If you’ve ever driven between L.A. and San Diego in the spring, you’ve probably glimpsed a brilliant hillside of flowers along the way.  Located in Carlsbad, the Flower Fields have been a favorite spring-time stop of flower lovers for decades.  During spring each year, 50 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus bloom in vibrant shades of pink, orange, purple, white, red and yellow, and create giant ribbons of color. 

The fields are part of a commercial flower growing operation that began in the 1930’s. Flower Fields is the only ranunculus grower in the world that allows visitors to walk the fields and experience the flowers up close.

This year the fields are open to visitors through Mother’s Day (May 14th).  Walk on the flower-covered hillside and you’ll enjoy a view of the Pacific Ocean. When exploring Flower Fields, be sure to see the miniature rose garden, poinsettia greenhouse and sweet pea maze.  Their Walk-of-Fame Rose garden showcases each of the more than 180 All-American Rose Selections winners since 1940 as well. 

From May to September, there are few places more beautiful than Seattle. This northwest city has a unique combination of natural beauty, sophistication and environmental consciousness.  One of the best places to stay in Seattle is the Inn at the Market, a boutique hotel located in the heart of the city.  The Inn has an ideal downtown location across from world-famous Pike Place Market and is close to the Seattle Art Museum, Pioneer Square and Westlake Center.  Guests that stay at the Inn can enjoy panoramic views of Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound from the rooftop terrace. One of the Inn’s three restaurants is Café Campagne, a cozy bistro which serves among other things, a truly delicious cassoulet.

Explore Pike Place Market and you’ll discover an amazing selection of fresh fish, flowers, fresh produce, art, clothing and other items.  The market area is also a great place to sample fresh fish and several of the cafes have counter-side seating.  A trip to the Market wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the original Starbucks coffee shop, which opened in 1971.

Be sure to get out on the water before you leave.  Argosy offers some fun cruises on weekends that will give you a good sense of the unique waterfront lifestyle that surrounds Seattle and the Eastside. Take one of the Washington State Ferries to Bainbridge Island and spend an afternoon walking and shopping in the charming town of Winslow. 

For something more active, rent a kayak at Agua Verde on Lake Union or a canoe at the University of Washington Waterfront Activities Center.

Just north of downtown San Diego is Balboa Park, home of the world famous San Diego Zoo. Besides the zoo, the park also includes several museums and gardens including the Alcazar, Rose, Japanese and Desert gardens.  You can stroll around, admire the gardens and visit the San Diego Museum of Art.

One of the most exclusive areas around San Diego, La Jolla is the place to go for upscale shopping.  Stroll down Prospect Street for antiques, art galleries, jewelers, boutiques and specialty stores that will keep you happily shopping for hours. Stop into Bo Danica for hand-blown glassware, dinnerware and other home accessories. For a break, have lunch on the roof-top terrace at George’s on the Cove.  Our lunch on the terrace was excellent and the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean were spectacular. 

Point Loma is well worth a visit and the site of the Cabrillo National Monument and an ecological preserve.  Learn about Cabrillo, an early Spanish explorer, and enjoy stunning views of downtown San Diego.  Take a nature walk along Bayside Trail to see indigenous plants or visit the tide pools where starfish, anemones and sea cucumbers live.

With its mild, sunny climate and waterfront location, San Diego is a great place to explore.  In the downtown area, Gaslamp Quarter is good starting point.  Begin at 5th & Island Avenue at the William Heath Davis House, home of the Gaslamp Historical Foundation.  The foundation offers information about the historic Victorian, Italianate and Rennaissance buildings located in the quarter. On Saturday mornings they also offer a guided walking tour.  Horton Plaza is located at the north end of the Gaslamp Quarter.  Over 170 stores and restaurants including Nordstrom and Macy’s are situated on 7 floors along 6 city blocks.

The plaza’s Broadway Circle is the place to buy half-price, day of the performance tickets to an evening show. During our weekend we saw “Forever Plaid” at the Lyceum Theatre, which we all enjoyed. 

A fun way to see San Diego is from the water. Go to the Broadway Pier in the downtown area and catch a 10 minute pedestrian ferry across San Diego Bay to the Coronado Ferry landing.  The ferry, which leaves every hour, allows you to see the city from the water and is a nice alternative to driving. On landing, stroll down Orange Avenue, the island’s main street, and browse through some of the shops. La Provencale has some beautiful tablecloths and pillows imported from the South of France.

If you’re not staying at the Hotel Del Coronado, be sure to see this legendary hotel’s lobby, shops and grounds. With its expansive ocean views, the hotel is a great spot for a snack or lunch before heading back to the ferry landing.

Once you’ve settled into your resort and found your favorite spot by the pool, you may be content to stay there.  If you do decide to explore beyond the boundaries of your resort, here are some suggestions.

One of the first places you’ll want to visit is El Paseo, a high-end shopping district in Palm Desert. You’ll find over 150 shops, boutiques, art galleries and restaurants as you stroll down the scenic avenue. Tommy Bahamas has one of their restaurants at El Paseo, and it’s a great place to have Caribbean food in an island setting.

You may want to check out Shields Date Gardens located just east of Palm Desert on Hwy 111. This family business has been growing dates since the 1920’s when the first Medjool date palms were sent to this area from Morocco, to save the palms from extinction. Stop by to learn about dates, take a tour in their gardens and have a date shake.

To get a birds-eye view of the area, ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 6,000 feet above the desert to the top of San Jacinto Mountain. Once you’re at the top, take a guided nature walk (keep in mind its 40 degrees cooler) or go to the cocktail lounge and enjoy the expansive view over cocktails. 

Everybody has heard of Whole Foods Market by now, but did you know that the headquarters is in Austin?  Touring the Whole Foods Market Landmark store is a “must see” when in Austin.  Located on Lamar and Sixth Street, the 80,000 square foot Whole Foods headquarters sets a new standard for food shopping. The store has six mini-restaurants including a sushi bar, trattoria and a sorbet bar.  From a distance, the fruit and vegetable displays look like an impressionist painting.  It’s a blur of color and textures.  The store also has a huge array of meats and seafood, wine and beer and a “Whole Body” section that contains all kinds of natural make-up, soaps and lotions. Whole Foods offers daytime seminars on healthy eating and on Thursdays evenings during the summer, hosts live music on the upper plaza. (more…)

With more live music performances per capita than anywhere else, Austin is known as the “Live music capital of the world”.  On any given night you’ll have plenty of choices for live music which might include rock ‘n roll, rockabilly, jazz, salsa, blues, hip hop, funk, world music and retro. Starting in April bands perform at many outdoor venues as well. On Fridays from April to October, stop by the Austin City Hall for a free concert at noon. While you’re there, stroll along the new 2nd Street District which runs from City Hall to the Austin Convention Center. If you’re downtown after dark, check out the music scene on Sixth Street and the more refined Warehouse District. For a complete listing of bands, see the Austin Chronicle or Austin360.   (more…)

Live oaks draped with Spanish moss, white Doric columns and intricate ironwork are the indelible images of Savannah. The city is laid out in a grid, and dotted with lawn-sized parks.  You can’t go two blocks without stumbling into one of these mini sanctuaries.  It is the quintessential southern town and the kind of place where you just want to slow down and soak up the charm.  The setting of several major motion pictures, including Forrest Gump, The Legend of Bagger Vance and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Savannah’s Historic District is alive with the flavor of the Old South.  (more…)