When: 5th - 6th June Where: Drumheller, AB Highlights: Canadian badlands, Hoodoos, Camping, Old towns Mileage: 300 km Weather: 24C - 7C This is the place I wanted to visit when I got to know about the area, even before the Rockies. Desert landscapes always take the cake(to me). I was pretty excited to be here. We have never been East, at all. With the Pacific in the W, we could always never go on all directions when we were in CA. The very fact that I can go in all 4 directions(& actually do it) brings joy in itself. Drumheller was not the first choice. Our plans changed in the 11th hour(it never has, & this totally excites me) as Drumheller seemed a better option to get campsite without reservations.(When was the last time we ... read more

When: 15th - 16th May Where: Banff area of Banff National Park Weather: ~20C This probably seems like the obvious choice after settling down in Calgary. To me it was not. But with the weather being cooperative, I said "Yes". Banff, can be extremely crowded & overrated. But today, it was not. The mountains were gorgeous. No other word to explain. The place strangely resembled Whistler(much smaller though) & the town is pretty upscale. And Banff is strategically placed in between those huge mountains. Anywhere you turn heavy mass mountains with sharp pointy tips grace you with their presence. In peak Summer upto 50,000 people visit Banff NP every day! That's like a lot of people. Hell more than Banff can handle, I am sure. And Summer is July- early September When in Ca, I was ... read more

I love Bay Area. It probably felt like home on various levels. But when I left, I did not feel much attachment, at least not yet. I will miss the people, all the loved ones, so much, though. As insane as it sounds, we decided to drive the entire distance from bay area to the middle of Alberta, Canada. A storm was chasing us close all through. It rained & snowed...all in blissful Oregon. Got a chance to spend some quality time with a friend from school. S enjoyed her free time playing with V. Thanks to Anu, we had a short but wonderful vacation in Portland. We will cherish those days. Quite contrary to all our travels, we took very few photos. I've shared those few here. These photos should probably not be here as ... read more

Where: Coyote Hills Regional Park Hike: The Bayside from the bible While I was just browsing through theurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=DnV7xkdg4IYC&lpg=PP1&ots=TOWWf8Q2SB&dq=101%20hikes%20in%20northern%20california&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q=&f=false bible, I found this unticked. The weather was playing hide & seek & this was a safer option than Tomales Point. Thanks to Gayathri for all the winter gear for S. It is really funny we did not know about this place so close from home. That is the main reason I fell in love with the book. The book holds gems in every page. But apparantly, this is a well known park. We parked outside & chose to walk the extra mi into the park. When we got to the park entrance, the entrance fee machine was out of service & the entrance was free.(On other days enter paying $5). But the weather was cool & cloudy ... read more

The story before the trip: Weighing out our options on winter travel, we picked out Channel Islands as a top possibility. Now, if you were following our blog for a while, you will be smart enough not to believe what I just wrote. The truth remains that we have visited every place we know & Channel Islands seemed a better option than yet another drive down to LA. Channel islands on wiki Close to the California mainland, yet worlds apart, Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth... read more