rereboom

Napa is beautiful, but if you’re going for the wine, just a warning: it’s completely geared towards tourists, which is fine, but hectic. The wineries charge a lot of money for tasting; you’ll get caught in traffic behind limos full of drunk graduates/wedding parties/family reunions; and you wait forever to get served. I highly recommend you do Sonoma instead, or if you have more time, Mendocino (further north) – or anywhere actually. Basically ALL of California is now Wine Country and you can get a far better, more charming, cheaper and high quality visit in a multitide of other areas. Paso Robles down by San Luis Obispo, even by Sacramento.

Napa is awfully pretty though, so if you’re going for wine and ambiance/food/locale, then Sonoma is a really good alternative.

San Francisco has far better places to check out. Upper Haight is dirty and overpriced. The only reason to go is for Amoeba Records and to take a photo of the “Haight-Ashbury” street signs. and then head to a different neighorhood.

I never understood why people wanted to go on Safari until I went. I was in Nairobi on business (not a very nice city to be honest) and did a weekend safari at Masai Mara (sp?). The place I stayed was unique and the food was great, the best I had in Kenya, and of course the safaris. You go on safari, take pictures, go back to the lodge, have a drink, eat lunch, take a nap by the pool, go back on safari, go back to the lodge, have another drink, eat dinner, have another drink, go to bed. Repeat.

I lived in Jeddah from 1982-1985 as a teenager, my dad worked for the US Geological Survey. It was a good time to be there – a fairly open governemet (for Saudi Arabia!) and a lot of international folks working there. I guess it’s a lot more inflexible now. Jeddah is on the Red Sea so I got to see the amazing coral reefs, the weather was better than a lot of inland places, and I got to travel extensively. Camped with baboons ransacking our tents; exchanged chocolate chip cookies for fresh pomegranates; and women actually do drive in more rural areas. Saw Ottoman Empire military towers sticking out in the middle of nowhere.

There are better places to go though, MUCH better places to visit if you want to check out the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is really restrictive, and even if you somehow got a Visa, your ability to travel and see the things you want (forget Mecca if you’re not Muslim) is virtually impossible.

then it gets old. unless you’re a gambler or there for an event, the more you go the less Las Vegas impresses. The first time is “holy crap” – the over-the-topness of it all is mesmerizing. The buffets are quintessential Bush America – overabundance and out of season. Everything is huge. Each person seems interesting or weird.

And you go back, and it’s the same old thing. I’m sure for people who live there it’s got some cool in-the-know places that no tourist visits. But the Strip just gets too fratty for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this trip was for a woman travelling alone. I did the “safe” thing by enrolling in a Spansih language school in Antigua (gorgeous town), staying with a family, and meeting lots of travellers. I did a weekend trip with a group to the Carribean coast and to see some pyramids. It was in 1998 when a peace treaty had been signed. Not sure of the political climate now. It was great.

I remember it was really beautiful. The water was amazing. It was 20 years ago though.

dinner was great, dessert was so-so. There are better restaurants around, and it is expensive if you’re on a budget, but it is a landmark (20 years in SF is a LONG time) so should be on your list.

So I have a very strong liking of Islamic art, but even having lived in the Middle East didn’t prepare me for this experience. Stunning, awe-inspiring, just fabulous. Grenada is really great too, charming and mellow, and a lot to do too. Hoards of toursist will block good camera shots of the Alhambra, but … wow.

See the aquarium – it’s worth the $$ price and you spend hours there – and walk around the docks. Other than that, Monterey is pretty non-descript. If you’re there for more than a day, do a walking tour of Steinbeck locations. Otherwise, just leave for Santa Cruz or camp in Big Sur.