I stayed in twenty-two hotels, B and Bs, and cottages. Here are a few of my favorites.
Featured
Sonoma County Travel Kindly Pledge
I’ll be Traveling Kindly in Sonoma County while ‘Fall Glamping in Wine Country’
Gliding Over Wales
When the hook clicks open, and the pilot catches the updraft, the cockpit goes silent.
Journey Ends—Stories Begin
For now, here are a few teasers in no particular order.
Camping MendoStyle
The Mendocino Coast has an abundance of camping experiences. Camp among redwood giants; on a river bank; a secluded Pacific beach; under a bridge, or glamp in style surrounded by forest and woodlands. Camp with your horse. Work on a coastal farm. Have a luxury trailer delivered to your camp.
Links & Libations…
Where do you start with over 250 bourbons to choose from?
Bivouac in Cow Hollow…
Any day is a good day to shop; any night is a good night to party.
CHAPTER 6: England I’ll Be There Soon
I’ve finished planning. I’ve finalized my packing list. Tickets, confirmations, and tech gear are sorted. I’m ready to go.
CHAPTER 5: England I’ll Be There Soon
Details, details, details. 55-days until takeoff.
Newport Oregon, a Weekend Under the Bridge
Newport’s Yaquina Bay Bridge is mesmerizing.
Pack the Baking Soda…
Baking soda is a traveler’s best friend. It can be used in a pinch to replace 100s of things.
Tiny Travel Tip #1…
How to pack baking soda for traveling.
CHAPTER 4: England, I’ll Be There Soon
Mary Charlebois – 30-days in England
Point Arena California, an Unplug, Unwind, Occupy Nature Weekend
The road trip to Point Arena gradually re-sets your pace. You slow down, unplug and occupy nature. Each turn in the road opens to a sweeping Pacific vista. Cliffs hang high above the ocean. Powerful surf is carried by the wind. Wild, remote, and stunning, the call of Nature is loud here. About 3-hours north… via…
Product & Clothing Photography
Mary Charlebois product and clothing photo samples.
Cycling adventures with a great pub included — Wheely Wonderful Cycling
Cycling in Shropshire UK is elevated to an art form by Wheely Wonderful Cycling. Based in Ludlow, the gastronomic capital of England, Wheely curates food/cycle tours with stops to immerse in the best of traditional and modern eats, made with locally sourced food, beer, cider, and wine. All that, while pedaling through the Shropshire Hills,…
CHAPTER 3 – England, I’ll Be There Soon
121-days till take off. I can almost feel the pull of that enormous Air Bus as we climb out of San Francisco. Eleven hours later, I’ll be in London. Yahoo! My itinerary is filling-up quickly. New adventures pop-up daily. I must admit, researching and planning are one of my favorite parts of any trip. New…
Jacksonville: Water World – Beach Life – City Buzz
Water surrounds three sides of Jacksonville; ocean, river, and wetlands.
CHAPTER 2 – England, I’ll be there soon
Five months from now, I’ll be in England Hopefully, my body clock will adjust quickly. I’ll fly 11-hours non-stop, to reach my destination which is five hours ahead by the clock. Hummmmmm? Is this what jet lag’s all about? Arriving in London August 2nd, I’ll spend a couple days and evenings looking for rooftop locations…
The Mendocino Coast, we’re saving it for you
Visit the Mendocino Coast, take a hike on a land trust track. We’re saving it for you. Peregrine falcons, Point Arena mountain beaver, coastal prairie, dazzling white cliffs, wave watching, wildlife spotting, and spring flower bombs are just part of the wild, remote, and fragile Mendocino Coast and newly opened Pelican Bluffs Trail. Mendocino Land…
England, I’ll Be There Soon, Chapter One…
At last! In August 2018, I’ll fulfill my number one travel ambition; thirty days in England. My friends, family, and fellow journalist have heard lots about this trip. I’ve said many times, “This year I’m going to England for a month.”, only to be a ‘no-go’ for one reason or another. 2018 is the year…
Downton Abbey Fans…
…get your tickets today, they are going fast. OK, I admit it, I watched every minute (some more than once) of the most popular television drama in history. Everything about the series was “brilliant,” as the Brits would say. My favorite part are the costumes. The craftsmanship, fabrics, and fittings are excellent. The designs are romantic…
2017- My Favorite Photos
Prolific doesn’t say enough when it comes to my photography. I take 1000s of pics in a year. 2017 was photo-op filled from my travels around the country. California, Oregon, Florida, Washington DC (twice), Chicago, New York City, and all the states between Chicago and San Francisco filled my travel card in 2017. I traveled…
Choose Your Route to Machu Picchu
In 2018 I’ll begin featuring guest writers & photographers from time-to-time. My first guest writer is Mila Whitman, Editor of Travel Belles, mountain climber, trecker, and adventure traveler. Enjoy her article below, on choosing the right trek to Machu Picchu. Choose Your Route to Machu Picchu Towering over the Peruvian Andes since the 1450s, Machu…
Top-10 Stories For 2017
What a year. 100s of photos, 1000s of words, 12,000 miles or more, and lots of adventure. 2017 has been my best journalist year, life-changing in fact. I didn’t see my work in any of my publishers 2017 top story lists. I decided to review my efforts for the year and name ten of my…
The Original American Beach – Daytona Beach Florida
A Weekend in Daytona Beach… Since the 1920s, it’s been a vacation destination for folks escaping frigid northern winters. Today it hosts visitors year-round that come for sun, nature, and beach-life. Cars on the beach, NASCAR, amusement piers, buzzy bars, condos and hotels. That’s one side of Daytona Beach. Another is plantations, grand winter homes, empty……
Wavey Days
I can hear the surf from my house. I can see it from my yard. But I don’t need to see the Pacific to know when the surf is big. I can hear it. It booms and roars. Have your own wavey day, enjoy the slideshow. –MaryGo All photos along the Mendocino Coast in northern California….
Share Our Coast
We love to share our coast, especially in Fort Bragg California. Come visit the Mendocino Coast. Thanks for stopping by, MaryGo
Meet Steve…
Tucked into a corner of a seven-acre, blimp-hanger, Steve Schramm’s lifetime collection of WWII battle scenes is the newest exhibit at Tillamook Air Museum. A 20’x80’ space with three levels, is home to Steve’s mesmerizing collection. Last spring, I spent five weeks in Oregon. I wandered, explored, photographed and tasted. I love Oregon and…
OREGON’S TILLAMOOK BAY, A WEEKEND SEAFOOD SAFARI — Short Weeks – Long Weekends
“The seafood is so fresh, some call it hook-to-mouth!” Oregon’s Pacific coast produces extraordinary food. Fish, meat, dairy, fruit and veg are plentiful. The Oregon Coast food world is tasty to explore. Tillamook Bay is celebrated for seafood. The region harvests oysters, crab, shrimp, salmon, albacore, halibut, steelhead, lingcod and more. These delights can be caught……
Going to OZ…
“We grow food for the community. We grow ourselves. We grow farmers.” My first instinct was to pick an apple from the fence where they were trained to grow. A thousand shades of green, an earthy sweet smell, the sound-track of birdsong echoing slightly in the woods; all were punctuated by saws sawing, hammers hammering…
Prime Weekend Territory…
…Tualatin Valley Oregon Mt. Hood peaks between the hills from time-to-time. Along two-lane backroads, you’re occasionally slowed by a tractor. Barns, livestock, orchards, farms, and vineyards dress the rolling hills. U-pick fields, farm stands, tasting rooms and cyclist pop-up along the way. You’ll easily forget a busy city is a few miles away. Less than…
My secret beach house stay…
…on St Augustine Beach Florida. White sand dunes and sea oats, sea turtle nest and gentle surf, afternoon clouds swelling across the Atlantic horizon. All are standard on NE Florida’s coast. The uncrowded beaches are just a bit quieter, especially in summer. I stayed in one of St Francis Inn’s secret beach houses. Located on a beach trail…
Paddle or Peddle…
…explore Mendocino Coast Stanford Inn’s Catch A Canoe and Bicycles Too, have rented and sold wind-powered, people-powered and solar-powered transportation options since 1972. At their store and docks on Big River, you can find a trail guide, bicycle, kayak, canoe or outrigger. They’ll give you expert help for exploring Big River, Mendocino coast, inland trails…
JAX
Jacksonville Florida is a big city… …in fact, geographically, it’s the country’s largest. Located on St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean, it’s one of America’s major seaports, hosting two US Naval bases. Water surrounds three sides of Jacksonville; ocean, river and wetlands. Beaches, boating, fishing and watersports are some of the best ways to…
A1A sunrise…
Put the top down, slide on your movie star shades, let your hair fly. Your mission, road trip, 100-miles of Florida’s coast. A1A meanders down Florida’s Atlantic coast. It zigzags frequently, crossing the Intercostal Waterway, jumping between the mainland and narrow islands sitting like dots and dashes just off-shore. It links towns and cities to…
Best Hotel Ever
Hotel Palms is one of the best places I’ve stayed – anywhere. If you’re headed to Jacksonville Florida, stay at Hotel Palms in Atlantic Beach. It’s unlike any place you’ll ever stay. The night I was there was neighborhood movie night. Guest and neighbors watched a movie in the Palm’s courtyard. Local made food, coffee,…
Afternoon on the pier…
Crabby Joe’s is an eatery and fishing pier on Daytona Beach Florida. In June 2017, I spent an afternoon there, eating fresh grooper, drinking seabreezes and chatting with the folks fishing off the pier and waiting out the building thunderstorm.
Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport Oregon
i Flew at iFly
April and May were filled with my Great Oregon Road Trip. I spent five weeks immersing myself in Oregon, its people, food, history and nature. It will take months to write about it all. Here is one little bit I just had to share… Thanks for stopping by, MaryGo
What I learned in Buenos Aires (and why I’m going back) — John Bechtel Writer
I’m pleased to share this story from fellow travel writer, John Bechtel. He’s living the dream. Maybe you’d like to follow his adventures. This writer, recording observations from travelers from 42 countries that he met over six months in Puerto Limon Hostel, barrio of San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He returns there in three weeks…
Going to the next level…
I write for this exciting and ethical magazine. It’s a privilege to have my community and my work featured. Clare and crew are ready to take the publication to the next level. They need a little help. Learn where ITM is headed and how they’ll get there. Give them a hand if you can at ~ Immersion Travel…
Sail Through History
Sailing Through History with TSCA Published May 23, 2017 by Immersion Travel Magazine
Down by the river…
…it’s the morning of day 11 ~ Great Oregon Road Trip. The first sound I hear is a songbird welcoming sunrise. The Nehalem flows silently past my door a few yards away. The glassy water wears a mirror reflection of the old bridge crossing the Nehalem. A pair of Mallards glide past, breaking the surface with…
Early morning Elk…
…Elk California
Great Oregon road trip
My great Oregon road trip needs a list for my lists… I’m headed north on April 22, 2017. I’ll be driving to Oregon where I’ll spend five weeks roaming and wandering, getting to know the people and places that call my neighboring state home. My solo trip will take me to a writer’s conference in Salem,…
“I’m just stringing along.”
Yesterday, I became a stringer… The Independent Coast Observer, published in Gualala California, asked me to replace a retiring reporter. I’ll be researching, writing and photographing feature stories. Wow, I feel like I’ve finally earned the journalist badge I wear. April 2017 will mark 48-years this small town weekly has served Mendonoma coast. (Mendonoma is…
I love this magazine…
…Word of Mouth Magazine, a Mendocino County homegrown treasure. To publish a print magazine in this ‘send it to my screen’ age we’ve created, takes nerves of steel. Giving unbiased coverage to the many, many sources of sustainable, organic, clean and local food is genius. Holly Madrigal and her team of magazine-producing heroes keep us in…
Travel Hack – Cold and cough therapy
Cough and cold relief when traveling… What could be worse than a cold or cough on that vacation you’ve waited all year for? Or the business trip that you couldn’t cancel? My favorite treatment is mint inhalation for a cold or cough. At home, I get a large bowl of steamy water, add mint oil,…
Become a part of the art…
…people needed for A Portrait of Mendocino Village San Francisco based projection artist, Ben Wood, will be working in Mendocino California on March 3rd & 4th. He’ll be creating and prepping for, A Portrait of Mendocino Village, an after dark, projected art installation celebrating the community, its people and spaces. Ben is working with Mendocino Art Center to…
Hospitality + Hospital + Haunted
Grey Whale Inn Offers History Tours By: Mary Charlebois Originally published by Fort Bragg-Mendocino Coast Packet, February 1, 2017 Once a hospital, the Grey Whale Inn now welcomes visitors to thirteen spacious and distinctive guest rooms. Made entirely of old-growth redwood, the 3-story, craftsman-style building still sports all original hand-crafted interior walls, woodwork and ramps…