Coastal California: The Anti-Hotel Top 10 List

Nothing against motel and hotel chains, which are great in a pinch when you want to save money. But coastal California's most inspiring places to stay are one-of-a-kind. Vintage beach houses, wooden cabins with ocean views, canvas-sided yurts perched on sea cliffs, and safari tents are just a few of the more offbeat (and often eco) lodgings along my stretch of Pacific shoreline.

Cruising from south to north, my top 10 favorite by-the-beach hideaways that I've found so far are:

• Crystal Cove Beach Cottages, Orange County - Authentically restored 1930s, '40s and '50s seaside bungalows in a state park's historic district. With a beach bar and breezy cafe, you won't need to leave all weekend long. Reservations are tough to get, however.

• El Capitan Canyon, Santa Barbara County - Creekside cabins and "glamping" tents in a canyon uphill from El Capitan Beach, another state park. They're a great deal in winter, when rates (and temperatures) drop. In summer, the canyon is traffic-free.

• Jalama Beach Cabins [PDF], Santa Barbara County - Rustic, but newly built wooden cabins with fun bunk beds for the kids and a futon for any friends who decide to come along at the last minute. It's windy here!

• Treebones Resort, Big Sur - You'll drive a squiggly road uphill from Hwy. 1 to find your canvas-sided yurt waiting with a pedestal sink and cozy quilt-covered bed. It's far from the rest of Big Sur, though, and can be noisy.

• Asilomar State Park, Monterey Peninsula - In the old-timey seaside resort town of Pacific Grove, this state park conference grounds books uniquely historical rooms in California arts-and-crafts buildings designed by Julia Morgan of Hearst Castle fame. They're thin-walled and the beds aren't comfy, but the common rooms have chatty fireplace nooks.

• Costanoa Lodge, Pescadero - A short scenic drive north of Santa Cruz, this rustic lodge is all about its tent cabin villages, where you can warm up by outdoor fireplaces in the comfort stations before retiring to your unheated cabin (mercifully, the beds have electric warming pads to keep you toasty).

• Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel & Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel - On that same stretch of Hwy. 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, these two historic lighthouses have been renovated and turned into Hostelling International (HI) youth hostels, although guests of any age can stay. Pigeon Point has an ocean-view hot tub, so it usually books up first. Point Montara is closer to Half Moon Bay, if you're eager for surf and microbrews.

• Steep Ravine Cabins, Marin County - Near landmark Mt Tamalpais State Park, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, these 1940s ocean-view cabins at the bottom of a dramatic canyon are in high demand, so make your reservations many months in advance.

• Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County - Stay in historical lightkeeper's homes at the edge of the ocean, guarded by the tallest lighthouse in California that visitors are actually allowed to climb to the top of. Architecturally speaking, the digs are drab, but the rocky panoramas are mesmerizing.

Got another gem of a California coastal lodging spot to share? Let us know by leaving a comment below. We'd especially love to hear about secret spots near San Diego and on the Redwood Coast!


Related posts:
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Edible Travels: Farmers Market Finds
SoCal Desert Blooms: Poppies, Cacti & More

Photo credit: Pigeon Point (Sara J. Benson)

Skiing & Snowshoeing in Yosemite National Park

With California experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last century, everyone in the Sierra Nevada keeps asking, "Where's the snow?" Believe it or not, you can still find it in Yosemite National Park, which is where we traipsed around with our skis and snowshoes this week. Bathing in the Zen silence of giant sequoia groves, spotting the tracks of snowshoe hares in fresh powder, and gazing at granite peaks glistening with icy snow all draw us back every year in late February, around the time of Yosemite Valley's famous but unpredictable firefall.


Bare patches of brown grass, mud filled with twigs and dead leaves, and small melting pockets of snow are mostly what you'll find on the valley floor right now this year. But if you head up to Glacier Point Road to Badger Pass, the snow coverage is still 99%. Strap on a pair of XC skis from the nearby rental shop and start gliding down the rolling park road, with its groomed skiing terrain. Snowshoers break off onto the winter trail to Dewey Point, which stretches toward panoramic views of the Yosemite Valley and its waterfalls below.

It's not only Badger Pass that keeps the snow secrets of Yosemite. The Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, near the park's southern Wawona entrance, is open to hikers (bring YaxTrax for better gription) and snowshoers; we even saw a hardy couple setting off with backpacks for overnight camping in those ancient woods. Up north near Crane Flat and closer to the park's Big Oak Flat entrance station, you can snowshoe and/or hike to the more mellow Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove of ancient sequoias, the latter with interpretive signs to pique your interest.

Looking for a cabin to cozy up inside after your snow trekking? Our number-one choice is always the Evergreen Lodge, just outside the park's Big Oak Flat entrance station off Hwy. 120. If you're on a budget, try the Yosemite Bug hostel off Hwy. 140, under an hour's drive southwest of the valley.


Got a great tip for visiting Yosemite or any other national park in winter? Let us know by leaving a comment below!


Related posts:
Catching the Firefall in Yosemite Valley
Freeze and Stay Cheap (or Even Free!) in Yosemite
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur


Photo credits: Yosemite National Park (Michael Connolly Jr.)

Wild Weather High on Hawaii's Haleakala Volcano

White-out fog, lashing rain, ice storms, intense high-altitude sunshine followed by hypothermia-inducing drops in temperature -- if all this weather mayhem sounds like your kind of outdoor adventure, check out what advice our sister blog, Top Trails: Hiking on Maui, has for hiking and backpacking in the summit wilderness atop Maui's iconic volcano inside Haleakala National Park.


Related posts:
Hidden Hiking Trails in West Maui
NPR Interview: Hiking and Ecotourism in Hawaii
Our National Parks: So Wild That You Should Sue?


Photo credit: Haleakala National Park (Michael Connolly Jr.)

Edible Travels: Farmers Market Finds (even in Winter!)

The more time I spend traveling, the more captivated I am just by experiencing everyday life wherever I roam. I used to plan trips around thrill-of-a-lifetime sights like Angkor Wat or Machu Picchu, but these days I get almost as wrapped up in local food culture. If you're craving a more authentic travel experience, just stop by a farmers market on your next road trip.

One afternoon in Culver City last fall became a culinary adventure when I stumbled across a farmers market and started gawking at the trumpet, lobster and other Dr. Seuss-like mushroom varieties stacked in overflowing boxes. Another 2011 trip to Humboldt County got sidetracked for an entire Saturday morning by the Arcata Plaza farmers market, where I bought the biggest mason jar of dark golden honey I'd ever seen. Other edible souvenirs I've packed home from recent travels include peaberry coffee from Kauai, olive oil from Napa Valley and wild berry jam from Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Now when I'm stuck at home, with cold winter rains pouring down outside, I can just step into my kitchen, open the pantry and start tasting those memories.


Even in winter, it's easy to work a farmers market into your travels if you're visiting California. Drop by San Francisco's Ferry Plaza and you have an almost 50/50 shot of hitting the farmers market taking place three days a week. The indoor Ferry Building Marketplace, open daily year-round, is a showcase for artisan foods made all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Or cruise down California's coast to San Luis Obispo County, where over 15 locavarian farmers markets happen each week. 


Tip: If you're looking for local farmers markets on the go, download the free Locavore (iTunes App Store and Android Market) and California Farmers Market (iTunes only) mobile apps.


Have a favorite local farmers market that travelers shouldn't miss? Let us know by leaving a comment below!


Related posts:
Travel Essentials: Finding Indie Coffee Shops
Eating Sustainable Seafood Made Easy
Stacking Up the Strip's Best Burgers


Photo: San Luis Obispo Farmers Market (Michael Connolly, Jr.)

Insta-guide to Rocky Mountain National Park

Planning your first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park? Or maybe you just want to make the most of your time in Colorado's most-visited parkland? Here's what you need to know first, but what the official NPS website won't tell you (or will make you frustratingly dig through dozens of pages to find!):


Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO)


Why go? Rocky Mountains scenery doesn't get much more classic than this, from alpine tundra spackled with wildflowers to skyscraping peaks and gem-like lakes. Megafauna including moose, elk and bear all inhabit the park, which sits atop the spine of the Continental Divide. The park encompasses Longs Peak, one of Colorado's vaunted 14ers (summits over 14,000ft high).


Easiest access? The park's most popular eastern entrances are just over a 2-hour drive northwest of Denver, Colorado; Estes Park is the nearest gateway town. Far fewer people approach the park from the west, just over a 2-hour drive from the Winter Park ski resort area; the nearest gateway town is Grand Lake. The two sides of the park are connected by Trail Ridge Rd (peak elevation 12,183ft), which is only open from late May until mid-October, weather permitting.


How to beat the crowds? ROMO gets over 3 million visitors per year, ranking right behind the USA's three most popular national parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite). Most people visit ROMO during July and August, so plan your trip for the shoulder months of June or September. Check to be sure that Trail Ridge Road will be open - don't miss those dizzying alpine panoramas!

Best day hikes? If you've got limited time, short leg-stretcher hikes you won't regret taking include the Coyote Valley Trail alongside the Colorado River; the Tundra Communities Trailhead, near the Alpine Visitor Center; and the chain-of-lakes hike, connecting poetically named Dream, Nymph and Emerald Lakes. Tip: Trailhead parking for these lakes is extremely tight, so save yourself the trouble and instead hop on the free, ecofriendly park shuttle, which runs from late spring through early fall.


Best wildlife-watching spots? On the park's west side along the Colorado River, look out for moose. Marmots and pikas are common in the alpine tundra off Trail Ridge Rd, where you may also spot herds of elk in high-altitude meadows during summer (the elk move to lower elevations from autumn through spring). Bighorn sheep graze around Sheep Lakes (duh) on the park's east side.

Park highlights honestly worth making time for? Even if you have to wait in line for a parking space, stopping at the seasonal Alpine Visitor Center is memorable, if not just to take photos then at least to catch your breath and acclimate to the 11,800ft elevation. If you're driving back and forth across the park and the Old Falls River Rd is open, take the 11-mile backcountry ride over Falls Pass, navigating hairpin curves with no guardrails. The dirt road is so narrow that one-way traffic sometimes backs up for 20 minutes while gawkers take roadside photos.


Which campgrounds may have last-minute availability? NPS campgrounds on the park's east side fill up fast, and reservations are essential for most in summer. If you show up early in the day, you may find first-come, first-served sites still available at Glacier Basin Campground or tent-only Longs Peak Campground. Otherwise, head over to the park's west side and pitch your tent by the Colorado River at Timber Creek Campground, which is open year-round and doesn't take reservations. Otherwise, take a look at USFS campgrounds and free dispersed camping in nearby national forest areas.


Affordable alternative base camp outside the park? Estes Park is an overcrowded gateway town with traffic headaches and non-stop crowds in summer (and a very disappointing brewpub). You could day trip to the park from Denver or Boulder, but it'd be a really loooong day to drive over Trail Ridge Rd and back again. Although Grand Lake is the closest gateway town to the park's west entrance, save big bucks in summer by renting a ski condo in Granby instead. Bonus: staying on the park's west side puts you near Hot Sulphur Springs Resort for a long, very hot soak after a hard day's hiking in the mountains.


Any hazards? For safety tips on everything from lightning to black bears, click here.


Have more tips for visiting Rocky Mountains National Park? Let us know by posting a comment below. Thanks!


Photos: Rocky Mountains National Park (Michael Connolly, Jr.)

Tahoe Trails Without the Crowds, but with Dogs

Last month I road tripped up to Lake Tahoe. I sat in the traffic jams on I-80 and idled bumper-to-bumper through South Lake Tahoe. I elbowed the crowds guzzling schooners of microbrewed beer on those irresistible lake-view decks at sunset. Then the next morning, all of those howling masses just disappeared.


Turns out that choosing to hike while everyone else is baking in the sun at the beach -- or alternatively, just setting off on foot somewhere other than the vaunted Rubicon Trail between Emerald Bay and DL Bliss State Parks -- will give you that Sierra Nevada meditation you crave.


Framed by wildflowers and jagged peaks, the Tahoe Meadows Trails border the Mt Rose Hwy, about 8 miles from Lake Tahoe's eastern shore and Incline Village, Nevada. Starting just a mile down the highway from Mt Rose Summit, these gentle boardwalk and dirt paths wind around a subalpine meadow and over a burbling stream. Even better: free parking, and leashed dogs allowed.

You won't pass many other folks besides shoreline fishers and a few picnicking families on the short nature loop around Spooner Lake, just north of the Hwy 89/50 intersection, south of Incline Village. To access this quiet trail, the $10 entry fee to Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park is a bargain, because it includes same-day admission to Sand Harbor beach up the road for a cool post-hike dip. (No swimming at Spooner Lake, sorry -- too many leeches!)


Finally, if you're ready to flee from the plague of happy-hour crowds by the lake, Stateline Lookout is the hike you want to take. Full disclosure: there's actually no fire lookout here anymore. But the stone-walled observation platform at the top, which lets you survey the sparkling waves and watch the sun sink into the Desolation Wilderness over by the lake's western shore, is prize enough. The hike follows paved Forest Service Rd 1601, starting just east of the old-school casinos in Crystal Bay, a short drive west of Incline Village. 


Have another favorite uncrowded trail in Tahoe? Let us know by leaving a comment below!


Related posts:
Catching the Firefall in Yosemite Valley
10 Steps to a Perfect Day in Big Sur
Welcome to Top Trails: Hiking on Maui!


Photos: Lake Tahoe (Jonathan Hayes) 

Hiking & Backpacking in Hawaii: Free Eco-Travel Author Slideshow Talks at REI Stores

Have you been dreaming of finally taking that Hawaii vacation, but are afraid it's too expensive? Or maybe you're worried about your carbon footprint and the eco-impact of yet another tourist at Hawaii's crowded beach resorts? Here's the ticket to planning a more sustainable and affordable Hawaii vacation: go camping.

The very first time I visited the Hawaiian Islands, I was a broke 20-year-old backpacker who could barely afford the round-trip plane ticket from California. With my travel buddy, I camped my way around Maui, spending my days hiking in cloud forests, atop volcanoes and along deserted beaches on ancient Hawaiian footpaths. We ate guava straight from the tree, and though we had ambitions to do our own spearfishing, we settled for plate lunches and poi from island markets.

Not only was this one of the best trips I ever took, it was also one of the cheapest and most eco-conscious. That's what keeps drawing me back to the islands time and again, to live, work, volunteer and most of all, hike.

If you want to learn more about hiking, backpacking and camping all across the Hawaiian Islands, join me when I take my eco-travel slideshow talk on the road in the San Francisco Bay Area at REI stores in June and July. All events are free, open to the public (advance sign-ups online recommended; just click the links below) and start at 7:00 p.m. Hope to see everyone there!

June 15: REI San Francisco

June 16: REI Mountain View

June 28: REI Berkeley

June 29: REI Corte Madera

July 25: REI Saratoga

July 26: REI Marina

Photo: Haleakala National Park (Michael Connolly, Jr.)

Stacking Up the Strip's Best Burgers

Who builds the best burger in Las Vegas? That's a burning question, especially on the Strip, where competition among gourmet burger restaurants is fierce. Even some steakhouses and hotel room-service menus have jumped on the trend, offering prime sirloin patties paired with $5000 bottles of Bordeaux wine or rare French champagne.

Until recently, our faves for hand-crafted burgers, milkshakes and fries in Las Vegas were BLT Burger (what beats a burger fried in butter?), at the Mirage casino, and LBS: A Burger Joint (house-made everything!) at Red Rock casino way out in suburban Summerlin. But our carnivore's bleeding-red heart now belongs to Holstein's, at the brand-new Cosmopolitan casino on the Strip.

First, we were seduced by Holstein's free truffle-oil popcorn appetizer. Then, it was the liquored-up milkshakes, like the 'Black Cow' with chocolate-covered pop rocks and a shot of cherry vodka. But we didn't fall hard in love until we bit into the 'Rising Sun' burger made with teriyaki-glazed Kobe beef and topped with nori (seaweed) furikake, crispy yams and a perfectly tempura-fried avocado slice. One caveat: the duck-fat fries aren't all that tasty. Well, nobody's perfect.

If our love affair with Holstein's ever ends, you'll find us at Bachi Burger, an Asian fusion eatery south of the Strip, or running madly around town trying to track down the Slider Truck (self-explanatory) and Sloppi Jo's Roving Eatery (New Mexican-style green chile cheeseburgers, yum). Either that, or we'll be standing in line at the 'Takhomasak' take-out window inside the South Point casino's Steak 'n Shake 1950s-style diner, an Illinois chain that we've loved since our corn-fed childhood.

Have another favorite burger joint in Las Vegas? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Find out more about the city's cuisine scene in our iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch digital travel guide, Viva Las Vegas, Baby!.

Photo: Holstein's, Las Vegas (Michael Connolly, Jr.)