GUEST ARTICLE: Depending on your time of arrival it can take about one hour to reach the famous rays and waves of Santa Monica from Los Angeles International Airport (more commonly known as ‘LAX’) after battling the famous highway gridlock – which was recently predicted to reach ‘Carmageddon’ status .

Prime Time Shuttle , part of the national GO Airport Shuttle network provides a highly reliable and cost effective shared transportation solution to and from LAX at all hours of the day, from as little as $15 (plus driver tip) one way.

For passengers arriving at Los Angeles’ other LAX – LAX Union Station on an Amtrak rail service, it’s equally easy to get to Santa Monica in about an hour for a couple of dollars on the Big Blue Bus . Just walk out of the main station entrance and cross the road heading to the North Alameda Street bus stop.

Hostelling International Santa Monica offers the only hostel in the area with an unbeatable location, within a stone’s throw of Santa Monica Beach and the world famous retail heartland of Third Street Promenade .

Although the dormitories feel somewhat dated, the facilities are clean and offer locker and luggage storage, breakfast, self-catering kitchen, tourist map, wireless internet, patio, walking tours and healthy discounts with Los Angeles Sight Seeing Tours next door.

Whether you’re into people or poodle watching, witnessing street performances, or pure retail therapy, Third Street Promenade has a wide selection of popular retailers like GAP, Esprit, and Old Navy and upscale designers all on one long pedestrianised retail strip. Put your feet up at Cafe Crepe and tuck into one of its thin crust pizzas or its variety of sweet and savoury crepes for a break from the constant stream of foot traffic milling up and down Third Street.

If you’re yearning for an escape from urban retail on a Wednesday or Saturday, the Santa Monica Farmers Markets in Downtown showcases fresh, sustainable, organic and seasonal California agriculture ranging from Pinkertons avocadoes, succulent blueberries, crusty sourdough breads, raw milk and Californian pecans.

A walk along Santa Monica Beach towards the iconic Santa Monica Pier is a great way to soak in the local rollerblading, cycling and fitness scene as well as the Home of the Original Muscle Beach. Venice Beach and Malibu are also very close by for fans of the hit TV show Baywatch.

Check out one of the many tours available as Los Angeles County is deceptively large, the attractions are spread far and wide, and the public subway and bus transport can require a bit of forward planning.

The Los Angeles Grand Tour and Movie Stars’ Homes tour from Los Angeles Sight Seeing Tours is great value for anyone short on time and without the energy to digest a combination of bus and rail schedules. Apart from having time to look for stars or pretending to be one at the big ticket attractions like Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Boulevard, Universal Studios and Mullholland Drive, historic Olvera Street Market is worth exploring to experience some Mexican handicrafts and snacks. The tour even included a transfer to LAX on request.

If you’re heading to Chicago and not in a hurry, consider taking a long distance scenic Amtrak train service like the South West Chief, which cuts through mountains, deserts and remote townships on its epic journey, traversing sections of the now deactivated Route 66, it’ll be cheaper and more enjoyable than driving: Frommer’s Online Travel Guide.

This article has been written by Pranav Bhatt. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Sydney University. He has an interest in world travel, cricket, politics, technology and the media. To view more of Pranav’s photos from around the world visit his Flickr PhotoStream

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

Dallas, Texas. Skyline photo credit: ragingwire

GUEST ARTICLE: We arrived at Dallas, Texas pretty late at night and got a bus transfer from the airport to our hotel (Hyatt Place) located in the suburb of North Irving. We were packed in with a few military personnel and some people sporting the famous Dallas Cowboys jersey.

Everyone was in a great mood and really excited about the upcoming football game. Initially we thought how lucky we were to have arrived just in time to potentially see a Dallas Cowboy game, unfortunately our enthusiasm was quickly doused when we heard how much the tickets were (if any were available) – each one a whopping $350US – Yikes!!

The next morning we decided to head into downtown Dallas. One thing we hadn’t counted on was the vastness of the city, it is absolutely massive! And another were the price of things, for example to take a cab into the city was going to cost us around $60US. We had initially booked a rental car but cancelled it because we had just been caught in a really bad freak snowstorm in Las Vegas.

That storm was headed toward Dallas so we thought better of it, especially after the chaotic ride we had had on the roads in Vegas at that time. Instead we decided to check out their bus and train transportation system. Unfortunately and strangely no buses ran near our hotel so we decided to catch a cab to the nearest train station. $26US later, we arrived at a deserted looking station in South Irving.

Our train ride into the city was pretty interesting we met some very friendly people who had no qualms about filling us in with regards to the places to see and the ones to definitely avoid in Dallas. For example South Dallas is notoriously known as a very bad area rife with crime. We found it somewhat unnerving to find out that in such a beautiful city that there were particular areas that could be potentially fatal for you to walk around?

I live in Sydney, Australia also a very large city but there are no areas that I can think of that I would be afraid even in daylight to walk around in?! An hour later we arrived in the city centre and headed towards one of the most famous spots in Dallas – where John Kennedy was shot and murdered on November 22, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald.

As we neared the street where two painted X’s marked the spots where he was shot, vendors selling paraphernalia about that tragic day drew small crowds while explaining that particular day’s events, various theories and even copies of newspaper clippings.

I had seen the video footage of the shooting numerous times and I had thought the street they were on was much bigger, flat and with big buildings all around. In actuality the street isn’t that big and it’s also on a slope that winds down through a tunnel.

The infamous red brick building (the School Book Depository Bldg)that Lee Harvey was is in only has 7 floors, also the “Grassy Knoll” seemed to be nothing more than a little grassy mound with a few tiny shrubs ? Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is, is that it just seems almost impossible for no one to have noticed a supposed second gunman in those little bushes, one would have thought a sniper would have picked a less conspicuous spot.

Downtown Dallas is quite nice and being only a few days before Christmas we found it to be very quiet. We wandered into the Historic West End district, a really beautiful area with numerous little shops and restaurants. For lunch we found a nice pasta restaurant and got a real taste of that lovely Texas hospitality and fantastic food. The portions were certainly ‘Texas size’ with diet cokes served in 1 litre glasses! One thing is for sure you certainly get your money’s worth in Texas!

Next we caught their very cool old fashioned Mc Kinney Trolley which took us from the West End through the Arts District. It was a really great way to get to see more of the city and it was free! At the end of our tour we were still looking for some action so we lucked out by flagging a cab down and got him to take us to one of their massive shopping malls.

We arrived at the gigantic Galleria shopping centre and as soon as we stepped into the mall we were greeted with the biggest Christmas tree we’d ever seen! It was beautifully decorated and was situated right in the middle of a giant skating rink surrounded by hundreds of twirling bodies, what a beautiful sight!

After we had our fill of the massive mall we decided to head back home. Unfortunately it was impossible to get a cab (because of the football game and last minute Christmas shopping) so we decided to take a chance and jump on the first transit bus we saw and hope we could get dropped off as close as possible to our hotel.

We didn’t actually know exactly where we were (remember Dallas is huge!) but fortunately it wasn’t only but a few minutes before we had a group of other passengers giving us directions, I guess we must have had tourist written on our foreheads. We had started our bus journey at about 4pm; little did we know it would turn out to be quite an adventure…

First off, we weren’t on the right bus (of course), in actuality we were headed exactly in the opposite direction. Because our hotel was one situated among hundreds along a very popular hotel area and was also fairly new, nobody actually knew the exact location (yes even with the address?!).

So after listening to a few suggested routes we ended up catching a connecting bus but after looking at our map we soon noticed that we were about to take the ‘long way’ home. We had a few funny characters on the bus and we also had a chance to see some ‘interesting’ suburbs. I don’t think I’ve seen so many skeletal homes in my life, the recession has certainly hit Dallas, there’s no doubt about that, the situation is so very sad.

It was around 10pm when we finally arrived at our hotel after several more connections, getting off at the wrong location, tramping through fields, freezing our buns off running across a major freeway in order to get something to eat, you know your typical Saturday night stuff?! Our flight the next day actually ended up getting cancelled due to the freak snowstorms that had hit the northern part of the country.

Fortunately we were able to fly out the day after but soon found ourselves stuck in Vancouver, Canada for a week due to more snow…cancelled flights…that my friends is another story!

Overall, we actually quite enjoyed ourselves in Dallas but ‘of course’ we would highly recommend renting a car with GPS no matter the weather! We would love to go back one day for a proper explore since there are so many beautiful areas to see and of course to reap some more of that wonderful Texas Hospitality!

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: The short 3-hour flight it took us to fly from Vancouver, BC to Anchorage, Alaska was by far the most beautiful plane ride that we’ve ever been on. We were so lucky to have clear blue skies while flying over the giant snow capped Coast Mountains and the deep blue Pacific Ocean. July was a great month to go!

We picked up our car rental at the airport and headed to a nice little B&B we had found on the Internet called Highland Glen Bed and Breakfast. There are heaps of accommodations in Anchorage but we found them to be pretty pricey.

I’m not sure if it was because of the summer season, but it definitely paid for us to do some research. Luckily we ended up picking a little gem, the owners were fantastic and very helpful in pointing us to all the tourist hot spots. One day we even had our own little moose show right out on the front lawn, too cool!

We had arrived early in the afternoon and quickly checked in and dropped off our gear in order to take advantage of the beautiful weather and daylight.

We soon found out that there would be no problem of daylight shortage. Later that night or I should say morning at about 1am it was still fairly light outside. This made our trip even better and we got to really take full advantage of each and every day.

Our first excursion was a drive down south along the Seward Highway to a little place called Girdwood. The 45-minute drive was really scenic and it’s said to be one of the best in the world (we agree!). The highway runs alongside the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet and is really impressive.

At that time it was low tide and there was a vast expanse of smooth mudflats with the pretty backdrop of the giant Coastal Mountains. The tidal changes in that particular area are really something to see and if you time it right you can witness a Tidal Bore or maybe even see a Beluga Whale.

Girdwood is Alaska’s ski capital and has one of the best chairlifts we’ve been on. You can find this at the Alyeska Resort. The ride soars high over lush green forest and deep natural pools. We saw a moose and heard of a bear sighting as well.

During the ride we were both awestruck by the breathtaking beauty of the Chugach National Forest. The surrounding mountains were snow capped and brilliant green. It was just incredible. Once we got to the top we got a chance to play in some of winter’s leftover snow. This is a definite must do if you’re ever in the area.

I had always imagined Anchorage to be a small town but in reality it’s actually a pretty good size city and home to almost 300,000 people. On the weekend there is a nice little farmer’s market to go and explore that showcases all kinds of local foods and handicrafts.

For lunch we found a great little place downtown called the Alaska Salmon Chowder House. The Alaskan Crab there was excellent and it soon became our favorite lunch spot.

On another big outing we drove south again but this time we turned off to Cooper Landing. We heard that this was a really scenic drive and we also heard that the salmon were starting to run. Cooper Landing is a popular fishing spot and we were hoping we might be able to watch some fishermen reeling some in.

The drive certainly was scenic but unfortunately we were just a bit too early for the salmon run. So instead we went on a really nice walk along the river. There are heaps of walking trails and also an excellent biking trail all along the highway.

When we got back to Anchorage later that evening we decided to go take a look at their famous lookout point. When we got there we saw a trail teaming with hikers called Flattop Peak Trail and so we decided to give it a go. It took us 2 ½ hours of some pretty hard going at times and a few hairy spots but in the end it was all worth it. It’s a fantastic walk and gives a spectacular view of the City and surrounding area.

This is a pretty hard walk but we did happen to see a couple of 4 year olds coming down?! Man they breed them tough in the north!

On our last day we went to the Anchorage Zoo, which we have to say was pretty impressive. It has all of Alaska’s best and is well known for taking in orphaned and injured animals. It was a great place to learn about and see Alaska’s animals.

We really liked the Muskox, something we had never seen before and the wolves and giant Bald Eagles we also pretty remarkable.

There are so many things to do in Alaska and lots of beautiful parks to explore. We spent 5 days and barely touched it! What we did see and do we absolutely loved and next time we would probably like to take a Ferry up from Victoria. For all you nature lovers out there definitely put this one on your To Do List!!

Rob Gower’s Anchorage, Alaska Photo Gallery

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: If you’re looking for close proximity to the Rocky Mountains and a relaxed atmosphere, look no further than Boulder, Colorado aka ‘Boulderado’.

It takes about fifty minutes on the RTD bus service to reach Boulder, Colorado after the Amtrak California Zephyr pulls up at Denver Station.

The ride into Denver at night is magical as the “Mile High City” glows at night from a distance as the train steams towards the centre of town.

The Days Hotel Boulder is a comfortable, clean and well-appointed hotel for the budget conscious traveler. It is conveniently located near the Table Mesa Park n Ride bus stop, from which you’re just a short bus ride out of town. Single king rooms start from about US$55 and include free high speed WiFi, microwave, fridge and cable TV.

Eldora Ski Resort is a short bus ride away from Boulder and worth a visit if you want to hit the slopes in Colorado.

Pearl St Mall has a good mix of shops, cafes and restaurants to keep you busy for at least one afternoon.

If you have a sweet tooth, head on down to the Cheesecake Factory and dig into one of their many cheesecake specialties, you won’t be disappointed. The triple chocolate is not to be missed!

Getting to Denver International Airport couldn’t be easier aboard the RTD SkyRide bus service ($12 adult) from the Table Mesa Park n Ride.

To view more of Pranav’s photos from around the world visit his Flickr PhotoStream

This article has been written by Pranav Bhatt. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Sydney University. He has an interest in world travel, cricket, politics, technology and the media.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: Don’t be fooled, there’s so much more to Moab, Utah than its main street called Main Street. Untouched National Parks abound. Thousands of natural sandstone arches. The force of the Colorado River. Challenging bike tracks. All this and more is on your doorstep from Moab.

If you’re on the Amtrak California Zephyr and want to visit Moab, a little bit of pre-planning is advisable. Otherwise you might find yourself walking for 52 miles down the highway from the isolated Green River Amtrak station.

Pre-booked shuttle services such as Coyote Shuttle can help. Just be aware that some companies are reluctant to do pick ups from Green River because of the unreliability of Amtrak trains.

I was fortunate because my train was exactly on time and I’d pre-arranged a pick up with Coyote Shuttle and phoned them while I was on the train to re-assure them that I’d turn up on time.

Moab Main Street is filled wall to wall with shops, hotels, motels and adventure outfitters so finding a bed and bike rental should be no problem unless you arrive during peak season or the annual Moab Jeep Safari.

Starting at $US 39 for a single queen room, the Bowen Motel offers superb budget friendly accommodation on Main Street, within walking distance of cafes, restaurants, tour companies and the CityMarket supermarket.

Rooms are large and feature a large bed, cable TV, free WiFi, clean bathroom, and breakfast. There is a microwave and fridge at reception and the front desk staff are helpful.

The Adventure Inn is also on Main Street. Single queen rooms start from about $US 55. The owners were very friendly and helpful. The rooms are newer, compact and clean with cable TV and free WiFi, but breakfast is inadequate. Laundry facilities are provided.

Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park rank highly on the must-see list for visitors to this part of Utah.

There are plenty of tour companies (‘outfitters’) to choose from if you don’t have a car or just want to sit back and listen to an expert. The Moab Adventure Center provides a number of tours ranging from four-wheel mayhem on Hummer safaris to rafting.

The guided hike through the maze-like Fiery Furnace in Arches is excellent value at $US 77 (adult). It is one of the quieter and more mysterious areas of the park because visitor numbers are limited to preserve its unique natural beauty.

Tag-A-Long Expeditions and Navtec hold permits to enter Canyonlands National Park. Other outfitters advertise tours that include ‘Canyonlands’ but they can only drive around the general region known as Canyonlands.

Tag-a-Long’s Jet Boat / 4WD tour of the Canyonlands National Park (US $135 adult) offers the best of both worlds, providing visitors the chance to experience rugged backcountry and stunning vistas via windy dirt trails, followed by an afternoon navigating the Colorado River with time for a riverside lunch in between.

There are heaps of biking trails in and around Moab to suit most skill levels. Plenty of shops rent bikes too. Rim Cyclery offers reasonable prices and friendly service.

Many of the trails are rugged and remote. To navigate them safely, you’ll need to draw upon skills and experience you won’t have from just riding on city streets. So don’t just hop on and hope for the best.

The trail along Kane Creek is recommended for people with limited experience, but it’s wise to know how to use a puncture repair kit to patch any holes if you get stranded. If you look carefully, you’ll spot some American Indian petroglyphs on the way.

The Moab Brewery “Utah’s only microbrewery and restaurant” offers a genuine pub atmosphere and is a great place to unwind after a day of outdoor adventure.

The menu ranges from Italian, Mexican to classic burger and fries pub fare. Try some of their microbrewery varieties such as the Dead Horse Amber Ale and the Derailleur Red Ale.

Pasta Jay’s is one of the most packed restaurants on Main Street and it’s easy to see why – huge servings of American-Italian fare at decent prices.

Zax Restaurant is just off Main Street and is a top choice for a fresh burger, local beer and crispy hot chips for under US $20.

The Moab Museum provides a hands-on history of the town showcasing dinosaur bones, mineral deposits and the Hollywood films that have been shot in the area including Thelma and Louise and Mission Impossible II.

To view more of Pranav’s photos from around the world visit his Flickr PhotoStream

This article has been written by Pranav Bhatt. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Sydney University. He has an interest in world travel, cricket, politics, technology and the media.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: Surrounded by a ring of big and small snow capped mountains, Salt Lake City, Utah is a ski lover’s wonderland.

Disembarking the Amtrak California Zephyr at Salt Lake City railway station in the early hours of the morning isn’t for the faint hearted. Call a taxi company like Yellow Cab (801) 521-2100 or City Cab Co (801) 363-5550 or you’ll be left stranded in a desolate part of town next to the very shady looking Pioneer Park.

Entering the 800 South Guest House, amazingly enough located on 800 South (‘street’) is also an interesting proposition during the early hours of the morning.

800 South Guest House is a self-check in hostel with a cheerful yellow and blue exterior. Have the entry code handy from your internet booking to open the side door and a torch if the lights are off so you don’t have to stumble to the self check-in computer like I did.

Starting at about US $20 for a shared dormitory, the hostel provides free secure WiFi, TV, kitchen and laundry facilities. It’s cheapest to book directly online through the official secure website.

To stock up on the basics you can’t go wrong at the Walmart SuperCenter just a few TRAX stops away. If you can’t find what you want in Walmart, whether it’s a “wholesome” tube of cookie dough or “meal size maple pancakes” and sausage griddlecake, you just aren’t looking hard enough.

To hit the ski slopes, take a UTA ski bus up to Snowbird or Alta Ski Resort to experience the powder that made Salt Lake City home to the 2002 Winter Olympics. The champagne snow crumbles in your hand at the slightest touch.

Snowbird is a more commericalised, larger resort with more eateries and shops. Alta is more of a smaller, simpler family run operation. But it’s really the types of runs on offer that counts.

If you catch the TRAX light rail into town for sight seeing, be warned. There’s not too much to see by way of major tourist attractions, unless you’re interested in religious monuments and average museums.

A ring of tall and short snow capped mountains provide a sparkling backdrop to what is other wise a fairly lifeless city.

In early 2009, the city center was punctuated by construction works designed to breathe life and prosperity into the centre, its plain architecture and shady streets on its fringes.

There are some chain restaurants like Romano’s Macaroni Grill where you can get a large cheesy mushroom ravioli and a Budweiser served with a complimentary warm bread roll and oil for about $US15.

For more information about skiing and the state parks around Salt Lake City, read this other article Salt Lake City, Utah: Mormons near Mountains

To view more of Pranav’s photos from around the world visit his Flickr PhotoStream

This article has been written by Pranav Bhatt. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Business at Sydney University. He has an interest in world travel, cricket, politics, technology and the media.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution