This guide to San Diego offers value-conscious recommendations on hotels, restaurants and sightseeing.
For my complete bio and to access my three travel blogs ("Authentic Luxury Travel," "La Jolla Travel Information," and "Travel: Staying Healthy On the Road"), please visit www.elizabethhansen.net
I love to travel, but I make a lousy tourist.
I want to wander off the beaten path and walk, browse, hike, bike, and kayak at my own pace. I enjoy talking with local people, benefiting from insider information, and dining on regional dishes. I want to savor the beauty of exotic environments in peace and quiet.
Like other authentic luxury travelers, I also want my creature comforts. I appreciate high-thread-count bed linens, room service, and air-conditioning. I am especially fond of clean, well-equipped bathrooms.
Can we have it all?
You bet we can. As the travel editor of Ranch & Coast, a luxury lifestyle magazine, I've learned that the Third World and the Four Seasons are not mutually exclusive. Affluent travelers can have authentic experiences without sacrificing comfort and convenience.
My husband and I have enjoyed the hospitality of New Zealand farmers, "glamped" in Denali National Park wilderness, visited remote Hmong villages in North Vietnam, and watched Kuna Indians making molas in Panama's San Blas Islands.
These real, very untouristy experiences do not require a youth hostel card and a backpack. We happily forgo tours and cruises, but we don't compromise on lodging, meals, and modes of transportation - and we always come home smarter, happier, and full of new ideas.
Authentic Luxury Travel just takes a bit of planning - and that's where I come in. There's nothing I enjoy more than sharing my experiences with others. That's why I write three travel blogs and monthly magazine articles, make available our 60,000+ stock photos via ADAMS / HANSEN STOCK PHOTOS, and do public speaking and consulting. These avenues allow me to relive my favorite memories and share with fellow travelers what I have learned along the way.
On my "La Jolla Travel Information" blog I provide insider information that enables visitors to my hometown enjoy San Diego's favorite coastal community like a local - not a tourist. "Staying Healthy On the Road" provides tips on feeling great while traveling.
Please read my blogs at www.elizabethhansen.net and don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about creating authentic travel experiences.
