Wish You Were Here
ALASKA: Concord residents Katie, mom Ann and Christopher Bair sailed for 10 days on the Grand Princess from San Francisco Bay to Alaska. “We enjoyed gorgeous scenery, panning for gold, hiking, bike riding, totem poles, sightings of eagles, whales and sharks,” Ann says. This shot was taken at the Canadian port of Victoria, “the final stop before heading back to San Francisco, after a fun family bike ride through the city.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “Passengers can bring friends or relatives onboard for four hours for only $39 per person by signing up for the ‘Bon Voyage’ package, which includes a ship tour, a lovely lunch and wine. Remember, even though it’s a summer cruise, it’s brrrr cold in Alaska! You may not need a passport to sail, but you’ll want to bring yours so you can enjoy the Canadian Yukon territory, too.” NEW YORK: A trip to Buffalo had San Jose residents Mike and Jill McCoy and Hamburg, New York, residents Adrienne and Dominic Punturiero checking out an abandoned grain elevator, with views of Lake Erie in the distance. “A Silo City Vertical Tour of these historic structures is a real adventure!” Jill says. “In the 19th and 20th centuries, most of the grain from the Midwest moved through Buffalo and was stored in these giant silos situated over acres of waterfront land. Now mostly abandoned, the silos are eerily beautiful, and their workings uniquely ingenious.” TRAVEL TIPS: Niagara Falls is grand, but “Don’t miss Buffalo’s Silo City and Canalside! Take a historic river tour or kayak tour of the area, or rent a paddleboard for your own exploration through the canyon of towering silos. Try some rock climbing on one of these behemoths, or zip line through them. Relax at a craftbeer brewery, patio restaurant or beer garden situated along the waterway. At night, enjoy the spectacle of an illumination artshow projected onto the colossal Connecting Terminal. Check the calendar for arts and music festivals around and inside the structures.” CROATIA: Fremont residents Joe Samagond and Mona Shah traveled through Eastern Europe recently on a trip that included stops in Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia, where they visited Plitvice Lakes National Park. “The oldest and largest national park in Croatia is world-famous for its cascade connection of 16 lakes, which tumble into each other,” Joe says. “Eighteen kilometers of wooden footbridges and pathways snake around the edges and across the rumbling waters — a thrilling walk.”
TRAVEL TIP: “Enter from Entrance No. 2 and take hiking trail H to get the most value for your day trip.”