Moving from Los Angeles to the tiny town of Mendocino (population 855) turned out to be one of the most unusual decisions I have ever made. The natural beauty and tranquility act like a balm to the world’s troubles (politics! fires!), but, it should come as little surprise, meeting people while masked up and social distancing has proven difficult. On the other hand, as the world opens up a bit, traveling in both Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, two astonishingly stunning landscapes, could not be more convenient. Taking a couple of […]

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Churches, paintings and palaces are all well and good, great even, but sometimes a traveler needs a little respite from all that culture (right, honey?). Lake Como may be the most famous and glitterati-ist body of water in Italy, thanks to you, Mr. George Clooney, but Lake Garda sparkles quietly, like a hidden gem – at least as far as Americans are concerned. The largest lake in the country, Lake Garda is about an hour’s train ride from Venice and just fifteen minutes from the charming Verona. These three destinations […]

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For an L.A. girl, Philadelphia beckons with the charms of time – stratums of culture, history, beauty – that result in a city pulsating with energy. Sure, sunshine, palm trees and sandy beaches sparkle on the surface, but the City of Brotherly Love, enriched by centuries, fascinates in a way newer American cities cannot compete with. With the Democratic National Convention coming in July, this 17th century town is about to explode. With 18 national parks to its name, both of the traditional, green variety and the “something-important-happened-here” variety, Pennsylvania […]

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It’s become a cliche that moms don’t prioritize themselves enough, but that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s difficult to hear your own thoughts, needs and desires when someone else’s needs keep needling into your brain, demanding milk, socks and Zerby Derby. As with triage, the most urgent desires get attended to first and lesser urges, namely your own, get relegated and relegated until they begin to atrophy. A weekend away may seem a drastic measure for those grown unaccustomed to free time and free will, but maybe, for […]

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Sigmund Freud, apfelstrudel and Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss clinched my decision to honeymoon in Vienna. When you think about it, psychology, food and art are not the worst foundation for a good marriage. Oh, and Before Sunrise, the movie where Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke spend a day in this romantic Austrian city falling in love. Famous for being the center of the Habsburg dynasty in the 15th century, Vienna used its newfound power for good, at least as far as beauty and the arts go. The city is brimming […]

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Having recently married, (an unlikely side effect of Obamacare) I seem to find my brain stuck in amorous overdrive – the unlikely beneficiary being my husband, with an impromptu trip for two to the Magic Kingdom. It’s true that many react incredulously to the idea of adults wanting to frolic in a place so firmly aimed at the juvenile but, as a child from Southern California, I have always loved Disneyland and my affection hasn’t waned one bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a plushophile and I’ve never bought […]

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I have travelled some in my life, flown to Europe, Central and South America and have driven across the country a few times. Just the formulation of a trip, pinning a picaresque photo on Pinterest even, can make me giddy. So it was with great surprise that I stumbled on a nearby destination, just as fulfilling and foreign as many of my more exotic jaunts: Big Bear Lake, a scant 100 miles from home. When you grow up in a big city, like Los Angeles, buying a house starts to […]

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