Wish You Were Here

UTAH: Campbell residents Ron and Nona Inouye did a “bucket list” road trip in April, Nona says, visiting southern Utah and northern Arizona, with a stop at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park.

TRAVEL TIPS: “April was a great time to visit, with temps mostly in the 70s and low 80s. The area is high desert, and the altitude takes a little getting used to. Air is much drier than what we are accustomed to, so make sure you always have water bottles handy. Of course, comfortable walking shoes are a must.” ITALY: San Jose resident Karen Spiro, center, “reunited with my sister from Dallas and my bestie from Philadelphia.” The trio, which included sister Pamela Gowers, left, and Greta Greenberger, “rented a house in the Tuscan town of Cortona — site of ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ — and took day trips to see even more. Every town offered something unique, although we began to see a pattern — a striped pattern. So, when we set off to see Michelangelo’s David, et al., we all dressed in stripes to blend in!”

TRAVEL TIPS: “Make reservations in advance to see anything important to you. We couldn’t get into the Duomo in Florence. We were prescient enough to get advance tickets to the Vatican Museum for our three days in Rome. That meant we breezed through the line, but still got squished by the crowds. Get in shape before you go! They don’t call them hill towns for nothing!”