WhatATrip

The Codorniu caves www.codorniu.com of the Penedes wine region are like the energizer bunny; they go on and on and on…  After entering the gorgeous tasting room, designed by Gaudi contemporary, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and watching a very slick family video, we boarded a mini trolly car and embarked on Mr. Toad’s wild ride. 

While the underground cave system is quite impressive, this was not Disneyland.  No electric light parade here.  They did have an amazing bottling line, however, and they greeted us with a glass of cava, or sparkling wine, at the end of the tour.

As our tour bus wound up and up to the 4,000-foot-high mountain retreat of Montserrat, 30 miles inland from Barcelona, we were mesmerized by the spectacular sandstone peaks that housed the Benedictine Monastery.  This spiritual center since 880 A.D. is also home to the Escolania boys choir.

Our guide had told us not to be late to the Basilica as the boys would sing like angels, but only for 10 minutes.  She also warned us that we would be lucky to find a seat.  I worked my way up to the front of the pews and found a tiny space next to a Swedish group of men.  They happily made room for the Californian.  And like clock work, the young boys filed in, with their arms folded under their cloaks, looking more like little ghosts than angels.  But when the choir director raised his hands, the voices filled the basilica and I could hear the angels of Montserrat.

For the price of a Hawaiian vacation, you could be riding a tuk tuk in exotic Thailand. Lafayette’s Tina Tankka and her family of four opted for the floating markets of Bangkok via Long tail boat and experienced the maze of traffic in a moped with a cart on the back, known as a tuk tuk. They traveled during spring break which is Thailand’s off season. Tankka said you need more than a week for this trip due to the long plane ride.

“The Thai people are so friendly and gentle,” reflects Tankka. “The country doesn’t move ahead like the rest of the world. I would totally recommend bringing your kids.” Isabelle, 9 and Alex, 11, rode elephants and wandered the night markets watching the locals eat fried cockroaches and grasshoppers like popcorn. The evening markets pulse with energy because it’s too hot to do business during the day.

Most people spend a couple of nights in Bangkok and then they go north to Chiang-mai or South to the Island of Ko Samui. The array of seafood is amazing because Thailand is on a peninsula. There are fabulous artists, lots of silver and gold. Tankka notes that the craftsmanship is beautiful. “You are expected to bargain there,” says Tankka. “There is an art to bargaining. You walk away respectfully. If they think you are from America, you are wealthy and the prices go up a bit, but the prices are still fabulous.”

Tina and husband Tom had visited Thailand in the early 1990’s and said the area is built up with gorgeous first class resorts. I could write an entire column about her food experiences.

When in Rome, do as the Roman’s do. That’s exactly what Cami West and her clan did while celebrating son Scott’s graduation from Campolindo and her parent’s 50th anniversary. It wasn’t a traditional trip. “We wanted to give the kids a taste of European culture,” notes West, an experienced travel agent, who arranged the trip, rented the villa in Italian speaking Itri, south of Rome and drove the van on the autostrasse. “There were times I longed for a tour bus,” laughs West. “Especially on the narrow roads of Palpai.”

West was impressed with the night life. “Everyone gets dressed up and goes out walking. They meet on the square for gelato. The people look so stylish.”

Twenty years ago my husband and I were backpacking through Europe without reservations. Attempting to recapture that spontaneity, we recently headed to Healdsburg mid-week, for our 21st anniversary.

Our first stop was the Healdsburg Inn.  We have stayed at the Cobblestone, Green Gables and Seal Cove Inn, all owned by the Four Sisters Inns, www.Foursisters.com. Unfortunately, the innkeeper politely told us that there was no room at the Inn. Turns out that Healdsburg is no longer the sleepy little town we once knew. This was high season with the fragrant smell of grapes in the air.

We scored a room at the Geyserville Inn with a balcony overlooking the vineyards. After stopping at the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce for some maps and tasting passes, we strolled over to Kendall Jackson, www.kj.com, and sipped some wonderful reserve wines. It turns out that we just missed the Kendall Jackson Tomato Festival in nearby Fulton. Pencil September 6, 2008 on your calendar if you want to attend this sell-out event. We have 350 days to reserve our tickets and locate the perfect Bed & Breakfast.

Next month we’ll visit the German Christmas markets and offer some international inspired gift ideas. Have you experienced the winter holidays in a foreign land?

“What cruise ship are you sailing?” That’s the question I’m asked when I say we’re Alaska bound. This is our third year landing on the Yentna River at Riversong Lodge, www.riversonglodge.com. Accessible only by float plane or boat, the lodge and surrounding cabins have wood burning fireplaces and rustic appeal. No internet access or infinity pools here, but if you enjoy nature, gourmet meals and a remote setting, you will not be disappointed. The rates are expensive, but include transportation from Anchorage, all meals, your own Coast Guard certified guide, jet boat, fishing tackle and the guide cleans and fillets your catch.

Owners Robin and Randy Dewar remembered our anniversary and left chocolate covered strawberries and champagne in our room after a morning on the river. My husband and I fished for three days and came home with 150 pounds of salmon. We also saw eagles, beavers and moose and spotted a bear from the plane.

Jim and Kimberley Bowers shared some father/daughter bonding and silver salmon fishing at www.beartraillodge.com.

If you’re looking for family adventure, Robyn Palano recommends Circle Alaska Family Adventure, www.Alaskatours.com. The itinerary appealed to the Lafayette family of five because it included numerous activities and served as an introduction to the Alaskan Interior.

“It was one of our best vacations ever,” says Palano. “The prices for kids 11 & under are amazing.” They added on a few days to the tour because it’s fast paced with multiple modes of transportation. The family took a riverboat cruise in Anchorage and visited a sled dog team. They traveled to Denali via Alaska Railroad and continued to Fairbanks where they picked up a van and drove the scenic Richardson Highway, spending an extra day in Valdez. From there they sailed on a ferry from Prince William Sound to the final destination of Seward where they added a day and visited the Alaska SeaLife Center and an Iditarod kennel.

Palano said the company was willing to customize the tour and planned an itinerary that made them feel like they were on their own. “You live out of suitcase, but its fine. After our day in Denali our son Sammy said, ‘This has been the best day of my life.”

Often a launch point for cruise ships, Vancouver, British Columbia is a favorite destination for Bob and Farrel Vance. Bob recommends the 45 minute ferry ride to Bowen Island, the impressive collection of totems at the Museum of Anthropology on the University of BC campus and the aquarium in Stanley Park.

Karen Chuck and her family sailed Alaska’s Inside Passage on Celebrity Cruises for a multi-generational vacation. Her advice was to book any land tours ahead of time because they filled up fast. She also recommended the Sitka Rose charter boat, www.fishsitkarose.com, for fishing and whale watching. “It was the highlight of our trip,” reflects Chuck.

Lafayette’s Kim and Mark Figone recently returned from their Alaska voyage on Princess Cruises and loved the kid’s program for their five-year-old, while their girls had the freedom of roaming on board. They saw plenty of wildlife and glaciers.

Also from Lafayette, Bill Abbott of Berkeley-based Wilderness Travel, www.wildernesstravel.com, arranged for Patti and Dave Schreiner to board a 97 foot yacht in Glacier Bay. Formerly a WWII Minesweeper, the wooden boat has been converted to accommodate 12 guests. They flew into Gustavus, sailing and hiking around the area. “The captain and crew members are naturalist, so you spend your time learning about Alaska,” reflects Patti. In one instance, their kayaks were 30 feet from a mother brown bear and cubs feeding on the bank.

I’m off to Spain in September. Anyone been there lately?

“Writing is like love making,” shared author Isabel Allende. “You find a place to do it; on a desk, behind a door.” Playing off her banter, The Great Tree of Avalon author T.A. Baron adds that writing begins with the senses. “Our job as writers is to change the world.”

Allende and Baron were two of the many writers who joined us at the 16th Annual Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference held August 16-19, 2007 in Corte Madera, California. From sunup to sundown we were writing ledes, creating the perfect nutgraf and searching for a sense of place while dining al fresco on California cuisine.

Morning sessions found us in classroom settings with San Francisco Chronicle Travel Editor John Flinn, Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Travel Editor Thomas Swick and Los Angeles Times Deputy Travel Editor Vani Rangachar or reviewing photos with Robert Holmes among others.

World Hum’s Jim Benning, Vagabonding’s Rolf Potts and LA Times Travel Deal Detective Jen Leo slogged us through the Brave New World of Blogging. And while blogging may be the wave of the future, not everyone’s blog spot will be acquired by The Travel Channel.

One evening a tall thin man addressed our group of travel writers daring us to spin the mystery wheel. Each peg represented one of Jeff Grenwald’s wild adventures. One of the tales he shared was from Burning Man. It involved an unquenchable thirst for ice cold Horchata tea and a long, blue penis. I guess you had to be there.

Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, came in for a touch-and-go landing as he regaled us with airline stories. He noted that we live in a world of citizen journalism.

Conference alum Paola Gianturco delved into the ethics of mindful journalism for the greater global influence and offered her website www.womenwholightthedark.com as a resource.

There were many well known publishers and writers such as Larry Habegger and Amanda Jones and photographers like Mikkel Aaland to rub shoulders with. I hesitate to list them all for fear of name dropping. I will say that Conference Chair Don George has a wicked sense of humor and Book Passage Owner Elaine Petrocelli’s enthusiasm drives this thriving, independent bookstore.

The conference reminded me of my journalism college days when students and faculty engaged in animated conversation about the craft of writing and photo journalism. Afternoon private tutoring sessions were available for the ambitious. And what university experience would be complete without an evening fraternity party with alcohol fueled karaoke?

If you fancy yourself a travel writer or photographer, you’ll want to note next year’s August 14-17, 2008 conference dates. Visit Book Passage for more information.

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Guest blogger Nancy Brown of California writes What a Trip for the Lamorinda Sun.

World traveler and Moraga resident Margaret Stithem entertained her fellow Planned Parenthood Auxiliary members at a meeting sharing slides from a recent trip to Ethiopia. This African adventure composed of 17 travelers was an Elder Hostel trip planned by Destination Horizons. They took the historic route to the Land of Queen of Sheba, visiting many different sights including churches built down into the rock with gorgeous artwork inside. “I wouldn’t go for the food and the water is a terrible problem,” notes Stithem. Yet she adds that this is a land of beautiful people.

Two times the size of Texas, Ethiopia is composed of seventy ethnic groups where English is widely spoken. The economy is supported largely by agriculture and coffee. The economy is not prosperous and young children can be found herding goats to help support the family. Stithem remarked that they are trying to modernize the cities but the area has been plagued by terrible droughts.

She particularly enjoyed Gonder’s Lake Tana which serves as the headwaters of the Blue Nile and is surrounded by magnificent twelfth century castles. Some structures span 60 feet in height, are carved of granite and are 1,800 years old.

It wasn’t bad water nor did foul weather leave fellow Auxiliary member Lorelee Mogg shanghaied in her Holland America cabin with husband Bob. While sailing the cruise ship to China, Moraga’s Mogg fell captive to the Norwalk Flu. “We had been instructed to report immediately to the staff if we experienced any symptoms,” reflects Mogg. “A nurse came promptly with pills and told us that we would be quarantined for 48 hours so we missed two days in Shanghai.”

Bob had to be quarantined with Lorelee, but did not get the flu. “The ship did everything they could to make our 48 hours comfortable and compensated us financially,” reflects Mogg. And what if the Mogg’s decided to mutiny and leave the cabin? “They could put us off the ship!” exclaims Lorelee. In fact, Mogg tells a similar story of a flu-struck passenger’s wife leaving the cabin on the last day of quarantine to have a drink in the ships bar, as she was healthy and felt it safe to leave her husband. The cruise ship company, who will remain anonymous, withdrew the compensation from their bill.

So how can you minimize your chance of contracting Viral Gastroenteritis, the gastrointestinal illness known as norovirus? According to industry newsletter Cruise Week, cruise any time from June through October. Norovirus is seasonal, and there are very few outbreaks in the late spring, summer, and early fall. Flu season, especially January and February, brings the greatest number of outbreaks. Also consider a small luxury ship. Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn and Silversea have never had norovirus outbreaks. By contrast, within the past five-plus years (Jan. 2002 through May 2007), there have been 23 outbreaks on Holland America, 18 on Princess, 13 on Carnival, 12 on Royal Caribbean, 11 on Celebrity, 10 on Norwegian Cruise Line, 4 on Cunard, and 1 on Disney in 2002, according to Centers for Disease Control records.

If you’re looking for outdoor adventures closer to home, check out Weekend Sherpa, www.weekendsherpa.com. The weekly e-newsletter gives insiders’ recommendations on the Bay Area’s best outdoor pursuits and little known adventures. Ever slept in a yurt in Big Sur or wanted to volunteer to help Mother Earth? Weekend Sherpa leads the way.

Next month well visit the 49th state admitted to the Union. That’s right, we’re Alaska bound! Where have you been lately? Drop me an e-mail of your travels.

Nancy Brown grew up in Moraga and lives in Lafayette with her husband and children. She looks forward to hearing of your adventures at NancyBrownConsulting@comcast.net.

While Lafayette’s Sivesind and Brown family sipped margarita’s beachside at Cabo’s Royal Solaris, Walnut Lane youth could also be found in Mexico over Spring Break. Among our neighbor’s pouring cement and putting up drywall on behalf of Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church (MVPC) were Campolindo’s Matt Keeble, Sophia McCarthy, Christine Moore and Wilita Sanguma.

Moraga’s Darlene and Dave Kingery, along with Campo Cougars Julianne and Stephen helped build a home in five days. “It’s like a legacy with the church,” notes Darlene who worked food prep last year. “I think it’s important that the kids give to others. It’s a perspective check. You see how little these people have.”

St. Mary’s Professor and former soccer coach, Orinda’s Randy Farris is an advocate for under-privileged kids in the Dominican Republic. At his camp, Farris met Leslie Trautwin. The Campo graduate moved to the DR with her husband who is the Director of Kid’s Alive. “Leslie wanted me to come there and work with the kids,” remarks Farris. “I said no four times. I’d done the soccer stuff and had traveled abroad, but I finally decided to go.”

Farris went down for two weeks and returned to share his enthusiasm and knowledge with the St. Mary’s students resulting in a Jan term “Christian Service Internship” in 2005 and 2006. The interns go to all four “Kid’s Alive” sites on the island where they set up soccer clinics and PE classes. He’s also a member of the Global Missions Team at MVPC with Associate Pastor Tom Dabasinskas.

The youth at Lafayette-Orinda-Presbyterian Church will be heading to New Orleans in August for a mission trip. “Growing up in the church, I’ve been on 11 mission trips,” says LOPC’s Youth Director Blake Beal. “We’ll go to Denver and Atlanta for service at inner city soup kitchens and different organizations around the city that serve the homeless. We do an international trip every four years so the students can experience global travel.”

The church is partnering with The School of Urban Missions, www.SUMonline.org,   for the summer trip. The kids will be visiting the city and working with the families as they go through the process of rebuilding their lives.

Mississippi natives Tammy and Michael Borosky, along with Stanley eighth grader Hannah and Burton Valley Elementary’s Weston, have founded the non-profit Adopt A Coast Family, www.adoptacoastfamily.org Weston’s elementary school hosted a musical concert to raise funds for the Gorenflo school in Biloxi. The Borosky’s returned to New Orleans during Mardi gras to visit family and continue their mission of helping gulf coast families get back on track.

Lafayette’s Mary Anne Winig went on a “study mission” with American Jewish World Service, www.AJWS.org, a cross congregational organization that helps Jews understand their place in the world as global citizens. “One of the main tenants of Judaism is Tikun Olam,” offers Winig. “In Hebrew it translates to repair the world. The organization gives Jews the opportunity to be global citizens.” The organization supports over 100 partners in the developing of non-governmental organization project partners such as micro credit loans.

“With the HIV aids crisis in South Africa, we visited 6-8 project partners to see where our funding was going,” reflects Winig. “Our first trip was to Peru where we visited project partners who had a program to develop health education and micro credit in the high Andes. “We go around to various local groups and try to educate people about the work that AJWS does in the developing world.”

In addition to the study missions, they also do alternative Spring Break work study programs for college-age students and offer volunteer opportunities for adults to stay and work. An Acalanes graduate, daughter Heidi, has worked in Guyana, South America, and now works for AJWS in El Cerrito. She has lead many work trips around the world.

Nancy Brown grew up in Moraga and lives in Lafayette with her husband and children. She looks forward to hearing of your adventures. Send items to NancyBrownConsulting@comcast.net.

I walk on the Pajaro Dunes beach as pelicans glide silently overhead. Delighted, I spy sand dollars. These aren’t the broken, bleached white ones. These are brown and fuzzy. They are alive. I methodically reach down to “save” each sand dollar and heave it back into the blue abyss. Such is the life of a beachcomber.

Fifteen-year-old Sara Kaiser has been returning to Pajaro Dunes since she was nine. Her Moraga family rents a condo from friends every summer. In addition to excellent birding opportunities and day trips to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the nearby Elkhorn Slough, www.elkhornslough.org offers kayak and water-based touring. And if you like affordably priced seafood, a visit to Phil’s Fish Market on Moss Landing is in order. Bring your own container and order the Cioppino to go!

“It’s very secluded,” notes Kaiser. “The scenery is gorgeous. We always watch the sunset and you get to see pelicans.”

Lafayette’s Mimi and Ed McBride, along with Daniel and Gabby, look forward to their yearly visit to this gated Watsonville beachfront community. “We rent from a company called At the Dunes. They are very nice,” adds Mimi. “We take walks on the beach. We go to Jalisco’s Mexican restaurant in Watsonville & Phil’s. We usually just hang out at the beach.”

If you are looking for a more action oriented beach outing, consider Capitola. This surfer town, filled with quaint shops, restaurants, bars and live music, is great for day trips. Stop at Gayle’s Bakery for picnic items.

Two miles further south some Lamorinda soccer families join Dave and Carol Berlier for their annual beach trip to Seascape. “My wife likes it because it’s a self contained resort,” says Dave. “We’ve been going for 12-15 years with 3-4 couples. The kids walk down to the beach, go boogey boarding and look for shells. We take turns making dinners and build fires on the beach. It’s a very clean place with large rooms and everything’s there.”

Another Lafayette family spotted in Aptos, Mike and Jeanne Williams, recently purchased a Seacliff beach house. “The antiques along Soquel Avenue are a major draw,” according to Jeanne. Their Campolindo kid’s, John Robin and Jenna, like to walk to Snow White Drive In for old fashioned hamburgers and shakes with little brother Stephen.

Moving down the coast to Monterey’s Cannery Row, foodies will want to check out the Culinary Center of Monterey www.culinarycenterofmonterey.com for cooking classes or weekend dining options. Chef Mary Pagan recommends reservations for the Friday night dinners as she doesn’t want to overwhelm the students.

I sat in on a cooking class where non-professionals were prepping, cooking and eating their way through a four course meal. This would be a great place for a girl’s getaway weekend with classroom water views.

“Monterey is a very easy place to live,” reflects Pagan. “How lucky am I that I sit in one of the best agricultural communities. I’m surrounded by viticulture, agriculture and aquaculture and the infrastructure to support it.”

If you’re in the mood for pampering and privacy, cruise into Carmel Valley for sunny days and balmy nights at Bernardus Lodge & Winery www.bernardus.com.  You’ll feel like a celebrity when you don the terry robe and step into the warming pool before your spa treatment. I went mid-week and had the entire pool to myself. The rooms are pricy, but if you divide the cost between girlfriends or have a special occasion to celebrate, it might be just the ticket for some much needed R&R.

Next month we’ll hear about Margaret Stithem’s recent trip to Ethiopia and Lorelee Mogg’s cruise to China.

Nancy Brown grew up in Moraga and lives in Lafayette with her husband and children. She looks forward to hearing of your adventures at NancyBrownConsulting@comcast.net

The students were on the plane, headed for New York, when Robin Album got the e-mail asking for help. Seems a volunteer had dropped the ball and some teens, including Sweden’s Denise Larsson, needed homes. Robin and Jeff had considered hosting an exchange student and now the opportunity was knocking at the front door.

“It’s been a great experience for us,” notes Robin. “Acalanes has been welcoming to Denise.” Their 15-year-old daughter, Micayla Album, will visit and work in Sweden this summer with Denise’s family.

Happy Valley’s Ann & Peter Appert’s daughters have experienced international travel through exchange programs. Grace, an Acalanes junior, spent a month in very rural, poor Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. She was a volunteer doing trail maintenance and rebuilding a playground destroyed by a hurricane. Twin sister Jane lived with a family in Spain for a month studying Spanish. Freshman Caroline visited Denmark when she was eleven with Children’s International Summer Villages, CISV, but that’s another column in itself.

Dana and Ken Yzurdiaga welcomed a Barcelona teen into their Burton Valley home last summer for a month. They showed him the west coast and then daughter Linda, a Campolindo senior, went to Spain and toured the coast of Brava and Catalonia.

“Because he was a family friend,” notes Dana, “it was a different experience than an unknown student. It was a real cultural exchange.”

Lafayette’s John and Sally Breul and their trio of blonde boys have learned a lot about the civil unrest in war-torn DR Congo since they “adopted” their fourth son in 2004. Campolindo Senior Wilita Sanguma came into the Breul’s life in 2001 when John met Mossai Sanguma through his involvement with Moraga Presbyterian Church. The church sponsored Sanguma while he earned his PhD. at Pasadena’s Fuller Seminary. Upon Sanguma’s graduation his family returned to the Congo, but with the war, there was no school for Wilita to attend. The schools were burned because the youth were supposed to fight, not attend school.

“Living here has been a cornerstone for me,” reflects Wilita. In Pasadena he didn’t feel safe. “People have respect here,” adds Wilita. He feels he’s lucky to have his African family and his American family.

“Since Wilita’s been with us, our kid’s have a sense that the worlds a bigger place,” notes Sally Breul.

Student travel isn’t the only way to experience another culture. On a recent visit to the Lafayette Health Club, conversations in French could be heard from the tread mill. Native Francophiles Carole Hagglund and Catherine Maiden were discussing Hagglund’s role as a community counselor. With her fluent French and as a mother of a teen daughter, Hagglund can relate with the au pairs, as well as represent the Connecticut-based agency, Au Pair in America.

Orinda’s Freddy Moran continues to expand her quilting empire and has given new meaning to taking her show on the road. Unless you consider a cruise ship the path less traveled!

“I was teaching quilting on board, but now I’m focusing on the West and East coast,”states Moran. Known for her use of vibrant fabric colors, Moran says the mid West tends to prefer neutral tones such as brown and black. “I don’t seem to appeal to the mid West,” laughs Moran. She teaches in Maine every year for a week. “I go the first part of October with the Leaf Peepers.” She’s off to LeConnor, Washington, home of the tulips, for a three month quilt show. LeConnor reminds her of how Sausalito used to look in the 1950’s.

Have you experienced travel from a service-oriented perspective? That’s our focus next month.

Can you name the big five? No, we’re not talking top college or even sports teams; we’re talking lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape Buffalos. Oh my! These are the majestic animals one hopes to see on safari in Africa. Orinda’s Deanna & Randy Carey recently returned from a 10 day trek to Cape Town, South Africa. “I had been dreaming and planning this trip for five years,” notes Deanna with a grin. “But intermittent dangers such as governmental conflicts, tribal disputes and terrorism delayed our plans.”

The wait was worth it as Carey relates tales of viewing a variety of animals, reptiles and birds up close and personal from the safety of an open land rover, accompanied with an experienced ranger and tracker. “In a private reserve, you are allowed to go off road to view the animals,” adds Carey. At the Lion Sands Private Reserve, the lodge housed 20 large rooms on the banks of the Sabie River, west of Kruger National Park. The day began at 5 a.m. with beverages and pastries and then they were off on a three hour game drive. After numerous pictures were captured it was back to the lodge for a fantastic breakfast and lunch, followed by a second game viewing at twilight. Additional land tours such as wine tasting in Cape Town, a visit to a colony of African penguins at Boulders Beach and some time spent at Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned are also an option.

The Carey’s chose Brendan Tours, after much research into the venture. The “South Africa Journey” covered flights, hotel, private reserve lodge accommodations and transfers, in addition to several land tours.

Another hot spot for Lamorindan’s is Costa Rica. “With zip lines running throughout the jungle canopy, hanging bridges and howler monkeys scampering about the restaurant tables, the kids are in for a real treat,” says Craig Isaacs of Lafayette. Craig, his wife, Margaret and teen daughters Maureen and Eva, loved the exotic flowers and animals, as well as the food. Craig noted that it was helpful that they spoke Spanish. They also appreciated the Costa Rican’s eco-friendly activities and respect for their environment. “To be able to visit the volcano one day and lounge on the beach the next,” reminisces Craig, “that’s living!”

Being in the tech business, Craig relied on the internet for his travel planning, purchasing airfare and lodging on the web. He said that www.arenal.net was helpful for finding hotels and pick up at the airport during the busy Winter Break travel time and lamented that he had less than four months to put together the trip.

The Kennedy family of Walnut Creek had tired of the Hawaiian Spring Break get-away and wanted an adventure travel trip. “We worked with Costa Rica Expeditions because we heard it was difficult and sometimes dangerous to attempt this trip on your own,” offers Sherry. The family of four visited the Finca Rosa Blanca coffee plantation and the Poaz Volcano and waterfall, among other places. They took a tour bus through a cloud forest and were amazed at the cold and humid variations within the numerous micro climates. One of the highlights was the Tortuga Rain Forest Preserve and the Tortuga Lodge. “It was right out of Indiana Jones with the monkeys, pythons and bats,” remembers Sherry. “You couldn’t go in the canals because of the bull sharks and eels lurking in the water.” But don’t think they were roughing it. Their vacation wrapped up in relaxing Punta Islita on the West Coast of Costa Rica where their hotel offered individual, infinity-edged dipping pools.

Nancy Brown grew up in Moraga and lives in Lafayette with her husband and children. She looks forward to hearing of your adventures at NancyBrownConsulting@comcast.net