Phila Airport Parking Vacations

The West Coast is famous for many of the rare exhibits of our country. California has the coasts, Oregon and Washington have the lush forests, and even Texas can claim a home in the West with it’s circus of entertainment and adventure. However, I can’t shake the different kind of excitement that is offered by our opposing coastal friends and their culture on the East Coast.

I seem to always have found my home in the Western United States, so my exposure to the East Coast has been limited to visits there. Returning from these visits, I would always feel a loss of the certain charms I saw in the East that were vacant in my own part of the world. Maybe with great effort, we can bring some Eastern delights to our side of town.

One particular delight that the East Coast has mastered would definitely be, pizza. Sure there is the famous California Kitchen with it’s thin crust, that I prefer to call pizza chips. But, what compares to a Chicago Deep Dish? I’m not talking Domino’s either.

You can’t order pizza like this anywhere you go. The East is swarming with the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth pizza that can only compare to Italy itself. If you can’t fold the pieces in half, feel it dripping down your arm, or stretch the cheese across the table, than you dare not claim any quality close to these superb East Coast pizzerias.

Search all you want to in Utah, California, Washington, or even the laughable pizza of Texas, and it won’t hold the tiniest candle to New York City’s or Chicago’s perfected pizza pies. However, man cannot live on pizza alone, and there are other like enjoyments depriving the westerners. Not surprisingly for me, I’m also referring to food in this case also.

Buffalo Wings got their name for a reason. Don’t think I’m talking about Buffalo, Wyoming either. What the South has done with barbecue sauce, the East has done with a chicken wing. The delightful sensation or gnawing chicken bits off the bone has thrived all over, but not to the level of quality of the original in Buffalo, New York. Just give in and order yourself a whole bucketful, and watch it disappear.

I like hot wings just like the next person, especially smothered in bleu cheese, but my all time passion has got to be sandwiches. This passion was founded during my time in a place called Pittsburgh. This town has concocted the most unusual mouth watering creations ever found on a sub. The cheese steak sandwich taking the cake, with steak, cheese, coleslaw and fries — this is all on the sandwich, mind you — is a shame to miss out on.

And for all you Reuben fans, don’t assume you’ve had the best until you come to Pittsburgh. Even widening the expanse to gyros, pitas, or pierogies, Pittsburgh, or anywhere in the East, holds the rights to these culinary treasures. Take a chance of asking anyone in California to make you one of those. You’d be better not to embarrass them.

Too many of my cravings have been left ungratified because I sadly live on the wrong side of the country. However, while we may not have these certain things for ourselves in the good old West, we do have claim to our own luxuries that have no business on the Eastern seaboard. These favorites of the East Coast must make the east what it is, and therefore they can keep it too themselves. I can always come back for a visit.

They have been called the best, but to be honest, I had to leave some trails off the list that I would put up against any of these. I left these because they offer something for everybody. The Central US has so many incredible trails to offer I recommend you try to get on as many as you can. This list is a good place to start.

Colorado, Waldo Canyon. The views are breathtaking and it is absolutely impossible to be disappointed by the trails here. There aren’t many places on the planet where you feel like you can peek into heaven, Waldo Canyon is one of them. The top of the trail gives you a view above the tree line which makes you feel like omnipotent. This feeling sure comes in handy during the ride back down. Enjoy.

Palmer Park, Colorado Springs, CO. Colorado Springs is a personal favorite so I may be a bit biased about the trails here. Palmer Park offers many trails from beginner to expert. There is an added adventure element as well. There is no discernible way to navigate the park because the maps are incomplete, so you could get lost for a little while, but it is totally worth it. The rock formations impress every time.

Cache Creek to Game Creek Loop. This loop is just a little southeast of Jackson, Wyoming. In the beginning it seems a bit easy but gets tougher as it goes on. Only a couple of miles in you will realize this trail isn’t for beginners. The varied plants and wildlife add to the mystique of the place and insure that you will never get bored, no matter how many times you ride this trail.

Utah, Moab. The MOAB Brand Trails are 4 trails, each named for the different letters in MOAB. The M trail is the easiest and works it way up to B, which is the most difficult. You’ll find the M trail a little rocky, but mostly just fun. The B trail will through expert level obstacles at you like slick rock and tight turns. These trails are enough to keep you busy for a couple of days and can be fun for the whole family. It’s a beautiful place, designed for biking fun.

Austin, Texas. The Barton Creek Greenbelt is my favorite place in the great state of Texas. Not only is Austin one of the coolest, quirkiest cities you will ever have the pleasure of visiting with the right mindset this trail is a ton of fun. It is inconsistent in places and you may have to walk in some places but if you are looking for nature in the middle of an urban setting, Barton Creek is a lot of fun. If you can go during the Austin City Limits Music Festival and bike a couple of days you will have lived my dream vacation, I hope you enjoy it.

These trails are just a sampling of what the Central US has to offer. As I mentioned, it was difficult to narrow the lists down to just 5 places. I hope you get the chance to see them all. Each one is very unique and has something different to teach you. Get out there and learn all your lessons on the above amazing trails.

Bed and Breakfasts often are thought of as a spot for romance, but don’t let that dissaude you from bringing the whole family along for the trip. Many inns offer kid-friendly accomodations and the unique setting will enchant youngsters more than any cookie-cutter motel. Here are some choices for your next family vacation.

Billed as “New England’s Best Family Resort” by Yankee magazine, The Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville, VT combines a wonderful country B&B setting with all kinds of kids activities. The Wildflower Inn offers supervised activities for kids, allowing parents to truly take a break while their children are entertained. For instance, “Butterflies, Tots and Forget-Me-Nots is perfect for the parent traveling alone with young children,” says the Wildflower Inn’s website. “Our program combines time together with the kids with opportunities for relaxing while the children are enjoying their activities.” There’s even Daisy’s Diner, which prepares special themed meals for kids.

Treat your family to a little history by the sea at Villa Park House, located just blocks from the beach in Spring Lake, New Jersey. This charming bed and breakfast is located in a beautifully restored Victorian and rooms reflect the period dcor without being too fancy for families. You can even pack light, knowing that the innkeepers provide guests with beach tags, beach chairs, towels and even beach umbrellas. Hearty breakfasts are served either in the inn’s grand dining room or on little tables on the veranda. In addition to the fun of the beach and boardwalk, Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari amusement park is a short drive away.

Experience the old west at the Vee Bar Guest Ranch in Laramie, Wyoming., where families will find starry skies, fresh air and mountain views. There are 800 acres to enjoy here and plenty of activities sure to please the everybody. From campfire cookouts to horseback riding to fly fishing, there is plenty to keep everyone busy. Guests can hike along well-marked trails or even take part in cattle work. The scenery, lush green hills with a mountain backdrop, is unforgettable. The ranch even has a saloon stocked with board games and a pool table. The accommodations are sure to charm, from rustic country cabins to suites that look out at the river. The Western country dcor is warm and inviting and rooms are spacious, with plenty of room for relaxation.

Parents will have no doubt that their children are welcome at Las Palomas Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The innkeepers have included a play area for children on their beautiful grounds, and the inn is stocked with plenty of games, books and toys. They even have safety gates, high chairs, cribs and nightlights. Parents will enjoy the richly decorated casitas, designed in a romantic New Mexico style with kiva fireplaces and rich leather and wood furnishings. In the mornings, the innkeepers serve freshly baked breads, cereals, fresh fruit and yogurts to get the day off to a healthy start.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills in South Carolina, Sunrise Farm B&B can be found inside a Victorian farmhouse on 10 acres of land. Taking it slow is the name of the game at Sunrise: “Guests may relax in wooden rockers and wicker furniture on the large wrap around porch and enjoy the beautiful mountain and lake views,” says the inn’s website. “In the winter, guests may enjoy hot cider by the crackling fireplaces.” For breakfast, look forward to homemade specialties such as banana-chocolate chip mini muffins, fruit and yogurt parfait, blueberry pancakes, garden vegetable and herb frittata, and maple sausage. Close to mountain hiking, clear lakes for fishing and boating, bird watching, sight-seeing and golfing, Sunrise Farm B&B prides itself on being kid-friendly. That’s why it has lots of farm pets for them to see, including Muffin the pot-bellied pig, Lady and Sunshine the miniature horses, and barn cats Oreo and Ginger, among others.

Finally, on the west coast in California, the Capay Valley Bed & Breakfast in Capay has its own zoo! That’s right: Your children can get up close and personal with llamas, zebras, a miniature donkey, a pygmy goat, sheep, ostrich, and, of course, a dog and cat. To get the kids excited, log onto this B&B’s website and let them take a 360 degree virtual tour of the animals! Add an outdoor pool, horseback riding, comfortable accommodations (there are even two cottages), and the Capay Valley B&B’s beautiful wide open space, and the whole family will want to stay. And yes, pets are even welcome.