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.

Based on information recently released from the FBI, crimes of violence and property crimes dropped across the state of California. Very few cities saw increases in crimes. Those that did, tended to be amongst the smaller cities in the state. In large California cities, the overwhelming majority witnessed substantial decreases.

Violent crimes, which are of a particular concern, dropped in Los Angeles. Even more assuring, the numbers from LA were very similar to the numbers of California as a whole. For every 100 crimes from the previous year, there were 4 less this year.

The city of San Diego was another city that saw less property incidents and violence. They had 5% less crimes involving violent crime from the previous year. That exceeds the national drop by almost 2%. With respect to crimes involving property (i.e. theft, grand theft auto, etc.) the city saw a 9% drop.

California can be proud that it has 6 out of 25 of the safest cities in the country and none of its cities are among the top 25 most dangerous. Additionally impressive, San Jose and San Diego are amongst the most safe cities with 500,000 residents or more. According to the FBI, the safest cities in California include Hillsboro and Moraga (Bay area communities), San Marino, Sierra Madre, Palos Verdes Estates, Soledad, Moorpark, Rancho Palos Verdes, Saratoga and Avenal.

With some places to choose from, California offers some of the best vacation spots in the world. With gorgeous weather and beaches, you can be sure your family will enjoy every second of their California trip. Plus, you can rest assured that you aren’t putting your family in a dangerous situation. There is nothing worse than being victimized by crime while on vacation.

Hacienda Pozo Azul is known as the adventure destination in Costa Rica. It is located 70 Km North of San Jose. Pozo Azul is located in the Sarapiqui valley. It is the perfect place to stay when on a Costa Rica adventure vacation.

There are 30 tent suits available at this Costa Rico Eco Resort. Each is equipped with two queen size beds or one king size bed. Rooms are very reasonably priced. A single room is $82 and a double room is only $94.16. Each additional person is $23.80 more. Children 5 years old or younger stay for free. Six year olds up to twelve year olds are only half price, $ 17.98. The bathrooms are comfortable and have hot water. There is a furnished private deck as well. Fans are in the rooms and on the decks. Each suite has a telephone and free WIFI internet.

Most people visit this Costa Rico Eco Resort for the tours and activities. There are extensive nature tours offered at Hacienda Pozo Azul. Several educational workshops dealing with biodiversity, as well as birds, amphibious and reptiles are available. For a relaxing day there is the Butterfly Farm and Garden to visit.

White water rafting on the Sarapiqui is extremely popular activity on a Costa Rica adventure vacation. There is a beginner white water rafting tour on class 2 and 3 rapids. This adventure is suitable for those 9 years and up. The intermediate tour is dealing with class 4 rapids. It is suitable for those 14 years and up.

The Hacienda Pozo Azul Safari Combination is a unique Costa Rica nature tour. It is suitable for 6 year olds and up. It is a full day on or around the Sarapiqui rain forest. It takes about 7 1/2 hours. It involves 2 hour horse ride in the jungle. The jungle guided walk. The walk includes crossing a 400ft long hanging bridge. Lunch is at the Pozo Azul restaurant. It ends with a 2 hour raft ride with a naturalist guide. It is a genital raft ride mainly just a relaxed floating down the river with time to enjoy the rainforest on this Costa Rica nature tour.

This Costa Rica Eco Resort offers canopy tours, which involves zipping through the tree top canopy from observation platforms. This gives great opportunity to have a unique view of the forest. Rappelling down a 90 foot Sarapiqui river canyon wall should not be missed when on a Costa Rica adventure vacation. This location provides an amazing view of the beautiful Sarapiqui river.

Challenging hiking and mountain bike tours are also very popular adventures. Horseback riding is a way of life at Hacienda Pozo Azul. Horse rides are Hacienda Pozo Azuls specialty. They breed their own horses. A Costa Rica nature tour on horseback is relaxing and enjoyable.

Hacienda Pozo Azul offers distinctive nature adventures. They have something for everyone. Nature tours to enjoy and explore scenic Costa Rica. Exceptional adrenalin pumping adventure tours. It is a place to have a combination of irreplaceable adventures and relaxation as well.

Costa Rica is a great vacation destination for a wide variety of reasons and a wide variety of travelers. This intimate country boasts stunning tropical weather, abundant flora and fauna, an incredible national park system, amazing beaches, stunning mountains, a vast array of activities, diversity of ecosystems in a compact area, strong relative value, huge range of accommodations from exotic luxury options to nature-based ecolodges, etcetera! However, what really stands out to me after over 6 years of traveling to this country and living here for the last 4 and a half years, is what an incredible haven this is for family travel.

The Costa Rican people, affectionately known as ticos, love families and babies and generously express a special touch for the young, old and in-between. You will hear estoy para servirle often, which means I am here to serve you. As long as your behavior is gracious, it will be completely sincere. From the moment you arrive at Juan Santa Maria Airport in San Jose and proceed through customs, this will be apparent. There is a special line for families with young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with medical or special needs. Our first visit was when my youngest daughter was a tender 6 weeks old, and as soon as they saw me and my bundle, older daughter of 3, and husband, we were whisked into the expedited line and sent right through. Genuine hospitality will find you, whether you are with family, children, or not. However, when you are with children and/or elders, there is a wonderful extra effort made and the sincere desire to go above and beyond to accommodate will impress you. I cant think of a more enjoyable country for any family trip; there are activities to delight any age group and any fitness level.

A Costa Rica family adventure is such a great opportunity for you and yours to bond in a unique way, away from the crazy daily races that most of us participate in. I love the process: you have a clear planning stage, beginning, middle, end, and the post-travel memories and experiences that can last a lifetime. To top it off, there is a common goal all can work toward together: to have a great time! Start by narrowing down destinations and activities. Even if you have various priorities and opinions, you will likely be able to cover it all in Costa Rica. We have cloud forests, rainforests, Pacific beaches, Caribbean beaches, surf camps, snorkeling, whitewater rafting, hiking, horse back riding, camping, all-inclusives, you name it! Engage your kids to help in the planning and execution however they can contribute. Encourage them to document the trip by keeping a journal, taking pictures, and collecting memorabilia. Pick out some travel books together. There are beautifully illustrated field guides of flora and fauna to identify the numerous amazing creatures you see here in Costa Rica. The airports here have a nice selection, but if you do this in your hometown it could be a helpful part of the planning stage. Your son or daughter might decide they have a burning desire to see a Tapir, so you would then need to choose the right area near the appropriate National Park. A Costa Rica family adventure is not only a great time together; it can be super educational as well.

I am consistently impressed with tours in Costa Rica. Just because you are relaxing at a beach destination doesnt mean you cant enjoy an estuary trip, or volcano excursion, or a zip-line through the cloud forest. From all destinations there are half-day and day trips for all kinds of tours. When deciding on tours, I recommend always choosing the guided option. Generally the guides here are college educated, super friendly, and take great pride in their unique knowledge which really makes the experience an excellent added value. My husband and I took our girls for a guided waterfall hike at Lapa Rios in the Osa and if it werent for the terrific guide we would have missed out on so much. He knew just where to find a bat in a furled leaf, the dust-like spores of a fern that left perfect imprints on our clothing, cup-like mushrooms, frogs, and so much more. The two big highlights for us were when he scraped some sap from what he called a kerosene tree, placed it on the end of a walking stick and lit it up like a lantern and when he stopped to show us the clever spider that intentionally weaves in small twigs into its web which happens to match the body color of the spider. The spider leaves a small gap between the twigs where he can hide, making the appearance of one continuous twig-amazing! We were so enthralled that we waited to see if the spider would retreat to the camouflaged position, and sure enough we were able to see it! I have been so happy to have had the guides on every guided tour that I have taken in Costa Rica. I have found that they are also sensitive to ages and abilities which will make a big difference for your group as well.

Some of my favorite places to go with my family:

1. Lapa Rios Eco Lodge in the Osa Peninsula: For up close and personal nature, a truly sustainable experience, great food, views, excellent service, and luxury in the jungle, adventure. This lodge really is best for outdoorsy, somewhat adventurous families and kids 5 and older. It is my gold standard for eco-lodges.

2. Punta Islita on the Pacific Coast: They have tours, services, and even spa treatments geared for families. The spacious villas can accommodate families beautifully. The cuisine, service and views are wonderful; kids of all ages will love it. The tiny local community is a treat.

3. Harmony Hotel in Nosara: Very elegant, sustainable, healthy cuisine. Yoga for all levels. Great beach for boogie boarding, swimming and surfing. The locals and the clientele have relaxed international flair. Kids of all ages will do well; baby/toddler friendly pool.

4. Hotel Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo: This is a Swiss-run charmer on one of my favorite beaches ever. The pool and restaurant are totally family-friendly. You have the benefit of a bustling community with lots of services, amenities, and restaurants, however when you stay at Capitan Suizo you are in your own lovely little world. The beach is one of the best Ive experienced for kids of all ages where you all can swim, surf, and boogie-board. The staff is great. There are several local surf schools that are fantastic for all levels.

Travel is good food for the soul. I dont think there is a better way for a family to refresh, bond and create memorable experiences together. If you choose Costa Rica for your family adventure you will have memories to cherish; you will be delighted. In my experience, those that visit enjoy themselves so much they return because there is so much here to savor!

Costa Rica Family Adventures – Tico Style By Lisa Khajavi