Travel

On a recent road trip to Atascadero, a city that lies about 115 miles south of Watsonville, my wife Sarah and I took umpteen diversions off the main highway to gather a better sense of the Salinas Valley and surroundings. Heading out San Miguel Canyon...

California road trips to the desert, the State Capitol, the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area or the Sierra foothills have been turning up a  bounty of rewards for my wife, Sarah, and me.  This was proven on our recent drive from Watsonville to Sacramento...

On a recent one-day drive through San Jose, my wife, Sarah, and I took in a wealth of rich sites, from the red salty shore of Alviso Marina County Park, the splashy shops of Santana Row, and to the north, the calm and rolling...

Let’s just say I’ve been around a bit and have traveled with various combinations of people from small to large groups that have included family, friends, colleagues, and mates; yes, it can make or break a trip. I have traveled on my own too,...

On our one-night journey to San Francisco recently, my wife Sarah and I wrapped up day one with dinner at Mister Jiu’s, 28 Waverly Place in Chinatown.  Our seat at the bar gave us a front-row taste of the goings on at the popular and...

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...

Countryside and coastal towns have plenty to offer Note: This is the first in a multi-part travel series covering parts of England, Germany and the Netherlands. ENGLAND, U.K.—On New Year’s Eve 2008 I flew overseas for the very first time.  My sister was working in London, and...

On Oct. 7 my wife Sarah and I set out on a road trip through Northern California, Oregon, Washington and to the top of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We stacked up more than 3,400 miles in 17 days. Averaging around 50 mpg in...

Solo trip to bustling, global city reveals hidden gems Note: This is the fourth part in a series about England, Germany and the Netherlands. When I decided to travel to Europe this year, I wanted to visit countries where I had friends. This was the case...

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...