Unique and Fun Destination Ideas

France

Paris: The Eternal city of Lights

My first trip to Paris was sparked by my brother doing a summer fellowship in Italy. I was 20 years old and in my second year of college so as a family, it was decided that we would tour Europe before my brother went to Palermo. Charles de Gaulle airport has not changed much throughout all my years of flying. It is a huge international airport that if not careful, can be confusing and one can easily get lost on where to go next after customs. Just walk outside to take a taxi or follow the signs to ride the Metro (subway). There are big maps on the Metro walls to help guide a traveler to their destination.
Per usual, we started off by renting a car and proceeded to drive to the heart of Paris. It took my father some time to learn that European drivers give right of way to those cars on the right. The funny part of the story is that we ended up driving around and around the Arc de Triumph numerous times. I felt like I was in a Blake Edwards movie since we drove around so many times. The speed of all the cars coming in from the left and right of us made our small car shake on each passing. Finally, my father kept yielding to the right until we finally made it to the outside of the swirling cars and headed on our way to the Sheraton Montparnasse. It turned out to be a great place to start our journey as it was walking distance to a Metro station.
Montparnasse is situated on the left bank of Paris and has quite a history of being an area where famous artists, performers and writers created numerous works of art during the 19th and 20th century. It was a wonderful place to stay for our first time exploring this exquisite city as it has many lovely cafes and unique stores for shopping. It gives you easy access to the Eiffel Tower and other famous landmarks. The windows in our hotel room gave us a great view of the city. However, the most impressive view is when you go up in the Montparnasse Tower with its 360-degree view of Paris.
My best memory of this time was when we stopped into a local grocery store and purchased a variety of meats and cheeses. Then proceeded to a boulangerie to purchase some bread. We were going to get 5 baguettes, one for each family member, but the shopkeeper let us know that his bread was reserved each day for his clientele so he could only sell up to two. He then offered another type of bread which we readily accepted. It turned out to be better tasting than the baguette.
Then we went back to the hotel and placed our lunch on a small side table just big enough to hold all the food. We sat down on the floor around the table and had our lunch. It was fun to be informal. Just then, we heard a knock on the hotel door. A maid was delivering some more towels to the room. She took one look at our feast, gave us a big smile and said “Bon Appetit.” I’m sure the hotel staff were not used to guests enjoying a meal purchased from a grocery store. The staff gave us big smiles throughout the rest of our stay. This is one of my most fond memories of lunch with my family.
So, if you have a limited budget or just want to immerse yourself in simple French cuisine, then go to the closest super Marché and enjoy.

California

Fresno: Raisin Capital of the World

It was always the highlight of my summer when we would make a trip to Fresno, California to see family and have a little fun. The 6–8-hour drive to Northern California from our home in San Diego never seemed that long. We could make it in a day with such beautiful scenery to keep us engaged. I loved being able to make side trips to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and the Sequoia’s. Although it was terribly hot during the summer months, we managed to stay cool by staying out of the midday sun and keeping hydrated. There was always the ever-popular slip and slide to cool us down. In the 60’s, my grandmother lived in a house close to the train tracks. It never bothered me to fall asleep with the sound of a distant train whistling late into the night. I’d dream of taking a train further up the coastline and exploring more of northern California heritage.

One fond memory is going to Roeding Amusement Park to a place called Storybook Land.  It is an adventure park made up of nursery rhymes and mother goose tales. We would run to each structure to hear a special reading of the rhyme. I still have the special key that we would place in a box located outside each nursery rhyme. The speaker would read out loud dialogue to one of the many themes in the park. My favorite was Three Little Pigs & the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Then you could go inside the house and play.

On the other side of the park was a pond where you could rent a paddle boat and paddle around the lake. It had a miniature train to ride and lots of space to run around the lake. Just go to the Roeding Amusement Park website for more information on all the attractions. It is a wonderful place to take small children and has been so since 1955.

Germany

Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt am Main, oh how I love this city located in the Hesse region of Germany. Beautiful mountains surround this travel destination with a flowing river running down the middle of the city. Frankfurt airport was to me always at the forefront of technology. As a Pan Am purser in 1987, we would access the elevator through biometric means by placing a hand on a reader, then the elevator doors would open & whoosh us down to a wonderful crew lounge to hold our preflight briefings. This expansive international airport has 3 terminals & only 12km from the central city. Our personnel bus would pick up the crew to take us to the Intercontinental Hotel which was situated right along the waterway. It was easy to catch a bus or just take a leisurely walk to the downtown part of the city. When getting on the crew bus, our driver would have heated bratwurst waiting with a warm bread roll & beer to feed us after such a long flight from New York to Germany. I would arrive at the hotel satiated, ready for a shower & long nap before exploring Frankfurt on foot.

One trip I kind of got lost on my walk & wandered down a side street where a small boutique had paper mâché easter ducks for sale. They were exactly like the ones I had since a child which we fill every easter with chocolate candy. My grandfather had purchased 2 when he also was in Germany in the 1920’s. What a discovery! I bought 2 more for our collection. Walking along the Rhine was always very relaxing & I would build up quite an appetite.

The crew would meet in the hotel lobby & walk down to a restaurant that was lovingly known as the Gas Station. It was hard to remember the germen name as we ate at so many places, but I still remember it was a few blocks from the Intercontinental and it was called the “Gas station” because the restaurant was situated right behind a gas station. The beer was always overflowing. It was the destination for many flight crews from around the world. Dinner would consist of Weiner Schnitzel & many interesting adventure stories would be told which led us to stay until closing time.

One year my mother came with me for a week of flying to Europe and we had a wonderful time with the flight captain and crew at this restaurant. The captain was so taken with my mother & her Irish sense of humor that when she asked to bum a cigarette from him, he responded with “a regular or funny one?” She took the regular cigarette. This was during the 80’s so Aids was just becoming a worry. The crew always liked to send someone to the bathroom because a vending machine was available to buy condoms right where you washed your hands. When my mother came back from using the bathroom she didn’t say a thing. One for the flight attendants hinted around about the condoms and my mom finally said, “it was a good thing to have around.” Boy was she a hit with the crew.

Another time I was in Berlin and decided to take the train from Berlin to Frankfurt and stay at the same hotel as I did as a Pan Am crew member. The gas station was gone but the restaurant was still feeding many crew members to this day. It is very easy to get around Germany by train & a lot less expensive than flying, plus all the gorgeous scenery to be viewed along the way. However, make sure to know which train you’re getting on before boarding as the tracks change sometimes faster than the main board gets updated. One time I was taking the train back to Berlin in the evening, but the track location changed, and I boarded the wrong train. Instead of heading North, I was on my way down South late in the evening. Fortunately, one of the conductors spoke English & he assisted me on purchasing a new ticket for Berlin & helped me book a bedroom compartment. I had a good night’s sleep, a nice breakfast before arrival and their train showers were excellent. All’s well that ends well for right outside every train station are taxis, so I made it to my plane flight on time.

Frankfurt am Main is a must-see destination when traveling Europe. I understand that the airport has a new interactive B737 exhibit that takes about 1.5 hours to do with a starting price of $187 a person. Check out You Tube for a 5-minute tour of Frankfurt International Airport & you’ll fall in love with it like I did years ago.

 

Arizona

Grand Canyon: Home to Indigenous Tribal Communities

Ever since I was a small child, camping was such an adventure with my family. Arizona’s Grand Canyon south entrance is only a 6-hour drive from San Diego & the scenery is gorgeous. My father would like to get started at 4 am & while most of the family moaned & groaned, I would be up and be ready to go. In the 60’s & 70’s, there was a lot less traffic & you didn’t need to book 2-3 years in advance. We would show up & always get a room. One year I got a new set of boots to hike down into the canyon & learned that you don’t wear any type of socks other than cotton. I wore some type of material that slid around inside the boot & by the time we got halfway down the trail; my feet had numerous blisters. It felt good to put my feet in the cold Colorado river stream & I so wanted to ride a donkey back up to the top of the canyon. Unfortunately, I had to hike back out which doubled up my blisters. Thankfully, the hotel boutique had a pair of very soft Indian moccasins that cushioned my blisters so I could get around by walking on the sides of my feet. They were so well made that I still have those moccasins today which remained in excellent condition.

When my daughter was 4 years old, during spring break we recreated the Grand Canyon family adventure, just she & I. We made a few stops along the way & arrived outside the south entrance at 8 pm in the evening. I pulled into a small roadside motel which unfortunately was booked. The office attendant told me that most of the motels would be full by this time at night. However, she took pity on me as she noticed I had a small child & offered me a suite room but charged me the regular room rate. What a blessing. The next morning my daughter treated me to a sock puppet show after having a wonderful night’s sleep. It’s still one of my fondest memories of this trip.

We started off for the canyon & a few miles down the road, we happened upon Flintstone’s Bedrock city which was a small theme park. We had such a marvelous time playing on the rock formation set up. I now understand it is an RV & amusement park situated on Route 64 and U.S. Route 180. A perfect place to go if you are traveling with small children. We were able to get a room in the Grand Canyon Park & the next morning were treated to a spectacular sunrise. My daughter recreated her interpretation of the sunrise in a finger painting when getting back to school. Her teacher called me into the office as she was quite impressed by my daughter’s sense of color & what sunrise meant to her. It is a rainbow of colors. I framed it & placed it on a wall where I can look at it every day.

Another adventure I love is taking the train from Williams Arizona into the canyon. They have an operational steam locomotive which runs on Saturdays from March to October each year. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel before taking our train tour. All I can say: it is a memory that lasts for a lifetime, an experience of fun for your entire family. Check out their website for more information & special event tours or use my contact form for more travel ideas.

Italy

Rome, Italy

My first experience in Rome came with Pan Am. I was sleeping in my Paris Hotel room when I was awakened at 4am to the phone ringing. It was Pan Am central scheduling to re-route the flight team flying back to New York. The original crew landing in Italy had been delayed in taking off & upon landing required at least 48 hours of rest time. I thought it was going to be a simple turn around when I had left JFK 2 days previous. Instead, we were going to Rome to pick up a flight that would be going to Geneva, Switzerland & then back to New York City. We were dead headed (meaning not working) just getting flown over to Rome & had to be ready to go in an hour. I had already showered the night before, so all that was needed was to get dressed quickly & meet the rest of the crew of newly hired flight attendants.

It was exciting to go to the “Eternal City” & have a day to explore the many adventures Rome has to offer. When flying in for a landing you get an expansive view of the seven hills that surround Rome. Very picturesque. It is also known as the center of western culture and the Catholic Church. Flight crews with Pan Am would stay in a hotel in the center of any city we flew into & so I had one day to explore Rome for the first time. An enthralling adventure to say the least.

The first stop was the “Trevi Fountain” which is breathtaking. I had watched the movie “Three Coins in the Fountain” many times & was excited to throw a Lira into the center of the fountain. Any hotel I stayed at would take my check for changing funds into the local currency. Since we were Pan Am employees, it was always easy to get money for my many adventures. That was then & this is now. Therefore, I would recommend doing money exchange into Euro at home so you can have the local currency for incidentals upon arrival. However, most people use their phones to make purchases. It is nice to have a little cash on you when you are out & about at the small food stands & there are still many small shops that don’t take apple pay.

The Trevi fountain was designed at the intersection of three roadways with seven aqueducts flowing into the structure that is carved out of Travertine Marble. The carved lion on the side of the fountain glistened in the daylight & seemed to come to life under the warm Italian sun. I had to have a picture taken below it. The fountain was mesmerizing & I spent 2 hours admiring it & the surroundings. This is one place I always stop when visiting Rome where I enjoy a small latte & a bite to eat. The second is across the street from the Coliseum. Here I love to get a Gelato do go with my latte.

The Coliseum is the largest amphitheater standing in the world. I took lots of tours of the Coliseum back in the 80’s when in Rome to study its architecture. The construction of this massive structure is awe inspiring & impressive. Now with so many more people visiting, you will need to get tickets in advance having only a 24-hour window to cancel. My hotel was located on the other side of the Spanish steps. Most times I would explore cities on foot to get a feel for the culture & interact with the residents. After climbing the Spanish steps to get back to my room, I would crash until dinner. One time I was relaxing when I heard a scratching sound coming from the giant dressing cabinet. I opened the door to see where the sound was coming from & out jumped a mouse. It scurried away not to be seen again. I stopped putting my clothes in drawers and just left my uniform hanging on future trips.

Dinner with the crew was so much fun & the food is magnificent. In northern Italy, you find wonderful pasta dishes and smoked ham. While in southern Italy, they rely more on the sea for a food source. My favorite pasta is ravioli which is served as a small portion in between courses as more of a palate cleanser, so the first time I ordered it from a menu, the chef noticed my disappointment & came over to the table to tell me how ravioli is prepared in Italy vs. America. The next time I ordered a double portion. You can’t go wrong with any selection from an Italian menu. I would also have a nice glass of Chianti with my meals. Buon Appetito!

Sometimes after a large meal, I would take a dresser drawer, place it between the mattresses & hike up the end of the bed so my ankles wouldn’t swell too much while sleeping. I hated to work a flight home feeling puffy. I did this trick many times after my long flights.

New Mexico

Carlsbad, New Mexico

I’ll never forget the first time I went to see stalagmites & stalactites in an underground cave. On a hot summer’s day, it was wonderful to travel into a very cool, picturesque environment. When my father took us there in the 1970’s, it was a very different experience from today’s tours. Back then, the guides would turn off the lights when you got to its big expansive hole in the ground. The cave had yet to be explored fully so your guide would toss a coin into the hole & wait to see if anyone heard it hitting bottom which none of us did. At this point, it wasn’t even roped off, so I was very careful not to walk along its edge. It was exciting to see the bats hanging upside down all around the cave, but the smell of bat guano left much to be desired. The cave was very primitive & a little scarry.

When I took my daughter to Carlsbad Caverns in the 1990’s, it was a new & improved experience, creating a much-loved adventure. We started at the cave entrance with flashlights and traversed the switchbacks to descend into the cavern. The bat guano smell was gone but it was still cool without being cold. When we reached the stalagmites coming up from the base of the cave & the stalactites coming down from the ceiling, they were now lit in pretty colors. No longer did they turn off the lights at the big chasm in the grand room as the hole had been explored & the bottom was found albeit still a long way down. They have a wonderful concession area to have lunch or dinner.

Since bats are on the endangered species list due to their changing environment & food sources are dwindling, my daughter & I adopted 2 bats to fund. We were given certificates & we even named them. I still have my glow in the dark t-shirt purchased with a bat flying at night. After completing our independent exploration of the cavern rooms, we stayed to watch the bats leave the cave sitting in a large outdoor amphitheater at dusk to see the clustered bats leave in mass searching for food. They are so close together that the sky goes black. We were in such awe that my daughter & I stayed around in our car to see more bats before going back to our motel right outside the park. It is still a vivid memory for both of us & cherished time spent together.

The bat flight program runs from May to October if you choose to go on this adventure. It is a national park which has its own website at www.nps.gov/cave for purchasing tour packages. We prefer to stay at Quality Inn’s when traveling the U.S.A. & love their affordable quick breakfasts. One is about 16 miles from the park entrance. I would highly recommend this exploit to anyone, but especially those with small children. It’s a pleasurable experience for the entire family! Happy Travels!

Switzerland

Geneva,Switzerland

My first time in Geneva was when we flew out of Rome & deadheaded to Switzerland to do the flight back to New York. I had been gone for over a week by now & was enjoying my trips to new destinations. It was during the summer month for Europe, so the temperature was pleasant. We stayed in a hotel that was situated against the backdrop of the Swiss mountains. I walked into an expansive room for one person & really felt in the lap of luxury. The bed had a fluffy white comforter that lulled me to sleep within minutes of my head hitting the down pillows. The bathroom was well stocked with the usual stuff such as a bathrobe & plenty of velvety towels. What was exciting were the elaborate travel kits provided by the hotel. They had luxurious kits for both men and women & the best part was the floors were heated. A big plus during the cold winter months. I decided I would definitely put in more bids to do Geneva flights.

One time, I took my husband with me while I was working on a flight to Geneva. Upon arrival, we crashed for a few hours to catch up on our sleep, then went for a long walk into the wonderous mountains behind the hotel. Geneva is surrounded by three mountain ranges & Lake Geneva flows to the Rhone River which winds its way to France. We spent all afternoon climbing & stopping to look at the beautiful surroundings. It was so nice that this was one instance that I wish I could stop time. After a pleasant day of hiking, we returned to our hotel & had a marvelous dinner of Fondue. Most of the time, I would take a walk along Lake Geneva & visit the Natural History Museum & Art Museums this city has to offer tourists. They are also the headquarters for major financial markets & home to many agencies of the United Nations and Red Cross.

Take a stroll down the city centre & enjoy the quaint buildings with flowers hanging from the balconies.  During the winter months, Geneva has many ski resorts to take advantage of & can be reached by tram from the city centre. It is the land of Fondue so I would plan on having at least one superb dining experience of cheese, bread and wine. Switzerland is a must-see travel destination for the experienced & inexperienced traveler. Now with Airbnb’s popularity, take advantage of staying for a week or two.

 

Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

I have been to Las Vegas so many times, I’ve lost count. It is a 5 ½ hour drive from San Diego & can be done in less time if start your journey later in the evening. Many times, my reason for going to Las Vegas was to see my brother who lived just blocks from the Las Vegas Strip. One escapade involved me going to the MGM Grand & winning $100 for dinner. I am not much of a gambler, but I do like to play poker, blackjack and roulette. My brother does not gamble so he stayed in the background while I played a few hands. I walked up to an empty table & sat down. Soon I won & twice had the opportunity to split my aces. When I reached $120, then that garnered attention from other players & all the surrounding chairs filled quickly. Then I started to lose, so when I fell to $100, I quit. Sometimes you just need to know when to fold ‘em. My brother & sister-in-law joined me for a very nice dinner!

The fine dining, shopping, entertainment & nightlife keep me coming back time after time. I especially like the Coca Cola shop, and the M&M store which are two favorite spots for my daughter & myself. On the top floor of the M&M store, you can get really, tasty ice cream. You can also mix & match or blend your own bag of sweet, delicious chocolate. We like to go down & play at Circus Circus, a fun casino if you have children but usually stay at Treasure Island. The nightly display of changing colored water fountains of the Bellagio is a must see & quite spectacular.

To make a trip out of going to Nevada, I would recommend a stop at Hoover Dam & Lake Mead first. The construction of Hoover Dam is quite a hydroelectric power achievement, so plan on spending a couple of hours taking the guided tour & having a light lunch. Hoover dam is 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas & the picturesque, mountainous drive is stunning. We also like to stay at the Boulder Dam hotel. This hotel has only 21 rooms, but they are very comfortable even with it being built in 1933. Since it’s close to “sin city” (Las Vegas) you never know what stars, you might run into. One occasion, my sister & I went down to breakfast only to have an encounter with Lucy Arnez. She was doing a tribute show about her mother Lucille Ball & was also staying at the hotel. Her voice sounded just like her mom’s & when she entered the breakfast room, told a very funny joke & took a bow.

My daughter & I took a dinner cruise a short drive from the hotel situated along Lake Mead. It was a 5-course preset meal with candlelight on a paddle boat along a very lazy waterway. We had our picture taken as a memento of our special time together. It’s good to take advantage of onsite photographers who can capture your family moment perfectly. This kind of travel experience can be done over a long weekend. There are so many airlines that fly in and out of Las Vegas so if you don’t want to spend time driving, just book a flight then rent a car. Great fun for a weekend getaway, anytime.