Still new to each other, I met Clif for breakfast at the local Marie Callander’s after buttoning up the final days of the 1986 Antelope Valley Fair… Read more “How Breakfast at a California Marie Callander’s Led to Santa Fe’s Coyote Cafe for Dinner”
Tag: Travel
A Fall Family Outing–Jalama Beach Style
Jalama Beach also offers a look into California history. The Jalama Creek estuary, as noted by one of the signs posted, was once a Chumash Village. Both grandchildren actually found that interesting, especially when they learned that the chert we found on the beach was collected by the Chumash and fashioned into arrowheads and blades. That led to a hunt for what my grandson thought would make a perfect carving stone. He found one, but decided to leave it on the beach.
When the Blue Road Calls
It can be lonely on these less traveled roads. Guideposts are few and far between. The silence, however, is magic. It puts a lid on the cauldron of word soup chatter (social media). With each blind curve, truth reveals itself like nakedness in the mirror. And it is not always pretty.
New Blog: The EuroVan Chronicles
Enough of this world and all of its crooks and liars crushing the light out from the morning headlines! A high octane call to take to the road fuels my inner nomad. Drape me in beads and hats. Pack my bags (minimally). Climb aboard Gilda, the 1997 VW EuroVan with 136,000 miles already journeyed
Coastal Discovery Center–A Mermaid’s Treasure
A lost mermaid would be drawn to the bright ocean-themed mural that covers the front of the Coastal Discovery Center — a hotbed of seaside activity in a cool little corner of San Luis Obispo County.
The Coastal Discovery Center is a local treasure for learning more about Central California’s coastline and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), which operates the Center in partnership with California State Parks.
The Naked Truth About Desert Trip
The near-full moon hovered above three massive outdoor screens. Thousands of people looked at the screens with anticipation. At strobe speed, each screen flashed drum skins, guitar frets, backlit Joshua trees and saguaros, and the faces of older men. Heart-pumping rhythm pounded through acres of speakers and shattered the desert air. Like LSD-fueled geysers, fireworks blasted millions of rainbow sparks into the dry, windless sky.
Highway One–Life’s Signposts
Like pathways, roads fascinate me. It might be the natural metaphor that roads imbue. Or it’s a simple how we leave and how we arrive and all… Read more “Highway One–Life’s Signposts”
Travel Journalist’s Ukraine Adventure Becomes Personal Discovery
Last November, I asked to review Judith Fein’s recently published book, The Spoon from Minkowitz. She forwarded the PDF copy with follow-up emails probing my thoughts about… Read more “Travel Journalist’s Ukraine Adventure Becomes Personal Discovery”
Road Trip Loves; Road Trip Dislikes
When the road calls, it’s not easy to ignore a road trip’s song, “travel along my winding highways and byways,” especially when summer warms the air. There… Read more “Road Trip Loves; Road Trip Dislikes”
The Seduction of Tomales Bay
When we neared the first sign of civilization along Highway 1, spouse declared, “This is great! There’s nothing here.”
“Nothing” indicated a deficiency of swank hotels, chi-chi bistros, and chic boutiques. Not a Starbucks or a Pottery Barn to be found.
The Muse Pallet 