Author, Natalie Coughlin nurtures several passions, food being one of them. Raising her own vegetables, fruit trees and chickens in her San Francisco Bay Area backyard has given her access, like so many others living in Mediterranean climates access to a diversity of fresh ingredients. She has brought her passion to a number of food focused Television shows including the Food Network's Chopped and was a judge on Food Network's Iron Chef … [Read more...]
Santa Ynez Valley’s Open Spaces and Natural Beauty offer a Welcome Escape
(SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — The Santa Ynez Valley has never been an ordinary wine country destination, and its abundance of outdoor recreation and amenities is a key reason why. Set along California's Central Coast, with the San Rafael Mountains to the north and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south, rests a natural playground for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, outdoor adventurists, and more. Entering the valley and catching the first … [Read more...]
Following a Prominent Boxer, Sports Travel
I had never followed any boxers or the sport before until many years ago when a friend told me about an up an coming young boxer named Andre Ward - who had taken a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics. My friend had already been following his fledgling career for several years and casually mentioned to me one day if I would like to attend a fight. We drove up to San Jose for one of Andre's early professional bouts - the crowd was small but … [Read more...]
San Francisco Hotel Review: The Newly Renovated Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel
Where to Stay Lodging in San Francisco varies depending on the location and season you choose to visit. It's however no secret that San Francisco is one of America's most expensive cities and it often leaves visitors wondering how to choose a hotel that fits into their budget. SF Neighborhoods San Francisco has many different neighborhoods to choose from such as: Financial District (downtown), Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Mission District, … [Read more...]
MGM Springfield Jump Starts City’s Future by Rejuvenating Its Past
The Industrial Revolution ended long ago in the United States but remnants of its impact are still palpable. Once temples of commerce, many cities bustled with sprawling factories, grand theaters, turn of the century office towers, majestic hotels, and regal apartment buildings woven together by pedestrian friendly street grids. Today, much of this ornately designed architecture is demolished or condemned. Over the years, speculative … [Read more...]
Wineries in Thailand? Yes! A Visit to Thailand’s Smallest Winery, Alcidini Winery
Compared to our time intensive work of visiting hundreds of wineries in the world famous Napa Valley, visiting wineries in Thailand is a fairly straight forward endeavor. We were told there are only 6 wineries in the entire country, 4 of which are in the vicinity of Khao Yai; without spending much time at all, we have already visited 50% of the countries wineries. Our latest winery visit was to Alcidini (the latin name for a local Kingfisher … [Read more...]
John Muir Slept Here
The best place to walk in the footsteps of John Muir is Yosemite National Park, where the famed naturalist and conservationist hiked and climbed granite domes, lovingly surveyed plants and animals, studied with rapt eyes “cloud mountains” in the sky, and developed his passion for wild spaces. Another place that evokes feelings for one of the visionary creators of our national park system is his old home in Martinez, California, about an hour … [Read more...]
Crashing and Burning at Randy’s Rock Rapid on the Wild Colorado
On a rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, there are passages of high drama and excitement around every bend: House Rock Rapid, the Roaring Twenties, Little Colorado River, Crystal, Upset Rapid, Lava Falls. These are all very famous. Every guide on the river knows about them. Another rapid on the booming Colorado is not nearly as well known. You may float serenely past it without your guide even uttering a word about it, so … [Read more...]
Visiting Bagan, Myanmar
Bagan is the land of ancient temples - these stone spires dot the dusty landscape of what is called the Bagan Plains. We are visiting in the middle of winter, yet the temperatures are very warm during the day and pleasant at night; apparently rain has not fallen here for weeks. Coming from Inle Lake, some 6 hours away by bus we were startled by the dramatic difference in landscape. Inle Lake has plenty of water - in fact villages are built above … [Read more...]
The Things You Carry, the Things You Leave Behind
When I was 16, I hitchhiked with my older brother from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Being lean and hungry types, we knew we needed fortification for the long journey. So it made perfect sense that we’d load our backpacks—already substantial, with their sturdy wood and metal frames—with canned foods of every type. Chili, fruit cocktail, soup. That one of the laden backpacks now weighed about as much as a sports car wasn’t that daunting until a day or … [Read more...]
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