Day two of Family Blogger Week on The Window Seat features resident road trip expert, Sheri Wallace, of Road Trips for Families. Born into a family that packed up the car at any opportunity, she embraces her inner Griswold and hopes for the best, but enjoys the unexpected no matter what the destination. Today, it’s San Jose.
Editor’s Note: Please welcome to The Window Seat Sheri Wallace, editor of Road Trips for Families.
It’s the time of year when getting a little haunted sounds like a fun idea. Combining the search for ghosts and other spooky encounters is even more fun when you pair it with a weekend road trip. So fill up the car and grab the camera for your own spooky-themed getaway.
I’m smack-dab in the middle of planning a grand adventure in the Provence region of France–and for the first time ever, I’m going to rent a car. The Provence is best seen by bike or car, and I like the idea of just winding my way from one town to another at a leisurely pace. But to be honest, the prospect of finding a rental car and then driving it in a foreign country had me feeling a bit daunted.
But I’m pleased to say that I cracked the code on this travel challenge and thanks to a slew of new websites, anyone can handle renting a car in Europe. Plus, they drive on the right side of the road in France. Deep breath, deep breath. I can do this!
Here’s are my tips for renting (and driving) a car in Europe:
Here’s a drive more than worth a car rental from the city of San Francisco.
It was a rare, crystal-clear, northern California morning, and we were driving south along famous Highway One past Pacifica toward the small town of Pescadero. Climbing through Devil’s Slide, we could see the surf crashing on shore as calla lilies bloomed wildly beside the road’s edge. We were in no hurry, and stayed to the right to let cars pass so that we could savor the view, which seemed to change with every big bend in the road.
When the Harry Potter series first came out, the hype was so relentless that I shied away and soon I felt hopelessly behind. But this summer I was in the mood for a good read and gave them a shot. A few months later, I had read all seven books and watched every available movie.
And last week, my Muggle wish was granted when I visited Universal Studios’ new “park within a park,” The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I was there for a private event so the park was closed to other guests. This meant that in addition to strolling the streets of Hogsmeade sans-crowds, I could ride the rides again and again and again without waiting in line.
The experience was nothing short of incredible.
