Taking off Travel blog

It’s the middle of winter. I’m stuck indoors, with nothing to do but surf the intarwebz and think about sweets – and chocolate, glorious chocolate. Walking tours of local chocolate stores are a dime a dozen – so how about a chocolate travel tour? They come in two flavors: (no pun intended).
Tour Type 1: The Pretty Side of Chocolate
These tours are gentle and refined. We walk. We talk. We eat samples of chocolates. We visit chocolatiers’ beautiful shops. Read more »

If you’re like me, the idea of spending a vacation lounging on a beach sipping margaritas is like inserting two felting needles into my eyes, and having them slowly twisted. By this guy.

I feel the same way about sitting on a veranda imbibing wine, even if it’s a great Gewurztraminer. But – suggest some some blood pumping activities and you’ve got my attention. So you can imagine how bundled my undies got when I discovered California Wine Hikes and its accompanying blog, winehiker witiculture.

This site offers a sumptuous pairing of wine tastings, tours, and hikes in Northern California, Central Coast, and the Sierra Foothills regions. You can choose from one day or multi-day packages, and even choose based on your fitness level (easy to strenuous). Read more »