I wish you were here

Philadelphia is famous for the historic events that led to the forming of the United States of America. This is where the founding fathers declared independence and later signed the constitution.  Many visitors come here to relive those momentous events and walk in the footsteps of giants.

But Philly is much more than a window on the past. Today’s Philadelphia offers a lot of food, culture and entertainment. A visit to this city is not complete without trying the variety of Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, visiting a museum or catching a symphonic performance.

The circus is in town!

Circus performers and animals have been entertaining audiences for decades. Every circus has acrobats, high wire walkers, aerialists, lion trainers, and clowns – and this show has them all and much more.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey took all those acts and wove them together with a storyline that ignites the audience's imagination and makes every performance much more interesting.

The arena is set up with floating globes and bright LED projections. Images of stars and galaxies flash all around and on the big screens. The ice floor is illuminated with astronomical designs. The whole setup prepares the audience for a trip to outer space.

Just before you reach the city of San Diego, there is a large area set aside to preserve the natural beauty of coastal pines and sheer cliffs. It is a 2000-acre State Park in La Jolla Village – but close the city of Del Mar.

The park is home to a large variety of animal and plant species like bobcats, foxes, coyotes, rabbits, cacti, coastal chaparral - but most prominent inhabitant is the rare Torrey pine.

With 8-miles of trails running through this park, it is a major attraction to hikers. Both casual and serious hikers come to enjoy the challenges of the hike and the stunning views overlooking the ocean.

Crystal Cove state park is both a beach and a wilderness area with many hiking trails.

This 3 mile stretch of beach along the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the newest additions to the state park system. Along with its pristine beaches, it covers 3000 acres of hills, canyons, and trails. It also includes primitive campgrounds that only backpackers can get to. A new addition is Moro campground which has some facilities. It sits in between the beach and the hiking trails.

Take a break from all the excitement of the main attractions to commune with nature and forget the hustle and bustle of civilization. Some of the trails are easily handled by young children 6 and up. Younger children may need help.  If the kids complain too much about the hike, remind them about the second part of this excursion: The beach. 

You can start exploring the state park with a hike in the wilderness area.

Can you imagine yourself hiking up a steep hill, reaching the top of a waterfall, then repelling down the face of a cliff and through the waterfall? Then you should go on a canyoneering trip.

Canyoneering (Canyoning) is a sport in which you explore canyons by hiking, scrambling, repelling, rafting, swimming and waterfall jumping. See Wikipedia for more.

To accomplish the repelling part, you need to know about ropes, carabiners and ASAPs. But if you are not a rock climber, you can still enjoy a canyoneering adventure by going with an experienced outfitter and letting them do the technical parts.

SoCal Adventure Company to San Antonio Falls for an amazing Canyoneering trip. 

When I decided to go skydiving in Hollywood I did not expect to come back with sore muscles. Skydiving turned out to be a real workout and a great thrill.

Well, I didn’t really jump out of a plane. My wife would kill me even if the jump didn't kill me. Instead, I went to iFly at Universal City Walk – adjacent to Universal Studios. This is an indoor skydiving facility in which they use a huge underground propeller fan to simulate the feeling of skydiving.

The city of San Diego and the greater San Diego county are home to beautiful beaches, popular attractions, hiking trails, and many more adventures.

Many people come to the city to enjoy SeaWorld’s exhibits and shows or the world-famous San Diego Zoo, but there is much more to explore around town. 

You can spend days visiting the museums at Balboa Park, take a sunset dinner cruise in the harbor, or climb aboard an Aircraft Carrier. 

Read the full San Diego review here.

Balboa Park is a sprawling 1200-acre park full of open spaces, gardens, hiking trails, and lots of museums. The park is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. 

The Disney resort is practically in my backyard. My family and I love to spend a whole day or just a few hours at the Disney parks. Throughout the years we learned a lot about the parks and attractions that we like to share with you.

A visit to Disneyland is not complete without a visit to the sleeping beauty castle, a ride on the flying elephant Dumbo or a trip around "it's a small world".

Tip: Do you have small children but you don't want to miss out on the thrilling rides? Use the child swap service. Read more here.