Travel off the beaten track and experience

My relationship with horses has been tough since one of those four-legged creatures threw me into a pile of mud a couple of years ago in Costa Rica.  Since that, I have been hesitant to ride a horse. That doesn’t mean I have steered clear from those beautiful beasts.  As a matter of fact, I became very excited with the idea of visiting the Quicksilver Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley.  This particular area has a long history of western traditions. I was able to observe cowboy style towns, horse ranches, and carriages. Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch has contributed to maintaining the area heritage but has also given a twist to the horse breeding business.  The place is dedicated to breeding fine, miniature horses. Yes, you read right. Adorable horses roam among rolling hills, shady oaks, and perfectly planted vineyards. If you take Alamo Pintado Road from Solvang towards Los Olivos, the ranch is easily spotted on the right side (ask for directions ...

Garrapata. Garrapata. It is difficult to understand how a noun that inspires all sorts of disgusting thoughts can be used to describe such a beautiful place. I am referring to the Garrapata State Park located in the northern part of Big Sur (about 7 miles south of Carmel). Garrapata means “thick” in Spanish.  After some comprehensive research, I haven’t been able to find why this park bears this name.   Different areas within the park are named after the families who owned the land before the state acquire it.  However, there are no references to the garrapata origins.  Since this land was used to raise cattle, I am assuming the current name has something to do with the little blood suckers infesting the livestock. But let’s forget about the name for a moment and focus on what it is important.  In this place you can find a jagged coastline, white sands, redwood-filled canyons, 60 species of mammals and 110 species of birds.  I do not know about you but this is what I call amazing!...

In December 2016 we went to New York City for the very first time. Since we were only staying in the city for three days, as it was a stopover on our way back to the U.K from Australia, we also visited some friends. However, there is a whole lot to be seen within a very short time! Thus, Here is: How to see New York City in 3 days! Public transportation First of all, after landing at JFK, we got a Skytrain to the nearest MTA Subway (Underground / Metro) station, called Jamaica. We then bought an unlimited pass for the entire network. Unfortunately there was no three day option, only a weekly option, but we figured it would still work out cheaper than single rides. A whole weeks MTA pass is about US$32. Not too bad for a city like New York! We did a whole post on how to work the New York Subway system here! So once you’ve got this pass, you head to your hotel. That already saves you the first taxi ride from the airport into the city (which is about twice as much ...

Looking for the best wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula? We’ve got you covered with our favorite wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula. Ever since our close family friends moved to Temecula, we’ve been visiting a few times a year. It never gets old because there is SO much to do in Temecula, one of those things being wine tasting at some really beautiful wineries! There are over 40 wineries in Temecula and so figuring out which are the best wineries in Temecula can be difficult. To help narrow it down for you, we’ve listed the best wineries in Temecula in our opinion. While we haven’t been to them all, our family friends know the area really well and have guided us to the best ones to visit. So these are the wineries we consider to be the best and also the wineries a Temecula local thinks are the best! Since there’s a lot more to do in Temecula than just wine tasting, we’ve also included our favorite things to do in Temecula...