Part 2: Through a storm and into the calm of the desert
On day two of our two-week road trip, my wife Sarah and I said goodbye to Bakersfield and drove southeast on Hwy 58 toward the Mohave Desert.
We were greeted with fierce rain as we climbed Tehachapi Pass on Highway 58. Our interest in taking...
A road trip through California and Arizona, part 1
Thanksgiving this year included a 2,575-mile road trip, 21 relatives, two states, eight motels and a wide array of restaurants, both great and not so great.
My wife Sarah and I left Watsonville on Highway 129 to Highway 152 in Gilroy for breakfast in Casa...
A look back at Gold Country in the Sierra Foothills
Since I was born in Columbia in the Sierra foothills, I’ve returned there a number of times to soak in some of the history and get a deeper understanding of California’s Mother Lode.
Heading east of Modesto along Highway 49 my interest spikes as the...
Highlights from a trip to Petaluma
This is the third and final installment of travel writer Tarmo Hannula's account of his trip to Petaluma. Click here for part 1 and here for part 2.
As we steered south from Cotati and rolled back through Petaluma, my wife, Sarah, and I still...
The tunes and flavors of Petaluma
On the second day of an overnight journey to Petaluma at the top of the north San Francisco Bay Area, the Best Western Motel helped start our day with a waffle breakfast, good coffee and OJ.
Wandering through the older part of downtown Petaluma the...
A Road trip to Petaluma, the slow way
It’s refreshing and sometimes surprising how much you can fit into an overnight road trip.
That was certainly the case when my wife Sarah and I drove to Petaluma for the night last month. Just going through San Francisco—as long as you're not in a...
My trips to San Diego over the years
After arriving in San Diego in 1969, my family moved into a small house in Pacific Beach (PB) and I and my three siblings signed up in public schools.
Having lived the past two years on Guam—a 32-by-6 mile island in the South Pacific—taking on...
Weekend getaway to Las Vegas turns into a hunt for delicious gems
A trip to Las Vegas typically calls for a long walk along the Las Vegas Strip for great entertainment and, in my case, delicious food. This past weekend my fiancée, Luisa, and I made the seven-hour trek to Sin City in search of some...
The other half of Half Moon Bay
I left off in the first half of this story about our overnighter last month in Half Moon Bay as we wrapped up breakfast at the Half Moon Bay Lodge and headed off for a glimpse of the town.
First up was a visit to...
Taking in a slice of Half Moon Bay
While our travels have taken us to far away spots like Finland, Mexico City, China and Quebec, the road trips my wife Sarah and I have taken over the last several years have also proven to be tremendously fulfilling and loaded with surprises.
In April...
Public defenders plan April 23 protest over caseloads, funding gaps
Public defenders in Santa Cruz County will join colleagues across California and the nation April 23 in a coordinated protest highlighting what they describe...























