town than penguins.

Most travel guides will mention Simon’s Town as a great place for lunch after you visit Cape Point.  However Simon’s Town is more than just a pass-through spot.  Aside from its famous African penguins (which are hot on the tourist map), Simon’s Town is a real, traditional South African town that’s worth visiting for a few days.  The little cafes are more than just cute – they’re filled with patrons who have lived in town their whole lives.  This is an area of Cape Town that forces you to slow down.

Water Activities

For a city that’s surrounded by the ocean, there aren’t many tourists who come here for the water.  That’s because the water in Cape Town is sent up straight from the Arctic.  It’s cold.  Really cold.  But if you can find a wetsuit and brave the waves, you’ll find that Cape Town waters are some of the best in the world for surfing, diving and kite boarding.  In fact, Blouberg Beach is considered the world’s best kite boarding spot.

Woodstock

Woodstock is an area in a constant state of change.  What was recently a don’t-go-there zone has quickly become a popular place for artists, collectors and coffee drinkers.  Aside from the acclaimed Saturday market at the Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock can easily keep you entertained with its array of small sandwich shops and espresso bars.  It’s also the place to find designer chairs made from old suitcases, lamps made from old typewriters and paper machete sculptures of lion.  It’s definitely worth checking out.

Camps Bay in Winter

Camps Bay is a must-see in all travel guides about Cape Town.  Problem is, it knows it’s cool.   Prices are high, beaches are crowded and there’s an unofficial fancy dress code.  But in winter, after most tourists have headed home, a different sort of Camps Bay emerges.  This less congested Camps Bay allows you to take in the stunning scenery – the backdrop of the Twelve Apostles Mountains and the front view of the gorgeous sea.  It’s a place where the locals come out of hiding (in more casual clothing) and where most of the restaurants along the strip change over to their much less expensive winter menus.

Artscape Theatre

Right in the center of town, conveniently next to a public bus stop, is the Artscape Theatre.   From the outside it’s not the most impressive building, but inside you’ll find internationally renowned theatre for next to nothing.  You can watch big names like Jesus Christ Superstar and Phantom of the Opera for about R150 (that’s less than $20!).  Sure, you could see them at home, but for less than that?

Cederberg Mountains

This one’s cheating.  Melkbos and Philadelphia might be just outside of Cape Town, but the Cederberg Mountains are a little drive.  Still, if you have an extra day, they’re worth it.  The Cederberg Mountains begin about an hour outside of Cape Town.  They’re a beautiful place to hike, explore and discover real Bushmen paintings.  The only other tourists you’ll find there are South Africans, since most international tourists flock to the Drakensberg.  This means you will pretty much have the whole place to yourself.  There are plenty of places to camp, cottage and even a few luxury resorts scattered around that are just tempting to you to go visit.

Make your next trip to Cape Town one that strays from the beaten path.

 

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