YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT by looking at me, but I am a recovering boat show junkie. Years before we departed on a long family journey, I attended every cruising seminar on topics ranging from The Care and Feeding of the Sailing Crew to The Secrets of Making the Perfect Fish Jerky. I thought I knew everything Read More
Glass Bottom Boats – See Beneath the Waves
“All aboard on the glass bottom boat, it’s the greatest show that was ever afloat. Take a ride on the tide with the guide and see, the way out wonders of the deep blue sea.” Actress Doris Day sang these words in the 1966 MGM film entitled – no surprise – The Glass Bottom Boat. Read More
Oahu, Hawaii
WITH ENOUGH NATURAL beauty to be revered as the jewel of Hawaii, Oahu ranks among travelers’ favorite Pacific destinations. The third largest island in this tropical archipelago, Oahu only measures 44 miles long by 30 miles wide, but it’s packed with a multitude of extraordinary attractions and activities. Oahu is called “The Gathering Place,” because Read More
Cabrito Anyone?
“Ferocious with life” was writer John Steinbeck’s description of Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The 760-mile long Baja Peninsula is a ribbon of majestic mountains flanked on one side by the vast Pacific Ocean and the other by a turquoise sea, dotted with islands. Cactus and scorpions dominate the arid landscape while the warm waters teem with Read More
Santa Catalina to Marina del Rey, CA
SANTA CATALINA IS an island retreat off the coast of Southern California. During the past 7,000 years, the island has been inhabited by a fabulous cast of characters: Native Americans, smugglers, gold diggers, pirates, Union soldiers, missionaries and movie stars. More than 500 films, commercials and TV shows have been shot on Catalina. Since 1919, the Read More
Homeschool Daze
AFTER 10 YEARS OF planning and preparing for the adventure of a lifetime, we cast off from San Francisco aboard our 33-foot sailboat named Chewbacca. Our crew consisted of me, my husband Bruce, and our five and seven-year-old daughters. When we embarked on our first offshore passage as a family, I should have been giddy Read More
Kodiak Island, Alaska – Cruising with Members
Days after returning from a trip to Kodiak Island, Alaska, I experienced an uncontrollable urge to stop the car whenever I glimpsed something red in the bushes along the side of the road. This curious habit developed because of the little raspberry-like, orange-colored salmonberry. We found our first of these miniature grape-shaped globes while hiking Read More
Island Time
SIX YEARS AGO, we were in search of a little adventure aboard our 33-foot catamaran, Chewbacca. The timing seemed right, with our two young daughters ages five and seven, so we turned our backs on the rat race, sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and turned left. For a cruising family, life couldn’t get any Read More
Spring Break Destinations for Water Sports
SPRING BREAK is the season that breaks the bounds of winter and renews our sense of adventure. The vernal equinox signals us to escape the monotony of our everyday lives — and quench our thirst for excitement. Now is the time to plan vacations, embrace your adventurous side, and if you’re an adrenaline junkie with Read More
Whidbey & Camano Islands, Washington
At the tip of the Pacific Northwest, the largest contiguous islands in the United States encompass Washington’s mountainous waterfront. Just below the Canadian border, 18 wondrous miles of the Saratoga Passage separate the beautiful Whidbey & Camano Islands. Rich with lush forests and scenic state parks, Whidbey & Camano Islands stretch only 8.89 NM apart Read More