Wish you were here
MOROCCO: In November, Fremont residents Mona, Joe and Rajiv Samagond traveled across Morocco to visit Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Rabat, Marrakesh, Essouira and Casablanca. “Our favorite part of the trip,” Joe says, “was the majestic landscape of the Sahara Desert — riding camels, sand boarding and lying below the star-filled skies at night.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “There are two dune areas in southeast Morocco: Erg Chigaga, which is more recently discovered and less crowded, and Erg Chebbi, which has been a popular destination for a long time and is over-run by tourists.” WASHINGTON: This fall, Saratoga residents Irene and Jim Floyd visited the Johnston Ridge Observatory in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument during a 12-day road trip to Seattle. “The observatory sits 5.5miles from the crater,” Jim says. “It is named for USGS volcanologist David A. Johnston, who was killed during the eruption in 1980.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “The park is well worth the hour detour from the main road. You really get a feel for the power of the mountain when you see the impact even now, almost 40 years later. There are multiple roads and hiking/biking trails around the mountain. Give yourself at least an hour or two to explore the park. Park fees are $8per person, but children under 15 are free. The park does close in winter. There are no concessions at Johnston Ridge. Also, have a full tank of gas when you get off I-5 as there precious few places to get gas on the road to the mountain. On your way back, take highway 504. Be sure to stop at the Fire Mountain Grill and enjoy the apple cobbler.” HAWAII: Fremont’s Dandapani family — Aditya, Sriram and Anjana (and Seetha, behind the camera) — soaked in “the lush and stunning beauty of Waimea Canyon on the Garden Isle of Kauai,” Seetha says, on a recent trip to Hawaii. TRAVEL TIP: “The 1.8 mile Canyon Trail takes you to the top of the 800-foot Waipoo Falls. The trail is muddy in winter months and will totally ruin your hiking shoes — and you will still come back feeling thoroughly rejuvenated.”