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.
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.
Published in my The Bold Italic (TBI) column, I cover the under-the-radar capitol city of Nevada, its low-key gems, affordability and friendly locals — where to stay, eat, drink, hang and get a feel for the heart of the place.
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
El Cielo 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, starting with my Bogota food & dining recommends. I write about Leo, El Chato, Salvo Patria, Harry Sasson, El Cielo, Black Bear,… Read more →
Published by Where Traveler in March 2019, my article on 3 weekends (hotels, spa, food, drink, even motorcycles) from Marina to Carmel and the Carmel Valley. Article here: www.wheretraveler.com/san-francisco/eat/carmel-weekend-three-ways Read more →