Our plan for this sunny day in Southern California seemed straightforward enough – drive about 60 minutes from La Maison, our French-inspired boutique hotel in Palm Springs, to Joshua Tree National Park for a desert hike. Instead, we’ve either materialized onRead more
Blowing in the Wind at San Gorgonio Pass Wind Park
It’s a sad day at San Gorgonio Pass Wind Park on the northwest outskirts of Palm Springs, CA, laments Randy Buckmaster, our guide from Palm Springs Windmill Tours. Wind – the element that makes one of the deepest mountain passesRead more
Ancient Mysticism and Man-Made Marvels Revealed in Bath
Fighting a cold on a late December morning at the Roman Baths in Bath, England, I sniffle as I stand on worn stones laid in the first century A.D. when the Romans constructed this massive bathing complex. Before me isRead more
London’s Historic Borough Market Beckons Food Lovers
Bundled against London’s late December chill, the woman staffing Kappacasein’s cheese stall at the Stoney Street entrance to Borough Market, London’s oldest food market, assembles our order of two toasted cheese sandwiches. For each, she begins with two thin, rectangular-shapedRead more
Chef Bruce Moffett’s Barrington’s Restaurant Stars in Charlotte
The sound system in the kitchen at Barrington’s restaurant in Charlotte, NC, plays “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” as I observe owner and executive chef Bruce Moffett wield a hefty knife and trim excess fat and other unwantedRead more
High Time in Highlands at Old Edwards Inn and Spa
The good news is we’re sipping champagne and munching icy Dove bars. Both treats are complimentary as we check into Old Edwards Inn and Spa in the scenic mountain resort town of Highlands, NC. The bad news is firefighters areRead more
New SFMOMA Dazzles as Showplace for Modern and Contemporary Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s newest patron wears a fuzzy pink onesie. The baby girl is strapped face forward, arms and legs dangling, into a supportive carrier on her father’s chest. Dad holds a bottle up to his daughter’sRead more
Wine, Women, and Napa Valley’s Michaela Rodeno
Michaela Rodeno and I are standing in the light-filled kitchen of her cube-shaped home in Oakville, CA, which also doubles as the tasting room of her family’s Villa Ragazzi winery. She hands me a bottle of their flagship Sangiovese wine andRead more
Food for Thought from Redwood Empire Food Bank
Five of us culinary volunteers at Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa, CA, are about to sample a freshly made biscuit containing Canadian hemp, an edible seed derived from the same cannabis plant species as marijuana. We wonder aloudRead more
Serendipity Meets Service at Stunning Timber Cove Resort
I bite into a hot Dungeness crab beignet dipped in sriracha aioli, but it’s really forbidden fruit. I’m not supposed to be here at Timber Cove, and I’m not supposed to be having lunch at its Coast Kitchen restaurant. NoRead more