Best bag for Spring Break converts from suitcase to backpack

For those of you planning a hiking adventure for Spring Break, here is the perfect bag for you: eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible that is designed for the active traveler. My eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible is made durable nylon the color of western skies called Tropical Turquoise.

The backpack straps hide away in a neat zipper compartment for tangle-free airport handling. Shoulder straps zip away so they can't get caught in those nasty airport baggage conveyors. If you don't want to check your bag, no worries. The 21.5"x14"x9" will easily fit in the overhead compartment. I prefer this bag as a carry-on because it has a special compartment for my laptop and a pocket on top for easy access to my travel documents.

But the functionality of this bag does not end there. Once at your destination, empty the eBags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible, zip up the expansion gusset to make it 1.5" smaller, tighten up the outside compression straps and unzip the padded shoulder straps. Now you have a day pack that will hold your windbreaker, sunscreen, lunch and water. Put one water bottle in the easy-to-reach hide away water bottle pouch.

I wish I would have had this little gem on last month's trip to India. The only thing that it is missing is wheels to pull it through the airport. But if it had wheels, it wouldn't make for a light-weight backpack. As it is, it weighs in at only 3 pounds, 11 ounces making it my recommendation for "Best Bag for Spring Break Getaway."

At the writing of this review, the sturdy eBag was priced $99.99 at eBags.

Stacey Wittig is an Arizona travel writer that loves to give free travel tips, Don't miss the next great tip by subscribing in the upper right.

One of the World's Best Places for Bird Watching?

Where is one of the the best place for birding watching? It may just be one of the last places you might think of -- the Arizona desert.

Southeastern Arizona’s Sky Islands are environmentally diverse and some of the best places in the world for bird watchers to find extremely wide ranges of bird species. Sky islands are isolated mountains that are dramatically and environmentally different from their surrounding lowland deserts. The mountains offer diverse habitats that attract a vast amount of migratory bird species. For birders and nature lovers, southeast Arizona provides a rich opportunity to discover many species and enjoy the great outdoors. An hour and a half east of Tucson, the Chiricahua Mountains -- a significant Sky Island -- ascends from the arid Chihuahuan Desert and transitions to grassland, oak-pine woodland, pine forest and finally to spruce-fir-aspen forest at its higher elevations.

For birding and lodging in the Chiricahua Mountains, Sunglow Ranch, a boutique guest ranch resort, is a birder’s paradise. It is located in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains at 5,340 feet in elevation. Sunglow offers guests inspired lodging and dining in its hideaway setting. Birders can also relax with a variety of other activities including astronomy, hiking, biking, horse riding, fishing, swimming and a spa. Running water, a pond, bird feeders, onsite trails and birding stations makes Sunglow Ranch a frequent venue for visitors and birds alike.

Turkey Creek which flows through the ranchlands offers phenomenal birding. Over 500 bird species have been reported at and around Sunglow Ranch where mountain streams large bird populations are present all year.


Nearby, the Wings Over WILLCOX Birding and Nature festival is hosted the third week in January, Wednesday through Sunday. Seminars, photo contests, birding workshops, tours, and activities for birders and nature enthusiast of all backgrounds are offered.

The WILLCOX Playa is arguably the best shorebird and waterfowl watching area in Southern Arizona. The Playa is a large, shallow, dry lakebed located seven miles south of Willcox in Cochise County, Arizona. The Apache Station Wildlife Area, located 8.5 miles south of I-10 on US 191, is probably one the best spots on the WILLCOX Playa, and the easiest to access.

For an outstanding experience in birding and lodging in the Chiricahua Mountains Sky Island, Sunglow
Ranch provides visitors with breathtaking views, inclusive meals and an experience to be remembered.
Sunglow Ranch EARNED BOTH the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and the Travelers’ Choice Award for 2012, chosen as one of the “Top 25 Relaxation/Spa Hotels in the United States” For more information on Sunglow Ranch call: (520) 824-3334
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Stacey "Vagabonding Lulu" Wittig is an Arizona travel writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. Get more travel tips by "Subscribing" to this site.

8" of fresh snow at Steamboat, CO

Old Man Winter blew through Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A.^® yesterday bringing eight inches of fresh snow overnight and single digit temperatures signaling a snowy change to the weather pattern. In the past 24-hours, Steamboat reported eight inches of new snow at mid-mountain with a 19-inch mid-mountain base and 22-inch summit base on powder conditions.

With the arrival of the new snow, the resort will be phasing in new terrain and lifts over the coming week. As early as tomorrow, Burgess Creek chairlift along with Rudi’s Run, Lightning and Ego are anticipated to open. In addition, a number of green trails including Boulevard, Giggle Gulch and Right-O-Way accessed from Christie Peak Express will significantly increase beginner terrain. The resort will work towards opening Storm Peak Express later in the week.

The next snow system moves into the area on Monday; followed by more snow on Thursday evening into Friday. get more info at www.steamboat.com

Fiji Islands Ranked Top 4 by Condé Nast

Fiji moves to Condé Nast's #4 “Islands in Australia & the Pacific”

Fiji has climbed in international popularity as a holiday destination by being named among the top four “Islands in Australia & the Pacific” in the prestigious annual Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards.

Fiji Islands went up two places from number six in last year's awards to number four in 2012.

Fiji Golf Resort and Spa - InterContinental Hotel

“This is a wonderful recognition of all we have to offer in Fiji,” said Minister for Tourism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

“Condé Nast Traveler readers are seasoned and sophisticated travelers with high expectations, so their very positive opinion of the Fiji experience is a wonderful achievement for the entire industry,” added Sayed-Khaiyum who is also the Attorney-General.

The Condé Nast Traveler’s Awards are determined by surveys completed by the magazine’s readers, who are asked to provide a ranking from 1 to 100 in a number of fields, including scenery, friendliness, activities, lodges and restaurants.

Fiji again received very high rankings in each category.

The Minister said that “Fiji is very proud to be considered amongst the world’s best tourist destinations. We look forward to continuing to grow the industry and improve the experience of our visitors. The coming year will bring with it many exciting new changes as Fiji positions itself to launch an innovative and universally appealing new brand in both the traditional and new markets. Our goal is to make Fiji one of the top island destinations, not just in the Pacific, but in the world.”

  

For further information please contact: Ili Matatolui, Regional Director, Tourism Fiji The Americas at 310-568-1616, x204 or ili@ tourismfijius.com

Stacey "Vagabonding Lulu" Wittig is an Arizona travel writer that gives free travel tips and shares fun adventures. Don't miss her next  travel article by clicking on "Subscribe to" above.

For Your Eyes Only: Hyde Bellagio

Last week at the Hyde Bellagio, I sipped a 2009 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir from one of the most coveted seats in Las Vegas. I was sitting at the Patio on what has been referred to as the 50-yard line of the Bellagio Fountains. The comfortable space is really not a patio -- it's an indoor-outdoor space that captures views of the fountains with floor-to-ceiling glass -- that was open. I sat in a glam wrap-around couch, so close to the fountains that I could feel the spray once they began their swaying. With 100F Vegas temps last week, that mist felt mighty good.

The center-stage Hyde Bellagio seats are a must-do for any Bellagio Fountain fan like me. Door opens at 5 p.m. for an early evening experience of pre-theatre bites and drinks. At 10 p.m. the space morphs into one of Las Vegas' hottest night clubs.

Insider's secret: once those fountains start swaying to the music of the likes of Frank Sinatra, the sound system within the Hyde channels up with the music of the fountains ... and you're in for a real surround-sound experience!

Next time I go, I'm ordering a Love Unit (as featured in the New York Times.) It's so pretty in the picture above that I have to try this little pretty -- mixed with Stolichnaya Elit vodka, Stolichnaya vanilla vodka, Thai basil/freshly pressed lime, grapefruit and hand-extracted bell pepper juices. Shaken, not stirred.

Stacey "Vagabonding Lulu" Wittig is a freelance Arizona travel writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. Watch for pictures of the sought-after table and view of fountains in her next Vagabonding Lulu travel column in the Winter 2012 issue of  Arizona Vines and Wines magazine.

Love Old Westerns? This could be the Weekend Getaway for you!

On the road to Juniper Well Ranch, Skull Valley, AZ

Put on your jeans, boots and cowboy hat and head on over to the Prescott, AZ area. Last weekend I did a quick getaway with hubby, Dan. But this would be a great escape for the girls, families or even the solo traveler. We made our base camp at Juniper Wells Ranch in Skull Valley only twenty-five minutes from historic downtown Prescott, AZ.

I’d never been to Skull Valley before so I expected sand, desert and bones of long-dead steer lining the road. Instead, we found an oasis of 200-year-old alligator junipers tucked below massive Granite Mountain complete with frogs – quite alive – jumping along Prescott Forest Service Road 336. We did arrive during monsoon season and the ditches were spilling over.

Our hosts Dave and Linda Bonham welcomed us to the guest ranch and vineyards. Dave’s father, a writer of Western fiction, started the ranch in 1980 and you can see why Frank Bonham chose this place. The valley, its blue skies and granite backdrop make for the perfect Hollywood “Cowboys and Indians” set. There’s a stone pump house for the well -- hence the name Juniper Well Ranch – and horses, mules and a donkey in the corrals. You can image a stagecoach pulled by six muscular horses hauling down the gravel road until it stops and Maureen O’Hara alights in her petticoats.

Frank Bonham’s book Last Stage West was made into a movie Stage to Tucson in 1950. “My dad wrote western books until TV killed the western book market and half of Americans – men – quit reading and started watching westerns on television.” Frank continued to write television screenplays.

You can rent a cabin and have your own slice of the Old West. Juniper Well Ranch is a great place to continue celebrating the Arizona Centennial. Cabins come complete with fully equipped kitchens, outdoor grills, linens and firewood for the woodstove on chilly nights. There are plenty of trails for hiking, horseback riding and ATV-ing.

Saturday, we enjoyed a winetasting at Juniper Well Ranch’s winery. The Bonhams started planting vineyards in 2004 and had their first harvest in 2008. They continue to make wine and I was delighted to hear Dave weave tales about his Dad as he poured wine. The wine labels are designed around the cover art of his father’s books. Tastings from Superstition Meadery are also available in the winery. Superstition Meadery makes mead from Arizona honey, water and yeast on the premises. Meads provide a “little something different” for tasters. If you plan your retreat on the second Sunday of the month, you’ll also get to experience live music, demonstrations and crafts with your festive wine tastings.

Winsome Expandable Wine Bar

Next we drove to Chino Valley to explore the Granite CreekVineyards. Under lush green elm trees, we ate, tasted more wine and listened to live music. The 100-year old farm served as a dairy and Chino Valley’s only gas station. The rusty vintage gas pump and rustic barn are part of the charm of the place. Block Six Catering is onsite to provide light fare every weekend.

Planted originally with organic Concord grapes in 1974, the vineyards have been certified organic ever since. The granite soil now produces wine grapes that are made into Certified Organic Wines with no sulfites added. Granite Creek Vineyards is worth a day-trip, if you can’t manage to get the whole Prescott-area getaway weekend into your schedule.

For dinner, I recommend the rooftop bar at Raven Café where Prescott loves to hang out. One of the reasons that people congregate at the green café is that they don’t get the bum’s rush once they’ve finished dining. “Our customers can sit at a table all day long if they like,” touts Bar Manager Coleen Fitzpatrick. The encyclopedic wine and beer lists are more reasons to keep clients in their seats. I’d never seen so many beers on tap in one place.

After a dinner of local and organic ingredients, I suggest getting up to tour the grand wine cellar. You’re free to ogle at amazing high-end wines from around the world. See something you like? The Raven has a “To-Go” liquor license and offers $5 off the wine list price for to-go items. The vast wine collection is part of what earned the restaurant the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2012.

After dinner you can head back to the ranch, put your feet up and listen to the quiet night punctuated with crickets, the chit-chit-chit of cicadas and the quiet tap of moth wings against Mexican tin lanterns.

If you’re lucky, maybe Maureen O’Hara will come tuck you in.

Stacey Wittig "Vagabonding Lulu" is an Arizona travel writer based in Flagstaff, AZ. She loves to share free travel tips. Don't miss her next article, subscribe to her blog on the upper right.