Attractions

Nestled on the shores of Lake Sakakawea, south of Ray, North Dakota, and east of Williston, Lund’s Landing offers a lodge, camping, and fishing on the big lake.

When I headed to Lund’s Landing, however, I wasn’t there to stay, and I wasn’t there to fish.  I wasn’t even there for the birding, although we did walk along the birding paths before we left.

I was there for the pie. Read More »

The Jean Lafitte Pirate Ship

A sunset dinner cruise in Cozumel supplies lots of  relaxing fun that increases even more when you add pirates into the mix.  Decked out with dramatic masts, a waving Jolly Roger flag and a crew of colorful pirates, the Jean Lafitte does not look like your ordinary cruise ship.  Climbing onto the boat from the Cozumel dock, I sensed adventure in the air. About 60 passengers lined the seats on the boat and the pirates Pork Chop, Sparky, El Capitain and Jack Sparrow, plied us with drinks.  No sooner had I taken a sip of  rum punch, then I spied Jack Sparrow climbing the mast and gazing down on us suspiciously.  He and the crew proceeded to shake passengers down for jewelry, watches and hugs from the women. Read More »

Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the city’s most famous sites, and one that is considered a “must” for most visitors. The market, which was built in 1907, is recognized as one of the best farmer’s markets in the US.  It’s home to 200 permanent businesses, 120 farmers, and 190 craftspeople, and attracts over 10 million visitors per year. But what makes it so great is that it isn’t only a touristy site, but a real working market. You can come to shop for crafts, antiques, fresh produce, brightly-colored flowers, handmade sauces, souvenirs and fresh-from-the-sea fish, lobster and crab (which can be cold-packed and shipped home for you). Or….you can come to eat.

Pike Place Entrance

Read More »

Welcome to this edition of the Carnival of Cities, a blog carnival with posts from around the blogosphere about any aspect of a single city (or a fairly large town.)

The Carnival’s “home” blog is the Family Travel Logue on the BootsnAll Travel Network, but like any carnival, we travel around a bit and have stopped by UpTake a few times in the past.

The next edition is scheduled for July 1, back on the Family Travel Logue.

Let’s take a look around the world….

Cities in the Americas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA On the Perceptive Travel blog, here are my thoughts on how to enjoy historic Waikiki hotels even if you can’t afford to stay there.

Orlando, Florida, USA Watch Me Eat explores food in Central Florida and the surrounding area; he presents Phở 88 posted at Watch Me Eat, saying, “A review of a Vietnamese food from a restaurant called Pho 88 in Orlando’s Little Vietnam neighborhood.”

Atlanta, Georgia, USA Amy @ The Q Family describes Outdoor Adventures Around Atlanta on her The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog, saying, “Fun family outdoor adventures around Atlanta that you can do with your kids this summer.”

Chicago, Illinois, USA Ms. Smarty Pants gets athletic with Chicago Force Women’s Tackle Football posted at Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All, saying, “They were right down the street, and I didn’t know it.”

Guatemala City, Guatemala Marina K. Villatoro presents Highway Entertainment at The Travel Expert(a), saying, “This post is about the highway entertainment surrounding Guatemala City, Guatemala.”

Seattle, Washington, USA Amir Marzouq says that Green Shopping Bags are a Must in Seattle posted at Guffly.

Washington, DC, USA Jon talks about the DC theater scene with Recording a “Loop” with the Original Hollywood Bad Girl – Tallulah Bankhead posted at his blog The DC Traveler, saying, “Valerie Harper starring as Hollywood icon and original silver screen bad girl Tallulah Bankhead in “Looped”. It’s on its way to Broadway after Washington, DC got an advanced run.”

New York, New York, USA Jennifer Miner is already thinking ahead to her holiday travels, as she responds to a reader question about What’s Open on Christmas Day in NYC? posted at Traveling Mamas.

Cities in Asia

Kathmandu, Nepal Shannon ODonnell presents a little culture…katmandu temples and stupas; she’s blogging around the world at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue and says this post is about “A tourist looking at the interweaving of Hindu and Buddhist culture.”

Osaka, Japan Tony Alexander, writes about and photographs in one of my favorite Asian countries, as he presents People of Osaka posted at The Soul of Japan.

Cities in Europe

Sitges (near Barcelona) Spain Liz Wright presents Swimming at Sitges: A Great Beach Day Trip From Barcelona posted at Travelogged.

London, England, United Kingdom Julian Dobson gets gritty with The market, the monolith and the mad axeman posted at Living with rats, saying, “The story of the market, the monolith and the mad axeman – the strange twists of life and history in east London.”

Tallinn, Estonia Brooke Allen presents an overview, mostly in photos, of Tallinn, Estonia posted at Rambling Brooke.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Jack Norell presents 7 must-sees in Amsterdam posted at Eyeflare – Travel Articles and Tips, saying, “Amsterdam is a very compact city, but offers a world class range of things to do. There are cultural and outdoor attractions plenty, but often it’s the unique experiences that lure tourists to the city, like the coffeeshops and the Red Light District. Here are the 7 things I believe you absolutely have to see and do on your first visit to Amsterdam.”

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Andy Hayes goes budget-minded in Travel Tips for Saving Money in Edinburgh posted at The Edinburgh Guide, saying, “It’s turning out to be a summer of fun here in Edinburgh! While a low exchange rate is a boon to many travellers, the recession is still looming large. So come to Edinburgh and enjoy it for less with these great tips.”

London, England, United Kingdom Tamara presents  Cannes do in Kensal Rise posted at Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels, saying, “The “London On Film Festival 2009″ launches this June at the Lexi Cinema in NW10, as part of the Mayor’s Story of London Festival.”

That concludes this edition, and thanks for visiting. Submit your (one, recent, non-commercial/spammy) blog post about ONE single city to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

Redlands is known in Southern California for many things, including the annual Redlands’ Bicycle Classic and University of Redlands, but the real hidden gem is tucked away on beautiful historic State Street. Blink and you might miss it, but the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe, founded in 1998, offers the best pizza in town.

The Gourmet Pizza Shoppe

Don’t expect much from the faux Italian villa decor, fake ivy and bad lighting (parents, beware the frequently used exit/entrance by the tiny restrooms); however, one look at the menu and you’ll know this is not your average pizza joint.

Our family favorite is the Annie Oakley pizza (topped with Ranch dressing and angel hair pasta, among other things), and I love the Tuscan, which is a more traditional pizza, sparked up with cashews. If you aren’t adventurous enough for the Wild Mayan’s peanut butter topping, the Tuscan is a safe bet.

As the owners are proud to say, they’ll put just about anything on a pizza. The All American Burger pizza really does have pickles on it, and the Tequila Sunrise is sprinkled with black beans.

Wild Willy's West Coast Pizza at the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe in Redlands

My kids love the novelty every time, and somehow most of the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe’s 60-plus pizzas taste good–some might even be sensational.

While the owners have expanded to include another Gourmet Pizza Shoppe in Calimesa, the Redlands location does it best, and is just a few blocks from the 10 freeway.

This makes the hole-in-the-wall Gourmet Pizza Shoppe a great dinner stop on the way from Los Angeles to Palm Springs or Big Bear, and vice versa.

Photos courtesy Pieboy75 (flickr.com) and Wayne W.

Always when we travel, we seek out the best in local food to enhance our vacation, and our trip to Santa Cruz last weekend was no exception. In and around Santa Cruz we discovered three must-visit food purveyors. Try them, we hope you will agree!

Marianne's Ice Cream

Marianne’s Ice Cream in Santa Cruz, on Ocean Street. This place is the bomb! Over 50 different flavors of ice cream, and not your run-of-the-mill flavors, real flavors, like Bittersweet Chocolate, Green Tea, Cantaloupe, Pink Lemonade. Not only can you buy scoops on cones, you can also pick up convenient single-serving quarts (oh, sorry, inside joke!). This is actually our family’s dessert of choice for Thanksgiving!

Gayle’s Bakery and Rosticceria in Capitola, on Bay Avenue in Capitola, has been serving happy customers for over 30 years. Each time we visit Santa Cruz, we make a pilgrimage to Gayle’s and come home with sliced Capitola Sourdough Bread, sinfully delicious Crocodile Bars and iced butter cookies, usually decorated for the whichever holiday is closest. Sometimes we manage to make it in time for lunch and build a tasty picnic of ficelle sandwiches and salads. Dinners are also enticing, with a special-a-day. And kids always have the option of a Junior Blue Plate special with penne pasta, garlic bread, carrots, raisins and a butterstar cookie.

Corralitos Meat & Sausage Co.

Corralitos Market and Sausage Company, Corralitos. This is a new find for us – I had heard about it from
Peter, the deliveryman for our CSA. Located in Corralitos, just north of Watsonville, this unassuming market makes some fine sausage! Last weekend, we loaded up our cooler with Polish Fine and Coarse, Bratwurst, Cheesy Bavarian, Chorizo, and cute little chicken apple sausages. I hear the bacon is also outstanding. Worth the visit and the drive!