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My Favorite Fall Foliage Travels—Cannon Beach, Oregon

Only a 90-minute drive from Portland, Cannon Beach is where the mighty timber of the Pacific Northwest meets the long stretch of beach from California, offering the best of both worlds. First stop is towering Haystack Rock, which stands tall in the shallow waters, inspiring awe from all who stroll hand-in-hand on the hard-packed sand. Be on the lookout for the resident pod of grey whales off the Oregon coast which number around 200. Then drive over to nearby Ecola State Park and take a hike in this Emerald Forest, where massive 300 year-old Sitka spruce trees have trunks as wide as a redwood. The woods soon recede, replaced by sandstone bluffs, pink colored beaches and the great expanse of the Pacific.  Make your way south, stopping in the fishing community of Bay City for small, tender Kumamoto oysters on the half shell at Pacific Oyster. Dessert is creamy blackberry ice cream at Tillamook Cheese Factory. Spend the night in affordable Manzanita, where rooms at the Spindrift Inn are as low as $75 a night in the high season months of September and October.
 

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Wine Tasting in Humboldt County

Humboldt County might be best known for its largest cash crop, but if you want to keep it legal, they’re also producing exceptional wine. We realized that over dinner last week at the Victorian Inn in Ferndale when we ordered a 2006 Briceland pinot noir. The fruit was lush with nice hints of cherry and pepper to cut down the tannins. Humboldt Wine Association is now home to 22 vineyards. One of the finest is Fieldbrook Winery, located just outside of Arcata. Owner Bob Hodgson, a former professor of oceanography at nearby Humboldt State University, has been making wine at his glorious country home since 1976. His wines have received their fair share of acclaim throughout the state, especially after winning the “Best of Show” at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. But you won’t find many of the 1000-1500 cases of wine he produces each year outside California. Hodgson wants to keep his merlots, pinot noirs, cabernets, and pinot grigios reasonably priced with more than one third of his wares going to a local wine club. 
 
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Ecuador, So Much More Than The Galapagos! First Stop, Quito

Guest Post and Photos by Amy Perry Basseches

Last month, I left Toronto bound for Quito, Ecuador, to visit my daughter Sophie who is there for a university semester abroad. She is living with an Ecuadorian family, taking intensive Spanish classes (as well as classes on Ecuadorian culture and in creative writing), doing community service, and working on an independent study about Ecuadorian gender roles and early childhood education. I had a terrific week in Quito and the surrounding area. Quito is the capital of Ecuador, with a population nearing three million, and it sits at an elevation of 9,350 feet. Founded by the Spanish in 1534, on the ruins of an Inca city, the historic center (or "Colonial Quito") is one of the largest, best-preserved in the Americas, the reason why it’s now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Spread along the slopes of the Pichincha volcano and bordered by the hills of Panecillo and Itchimbia, the vistas on a clear day are impressive! 
 
There is no shortage of interesting things to see and do in this large city. Some highlights:
  • Colonial Quito: Here, you shouldn’t miss touring churches, plazas, and small winding streets. I enjoyed the Basilica del Voto Nacional, where we climbed the bell tower; the Plaza Grande (Plaza de la Independencia); and strolling on Calle La Ronda, where shops and cafes line the cobblestones.
  • Lunch at the Mercado Central: Definitely go here if you like to try authentic local food. My "hornado, tortillas y mote" with a whole avocado on the side was $3.25 deliciously spent.
  • The Mariscal neighborhood includes Plaza Foch, the party place in Quito: The surrounding blocks have many, many restaurants, cafes, bars, and clubs. Also here is the fascinating Mindalae Museum, an ethno-historical craft museum that explores the arts and practices of Ecuador’s indigenous people. 
  • Parks: There are several oases of green in the city. The one I spent time walking through was Parque Carolina. It has a running track, a skate park, soccer fields, and a botanical garden, reminiscent of NYC’s Central Park.
  • The enormous Virgen del Panecillo: This Winged Virgin Mary is 135 feet high, the tallest statue in Ecuador and one of the highest in South America, surpassing even the famous Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Built in the 1970s, you can climb quite far up for wonderful views.  
I would heartily recommend adding 3 to 4 days in Quito to any Galapagos itinerary to experience the highlands region of Ecuador. A special thanks to my Quito guide Daniel Muscarel from MuFi Tours. Tomorrow, great activities within an hour of Quito!
 
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Family Adventure in the Canadian Rockies with Austin-Lehman

As an adventure travel writer, I’ve been paid to bike around the Big Island of Hawaii, sea kayak the Fijian islands, dive the Great Barrier Reef, and paddle the Allagash River during a memorable foliage. Then I had my first child and the canoes, skies, and other outdoor paraphernalia started to collect dust in the basement of my suburban Boston home. Going stir crazy one summer day, I called my dad who gave me the sage advice to integrate family into my work. The next thing I know I’m going up and down the hills of Vermont with my toddler on the back of my bike. Like many parents, I began to realize that I don’t have to give up my passion simply because I have little ones. It was time to introduce my kids to the real me. Now I travel with Jake, 14, and Melanie, 12, as much as possible without getting scolded by their teachers. And they’re the ones teaching me a thing or two about every sport they try. 

This coming summer, we’re already booked on a six-day multisport trip with Austin-Lehman Adventures in the Canadian Rockies. ALA is known for their guided family trips to the most stunning locales across the globe, from Costa Rica to Alaska, Africa, and yes, the Canadian Rockies. In the Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise region, we’ll trek with crampons across the Athabasca Glacier, whitewater raft down the Kananaskis River, and bike through the tall cedars and pines on the Evans Thomas path. Another highlight is the 64-mile drive through the peaks and deep swaths of forest on Icefields Parkway. Elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, maybe even a bear or cougar can be seen as you make your way to the largest ice cap in the Canadian Rockies, the Columbia Icefield, on the boundary of Banff and Jasper National Parks. At night, we’ll be staying at Baker Creek Chalets, along a quiet stream smack dab in the center of the snowcapped summits.

As we begin to plan our summer vacations, I want to take the time this week to describe some of my favorite trips offered by outfitters.
 

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Stocking Stuffer No. 2: Larry Olmsted’s Real Food Fake Food

In 2012, Boston, a city that prides itself on its fresh seafood, was rocked to its ocean-loving core when a two-part expose published by the Boston Globe revealed that a significant number of fish were mislabeled at area restaurants, grocery stores, and fish markets. Diners were served cheap Vietnamese catfish instead of the succulent and more expensive grouper, haddock instead of cod, tilapia in place of pricey red snapper. Indeed, 24 of the 26 red snapper samples tested were some other species of fish. The two reporters went on a fish collecting spree, sending samples of their findings to a laboratory in Canada for DNA testing. The outcome? A whopping 48 percent of the seafood was mislabeled. In his latest book, Real Food Fake Food, writer Larry Olmsted goes so much further, telling us that most kobe beef sold at restaurants is indeed wagyu; extra virgin olive oil is rarely that, usually cut with soybean and peanut oil; grated parmesan is almost always fake; and that grass-fed beef was probably drugged and raised in a crowded feedlot. It’s no surprise this book has already made many “notable books of the year” lists. For anyone who wants to start off 2017 on the right foot, grab a copy and then buy that olive oil from a trusted supplier Olmsted recommends, like Oliviers & Co. One taste of their olive oil and you’ll never go back to the fake stuff again.

 
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Visit Yellowstone Without the Crowds in Winter

Yellowstone National Park has already attracted over 3.8 million visitors in 2015 and that number will surely increase in 2016, when the National Park Service celebrates its centennial. Indeed, Yellowstone in summer feels more like “forever congested” than “forever wild.” Come winter, these same parks are virtually uninhabited, almost returning to their original state. Who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to cross-country ski or snowshoe with more bison and elk than homo sapiens? The Yellowstone National Park Lodges has just announced six Lodging and Learning packages that will help entice you. They include “Yellowstone on Skis” and a “Winter Wildlife Expedition.” All trips are guided and transfers are available from the nearby Bozeman airport. Austin Adventures, now owned by the same company that runs the National Park Lodges, Xanterra, also offers a 6-day winter adventure in Yellowstone. The trip features a snowshoe hike above Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and a snowmobile ride over Lake Yellowstone on your way to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Austin Adventures also just announced that all 4th graders will travel free on their trips in 2016 to the national parks. 

 
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Have Skype, Will Travel

This past month, I was home only three days, traveling to Kenya, Mexico, and Chicago. That’s a long time to be away from my family. My antidote for homesickness is a video call on Skype, where I can see and talk to my wife and children. The clarity of the call is exceptional, far superior to any international cell phone I’ve ever used. All you have to do is sign up at Skype, pay a nominal fee (it averages about 10 cents for a 10-minute call), and start adding all the significant people in your life as contacts. For travel writers and all other businesspeople who find themselves on the road a good chunk of the year, it’s the most essential tool to connect with your loved ones.
 

2 Comments

  1. I’m late to your post, but appreciative that you mentioned the often overlooked coastal community of Manzanita. Most stop in the flashier Cannon Beach and Rockaway Beach. As you know, Manzanita retains the original beach community vibe, with the creativity and independence that Oregon beach towns were known for. And with Manzanita, one is also able take advantage of nearby Oswald West State Park, Nehalem Bay State Park, and the charming smaller towns of Nehalem and Wheeler. Please do let us know if you would like suggestions or recommendations. Manzanita is a great spot to visit! The Houses On Manzanita Beach http://www.VacationRentalsManzanita.com

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