California’s Best Beaches North of San Francisco

Summer entices the connoisseur of beaches to the coast north and south of San Francisco. Whether you want to bronze your skin, marvel at tidepools, collect some driftwood, or simply restore yourself in the bracing salt air, far from the images of city life, nearby beaches offer something for everyone.

California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park

The explosion of northern California’s Lassen Peak on May 30, 1914 far exceeded the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington state. Both are part of the Cascade chain of fire mountains stretching down the west coast. The Redding and Shasta region adjacent to Lassen also poses many travel attractions.

California’s Redwood Country

Though the California imagination can sometimes suffer from inflation, certain facts of nature here are indisputable. The redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) along the coast north from San Francisco are magnificent and the tallest trees on the earth.

Napa City’s Resurgence: Wine Country News in California’s Napa Valley

Napa City, at the south end of the famous Napa Valley, is now a wine country destination in itself. Napa City now offers major hotels and B&Bs, fine dining, wine tasting, historic architecture, the Oxbow Market, entertainment and annual events, and the Wine Train for a ride up the Napa Valley. These subtle improvements have been made possible by flood control measures that assure the security of Napa City.

Napa City’s B&B Christmas Holiday Tour

Napa city’s annual B&B Holiday Tour each December showcases B&Bs, fine wines, and Napa Valley restaurants.

Redding and the Shasta Cascade Area of Northern California

The Redding/Shasta Cascade area of Northern California has emerged with renewed tourism vigor, partly due to the remarkable Sundial Bridge (opened 2004) and adjacent Turtle Bay Exploration Park, which epitomize the best traits of the region.

Art of the Family Reunion

For eighteen years my four sisters and I, accompanied by our parents, spouses, significant others, and children, gathered for an annual summer family reunion.

The Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California

My short-list for the most pleasing wine-food tasting places in an inspiring setting in Northern California would include the Viansa Winery in southern Sonoma County.

Bamboo as a Green Architecture Building Material in Travel Lodgings

I became aware of the virtues of bamboo as a “green” architecture material recently at a lodging in Marin County, California, known as Inn Marin.

California Travel Itineraries

As you peruse the bountiful travel options in the Golden State, the question arises: just what are the best things to do and see at each of the major travel destinations?