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A Classic Road Trip To See New England’s Fall Colors

To see New England in HD quality, make sure your Road Trip Planner includes the dates from mid-September to mid-October.  Granted, New England is beautiful year-round, but unlike other regions, its busiest tourist season is during the Fall, where trees are blanketed in fiery colors and where you can walk through carpets of rust, orange, and yellow. 

Indeed, the New England region is synonymous with Fall, so deeply entrenched is its connection to this season.  But what many people overlook in their initial road trip planning is that this region is steeped in American History.  Thus, a Fall Road Trip to New England not only gives you nature's colorful bounty but also a rewarding cultural experience.  Add to that the abundance of festivals held during this season and the readily available succulent lobster and you have a pretty good thing going there!

So where do you start your road trip planning?  For many of us, a New England Road Trip means flying first into Boston & then renting a car.  This virtual road trip will take you in a clockwise loop over the course of 8 days where you’ll hit all six New England states:  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine.

Boston is one of the oldest cities in America with many things to do so plan on staying two nights here.  For a hotel choice, I’d recommend choosing one with character like the B & B brownstone, Gryphon House. The following morning, if you’re a walker, hit the Freedom Trail! A good place to start is at Boston Common, the oldest park in America.  This 2 ½ mile walk will take you past 16 significant historic sites.  One site to explore more thoroughly is the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where you’ll walk on cobblestone streets and meander in & out of shops, restaurants and historic buildings.   

The next day, enjoy a scenic drive from Lexington to Concord and then south to Plymouth Rock. Here, your road trip planner should include explorations of Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II, and the extraordinary Plimoth Plantation.  There aren’t many places where you can catch a glimpse of living history such as the village found here.

Add Cape Cod to your road trip planner for your third night.  Your best bet for a hotel during this busy season is in Hyannis because it’s the largest of the seven Cape Cod villages.  Consider taking a ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard for the day if you’re interested in seeing the historic whaling town of Edgartown.  Otherwise, Cape Cod has plenty to offer to fill a full day’s itinerary.

Heading into Rhode Island on Day 4 and if you’ve planned your road trip to start mid-October, then you should be able to catch Bowen's Wharf Seafood Festival.  Here’s that lobster you were dreaming of… and clams… and well, it IS a seafood festival.  Here you also have an option to enjoy a ferry ride from Newport to Providence if you’re interested in seeing sprawling estates set against color-laden backdrops.   

From Newport, you’re only about 50 miles to Mystic, Connecticut for your overnight stay.  For many visitors, this community becomes the highlight of their road trip because it’s a seafaring village dating back to the 1600s.  Here you’ll find guides sharing “whale” stories, a 19th century tavern, a printing office, a lighthouse, and of course, boats.  Consider adding a steamboat cruise along the Mystic River to your road trip planner.  Even if you didn’t plan your road trip to catch Mystic’s Annual Chowderfest, I’m sure you’ll still find a tasty bowl of chowder somewhere in this historical seaport.

For the next two days, you will truly be hitting the road as you travel about 3 ½ hours to Woodstock, Vermont and the following day another 4 hours into North Conway, New Hampshire.  Here’s where your thirst for Fall foliage will be slaked as you drive first through the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusets, then the Green Mountains in Vermont, through the acclaimed picturesque town of Woodstock and into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

Pencil in Portland, Maine in your road trip planner for Day 7.  You’ll emerge from the mountains and lakes to cruise along the rocky coastline, just in time to enjoy another lobster dinner before you last night’s stay in New England.  The following morning, you have about a 1 ½ hour drive to Boston, so enjoy the Atlantic Ocean views while you can! 

While some travelers like turning the wheel over to tour operators, others like to do their own Road Trip Planning so they can travel at their own pace and stop at whim.  Either way, you'll get a memorable Fall Foliage Experience.

Exploring the Places between Utah and Maine in a Fall Road Trip

Goldilocks may have found one spot “too hot” and another spot “too cold” but if she’d used her Road Trip Planner to travel during the Fall, she would have found both spots “just right”.  Especially if she’d gone on a road trip to discover the places between the dry desert climate surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah and the salty sea air found in Bar Harbor, Maine.

This great road trip covers more than 2600 miles and 13 states so pencil in at least two weeks in your road trip planner. Three weeks would be ideal if you’re making it a Round Trip Road Trip.

So, with thirteen states to cover, how does one choose among the 1000s of things to do?  One way to narrow the field is to stick as close as possible to the direct route.  And with the price of gas these days, concentrate on the free and affordable activities along that route to keep this road trip within your budget.  That said, I recommend adding these cities to your road trip planner for overnight stays and things to do along the way (averaging about 200 miles per day).

With Salt Lake City, Utah sitting on the edge of the Wasatch Mountains, spend a few hours hiking along the paths or have a picnic at the Wasatch Mountain State Park.  Cross over into Wyoming and spend your first night at the Rock Springs Days Inn and enjoy the Rock Springs Historic Museum. 

The next day, you’ll remain in Wyoming, traveling about 250 miles to the state capital, Cheyenne for your second night.  Consider adding Colorado to your road trip planner by taking a short side-trip into Fort Collins, Colorado and spend the night in Lexington, Nebraska, where you can enjoy antique shopping and fishing while staying at a Victorian house, converted into a B & B.  Spend your fourth night in Omaha, about 220 miles down the road from Lexington.  Be sure to shop & stroll through the Old Market, where you’ll find a bit of everything; art, shops, cafés, restaurants and music!

The fourth state to add to your road trip planner is Iowa as you’ll be stopping at your second state capital, Des Moines before continuing on for an overnight at Iowa City, where you’ll find a number of very affordable hotels. 

You’ll want to cut north a bit past Joliet, Illinois so you can enjoy the Chicago nightlife, making it 6 states in 6 nights. Chicago has lots of Things To Do so you might want to stay a second night there and drive the following morning through Indiana (about 250 miles) to Toledo, Ohio to put your road trip planner back on track with 8 states, 8 nights.  Be sure to check out the Maumee Antique Mall, which has over 120,000 square feet for you to wander through (there’s also a smaller Antique Mall in downtown Toledo).

Hit the road again, passing through Cleveland, Ohio, along Lake Erie and spend the night in Erie, Pennsylvania for an overnight stay with a lakeview.  The next morning, enjoy the waterfront area in Buffalo, New York before continuing east to spend the night at Syracuse.  You’ll want to add your 3rd state capital in Albany to your road trip planner before heading towards Boston.  Here you might also want to stay two nights for a rich, historical experience.

You can actually travel through 3 states in one day in less than 250 miles as you leave Boston, with stops in Salem, then Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and passing through Portland, Maine (birthplace of famed horror writer, Steven King) and staying at a cozy lodge in Bangor, Maine.

At this point, congratulations are in order because you’re near your final destination of Bar Harbor, Maine.  Reward yourself by adding the Acadia National Park to your Road Trip Planner and revel in the Fall colors, a perfect ending to a remarkable road trip.

Fall Road Trip Along the Appalachian Trail – Part I

If the thought of hiking the full 2,167 mile footpath following the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is too daunting, then consider using the Road Trip Planner to create a car or RV road trip instead.  Realistically, it would take about seven months to hike it all if you progressed 10 miles per day, though some dedicated fans manage it in one season.  So, for most of us, traversing the Appalachian Trail in a car or RV road trip is the choice alternative because you could cover the same distance in about two weeks at the leisurely pace.

This scenic road trip parallels the hiker’s route for the most part. This way, you can spend a couple of hours each day actually hiking the wilderness and be immersed in the colors and smells of the deep woods, then sit back in your car and enjoy nature unfurling before you.  A perfect start date to enter in your road trip planner is Fall because it allows you to experience the Appalachian Mountains at its colorful peak while also checking off another “Places to see in this lifetime” list: Enjoy New England’s legendary Fall Colors.

That’s not to say your trip itinerary will include nothing but trees and trails.  On the contrary, you’re passing through historically significant states so imagine the quaint villages and historic sites that’ll open up for you as you fill your road trip planner. 

Even though the Appalachian Trail runs through 14 states, this blog will include details on the first 6 of them (not including Maine): New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania.  This leaves New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia for another blog.  Keep in mind, that even though your initial road trip planning might show a 1200-mile route on places like Mapquest or Google Maps, you’ll be meandering through the states in order to follow the Appalachian Trail, so tack on another 200 miles to your road trip.

Choice spots to include in your road trip planner
In New Hampshire : You’ll be traveling west from Gorham to Orford before turning south.

• Pinkham Notch Camp
• Mt. Washington in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range
• Mount Washington Cog Railway
• The five granite ledges of Old Man of the Mountain at the Franconia Notch
• Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich

In Vermont: Your entry point is White River Junction; exit through Bennington.

• The historic town of Woodstock
• Gifford Woods State Park in the heart of the Green Mountains
• A panoramic view of Mt.  Snow as you descend into Wilmington

In Massachusetts : You’ll be skirting the west on Highway 7 all the way from Williamstown to Ashley Falls.

• Mount Greylock State Reservation
• Hancock Shaker Village
• Mount Washington State Forest in South Egremont (stay at the Weathervane, a great B & B).

In Connecticut : Enter in Canaan on Highway 7 and exit through Danbury.

• Norfolk, for its sheer beauty, including its private forest
• The Appalachian Trail crosses Highway 7 and the Housatonic River at Cornwall Bridge.
• Allow one luxury stay at the Berkshires (here's an affordable one).  The Berkshires is to western Connecticut what the Catskills is to New York and the Poconos to Pennsylvania. 

In New York : We’re only going to include the Appalachian Trail segment in this road trip planner and keep the “other” New York for another trip (unless you really can’t help yourself & decide to spend a few days in New York City…it’s your vacation after all :>).  Drive along US 6 to Highway 7, touching the southeastern part of New York and exiting through Port Jervis.

• West Point, the Army’s famous military academy
• Bear Mountain State Park
• Harriman State Park

In Pennsylvania :  Come in at Dingman’s Ferry and exit through Gettysburg (you’ll actually dip a bit in the Garden State of New Jersey).

• Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
• The Poconos
• Roadside America in the village of Shartlesville to see a scale model of bygone Americana.
• The Pennsylvania Dutch Country
• Gettysburg

That’s it…so far.  Check back again soon because we’ve got another 7 states to add to your Road Trip Planner to make this a truly magnificent Fall exploration of the Appalachian Trail.

Two-Week Road Trip on the Big Island of Hawaii

Your road trip planner will be overstuffed if you try to explore all that the Big Island has to offer in one week.  I know, because I just spent eight days there on the Kona Coast and didn’t even get to see much of the Hilo side.  So, by combining my trip experience with recommendations from the locals, here then is a two-week road trip that will give you the ultimate Big Island Experience.

To drive all the way around the Big Island would be more than 250 miles and another 60 miles if you want to explore the tallest volcano at Mauna Kea State Park.  It’s also twice the size of all the other islands combined.  And while many travelers set up “home” on one side of the coast during their trip planning, I’d recommend staying one week on each coast to have a great jumping off point for your many explorations.

We’ll start our road trip planning on the Kona side, the sunnier region.  We stayed in the Kailua-Kona, site of the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon and home of the revered King Kamehameha, the leader who ultimately united all the islands.  It has a great waterfront and pier, where you could enjoy dinner each night with a view of the sun dipping behind the water horizon.  My favorites were the Kona Brewing Company (baked garlic, home-made focaccia & melted Gorgonzola dip), Bubba Gumps (right on the water), and Quinn’s Almost By the Sea (affordable & local favorite).

Each morning, we catapulted out of bed, knowing a new adventure awaited us.  Make sure to include in your road trip planner, plenty of beaches.  Not only are there multiple Public Beach Access signs take you to more secluded spots but Hawaii's decreed that any beach is PUBLIC LAND, so if you spot a nice looking beach behind a gated community, just roll on up & ask for beach access!    Snorkelers should go to Kahaluu Beach Park, surfers to White Sands Beach, privacy buffs to Kona Coast State Park, and beach lovers can choose from Anaehoomalu Bay, Hapuna Beach, or Mauna Kea Beach.

Other places to consider in your road trip planning in Kailua-Kona:  The Hulihee Palace, Kokuaikaua Church, Kamehameha’s Compound at Kamakahonu Bay, Kona Wine Market for affordable prices as well as souvenirs.  Include one Luau in your trip; I recommend The Island Breeze Luau at the King Kamehameha Compound at the Kailua Pier because it’s right on the beach.

Along the Kohala Coast, you’re in for a scenic treat as your road trip takes you north into the quaint town of Hawi and beyond to Pololu Valley Lookout.  On the way, stop at Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm (NELHA), which houses the only Seahorse farm in the US.  Stop at the Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, the temple Kamehameha built to the war god to insure his success in battle.  Keep driving up Highway 270 to the Lapakahi State Historical Park for a view of a typical 14th-century Hawaiian village and the Mo’okini Luakini Heiau. The original Kamehameha Statue is along this route, as well as a view of Maui. A mile from the Pololu lookout, enjoy a picnic at the Keokea Beach Park.  On your way back, check out the Puako Petroglyph Archaeological District.

Along the southern coast on the Kona side, you’ll find Captain Cook, Kealakekua Bay, the Place of Refuge and Honaunau Bay.  Combine these for a perfect full day’s exploration to add to your road trip planner, with historical places and monuments, great scenic shots of the bays and snorkeling/swimming at Honaunau Bay, considered the second best place to snorkel with lovely reefs, turtles, fish, and huge coral growths!

Now here’s where we move our home base to the Hilo side to give you plenty of time to explore the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Leaving Kailua-Kona, include in your road trip planning, stops at South Point (the southernmost spot in the US), the sweet-smelling bakery/souvenir shop in Naalehu, and the Punaluu Black Sand Beach.

We didn’t spend nearly enough time at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park because the ranger told us the current lava flow was outside the park (as of August, 2008, it’s an hour’s drive to the end of Highway 130 in Kaimu, then a 20-minute hike over the lava to the viewing area).  So schedule in a full two days in your road trip planner to fully explore the Kilauea Visitors Center, Halemaumau Crater, Thurston Lava Tube, Devastation Trail, and a Crater Rim drive as well as make the sunset trek to the lava flow.  Local Shannon Cormie says, “Seeing the ribbon of red lava snake its way down the side of the mountain and then thunder into the ocean is a sight you will never forget”.

One reason to place Hilo front and center in your road trip planning is because it’s so lush!  David Carpenter, a local, recommends the Akatsuka Orchid Garden for its large assortment of orchids.  It’s situated about halfway between Volcano and Hilo.  Shannon recommends sites surrounding Hilo by visiting to Banyan Drive, Liliuokalani Gardens, Lyman Museum & Mission House, the Pacific Tsunami Museum, and the wonderful botanical gardens like Nani Mau Gardens Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, and World Botanical Garden. 

From there, take your road trip planning up to the Hamakua Coast, stopping at Akaka Falls and have lunch in Honokaa. Then check out Waipio Valley, the birthplace of Hawaii’s kings, before heading for Waimea, a cowboy town with the Parker Ranch Visitor Center & Museum as the focal point.

Set aside a full day in your trip planner to explore Mauna Kea.  Rent a four-wheel drive vehicle to climb to the top (13,796-foot) or book a full-day tour where guides will take you to hidden waterfalls, sacred spots and an observatory, treasured by astronomers around the globe.

All of the above will fill your Big Island Road Trip to the brim.  Plus, you’re bound to see other places to explore.  But take heart, if you don’t get to all of them this round, you’ll have a perfect excuse to fill another road trip planner for a return visit!

By Ingrid McCleary (with recommendations from Shannon Cormie and David Carpenter.  Mahalo!)

Cruisin’ The Southern California Coastline Road Trip - Part II

Last time, we cruised along the Northern California Coastline; now it’s time to fire up your Road Trip Planner and skirt the southern coastline to complete your own California Cruisin’ Dream Trip.

We left off in one of my favorite areas, Big Sur.  Simply put -- and the main reason to include this in your road trip planning -- Big Sur offers stunning views. It’s that stretch of highway where land meets sea in a jaw-dropping way because the Santa Lucia Mountains rise like colossal sentries from the Pacific Ocean.  I must confess to gripping the armrest a bit as we rounded some bends because of the sheer drop to the ocean below.  Exhilarating! 

While some would suggest a more direct route south by taking the inland Highway 101 or even the mid-land Highway 5, I recommend staying on Highway 1 for an unforgettable coastal road trip.  This way, your Road Trip Planner will include highlights like hiking at Limekiln State Park, and treasure hunting at Jade Beach, one of the few places in the world where you can find quality Jade strewn about like pebbles.

After all that hiking and beach combing, settle into your road trip with a scenic drive along the Cabrillo Highway till it turns into the San Luis Obispo North Coast Highway.  Soon you’ll find San Simeon, home of the opulent Hearst Castle. Hearst Castle is the palatial estate built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It’s one of the largest of historic house museums in the U.S. and well worth the ticket price for the informative tour.  Believe me, you’ll be ogling all the sumptuous finery found here!

From here, suggested places to add to your road trip planner are Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Pismo Beach (a popular ATV camping spot because of all the sand dunes).

Now here’s where I’ll recommend cutting over to Highway 101 to discover a California city with a decidedly Danish twist, Solvang.  I found it utterly charming, with stores offering delicate lace and handmade quilts, Danish cuisine in quaint restaurants, and a European flavor to the buildings lining the main streets. 

Of course, you can’t be away from the ocean for too long and heading into Santa Barbara will give you the quintessential California coastal city experience.  If you want to taste the salt air & be completely surrounded by water, then add to your road trip planner a stop near Oxford, where you can hop aboard the ferry to the Channel Islands.  As you walk around these beaches, you’ll get a feel for what the land looked like before civilization descended because these islands have remained relatively isolated for 1000s of years.  But if you’re looking more for culture than nature, then plan instead to take the ferry near Newport Beach to Santa Catalina Island & explore the appealing city of Avalon.  This is a popular cruise stop destination so you can enjoy glass-bottom boat rides, take a trolley car up to some lush gardens, or enjoy snorkeling to the left of the pier (on the pier, facing land).

Below Oxnard, you’ll find the sexy city of Malibu, full of opulent homes on the lolling hills and beautiful bodies on the beaches.  Be sure to enjoy the Santa Monica Pier as you continue south. It’s a fun place to spend the evening.  But you’ll definitely want daylight to people-watch the myriad of characters found at Venice Beach.

By now, you’re in the thick of Southern California, a region where sunglasses, shorts, and flip-flops are the main attire.  Newport Beach is another well-to-do city worthy of a stop in your road trip planning.  As well as the Dana Point Harbor, one of the prettiest harbors I’ve seen in a long time.  Nearby, you’ll find San Juan Capistrano, another great cultural stop, this time with a Spanish twist, as you stroll the grounds of the California icon, Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Now it’s San Diego time, the biggest southern city before you hit the Mexican border!  There you’ll find a thriving city with distinct areas like Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Balboa Park. Include in your road trip plans a fun side trip by driving to an island, compliments of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. You’ll easily spot the famous Hotel Del Coronado, a sprawling white and red-roofed resort, which housed Presidents, movie stars & tycoons in its illustrious past.  From there, scoot along the Silver Stand Highway just for the sheer enjoyment of cruising a highway flanked by water on both sides.  For even more fun, enjoy a sunset gondola ride and pretend you’re in Venice, Italy!  From there, you’re less than 5 miles from the Mexico border with San Ysidro being the southernmost California community. 

So there you have it.  Between this blog and Cruisin’ The Northern California Coastline Road Trip – Part I, you’ve now hugged the California coastline from bow to stern, complete with side-trips that the locals would recommend.  To do this road trip justice, I’d recommend at least two weeks. But however you fill your Road Trip Planner, you’re guaranteed awesome photos, spectacular sunsets, and a lot of cool cruisin!

Ingrid McCleary

Cruisin’ The Northern California Coastline Road Trip – Part I

I'm a long-time Californian, so come cruise with me through an ideal California Coastal Road Trip and then use our Road Trip Planner to customize your own California Cruisin’ Dream Trip. 

With California running the length of nearly 800 miles, it’s actually the equivalent of driving through nine eastern states.  Yet, you’ll be amazed at the different ambiances you’ll find in the many cities dotting this expansive coastline.  In fact, we’re only going to cover the Northern half of California this week because there’s so many things to discover here, you could easily make this half a 2-Week Road Trip in itself!

Life in Northern California, in cities like Eureka, Fort Bragg, Mendocino, is laid-back, even bucolic, but oh, you’ll see some of the prettiest coastlines imaginable along this stretch of highway.  Get your camera ready to catch the rock formations jutting dramatically out of the deep ocean blue, or capture the fog rolling through tree skeletons stretching out to greet the horizon, and yes, even the occasional cow meandering across the road as you round the next bend.

Of course, just because you’re hugging the coastline doesn’t mean you’ll be relegated to endless beach views (though that’s an excellent way to cruise!).  Include in your Road Trip Planner a hike through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Eureka, California's largest redwood state park with more than 52,000 acres of old growth coast redwoods.  Stop for the Mendocino Music Festival in Mendocino & sip wine while enveloped in a blanket of music.  Take your shoes off at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg & marvel at the colors of the pebbles,  all rounded smooth through years of wave action.  In fact, Glass Beach is purported to hold the highest concentration of sea glass in the world. 

A relatively unknown attraction to add to your Road Trip Plan is to stop in at the Sea Ranch Chapel, one of my favorite examples of “free-hewn” architecture I’ve ever seen.  Traveling south toward the Bay Area, I’d recommend a stop at Tiburon for lunch & take the Ferry to Angel Island for the day.  Beautiful Bay views and a fun ferry ride to the West’s Ellis Island.  From the island, you’ll see spectacular views of the San Francisco Skyline.

Another quirky town to hit before “crossing over” is Sausalito.  A water-front community, it’s filled with houseboats on one side and quaint shopping areas on the other.  Finding a water view to accompany your dining should be a relatively easy task.

As you cross over the marvel of the Golden Gate Bridge, know that local lore has it that once painters finish painting the bridge, it’s so expansive that they have to start repainting from the other end again!   Once in San Francisco, must-sees are the Golden Gate Park and Fisherman’s Wharf.  Go ahead, grab a loaf of San Franciscan French Bread and a freshly cleaned/boiled crab, dangle your feet from the pier & simply savor the flavor of “a day in the life” of a San Franciscan (at least on weekends :>).

Keep heading south from there toward Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, and Monterey; each city has a distinct pace, yet the easy going atmosphere perseveres.  Personal favorites in Half Moon Bay is the Moss Beach Distillery, boasting a spectacular ocean view from the dining room and... a firmly entrenched ghost!  In Santa Cruz, there’s the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, containing a wooden roller coaster, honored as a national historic landmark in 1987, and still providing thrills after 84 years!  A summer plus here are the free beach concerts held every Friday night.

The Monterey–Carmel-Big Sur area is my favorite recommendation to add to your Road Trip Planner  because of all this area offers:  Old Fisherman's Pier, Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel Beach, the world-renown Pebble Beach, Point Lobos, and a breathtaking meeting of land and water as you travel to the stunning  Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur.

Next time, we’ll continue even further south, all the way to the Mexico border.  I suggest you start filling your Road Trip with the Northern California things to do now (with help from our Road Trip Planner) because soon we’ll be cruisin’ through some of the most famous spots in Southern California.

Ingrid McCleary

Grabbing The Gold Guide to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

While most of us will experience the 2008 Olympics via the TV, those lucky enough to be there will find plenty of things to do in Beijing, especially if they have the Wcities Guide to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in hand.

Wcities recently released this extensive 46-page guide, perfect for International travelers because it’s available in 9 languages.  Not only is it packed with recommendations, contact information, and historical facts about great destination spots, it’s free.  You can download your pdf version here (note that the English print version is 355mb, but you can also view the 17mb web version).

Some Olympic Facts: 

• Expecting 4 billion television viewers worldwide and over 200 countries are participating. 
• Hosted by Beijing, China, the spectacle will unfold August 8 through August 24, 2008.
• Major renovations have been done for hotels and restaurants; new venues and shopping malls have sprung up and their subway system now carries increased capacity with additional stations. 
• 31 venues are hosting Olympic events, all located in Beijing, a city of over 15 million people.

If you’re like most Olympic visitors, you’ve already purchased tickets to the events that most interest you.  These events are spread over two weeks.  So what things can you do when you find a day without one of your events scheduled?  Plenty!  Where can you eat while you’re at one of the 31 venues?  That’s where the guide comes in.

The guide provides tips and information on the areas surrounding each of the Olympic venues. From luxury shopping to affordable restaurants, most within walking distance & with clear directions set in place, there’s probably no better time to visit Beijing.  Since Beijing is already geared up to accommodate more than 1 ½ million visitors, you know you’ll find your way amongst the crowds, especially with your Wcities guide at hand. 

A small sampling from the Guide on Things to do in & around the venues:

• Near the National Stadium, try Bei Hai Park: Originally built in the days of Kublai Khan, this park was used for recreation by the emperors of post-Kublai Khan dynasties.  Famous features include the Nine-Dragon Screen, the Five-Dragon Pavilion and the White Dagoba, a memorial to a visit by the Dalai Lama in 1651. Open daily from 6 am to 8 pm.

• Near the National Indoor Stadium, try the China National Film Museum: This is an extensive 63-acre museum devoted to film.  It houses an IMAX theater and numerous exhibition halls, with 20 hosting permanent collections.  Detailing the work of 450 filmmakers, 1500 films, and 4300 stills, it's more than can be covered in one day.
• Near the National Aquatics Center, try Euro Diner, especially if you’re not exactly sure what type of food you feel like eating.  At the Euro Diner, you can choose popular dishes from across Europe, ranging from German sausages to ravioli, all served in an eclectic array.
• And the piece de resistance, near what will surely be a popular venue, the Beijing Olympic Green Hockey stadium, sits the Forbidden City.  The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.  The complex has 70 structures and more than 9000 rooms with a royal garden behind the palace.  Open daily from 8:30 am - 5 pm.
• There’s more…46 pages of it…and it’s free.  Can’t get much sweeter than that!

For months we’ve heard about Beijing, little tidbits to whet our appetites.  Now it’s burst upon the scene with pomp & circumstance, starting with the Opening Ceremony Extravaganza on 8-08-08.  I’ll have my feet planted firmly on California soil but I downloaded the Wcities Guide to accompany my TV viewing and will thoroughly enjoy visiting Beijing virtually.  And come the day when I visit Beijing in person, I’ll already have had sneak previews of all the things to do there. 

Ingrid McCleary

Fall Foliage in July!

If you are reading this, you are probably thinking that now isn't the time to be writing about a Fall Road Trip.  I agree!  However, a seasoned Road Trip Planner knows that now is the perfect time to plan your road adventure for the fall.

Planning a road trip is even more important today than any other time.  With gas prices being sky-high, a good plan can help save money, find free activities and fun events along the route.  TripWiser has lots of great trip ideas, tips, and all the information you need.  With trips in Connecticut, Vermont and many more fall destinations.

The colors of fall are very weather dependent, but a good rule-of-thumb is that the change starts further north, and works its way from Maine and northern Vermont down to Massachusetts.  Enjoy a cruise on Lake Champlain, or a cool brew at a local pub.  If you have a sweet tooth, head over to Ben & Jerry's factory, and get your fill of some fine ice cream!  If you prefer a different scene, try one of the many fantastic restaurants on the Maine coast.  City visits are always a good way to go for more culture and night life.  From Boston to Philadelphia you can enjoy the upcoming fall from Central Park to Valley Forge.

Regardless where you might be headed this fall, checkout the TripWiser Road Trip Planner, and enjoy your vacation.

Summer Road Trip Ideas: Five Kid-Friendly National Parks

The main purpose of family vacations is to spend time with your spouse and children, and build lifelong memories with them. On summer road trips, for instance, there are priceless occurrences that you can count on that will surely help in building those memories. National Parks in the United States are very popular road trip destinations. There are officially fifty-eight designated national parks in the country, all unique on their own defined by their dependent areas. Here are five of the top family-oriented national parks in America:

1- Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Aside from the usual Ranger-led educational and interpretative talks and other programs for kids the national park offers, children will enjoy joining hiking trips on trails that are suitable for their age and get excited to spot some wildlife, including bears. In addition, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is coined the Salamander Capital of the World! Your kids are sure going to be thrilled seeing those amphibians.

2- Shenandoah National Park – The national park is stunningly beautiful. It also offers various hiking trips for adventurers of different ages, including children with accompanying adults. It is one of the places in the world where you would want to have your cameras with you to capture the amazing views and waterfalls. The park also has daily programs for children during the long summer months that you can sign your kids up for.

3- Carlsbad Caverns National Park – The main attraction of this national park is what lies underground. There are, however, incredible hiking trails above ground that you can explore with your family. Guided tours such as the Blue Tour and Big Room, and the Red Tour are available. It is highly recommended, though, to just get a map and list of things to do from the park’s visitor center, and wander on your own with your spouse and kids to be able to move at your own pace.

4- Olympic National Park – If you are on a family vacation in Seattle, be sure to include a trip to the Olympic National Park in your itinerary. The adventure immediately starts as soon as you embark on the ferry ride from the city to the park. A visit to this national park is like visiting three parks in one trip. There is what they call The Mountains, The Rain Forest and The Ocean. A hike to any of the three areas of the park will give your children a truly memorable time discovering lots of wildlife.

5- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – The trip to Hawaii will sure be well worth it! The idea of stepping on a volcano alone will definitely excite the kids. Take the family to the Crater Rim Drive to witness actual craters and lava flows. Other things in the park you can check out with the kids are the Volcano House, Sandalwood Trail (located just outside the Volcano House), Tree Fern Forest and the Lava Tube. Be sure to catch the Hawaii Volcano Waterfalls Tour!

National parks not only serve as landmarks to us. They are there for us to discover and learn from. They also serve as a refuge for us to escape from the fast pace of the busy city and be in touch with Mother Nature. The best thing about national parks is that they provide the most budget-friendly family summer road trips!

Summer Road Trip To Utah's National Parks

It is not surprising why Utah is among the top summer road trip destinations in the United States. The fact that within the state are five national parks to visit is enough reason. Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion and Canyonlands national parks all give you the chance to witness and experience the most mesmerizing and robust landscapes. Plus, they are all filled with amazing summer activities for every traveler.

Arches National Park has a lot of things to do for everyone. For starters, you can get acquainted with the park by joining guided tours or discovering the park on your own with an automobile tour. Arches National Park offers activities that will dare you to get physical. You can go backpacking and camping, climbing and biking. Hikers have so many trails to choose from for an adventurous trek such as the Double Arch Trail, Balanced Rock Trail, Devil’s Garden and Tower Arch Trail. If you wish to just relax and enjoy the beauty of nature that surrounds you, Arches National Park gives you the best scenes and backdrops for photo opportunities.

The incredible list of outdoor activities that Bryce Canyon National Park offers draw thousands of holidaymakers every year. Families are thrilled to join the summer family programs that the park prepares. Information on the different family activities and age requirements are available in the Visitor Center, where you can also sign up for joining. There are lots of guided hiking trips you can join, but there is one, in particular, that stands out – the Full Moon Hike. It is definitely a different kind of nightlife as you trek two miles of the park under the moonlight.

Like Arches and Bryce Canyon national parks, Capitol Reef also offers hiking, biking, camping and backpacking opportunities. You can test your endurance on any of the trails in the park such as the Cohab Canyon, Frying Pan, Navajo Knobs, Old Wagon Trail and Rim Overlook. You can check on the difficulty levels and any other information you might want and need to know on these trails at the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.

A summer road trip to Zion National Park gives you amazing things you can enjoy. Aside from the staple hiking, camping, backpacking and climbing, Zion National Park offers horseback riding rides. Bicycle rides are also offered along the paved Pa’rus Trail. There are, of course, ranger-led programs that the kids can join, and, as an added bonus to the kids, they also have the opportunity to spot over two hundred species of birds while birdwatching.  Go to the Zion National Park Visitor Center to get your kids a bird checklist.

The last of this roll call of Utah national parks is the Canyonlands. One of the best ways to go around Canyonlands National Park is to join any of the offered tours of the RIM Tours, Inc. It provides breathtaking backcountry mountain bike adventures to everyone. Or you can always experience the park through its waters. Have an afternoon of Colorado River Rafting where you will find yourself surrounded with Mother Nature’s gifts. Kids will have the best time observing cool rock formations and other activities they can join, particularly those of the Junior Ranger Program.

All the great adventures can be found in Utah’s national parks. Whether you choose to visit just one of them or see them all in one trip, you are guaranteed to have one of the best summer road trips you have ever had.