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
United States
California's Active Volcanoes
Bluegrass High in Telluride
"Festivarians are endowed by Planet Bluegrass with certain unalienable Rights, among those are music, mountains, and the uninhibited pursuit of Happiness." And so begins the Festivarian Bill of Rights, the code by which all who …
July 19, 2012
Searching for E.T.: Hat Creek Radio Observatory, CA
Far off the main road in northeastern California, follow the signs to Hat Creek Radio Observatory and you'll come to outer-space terrain, dotted with what my six-year-old calls "Dish Aliens." It's the Allen Telescope Array …
July 12, 2012
Pictorial Juice
While leafing through my latest issue of Vanity Fair, I sometimes think that for fashion models and celebrities the body is something they wear, as most of us wear a cocktail dress or tux. Their …
July 11, 2012
Summer in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has some of the nicest people on this planet. They go above and beyond to help you. If you need to know where the nearest bus stop is and ask someone, they …
July 10, 2012
At the World’s End: Ballarat Ghost Town, Death Valley
Death Valley must be seen to be believed. From the turquoise flats rolling out beneath lofty Dante’s View to the salty vertigo of Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, it is a place …
July 7, 2012
King's River Rafting: Not Your Average Family Vacation
Originating high in the mountains of central California near Sequoia National Park, the Kings River boasts the largest watershed of any river in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Last year I took the family on …
June 30, 2012
Three Days in Santa Cruz
A hidden gem along the Californian coast, Santa Cruz offers lush natural parks, eateries with local charm and the traditional boardwalk. It has a relaxed feel like most beach towns, and the locals prize natural …
June 22, 2012
A Long Weekend in Sequoia and Yosemite
On a whim, I decided to drive up to explore a spectacular stretch of California natural beauty for a four-day vacation: Sequoia National Park and Yosemite. I hadn’t been to Yosemite for years, and I …
Fear and Loathing in L.A.: The Death Museums
Los Angeles is a city of divides: poverty and decadence, history and trend, life and death. And the city of angels has its share of death, as evident by two Hollywood attractions, the Museum of …
June 15, 2012
Remnants of the Sun and Moon
D.H. Lawrence believed that the earth and sky gods are still with us, active in what he called our “blood consciousness,” but have been repressed by Christian “education.” In his novel The Plumed Serpent, two …
June 13, 2012
Berkeley City Club: A California Classic
Smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Berkeley stands Julia Morgan’s “Little Castle.” Old hotels hold a certain allure for me, and the Berkeley City Club is no exception. The stone …
June 12, 2012
Down-home Door County, Wisconsin
The original French explorers and fur trappers who came upon the treacherous waters separating Washington Island from the mainland of Door County, Wisconsin, called it “Doors of Deaths.” Today, the waters do sometimes delay campers …
June 7, 2012
Salt Point State Park: Hidden California Coast
From Moro Rock to the memorable Bixby Creek Bridge, beauty abounds along the Pacific Coastal Highway in the form of uninterrupted expansive views extending to the beryl-blue horizon. The road from Pismo Beach to Half …
June 3, 2012
Forks, WA – More Than Just a Vampire Weekend
Washington might be the most beautiful place on earth. I've been fortunate enough to visit the state twice in the last year (and am going again in the fall), and each time I have left …
May 29, 2012