Planning Part One - Leap....don't jump...out of the Box!

You can pretty much find out anything via the internet when planning a trip. Where to stay. What to see. How to get there.

When we first started talking about going on this epic adventure, we knew that we wanted to keep an open mind when it came to planning, not wanting to plan too much, just tap into our wandering spirit and see where the twisty, exotic road would take us.We did hand over the "oh my goodness...what flights to take, there are so many!" task a professional, (we highly recommend Becky Madsen of Fight Centre Waterloo) since we wanted to have a stopover in San Francisco on the way to Thailand and then Vancouver on the way back home. After that, it was just me and the search engine spending hours fueled by coffee or wine, ( depending on the time of day) and "oh wow....check this out!" moments.

What is the best way to find out "off the beaten path" or "out of the box" places to stay and things to do? Talk to the people that have done or are currently experiencing it.....and the best ones are the backpacking/budget/adventure traveler's....if a tour operator can offer it, a budget traveler will find a way to do it on their own and cheaper. Not to say there in't s a time and a place for using a tour operator, which we will probably do sometime during our trip.

Social media is a great thing and has added a whole new way of travel planning. Whether it be Facebook groups, blogs, or forums, you can ask anything and get a straight answer....this is really important when booking accommodations and things to do. You can ask a question and immediately someone gives you an answer....from wherever they are, including the place you are asking about without receiving anything but a grateful "thanks for the info, mate". If they had a crappy stay at a hostel that is highly rated....they will tell you.

So began my quest to experience the "out of the box", "off the beaten path" and "be a local, not a tourist" Southeast Asia.

So what are some of the things we have booked or will being doing? Grab a coffee or pour a glass of wine and join me on a mini adventure.

After arriving in San Francisco, jumping into our rented car, we will head up the coast for two days to visit the majestic Redwoods. Now Rick was lucky enough to motorcycle through the Redwoods last year on his way home from his epic eight week motorcycle trip to Alaska and back. I on the other hand haven't experience the feeling of being surrounded by these ancient giants. Rick and I are tree people, living on a homestead that has around one hundred and forty acres of trees. So, what better way to start off our journey than to feel the energy of these giants.

I love to use airbnd and agoda to book accommodations.....extra points for being "off the wall" unique.

Our first stop is in a little town called Redwood Valley....here is a little snippet about the India Room.

     "We are a small biodynamic farm, located within an organic vineyard and winery. We grow much of our own food and raise animals. Your room has a king size bed with the option of an another small mattress. Try our family wines!" 

Convinced that I am a "farmer" and a "partaker of fermented juice"...this place has my name written all over it!! Take a moment and just take in the beauty of this place, watch the deep red of the organic wine as it swirls in your glass as you listen to the barnyard choir. Paradise.

Next it is on to the town of Arcata........check out this description! It had me at "...unconventional"

     "There is not a house, quite like ours (anywhere!) We do not offer an ordinary experience. So please read our listing carefully. We are not for everyone. Our house is unconventional and contains global art, such as mosaic Day of the Dead decorated skulls, mannequins, sarcophagus, etc. (however strange, most kids and visitors love it!)"

I mean....what can I say? I love the unconventional!!!!!

After our two days of living among the Redwoods, we head back to San Francisco for two nights. Now San Francisco has the most restaurants per capita than any other city in the U.S. as quoted in this article by Huffington Post,

    "Not only did San Francisco come in as number one with the most restaurants per capita, no other city even came close. At 39.3 restaurants per 10,000 households, San Francisco has nearly 50 percent more relative restaurants than the second place city.

New York City didn't even come in until number four."

For those of you who know me and my husband Rick, we are guided by the grumble of our belly's....food is art to us! We will be tourists for two days, eating our way through restaurants, markets, and food trucks (give me a second to wipe of the drool before I can continue to write!). Using the mobile app Roaming Hunger, we will find the perfect food truck experiences while enjoying the city and all it has to offer. I mean, who wouldn't want to eat at the Naked Chorizo!!

We opted to stay in a hotel in the Fisherman's Wharf area because of it's easy location to the sites we want to see. If we were staying longer, you can bet I would have found a wonderfully, wacky place to stay.

Rick's trip through the Redwoods