Tag: Travel

Staycation Palo Alto: A Spanish-Themed Hotel & Two Newer Restaurants

by  on  in Around the Bay

From recent staycations in the Silicon Valley town of Sunnyvale to the coast in Half Moon Bay, for 21 years I’ve researched and written of hotels, food and drink across the Peninsula. The Bay Area’s “south Bay” is yet another rich and diverse county in our wonderland of NorCal food.

My 10 Time Out dining recommends in Palo Alto still stand — as does a totally different getaway off the 101 freeway in Palo Alto, Four Seasons Silicon Valley. But here are three key newcomers in dining and a boutique hotel worth a local getaway. Read more →

Mendocino & Fort Bragg Magic: Soulful, Foodie Weekend Getaways

by  on  in Around the Bay

Thin places — where heaven and earth come closer or the veil between the here and the otherworld is especially thin — is beloved lore for thousands of years. On California’s breathtaking Mendocino Coast, easily some of the most beautiful and mystical coastline in the world, the couple thousand acres of private coast and redwood forest that is home to The Inn at Newport Ranch since owner Will Jackson bought the land in the 1980s is just such a thin place. Read more →

Staycations, Santa Cruz Edition: Where to Eat, Stay & Drink Now

by  on  in Around the Bay

As COVID rages on, local trips and overnights beckon for easy, close-to-home getaways that don’t require flights. It was 2011 when I last wrote about Santa Cruz highlights, though I’ve stayed there and passed through numerous times in between, including visiting the chill town of Aptos, eight miles down the road. Here is my guide to a few highlights in the laid back, surfer city of Santa Cruz (SC), a brief 70 miles south of San Francisco.

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South Lake Tahoe: Where to Eat, Drink & Stay Now

by  on  in Around the Bay

Lake Tahoe has long held the enchantment for me it has for many: stunning beauty, expansive blue, snow-capped mountains on all sides, dense pine and fir forests. It’s the Switzerland of California, complete with wood cabins and cozy restaurants.

Granted, much of the food caters to tourists or the basics — city-worthy food, this is not, only slightly improving in the 20 years I’ve been week-ending in Tahoe. But there are gems and here’s a guide to a few, from dining to coffee to cocktails, in South Lake Tahoe.

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The Magical Italian Alps: Edible Adventures in Italy’s Dolomites & Alto Adige

by  on  in Wandering Traveler

For lovers of Italy’s food and wine and Switzerland and Austria’s Alps, Italy’s South Tyrol/Alto Adige region is your place. Set against the striking Dolomites mountains, South Tyrol’s Italian-Germanic culture makes the happiest of combinations.  Here, wineries marry the best of Italy and Austria/Germany wine styles, alongside luxury alpine lodges, an annual ethical chefs event bringing together the region’s (and… Read more →

Charmed by Santa Maria Valley

by  on  in Wandering Traveler

My October 2019 print article in Oakland Magazine and Alameda Magazines, covering the original 1800s barbecue style of the west: Santa Maria barbecue, as well as wineries, bars, coffee, bakeries, cider producers and restaurants/food around California’s Santa Maria Valley from Orcutt to Los Alamos. Article here. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles include romantic getaways in Beverly Hills and Santa… Read more →

One Block: Valencia Street

by  on  in Featured Neighborhood

Published by Where Traveler (my other Where articles here) in the October 2019 print issue, my “One Block” article on where to eat, drink, shop and take in art on Valencia Street in SF’s Mission District: — EAT: AL’s Deli, Media Noche, Dosa on Valencia— DRINK: The Beehive, Wildhawk, Bon Voyage— SHOP: 826 Valencia, Dog-Eared Books, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records— VIEW: Artists’ Television Access,… Read more →

Escape to the South Bay: Where to Stay & Eat

by  on  in Around the Bay

My June print article in Oakland Magazine and Alameda Magazines covers Peninsula/South Bay/Silicon Valley hotels and where to eat around them, from luxury escapes to walkable downtown urban hotels. Article online here and below. My other Oakland and Alameda Magazine articles:— Walkable OC: Huntington Beach in one walkable mile— Romantic getaways in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica— Going well beyond… Read more →

My Memphis Food & Drink Guide

by  on  in Wandering Traveler

I helped write a number of guides for Google Area 120’s new Touringbird guides with insider tips on cities around the world (more on Touringbird here). Of course, my tips are heavy on dining, food, bars, drink. Here is my guide to Memphis and top food, BBQ and coffee recommends at City & State coffee, my “secret” Memphis barbecue dish you don’t know about at… Read more →