Itchy Feet Ventures

Backyard Colorado Road Trip September 2023 I got itchy feet (again!), so it’s time for another get away. Luckily, my husband, Chuck and I live in a place where you can drive to amazing places. Let’s head to Ouray, Colorado. Pronounced, “your ay” like hurray without the ‘h’. We decided to stay a night in Glenwood Springs to break up the 6-hour 27-minute drive to Ouray....

Backyard Colorado Road Trip - Itchy Feet Ventures Backyard Colorado Road Trip September 2023 I got itchy feet (again!), so it’s time for another get away. Luckily, my husband, Chuck and I live in a place where you can drive to amazing places. Let’s head to Ouray, Colorado. Pronounced, “your ay” like hurray without the ‘h’. We decided to...

Trail Ridge Road— June 2023 Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Rd The reason my husband, Chuck, and I moved from Florida to Colorado was the mountains. We love the Rocky Mountains. It’s only an hour drive from our home to Rocky Mountain National Park and yet we’d never driven Trail Ridge Road from the Fall River entrance all the way to Grand Lake....

Trail Ridge Road—Rocky Mountain National Park - Itchy Feet Ventures Trail Ridge Road— June 2023 Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Rd The reason my husband, Chuck, and I moved from Florida to Colorado was the mountains. We love the Rocky Mountains. It’s only an hour drive from our home to Rocky Mountain National Park and yet we’d never driven Trail Ridge...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 11 May 2023 Mount Rainier National Park This was our last day before heading home. We had a lot of exploring and wanted to get an early start. The sky had cleared and there were spectacular views of Mount Rainier. We got coffee and breakfast food at the café in the inn. If it had been warmer, we could have sat outside on the porch surrounded by beautiful views of the mountain....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 11 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 11 May 2023 Mount Rainier National Park This was our last day before heading home. We had a lot of exploring and wanted to get an early start. The sky had cleared and there were spectacular views of Mount Rainier. We got coffee and breakfast food at the café … P...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 10 May 2023 Oregon to Washington We got an early start right after breakfast. 1st Stop: Rivers Coffeehouse and Bistro: Morton, WA After almost 3 hours on the road, we opted to find lunch before entering Mount Rainier National Park. We found this cute place to have lunch. The sandwiches were delicious. We entered the southwest entrance to Mount Rainier National Park....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 10 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 10 May 2023 Oregon to Washington We got an early start right after breakfast.   1st Stop: Rivers Coffeehouse and Bistro: Morton, WA https://www.riverscoffee.com/ After almost 3 hours on the road, we opted to find lunch before entering Mount Rainier National Park. ...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 9 May 2023 We got up early (again) and had a hearty breakfast at Columbia Gorge Hotel before heading out to explore all the waterfalls. 1st Stop: Multnomah Falls We drove the Historic Columbia River Highway to access the falls. There is a parking lot near the short trail up to the falls. Also, I wish we’d known that there was an Expresso stand with breakfast food....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 9 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip— Day 9 May 2023 We got up early (again) and had a hearty breakfast at Columbia Gorge Hotel before heading out to explore all the waterfalls.   1st Stop: Multnomah Falls We drove the Historic Columbia River Highway to access the falls. There is a parking lot near the sh...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 8 May 2023 We ate a hearty complimentary breakfast at The Campbell House. I had scones and blueberry pancakes. We were off to an early start. Both my husband and I were excited to get to our first stop of the day. 1st Stop: Silver Falls State Park, Oregon The drive was 1 hour and 20 minutes via I-5 N....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 8 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 8 May 2023 We ate a hearty complimentary breakfast at The Campbell House. I had scones and blueberry pancakes. We were off to an early start. Both my husband and I were excited to get to our first stop of the day.   1st Stop: Silver Falls State Park, … Pacific ...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 7 May 2023 Time to head inland to the heart of Oregon wine country. Ocean View Inn in Crescent City, California is not a place I’d recommend. The beds were uncomfortable and the breakfast was lacking. At this point in our road trip, we realized we had crammed too many things into our itinerary. We were getting tired of constantly packing, unpacking, and taking in so many sights....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 7 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 7 May 2023 Time to head inland to the heart of Oregon wine country. Ocean View Inn in Crescent City, California is not a place I’d recommend. The beds were uncomfortable and the breakfast was lacking. At this point in our road trip, we realized we had crammed .....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 6 May 2023 Oregon to California Bandon Inn provided a bag breakfast to go. We had yogurt, boiled egg, bagel, OJ and pumpkin bread. This was enough to get us started for our busy day heading down to California. 1st Stop: Arch Rock State Park The drive was 1 hour and 25 minutes via US-101 S…...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 6 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 6 May 2023 Oregon to California Bandon Inn provided a bag breakfast to go. We had yogurt, boiled egg, bagel, OJ and pumpkin bread. This was enough to get us started for our busy day heading down to California. 1st Stop: Arch Rock State Park The drive was 1 … Pac...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 5 May 2023 We had a wonderful breakfast aboard the Newport Belle Riverboat Bed and Breakfast. The owners, Randy and Paige provided a made to order breakfast. What a feast! I ordered the banana walnut waffles. You won’t be hungry after this meal. They now serve breakfast to outside guests by reservation only. If you don’t spend the night with them, you should at least have breakfast....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 5 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 5 May 2023 We had a wonderful breakfast aboard the Newport Belle Riverboat Bed and Breakfast. The owners, Randy and Paige provided a made to order breakfast. What a feast! I ordered the banana walnut waffles. You won’t be hungry after this meal. They now serve b...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 4 May 2023 Oregon Coast Hotel Elliot had a complimentary continental breakfast. It was all we needed. After our bellies were full, we packed the car and headed to our next destination. 1st Stop: Haystack Rock, Canon Beach, Oregon It took about 45 minutes via US-101 S to get to Haystack Rock. Haystack Rock is the most recognizable landmark on the Oregon coast....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 4 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip — Day 4 May 2023 Oregon Coast Hotel Elliot had a complimentary continental breakfast. It was all we needed. After our bellies were full, we packed the car and headed to our next destination. 1st Stop: Haystack Rock, Canon Beach, Oregon It took about 45 minutes via US-10...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip-Day 3 May 2023 We ate a hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading out on our day’s journey. We finally encountered Pacific Northwest weather that morning. It was overcast with a light drizzle. It took a less than an hour to drive to Hoquiam, WA via US-101 S. We stopped in Hoquiam to get sandwiches to go for our lunch....

Pacific Northwest Road Trip-Day 3 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip-Day 3 May 2023 We ate a hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading out on our day’s journey. We finally encountered Pacific Northwest weather that morning. It was overcast with a light drizzle. It took a less than an hour to drive to Hoquiam, WA via US-101 S. We stopp...

Pacific Northwest Road Trip—Day 2 May 2023 Day 2 We ate a hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading out on our day’s journey. It took an hour to reach our first destination via US-101 W. 1st Stop: Rialto Beach Olympic National Park There is a parking lot near the beach that is just off Mora Road. When I walked onto Rialto Beach I was struck by the beauty of the beach....

Pacific Northwest Trip — Day 2 - Itchy Feet Ventures Pacific Northwest Road Trip—Day 2 May 2023 Day 2 We ate a hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading out on our day’s journey. It took an hour to reach our first destination via US-101 W. 1st Stop: Rialto Beach Olympic National Park There is a parking lot near the beach that is just off … Pa...

Olympic National Park May 2023 My husband, Chuck, and I had a Pacific Northwest Road trip on our bucket list for a long time. In January 2023 we decided to pull the trigger and finally do it. We put together our itinerary and made reservations for May travel. We had a list of places and sights we wanted to visit. Logistics can be a challenge, so Chuck used google map and put pins on every destination we hoped to visit....

Pacific Northwest Trip — Day 1 - Itchy Feet Ventures Olympic National Park May 2023 My husband, Chuck, and I had a Pacific Northwest Road trip on our bucket list for a long time. In January 2023 we decided to pull the trigger and finally do it. We put together our itinerary and made reservations for May travel. We had a list of places and … Pacific ...

It’s not bungee jumping or diving with sharks (which I have done, and it was both scary and amazing). No this was a unique experience I had in Ireland—Falconry. On our trip to Ireland in May 2019, we stayed in Galway and drove up to Ireland’s School of Falconry at Ashford Castle. It is the oldest Falconry School in Ireland. All the hawks are trained by the Falconers who reside there....

Ireland’s School of Falconry at Ashford Castle — An Experience of a Lifetime While Traveling - Itchy Feet Ventures It’s not bungee jumping or diving with sharks (which I have done, and it was both scary and amazing). No this was a unique experience I had in Ireland—Falconry. On our trip to Ireland in May 2019, we stayed in Galway and drove up to Ireland’s School of Falconry at Ashford Castle. It is the …...

I love traveling and experiencing different cultures, new traditional foods, and meeting people along the way. My last tour was an Odyssey Unlimited tour of Sicily and Southern Italy. It was on this trip with our tour group I met Fay Gold. After I got to know her, I felt like I’d struck Gold. It’s not often you’re lucky enough to come across someone as accomplished as this young woman of 90 years....

Finding GOLD - Itchy Feet Ventures I love traveling and experiencing different cultures, new traditional foods, and meeting people along the way. My last tour was an Odyssey Unlimited tour of Sicily and Southern Italy. It was on this trip with our tour group I met Fay Gold. After I got to know her, I felt like I’d struck Gold. It.....

ITALY BOUND!

ITALY BOUND! - Itchy Feet Ventures ITALY PREPARATION September-October 2022 In 2014, my husband and I did our first trip to Italy — Rick Steve’s Heart of Italy Tour. On this 2022 trip to Italy, we decided to stay longer for a total of 24 days. (Yep, go ahead and let out a gasp. It was a long time to spend … ITALY BOUND! Read Mo...

Yosemite National Park—Day 1

Yosemite National Park—Day 1 - Itchy Feet Ventures Fish Camp: 1 night Tenaya Lodge: https://www.tenayalodge.com Located near south entrance to Yosemite. We used our points from Hotels.com. Tenaya Lodge is pricey, but well worth a one-night stay. It’s a AAA Four-Diamond hotel. I guess that means it’s a fancy-pants place. But you don’t need to d...

Yosemite National Park—Day 4

Yosemite National Park—Day 4 - Itchy Feet Ventures Day 4: Yosemite Valley Adventures: Lower Yosemite Falls—1 mile depending on where you park. We parked at Yosemite Village. You can walk from here or take a shuttle to stop ( #6). Easy walk along a paved path. Beautiful waterfall. Scenic leisure walk. Cook’s Meadow Loop-1.1 mile Easy walk with bea...

Ischia, Italy

Ischia, Italy - Itchy Feet Ventures Ischia (pronounced ee-skee-a) October 2022 How we got to Ischia: Our Odyssey tour ended in Sorrento. Took a morning ferry from Sorrento to Ischia. Takes about one hour with one stop at Procida. Ischia: 2 nights Miramare E Castello http://miramarecastello.alysandyischia.com/en Away from the harbor, M...

Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2

Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2 - Itchy Feet Ventures Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2 September/ October 2022 Our last stop on the Odyssey Unlimited tour was Sorrento. Of course, we still had added time on the end of the tour to do our own exploring! But first… Sorrento: 5 nights Hotel Antiche Mura https://www.hotelantichemura.com A ni...

Aloha—Part IV—Maui

Aloha—Part IV—Maui - Itchy Feet Ventures Aloha-Part IV-Maui   From Hilo airport flew to Lahaina (Maui) Got a rental car and drove the narrow, twisty road to Hana. Tip: Find a place to stay in Hana for a least one night. Since there isn’t much in Hana, find your place to stay way in advance of your arrival. The gem of … Aloha—Part IV...

Yosemite National Park—Day 2

Yosemite National Park—Day 2 - Itchy Feet Ventures Day 2: Adventures: Mariposa Grove located in the southern portion of Yosemite has hundreds of mature giant sequoia trees. There is a large parking lot. The shuttle buses weren’t running yet for the season. Therefore, we had to hike 2 miles from the Welcome Center to reach the lower Grove trail. Th...

Frisco, Colorado December 2022 I hit a milestone this year. I turned 70. Some say you’re elderly at this age, well I’m still standing as Elton John sang. To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to get out of town and play in the snow. Even though I live in Colorado, this time of year the snow is up in the mountains....

Frisco, Colorado—Winter Wonderland - Itchy Feet Ventures Frisco, Colorado December 2022 I hit a milestone this year. I turned 70. Some say you’re elderly at this age, well I’m still standing as Elton John sang. To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to get out of town and play in the snow. Even though I live in Colorado, this time of year the … Frisco, ...

Frisco, Colorado—Winter Wonderland

Frisco, Colorado—Winter Wonderland - Itchy Feet Ventures Frisco, Colorado December 2022 I hit a milestone this year. I turned 70. Some say you’re elderly at this age, well I’m still standing as Elton John sang. To celebrate my birthday, I wanted to get out of town and play in the snow. Even though I live in Colorado, this time of year the … Frisco, ...

Lake Como/Varenna, Italy

Lake Como/Varenna, Italy - Itchy Feet Ventures Lake Como/Varenna, Italy September 2022 How we got to this picturesque village: We flew into Milan Malpensa airport, worn slap out. Who can sleep on a plane? After going through passport control, follow the signs that direct you to the trains. Use the kiosk right before the train station to purchase...

Napa Valley & Sonoma Valley

Napa Valley & Sonoma Valley - Itchy Feet Ventures Fun exploring the California wine region. Napa Valley & Sonoma Valley-wine and dine plus a cool recipe from the B&B

Sicily

Sicily - Itchy Feet Ventures Sicily (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) September 2022 How we got to Sicily: We took the train from Varenna (Lake Como) to Milano Centrale train station. We caught a taxi to Milan Linate Airport which took less than 10 minutes. There can be a long line to get a taxi at the train station, so allow yourself ....

Ischia (pronounced ee-skee-a) October 2022 How we got to Ischia: Our Odyssey tour ended in Sorrento. Took a morning ferry from Sorrento to Ischia. Takes about one hour with one stop at Procida. Ischia: 2 nights Miramare E Castello Away from the harbor, Miramare E Castello is located on the sea with a private beach, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, wonderful breakfast included and a seaside restaurant....

Ischia, Italy - Itchy Feet Ventures Ischia (pronounced ee-skee-a) October 2022 How we got to Ischia: Our Odyssey tour ended in Sorrento. Took a morning ferry from Sorrento to Ischia. Takes about one hour with one stop at Procida. Ischia: 2 nights Miramare E Castello http://miramarecastello.alysandyischia.com/en Away from the harbor, M...

Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2 September/ October 2022 Our last stop on the Odyssey Unlimited tour was Sorrento. Of course, we still had added time on the end of the tour to do our own exploring! But first… Sorrento: 5 nights Hotel Antiche Mura A nice hotel and probably one of the best breakfasts we had at a hotel....

Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2 - Itchy Feet Ventures Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2 September/ October 2022 Our last stop on the Odyssey Unlimited tour was Sorrento. Of course, we still had added time on the end of the tour to do our own exploring! But first… Sorrento: 5 nights Hotel Antiche Mura https://www.hotelantichemura.com A ni...