Phila Airport Parking Vacations

Head to Northern California and on the outskirts of the Santa Clara Valley you’ll find the town of Los Gatos. Hemmed in by (do you know the way to) San Jose and the city of Campbell, Los Gatos has inherited the overflow of handsomely paid Silicon Valley executives and programmers. While Cupertino has Jobs, it’s the company with the red envelopes that has put this cozy town on the map.

The town enjoys the lion’s share of beautiful terrain in the Valley. It’s strategic location gives it nourishing water table and a series of lush parks, dense tree lines and generally more moist conditions, unlike its baked neighbors to the north. Comparisons to the verdant expanse of Marin County are not in short supply.

Settled in 1868, the town wasn’t officially incorporated until 1887. This makes it one of the oldest towns in the area. Curiously, it was named after the concentration of mountain lions in the region, referred to as La Rinconada de Los Gatos, which, in Spanish, translates to “The Cat’s Corner.”

Before 1900, the town could only boast approximately 1,500 residents. Today, the town has a population of approximately 35,000 residents. Furthermore, it is experiencing phenomenal growth thanks to the success of such entertainment and gaming giants as Netflix and Cryptic Studios. Moreover, it is absorbing a fair amount of people from the nearby Silicon Valley.

The area is not a stranger to commerce. During the early 1900′s, it was a hub for the wheat, milling, logging, and canning industries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it is an emerging high tech hub. Furthermore, the town is quickly becoming a popular tourist destination. It boasts one of the best-preserved, most picturesque downtown areas in all of California. The intersection of cafe culture and rural attractions has lured its fair share of tourists from San Francisco and San Jose.

When in Rome, make sure to book yourself into a sumptuous room in any one of the Los Gatos hotels on the market.

It’s that special time of the year when you and your sweetheart can freely share an unforgettable experience to rekindle your romance. The West Coast inns, bed and breakfasts and boutique hotels offer a unique and time-tested recipe for pampering, refreshment and wonderful dining experiences.

For information about the most romantic B&Bs in California and the Pacific Northwest, check out popular travel writer Karen Brown’s website. Full of information about these areas, Karen Brown’s World of Travel offers detailed trip itineraries, maps and listings for hundreds of unique inns in these areas as well as exciting destinations around the world.

Karen Brown’s readers have voted and chosen the following lodging choices as the “Most Romantic” and best “Splendid Splurges” in California and the Pacific Northwest. For a romantic getaway, the following is a good place to begin your search:

The Tickle Pink Inn, located just south of Carmel, an unbelievably beautiful seaside village on California’s Central Coast, was voted “Most Romantic” in California by Karen Brown readersand for good reason. With access to excellent shopping, unique gourmet restaurants and world-class golf courses, this charming inn is loaded with amenities. Near the edge of Big Sur, The Tickle Pink Inn is intimate, private and elegant. Enjoy a luxurious continental breakfast in the early mornings and a fantastic evening reception with classical music playing softly in the background while you taste local wines, fresh fruits and fantastic cheeses. The rooms are well-appointed and present quaint balconies from which to enjoy the seaside view, and most are equipped with wood burning fireplaces as well. The most elegant suites boast whirlpool tubs and the luxurious king beds are graced with Egyptian cotton and down comforters.

The Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for the best “Splendid Splurge” in California goes to The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito. Every room has excellent views of the panoramic San Francisco Bay and offers unbelievably plush accommodations. Most of the rooms contain fireplaces and private decks, affording exquisite vistas of the night lights in the city. Enjoy the oversized tubs, flat screen TVs, luxurious linens, soft robes and Bvlgari bath products. Continental breakfasts are fabulous, and the evening wine and cheese reception is not to be missed. The Inn Above Tide also offers the Penthouse Suite with a glass-enclosed whirlpool tub overlooking the bay as well as a romantic fireplace and private deck.

While not as posh as some of the inns listed in this article, the Channel House in Depoe Bay, Oregon, has plenty to offer. The location affords almost total privacy, located right on the edge of the Oregon coast. Many of the guest rooms have a deck with an ocean view hot tub, as well as a fireplace. A continental breakfast buffet is served in a room that affords stunning sea vistas, a perfect start to the day. The staff is happy to help guests plan their daily adventures, offering suggestions for activities and local restaurants. The area is ideal for whale watching and The Whale Center is located within walking distance of the inn. The Channel House was the recipient of the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for “Most Romantic” lodging in the Pacific Northwest.

The Sooke Harbour House in Canada’s glorious province of British Columbia is a fanciful destination. Located on the Whiffen Spit Beach in the village of Sooke, this boutique hotel offers some truly unique accommodations. Each of the rooms offers a view of mountains, gardens or the sea and all have a fireplace and private balcony or terrace. The dcor is what truly sets this place apart from other coastal inns. For example, the Passion Flower room includes a bed with a headboard that resembles wooden doors opening onto a mural of a garden path. The Kitchen’s Garden room includes a shower surrounded on three sides by stained glass. Original artwork and unique furnishings decorate the other guest rooms, and each has a different theme. The hotel also has a full-service spa and a gourmet restaurant. Sooke Harbour House won the Karen Brown Readers’ Choice Award for best “Splendid Splurge” in the Pacific Northwest.

Gather around my Spanish-impaired friends and listen carefully to today’s word: sauzalito. Nice, eh? Say it a few times, slowly and revel in the Ricardo Montalban impersonation that is slowly taking you over. Once youve cycled through the soft Corinthian leather phase of Montalbans career, Id like to make clear sauzalito means the small willow grove.” So what, you say? Fair enough. But, if you ever find yourself at the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, you will thank me for the ten minutes of small talk this piece has bought you.

The former “Rancho del Sausalito” (hurry and get the Montalban out of your system), the city of Sausalito enjoys a distinction few cities can boast of: its partially submerged. Hows that? Well, in 1868 the city had plans to follow San Franciscos example and expand the citys perimeters with landfills (see, also, Manhattan). Well, that landfill never got filled and several streets have since ended up under the Richardson Bay.

A watery fate the Spanish could never have imagined a hundred years earlier. Though the Spanish, specifically Don Jose de Canizares, had settled the Bay Area in 1775, their emphasis was fortifying Mission Dolores and the Presidio in San Francisco. Sausalito would not enjoy ” if thats the right word ” development until the late 1800s, when its plentiful timber would make its way to the shipyards of the boom-time Bay.

William Richardson, an Englishman by way of Mexico, managed to marry into Don Ignacio Martnez’s family and was awarded the tract of land that is present-day Sausalito. Nice work if you can get it, and not a bad wedding present to be sure. During and after the Gold Rush, Sausalito managed to attract a number of artists and celebrities who appreciated the towns picturesque qualities. A few names of note are Alan Watts, the purveyor of Zen Buddhism, Shel Silverstein, the poet, Otis Redding (who composed Sitting on the Dock of the Bay whilst doing just that), and the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst.

With lush Marin County sprawled to one side and the San Francisco Bay on the other, Sausalito remains a popular tourist attraction. Barring the submerged parts of the city, it is easy to see how someone could scour the Sausalito hotels, bunk down, and never decide to leave. It is a perfect counterpoint to the bustle and congestion of San Francisco and though the cost of living may be too rich for some, it is always available to vacationers and tourists eager to sit on the dock of the bay and waste the time away. Indeed, Mr. Redding. Indeed.

Now why anyone would want to live in Death Valley is beyond me but here but Albert Mussey Johnson decided to built his vacation home in Death Valley. It was supposedly built with the money from the gold mine that he had backed but in fact, there was no gold mine and so it was certainly not built with funds from one.

Walter Scott was a miner, a dreamer and apparently a scammer to boot. He convinced Mr. Johnson to invest in the gold mine in Death Valley. It was probably going along just fine (with Scott getting his money from the investment) until Mr. Johnson decided to visit. He thought a tour of the mine would be a good idea. It was hard to do since there wasn’t a mine to see.

It was lucky for Mr. Scott that Mr. Johnson became enamored with Death Valley. Because he liked Mr. Scott and thought that Death Valley was truly spectacular he and his wife decided to build a vacation retreat in the valley. It was called Death Valley Ranch but was known to the locals as Scotty’s Castle.

The rich and famous came to the retreat when it became a tourist attraction. They wanted to see the retreat built by one of California’s richest gold miners. Of course, had he told that it wasn’t from the riches gained from the non-existent mine there wouldn’t have been nearly the attraction to it that there was at the time.

Daily tours are available on the hour of the castle and the living history exhibits and the displays inside the house. These guided tours will help you understand the lifestyle of the Johnson’s.

The second tour available for you while you are at the castle is of the underground area. It shows you the technology used to provide electricity to the castle. There is a 1/4 mile tunnel system that runs under the castle that you will be able to see.

The National Park Service is in charge of the castle now. It uses some of the underground area to preserve Scotty’s Castle. Technology from the past is working with technology of today to keep the castle in good condition.

There are a number of different types of trails to hike in California. During certain times of the year you can take your choice of mountain hiking or desert hiking. It will be so enjoyable that you may want to go for a week and try different trails or maybe you just have a weekend available. You can take your pick of hiking around rivers, glaciers, deserts, and the coastline and in the grasslands.

Heading out to Mount Tallac will bring you to the 9.4 mile round trip hike at an elevation of 9,735 ft at the summit. It has a gain of 3,255 ft during the hike so be prepared with lots of water and very good shoes and gear. It is probably one of the best trails in the Lake Tahoe region with views from the summit so stunning to your senses that you will be hard pressed to capture pictures that will be as beautiful as what your eyes see. This trial is both wooded and mountainous. You will pass two lakes on the hike. Part of the trail is a steep climb up the switchbacks and when you reach the saddle of the mountain be ready for it to become exposed and very hot!

If you choose to hike Upper Yosemite Falls you will be on a 7.2 mile round trip hike with an elevation at the summit of 6,526 ft and an elevation gain of 2,700 ft. This hike is best if done from May to July because the waterfall is at its full force during this time and the view is beautiful. This hike will take you through a section of switchbacks through the forest and then you will enter the flat area of the trial with your first view of the falls. The mist from the falls will be heavy as you get closer and then you will encounter another set of switchbacks before the summit. These are very steep and the most difficult area to climb so be prepared to work hard here.

Desert hiking is a little different. It’s hot and yet beautiful when you go to Mosiac Canyon. The trail is just 2.5 miles round trip but you are in the desert so it is hot. Bring plenty of water with you. The formations of the canyon are stunning; you will be able to see nature at its best and maybe even some desert wildlife while on this hike. This location is the hottest place in the US so be ready to be super hot and drink plenty of water (not sodas or other stuff, water to hydrate your body!)

Back to the mountains and this time it’s the really high hike. Prepare for Mt. Shasta, the most challenging trail in California. The trial is 12 miles round trip and the summit is 14,179 ft with an elevation gain of 7,259 ft. You will work on this trail to see the beauty. The time to plan this hike is from May to mid July due to the unpredictable weather in the spring and the lava rocks and rolling boulders that come crashing down the mountain after the snow melt in the summer. Not only is this more than a hike, you will have issues with altitude sicknes if you are not careful so make sure you go with a partner for safety and practical reasons. Read all you can about this hike before you begin, it’s not one for the faint of heart.

Mt. Shasta offers you a different type of hike. You will want to bring your sunscreen, sunglasses, an ice axe and shelter. Since you won’t have much warning if the weather is going to turn on you take the shelter to offer protection when, and if, you need it. Bring along your crampons, helmet, summit pass, and winter boots and wear extra layers of cloths, and again, plenty of water. Don’t plan on drinking snow melt around Helen’s Lake since it is contaminated by human and animal urine…yummy!

Half Dome is a 16 mile round trip hike with an elevation gain of 4,800 ft to the elevation of 8,842. This is a great hike for between late May and early October. Because of the location, view and degree of difficulty people from all over the world come to hike at Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. This is a day hike that challenges you so if you aren’t prepared with a great degree of fitness and lots of experience pass on this one. The climb through the switchbacks is rocky so be careful not to injure an ankle. If you reach the top of Nevada Falls (the halfway point) you will want to assess your skills and ability to continue on as well as adjust to the altitude change. To continue on be prepared to have a very steep, excruciatingly long climb to the back of the Half Dome rock. This is a most difficult climb with more switchbacks continually assaulting your body. If you have done your research you know about the Half Dome cables but you can’t know the shock and fear experienced once you are in front of them until you are there. Now you need to reevaluate your physical condition to see if you are up to the risks involved in continuing up. The view from there is terrific with Yosemite Valley below, but make sure you are ready for this type of challenge before you even begin the hike. It isn’t for the weak or physically unprepared.