Travel

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...

Comedy clubs, history, San Francisco Pride and more.

Two nights at Miracle Springs Resort and Spa in Desert Hot Springs, as it has in the past, offered a relaxing, quiet spot in the center of Palm Desert that served as home base as we branched out across the desert floor.  Breakfast at the...

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...

Short trip to German capital offers glimpse into famous city Editor’s note: This is the third installment in a series about England, Germany and the Netherlands. From 1970 to 1971, my father lived in Germany. He was a student for a few months of the year,...

With the first part of this story wrapping up in Fort Bragg on the Northern California Coast, Sarah and I continued our road trip north for a night in Klamath, the home of the Yurok Indigenous people.  A small museum there gave us a valuable...

Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a travel series about England, Germany and the Netherlands. Before my recent trip to Europe, I did some research on each country—learning certain customs and common phrases. I took advice from family, friends and tour guides about...

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...

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...

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,...