Ariel Frager is a mom, wife, surfer, Licensed Professional Counselor, dog lover, bike commuter, artist, home chef, mindfulness teacher, friend, member of the Society of American Travel Writers and goofball. She is also a staff travel writer and parenting advice columnist for Portland Family Magazine. Ariel lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.
Once upon a time, Sayulita was a tiny fishing village about 30 minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta. The dusty dirt roads that led to this tiny paradise were traveled only by in-the-know locals and some intrepid surfers. The whisper travel campaign has blossomed into a full roar. Sayulita is now a popular beach destination for travelers from the US, Canada...
Huntington Beach, California has a cute nickname, Surf City USA. The thing is, Huntington Beach may have branded itself Surf City USA but the city has also earned it. Huntington Beach boasts over 8 miles of uninterrupted beach that requires voter approval prior to any beach construction and the consistent waves are some of California’s best for surfing. Plus the...
Every parent wants to make their kid’s dream come true and sometimes that means planning a kid-centered vacation. Case in point: my six-year-old son’s Lego obsession led us to a family holiday to Carlsbad, California, home of Legoland California Resort. Carlsbad is a classic Southern California town about 35 miles north of San Diego. Ostensibly a beach town, Carlsbad is...
Los Angeles, California, is a large, diverse metropolitan city with culture, art, great dining and freeways to spare. But some travelers dream of heading to Los Angeles for a single reason: to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood amusement park. Navigating through Los Angeles to get to Universal Studios takes a little planning. Here are some...
When you rent a house on the Oregon coast, think about inviting another family to join you. The kids will play and the parents can take turns monitoring the ruckus, giving everyone else a chance to chat and chill. There’s not much to do in Pacific City. There are no stores hawking Oregon coast sweatshirts or tchotchkes made from seashells...
It’s called the coast. The 363 miles of Oregon shoreline are publicly owned, thanks to the 1967 Oregon Beach Bill and is always called the coast, never the beach. Oregon doesn’t do beach. It’s too cold and rainy most of the year to evoke images of bikinis and board shorts. Nope, in Oregon we visit the coast with our Gore-Tex...