Travel Paths

Explore Lake Tahoe’s hidden beaches at Sand Harbor

vlad — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:39:53 +0000

After relaxing on the beach and having lunch at Kings Beach, we drove back down through Nevada on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe. Sand Harbor looked like a really nice place to spend the afternoon. So we did stop and we continued our relaxation into the afternoon and evening. According to the Nevada park service, Sand Harbor is the most popular, with sandy beaches, a boat launch, picnicking and group use facilities. Yep, the sandy beaches is definitely true...and much more.

Enjoy the sun at Lake Tahoe’s Kings Beach

vlad — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:49:59 +0000

Lake Tahoe has some great beaches. Kings Beach is one of them. We found Kings beach a great place for a family beach day. Fine sand, shallow water and crystal clear water. There are also lots of great places to eat which adds to the fun. I'm not sure if Kings Beach is a Lake Tahoe popular spot or not, but we found it to be almost empty. There were just a few people enjoying the sun in the middle of September. It's true that we visited Kings Beach on a Tuesday and most weekend tourists were probably gone by then. Nevertheless, we liked the place. What's it not to like at Lake Tahoe anyway?

Vikingsholm is the castle with the best view of Lake Tahoe

vlad — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:55:47 +0000

If you come close to Emerald Bay then you should take the trail down to Emerald Bay from the Vikingsholm parking lot up above. You get many benefits from hiking down. You not only get great exercise, but you get to experience beautiful views of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island. And yes, you will get a chance to visit the beautiful Vikingsholm castle.

Emerald Bay is the jewel of Lake Tahoe

vlad — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:43:30 +0000

Driving in for the very first time to Lake Tahoe is quite an experience. The road is winding through the mountains and suddenly after many bends in the road, we got to see the Lake Tahoe basin...it is huge. We heard that the lake is very large, but when you see it from the road in one of the many vista points, the lake is indeed huge. Once at Lake Tahoe, everyone told us to drive to Emerald Bay. We did drive to Emerald Bay and hiked down to the lake. This is a splendid place. Read on to find out the details.

Yosemite’s seasonal changes reflected in Mirror Lake

vlad — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:20:03 +0000

Yosemite Valley is the place where you can get some great views of the sourrounding mountain peaks you can also experience some great hiking in Yosemite. Most of the hiking trails in Yosemite lead you far from the Yosemite Valley floor, but there are some easier hikes that can be easily accessed from the Valley. The easiest and most popular hike is the Mirror Lake hike. This is by far the easiest trail in Yosemite. Mirror Lake changes dramatically with the changes of seasons at Yosemite. The views you get to see at Mirror Lake all depend on when you hike this trail.

Amazing views of the Swiss Alps from the air

vlad — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:28:23 +0000

The Swiss Alps are amazing mountains. Switzerland is always connected with the Swiss Alps in my mind and I have always loved to see pictures of this amazing mountain range in Europe. Since I only been able to see the Swiss Alps from a distance, I have been looking for some great pictures of them. It happened that my cousin, who lives in Switzerland, got an amazing chance to take a flying tour of the Southern Part of the Swiss Alps. Read along and find out about his experience.

See the best of Yosemite on the Mist and Panorama trails

vlad — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:04:27 +0000

Yosemite National Park has many many options for the hiker. You can do a short or long hike, you can do an easy, intermediate or difficult hike. You choose and Yosemite delivers. My most favorite intermediate hike is taking the Mist Trail and going up Vernal and Nevada Falls and coming back on the Panorama Trail. This is where I take friends who come for the first time to Yosemite National Park. It is a beautiful trail.

Affordable Yosemite accommodations at the Yosemite Bug

vlad — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:52:49 +0000

Yosemite National Park is one of my favorite tourist attractions in California. I usually take every chance I get to go visit this beautiful National Park. As it happens, Yosemite is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole state of California, so it's a busy place. There are many places to stay in or close to Yosemite, but most of them are very expensive. For a few years now I have been staying at the Yosemite Bug since it's close to Yosemite and very affordable. I had the privilege to ask Yosemite Bug owner Dough Shaw some questions about his own rustic mountain resort and why is it a popular place with Yosemite National Park visitors.

Best Yosemite tourist attractions recommended by local expert

vlad — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:46:15 +0000

People who visit Yosemite National Park for the first time are usually overwhelmed by the amount of information that's available about Yosemite. After all the reading many first time visitors to Yosemite still ask the basic questions: So what are the main tourist attractions in Yosemite National Park? What are the must-see places? Wouldn't it be cool to talk to someone local to Yosemite and just ask him? That's what I did! I had the privilege to ask Douglas Shaw this very questions: what are the main tourist attractions in Yosemite National Park? And he was very gracious to answer quite a few more questions. Read on to find out the best places to visit in Yosemite National Park.

Hike the Yosemite Falls trail

vlad — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:28:41 +0000

Yosemite National Park is my favorite California Park. I go there every time I get a chance. Most of the times I visit Yosemite National Park in the early summer or spring. This is usually the best time to see the waterfalls at full capacity. But how about the winter? I got a chance to visit Yosemite National Park in mid-November and while there was not much water in the waterfalls, I enjoyed the different colors of the trees due to changing seasons. One of my favorite trails in Yosemite National Park is the Yosemite Falls trail. Read on to find out about my experience hiking this trail and to see some great pictures.

Yosemite National Park travel pictures

vlad — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:21:00 +0000

I usually take every chance I get to go to Yosemite National Park. My cousin from Switzerland came to visit us and he agreed to go see Yosemite National Park for two days. Even though he lives next to the Swiss Alps, he still enjoyed the hikes and views in Yosemite. I'll write more about visiting Yosemite, but for now enjoy the travel pictures from Yosemite: Vernal and Nevada falls, Yosemite falls and an older gallery containing Tuolumne Meadows.

The tournament of Roses post parade can be the perfect day trip for the new year.

vlad — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:25:22 +0000

Every year the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California puts on the best show. Entitled the Tournament of Roses, this amazing parade is all about flowers and in particular about roses. We always wanted to go to the Rose Parade, but with two small children coming out in the very early hours of the morning just to get a somewhat decent seat, is out of the question. So, we opted to come see the floats in what is called the Post Parade event where you come admire the floats that have been parked on a couple of wide streets. Is it really worth it? Well, read on to find out.

Lake Tahoe travel pictures

vlad — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:36:39 +0000

We finally got to visit Lake Tahoe, California. Both my wife and I were dreaming about being able to visit Lake Tahoe for a long long time. With a toddler and a newborn we kept thinking that it will be a while before we could enjoy some time at Lake Tahoe. However, in the middle of September, we attended a wedding for some good friends of ours in Sacramento and then we decided to go visit Lake Tahoe since it's only one hour away from Sacramento. It was well worth the effort. There is a lot to write about Lake Tahoe, but for now enjoy only the Lake Tahoe photo galleries.

Sacramento travel pictures

vlad — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:15:11 +0000

Back in September we have visited the Sacramento area and we got to visit the State Capitol, Old Sacramento and Folsom Old Powerhouse. We had a great time in Sacramento even though there were a couple of days that were very hot and humid. Those days made us very thankful we live pretty close to the ocean and we never have to deal with this much humidity.

Old Sacramento takes you back in time

vlad — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:15:42 +0000

While visiting the State Capitol and asking around what else to see around the State Capitol we were told to go see Old Sacramento. We listened and figured out quickly where we had to go and we didn't regret it. It was definitely not as exciting as the State Capitol but we loved strolling by the river and looking at old Wild West type of buildings. Should you visit Old Sacramento? Read on to find out.

Visiting the California State Capitol in Sacramento

vlad — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:38:52 +0000

I think everyone must visit their state capitol at least once in their lifetime. I believe it is important to see where laws affecting your state are being created, debated and approved. This is the place that is mostly affected by our votes. Granted, you might not like politicians and politics but usually state capitols are places full of history. This is also the case at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

4 easy things that make long distance car travel easier on children

vlad — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:22:02 +0000

Traveling in California takes a long time. Probably it's a general statement that applies to the whole of United States, but particularly to Southern California. Whenever we have to travel from Southern California to Northern California we take into account hours of travel...it's pretty much a day if you count stopping to eat some food and getting out of the car to stretch your legs. If you throw some young children into the mix, then the equation gets a little more complicated. However, there are a few things to do that make the trip to Northern California a little more bearable.

Beautiful flowers at the Sacramento Capitol Park

vlad — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:48:16 +0000

We visited the Sacramento Capitol park when we visited the actual State Capitol building. We didn't rush to get inside the building but took our time to see the flowers and trees that are everywhere in the park. It was very hot outside in Sacramento that day but the abundant vegetation in park kept us a little cooler and we enjoyed our visit a lot more because of that.

Visit Reims, France and delight yourself with history and champagne

vlad — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:24:10 +0000

Reims, France is filled with history and it is pretty close to Paris. This is why Reims makes for a great daytrip from Paris. In addition to old churches you can see old Roman ruins and you can also visit one or more of the major champagne houses that make the Champagne region famous worldwide. Once in Reims you can easily walk around to the main tourist destinations.

Walk among great history at Soissons, France.

vlad — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:48 +0000

Even though located only about 65 miles north of Paris, Soissons is relatively unknown as a tourist attraction in France. However, Soissons has a very rich heritage in French history being one of the oldest towns in all of France. In fact Soissons was the first capital of old France in 486 A.D. As a consequence you will find lots of historical buildings in Soissons today.

Fill your lungs and eyes with Mont Blanc at Chamonix, France.

vlad — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:56:03 +0000

Chamonix, France is a very famous winter resort but it's not popular only in the winter. We visited Chamonix at the beginning of October on a bright and sunny day. This great weather gave us awesome views of the Alps and made our one hour drive a breeze. We couldn't resist stopping at one of the rest stops just to admire the mountains. It proved to be the perfect day trip from Geneva, Switzerland.

Visit Sighisoara, Romania and lose yourself in time and mistery.

vlad — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:09:18 +0000

We came to Sighisoara from Brasov on a sunny day in September. We got off the train in a small train station that was just too quiet. We thought that Sighisoara was a very popular tourist attraction in Romania and we assumed that it would be pretty busy at this time of year, but we were wrong and we didn't mind it. It was actually very pleasant to walk around a small old city and not be surrounded by lots of people.

Crazy dog dives in for a ball in very rough ocean waters

vlad — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:08:37 +0000

Sometimes when traveling you get to witness amazing things that you were not planning to see at all. This is what happened to me when going to the beach again at Point Mugu State Beach in California. I have brought some relatives of ours to the beach since they have not been in this part of the state. When we got there, we noticed that the waves were pretty rough and very loud (about 10 feet high). The water was breaking very close to shore, which made it pretty hard for us to enjoy the water. Eventually we decided to head back home since we couldn't really play in the water much.

Travel Pictures from Sighisoara, Romania

vlad — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:16:04 +0000

We have visited Sighisoara in September 2007 but it took me a long time to actually post pictures from our trip. We loved Sighisoara, even though they were still doing lots of building and fixing up. The old fortress on the hill is the main attraction but even the city at the bottom of the hill is very nice to stroll through. You can read more about this mysterious city in my travel destination guide for Sighisoara, Romania in my See more pictures

Day trip to the beach at Point Mugu, California

vlad — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:27:56 +0000

We wanted to go to the beach one weekend and we decided to go to Point Mugu since we haven't been there in a long time. Since I have forgotten to take cash with me, I couldn't park at the state beach and ended up parking right next to the Mugu Rock and then went down to a small rock beach nearby. We ended up having a great time and saw a sea lion and lots of pelicans. My daughter loved the trip.

Travel Pictures from Point Mugu, California.

vlad — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:59:31 +0000

I went with my daughter to the beach one weekend. She really wanted to go see "sharks" at the beach. So, we did go to the beach but didn't see any sharks...which was good. We did see lots of pelicans and one sea lion swimming very close to shore. That was really cool! I decided that we could go to the Point Mugu beach since we haven't gone there in a long time. We had a great time ! I'll write more about Point Mugu in another post, but for now take a look at my pictures. See more pictures

Beautiful flowers and sunset in Scottsdale Arizona

vlad — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:47:39 +0000

Here's another travel gallery from my brother. I have gotten used with his great pictures and I can's wait to see them every time he comes back from vacation. This time they went to Scottsdale, Arizona. He didn't give me any city pictures but he gave me some great nature pictures. Check out my brother's nature pictures from Scottsdale Arizona. I love desert pictures and my brother is very patient with the camera and plans each picture very well. You can clearly see the results.

A daytrip to UCLA is educational for the whole family.

vlad — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:29:34 +0000

We have visited UCLA in the winter on a sunny December day. Even though the day was short, we had a great time. I always like visiting the UCLA campus, regardless if it's summer or winter, school day or weekend...I just love it. Maybe it's because I graduated from UCLA myself...yeah it's because of that. However, I believe anyone can enjoy visiting the campus for a day, including your children.

Gatorland in Orlando, Florida – Travel Pictures

vlad — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:45:18 +0000

This is another photo gallery from my brother's trip to Orlando, Florida. This time he took his family to Gatorland. They have crocodiles and alligators and many birds. As usual, he takes great pictures and he allows me to post them on my site. He is a lot more patient with the camera and he's got a much better eye for taking great pictures. See more pictures from Gatorland, Florida.

Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida – Travel Pictures

vlad — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:51:15 +0000

My brother took a week vacation and went with his family to Orlando Florida. As usual, he takes great pictures and he allows me to post them on my site. He is a lot more patient with the camera and he's got a much better eye for taking great pictures. See more pictures

Pagosa Springs, Colorado – Travel Pictures.

vlad — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:23:07 +0000

My good friend Jason visited Pagosa Springs, Colorado earlier this year. He took his family on a nature trip and he was very kind to allow me to post some of his great pictures on my site. I have not visited Pagosa Springs, but based on the pictures it looks like a great place to visit with your family...well if you live nearby. There is a small zoo that features a bear, a wolf, a mountain lion and other animals...caged of course. You can take a small steam train that will give you great views of the valley and forest. Well, take a look at the pictures and see for yourself. See more pictures

See the best Southern Califonia tourist attractions in one day trip

vlad — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:47:00 +0000

This is an article that I wanted to write for a long time. It is a bit long, maybe that's why I took such a long time to write. However, this is our favorite Southern California tour. When we have friends and family visiting from outside of California we always take them on this tour because they get to see some of the best tourist sites in SoCal. Yeah, it's true, this tour doesn't include Disneyland, Universal Studios or Sea World, but those are attractions that anyone would know about. Our tour hits the best things to see in SoCal apart from amusement parks. The best thing about this tour is that it can be done in one day...a full day that is.

Day trip in the middle of nature at Silverwood Lake and Wrightwood California

vlad — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:39:30 +0000

We have recently taken a day trip to Silverwood Lake and Wrightwood here in Southern California. While these destinations are practically unknown to tourists, they are popular for the local people. They are perfect travel destinations for a day trip on a sunny day (which are plenty in Southern California). Water, nature and maybe...snow will make a great weekend Southern California trip.

Silverwood Lake in Hesperia California – Travel Pictures

vlad — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:53:15 +0000

Silverwood Lake in Hesperia California is well known for many things: great picnic areas, stunning natural beauty and amazing fishing. We only got to stop at a vista point overlooking the lake. I wish we would have had more time to visit the lake this time. I have only visited Silverwood Lake once before...a few years ago and I was impressed by how blue and clean the water was. See more pictures. Also you can read my travel destination guide for Silverwood Lake and Wrightwood.

Santa Barbara Zoo is the perfect family day trip

vlad — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:57:09 +0000

If there is one place that children always like to visit it is the zoo. No matter how small or large, any zoo is a cool place for children. Animals are just very interesting for children. However, if on top of that you add the ocean and a wonderful sunny climate then you get the greatest place for children to visit. Well, there is such a place and it's called the Santa Barbara, Zoo. This is arguably my favorite family destination of all the Southern California day trip destinations.

Travel Pictures from Santa Barbara Zoo

vlad — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:10:02 +0000

I am finally able to put together a gallery of travel pictures for Santa Barbara Zoo. We have visited a couple of times since the beginning of the year and we loved it every time. We just love visiting Santa Barbara Zoo...I think it's the greatest day trip for small children in Southern California. If you haven't visited this place, then make it a point to visit it. You will not be disappointed. Read my travel destination guide for Santa Barbara Zoo. See more pictures

3 places in Southern California where small children can enjoy the snow

vlad — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:48:05 +0000

If you live in Southern California, snow is a rare occurrence. If you don't make some extra effort, your children might grow up not knowing what snow is. However, one of the greatest things about living in Southern California is that pretty much everyone lives within a few hours from the beach and within a few hours from the snow. I love snow and I love to take my family to play in the snow at least once a year...and it doesn't take much effort. While, everyone knows about the big Southern California ski resorts, there is very little information available about places where you can take small kids so that they can simply play in the snow.

Most photographed tourist attractions in the world

vlad — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:12:20 +0000

I have recently read a paper presented at the 2009 International World Wide Web conference. This paper had to do with a large collection (30 million) of Flickr photos. While the main topic of the paper was about organizing such large collections, a secondary result of the research was some really cool lists with the most photographed cities and tourist attractions in those cities. So, here are these cool statistics.

Is the Grand Canyon overrated ?

vlad — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:50:05 +0000

When we planned to visit the Grand Canyon this past spring, one question kept coming up: Is the Grand Canyon overrated? Everyone wants to visit it, but what if it's just one big hype and nothing more? Sure, the pictures looked nice, some reviews were great, but what is there to see anyway...just some rocks? Well, I was about to find out why The Grand Canyon National Park is so grand!

RSS feed has moved

vlad — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:33:48 +0000

Since Google has purchased Feedburner, I didn't notice that they have changed the URL for my feed. For those of you that are subscribing to my RSS Feed, the new location for my feed is: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/travelpaths. I have also updated the Subscribe button on this page with the new location. So, please update it in your RSS reader.

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim – Travel Pictures.

vlad — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:40:18 +0000

We visited Grand Canyon National Park as part of our Las Vegas trip. Actually, this was the last part of our trip. After a stop at Hoover Dam we kept on going through the desert all the way to Williams Arizona. After spending the night there, we visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I struggled with taking pictures and not being able to capture the vastness of the Grand Canyon. I found it very difficult to be purposeful in taking great pictures. One has to go visit and enjoy the view...the entire view. See more pictures from Grand Canyon National Park.

Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona

vlad — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:25:05 +0000

When we visited Las Vegas, we decided to drive all the way to the Grand Canyon. On the way to the Grand Canyon we have stopped at Hoover Dam...of course we did! It's was right on our way from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. This was a good opportunity to stretch our legs a little and see some breathtaking views of the Colorado River and of the Hoover Dam. See more pictures from Hoover Dam.

The best tourist attractions in Las Vegas, Nevada.

vlad — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:38:17 +0000

I have wondered for a long time if someone can visit Las Vegas and have fun without gambling or taking part in the wild Las Vegas night life. I have heard that Las Vegas has changed much and that they are trying to cater more to families with children. So, are they really? Can your family have fun in Las Vegas without doing the "dirty" Las Vegas things? Can Las Vegas be called a family destination ? Well, read on to find out.

Gorgeous flowers on Maui, Hawaii – Travel Pictures

vlad — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:04:53 +0000

This is another travel gallery by my brother. He had so many gorgeous flower pictures that I had to create a separate gallery just for that. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do ! See more gorgeous Hawaii flowers.

Maui, Hawaii – Travel Pictures

vlad — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:38:02 +0000

My brother, Radu spent a week in Maui, Hawaii and brought back some gorgeous pictures as usual. Here's is his family travel gallery. See more pictures from Maui, Hawaii.

The Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada

vlad — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:55:58 +0000

This is the last gallery from Las Vegas, Nevada. These are shots taken from the strip and...of the strip itself. I thought that it's great to have a few pictures just of the strip in Las Vegas, because at night it becomes spectacular indeed! I have included some pictures taken by my brother...his pictures are actually much better than mine. See more pictures from the Las Vegas Strip. Also read my Las Vegas family travel destination guide.

The Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas, Nevada

vlad — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:55:51 +0000

Supposedly, the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada is only for the rich. It definitely looks like it even if we only judge by the Ferarri and Maserati dealers that are on site. Too bad you don't get to just walk in the showroom. I guess they're afraid that regular people like us would leave their fingerprints on the cars. They look cool no matter what...even if only seen through the window. The hotel and casino don't look very impressive from the inside...except for the shopping galleries. Beware, strollers with small children are not allowed inside the Wynn...I thought that was plain terrible...but oh well, what can I do? See more pictures from The Wynn in Las Vegas.

The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada

vlad — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:25:03 +0000

Venetian is another European copy...scaled down a little obviously. Yes, it has the gondolas, with Italian singers and all...I'm still not sure if the songs are taped (they look and sound very real), but it is copied nevertheless. It's ok though, 'cause you only drive a few hundred miles from Los Angeles and you get to see Venice...or something pretty close to it. See more pictures from The Venetian in Las Vegas.

Paris in Las Vegas, Nevada

vlad — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:58:36 +0000

This the picture gallery from the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Paris was great for one things: food. I mean it has amazzzzing food ! Especially the breakfast buffet is really out of this world...just unbelievable...oh well...more on that to come. See more pictures from Paris in Las Vegas.

New York, New York in Las Vegas, Nevada

vlad — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:48:40 +0000

New York, New York is another well-known casino in Las Vegas. It sits right at the entrance on the strip, right across the MGM Grand. The Statue of Liberty replica is huge and it serves as an easy way to locate the casino. However, other than the New York look and feel, New York, New York doesn't offer anything other than gambling and ... lots of smoke. See more pictures from New York, New York in Las Vegas, Nevada.