Beaches, Cities & Wildlife

Not many of you know this and not many people might agree with this, but I still stand by this. Vishakhapatnam (also known as Vizag), a coastal city in Andhra Pradesh, India has an amazing coastline and hosts one of the best beaches ever. No, the waters here are not turquoise blue nor are the cleanest, but let me tell you, the sea here has life!! If you like the sound of the roaring seas, and like to see the waters rise to your height, you must be here. There is a buzz in the waters here which you can unmistakeably see, hear and feel. There aren't many water sports but the waters themselves are playful and fun and they can soak you up in your upright posture. You don't need music or a book and trust me, you will never get bored as the waters keep you on your toes whether you are munching roasted peanuts on the sand or standing on one of the many rocks that dot the beaches. If you are anything like me, who loves to experience a sea which is alive and kicking, you got to be her…

If you are a camping enthusiast, I would suggest it be on your must-do list. If you are a first-timer like me, I would strongly urge you to do this and trust me, you will go camping again.
Wahweap Marina RV Park & Campground located on the shores of Lake Powell  in Page, AZ is what I would call a camping paradise. While an inviting beautiful blue lake surrounded by amazing red rock structures on one side and sandy shores on the other is what makes this campground special, the greenery, the picnic tables, the charcoal grills and fire rings complete the place. And if you are the only one with a tent in an RV park, you have an additional advantage of having the rest rooms all for yourself :) (We booked a partial hook-up place and got it in an RV site!). There are tons of activities too. If boating, kayaking or fishing interests you, then Lake Powell is the place for you. Or you could rent a house boat and take pleasure in the leisure and luxury of a house in the midst of a lake.

We…

I know I said I will talk about cities, but can you resist the temptation to know about a "town with all the amenities of a larger city." We happened to visit our friend's home in Fort Collins and did I not fall in love with the place. It is a kind of place where you would want to grow, raise your kids and even retire. Wow! Looks like an all-in-one deal, isn't it? Read on.
Fort Collins is located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, yes, those beautiful, snow-capped mountains which you see in everybody else's holiday photographs. Needless to say, hiking, climbing, biking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing are just few of the many options.




Now, haven't you heard of the mighty Colorado river which carved through spectacular canyons and gorges in North America. More major rivers start in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Colorado rivers are said to be made for whitewater rafting. The wild and scenic Cache la Poudre River starts high in Rocky Mountain Park …

If you haven't been to Grand Canyon yet, go there during the snow season. If you have already been to Grand Canyon during any other season, no problem, go again when it snows. Trust me, the drive to the Canyons is as amazing as the Grand Canyon itself. (Well, I may be exaggerating a bit, but you get the point, don't you?). Here are a couple of shots, though they don't capture it all.


And if you did make it to the Grand Canyon, my two cents. Park your car near the El Tovar Hotel located inside the park, take a walk along the trail located behind the Hotel to get your first breathtaking view of the Grand Canyon. After you think you have walked enough, take the free shuttle buses to various view points. Don't miss the Hopi point and visit Mojave point if you would like to check out the Colorado river course which apparently was a major force that led to the formation of the Grand Canyon.

To celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary, we embarked on a cruise to Bahamas and landed in Key West :) Well, this is what happens when you go on a cruise to Bahamas in a hurricane season! But then, we got married in August, so we 'decided' to celebrate our 1st anniversary a year later in August itself (it makes sense, no?). We both wanted to go on a cruise and since we stay in Phoenix, the choice was easy. Book a 4-night Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bahamas with stops at Coco Cay (cruise's private island) and Nassau (Capital city). Nothing complicated, right? So we thought.
As we entered the ship (Monarch of the Seas), even before we could actually settle in,the Captain spoke those deadly words. "Due to signs of a hurricane, we would not be able to stop at Coco Cay. At the moment, our itinerary is undecided though." Weren't we disappointed? Then, we saw a wedding party on board and hoped they did not plan their wedding in Coco Cay, the private island.

Come morn…