All posts tagged: road trip

Journey to the Bucolic Japanese Alps – Shirakawa-go and the Gifu Prefecture (Part 1)

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Over the past year, I have been lusting for Ogimachi Village in Shirakawa-go, a Unesco village nestled in the Japanese Alps and where time has seemingly left the region untouched. This mountainous area is known for its historic A-frame houses, also known as gassho-zukuri, which were made with a traditional building method without utilizing any nails. These gassho houses have withstood the test of time and continue to attract new generations of admirers. The next destination of our trip was a visit to the Gifu region where these houses are located today. Our trip started early in the morning with the high-speed train ride from Tokyo to Toyama, where we then picked up the rental car for a 1-hour drive to Shirakawa-go. Once we entered the picturesque village and checked into Shiroyamakan Inn that was established in 1884, we knew we were in for a special visit. The inn keeper’s daughter, Nana, greeted us and took us to our room where we were served tea and snacks. We were also given 3 bikes to use while …

Weekend Unexplored: 3 Day Road Trip Adventure from Marrakesh to Skoura

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Planning a visit to Morocco can be intimidating for anyone. Luckily for me, my friend who is practically a local was the chief architect of our adventures. We opted for a road trip with stops at various attractions between Marrakesh, Ouarzazate and Skoura in a private SUV with our driver and guide, Edouane. Specifically, we did not want to be the tourists that just check off boxes on an itinerary. We wanted to experience each place to the fullest and we accomplished that with our agenda. Day 1: Marrakesh to Skoura This was our longest driving day as it took over 5 hours at 30-40 miles per hour to our final destination over rocks, dirt paths and up and down windy mountain “roads”. This was not a car ride for folks with motion sickness, like myself. It was rough going and I was extremely happy when we finally arrived at Ouarzazate for a late lunch and a break from the car. Along the way, we discovered a village nestled in the Atlas Mountains and watched an …

Spring Road Tripping to Normandy and Brittany in France (Mont St. Michel, Cancale, St. Malo, Dinan and Giverny)

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Shoulder season is one of the best times to visit Europe and late spring is the perfect season to see the French country side. Hotel prices are still reasonable and most attractions are open and are not overrun with tourists. The highways in France are easy to navigate and with all the technological options, gone are the days of getting hopelessly lost and confused on the road. My cousin and I decided to do a 4-day road trip to visit towns in the western part of France as it is one area we have yet to explore. Our destinations for this trip were Paris to Mont St. Michel, Cancale, St. Malo, Dinan and Giverny on our return to the city. Day 1: Paris to Mont St. Michel Mont St. Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a small island off the coast of Normandy that is topped with a medieval Benedictine monastery. Over hundreds of years, the ramparts were built around the island to keep the English forces out, which was followed by other buildings …

Weekend Unexplored: 4 Days in Southern France (Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Lourmarin, Bonnieux and Cassis)

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Provence has always been on my list of places to visit in Europe. I had an opportunity to visit Europe again this year and made it a priority to visit this charming region. My sister and I choose to visit the region in early May before the tourist crowds descend onto the area. Luckily my good friend grew up in the region and planned my trip for me. There is nothing better than having a local show you the best of their home region! Friday-Saturday: Provence/ Marseilles Sunday: Aix-en-Provence, Lourmarin and Bonnieux Monday: Cassis Arrived Friday My sister and I flew into the Marseilles International Airport Friday morning to uncharacteristically rainy and windy weather. Marseilles Airport is very small and the car rental lot is right next to the airport. We rented a small automatic car from Hertz prior to arriving in Provence and the whole process to pick up the car took over an hour and a half. Things move very slowly in southern France. We were advised to book our car months in …

Road Trip: Pacific Coast Highway 1 (Part Two)

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“But why think about that when all the golden lands ahead of you and all kinds of unforseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you’re alive to see?” ― Jack Kerouac, On the Road Part Two of our family road trip picks up where we left off last week, heading south of Big Sur and concluding in Santa Barbara. “The longer you stayed at Hearst Castle, the further you’d sit from William Hearst during a meal,” said our guide as we walked into the dining hall. He was most definitely a Hearst fan and was beginning to tell us yet another story about the newspaper/media mogul and his distinguished guests.  We had just arrived for the 3 pm tour of the Castle’s main rooms and garden grounds.  After parking in front of the visitor’s center, we joined the line of tourists waiting to catch the bus that would drive us up to “La Cuesta Encantada,” the Enchanted Hill. Located atop the hill overlooking San Simeon, the estate’s grandeur and architectural details …

Road trip: Pacific Coast Highway 1 (Part One)

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“What about a family road trip?” my dad asked.  He and my mom talked about driving down the Pacific Coast Highway after hearing some friends rave about their experience.  Both of them expected my sister and me to come along by starting in San Francisco where we picked them up from the airport.  Of course, we agreed.  With our parents living on the East Coast, their visits were already infrequent. We hoped that by showing them the beauty of California, we might convince them to move here. I also knew full well that once we assented, we would take over the planning of the itinerary and the scheduled stops along the way.  We had three days to cover the distance between San Francisco and Santa Barbara.  Part 1 of this road trip series will cover our favorite discoveries from Monterey to Big Sur. First stop was in Butterfly Town, Pacific Grove, for lunch at Red Cafe.  The red house in which the restaurant opened was built in the 1890’s and sits as a local landmark on …