What are some of your favorite film settings?

Here are my favorite songs to listen to while out in the world:

1. King of the Road by Roger Miller – simply about the freedom of traveling
2. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash – the title speaks for itself (love the Hank Snow version too)
3. Come Fly with Me by Frank Sinatra – a classic from the master. Oh if the world was this simple.
4. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson – can’t have a list like this without Willie’s song about travel and friendship
5. I’d Go the Whole Wide World by Elvis Costello – written by Wreckless Eric but I dig the cover version of this great love song
6. Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett – the perfect tune for when you are heading home
7. Where the Streets Have No Name by U2 –saw them live this summer, still a super band
8. Hard Travelin‘ by Woody Guthrie – not exactly about “travel” but still great.
9. Africa by Toto – a nod to an old friend and a great 80’s tune.
10. Roam by the B-52’s – too much fun not to include

What songs put you in the mood to travel?

1. Ride the famous cable cars – You can’t visit the “City by the Bay” and not ride the iconic cable cars, the only transportation system listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2. Visit City Lights Book Store – I am a huge fan of the beat generation and an all around book fanatic. This legendary literary landmark, founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti continues to shine.
3. Head north to visit Muir Woods– The majestic redwoods of this national monument are a must for all nature lovers.
4. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge – This is a great way to gain some perspective as you stand on the very edge of the continent, between the city and the endless Pacific.
5. Tour infamous Alcatraz – “The Rock” is just plain spooky. I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts but I could feel the years of history here.
6. Stroll through Haight-Ashbury – The epicenter of the San Francisco Renaissance and the Summer of Love, this historic neighborhood still retains its idealistic vibe.
7. Admire Saints Peter and Paul Church in North Beach – The entire North Beach section of the city puts me at ease. And the twin spires of this Roman Catholic sanctuary stand on the edge of a beautiful park.
8. Dine somewhere on Fisherman’s Wharf – A great way to relax after a day exploring San Francisco.
9. Navigate Lombard Street – This is the crookedest street in the world. The twists and turns are meant to slow traffic but now they draw visitors from around the globe.
10. See the city from the Twin Peaks - Take in San Francisco from the second highest point in the city.

Lake Louise

It’s still super hot here in Rhode Island. Stepping out of Collette HQ is like setting foot on the surface of the sun. So, in the spirit of “cool” thoughts I put together a Canadian Rockies post.

Year in and year out, Collette’s escorted tours to the Canadian Rockies remain hugely popular. Here’s a quick rundown of the top 10 attractions:

• Maligne Canyon, home to peaceful Maligne Lake.
• Fairmont properties like The Fairmont Banff Springs and
  Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
• The 1,000-foot-thick Athabasca Glacier of the Columbia Icefields.
• Banff National Park and the town by the same name.
• The stunning Valley of the Ten Peaks.
• VIA Rail’s the Canadian – one of the world’s great rail journeys.
• Victoria Glacier and Lake Louise.
• The glacial peaks and cliffs of the Icefields Parkway.
• Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.
• The awesome beauty of Bow Falls.

And… I would also include Vancouver. Our Canadian Rockies by Train and Resorts of the Rockies tours both visit this vibrant city.

Newport Bridge, Newport, Rhode Island

I live in the Ocean State.

Luckily for me in under an hour I can enjoy beautiful coastal vistas in Westerly or Warwick; Block Island or Little Compton – all beautiful Rhode Island destinations.

Today marks my 20-year wedding anniversary and that summer in 1990 my reception was set in picturesque Bristol, Rhode Island, under a tent at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum overlooking Narragansett Bay.

For a while before we had kids, we would celebrate our anniversary with a visit to an island since we had honeymooned in Bermuda. The first year it was Nantucket, then we ferried to Martha’s Vineyard, and even traveled to Chatham on Cape Cod (technically, not an island but you do cross a bridge). The plan was to get to Hawaii on our 10^th anniversary but our last child, James, was born the month before which kind of squashed that idea.

So, I guess you could say the sea is in my blood.

Which got me thinking on this warm summer day, what other famous coastlines, harbors, islands and beaches would I like to travel to in the future? 

Here is my Top 10:

1.  Isle of Mull, Scotland
2. Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
3. Sydney, Australia, and its magnificent harbor
4. Cinque Terre, Italy
5. Jeckyll Island, Georgia
6. Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia, Canada
7. South Africa’s Garden Route
8. Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica
9. Easter Island (off the coast of Chile)
10. Nā Pali Coast, Kaua’i, Hawaii

Writing this post was a more difficult task than I assumed as there are so many wonderfully scenic seaside vistas around the world. I’m sure you could argue some of my Top 10’s and insert a few I have forgotten. I welcome your suggestions.

By the way, I have informed my husband that our 25^th wedding anniversary will be spent in Hawaii. But then he reminded me that in five years our oldest daughter will be in her second year of college with her sister right behind finishing her senior year of high school…

I’m still hopeful. And there is always Newport as a fallback.

And what does that mean?

Foliage tours of course! And nowhere else are the stunning colors of autumn more vibrant than in New England. Collette’s tours such as the  Colors of New England bring you all the breathtaking beauty of a classic Northeast autumn while exploring the region’s rich cultural delights.

Here are my Top 10 tour highlights:

• 2-night stay in the heart of historic Boston.
• Traditional New England lobster clambake. 
• Visit to a 5,000 acre working farm. 
• The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.
• North Conway with its many outlet stores.
• 2 nights in the resort village of Bar Harbor, Maine (includes a harbor cruise!).
• A locally guided tour of historic Boston, featuring the USS Constitution.
• The historic Bennington Battle Monument and Robert Frost gravesite.
• A welcome dinner at America’s oldest Oyster House.
• The 165 foot deep, mile-long Quechee Gorge.

At the very least it offers some “cool” thoughts.

Sean McVeigh (Collette’s Media Supervisor) offers these  tips to shooting  photos that are sure to WOW friends and family.

• Get a variety of shots – wide, medium and close ups.
• Keep horizon line straight.
• Avoid high contrast images where background is too bright and the subject is dark.
• Set to wide and do not zoom to ensure high resolution – move closer to your subject.
• Steady your shot with your body or lean against wall.
• Use the rule of thirds

Good luck out in the world. Maybe these tips will help you win Collette’s photo contest.

Here are the Top 10 highlights (at least in my opinion):

• The world famous Prado Museum and its priceless fine art collections.
• Granada’s Alhambra Palace.
• The architecture of the Cathedral of Seville, Europe’s largest gothic cathedral and location of Columbus’ tomb.
• Sintra, the summer residence of Portuguese kings for six centuries.
• Fatima, the world-famous Marian pilgrimage site.
• Alhambra’s Generalife, “garden of the architect.”
• A trip on the AVE High Speed Train.
• The beautiful fishing village of Nazare.
• Spain’s famous Costa del Sol and the coastal town of Estoril, known as Portugal’s Riviera.
• Cadiz, the oldest inhabited city on the peninsula.

This tour also features city tours of Lisbon and Madrid. And… it includes regional wines with every dinner.

Panama Canal facts:

• Begun in 1904
• Completed in 1914
• The canal is 77 km (48 mi) long
• A ship sailing from NYC to San Francisco saves over 7000 miles
• The French tried and failed to complete a canal
• America spent approx. $352,000,000 on the canal project
• The American steamship SS Ancon was the first ship to officially transit the canal – August 15th, 1914
• On December 31, 1999 control of the canal transferred to the Republic of Panama
• A massive canal expansion project is currently underway
• Teddy Roosevelt (my favorite President) was the driving force behind the completion of the canal

To learn more about Discover Panama: The Land Between the Seas read Traveling Well’s interview with Collette’s Central America Product Manager, Allison Flint.