Dec 10th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I studied abroad in Ireland but I never kissed the Blarney Stone. I visited the Great Pyramids at Giza but refused to pony up for the classic photo on the camel. And I went to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, but didn't bother to put a wish or prayer in one of its crevices. I don't have an interest in checking off travel cliché to-do boxes or even making bucket lists, but for some reason that ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
california posts
Hiking To The Hollywood Sign (No GPS Required)
Dec 10th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I studied abroad in Ireland but I never kissed the Blarney Stone. I visited the Great Pyramids at Giza but refused to pony up for the classic photo on the camel. And I went to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, but didn't bother to put a wish or prayer in one of its crevices. I don't have an interest in checking off travel cliché to-do boxes or even making bucket lists, but for some reason that ...Ski Town Holidays: Not Just For Skiers
Dec 7th, 2012 at 2:00PM: It sounds crazy, but not all ski-town tourists are there to downhill ski. In fact, many don't even know how. I'll also let you in on a local's secret: not all permanent residents of ski towns know how to ski, and of those who do, many can't even afford a season pass.
The fact is, there are now more options than ever for non-skiers and those on a tight budget to engage in other winter sports, if ...7 Deadly Sins: The Best Fast Food Mexican Restaurants In Southern California
Dec 7th, 2012 at 12:00PM: It really isn't fair. California has sun, beaches, mountains and legions of fit, attractive people. But Californians also get to enjoy otherworldly tacos and burritos too. I know, I know, there are good tacos and burritos to be had in other parts of the country, but when it comes to fast food Mexican, California is still king.
Here's how I like to roll when I'm visiting California: start the ...A Zoo Hater Confronts The San Diego Zoo And The San Diego Safari Park
Dec 6th, 2012 at 12:00PM: I do not like zoos. I have no ideological problem with them, but every time I bring my children to a zoo, I feel drained - financially, physically and mentally - by the time we're ready to leave. When my wife and I had the first of our two children in 2007, I don't think I'd been to a zoo in more than 20 years.
But since then, I've been coerced into visiting zoos in Chicago, Brookfield, ...Culture Shock In Green California, Where Even Homeless People Drink Craft Beer
Dec 5th, 2012 at 9:00AM: I live in a very left-leaning community just outside of Chicago, a city that would sooner elect a Martian than a Republican to office. But even though I'm accustomed to mingling with people who listen to NPR's "Car Talk" in order to feel like honorary members of the proletariat and cast stink eyes at people who fail to bring their own bags to Whole Foods, traveling to California, the state that ...Dude, The Surf's Always Up In San Diego's North County
Dec 4th, 2012 at 10:00AM: If you want a taste of quintessential California beach culture, complete with a heaping dose of surf, sand and tacos, head north of San Diego to North County. When I'm in Southern California, I don't mind soaking up the cliché tourist experience: I want to be on the beach, gazing out at the limitless Pacific Ocean, watching the surfers, preferably with a taco or three in hand. Here's an ...Solace For The Other 49 States: It's (Not) Always Sunny In California
Dec 2nd, 2012 at 12:00PM: It isn't always sunny in California. It only just seems that way for those of us who live in colder climates. On Thursday, it rained in Los Angeles. I swear, there was no sun or blue skies to be had anywhere. Before I travel anywhere, I check the forecast for my destination obsessively and I can tell you that this is the first time there's been rain in L.A. in at least 6 or 7 years. Or it least it ...Why I Love The 'Loin: San Francisco's Vibrant Tenderloin Neighborhood
Nov 23rd, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Having lived in San Francisco off and on for the better part of half my life, I've seen my share of gentrification. And, like many things, it has its positives and negatives. It's hard to hate on improvements in housing standards, public safety and sanitation. It's great to see economic growth in neighborhoods once plagued by social ills. It utterly sucks to see yet another crappy chain store ...Space Shuttle Now Officially A Tourist Attraction
Nov 4th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
Space Shuttle Atlantis arrived this week at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to begin life as the star of a $100 million exhibit called the Shuttle Launch Experience, expected to open in July 2013. It was the historic final journey of a space shuttle orbiter, signaling the beginning of life after space for the shuttle fleet.
"We think visitors to Kennedy Space Center Visitor ...Rediscovering The Downtown Los Angeles Arts District
Nov 2nd, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Downtown Los Angeles used to be a no man's land. But now, thanks to the efforts of local artists and entrepreneurs, pockets of the downtown area are being transformed into an up-and-coming Arts District, complete with open coworking spaces, live-work lofts, organic cafes and trendy eateries. Murals from street artists like Shepard Fairey and JR fill the neighborhood, with hardly a patch of ...Photo Of The Day: Rainy San Francisco
Oct 26th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Rainy San Francisco is the City by the Bay at its most atmospheric. When San Francisco becomes fully waterlogged and gray it lodges itself most deeply in wistful sentiment. This image, taken by Flickr user Cosmic Smudge on Jones Street in Nob Hill, is made all the more dreamily nostalgic thanks to the ghostly impression left by the Transamerica Pyramid in the background.
Upload your best ...Outdoor Adaptive Sports Programs: Where To Find The Nation's Best
Oct 25th, 2012 at 2:00PM: Like most of us, I didn't fully realize the extent of the daily hassles and challenges faced by those who use a wheelchair, prosthetic, or other mobility aid until it became somewhat personal. I'm fortunate to have two people in my life who've been an enormous source of both education and inspiration, and I'm writing this piece because of them. A little bit of background is in order:
When I ...Photo Of The Day: Santa Monica Bicycle
Oct 21st, 2012 at 8:00PM:
There's some wonderful technique at work behind Flickr user Ambre's photo of a cyclist in Santa Monica, California. Ambre is using a special camera called a Lomo, which among other effects, allows the photographer to take four sequential shots on the same frame of film. She's used this feature to great effect in today's shot: I love the sense of motion as the bike glides in (and out) of the ...Mammoth Mountain Makes Big Changes Ahead Of Opening Day
Oct 18th, 2012 at 8:00AM: California ski resort Mammoth Mountain received its first snowfall of the season last week, which bodes well for their November 8 opening day. But fresh snow won't be the only thing visitors find when they arrive at Mammoth for opening weekend. The resort has instituted a host of updates and changes that will make the 2012-2013 ski season one to remember.
Snowboarders and free skiers in ...Roadside America: Samoa Cookhouse, Eureka, California
Oct 11th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
There's something about roadhouses that fascinates me. I don't just mean dodgy watering holes of the kind Patrick Swayze kicked some butt in, but old school diners that cater to working folk. The food is often great, and there's just something honest about them.
For over a decade, I'd longed to visit the famed Samoa Cookhouse just minutes from Eureka, California, after reading about it in a ...Hiker Finds 40-Year-Old Note Left On California Mountain Top
Oct 10th, 2012 at 8:00AM: This past September, 69-year-old Larry Wright spent 11 days backpacking through Sequoia National Park with his son and grandson. While trekking up a remote backcountry peak, the trio discovered a small metal canister that had been carefully stashed against a rock near the summit. Curiosity got the better of Wright and he decided to open the rusted canister to see what was inside. What he found was ...New Art Exhibition Features 'Banned Booty' Confiscated From Airport Security Checkpoints
Oct 9th, 2012 at 1:00PM: Ever wonder what happens to the tweezers, sewing scissors and Swiss Army Knives abandoned by hapless travelers at airport security? While most probably ended up in the landfill, some contraband nail clippers have received a second life through a new contemporary art exhibit from California artist Steve Maloney.
The exhibit, called "Banned Booty - Palm Springs Checkpoint," opens October 18 at ...Photo Of The Day: BART Blur
Oct 5th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
The blur of public transportation is an atmospheric, if possibly overplayed, representation of travel itself. This particular blur, of a BART train and station, owes much to the yellow floor safety line, which grounds the image.
This blur was snapped by Flickr user kiddie1997. For me, it prompts memories of living in San Francisco, an association I was feeling particularly keenly today to ...Museum Of Craft And Folk Art In San Francisco To Close
Sep 26th, 2012 at 9:00AM: San Francisco's Museum of Craft And Folk Art has announced in a press release that it will close its doors forever on December 1.
Museum officials said, "Sustainability in the current economic climate, with reduced funding for the arts, was a significant factor in the decision."
The museum tried to put a brave face on the announcement by highlighting its past achievements. It was founded in ...Mammoth Mountain Guarantees Snow For Opening Day And Beyond
Sep 15th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Anyone who loves to ski or snowboard can tell you that last winter was less than stellar in terms of snowfall across most of North America. But the long-term outlook for this year appears to be much improved and ski resorts are gearing up for what promises to be a much better season. In fact, the forecasts are so good that Mammoth Mountain, located in California's Sierra Nevada, is actually ...
