Say the high-brow word “museum,” and I’ll generally shell out any price to visit, but when the Ventura Visitor’s Center handed me a brochure that suggested a museum collection of over 2,000 skateboards, I did …
February 11, 2013
Southern California
Simi Valley's Skateboard Museum
Coronado is haunted
“You see that too, right?” Lacey held her wine glass at half-mast, staring at the steps leading from the Hotel Del Coronado to the Pacific Ocean. We were outdoors at Babcock & Story, the Del’s …
February 8, 2013
Cabins, Karaoke and Snow Pain in Wrightwood
Wrightwood, CA, is a ski town just 1–10 hours away from L.A., depending on traffic. Mark and I were excited for our fully stocked rented weekend cabin. It belonged to a friend’s soon-to-be ex-wife. We …
January 17, 2013
Leonard Knight and His Mountain
Mahatma Gandhi believed that we should not let the idea of seeing individual actions as insignificant deter us from contributing to and participating in the changes we wish to see. Apparently, he isn’t alone in …
December 23, 2012
The Queen Mary... Haunted?
Believe it or not, it wasn't the grand allure of the luxurious Queen Mary ocean liner that prompted me to stay there recently. Nor was it the many historically fascinating facts attributed to its name. …
October 30, 2012
L.A. Day Trip: Watts Towers and Eames House
I braved Carmageddon II on a September Saturday and visited L.A. to explore the individual creations of two iconoclastic L.A. visionaries. Located in vastly different sections of L.A., the Watts Towers and Eames House represent …
October 25, 2012
Cabot's Miracle: Desert Hot Springs and Pueblo
I’m in love with a dead man. Honestly, if there ever was a Man of Men to pine for, it would be Cabot Yerxa, who died three years after I was born. Not only was …
October 11, 2012
Travel with Your Dog in CA
With an estimated nine-million-plus dogs in California alone, it’s no wonder there are so many dogs at parks, beaches and recreation areas throughout the state. The mile-long Huntington Dog Beach, the epitome of a perfect …
September 24, 2012
SoCal Five-Gear Weekend Excursions
Escaping the crowds and congested highways of coastal southern California, road warriors take to the hills. SoCal boasts some of the most beautiful scenic highways in the country, some right outside the largest metro areas. …
September 11, 2012
S.D. to S.F. – by Bike
Held every October, the Million Dollar Challenge is a fundraising bike ride for challenged athletes in which participants cycle down the California coast from San Francisco to San Diego. The reverse route, however, can be …
August 21, 2012
At the World’s End: Ghost Mountain, Anza-Borrego
The majestic Anza-Borrego Desert never ceases to surprise me. It is an alien environment of ghostly, pale rocks and unforgiving heat. Ocotillo plants sprout like underwater coral from the barren sands that hide translucent scorpions …
August 16, 2012
Close Encounters in CA's High Desert
I may have had some lunatic notions in my day, but I can assure you that none of them have been implanted or otherwise suggested by extraterrestrials. Not a one. George Van Tassel, however, can’t …
August 11, 2012
San Juan Capistrano: A SoCal Treasure
Just 61 miles north of San Diego up the 5 Freeway, San Juan Capistrano is one of the truly historic sites of Southern California. The town is probably best known for the swallows that return …
August 2, 2012
Joshua Tree: More than Just Camping
There isn’t anything spectacular about the town visually. Like many desert towns, the buildings along the main drag are old, unkempt and often vacant. There are few sidewalks, and no trees or landscaping that would …
July 27, 2012
California's Active Volcanoes
There are more than 550 active volcanoes in the world, five of which are in California. It's to be expected from a state sitting on the eastern edge of the Ring of Fire. Between Barstow …
July 19, 2012