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Author: Mary Corcoran

Arizona Highways

Written by Mary Corcoran on . Posted in North America, Stories.

In the year of COVID-19, the open road beckoned when at last I could no longer stay inside.  And the perfect road trip for quiet miles of nearly empty roads is Arizona.  When I was growing up my parents had a subscription to the magazine Arizona Highways, and I could spend hours looking at the gorgeous photos of canyons, cactus, deserts, mountains and enormous skies.  No wonder that Arizona beckoned!

Bill and I decided to take a few days in July to continue our travel on the famous Mother Road  – Route 66.  In the past we’ve also spent time traveling on the historic US Highway 89 known as the Highway of National Parks, traversing from the Mexico border to the Canadian border.

Arizona, Canyon Ranch, Flagstaff, Road trips, Route 66, Scottsdale, Sedona, Tucson

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Beautiful Places Aboard Rocky Mountaineer

Written by Mary Corcoran on . Posted in North America, Stories.

I had the privilege of taking my parents – at the time both in their early 80’s – for their last vacation together aboard the Rocky Mountaineer.  And I’ll never forget my father standing overlooking Banff and commenting, “I believe this is the most beautiful place on earth.”  My Dad was a world traveler as an Air Force officer and he and my mother had enjoyed several fantastic journeys together to Europe, Hawaii and Alaska.  He was also a quiet man, so this was high praise coming from him!

Banff, Canada, Lake Louise, Luxury Train, Rocky Mountaineer

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The 3 C’s of Southeast Asia: Culinary, Culture and Crafts

Written by Mary Corcoran on . Posted in Asia, Stories.

I recently had the privilege of traveling to Thailand and Laos with Kay Tran, founder of V’Explore Tours and expert in Southeast Asia destinations, on a small group tour.  Our group was also hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.   With an emphasis on visiting emerging destinations, this was a very special opportunity to see things few Americans do through the eyes of locals.

What an experience!  This tour immersed our group in food, culture and customs, and even hands on crafting.   Our 11-day exotic adventure took us from Bangkok to the northeast Thailand cities of Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom – from whence we traveled into small villages; then over the Friendship Bridge 2 to Savannakhet, Laos and on to its capital city of Vientiane and finally to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang.

Thai-beef

Culinary

Culture, Foodie, Laos, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Yoga

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Wildlife-Lovers Dream Come True – Galapagos Islands

Written by Mary Corcoran on . Posted in Pacific Islands.

Bill and I were joined by 4 other Half Moon Bay couples on a life-transforming journey to the Galapagos Islands this month. As a travel advisor, I looked at many options and ways to experience the Galapagos – and was completely swept away by Silversea’s expedition itinerary aboard the lovely Silver Galapagos.

What Silversea offered:

• A fully inclusive experience from our US based flights to Ecuador, hotels on the mainland for 2 night in Quito and 1 day in Guayaquil, flights to the islands, and 7 nights aboard an elegant yet low-key ship

Cruise, Galapagos, South America

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Top 5 Reasons to Book a Mini-Vacation with Girlfriends: A New York Minute

Written by Mary Corcoran on . Posted in North America.

Recently, I took a short trip to New York City – an action packed long weekend arranged through Bay World Travel’s relationship with New York City Vacation Packages. My friend Joanne came up from New Jersey, and 1 day into the trip I was surprised by two other friends who decided to join us for the weekend.

While I’ve gone to school in New York, worked in New York, and visited for business reasons through the year, I’ve never been a tourist in New York. I know New York is an amazing city but seeing it through visitor’s eyes provided a new perspective. Here are my top 5 reasons to make New York City a girlfriends’ getaway.

1. Convenience. I live in California so traveling across the US for a long weekend might seem to be a bit much. But honestly, flights are convenient, frequent and affordable. Plus no passport is required, and you’ll land in New York quicker than driving between northern and southern California. There are nonstop flights from the West Coast into New York’s two biggest airports – JFK and Newark – and lots of connecting flights into La Guardia and White Plains as well.

New York

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