Archive for March, 2010

Surfing and Golf in San Diego

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

If you’re traveling to San Diego, California and are looking for a good place to surf, below there are a few recommendations. There is good surfing in the La Jolla area and a great example of that would be Black’s. It is the best beachbreak in San Diego, and maybe even all of Southern California. If you happen to be there when there is a strong West or Northwest swell with offshore winds you’ll think you’re in Indonesia. Black’s will offer a variety of peaks which provides professional quality surfing and excitement. It is difficult to get to, since you have a tough walk down some cliffs, but it helps keep the crowds away. The best season there is winter and the swell direction is West, Southwest, and Southwest. The wave sizes range from two to twelve feet, and the tide is low to medium.

Also, after you’ve did some surfing in San Diego, and you feel up to playing a round of golf, there are plenty of great golf courses in the area. One of these golf courses is Coronado Municipal Golf Course. This course continues to be considered as one of the best public courses in Southern California. It was opened in 1957 and received an award for ‘Best Value in Southern California’ in 2007 and 2008. It is an eighteen-hole, par 72 course with wide fairways. The greens are always well-kept and the course provides beautiful views of the Coronado Bridge, Hotel Del Coronado, and the San Diego Bay.

Surfing and Golf Spots in Los Angles

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

If you’re traveling to San Diego from Santa Barbara and you’re looking for a spot to surf along the way, you may want to consider stopping by County Line in Los Angles, California. When you go there you can expect to see clear water, feathering peak outside, cool weather, and crowds. It is a great place to surf, especially if you’re a beginner. There you will see hollow dredgers on the inside and large swells. The best place to paddle out is at point/cobblestone, and beachbreak is good at this location. A good time to go surfing at these locations is at mid-tide in the late fall. You don’t have to deal with the crowds during this time. The swell direction is often west and northwest, and they are big and overhead. Another good surf spot in Los Angles is Zuma Beach.

Also, if you feel up to playing golf while you’re in the Los Angles, California area Westchester Golf Course is a nice place to play. Westchester Golf Course is a fifteen-hole executive golf course that is located close to the LAX airport. It is a well-kept golf course that is lit for playing at night and is open everyday until ten p.m. It is a golf course that offers fun and affordable golf for beginners and those that want to play without having to commit the whole day to a full round of golf. Westchester Golf Course has been open since 1969.

Surfing and Golf in Oxnard Shores

Monday, March 15th, 2010

If you traveling down from Santa Barbara on your way to San Diego and are looking for a place to surf, you might want to consider stopping at Oxnard Shores. Oxnard Shores gets south swells that are larger and better than any location in Ventura County. When the summer-fall south swell blends with a northwest swell, it creates a lot of hollow, A-frame bowls that cover the whole beach. It’s not uncommon for the barrels to be spittin’. The surfing there is better at low or medium-low tide. It is the hollowest south wave in Ventura County. You should prepare yourself to work regardless of the size, because it breaks hard if it breaks. It’s unusual, because in the summer, Silver Strand, which is a few miles south of Oxnard Shores, gets dead, but this is the time that Oxnard Shores get lively.

Also, after you’ve caught a few waves in Oxnard, and you still feel up to playing some golf, there is a great golf course in the form of River Ridge Golf Course. There you can enjoy the warm California sun and cool ocean breezes. This golf course provides championship courses at public prices. It was designed by Billy Bell Jr. in the mid-1980s. The Vineyard Course has been redesigned to give more ocean and panoramic views of Ventura County. The course is well-known for its wide-open fairways, low roughs, great greens, and five lakes located on the back nine.

Surfing and Golf in Santa Barbara

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Typically, the surf is smaller the closer you get to Santa Barbara, and the waves are bigger around the tip of Point Conception or in Ventura County. Ventura County goes from Point Magu through Oxnard plain, past three rivermouths, and along a mountain ridge, and then eventually reaches Rincon in the north. The southern part of the county isn’t that good, but has a good spot in the summer at County Line, and some barrels at the winter peak at Supertubes. The most popular surf spot in the county is at the county fairgrounds, which is called C Street and Fairgrounds/Stables/Pipes. Also, when you get down to the county line at Rincon surfing is good. Rincon sets on the Ventura and Santa Barbara county lines. You can get there by exit Highway 101 at Bates Road.

Also, after you caught a few waves, and you feel like playing a round of golf you might want to consider going to Glen Annie Golf Club. This is a public golf course that has beautiful views of the ocean and nice amenities. The beauty of this golf course comes from its natural beauty. Along with Audubon International, this golf course is of six in California that supports an Environmental Program. There are three different habitats that are home to many wild animals at this golf course. Also, the restaurant at Glen Annie is as well-loved as the golf course. It has breathtaking views and great food.

Local Travel Clubs in the U.S.

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

If you’re looking for some like-minded friends to travel with and to help you find great travel packages, you might want to consider finding a local travel club to join. Below are a few to consider if you live in these areas, but you can usually find a local travel club no matter where you live.

First, is the Foreign Travel Club, which is based in San Francisco, California. Amazingly, this club has been around for 76 years. The goal of this travel club is “the promotion of good fellowship among travelers to foreign lands.” The Foreign Travel Club provides a monthly newsletter for its members and meet once a month for a buffet lunch at the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco. They often have other special luncheons and holiday luncheons.

Next, is the Uncommon Travelers travel club that is based in the area of Tampa Bay, Florida. It is an unusual club that consists of exceptional travelers that are like-minded and share a common bond. Mostly, they are independent travelers and not typical tourists. They fully immerse themselves in the culture, people, and food etc. of other countries. They try to save money for plenty of travel experiences. This club meets on the second Saturday of each month during the months of September through May at Piccadilly Cafeteria in Tampa, Florida from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Socializing and dinner is from 5-6:30, and then there is a short meeting, and then more socializing. This is a time for sharing travel news, ideas, and information.

Join a Local Travel Club

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

If you’re a frequent traveler, it might be beneficial for you to consider joining a local travel club. They can help you find great deals and connect you with like-minded people to get together for group tours. Below is a list of a few travel clubs that mind work well for you in your travels. These travel clubs meet on a regular basis to discuss travels plans and they pretty much make their own rules.

First are the Navigators. This club began ten years ago, and serves people in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. They meet at its members’ houses and view video presentations, slide shows, videos, or photos. They also provide a monthly newsletter to its membership of more than forty travelers. The newsletter helps keep members reminded of their meetings that are on the third Thursday of each month and also gives travel information, tips, and current travel news. The club requires a one-time fee of ten dollars to join. The club welcomes new members.

Next, is the No Reservations Travel Club. This club meets at seven p.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Sacramento, California region. Meetings are from August through December at the Carmichael Library Community Room in Carmichael. From February through July the club meets at the Arcade Public Library Community Room in Sacramento. Also, on the second Tuesday of every month they meet for dinner at an ethnic restaurant. A speaker is featured at all the meetings except for the December meeting, since that meeting is a potluck social.

Club ABC Tours Travel Club

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

If you’re looking for a well-established travel club to help you in your travels, you might want to consider Club ABC Tours. The club’s mission is “to be the premier provider of quality, inspiring, worldwide travel products to value conscious travelers. Club ABC Tours, is a branch of Crown Travel Services Incorporated and a private travel club that is based in northern New Jersey. It was started more than forty years ago. Currently, Club ABC Tours is one of the biggest travel clubs in the world. It provides trip packages for families and individuals who are frequent travelers and understand the benefits of saving money through a travel club.

Club ABC Tours provides its members with about 250 first-class and deluxe vacation packages to locations all over the world. The locations include 125 cities in thirty countries on six continents. International tours include trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, Central and South America, Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda, and the Caribbean. Domestic travel tours include most of the United States and also Canada. Cruise tours are also a large part of the travel club’s services.

Members of the club have the option to choose between a one year, two year, three year, and five year membership. Memberships at Club ABC Tours cover a maximum off two adults and their children, that are under the age of eighteen, living in the same household, and are traveling with their parents. With a Club ABC Tours membership you will get exclusive travel catalogs, cruise brochures, and email newsletters to inform you of travel deals.

Travel Clubs for Women

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Some of the best travel clubs that are out there today are the ones that provide the intimacy of small groups. A lot of women find that female travel partners who share the same interests make for a more fun and less stressful trip. Below are a few travel clubs and organizations that provide group tours for women who have the desire to travel with other women. Tours for women vary from fast-paced groups to relaxing scenic trips to unforgettable cultural travels.

The first travel club for women is Sights and Soul Travels. It offers personalized, small group trips to places such as Greece, Croatia, Russia, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Argentina. This is a club where women with the same interests get together to visit medieval castles and Renaissance palaces, primeval rainforests, beautiful waterfalls, scenic beaches, fine art, and operas. You can satisfy your senses with wine, spas, tours, hikes, fine food, and nice hotels. The dates for travel are around May through November and this club is located in Germantown, Maryland.

Another travel club for women is called Travel Another Way. This is a club that allows you to join tours alone or with a friend, and will offer you personalized and professional service. All the places this club travels are places that are well known to its team, places such as: France, Belgium, and California. This club will provide you with memories for your eyes and heart, and travel times are year-round.

Places to Vacation in Jamaica

Friday, March 5th, 2010

As are a lot of places in the Caribbean, Jamaica is becoming more and more a location for the all-inclusive beach hotel. There is one of these hotels in Jamaica that ranks on Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List of top hotels in the world. It is the Sandals Grande Ocho Rio Beach and Villa Resort, which is located on the north coast. Another American-style large hotel in Jamaica is the Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort, Rose Hall, which is also located on the north coast. The eighteen-hole golf course there is the newest of the twelve courses in Jamaica. It is also home to the Horizon restaurant that serves great Mediterranean food with an indigenous twist.

If a smaller and quainter location is what you are looking for in your Jamaican vacation, you may want to consider the Jamaican Inn. It is located in Ocho Rios, and is the site where Winston Churchill and Noel Coward would often visit. It has luxurious lawns, which are used for croquet, and has a requirement that all male guests wear a shirt with a collar at dinner to bring a feel of formality. It has a great private beach, a pool, and four amazing new cottages. Another smaller location to stay would be Round Hill. It is situated on an elevation close to Montego Bay. It is also a well-established place that has been visited by President Kennedy and Princess Grace. Also, Ralph Lauren, who owns a villa at Round Hill, redecorated this property.

Vacationing in Jamaica

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Some of the unique things about Jamaica in comparison to other islands in the Caribbean are that it is bigger and more complicated. It is country that is like any other country, but it has some of the best beaches in the entire Caribbean. Not only that is has spectacular mountains, the bustling city of Kingston, and green hills and valleys that give the feel of being in England. It is a country with a lot of personality and offers more to its visitors than just beaches and partying.

However, Jamaica does have beautiful scenery and beaches, and is an outdoor- lover’s paradise. Negril, which is west of Montego Bay, offers seven miles of bars and restaurants to keep you entertained for a long time. If you go farther west you will come to Treasure Beach. It is small, but still beautiful and entertaining. However, the most beautiful beach in Jamaica could possibly be Frenchman’s Cove, which is located on the north coast. It is a curved stretch of sand that is surrounded by high, jungle-covered hills. It has a clear, freshwater river running beside it that empties into the sea. The Blue Lagoon, which is located in the east close to Port Antonio, has a mixture of warm ocean water and cold water coming from a mineral spring. It may be the best place to swim in Jamaica. On the north coast of the island, you can climb up Dunn’s River Falls, but if you just want to relax you can ride a raft down the Rio Grande near Port Antonio.