Summer winds blow hot and cold

Summer in San Francisco is a time of layering and keeping warm. JenDigitalArt/Unsplash

The California summer conundrum is in effect on the coast — and on display in the two cities I call home. Only one of them seems to regularly embody the “hot town” o... Read More

DJ, record collector and archivist Curtis Lindersmith. Photo: Michael Snyder

Coastal Commuter

Dancing through time and space

By Michael Snyder

As much as I glory in the unique experience of a transcendent concert by accomplished musicians, there is also something special about hitting the right dance club when the disk j... Read More

A youthful visit to the City of Lights instilled in the author a life-long love of Paris. And berets. Photo: edmondlafoto/Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

Frankly Francophile

By Michael Snyder

I wear a beret . . . frequently. In addition to it being somewhat stylish (in a Euro/Boho way), it’s more than a vain affectation or silly gimmick for me. Years ago, I realized ... Read More

Sports Corner

The outlook for the Giants’ 2023 season

By Richard Keller

So the Giants struck out trying to sign free agent outfield star Aaron Judge, who decided to remain a Yankee. They balked at their multiyear deal with shortstop Carlos Correa over... Read More

The fans’ new best friend: The pitch clock. Photo: Evan Davis

Sports Corner

Are the Giants & A’s worth your money?

By Steve Hermanos

Are the Giants and A’s worth your dollars? That’s the question I eagerly sought to answer as I headed to spring training. Last year, the Giants were a gigantic mass of disappo... Read More

San Francisco’s skyline greets first-time visitors to the city and longtime residents alike. Photo: tealyea/Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

First looks

By Michael Snyder

The first time I saw San Francisco was when I emerged from the Waldo Tunnel (now known as the Robin Williams Tunnel) going south on Route 101. It was a late afternoon in mid-Septe... Read More

Catch-a-faint-glimpse-of-Mt.-Rainier-through-the-Murray-Morgan-Bridge. Photo: Bo Links

Weekend Traveler

Head up north to experience the best of Tacoma

By Patty Burness

Portland and Seattle are the usual cities people think of when the Pacific Northwest is mentioned; often overlooked is neighboring Tacoma. Situated along Puget Sound, Tacoma is le... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Loving animals in their unnatural habitat

By Michael Snyder

By now, the story of P-22 — the mountain lion also known as the Hollywood Cat — has spread far and wide, especially since his demise in mid-December. This cool cougar’s fame... Read More

It was a year of ups and downs. Photo: geralt/Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

Looking back and looking out

By Michael Snyder

“Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” I generally abide by that quote, which is attributed to the savvy Negro League and Major League Baseball pi... Read More

It’s a winter wonderland somewhere, even if not in L.A. or S.F. Credit: Pixaline-Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

Snow kidding

By Michael Snyder

On the road from San Francisco to Los Angeles a few weeks back, I spotted something that still seems almost alien to me after my decades as an urban Californian: Snow. There it wa... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Written from the heart

By Michael Snyder

Tales of rock gods, running, and even a murderworld known as San Francisco are all told in these books. Despite years and years of cranking out countless column inches and pont... Read More

The-view-from-the-Torres-Miradores-de-Cádiz.-Photo-Credit-Bo-Links

Weekend Traveler

The best of Spain

Part 4, the last in a series on exploring Spain

By Patty Burness

Recently my husband and I had the chance to travel to Spain and spend a month tasting and experiencing the best of what the country has to offer. This last part (part four) of the... Read More

Gehry's famed Guggenheim Bilbao. Photo by Bo Links

Weekend Traveler

The best of Spain

Part 3 of a multipart series on exploring Spain

By Patty Burness

Recently my husband and I had the chance to travel to Spain and spend a month tasting and experiencing the best of what the country has to offer. Part three of the “Best of Spai... Read More

Sports Corner

Hunter on the wall

By Richard Keller

At a pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 17, Hunter Pence joined the fraternity of San Francisco Giants’ elite when a plaque in his honor was added to the team’s Wal... Read More

Halloween brings treats and tricksters. PHOTO: GraphicMama-team

Coastal Commuter

Thanks, but no pranks

By Michael Snyder

The phrase, “a cruel joke,” always comes to mind when I think of pranks. And I generally think of pranks every October—specifically on the evening of October 30. That’s th... Read More

Travel/Sports