Suzanne Pollak is preparing a frisée salad for our lunch. She adds bacon (“You do eat pork?” she considerately asks), grinds some of her new-favorite pepper mélange, and tops the bowl with the largest, toastiest, most geometrically precise cubes of croutonsRead more
United States
Landmark Miller House Shines as Mid-Century Modern Icon in Columbus, IN
Over the steady drone of lawnmowers tending to the 14 lush acres of surrounding lawn and garden, tour guide Dennis Orwin delivers instructions on how to conduct ourselves inside the Miller House in Columbus, Ind. “Don’t sit on anything,” DennisRead more
Small and Mighty Mecca of Modern Architecture in Columbus, Indiana
Morning sun glints off the Robert Stewart Bridge as we drive on Indiana State Road 46 above the White River at the entrance to Columbus, Indiana. Like a giant fan, four fire-engine-red steel supports connect 40 steel tension cables spreadRead more
From Radio Waves to Relaxation at Marconi Historic State Park
Beneath the canopy of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss are six slatted, wooden arm chairs, weather-worn by Pacific coastal fog that regularly blankets Marconi Historic State Park and gently salts the air. They lie in wait for guests wishingRead more
Botanical Printing by Monique Risch Takes Clothing Back to Nature
Monique Risch is standing at the gas cooktop in her kitchen, intently stirring the contents of a large, deep pot when I enter the room. I peek in and see an orange-red liquid slowly simmering. Knowing her garden produces anRead more
California Baker Tracy Mattson Is One Smart Cookie
Maybe the brown T-shirt imprinted with the eye-catching COOKIE…take a bite! logo that Tracy Mattson is wearing signifies super powers, something like the “S” emblazoned on Superman’s chest. Inside the 400-square-foot commercial kitchen of Tracy’s boutique, artisan bakery in Santa Rosa,Read more
Diversions and Destinations in Sonoma County Wine Country
Hiking atop Tomales Point’s craggy cliffs on the California coast, dense fog swirls with abandon, obliterating my view a few yards ahead. Just as quickly it shifts, allowing a fleeting glimpse of scrubby vegetation hugging the sandy trail. Save forRead more
Art of Reading Tours Marry Art and Literature at The Mint Museum
I’m hopeful Mr. Darcy will magically materialize and join our Art of Reading tour at Mint Museum Randolph. The Art of Reading tour is a free program that draws connections between art and literature, two of my passions. Our guide, docent Debbie Struble, spearheaded developmentRead more
History and Hospitality Captivate at Winston-Salem’s Graylyn
A jagged hole marring one of the oak wall panels in the richly appointed library of Graylyn, once the second largest private home in North Carolina and now an international conference center, is all that remains of a Parisian loveRead more
Rocking On in California’s Joshua Tree National Park
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