California

  Photos by Effin Older. Words by Jules Older When you say Benicia, San Franciscans tend to scorn. “Why go there?” they sigh. Here’s why. Just an hour or so north of the Bay Bridge, Benicia is a surprise-filled with surprises.     For 13 months in the 1850s, it

By Brian E. Clark The  360-degree view from Mount Soledad, which rises to a height of 822 feet above La Jolla and is home to a veterans’ memorial, is stunning in its expanse:  One a clear day, you can see Orange County to the north. To the south, downtown San Diego and beyond

Story and photos by Bart Beeson It’s difficult to truly appreciate the scale and sheerness of Yosemite’s El Capitan monolith until you’re standing right beneath it. The rock wall rises up from the valley with a jarring suddenness. On a recent trip to Yosemite, my first time to the park,

by Kim D. McHugh Pop quiz: name the six architects that were most influential in defining Desert Modernism during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Stumped? So was I until I took the Essential Palm Springs Tour, a 90-minute ride along showcasing the works of William Cody, Albert Frey, Hugh Kaptur, William Krisel,

By Jules Older Photos by Effin Older   Technically, I wasn’t a Santa Cruz virgin. When I was a grad student living at the VA Hospital’s staff quarters in Palo Alto, on a lark, a gang of us drove down to Santa Cruz. We slept on the beach, and when

Story by Jules Older, Photos by Effin Older Drive north from San Francisco and you’re in celebrated wine country. Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino — all the northern counties are famous. All but one. The odd one out is Lake County, just east of Sonoma and Mendocino. Lake County — it’s underpriced,

Yosemite has Half Dome, El Capitan and Vernal Falls. Sequoia and Kings Canyon have ancient groves of giant sequoias.

By Alexander Lobrano I am very much looking forward to my California book tour from October 16 to October 24, and I really hope I’ll have the pleasure of meeting my Californian readers soon. I’ve been besotted with California ever since I was able to replace the desperate jealousy I

By John Grossmann River’s End, in Jenner, California, disproves the unfortunate restaurant adage that the quality of the food is inversely proportional to the quality of the view.  River’s End delivers on both counts.  The food is fresh, local, well conceived and prepared, and beautifully presented.  And the view? Perched