Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Fire Season?

July 23, 2016 - 8 Non-Ocean Beaches and Wildfire Prevention

7/23/2016

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 9 DAYS

8 Beaches to Discover

I've got to rant folks.

I'm not sure what's going on with ALL my electronics, but I'm having trouble with just about everything.

Maybe it's me. Perhaps I am just not a tech-savvy person and I do something to damage them.

All I know is that both of my cameras are "acting up" and my phone is really acting weird.

Today, I've got to get up and get at 'em for a full day of shopping errands, which will include getting to the camera repair shop to have both of my cameras looked at, as well as Gianna's.

So, if you have been wondering why I haven't posted many pictures, it's because I haven't TAKEN many!!!

But, I did manage to grab this cute one of my favorite kids in the world - my girls and my sissy's boys.

Took this the other night when we all had dinner together.

My favorite kids (c)travelincousins.com

As for today, after hitting the camera repair shop, me and the kids will be heading over to a much-anticipated visit to Dover Saddlery.

Both of my equestrian daughters have saved up their money to buy some horsey "stuff." All kidding aside, I love how their faces light up whenever we get within eyeshot of this all-things-horses retailer.

I do hope they enjoy themselves, because following our fun visit, we'll be making our way over to The Home Depot for some things I need. I've been on this massive organizational kick, so I need a few more large plastic bins to help me in this endeavor.

(c)travelincousins.com

Last night, we went to see The Secret Lives of Pets. In a word - adorable! I LOVED the animation style and the individual characters. The story was so far-fetched and ridiculous, but it was absolutely captivating and sweet!!!

Other than that, not much on this end.

However, I did come across a wonderful slide show of the Best Beaches in America -- however, here's the catch...they are not on the ocean!!!

Elizabeth Seward, Bravo, put together a list of these interesting locations, back in May, many of which, I was not aware!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

8 Breathtaking Beaches in U.S. Places You Didn't Even Know Had Them
(all photos credit: Bravo)

1. Lake Superior
According to Seward, Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, with beaches all around is a must, but Bete Grise and Great Sand Bay top the list.

2. Grand Lake
Colorado is known for mountains, and they are the perfect backdrop for the sandy beach of at Grand Lake.

3. Lake Michigan
It's evident from the photo, just how beautiful Lake Michigan is! Sleeping Bear Dunes is among the most lovely.

4. Columbia River Gorge
Located in the Portland area is the Columbia River Gorge.

5. Lake Erie
Located in northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, is Lake Erie and one of the best destinations for summer days is Headlands Beach State Park.

6. Lake Tahoe
Known for its stunningly beautiful mountain-beach combo, Lake Tahoe is reachable from the California side or Nevada side - with equal beauty.

7. Lake Ontario
Though Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes, Hamlin Beach State Park, in northern New York is quite scenic.

8. Havasupai Falls
In the land of the Grand Canyon, the beaches at Havasupai Falls are a bit more dirt and rock than sand, but clearly breathtaking!

Well, there you have it - 8 Non-Ocean beaches - something I would never have thought of!!

Enjoy your day - I'm off to start mine!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 6 DAYS

The Dreaded Season...

Helloooo there!

How's everyone doing? And how was your week?

I hope you managed to stay somewhat cool and comfortable with this stupid heat-wave that seems to be nationwide. UGH UGH UGH

And with such temperatures and dry conditions here in SoCal - we have a very special and very scary season that comes along with it...

WILDFIRE SEASON

KCET explains:

There are two distinct wildfire seasons in California: ones driven by Santa Ana winds (usually October to April) and ones generally exacerbated by heat in the summer months (usually June to September). Santa Ana fires spread more quickly, while non-Santa Ana fires spread more slowly and are considered less intense, though they can burn longer.

And thanks to CBS.com for providing this list of
WHAT YOU CAN DO to prepare for wildfire season:

Clear Away Dead Vegetation - by doing this, you can help ensure that embers blown in from nearby wildfires will not catch if they happen to fall on your home. You should also ensure that your lawn doesn’t exceed 4 inches in height and that there are no dead shrubs or plants near any of your windows.
Trim Your Trees
To help keep wildfires away from your home, make sure your trees and bushes are routinely pruned of dead leaves and branches. You should also make sure that any trees on your property don’t have branches that extend any closer than 10 feet to your chimney.
Use Caution When Operating Gas Powered Equipment
As the Cal Fire website points out: Approximately 95 percent of wildfires in the state of California are caused by human activity. In the past, hugely destructive blazes have been sparked by gas-powered equipment like lawn mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws and hedge trimmers when they were used improperly. Make sure all of your gas powered equipment is fitted with spark arrestors and make sure you don’t run your lawn mower over sharp rocks, as the mower’s blade could create a spark upon contact. It’s also important not to use gas-powered equipment when it is especially windy, as you run the risk of creating a spark that could be blown into a wooded area very quickly.
Be Fire Safe When Camping
National Geographic outlines in its wildfire prevention checklist, campers can prevent the outbreak of a wildfire by properly extinguishing any and all campfires, never disposing of a cigarette or match in a wooded area, and by not parking on any dry grass or weeds as a car’s heated exhaust pipes and mufflers can spark a fire.

Luckily there are no fires happening close to us, but I've definitely had my share of being too close to comfort on more than one occasion and let me tell you...
It is one heck of an uncomfortable situation to be in!

Last night when driving home from shopping and getting my mani/pedi I had noticed the smoke filled skies above:

Smoke in the skies (c)travelincousins.com

On a much lighter and funny note - I got dropped off at the nail salon by my mom (well I was actually the one driving), we had been running late and carpooling back from our acupuncture appointment.

Anyhow, her car has keyless ignition and I so happened to walk right into the salon with the keys still in hand as she drove off!!!

Oh heavens - she was about to get stuck wherever she would turn the car off!

I tried to call her - but like a good driver, she didn't answer her phone while driving. I called my sister Brigitte to let her in on what was happening and to get her help - because within moments my hands were gonna be detained for a while.

At my last attempt of contacting my mom she answered. She had just turned the car off and realized what had happened. And luckily she was only a few blocks from our home (she stopped at the market), so a spare set of keys could be delivered to her. Whew!!

This weekend is gonna be another busy one...

TODAY we are heading over to Spash Water Aquatics Park

The kids will be performing for a private Olympic themed event and then given access to the splash around, keep cool and have fun with their friends!!

TOMORROW will we be heading to a lovely Sunday Brunch at Crossroads...

Crossroads (c)travelincousins.com

READ ALL ABOUT: Crossroads

And then off to Lilia's Wedding at the Malibu Beach Club.

While this beach club is on the Ocean, have you checked out Elisa's column, with findings of 8 Breathtaking Beaches that aren't on the ocean?!

They all look beautiful, but I can personally attest to four of them. Having been to Lake Michigan, Lake Tahoe, Columbia River Gorge, and Havasupai Falls.