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Geneva-on-the Lake, OH
I absolutely adore nostalgic beach towns. Small towns, with no chain hotels or restaurants. Towns that were thankfully missed by developers, and their hulking high-rises. Relics from another era, virtually preserved in amber. Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio is one such place. A not so sleepy little enclave on the shores of Lake Erie, where it is always magnificently mid-century. Geneva-on-the-Lake as a destination dates back to 1869, when Cullen Spencer and Edward Pratt purchased land on Lake Erie, and opened a public picnic park with beach access. Soon people started camping at the park, which was seen as an escape from the surrounding smog filled industrial cities of the day. It even…
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Sunset Cruise- Santorini, Greece
As I have mentioned a time or two (or ten), I do love a scenic cruise. It is hard to beat a few hours out on the water, under the warm summer sun. Gentle ocean breezes, cool drinks, and wide open water. I seek these excursions out, and will take them whenever I can. I have yet to be disappointed, except when we got bumped off the boat in Hawaii due to overbooking. I am still salty about that. However, perhaps the best cruise I have ever taken departed from the Greek island of Santorini; it spent several hours exploring the archipelago’s bays and volcanoes, before literally sailing off into…
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Bandon Coastline- Bandon, OR
Oregon absolutely has one of the most dramatic coastlines in the United States. Sandy beaches give way to sea stacks and spires, ancient giants emerging from the surf. Driving the Oregon coastline should be on everyone’s roadtrip shortlist. Bandon is known primarily for being a difficult to reach golf destination, that is worth the journey. Which is unequivocally true. However, if you make the trek, you will also be rewarded with stunning scenery. Just outside of the town of Bandon itself, there are two scenic areas that offer excellent vistas. At the end of 8th Street, there is a small parking area that leads to a boardwalk. This will take…
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Shete Boka National Park- Boka Tabla, Curacao
Off the coast of Venezuela sits the lovely desert island of Curacao. First colonized by the Dutch in 1634, the island’s sheltered natural deep water harbor proved ideal for trade. As the colony flourished, grand colonial buildings were erected around the capital of Willemstad; though distinctly Dutch, local design elements were added, resulting in an architectural style known as Curacao Baroque. Many of these pastel painted buildings remain, and in 1997 the area became an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a beautiful city, that should be explored; but for those who are interested in the more distant past, head over to the island’s north shore. The island itself dates…
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Rockport Beach- Rockport, TX
There is nothing quite like a day at the beach. The surf, the sand…the birds! While there are countless options along the Gulf of Mexico, the sheltered shores along Aransas Bay are some of the best beaches around for bird watching. If you are lucky enough to be there in the winter you might even spot a Whooping Crane; the ridiculously rare birds spend the summer in the far reaches of Northwest Canada, then migrate 2500 miles to the Aransas Wildlife refuge for the winter. Even if you don’t see a Whooper, there are a wide variety of other birds that make this area home. With a wide sandy beach,…
