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Of the thousands of people who take the quarter-mile walk from the cliffs of La Jolla Cove to Casa Cove, few take the plunge. Twenty feet below the surface, you’ll be hanging with harbor seals and 3-foot horn sharks (harmless) inspecting clumps of bright yellow sulphur sponges that cling to the wall. La Jolla Dive will lead you away from the masses. 
The finest way to savor Chicago’s stunning skyline is on two wheels. Rent bikes at Navy Pier and head south on a bike trail along the Lake Michigan shoreline. You’ll soon pass the flowing waters of Buckingham Fountain, the Shedd Aquarium, and Soldier’s Field, home to the Chicago Bears. Yet, it’s the jaw-dropping vista of the skyscrapers on the return trip that will have you reaching for the camera. You look up at a wall of spectacular buildings. If you want to continue past Navy Pier and head north, you’ll reach Oak Street Beach, the first of many beaches that are open to the public, a perfect place to lounge and get a much needed rest.
Piestewa Peak, formerly known as Squaw Peak, is part of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Piestewa is 2,608 feet high, with a total elevation gain from the Summit Trail of 1,190 feet. That might not sound high, but hikers of all levels can get a decent workout climbing this mountain and then be rewarded with excellent views of the city once they reach the top. Realize, however, you won’t be alone. According to the City of Phoenix, the Summit Trail is one of the most heavily used trails in the nation with 4,000 to 10,000 hikers per week. The reason why dogs and bicycles are not permitted.
That power breakfast was far too successful and now you have a day to celebrate in a large metropolis before flying home. Maybe you reside in a big city and think the only way to enjoy the outdoors is to take a long road trip. Nonsense. Even in Manhattan, you can jump on a charter boat downtown and fish for stripers at one of the premier spots on the Atlantic Seaboard. Adventure has crept into urban areas so you can now sweat on rollerblades instead of inside the cramped hotel gym. This week, I’m going to divulge my five favorite urban adventures in the US.
To celebrate Vermont Days, the state of Vermont is offering free admission to state parks and state historical sites next weekend, June 14 and 15. Sample two of my favorite state parks, Silver Lake and Button Bay. Just north of Woodstock, Silver Lake is open to non-motorized boating only. Thus, this gem of a lake is the perfect place to swim, canoe, or catch perch from the shores. Head here on June 14, the one day of the year when residents and non-residents can go fishing without a license in any Vermont State Park. Another favorite is Button Bay, located on the southern shores of Lake Champlain. Head to their Nature Center to learn about the mergansers, loons, woodchucks, and other animals that call this part of the world home. Then savor the exceptional biking through farmland that borders the lake.
First located in downtown Sarasota, Derek’s was the place to go to try some of the most innovative fare on the southwestern Florida coast. One bite of the gulf prawns in a maple smoked red chile sauce or the tender beef shot ribs paired with wild mushrooms and you realize why owner Derek Barnes, who trained under Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, was nominated by the prestigious James Beard Foundation as one of the best chefs in the southeast. Downtown Sarasota, however, never grew into the exciting neighborhood Barnes yearned. So he decided to head north and is now re-launching Derek’s in West Bradenton, an easy drive from Tampa or Sarasota. The ribbon cutting is June 18th. Check it out! 
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the work of travel writer Reid Bramblett since we were both contributing editors at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine some 15 years ago. He’s the foremost expert on Italy, where he spent his adolescence and then proceeded to pen ten guidebooks (including Frommer’s and DK titles) and far too many articles to count. He has since launched ReidsItaly.com, a travel planning website that I often use to design itineraries for clients heading to Italy. So I was excited to hear that Reid will be guiding a weeklong tour to Tuscany July 2015 in conjunction with Bliss Travel. A dozen lucky people will have Reid as their tour guide as he heads to Florence and then the cherished Tuscan hill town of Montepulciano. You’ll sample Vino Nobile wine from barrels aged in Etruscan-dug tunnels, take private cooking classes, and tour the spectacular towns and vine-draped hills of the surrounding Sienese countryside. Cost is $3500 per person.
As a 13th-generation New Englander, Sally Lerman had her fair share of lobster even before she started her blog, lobstergal.com, in 2012. The blog, however, gave her the impetus to sample every lobster roll in every seaside village in New England. To date, she has tried 225 lobster rolls and counting. She divulges her favorites in a new book released today simply titled Lobster Rolls of New England (The History Press). I had the privilege of viewing an advance copy and I have to tell you that this little gem of a book is like removing the lobster shell to find a hidden piece of meat. Yes, finding the best lobster roll in New England is a subject that publications return to frequently, including at least a dozen stories by yours truly. But I love how Lerman breaks down the lobster roll into different types like hot or cold, butter versus mayonnaise, and delves into the history of the sandwich. Then she gives you her picks, including some of my personal favorites, like Captain Scott’s in New London, Neptune Oyster in Boston, and Five Islands Lobster in Georgetown, Maine. The photography by Jane Shauck, including close ups of the succulent meat, will have you cruising the New England coastline in no time to find one of these beloved shacks. If you were wise, you’d keep a copy of this book in your glove compartment. 
Great news for AAA members. A new benefit covers bicycle service. If you or your child gets a flat or breaks a chain, you can now call AAA and they will take you and your bicycle anywhere within 10 miles. Mountain bikers need to get out of the woods and reach a normally travelled road where AAA can pick you up. You’re entitled to two bicycle calls per year. 
Now that the CapeFlyer train is running once again from Boston to Hyannis, there’s no better time to sample the French fare at Pain D’Avignon. The café at the renowned bread bakery lured Massachusetts native Matthew Tropeano back to his roots last summer to serve as executive chef. Tropeano has an impressive resume, including an eight-year tenure at New York’s La Grenouille, where he received a three-star rating from The New York Times. At the helm of Pain D’Avignon, the chef takes full advantage of the bounty of produce and seafood found on the Cape to create his innovative menu.