Everywhere we went in Provo, we saw Charlie. No question about it. Charlie was having a wild time in Provo -- and so were we.

How to have a wild time in Provo, Utah

Everywhere we went in Provo, we saw Charlie. There were signs for Charlie on power poles. We saw Charlie — or at least we thought we saw him — zipping between the apple orchards on the sprawling Utah Valley Hospital campus.

No question about it. Charlie was having a wild time in Provo — and so were we.

It's harvest time in western Colorado -- the perfect time for a fruit safari. OK, so fruit may not be the first thing that comes to mind in Colorado. But...

How to have a fruit safari in western Colorado

It’s harvest time in western Colorado — the perfect time for a fruit safari.

A what? OK, so “fruit” may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Colorado. And the western slope of the Centennial State is so different from the rest of the state that you’d think you were in Utah or Arizona anyway.

But in September and October, this place is a fruitapalooza of apricots, apples, grapes, peaches, pears and plums. You can spend a Saturday afternoon canvassing the farms near Grand Junction and discover some of the tastiest produce this side of the Rockies.

Houston with kids, in the middle of the summer. If those aren't the perfect ingredients for a family adventure, then I don't know what are.

Houston with kids: A far-out adventure in Texas

Houston with kids, in the middle of the summer. If those aren’t the perfect ingredients for a family adventure, then I don’t know what are.

A lot of Houstonians flee to the mountains during the hottest months, seeking relief from the 90-degree temperatures and oppressive humidity in Colorado or New Mexico.