Some people prefer Napa Valley’s neighbor, Sonoma Valley, because it’s slightly less pretentious, less crowded, and less expensive, but in a way I actually like the pretension of Napa Valley. The castles, vine-covered hills, and over-the-top beauty make me feel like I’m somewhere special, far away from home. At the same time, I have always found the people to be friendly and helpful, offering for us to share tastings and happily answering questions.

Here is what I did on one perfect day-trip.  For a more authentic and peaceful experience, get to the Silverado Trail as quickly as you can. We connected to it just outside of Napa. Here it is, with few cars despite being a warm, beautiful Saturday in November:

Get off Hwy 29 and stick to the Silverado Trail

The Visitors Center in Napa provides a great map of all the wineries along the Silverado Trail and adjacent roads. We used it as a guide and made our first stop at the quiet Signorello Estate Winery just because it looked pretty. As you drive north, it’s on the right side several minutes past Napa.

We weren’t disappointed. The small hilltop winery is beautiful and includes a lovely area for sitting outside. Like most wineries in Napa Valley, tastings were $15.

From the parking lot, go through the little opening in the shrubs to walk around the vines and take in views like this:

Back on the Silverado Trail, we drove just a bit more and stopped at the Silverado Winery. This friendly winery is crowded and more touristy than I usually like, but it’s worth it for the views.

Stick your head in this storage room– the smell of the barrels is amazing!

We continued north on the Silverado Trail and cut west across Zinfandel Road towards the busy Highway 29.  You can stop and buy fresh local produce on the side of the road. Stands like these are common around rural California– take what you like and put your money in the box.

After just a few minutes on Zinfandel Road, we turned north onto Highway 29, the main highway that runs through Napa Valley, and pulled into V. Sattui, which is famous for its wine and outstanding deli.

Despite the crowds, visiting the deli was worth it. There were cheeses available to taste. We bought picnic supplies and enjoyed a delicious lunch. Gourmet sandwiches are also for sale, but if you want a sit-down meal, there are nice restaurants just down the road.

We wanted to  continue north on Highway 29, but we soon gave up because there was too much traffic; it was a weekend, after all. We went back to the Silverado Trail and headed toward home but made one last stop at the unique Cliff Lede Winery.

The winery has sculptures scattered in its gardens, including work by the famous 20th-century artist Jim Dine.

So, there you have it, a perfect day-trip in Napa Valley. Add more wineries to your day, including Stags Leap (on the Silverado Trail), Sterling Vineyards (near Calistoga and known for its views), Beringer (for its great reds), Clos Pegase (for its art), or one of the lovely smaller wineries.

Have you been to Napa Valley? I’ll be going there again soon, so please share your recommendations.

In fact, I spend a lot of time thinking about this. I did it last night even though summer vacation is still 3 months away. I awoke at 4 a.m. and lay in bed fantasizing about a long-overdue trip to Italy. Over this morning’s coffee, I searched for flights despite not knowing if we could really go. As soon as the tax rebate arrives, I plot how much of it I can set aside for travel. The truth is, it’s very little–about enough to pay for a couple of plane tickets somewhere, but not enough for the rest of a trip. And that is not even considering the fact that I have two small children and two dogs.

A favorite memory from a month-long trip in southern Europe

When I was in my last year of college, I started a tradition of sorts. I thought of somewhere I wanted to go, and I went. I took advantage of every opportunity– I traveled a lot and studied and lived abroad. It all made me really happy. Later, when I met my husband, I traveled with him, but soon I started to work more and travel less. I never thought that one day it wouldn’t be so easy to travel the world. Now that I have two kids and little travel money, maybe I should just put off my travel hopes and be content settling in for a few years.

“I learned that a rooted life means making the kind of choices that I had avoided for the last decade.” (From a beautiful NYTimes essay by Elizabeth Eaves.)

Home is where I've planted roots with my family for the last 9 years, but...

The trouble is that no matter how hard I try to reassure myself that I should be content with our usual Brazil and California journeys, and that we will travel more when our lives stabilize a bit, I can’t kick my dreams. They visit me every day. I bug my husband with them. I write about travel and research places half-way around the world that I am oddly obsessed with. I still dream about living abroad again.

What is my problem?!

I blame my restlessness on my strong Vata nature. (Photo from Wikipedia Commons)

The answer may be obvious. It’s my nature. I like looking at this through Ayurveda, the ancient science of medicine and well-being from India. Everyone has a constitution, a combination of the three “doshas,” or elements: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. People with dominant Kapha usually prefer lazy days at home taking a nap or soaking in the tub. People with dominant Pitta tend to be goal-oriented; they may love working and moving up the ladder. People with dominant Vata love change, movement, and stimulation.

The element of Vata is wind, so people like me are not very grounded; we are light, blowing here and there around this beautiful earth.

We can find aspects of ourselves in all three doshas, and one is not better than another, but one dosha dominates and gives us our nature. While I like to be successful in my work and cherish a lazy day at home, the Vata in me tugs hard.

Instead of fighting against this, I have decided to accept it. My love of travel and immersing myself in other cultures no matter where I am will not go away. If you love to spend your Sundays taking naps, don’t judge yourself against those Pittas who seem to be more productive. Don’t compare yourself to others. And don’t expect people to be like you. We are who we are.

Which way pulls you?

The architecture is of a different time, partly European and partly something else, reflecting the 18th century days of exploration and exploitation in California.

The Spanish set up missions all along California’s coast in an effort to convert the natives and create a powerful network of communities, each within one day’s walk of the next.

The church is full of Spanish artwork and interesting details from the 1700s.

The grounds of the mission include a large garden; it looks very California, with drought-resistant plants and a bubbling fountain.

The mission’s cemetery reflects the town’s proximity to the ocean with graves lined with abalone.

I am supposed to be back at the house we are renting– my family is waiting for me– but I sneak around the side and come upon the mission’s courtyard. I feel like I could spend all day here. It is so beautiful.

And as it’s time to go, I get in one last view, a touch of Spain in the heart of California. I’m grateful for this piece of California history, but now it’s time to go to the beach.

This photo essay was submitted to this week’s photo series on Budget Travelers Sandbox and Delicious Baby.

Simon’s blog was one of these. I fell in love with her photographs the first time I visited her site. Not only is Simon’s photography amazing and her love of the planet infectious, she is also a very warm and humble person. I look forward to meeting her in person someday. I am honored to feature Simon in my interview series!

1.      Tell us about your site/sites and how you started travel blogging.

I started blogging in 2009 as a way to learn about new media, which interested me so much. I chose to write about travel, my greatest passion (which gave the name to my Wild About Travel blog) and… after only a few weeks I found out that blogging was simply fantastic.

Algeria

2.      Your website was one of the very first travel blogs I started reading, and I’ve long admired your photographs.  What inspires you when you take photographs?

I remember well that you have been following me from almost the very beginning and this was a wonderful encouragement to go on and pursue my passion. When choosing a travel destination, I am strongly influenced by the power of images. Photography is what strikes my imagination and that’s why in Wild About Travel photos are an important part of my story telling. Words and images convey different emotions and I try to involve my readers through both. As for my photography, I have absolutely no technical background. I just follow my inspiration, driven by what in that very moment I feel as pure beauty and trying to capture it.

3.      You are from Italy, a country I have always loved.  Can you share something special about the area of Italy that you are from?

Italy is the richest country in the world in terms of art and cultural heritage and a land of great landscape diversity, ranging from the Alps in the North to the bare islands in the extreme South. I live in Milan, the second largest Italian city and the capital of Lombardy region. Milan was quite damaged by the bombings during WW II and while not comparable to cities as Florence, Rome or Venice, it still has its charm. And although quite overlooked, Lombardy has a few little gems, as the lakes (Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, Lago d’Orta), the historic centre of Bergamo, and beautiful Mantua, with its amazing Middle Age and Renaissance heritage.

Milan Cathedral

4.      How do your travel choices reflect who you are as a person?

I guess it is in the destinations I choose, as well as in the ‘travel style’. I love wilderness and remote areas, but I am also passionate about art and culture. The main drivers to me are beauty and emotions. That means that a certain level of comfort is something I like but it is not a must and sleeping in a tent will surely not prevent me to visit a specific area, as I did in the Algerian desert. I just try to find a good solution to get the best of every travel experience, keeping costs reasonable.

5.      Tell us about a favorite trip or favorite travel experience.

Difficult question, as every place I visited was unique in some way. Peru was one of my favorite travel experiences. I fell in love with the colors, the landscape – one of the most diverse I ever found in a single country – and the culture.

Lake Titicaca

6.      What are some travel lessons you have learned recently?

There are many, but the most important is probably learning how to be respectful of a country, its history, people, traditions, beliefs and cultural heritage. This is likely the most difficult thing, and while I’m trying to do my best, I know that I still have to improve a lot. Traveling into a different country, especially when for a limited time, can give us a little understanding, and we should keep in mind that it is only a very partial vision and knowledge. Impressions are not the truth (supposing that a truth exists) and I’m always afraid that I might forget it.

7.    One country you and I both love is Brazil.  What was your travel experience there? Brazil was one of the most beautiful and challenging trips of the last few years. In Europe, countries are small, so coping with very big countries and huge distances with limited time was not an easy task. I was eventually able to visit the two places that were attracting me at most: the Lençois de Maranhenses National Park and Fernando de Noronha, besides other wonderful sites such as Salvador de Bahia. It was a wonderful experience and I’d definitely would like to go back.

8.  What place really surprised you and why?

Venezuela was a wonderful surprise. I was not expecting so much beauty and wilderness and felt really speechless especially in Canaima National Park and in the Gran Sabana. I also loved the people: so welcoming and joyful.

Venezuela

9.      I am have an optimistic world view, and I believe that through travel, we can become better citizens of the earth.  What is one way that you can make a positive difference in the world while traveling?

Excellent question. I do believe that there are at least two ways in which travel can make a positive difference (but only if travelers are willing to…). First is looking at the extreme beauty of our planet, in the hope that the strong emotions of a single moment might lead to more love and respect towards nature and environment. The second one is related to people and different cultures, where I ideally fancy that knowledge might lead to abolish cultural, religious and racial barriers and intolerances.

10.    What are your specific hopes for your future travels?

I hope to be able to see wild and remote places (as Antarctica or faraway areas in Africa) and endangered sites. Our planet is wonderful but also extremely fragile. Things are changing very quickly and, unfortunately, not always for the better.

You can find Simon at her blog, Wild About Travel, on Facebook, and on Twitter (@1step2theleft). Thank you so much to Simon for this interview! Find more of my interviews with inspiring travelers here.

A lot has changed in Brazil in those 11 years. São Paulo is still huge and noisy, but, like much of the country, it has become even more cosmopolitan while retaining the warmth Brazil is known for. Here are some snapshots of life in this crazy megalopolis… this is São Paulo, Brazil:

São Paulo is the largest city in the southern hemisphere. That’s right! Almost 20 million people live here, and the city seems to go on forever.

At one of the entrances to Ibirapuera Park, an enormous outdoor space filled with the famed architect Oscar Niemeyer’s buildings:

São Paulo has an array of great architecture, art, and museums. Here is my favorite, MASP, on the city’s finest boulevard.

The French sculpture gallery inside the beautiful, old Pinacoteca museum:

Street art abounds in São Paulo.

Trucks like this one selling fresh coconut water and sugar cane juice are all over the city, on just about every block.

A bowl of guavas for $1.50 for sale on the street:

You can see lots of snakes at Instituto Butantan, but for more than 100 years, its real purpose has been the development of anti-venom.

Brazil is home to more Japanese than anywhere else outside Japan; many live in the busy Liberdade neighborhood of São Paulo.

An outdoor neighborhood market offers a glimpse of slowness in this bustling city.

The Sunday antiques market

I’ll be back in São Paulo this summer, and this time I’ll be focusing on three of the city’s best aspects: restaurants, markets, and architecture.  Have you been to Brazil? To São Paulo? What are your impressions?

(This post is part of this week’s photo series at Delicious Baby.)

1) Spend my on-line time efficiently

No more sitting in front of the computer aimlessly wandering blogs, photos, social media, Twitter updates, NYT sections… In 2011, I fell in love with the constant stream of creativity, information, and inspiration, but I gradually realized that I just don’t have the time in my life now to consistently engage with it all. Life is too short to spend much free time in front of the computer screen! I’m still trying to figure out what will get the cut, but I know that much of it will happen naturally. What doesn’t serve me will float away and leave a tiny bit more space in my day for what I really need (sleep?).

What would I notice if I spent more time connected to what is around me and less time on the computer?

I thought about this more after reading this from Raam Dev: “How much time do you spend reading what others are spending time doing? Does the activity add regular value to your life or is it a grab bag of occasional usefulness? Unless we learn to self-moderate, we will risk self-sabotage.”

This doesn’t mean that I will blog less. It just means that my time on-line will be spent better. Lately I’ve noticed that certain types of interaction are more rewarding than others (Instagram = all fun; travel forums = usually a waste of time and therefore gone!).

It didn't take me long to get hooked on Instagram

And speaking of blogging…

2) More blogging and related projects

2011 was actually a good blogging year for me despite the facts that I had little time to write due to the arrival of my second child in January, and that my main inspiration, travel, was not a huge part of my year. However, I set up this self-hosted site, started my Facebook and Google+ pages, used Instagram and Pinterest for more engagement, joined Travel Blog Success, started a Tumblr blog dedicated to my photos, joined in the ArtSmart Roundtable posts, and watched my site slowly but surely grow.

My blogging intention for 2o12 is to stay focused: to grow parts of my blog that inspire me and others, to continue building relationships with other bloggers that are rewarding to me, to get a couple of important things done (a snazzy logo and an advertising page), and to focus on the topics that inspire me to write.

It's time to start planning return trips to Japan, Bali, Brazil, Italy, and the Netherlands.

I also intend to start planning some big trips, ones I have not been able to take due to the responsibilities of having 2 small children and working. Part of this will include researching possibilities for tours of the art in Italy, which I plan to lead in the next few years.

3) More fun!

I felt like I spent most of last year playing a catch-up game of one kind or another every weekday and weekend. Even my vacations were filled with tons of things to do. The busy-ness will not go away this year, and I’m embracing that because I have no option. I intend to make more of the time I do have no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

Looking forward to many more times like this recent stay on the California coast

Over my winter break, we spent a few days on the coast and took several day-trips in Northern California, and I felt really inspired to continue traveling in California. But there will also be some big trips this year. The details are not yet finalized, but I know we will spend a few weeks in Brazil this summer, and I hope to take a couple other exciting trips this year.

What about you? What are your intentions for 2012 and beyond? What can you give up to allow more space for what’s important to you?

When in Italy, especially Florence, you will see lots and lots and lots of frescoes. During the Medieval and Early Renaissance, most painting was either an altarpiece for a church or a fresco. Painting for private residences and oil painting came about a bit later in the Renaissance with artists like Botticelli, although fresco still held a prominent position– think the greatest fresco of all, the Sistine Chapel from the High Renaissance!

Detail of a favorite fresco in Florence

I bet that if I took a poll of people visiting Florence and asked them what type of art was their favorite, frescoes would not score very high. They tend to be thought of as art that’s old, sometimes crumbling, maybe a bit boring. I might actually agree with that when it comes to some frescoes, but there are plenty of them in Florence that are sure to please. But why should frescoes get so much attention anyway?

The fresco technique is difficult. The artist applies plaster to a wall and paints the image on the plaster before it dries. This technique means that each time plaster is applied, the image must be finished that very day and makes it almost impossible for the artist to correct mistakes or make changes, as artists often do with other types of painting. Fortunately, the fact that frescoes are part of the wall means that, in favorable climates, they last for a very long time. And because frescoes so often were used to decorate chapels and walls of churches, they were usually part of a cycle, meaning several frescoes that connected to tell a story.

Here are my favorite examples of fresco in Florence (and Siena):

1) The Tornabuoni Chapel in Santa Maria Novella, Florence, 1485-1490

This church has some of my favorite art in Florence. The main chapel houses the fresco cycle of the lives of Mary and St. John the Baptist. It is huge– the Renaissance master Domenico Ghirlandaio enlisted his workshop, including the 13-year-old Michelangelo, to help him complete the frescoes.

One reason to see this fresco cycle is that it shows the trends of the Renaissance, from the beautiful details of the clothes and furniture to the hairstyles. Plus, it goes from floor to ceiling, enveloping you in its size, color, and detail. I love it.

2)  Fra Angelico’s frescoes in San Marco, Florence, 1436-1445

Not all frescoes were enormous projects paid for by wealthy patrons seeking extra assurance of salvation. These small, simple frescoes were painted by a monk who adopted some of the innovations of the Early Renaissance into his own delicate style. The frescoes decorated the monks’ cells to provide them with something holy to concentrate on while praying.

3) The Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, (mostly) 1425-1427

The Brancacci Chapel is probably the best place to see the artistic innovations of the Early Renaissance. Most of it was painted by the young artist Masaccio,whose ability to portray humans realistically helped bring the Renaissance ideals of humanism and creativity to life. This cycle was so influential in the Renaissance that several decades after Masaccio painted it, Michelangelo came here to study fresco painting.

4) The Last Supper, Sant’Apollonia, Florence, c. 1445-1450

This fresco is off the beaten path in Florence. It’s located in the city center but in a former convent that is completely off the tourist radar. Go inside the convent’s refectory to experience this, and you will probably be there by yourself. The fresco is one of several notable last supper scenes painted during the Renaissance, but I like this one because it is unique.

Andrea del Castagno was experimenting with the recent invention of linear perspective. The ceiling of the last supper scene leads your eye back in a dizzying  geometric pattern. The 6 panels above the men are unusual; notice that the most striking panel sits above the heads of Jesus and Judas. Judas’s face seems devil-like, and he is seated on the other side of the table, separated from the others, a sign of his eventual betrayal of Jesus.

5) The Allegory of Good and Bad Government, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, 1340

Go inside the beautiful Palazzo Pubblico on Siena’s main square to enjoy this wonderful fresco. It wraps around the walls with bright colors and unusual details. It is quite different from other frescoes you will see because… it is not religious! Instead, the civic themes of good and bad government are shown since this is, after all, the town hall.

This fresco is from Siena’s heyday, in 1340 when it was a powerful city-state. Less than 10 years later, the plague hit Tuscany, and Siena lost up to half of its population. The city never recovered, so what you see now in Siena is a Medieval city with an unfinished cathedral and no Renaissance masterpieces. It is beautiful but had a very different fate from that of nearby Florence.

This fresco may have suffered some damage, but the weird details and intense colors are fantastic.

What do you think? Italy has no shortage of amazing frescoes. What are your favorite frescoes in Italy?

If you’re interested in joining me on a future tour of the art wonders of Italy, keep in touch!

Would you like to get more “artsmart” before your next travels? Check out the other posts in this series, and find the Art Travel Bloggers on Facebook.

Raphael’s School of Athens from Eurotravelogue

The Cyclorama from A Sense of Place

Frescoes, Wall Art, and the Test of Time from Travellious

Fresco Rescue and the Problem of Venice from CG Travels

(Photos are from Wikipedia Commons except the San Marco and Sant’Apollonia photos from dvdbramhall on Flikr)

Since returning to California 10 years ago, I now actually see why Californians love California so much. Even though I love and appreciate what the rest of the U.S. and the world have to offer, I am starting to feel like I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.  Why?

Because California is so beautiful.

And diverse, not just in people, but also in food, language, education, and especially nature.

There is so much to do here.

California is exciting and alive. Despite all its problems, it is vibrant. It is where the action is.

Here are some glimpses of that vibrancy as seen in the colors of California.

The almost unreal color palette of Carmel Beach on an unusually sunny day

The huge valley that runs much of the length of the state is hot and dry most of the year.

Snow is definitely part of winter for much of California . This fresh snowfall in the Sierra Nevadas was one hour from my house in the valley.

Farming is all around us. Any road-trip includes views like this of fields and orchards.

Wine is part of the culture here. This was taken in the humble but excellent Lodi wine country.

Fall glows in Northern California

Sun setting on the Sacramento River

It's hard to escape the bright sun in the summer unless you head to the coast.

An homage to farmworkers at the Cornerstone outdoor art installations in Sonoma

The precariously positioned Point Reyes Lighthouse

No look at California would be complete without the famously grey, foggy beauty near San Francisco.

This is just a tiny peek… Look for more photos of California in upcoming posts. In the meantime, let me know what strikes you about California.

(This post is part of this week’s travel photos at Budget Travelers Sandbox and Delicious Baby.)

Family blog trip with Tourism New Zealand

1.  Tell us a bit about you, your site, and how you started blogging.

Our site is an independent travel blog aimed at providing travelers with the inspiration and information they need to travel themselves and to live their dream life.

We have lived and travelled around the world since 97 and have such a passion for it and so much information to share. We were always sharing with others on the road, so it felt like a natural fit to start sharing on our blog.

We wanted to create a community similar to that we discovered while travelling. People who were intent on discovering life, living it the max, having fun, sharing and getting to know one another. We have fun with this especially on our fanpage.

2.  You have had some pretty amazing travels both before and after having children.  Can you summarize them for us? 

Before children we had some adventurous and wild travel times. I (Caz) lived in London for two years and travelled Europe in a campervan. Then Craig and I lived in Bangkok, Dublin, Western Australia and Raleigh, North Carolina. We travelled through the UK, Africa, Asia, and The US.

Our travels since having our daughters have been a bit calmer. We lived in the States with Kalyra for two years and travelled the US, Puerto Rico, and Fiji. Since starting our travel blog we have also been seen more of Australia and New Zealand. Savannah had her first international trip when she was just 8 weeks old- she’s a natural!

Friendships across many nationalities

3.  You are not a nomadic family. Where is your home base and what do you do there?  How does having a home benefit your family?

At the moment our home base is our home town in Australia. We have been back here for almost 18 months and are looking set to be on the move again within the next couple of months. We mainly work on our blog, while doing casual work on the side to help cover the bills. Craig is a carpenter and I am a teacher.

I actually wrote a post today on Finding the Travel Balance, I think when you have children it is important to try to find that balance between long term travel and a normal life. I think children cope very well with travel and it is so beneficial for them, but I also think there is a lot of benefit in them having a place where they feel they belong surrounded by people who know and love them.

4.  How has travel changed for you since having children?

It has slowed us down a lot more and changed our decisions in regards to where we stay, how we get around and what activities we do. Things like hiking, adventure sports and partying late at night are not really an option at the moment while the children are so young. We stay in hotels more than hostels now and are less inclined to ride around in the back of a pick-up.

5.  Your older daughter is old enough to understand your family’s lifestyle.  How do you think traveling has influenced her?

She is so globally aware and has such an insatiable curiosity about the world around her. She loves learning and can rattle off the names of many different countries and places.

She also has an understanding of the idea of planning for future events and working towards goals, as we are always taking of our future travel plans and what we need to do to get there.

She is very caring and compassionate and gets along with many different types of people.

Kalyra with new friends in Queensland

6.  What is the most important piece of advice you would give to parents who want to travel with their kids?

Be flexible and leave a lot of time in your schedule for rest and children time. Travellers shouldn’t be rigid with their plans anyway and even more so with children. You will be much slower with your travels and you will have to allow for time to play at parks, swim in kiddies pools and do all those fun things your children will love. The more they love their travels with you, the longer you can keep travelling for.

Spend time talking with your children about your travels before, during and after. Get them really excited about it and discuss with them what they saw, what they liked and didn’t like and then continue to share the memories together once the experience is over. You want your children to understand that you have created these amazing memories together which you will be able to share forever.

With my baby at Taronga Zoo

7.  Do you think about raising your kids in another country?  If so, where and why?

Absolutely! It’s of course not an easy decision and one that needs to be really well thought out, but we would love to give our children the opportunity to live in another country. We are open to consider any country, but really our heart is set on Thailand or the USA.

We like the lifestyles in both countries, we know our children can get a good education and, especially Thailand; we would love for her to grow up knowing and understanding a culture so different from her own.

8.  What are your specific hopes for your future travels?

We want to spend the next two years travelling before we think about traditional schooling for Kalyra and making a more permanent home base. This year we are hoping to visit Europe and attend the Olympic Games, as well as travelling through North America and Asia.

Once Kalyra goes to school then we will go on more short term holidays over the school breaks. Travel will always be in our life, we just have to find a way to balance it with family life.

9.  You are from Australia, a country I have not visited yet.  Where in your country would you suggest people visit and why?

Australia is so diverse and so big; this is a difficult question to answer. I think Western Australia is so unique and beautiful and untouched. You can visit unspoilt reefs and beaches, have experiences in the outback, visit ancient forests, explore wineries and so many other fascinating places. But the East Coast has all the well-known places like Sydney, Byron Bay, Melbourne and the Barrier Reef which are also worth seeing.

Hiking in Vietnam

10.  What is one way that you practice making a positive difference in the world while traveling?

Making sure that we spend time getting to know the local people and taking the time to understand their culture so that we may appreciate and celebrate it. I think this can only help bring about peace and compassion in our world, which can only bring positive differences. We each need to recognize how alike we really all are and that our experience here on Earth is enough to connect us in peace and friendship.

Thank you so much to Caz and Craig for doing this interview! You can find out more about them on their site, their Facebook page, and on Twitter.

Check out my first interview in this series, with Emiel of Act of Traveling.

However, we have been having an especially nice and very dry winter this year. Winter is the rainy season, and without the rain, things just don’t work right in this region. But this dry weather has made for wonderful travel opportunities– sunny skies and daytime temps in the 60s.

One of my favorite places in Northern California is the university town of Davis. It is famous for its agriculture and horticulture programs and therefore has an excellent arboretum. It provided the perfect place to stroll on a beautiful January day.

California native plants

Even though many oaks don’t have leaves in the winter, the curving shapes of the trees are beautiful. We spent about an hour just in the Oak Grove.

A sculpture by a UC Davis Landscape Architecture student

Back by the lake, there were plenty more plants to see.  In the Mediterranean area, the smooth trunk of this strawberry tree caught our interest:

Arbutus, commonly known as the strawberry tree because it produces tiny, edible strawberries

 UC Davis students enjoying the weather, too:

Davis is my favorite nearby day-trip from my home. It’s only 25 minutes away, totally different from my city (Sacramento), and a great place to take small children. This was one of several day-trips we enjoyed in Northern California this winter. What are your favorite places to visit in the winter or favorite day-trips close to home?

This post was submitted as part of the Thursday Travel Photo series at Budget Travelers Sandbox.