Nestled in the Sierra Nevada’s historic Gold Rush region, El Dorado County (Spanish for “the gilded one”) is a year-round playground — ski and snowboard in winter; enjoy be... Read More
More than 30 years after Larry Harvey and Jerry James built an eight-foot-tall figure out of wood and set fire to it on San Francisco’s Baker Beach to mark the night before t... Read More
Mendocino County, with its focus on food, wine, and everything local, is a welcome rural retreat from the traffic-clogged San Francisco Bay Area. Rolling hillsides, winding roads, ... Read More
As I bounce between San Francisco and Los Angeles, one of the unexpected obstacles to a hassle-free two-city life has turned out to be something medical. It’s not about exhaustio... Read More
The Firesign Theater was a very funny and appropriately trippy comedy troupe that sprang into existence on the radio in mid-1960s Los Angeles, right as the drug-fueled psychedelic ... Read More
As I sit here and write this, I can smell the fragrance of orange blossoms from one of the fruit trees gracing the backyard of the house where I stay when I’m in Los Angeles. For... Read More
I suffer from Anglophilia. And there’s no pill, serum, or vaccine to cure or prevent it, unless you count a hot cup of Earl Grey tea and some Jammie Dodger biscuits — a tem... Read More
The California coastline is a stunner any time of year, and on a clear day, it’s remarkable. Heading south on Highway 1 to the Central Coast from San Francisco, my husband and I ... Read More
I travel a lot. No surprise there, since I write a column called “The Coastal Commuter.” One of the various things that I’ve learned on my journeys is that you’ll run int... Read More
When it’s warm desert air you crave, there’s no better place than Scottsdale. Formerly citrus groves and cotton fields, now it’s a mix of modern and Old West adjacent to Phoe... Read More
Healdsburg is hot. This artisanal area has award-winning wines, acclaimed chefs, a zeal for local products and friendly residents. And it’s an easy drive from San Francisco — j... Read More
When things haven’t worked out on the romantic front, a dear friend of mine is wont to say, “Cupid is the devil.” And I fear she’s right. The pursuit of wha... Read More
There’s something about a new year that fills me with promise. You could say the same thing about springtime with all those green sprouts emerging from the moist, newly warme... Read More
Most people agree that San Francisco is foodie heaven, and a great way to experience it is on a food tour. The proliferation of these excursions is an excellent opportunity to get ... Read More
Palm Springs offers a glimpse of the glam life that Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, and Marilyn Monroe lived in what was the Hollywood hideaway. Palm trees swaying in the warm desert air,... Read More