Cityscapes | NearandFarAZ

I absolutely love a rugged and remote trail. To me, there are few more enjoyable outdoor activities than wandering along a scenic trail – whether it’s in the mountains, the desert, or along a gorgeous coastline.

Still, as I’ve explored cities around the U.S., I’ve discovered another love as well: urban trails. Hop on a trail in a city like San Francisco, Boston, or Austin, and rather than being in the middle of nowhere, you’re suddenly in the center of it all. San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Boston’s historic Bunker Hill site, and the Austin’s lush Barton Springs are all accessible via urban trails.

I was reminded of my love of urban trails on my recent trip to Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas. While working on a writing assignment on the 15-mile Riverfront Heritage Trail, I took in significant sites like the Lewis & Clark Expedition’s 1804 stopping point at the Missouri/Kansas river confluence; the Freedom Trail Memorial located not far from a key station along the Underground Railroad that helped to get slaves to freedom; and the site of the first permanent railroad bridge across the Missouri River.

I also sampled authentic tacos, saw some amazing architecture, and watched dogs frolic in a bona fide dog bar. Not all of the attractions were located directly on the trail, but the Riverfront Heritage Trail served as my conduit to Kansas City history and culture.

I had some guidance along the way from the wonderful Urban Hikes KC, which offered complimentary coffee tours at the Women In Travel Summit conference I was attending. I also joined Urban Hikes KC’s River Market/West Bottoms/Columbus Park hike, which took in several key sections of the Riverfront Heritage Trail. I highly recommend the guided hikes! They’re affordable, fun, and super informative.

Here are some of my favorite stops along the Riverfront Heritage Trail.

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Posted on June 19, 2022 by nearandfaraz

Cityscapes, Food, trails, Travel

Kansas City, Kaw Point, Lewis and Clark Expedition, Riverfront Heritage Trail, Town of Kansas Bridge, Urban Trails, Visit KC

As a first-time visitor to Indiana, I didn’t know what to expect when I embarked on a winter trip to Hamilton County and its small-to-mid-sized Indianapolis suburbs.

Certainly, I didn’t expect what I found in Carmel, a city of about 92,000 people located 40 minutes north of Indianapolis.

There, amidst the 128 roundabout intersections (yes, Carmel is known as the Roundabout Capital of the U.S.!), I found a community brimming with businesses owned by dynamic women entrepreneurs, brand-new festivals that are drawing in hundreds of thousands of people, and a lovely city center anchored by a 1,600-seat concert hall.

Intermingled with all of the recent developments are lively and fun spots where visitors can take in everything from a traditional English tea room owned by a knowledgeable U.K. transplant, to a chic chocolate shop selling Austrian-style goods with an Indiana flare, to an elegant cake shop that recently garnered national attention as a 2019 inductee onto Oprah Winfrey’s list of favorite things.

In fact, Carmel and its surrounding towns seem to have all of the bases covered. With the area’s vintage train that features fun seasonal themes, along with the history-come-to-life treasure at Conner Prairie, Hamilton County is a great family destination.

The area also appeals to adults of all ages with its unique wineries (complete with cozy igloos), its beautiful Monon Rail Trail, and plenty of quaint shopping districts..

You would be hard-pressed to get to all of Hamilton County’s attractions in one weekend, but here are a few of the features that are sure to make it a sweet visit. Read More

7 Comments

Posted on January 16, 2020 by nearandfaraz

Cityscapes, Destinations, Far, Food, railroads, trails, Trains, Travel, Uncategorized

Cake Bake, Christkindlmarkt, English tearooms, German Christmas markets, Hamilton County, Historic trains, Indiana, Indiana travel, Monon Trail, Oprah's Favorite Things, Rail-Trails

12 of Portland’s quirky, unsung & simple pleasures

Major attractions tend to be big and bold in Portland, Maine.

The city’s Old Port area, with its dizzying array of lobster choices, offers a beguiling mix of working waterfront and tourist haven.

And the Portland Head Lighthouse, sprawling along the rocky Atlantic coast, is drop-dead gorgeous and might just be the perfect example of a lighthouse.

Certainly, those two things alone are reason enough to visit Maine’s largest city.

But on my recent visit, I was delighted to find multiple layers in Portland. The city is full of simple pleasures that perfectly complement all of that delicious lobster.

Here are a dozen of my favorites:

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Posted on June 27, 2019 by nearandfaraz

Cityscapes, Destinations, Far, Food, Lists, railroads, Uncategorized

beaches, Longfellow House, Lucky Catch Cruises, Off the beaten path Portland Maine, Old Orchard Beach, Portland Maine, Scarborough Marsh, South Portland, The Real Portland Tour, Travel

Western chic meets outdoor splendor

Think of your coolest friend. You know the one. She’s out running a desert trail in the morning, taking in a hip art festival in the afternoon, and then ready for a night out on the town in the evening.

To top it off, she always knows the trendiest spots for brunch.

Well, when it comes to towns in Arizona, Scottsdale is your chic friend.

I had a chance to explore the many sides of Scottsdale recently, and I have to say: This community seems to have it all.

Hiking opportunities galore, beautiful open-air dining choices, a buzzing downtown, two spring-training baseball stadiums, an Old West vibe, and fantastic shopping – just to name a few.

Located on the eastern side of the huge Phoenix-area Valley of the Sun, Scottsdale manages to distinguish itself nicely from the other metro areas.

Here are a few of my favorite features of “The West’s Most Western Town.”

It was fairly casual participation on my part, because I didn’t fully document every single hike I took on social media, and some of my hikes were repeats on local favorites. Even so, I had plenty of ‘first times’ too – from the beaches of Southern California, to the mountains of Utah, to the depths of the Grand Canyon.

So, as 2018 comes to an end, and as I close in on my 52^nd hike of the year, I am taking a look back at the top 10 – my personal ‘greatest-hit hikes’ of 2018:

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Posted on October 26, 2018 by nearandfaraz

Cityscapes, Czech Republic, Destinations, Europe, European travel, Far, Food, Food tours, Lists, Quebec, Quebec City, Sightseeing, Trains, Travel, Uncategorized

Berlin, Berlin Hilton, city walks, cooking, cooking classes, Copenhagen, Czech Republic, Europe, Fitbit, Food, history, history travel, Hong Kong, mature travel, Prague, reward travel, solo travel, tips for solo travelers, Travel, trip, vacation, views

Narrow your eyes a bit as you walk along the winding streets and alleys of Třebíč’s Jewish Quarter, and you could be back in 1930s Czechoslavakia.

Rising on each side of the rough cobblestone walkways are the interconnected stucco buildings of the former Jewish ghetto, preserved largely as they appeared before World War II.

Step into Seligmann Bauer House, and you are instantly transported to a 1930s-era Jewish home, complete with a table set for Shabbat, pear trees in the backyard, and the ground-level shop selling everyday items.

Heartbreakingly, though, Třebíč’s Jewish Quarter no longer serves as a home for Jewish families; history shows that the 300 Jews living in Třebíč in the 1930s were sent to concentration camps, and most were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Only 10 to 15 Jews returned to Třebíč after the war, and today, no Jewish families remain.

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Posted on October 8, 2018 by nearandfaraz

Beer, Cityscapes, Czech Republic, Destinations, Europe, European travel, Far, Food, Sightseeing, Uncategorized, UNESCO, Vysocina, World Heritage

Beer, Czech Republic, Czech Republic travel, Europe, Food, Jewish cemetery, Jewish Quarter, St Procopius Basilica, Travel, Trebic Czech Republic, UNESCO, UNESCO sites, Vysocina Region, World Heritage

There are a few things you’ll probably know before heading to the Czech Republic. The beer will be plentiful, delicious, and inexpensive. Prague’s Charles Bridge will make your jaw drop. And the castles will be splendid.

All of these assumptions will hold true. No visitor could possibly be disappointed, for instance, by the enormous selection of beers. Every town seems to have one of its own, and yes, it’s sometimes cheaper than water.

And the Charles Bridge? The ubiquitous photo shoots speak for themselves.

Photographers accompanying fashion models, brides and grooms, and travel couples are common sights along the photogenic Charles Bridge.

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Posted on September 24, 2018 by nearandfaraz

Beer, Cityscapes, Czech Republic, Destinations, Europe, European travel, Far, Food, Lists, Sightseeing, Travel, Uncategorized, UNESCO, Vysocina

Czech Republic, Czechia, Europe, European travel, Jihlava, Prague, Telc, Travel, Trebic, views

For me, Jocelyne Belleau perfectly summed up the Quebecois’ passion for their home.

“My blood is maple!” the petite dynamo said dramatically, hand on her heart.

With that, I knew I was in good hands for my first food tour through Old Quebec City.

Because really, who better to describe the delicacies of a city than someone with the region’s most iconic export pumping through her veins?Belleau’s comment was part of an introduction to the culinary treats that awaited the dozen or so of us gathered in front of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac for a Tours Voir Quebec food tour, as a part of the Women in Travel Summit 2018 conference in Quebec City.

Not only did Belleau’s comment reveal her love of Quebec, it also showed her sweet sense of humor.

And that was a trait that was never in short supply as I traversed Quebec City through a series of food and history tours. It was a joy to find that the city’s tour guides were funny, personable, informative, and deeply knowledgeable. No reading from a homogeneous script here. Every tour was unique and personal to the guide.

Of course I loved the food – I mean, thick french fries smothered in gravy and squeeky-fresh cheese curds; sumptuous chocolates filled with maple syrup; crisp, citrus-y wines straight from the fields of the Ile d’Orleans; silky-smooth apple butter; roasted-octopus-and-salmon salad paired with a local craft beer; tender smoked salmon garnished with a plump blueberry; and soft nougat studded with chewy currants and almonds.

What’s not to love?

2 Comments

Posted on June 15, 2018 by nearandfaraz

Beer, Canada, Cityscapes, Destinations, Far, Food, Food tours, Quebec, Quebec City, Sightseeing, Travel, Uncategorized

Canada, food tour, hockey, Ile d'Orleans, Quebec, Quebec City, Saint-Roch, Travel, views, Wine

The Spanish explorers obviously knew a good thing when they saw it.

When 17th century explorer Sebastian Vizcaino happened upon the sandy strand that juts into the Pacific Ocean off the southern-California coast, he promptly named it Coronado, or “the crowned one.”

I think he nailed it. Even then, the intrepid entrepreneur must have seen the potential of the lovely beaches and shining bay.

Because there is no disputing the fact that the slender finger of land that lies just across the San Diego Bay was “crowned” with more than its share of natural attributes.

On my recent first-time visit to Coronado Island, I couldn’t decide which I loved more: The soft-sandy beaches on the Pacific Ocean side, or the mirror-like waters of the bay, with the San Diego skyline as a backdrop.

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Posted on April 21, 2018 by nearandfaraz

A hike and a bite, A hike and a brew, Beer, Cityscapes, Colorado, Destinations, Far, Food, hiking, Road trip, Sightseeing, trails, Travel, Uncategorized

A hike and a bite, Adventure, Animas Brewing Co., Animas River, Animas River Trail, Beer, Colorado trails, Durango and Silverton, Durango Colorado, hiking, Narrow Gauge, Railroad, Road trip, Roadtrips, San Juan Mountains, Serious Texas BBQ, Travel

When it comes to life’s simple pleasures, I believe there are few things that can top a walk through beautiful scenery, capped off with a bite to eat or a frosty brew (or both!) in an out-of-the-way café or brewery.

With that in mind, I am kicking off two new blog series, “A Hike and a Bite” and “A Hike and a Brew.”

Along the way, I plan to feature treks through the stunning, rugged terrain so common in the U.S. Southwest, as well as strolls through the fascinating city centers that I love to explore all over the U.S. and around the world.

Every now and then, the two converge for an extra-special adventure of gorgeous hiking and charming city sidewalks. (Sedona, AZ; Durango, CO; and San Francisco, CA come to mind).

For my introductory “A Hike and a Brew,” I am heading to a city that is virtually synonymous with beer – Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Joys of an urban trail: Discovering Kansas City on the Riverfront Heritage Trail

How to spend a sweet weekend in Carmel, Indiana

Step off the beaten path in Portland, Maine

12 of Portland’s quirky, unsung & simple pleasures

6 cool traits that set Scottsdale AZ apart

Western chic meets outdoor splendor

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Greatest hiking ‘hits’ of 2018

Seasoned and solo: 12 tips for the not-so-young single traveler

Třebíč: UNESCO tale of two cultures

Czech Charm: 7 sweet surprises

Faces & flavors, Quebec City

Coronado Island – a little slice of beach heaven

A Hike and a Bite: Durango, Colorado

A Hike and a Brew: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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