Hiking Torrey Pines Reserve: Tranquil Trails, Pacific Panoramas & That Rare Namesake Tree
“A fragile wilderness island in an urban sea.” ~Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Trail Guide The trails of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve can be a bit of a tease. One moment the landscape is dotted with lush green pines and forest-like ferns. The next it appears to be a desert, filled with chaparral, sage […]
The Hollywood Bowl: Good Times Never Seemed So Good!
Two years ago in late May, I finally made it to the Hollywood Bowl. I had wanted to see a concert there for as long as I’ve lived in Southern California, but as with so many places close to home, it never quite found its way into the plans. Nearby experiences don’t seem to carry […]
The Magic Castle: An Enchanting Evening in the Heart of Hollywood
From the moment I walked into the library-themed lobby of The Magic Castle, I was captivated, transported to another world that felt like time-traveling back to Old Hollywood. Red-and-pink Victorian-looking wallpaper, rich-toned wood moldings and old-fashioned floral carpets set a mood of quiet elegance in the dimly lit space. But it was the secret doorway […]
LA’s Stahl House: Mid-century Modern Masterpiece in the Hollywood Hills
At first glance, the Stahl House appears to be a place that doesn’t draw attention to itself. Perched near the top of a winding street in the Hollywood Hills, it sits quietly among its neighbors, off the beaten path of typical Los Angeles tourist attractions. But just beyond the home’s carport is a clue on the front […]
San Diego: Five Favorite Excursions from the Port
When I first visited San Diego in the early 1990s, it struck me as a big small town. And now after calling America’s Finest City home for thirteen years, it still feels that way. San Diego is a city, to be sure, but it’s an easy place to get around, even with the phenomenal growth […]
San Francisco: Getting Around With Uber
“How long have you been driving for Uber?” My husband’s question echoed from the back seat as we rode through the hills of San Francisco. We recently spent three days using Uber to get around the city, where our daughter Emily was moving to start a new job. We were there to help with the move, […]
Aboard Captain Dave’s Manute’a Safari: Sea Lions, Dolphins & Whales…Oh My!
The fog was hanging over the Pacific like a gauzy gray blanket as we drove along California’s Interstate 5 toward Dana Point. My husband and I were headed to Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari for an 8 a.m. sailing on the Manute’a, a 50-foot high-speed catamaran sailboat that seeks out sea life about […]
California Day Trip: On Swallows, The Surfliner & San Juan Capistrano
That saying about life being as much about the journey as the destination must have been created by a passenger on the Pacific Surfliner. The Southern California Amtrak train travels a route between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, weaving its way along the coastline as it offers miles of stunning panoramic ocean views. At […]
Notes from Home: Spinning Videotaped Memories into DVDs
We bought our first video camera in 1989 when our son was born. It was one of those large Sony Camcorders that required a steady hand, and it was magical. From family milestones to treasured vacations, our video camera served us well. We graduated to smaller versions over the years, but all of those cameras […]
Baseball Behind-the-Scenes: A Tour of Petco Park
I thought there would be grass. This was baseball, after all, and even though it was February, it never occurred to me that the green fields of San Diego’s Petco Park would be replaced with mounds of…dirt. What I didn’t know was that on the weekend of our tour the park had been transformed into […]
