Ramblings

I attended The (San Francisco) Bay Area Travel Show this past weekend and you know what presenters were calling "the next big thing"? Renting a vacation home!

Okay, I was a little surprised. But what surprised me even more was NO ONE was there representing that option in the exhibition hall except a Mexican condo comany! A lost opportunity!

A few attendees volunteered they had had good experiences renting homes through VRBO. But even Pauline Frommer -- who is the first guidebook author to go into any detail about vacation rentals as "Alternative" accommodations -- had never heard of HomeAway (the big conglomerate that has gobbled up a dozen smaller booking sites). Not that that's such a bad thing. There is Google after all. But  as the buzz grows in the area, new renters need choice, education and discrimination.

Imagine this: a "concept" booth hosted by Slow Travel, with representation from Vacation Rental Owners Association (VROA) (an organization that has taken on the task of certifying the quality of  vacation homes). Then a starburst of international, regional booking and specialty sites (Zonder, Russian River Getaways, BeachHouse.com, PetVR.com And somewhere in there, Renting Paradise. of course.

Here's to the mainstreaming of vacation home rental! 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you ever think of using your vacation to ‘test drive your dream job’? What could make more sense?

First of all, if your work is something you’re truly passionate about, it won’t feel like work. Secondly, it’s much less risky (to your mental health, as well as your pocketbook) to test-drive a career you think you’d love … until confronted by the day-to-day reality.

Putting vacationers together with their dream jobs is the mission of a unique company called VocationVacations®. You can choose from one- or two-day-long get-your-hands-dirty introductions to more than 75 unique careers.

Like wine making. Book the VocationVacations Wine Maker Holiday package in Sonoma County and you’ll live in the vacation rental on the property of on the property of the 70-acre Larson Family Winery and spend two days shadowing Tom and Becky Larson.

From April through September, your education will include tramping among the vines to thin leaf clusters, sample leaf tissue and monitor grape pests. From November to May, the focus is on the process of preparing wine for bottling: clarification, cold stabilizing, fermentation, racking, topping barrels, wine blending and clean up, of course.

To help you put things in perspective for your own life, All VocationVacations® include pre- and post-mentoring coaching sessions re: strategy/life/career repercussions.

At $949 for the two days (not including lodging), it’s not cheap. But well worth it, if you're committed. If not, heck, just book the rental, called A Captain’s House. ($350 per night for up to 4; $450 for 5-7 people.)

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just happened to spot a profile on the fascinating Sim Van der Ryn in the November 2007 issue of the stylish Dwell magazine (tag: At Home in the Modern World)."For decades, (his) name has been synonymous with design that's in tune with nature," the article begins. His personal pride, Highland House is featured in Renting Paradise: San Francisco and Marin County.

Set high on a ridge bordering a nature conservancy and overlooking the magnificent Point Reyes National Seashore, Highland House is a place to indulge all your senses.

The house was built in two stages and many fixtures and furnishings are salvaged from the local area. One bathroom sink is carved from a massive piece of burlwood. The stairs to the master suite spiral around one of the original utility poles from the town of Inverness below. The house runs entirely on renewable energy from a 2.5 kilowatt sun-powered array.

If you're looking for a relaxing getaway -- and a glimpse of what's possible in a more environmentally-responsible future, take a look.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Mystery" rashes, staph infections, Legionnaires' disease ... not the kind of souvenirs anyone wants to bring home after a relaxing stay in a vacation rental home. I'm not  a hot tub aficionado, so I admit I never dipped even a toe in a hot tub in any of the homes I've reviewed for Renting Paradise. Turns out, even the cleanest-looking hot tub (and even whirlpool bathtubs and private swimming pools for that matter) can easily become a petri dish for some of the worst kinds of bacteria.

I had my eyes opened wide after chatting Stacy Intille. A healthy 44-year-old Registered Nurse at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. iN 2001 Stacy contracted Legionnaires' disease after soaking in a non-permitted portable above-ground hot tub at a hotel in Monterey,California. She almost died. In October 2006 she settled a lawsuit against the hotel for just under $1 million.

This puts vacation rental home owners and management companies between a rock and a hard place. In many areas, home that have tot tubs are more desirable -- easier to rent. However, owners cannot be on site to properly maintain the hot tub 24/7. I'm not going to wade into the slimy "guts" of the issue here. But suffice it to say, health/maintenance regulations vary by county and management companies tend to take a "soak at your own risk" approach in rental contracts.

How do you protect yourself -- especially if your party includes vulnerable children, pregnant women, elderly people and/or anyone whose immune system has been compromised?

When in doubt, stay out. Don't mean to be a party-pooper. But how else can you be sure?

Insist on safe practices. Thanks to Stacy's advocacy, the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH), has taken a closer look at the infection risks and potential hazards of above ground portable hot tubs and jacuzzi bathtubs commonly found in rental properties across the state.  Their warnings and recommendations are outlined in a new guideline posted on their website in October 2007 titled Guidelines for the Installation and Operation of Fill and Drain Spas and Hot Tubs.  You can use the guidelines in this document to personally vet a vacation rental home owner's maintenance practices.

Bottom line: The CCDEH has determined that most of the portable hot tubs commonly found in vacation homes are designed to be used by private families and their invited guests. Once an owner begins to offer their home as a vacation rental, they are required to upgrade these residential hot tubs to commercial grade, obtain a permit and follow the daily maintenance requirements and logs as outlined in the code. The guideline estimates as many as 1,000 owners are currently in violation of the code. 

If you have your own hot tub and this seems like a real pain, you're right. But remember, you KNOW exactly who you invite into your tub.You can't be sure what happened (how many people used the tub how many times) before you arrive at even the best vacation home. That's just the facts. 

For more information, you can contact directly at rnwithld@aol.com.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Among the many truly creative walking tours available in San Francisco (which of course is best seen on foot), one stands head and shoulders above the rest: FOOT! Tours.

Choose from 10 two-hour tours capture the history of city and personality of neighborhoods often glossed over by mainstream tours, including:

• Flashback: A Mind-Blowing Trip Through the Haight-Ashbury of the 1960s

• Go West, Young Woman: Ten Daring Dames of San Francisco's Past

• Hobnobbing with Gobs of Snobs: Nob Hill's Old Nouveau Riche

• Instant City – Just Add Gold: Glitter, Greed and the Growth of San Francisco

And my personal favorite -- Where’s the F'ing Beach in North Beach? The Nine Lives of North Beach. (Plenty of F-words, but no actual use of THE F-word, kids.) 

The schedule changes weekly, so check the calendar. Reservations are required. (Adults: $30; seniors and students $20.)

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The Sonoma Diet is like no other.” Or, is it just one more shameless promotion aim below our already straining belts? On closer look, I was surprised to find it combines the South Beach Diet (sensible, balanced nutrition) and with the French Women Don’t Get Fat sensual love affair with fresh, wholesome food.

Who in their right mind would quibble with that? And nowhere could this approach make more sense than in Sonoma County.

Aside from its world-famous wines, Sonoma County produces a bounty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, olive oil, homemade cheeses, artisan breads—all key ingredients celebrated by the Sonoma Diet. The diet is built on savoring a variety of fresh, wholesome, and delicious foods—and, yes, wine in moderation.

So when you’re finished with the Russian River Wine Road, hit the Farm Trails. Just follow the Farm Trails Map & Guide and explore Sonoma County’s farms, cheese factories, bakeries and breweries as locals have been doing for 30 years. You can experience life on the farm with sheep, llamas, honey bees and butterflies. Or get your hands dirty and pick your own berries, apples, or pumpkins in season. Just add fresh flowers and you’ve got a picnic. Or the makings of dinner back at your vacation rental.   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

…“Send your camel to bed…”  If you adore out-of-the-ordinary accommodations as much as I do, take the Concierge tour of luxury tents and tree houses in exotic places such as Kenya, Mongolia, Tunisia and Dubai. Oh, and Santa Barbara, California, too.

Because it’s my job to point out sweet spots in Northern California that somehow miss the big lists, I’m adding Safari West in Sonoma County.   I reviewed my stay in the game keeper’s cabin for Renting Paradise: Sonoma County.

But check out the luxury tents (plush beds, polished floor, private bathrooms with hot showers) scattered across the grounds of this sprawling wildlife conservation park. It’s not a zoo or a drive-through park. It’s a wildlife preserve where the whole family can experience some of nature's most beautiful animals in a natural habitat.

Feed the giraffes on the way to breakfast. Fall asleep to the cries of lemurs. Take an authentic safari tour of the “back 400” acres, where you’ll see hundreds more exotic breeds—gazelles, ostriches, zebras, water buffalos—roaming free. 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Like fitness, renting a vacation home is a choice you make. One that has the potential to transform your vacation from a visit to a much deeper experience.  

One site that’s been getting a lot of buzz these days promotes a lifestyle concept I love called “slow travel”.

I've never understood the 14 cities in 10 days concept. The site’s founder and webmaster Pauline Kenny recommends renters apply a “Concentric Circles" plan to day-tripping. “Think of your touring area as a series of concentric circles around your base,” she says. The first circle includes everything within a 30-minute radius of your home. The second, an hour, and so on. “See what is close to you instead of dashing about on long day trips to see the ‘highlights’ or ‘must-sees,’" Kenny says.

Kenny has authored a dozen more really helpful articles to guide renters in choosing and booking vacation rentals, planning your trip and what to bring with you when you rent.    

Slow Travel is primarily focused on Europe -- where renting a villa or self-catering cottage has been a tradition for generations. But, hello? The concept applies just as well here in the U.S., even for weekend trips to places like San Francisco and Sonoma County.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 03:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As you research your next rental, be grateful if you stumble across a link to an owner's "blog". A well-done (key distinction!) blog can be a living, breathing connection to updates, photos, personally vetted activities and seasonal events ... all the stuff you crave before you go.   

Sure, many are mind dumps. But many more are truly interesting, informative and thought-provoking. Postings are typically short, containing live links to more detail. At the end of many (not all) postings, there are links for readers to add their two-cents on that particular topic. Participating is easy and relatively anonymous. Check out the blog created by the owners of At The Bay's Edge featured in Renting Paradise.

If you find an owner who's taken the time -- and care -- to create a web site and maintain and informative blog, I can guarantee you can put your rental worries to rest. The other great thing in this info-overload age? It's easy to subscribe (an unsubscribe) to blogs, via buttons such as "My Yahoo".

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love "best" lists. Sure they're subjective, but how better to slice through the monster-mass of information out there and find (when it comes to trip-planning) the activities, sights, restaurants, et. al., most worthy of your limited time? Check out these three very cool best-lists focused on San Francisco. 

San Francisco City's Best 2007. This annual list is compiled by readers of AOL® CityGuide, a Web-based network highlighting local entertainment in more than 300 cities nationwide--including directions. Once a year, the site posts bests in dozens of categories--from blues clubs to romantic restaurants.

Consumers' votes ultimately determine which venues are chosen #1 in their categories. All City's Best® establishments are nominated based on recommendations from AOL CityGuide's local correspondents who live and work in the cities they cover, the editorial insights of the CityGuide programming team and user feedback.

Winners often represent those establishments with a commitment to quality, selection or service. Often, they have a reputation for value that has been upheld and polished over many years. However, sometimes, it's simply that people in a city naturally gravitate to a place because of its character, its uniqueness or its special contribution to local culture.

Best (& Worst) San Francisco Experiences. Published by the very opionated SFTravel.com, this guide to San Francisco Underground, this list attempts to separate the tourist traps from the truly fun and unique. Forget Fisherman's Wharf (dubbed "A Vicious Tourist Trap") and head instead for Marina Green and the Presidio. Check out the cable cars (the "funnest" way to get around), the Aquarium in Golden Gate Park and the 5 most beautiful beaches. This guide pulls no punches--but it's interesting, useful and right-on from the perspective of this former SF resident. 

Yvette's Joy of Life Guides.  "Joy of Life Guides" are Joie de Vivre Hospitality's staff-authored guides to the sights and sounds of San Francisco. Designed to highlight many hidden treasures off-the-beaten path in these guides. I like whimisical category names ("I Need My Java," Hidden Cafes and Breakfast Spots) and smart and original content ("Help!!! It's Raining! Having Fun Despite the Elements"). The San Francisco guide truly is a joy, appropriately named.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We dog-people are a special breed. So stuck on our four-legged friends that we want to take them on vacation with us -- leashes, dishes, slobbery toys and all. It tickles me that the number of web sites focused on finding "room at the inn" for dogs and their people is growing.   

In fact, I'm astounded that when I apologized in advance to one vacation rental owner with a particularly lovely home that we planned to vacation with bring THREE dogs, she scoffed "I've never had any trouble with pet-owners. It's kids I worry about."

ANYway: The latest dog-friendly I like is PetVR.com. It features more than 5,400 pet-friendly vacation rentals (homes, cabins, condos and B&Bs, by their definition).

I initially checked out the site when I was searching for a destination for our upcoming family vacation. I was looking for a dog-friendly beach on the California coast. Voila! PetVR provides a link to pet-friendly beaches by state And lo, there are plenty in California. However, I must admit they do not list the beach I finally picked in Morro Bay. And, er, I did ultimately select a home from another site.

But! That that in no way diminishes what PetVR has to offer. I appreciate the reach (selections encompass all 50 states and 24 other countries ... you'll find many more options than you will on some vacation rental site that hyave been around for years!). And I lap up the site's authentically goofy spirit. Their "Top Ten" lists include the "Ten Gassiest Dogs."  (Honestly? We have a little problem in that area with our Terrier-Corgi mix. I was afraid to check.)

Resources include a handy list of things you might not think to pack. In fact, the site is compiled for and by pet owners -- a singularly gregarious group. So click in whether you're traveling by car or internationally.

"More than 67% of pet owners travel with their pets," Dow Scoggins, president and creator of PetVR.com, said. "And, according to surveys, nearly 40% more would travel with their

pets if they found it easier to do so." (Okay, even a math-idiot like me knows that adds up to more than 100%. But, hey, I'm a dog-lover -- which means over-the-top already.)

And I'm not as over-the-top as it gets! My "kids" sleep in their own beds when they travel. But if your pet is more "discriminating" than mine, check out the Restful Paws Bed & Breakfast in Massachusetts (complete with indoor, bone-shaped dog pool) or The Paw House (where dog portraits and Doggie Mystery Weekends are available).

My advice? IF YOU LOVE YOUR PETS ENOUGH TO TAKE THEM ON VACATION?  YA GOT NOTHIN' TO  LOSE BY CHECKING OUT PETVR.COM. Go fetch!

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's a renter's market. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal article, a weakening housing market is forcing owners of vacation homes to be especially "creative" to generate rental income during the "off" season.

Daisy Maxey reports in "Personal Property: After the Peak", September 18, 2006 (you must subscribe to read the full text of the article): 

Typically, owners should knock 30% off their peak rates for so-called shoulder-season rentals -- those that fall between their high and low seasons -- and as much as 50% off peak rates for low-season rentals, says Christine Hrib Karpinski, director of the owner community for HomeAway.com, based in Austin, Texas, an online marketplace of vacation rental properties.

Bottom line: Shop for deals, packages, perks--covering a broad spectrum, from "Holiday Shopping Specials" to pre-school child-friendly amenities. (The latter deserves it's own post ... coming soon, so watch for it!)

Here's My Take ...

I adore the off-season. In fact, in a previous post I gushed about the joys of traveling Northern California in the "shoulder weeks," sans crowds and high prices. Read my personal experience:

“I love Sonoma in the springtime…”  …in the fall? Not so much.

During the fall harvest, Sonoma Valley is teeming with tourists. And it can be hot. Very hot. The vine-covered hillsides are parched yellow. Good restaurants have humbling-ly long waits.  

Which makes off-season trips look pretty darn good. According to Adrien Glover in “Suddenly Sonoma” (Budget Travel Online, Feb. 18, 2005): “Springtime is still considered ‘off season’ but it’s an excellent time to visit. Not only are plum trees, quince, and yellow wild mustard flowers in bloom, you're almost certain to land a good deal at an area hotel. And there’s plenty to do year-round.”

My husband and I spent a wonderful March weekend exploring Kenwood. From our home base at a stylish yet cozy rental, aptly named Kenwood House (look for a full review of this rental right here in the coming weeks), we ventured out to explore nearly deserted tasting rooms. Winemakers aren’t busy at this time of year so you can actually spend time chatting with one.

Because it had been an unusually rainy winter (we had hail and snow during our visit), the landscape was lush green, with Spanish moss dangling from bare branches of valley oak trees. We lingered at the fascinating Bartholomew Park Winery Museum. We enjoyed a delightful hike to the remains of Wolf House in Jack London State Park. We were seated right away at some very good restaurants, including the new Doce Lunas, where there was a guitarist playing at the bar and signature sticky toffee for dessert. At night, we cozied up to the woodstove and watched movies.

Most of my review trips are planned during the off-season. I’m so spoiled, now I won’t go any other time.

HINT: Treat yourself to a trip during the “shoulder” weeks—just before some invisible bell clangs and the high season floodgates open on throngs of tourists. You may never subject yourself to that kind of madness again.
 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Among the many truly creative walking tours available in San Francisco (which of course is best seen on foot), one stands head and shoulders above the rest: FOOT! Tours.

Choose from 10 two-hour tours capture the history of city and personality of neighborhoods often glossed over by mainstream tours, including:

• Flashback: A Mind-Blowing Trip Through the Haight-Ashbury of the 1960s
• Go West, Young Woman: Ten Daring Dames of San Francisco's Past
• Hobnobbing with Gobs of Snobs: Nob Hill's Old Nouveau Riche
• Instant City – Just Add Gold: Glitter, Greed and the Growth of San Francisco

And my personal favorite -- Where’s the F'ing Beach in North Beach? The Nine Lives of North Beach. (Plenty of F-words, but no actual use of THE F-word, kids.) 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Need a vacation from your real life ... RIGHT NOW? This one takes only 60-seconds.

But you may want to linger longer over the 20 slides in the short slide show put together by Concierge.com. Click through a soul-soothing, first-class tour of Northern California's lush Napa and Sonoma wine regions.

The show begins with a gorgeous shot of the Sonoma Coast and includes views of some of Sonoma's finest wineries, including Viansa, Kunde Estate and Chateau St. Jean. 

(Thanks! I know I needed that.)  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you’ve had great experiences renting vacation homes—and especially if you’ve been swept into the welcoming (usually figurative) embrace of a particularly passionate owner—a funny thing might start happening. You might start imagining yourself doing the vacation rental thing yourself. And why not, ask Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner?

If you own or are thinking of buying a vacation rental property, the Glossbrenners will show you how to pay your mortgage and make money by renting it yourself. Their 300-page book/CD “seminar-in-a-box”— called How To Make Your Vacation Property Work For You! The Quick & Easy Guide to Advertising, Renting, Managing, and Making Money from your Second Home”— is based on what the couple learned from a decade renting a two-story Williamsburg-style cottage on their property in Bucks County, PA. Today their second home is routinely fully booked as much as six months in advance.

The book is engaging (the Glossbrenners are successful authors with over 60 books to their credit)  and full of practical wisdom, step-by-step instructions and clear examples that will guide you in maximizing the Internet to promote and rent your dream vacation or retirement home (finding the right listing sites, boosting your search engine ranking etc.)  

HERE'S WHAT I ESPECIALLY LOVE:  Guidelines for writing a property description! “Write from the Heart!” These smart-cookie marketers advocate infusing rental descriptions with “personality.” (Because, aren’t we all tired of the hype?)  They talk about “painting a picture” for rental prospects… going into detail about what you (the owner) personally love about the property such as distinctive architectural details or an interesting history … weaving in off-the-beaten-path secret places you’ve discovered. That’s music to a prospective vacation renter’s ears. AND they devote a whole section to “Enhancing Your Listing With Great Photos”. Hallelujah!

I’ll say it again, that’s my biggest gripe with HomeAway listings – the fact that they’ve pared the length of descriptions to the bare bones. If I were an owner, I’d be wailing, “B-b-b-uuut…I’m not FIN-ished!”

I digress. The Glossbrenners also include a CD containing a collection of personally-selected Windows programs to help you manage and market your vacation rental property—in what is becoming a highly competitive market niche—in your spare time.

Check out the 30-day Money-Back Guarantee. But also check out the Glossbrenners’ promise: “Regardless of your rental rate, and regardless of season, if you get just one extra booking as a result of what we have to teach you, this vacation rental owner’s training package will have paid for itself many times over. And it will continue to do so year after year from now on.”

Psssst:  You save $40 buying it direct from the Glossbrenners (instead of on Amazon). Check with your accountant: you may be able to write the whole thing off as a business expense.   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Why not take people right to the farm?" asked Santa Cruz, CA chef Jim Denevan. And, lo, “Outstanding in the Field” was born.

For each event, up to 100 dinner guests—wine glasses in hand—begin the evening with a guided tour of the farm where the food for their meal was grown. Then they’re seated at a very long outdoor table and served family-style (or farm-style) with wines paired to each course.

During the meal, the local farmers and food artisans who provided ingredients for the menu talk a bit about their respective crafts. Five-course dinners begin around 4 p.m. and last until sunset—although guests often linger over candlelight.

Six seasons and 51 dinners later, Outstanding in the Field has expanded beyond California to encompass farmlands across North America. While 2006 events in Northern California (including Petaluma in Sonoma County and Point Reyes in Marin County, areas covered by Renting Paradise e-guidebooks) are over, there are plenty events scheduled throughout the country in the months to come. Take a look.

What better way to get the "lay of the land" when you travel?

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you’ll be visiting San Francisco before September 17, plan to visit the “Monet in Normandy” exhibit at the exquisite Legion of Honor Museum. A three-quarter-scale adaptation of the 18th-century Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris, The Legion of Honor is San Francisco's most beautiful museum. Check out its impressive collection of 4,000 years of ancient and European art and sculpture (including Rodin's The Thinker") in an extraordinary setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

The special exhibits are a treat. This one features 50 paintings Claude Monet produced while he lived in Normandy in northern France. Of particular interest: his interpretation of the sparkling, surging bodies of water—from the bustling commercial harbor at Le Havre to the crashing waves at Etretat.

You'll also be treated to some of the most stunning views in San Francisco. Anyone who’s ever visited me has been treated to the spectacular drive from the Legion of Honor along Pacific coast toward Golden Gate Bridge. The views in this short stretch of coastline are astonishing. They still make my jaw drop every time. So, take your camera and take your time.

Leaving the museum follow cypress-lined Camino del Mar along the water. Just before you enter the upscale neighborhood of Sea Cliff, pull over and park. A short path on the ocean-side of the road leads you to wooden deck at the edge of a golf course fairway. This is the first of many postcard views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Believe me, they just get better and better.

Continue through wealthy Sea Cliff to Lincoln Blvd. and turn left. TIP: (Be careful not to follow “Scenic 49-Mile Drive” signs. They will take you back to city streets—not where you want to be.) Lincoln Blvd. winds along the coast, revealing breathtaking views at every turn. If you’re driving keep your wits about you!

Around one curve, the Golden Gate Bridge rises up before you—looking close enough to touch. The first time I drove this way, a lavender-indigo dusk was settling. The flow of headlights across the bridge span was like a river of light flowing into a frame of cypress at my feet.

You’ll find a more complete itinerary—including links for sights along the way, including Robin Williams’ home, China Beach and Fort Point, a must-see underneath the Golden Gate Bridge—leading off  the “10 Cool Things to Do” section of in Renting Paradise: San Francisco & Marin County.  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

“Put away your guidebooks and quit surfing the web…” this innovative virtual tool makes it easy and fun to do nuts-and-bolts trip-planning. I admit I was skeptical. But when I put the Beta version through its paces using San Francisco as my intended destination (there are 50 to choose from), I was, quite frankly, astounded. I couldn’t built a better itinerary myself!

Look for the "New: Try the virtual guidebook!" offer on the left-hand sidebar on the Expedia.com activites page. When I clicked there I landed on a clean page (operated by partner Home & Abroad) offering me three trip-planning options:

1. Plan it myself
2. Use a trip theme (Choose from 18 ranging from “Action/Adventure” to “Local Culture,” and including “Where the Expert Goes”) OR
3. Help me plan it (The tool quizzes you on criteria ranging from “Who’s going with you” to your personal interests and goals and recommends relevant sights and activities.)

I chose Door # 3.

When I finished the quiz, I had the option of building my own itinerary (using a list of sights and activities narrowed to fit my stated preferences) or letting the tool do it for me.

Typically, I like to be in the driver's seat when it comes to trip planning. And this tool does make it easier to home in on the information you need to plan a very cool trip. All I had to do was click on the “Add” button to the right of any sight or activity that appealed to me. Each entry is accompanied by a photo and description. They could have stopped there.

I was skeptical about what the tool would come up with on its own. And I was amazed! What would have taken me a hour using the narrowed list provided by the tool (probably many more using a general web-search and manual consolidation) took less than 10 minutes -- from quiz to final plan.

I was presented with a day-by-day itinerary that matched my interests perfectly:

• Daily sights and activities where arranged according to geographic proximity.
  
• Costs were noted to the side. (I'd noted I was on a budget.)
  
• Not too much planned for any given day (I said I preferred a relaxing pace).
  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A lot of “top 10” lists strike me as a tad obvious and even self-serving. At least once a year Paris is named one of the 10 “most romantic” cities in the world. Tell me something I don’t know. And by now, I’m absolutely clear that at least five of the “10 most beautiful beaches” are in Hawaii. (There's a whole advertising section on Hawaii to back up the claim.) It’s the more obscure "top 10" lists that surprise me. Like this list of rare U.S. beaches that have escaped the bulldozer.

In fact, the Point Reyes peninsula is one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets – just a few hours from San Francisco, it is almost completely untouched. You can harvest oysters, kayak into secluded coves, follow herds of Tule elk and actually swim in the water. (It's reasonably warm here!) For more detail about the area's special sights, click on my favorite links. (Scroll down "Marin County".)

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The firecracker real-person's chef hosts a new segment called "Tasty Travels," airing Fridays at 9:30 p.m./8:30 central. Of course she has some fabulous recommendations for San Francisco -- on and off the beaten path.

From the Acme Bread Company (for the city's signature sourdough loaves) and the rest of the Ferry Building Marketplace to seafood specialties and made-to-order(!) lasagna at restaurants in the less visited Castro and Outer Richmond neighborhoods, Rachel makes the round of some of the city's most unique eats.

The show is the next best thing to tagging along with Rachel. (Which would be a blast in itself.) Check out short videos online (click on "Tasty Travels" above). Or scroll down to the map and click on 15 other places Rachel has scoped out -- from Canada to Trinidad. Yum!  

(BTW: I reviewed a true a hidden gem of a vacation rental (somewhere to stay while you're eating your way across San Francisco) for Renting Paradise: San Francisco & Marin County. Within easy walking distance of the Castro and Noe Valley neighborhoods, it's around the corner from the last unpaved street in San Francisco -- a slice of Sonoma County dead-center in the city!) 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The “Burrito Walk” tasting tour is just one way to discover the treasures of historic Healdsburg any Friday from 2-3:30 p.m.    

Fah-getta-bout wine, at least for an afternoon. This 90-minuite meal-in-a-tour sounds to me like the perfect long-weekend introduction to Healdsburg, California. (Read the whole article in the July + August 2006 issue of AAA's Via magazine.)

Your party of four or more will stop at off-the-beaten-path taquerías and cafés to taste gourmet breakfast burritos and chef’s specials as well as salsas, cervezas, and/or non-alcoholic orchata or jamaica. The tour cost is $30 per person – so skip lunch beforehand!

The Burrito Walk is just one of 16 regularly scheduled tours ... they'll even help you customize one for a special event.  

(BTW: Renting Paradise: Sonoma County has reviews of an apartment near the plaza in downtown Healdsburg and a home just outside of town.) 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

If there's a wine-tasting trip anywhere in your future, check out these resources. (Although, you may have to bookmark Vino! At this writing, the server has been dead in the water for a whole weekend!)

I found it in an article by Christine Sarkis titled “A Novice’s Guide to Planning a Wine Country Getaway” (SmarterTravel.com newsletter). SmarterTravel.com is a free online consumer community dedicated to helping people save time and money on travel. Always a good thing.

But here's where I think Ms. Sarkis missed a key point. The article didn’t even mention vacation rentals as a way to save on accommodations in the heart of the tasting zone. Here’s an excerpt: “… staying in quaint Glen Ellen is almost always going to be more expensive than staying outside of the heart of the wine region in the more workaday Santa Rosa, where visitors will have a wider spectrum to choose from.” 

Technically true. But who wants to stay in a Motel 6 and wrestle with  Santa Rosa's commuter traffic after a day of sipping?  Midweek (the time Sarkis recommends traveling to save money), two couples will each spend $145 a night at Kenwood House (cheaper than most B&Bs and inns ... and the house can actually accommodate up to 7). Renting Paradise: Sonoma County reviews a handful of similar homes a very short drive from dozens of Russian River, Alexander Valley and Sonoma wineries. Renting a vacation home in the heart of the wine country is a great way to savor the wine country experience along with the wines.  

That said, the article offers practical advice. And ... once the server is back among the living ... expect Vino! piles on more basic guidance: wine recommendations and ratings, basic education (from a glossary of terms http://www.vino.com/guide/wine-term-glossary.asp to choosing wine glasses http://www.vino.com/guide/choosing-wine-glasses.asp), a heads-up on wine events http://www.vino.com/events/ and a link to the Wine Radio Network.http://www.vino.com/radio/

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Among the many truly creative walking tours available in San Francisco (which of course is best seen on foot), one stands head and shoulders above the rest: FOOT! Tours.

Choose from 10 two-hour tours capture the history of city and personality of neighborhoods often glossed over by mainstream tours, including:

• Flashback: A Mind-Blowing Trip Through the Haight-Ashbury of the 1960s
• Go West, Young Woman: Ten Daring Dames of San Francisco's Past
• Hobnobbing with Gobs of Snobs: Nob Hill's Old Nouveau Riche
• Instant City – Just Add Gold: Glitter, Greed and the Growth of San Francisco

And my personal favorite -- Where’s the F'ing Beach in North Beach? The Nine Lives of North Beach. (Plenty of F-words, but no actual use of THE F-word, kids.) 

The schedule changes weekly, so check the calendar. Reservations are required. (Adults: $30; seniors and students $20.)

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ya gotta love the interactive power of Macromedia on the Internet. And kudos to the Washington Post Travel Section for posting an interactive map of San Francisco called  San Francisco Two Ways. Basically, “You can do it like a tourist, or you can do it like a local.)

Meaning … there are two versions of this map, like two sides of a reversible raincoat. Choose either the tourist or local map and then click on a location. Or scroll through the text-based table of contents at the right. You get a photo and zoom-in thumbnail map.

Not much meat (detail) to this. But it’s a fun visual orientation with a valuable insider’s view of the city.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If your fascination for The Da Vinci Code extends to travel, here are some timely  resources .

Follow the "official" tour  guide. That’s right, Fodors has published a new guide called “A Da Vinci Code Tour: Travel the roads taken by characters in the best-selling novel” (by Chris Culwell). The book focuses on sites in and around Paris, Rome, London, Scotland and New York, where the main action in the book and movie takes place.

Rent the Chateau. BeautifulPlaces, a vacation rental management company dealing in "vacation homes of distinction" can make it happen. If you'll remember, Château Villette (about 35 minutes outside of Paris) plays a pivotal role in "The Da Vinci Code," as the residence of  Sir Leigh Teabring who revealed the story's central secret .

You can rent the 17^th-century “home” – alll 17 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms of it. The newly renovated vacation rental offers wireless Internet and a gym, as well as a grand dining room with a carved stone buffet and octagonal salon. Among the outbuildings on the 185-acre property  are  a chapel , greenhouse and stables. There are also two stocked lakes.

Perfect place for the next  family reunion, wouldn’t you say?

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Attention brides!  If you have your heart set on a wedding in the wine country, but are finding prices at local wineries hard to swallow, here’s a really lovely alternative in Sonoma County.

Have the ceremony at the historic Kenwood Community Church. Founded in 1888, the New England-style building is set in a quiet residential neighborhood off Warm Springs Road in Kenwood. The church pastor encourages couples to craft their own personal ceremonies. You can add your own ideas, favorite readings, and traditions ensuring your day will be meaningful (and spiritually appropriate) to the two of you.

Two-bedroom Kenwood House, next door to the church, is a great place for the family and wedding party to gather before the ceremony and for the newlyweds to spend their first night together.

After the ceremony is over, borrow a wedding tradition from Italian and Scottish couples and lead guests in a procession (about two blocks) to the reception at the Kenwood Depot. (In small Italian villages, the newlywed couple would walk through the town plaza greeting friends, neighbors and relatives after the wedding. In Scotland, the wedding party would be “piped” -- led by bagpipers -- to a lavish wedding reception/party.)

Now a distinctive historic landmark, the Kenwood Depot once welcomed crowds of visitors from San Francisco who summered in the wine country to escape cold city summers.

Stationmaster Anne Coffect gave us the grand tour of this architecturally unique rough-hewn stone building. Inside we found a 1,000-sq.-ft. room with oak floors, the original built-in station benches, a bar area and a full kitchen. There's also a fireplace you can use in the off-season.

The rental fee ($775 to $975 for weekend days April to December; midweek and off-season rates are considerably less) covers the facility, tables and chairs and cleaning service. Seating is available indoors and outdoors—on the lawn and original train platform, where there are glorious views of the neighboring vineyards and a brick BBQ.

If you want a truly memorable wedding day -- that won’t set you back the equivalent of a down payment ona new home -- check this out!

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eighty-eight cities, 22 states, 28 countries…  “Around the World in 80 Homes” (on the Fine Living Network) is a pinch-yourself, armchair-tour of the world, vacation rental by vacation rental.

Ah, go ahead. Treat yourself to a sneak peek. I love that each half-hour episode has a theme… “Active Escapes,” “Offbeat Retreats,” On the Water”. The "Family Friendly Homes" episode featured a rustic Yellowstone log cabin that sleeps 15. "Across America” toured a French Caribbean casa in Florida and a traditional adobe in New Mexico.  

The