Once you escape the ritz and glitz of the South Shore, you begin to catch glimpses of the opulence ingrained in the historic fabric of Lake Tahoe.

In 1880, a visionary entrepreneur built a luxurious resort, with an elegant hotel and a gambling casino, on the shores of this deep blue lake hidden in the Sierra Mountains. By the turn of the century, Lake Tahoe had become a summer playground for the rich and famous families of Sacramento, San Francisco and Virginia City. A railroad spur was built in the late 1890’s making travel to the Lake easier, so more people came and more plush hotels sprang up to accommodate them.

Wealthy families began building their own stately mansions along the shore. They cruised the Lake in yachts as ostentatious as their homes and lavish parties became commonplace. When you travel to Tahoe you can visit some of these impressively restored estates.

The 12,000 square foot Erhman Mansion, built in 1903, is the centerpiece of Sugar Pine Point State Park on the western side of the Lake. It’s open daily for tours during the summer and is a fantastic setting for weddings and other special events.

The 74 acre Tallac Historic Site is home to the Valhalla, Pope and Baldwin Estates. You may view the interior and art exhibits of the Pope Estate, built in 1894, on a guided tour. Valhalla is home to a summer arts and music festival and other seasonal events that are open to the public.

One of the oddest mansions is really a Scandinavian themed medieval castle dubbed Vikingsholm, complete with a sod roof and beams carved into dragons. It can be toured daily during the summer months, but is most striking when viewed from the water. Steamboats chug visitors across the Lake to Emerald Bay and around Tahoe’s only island several times a day to see it.

For a glimpse into the yachting life, visit the Tahoe Maritime Museum in Homewood, on the California side. You’ll be amazed at the painstakingly cared for gleaming wooden boats, many of which are still lakeworthy and see use during the summers.

While the opulent era phased out in the early 1950’s, there are still many luxurious Lake Tahoe vacation homes, estates and lodges tucked in amongst the towering pines along the lakeshore. Keep your eyes open for a glimpse of them as you pass by.

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It has always been my dream to live in a place where there are mountains and water co-exisitng side by side.  The place that comes to mind is Lake Tahoe in California.  You can snow-ski in the winter time and water-ski in the summertime and enjoy activities all year-round.

Canada boasts of a place that is similar in dynamic terrain; Collingwood, Ontario.  This area just happens to be Ontario’s #1 destination for year-round fun and adventure.  Collingwood is home to the Blue Mountain Ski Resort which has over 30 trails ranging from green (easy) to double black (expert).  Blue Mountain Resort is a Intrawest Resort which is the same developers as Whistler and Blackhomb.  I have heard only good things about Whistler/Blackhomb so I can imagine what Blue Mountain must be like.

The town of Collingwood, Ontario embraces a full year of activity by being a 4 season destination.  You can find Italian and Moroccan cuisine and also local seafood prepared in a multiple amount of ways.  A good variance in dining experiences is having the traditional style along side the modern bistro where you can taste the local history and enjoy the modern conveniences of today.

If you are planning a trip to Ontario’s recreation destination know as Collingwood and Blue Mountain you will find accommodations in the form of condos, lodges and chalets that are either slope-side or just a short walk to the local retail amenities.

Blue Mountain by Яick Harris

Blue Mountain Resort by 416style 

Growing up in Georgia the closest beach for our family was Destin, Florida by choice.  We could have gone to Panama City or even St. Simon on the Georgia coast but my mom and dad took us to Destin first and we went back again and again.  Now that I’m older and love to fish I would jump at the chance to get back down to the Gulf and enjoy a fishing vacation.

Destin has a annual fishing rodeo that is held every October and lasts all month and anyone can participate.  The Gulf waters off of Destin produce some of the best fishing around.  From Marlin and Sailfish to Snapper and Grouper to Hammerhead Shark, the Gulf is alive with sport fish.  There are many charter boats that you can find to go fish for the 1/2 day, full day, and even night.

Where there is great fishing there is great eating!  They go hand in hand in most cases and Destin sure has it covered.  When there is a plethora of seafood to be harvested and eaten you can find great local restaurants that incorporate seafood in just about every thing that you can sink your mouth into.  Tuna, crab, calamari, shrimp, oysters, mahi-mahi, grouper and amberjack all can be served to you fresh daily.  Fine dining can also be experienced during your stay in Destin.  Other restauranteurs have blended other styles like Louisiana Cajun into their seafood delectable dishes.

Destin has definitely grown since the late 70’s and 80’s since I have been there.  The lodging options are immense and range all over the board for what you expect for your Desitn vacation.  You can choose to rent a luxury vacation home for privacy and space or opt for one of the many hotels that spread up and down the beach.  From condos and townhomes to homes you can find a vacation rental on the beach or just steps away. 

Vacationing to Florida includes a lot of happening cities and attractions like Miami and Disney World so do not forget about the other side of the panhandle where Destin resides and beautiful beaches and great fishing abound.

Destin Beach photo courtesy of FlyGuy92586

Fishing in Destin photo courtesy of babasteve

Stone Crab Claws photo courtesy of cayobo

Hopefully, you answered with a resounding “YES” to that question being that I intended for it to be rhetorical…  I have only been to the Mexican side of the Caribbean and not to the many other destinations like St. John, USVI and Tortola, BVI.  Like Mexico, the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands have much beauty and ancient history to be explored.

The island of St. John lies just east of St. Thomas and the large island of Puerto Rico.  The Virgin Islands National Park makes up more than half of the island and is a wonderful place to hike to see the raw beauty of the island.  All of the trails range from 15 minutes to 2 hours so extra precautions are definitely needed to make sure your adventure doesn’t become a nightmare.  St. John highly enforces preserving their island to keep it the way it was discovered.  National parks always suggest “take only pictures and leave only footsteps” and that mantra should be followed in St. John.  There are about 15 trails on the North Shore of the island and about 8 trails winding through the South Shore of the island.  One can view marine life and local birds in their natural habitat while also discovering ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks long ago by the native Arawak Indians.  Many of the hiking trails end in a cove where snorkeling can be done but swim at your own risk for obvious reasons - no lifeguards.  St. John is mountainous to an extent and views of the other neighboring islands are possible from hiking these trails.  One can “rough it” and camp inside the park to enjoy the island in its’ primitive habitat or opt to rent a vacation home or condo and make day trips to explore the island.

Just to the east of St. John lies the island of Tortola which is a British Virgin Island or BVI.  Touring the island can be done in the air, ground or on the water.  Hiking can also be done on Tortola inside one of the parks.  Sage Mountain National Park has the highest point in both the US and British Islands.  Sage Mountain is at 1716 feet above sea level and therefore attracts weather which supports the rain forests that exist on the island.  Hiking on Tortola and St. John have their challenges with the short and steep terrain that exist on both islands.

Going to the Caribbean can have different meanings to a lot of people.  Some like to hang out on the beach with a fruity drink and some like to experience an “eco-challenge” for their Caribbean vacation.  The choice is yours and it’s nice to have a choice.  So, the next time you are thinking of going to the beach for vacation, consider St. John USVI and Tortola BVI and get away from it all.  I mean literally. 

Pictures provided by:

St. John USVI by *Hiro

Tortola BVI by janusz l

Virgin Islands National Park by DEQ

I know Laverne and Shirley are long gone (at least off of the TV) but the adult beverages are still prominent in the land of cheese, beer and wine and that land is Fish Creek, Wisconsin in Door County.   Visitors to this part of Wisconsin get to enjoy water sports on Lake Michigan in the summer, take snowmobile tours and sled rides in the winter and enjoy harvest time of the fall.  Fall is the time when orchards and vineyards are harvested of their bountiful fruits.

  When coming to the Fish Creek area in Door County, one can find lodging fairly easily and call it home base while each day consists of branching out and exploring the local sites and sounds.  Fish Creek is a small town that is over 150 years old and began as a fishing village teaming with lumberjacks and farmers.  With hard work ethic embraced by those of the past, calling it a day and enjoying a beer or flask of wine was probably pretty normal. 

Today in Door County there is only one brewery that calls this place home and they enjoy making craft brews both seasonal and flagship beers.  Their variations include IPA, wheat, copper ale, blonde, porter and a fall time favorite; pumpkin ale with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Since the microbrew revolution in the 90’s breweries have been pairing food with beer and providing that in their restaurants.  Ribs, locally caught fish and pasta all pair very well with the beer variations previously mentioned. 

This region is also home to vineyards and therefore wineries especially with the prominent existence of fruit orchards.  As with beer and food pairings, wine and food definitely go together.  The local wine produced in Door County boasts of light tanins made to allow the palate to taste the fare.  With that being said, wine bars allow the customer to taste local wine with local food.

Fish Creek, Wisconsin in Door County provides fun, activity and good fare and drink to those who arrive weary and tired.

Fish Creek by random letters

Door County Wine by luvautumntime

Wisconsin Beer by Jessica DeWinter