Know Up Front Travel, LLC

03/12/2023

Santa's village at the North Pole Clarkdale, AZ Verde Canyon Railroad Christmas Train.

03/12/2023

Starting Dec 1st the Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale, AZ starts the Christmas Train Polar Express. There's 2 times to choose from 4pm and 7pm. It's one-hour out and back ride through the countryside ending at The North Pole where Santa boards the train and hands out Reindeer Bo**er jelly beans. Cost $60 for adults. There are drinks for sale on the train and open cars you can visit that give a panoramic view. After the train ride there's a Santa's village you can visit with the kids.

03/12/2023

Our last night in Sedona and we had dinner at this wonderful restaurant. It was elegant and relaxing and the food was delicious. We made a couple of special requests and they were very accommodating. There was a piano player which added to the wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

10/08/2023

03/06/2023

21/01/2023

Great restaurant with lots of variety (steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, creole). Lots of old character and New Orleans flair. Highly recommend!

26/12/2022

What are your 2023 travel goals?

06/03/2022

Sunset cruise is so relaxing and fun. You basically have FURY or SEBAGO to choose from. We sailed on the Terilani, captain Brett was a magnificent sailor. Amazing how he could manuever that boat. $79/pp included open bar, hor'duerves and live music. Well worth imo.

06/03/2022

The Southernmost House on the corner of south street and Duval street hosts the Seaside Cafe open from 1130am-8pm. Great waterside tables for a bite serving salads, pizza and caprese sandwich. Staff is friendly and attentive.

06/03/2022

Opal Key Resort, key west, FL highly recommend.
It's very conveniently located.
Marina view room is worth a little extra each night.
Book early
This was the view from our room.
It's great to wake up and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea on the balcony.

05/03/2022

The Southernmost House in Key West is a MANSION turned into an 18 room B&B. Each room is different, check them all out on their website. It has a wonderful private ol for guests and a magnificent ocean view. A stay included breakfast and lunch.

05/03/2022

Key West, Florida is the southern most key. In Florida they call 'islands', 'keys'. It's a beautiful city with most everything within walking distance so bring comfortable shoes. No need to rent a car, it's expensive to park. U ers, bicycles, golf cart rentals are the best and easiest way to get around.

30/08/2021

I finally made it to Bar Harbor. It took a little longer than expected because I took the scenic route. The hotel I booked offered to upgrade my room to a sister property in downtown right on the coast. Yes!

I realized I was just a short walk from "the land bridge". I walked across the land bridge at low tide to an island that is part of Acadia NP. Hiked to the top and got some good views/pix of Bar Harbor. I also Saw a jelly fish left behind by the tide.

29/08/2021

Mackworth SP

29/08/2021

Drove up hwy 1 and hwy 88 through Freeport. Lots of B&B's, cute shops. Looked great.

Some road construction had traffic backed up on hwy 1 so another unscheduled stop at Water Street kitchen and bar in Wiscasset, ME. Waterfront table
Haddock cakes
Chicken Marsala (I know, I know, what am I doing?)
Pear martini

29/08/2021

An unscheduled stop at Mackworth SP to see the fairy village did not disappoint. This is a spectacular park with wonderous views. A definite must see if you love nature and beautiful, serene views. It's about 2 miles around the park, very easy stroll. Lots of access to the water. I even dipped my toes in the ocean to see how cold the water was. It felt magnificent! In the center of the park is an "off limits" area. There is a school for the deaf.

28/08/2021

Day 2
Maine - New Hampshire trip
An unscheduled stop at Mackworth SP to see the fairy village did not disappoint. This is a spectacular park with wonderous views. A definite must see if you love nature and beautiful, serene views. It's about 2 miles around the park, very easy stroll. Lots of access to the water. I even dipped my toes in the ocean to see how cold the water was. It felt magnificent! In the center of the park is an "off limits" area. There is a school for the deaf.

28/08/2021

Maine and New Hampshire trip
My FIRST solo trip.
First I'll say, I was about 2 weeks early to see the full fall colors. I saw a few as you'll see in the days to come pictures.

Day 1

After checking into the hotel I looked quickly for something I could still squeeze into the day. Ahh, a nearby lighthouse. As I arrived at Fort William Park just in time to snap these quick pix and catch the sunset.

I also drove to downtown Portland to Commercial street and drove along the piers. The sidewalks were a buzz with people walking on the sidewalks.

Check back tomorrow for a surprise on the drive to Bar Harbor.

21/08/2021

East Texas Arboretum in Athens, TX is a wonderful menagerie of flowers, trails and nature. $8 to enter and it's self guided walk through the woods on a mostly well maintained path. There is short trail (about a mile) and a long trail. You can chose to go by the bog or not (see map picture). Pets are welcome so long as they are leashed and you pick up after them (if you know what I mean). Take water and napkins. There's also numerous benches to stop and enjoy nature.

06/07/2021

Where are you traveling to this year?

02/07/2021

The Botanical Gardens in Denver are Amazing. There are several gardens within the Botanical Gardens (romantic garden, Japanese garden, etc). There are endless opportunities to relax in a quiet alcove enjoying the surrounding beauty. There are lots of water features (fountains, waterfalls, ponds and babbling Brooks) to enjoy. There is a little bistro in the center of the garden that has a good variety of drinks and food (sandwiches, salads, ice cream). Definitely worth your time. It's almost too much to see in one day.

02/07/2021

If you love the outdoors, then Colorado in general and specifically Silverthorne, CO is the place you want to be. Spend the day off-roading up to Georgia Pass where the continental divide crosses. Pull over and hike to the top. It's a fairly short hike (less than 30 minutes) and you won't be sorry. The views are spectacular!! Be sure to pack plenty of water and snacks, a picnic lunch would be even better. You're not gonna want to leave. Four-wheelers can be temperamental so packing a few tools would be advisable.
In Silverthorne there are several nice options for hikes for all skill levels. An in-n-out hike at Dillon Reservoir is about 3.25 mile and there are several options for taking more elevated trails off the main trail. The main trail is even and easy and runs along the water with lots of photo ops. A hike around Sapphire Point is a short .66 mile loop hike with spectacular views.

02/07/2021

Breckenridge, CO gondola ride and festivities at the top. Don't make the mistake at getting off before you teach the top. There are two stations you will ride through and your cab doors will open, but DO NOT get off.

02/07/2021

A day in Breckenridge and a Day in Golden will give you lots of opportunity to relax. Breckenridge included lots of great shops and eateries. We had lunch at The Blue Stag Saloon. and NO, you don't have to be over 21 to eat there. We enjoyed wonderful patio seating with live music and plenty of people watching. The good is typical (pizza, burgers, salad) but very tasty. The gondola ride in Breckenridge is free, but parking is not. If the gondola is not operating due to weather you can also drive to the top and still enjoy the views.
Golden is a quaint laid-back town with great shops and food. You can also do the Coors Brewery tour. There is a short tour which pretty much takes you straight to the beer or a longer tour. Both are great.

02/07/2021

A couple days in Denver were filled with fun things to do. Visit 16th Street mall for fun shopping, eateries, people watching and if your lucky ...maybe even a little outdoor free concert. Giordano's pizza is a must-have if you like thick Chicago style pizza. They are not foolin around, even their thin pizza is thicker than most. But De-lish!
Other options include The Capital, The Mint (unfortunately it was closed while we were there), Botanical Gardens, your of Coors Field. The downtown area and area around Coors field is easy walking. If you go don't miss Confluence Park and the Aquarium. There isn't any parking specifically for Confluence Park but there is street parking or public parking lots not too far.

02/07/2021

Airbnb in Silverthorne, CO was the perfect base camp for our large family vacation (30 of us). There were 3 floors (so lots of stairs) 12 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms 2 full kitchens and a little kitchenette area. Lots of outdoor space (big front porch, a balcony off one side of the house and a back porch on one side) and a hot tub. There were several sitting areas and places for groups to gather and talk, play games or just relax. There was plenty of parking as we had 2 trailers with 4 wheelers and 6-7 vehicles. There were a few snaffoughs but all in all, a good stay.

05/06/2021

We stayed one night at Oxford Ranch Campground. For $10/pp per night you can camp anywhere on the ranch. Rustic bathrooms and showers are included. There are limited spots close to bathrooms that provide electric hook-ups for campers for an additional charge.