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36 Hours: Long Beach, Calif.

March 15, 2012
The New York Times
By FREDA MOON

AT the mouth of the Los Angeles River, shipping cranes flex across the skyline — an industrial panorama that suits Long Beach’s gritty reputation. But while the city’s maritime character remains, its rough edges have been smoothed in recent years — the downtown waterfront transformed by redevelopment, the busy port now welcoming both cargo vessels and cruise ships. Along with its sandy shore, a compact downtown of low-rising Art Deco towers, and unassuming neighborhoods where Craftsman bungalows are ringed by tropical gardens, Long Beach has excellent museums, ethnic enclaves and a tangle of Southern California subcultures. Layered, urban and unexpected, it is a city apart from the sprawl and strip malls that define the outer edges of Los Angeles.

Friday

3 p.m.
1. POSITIVELY FOURTH STREET

After an elegant renovation, a former 1920s-era furniture store has become the cultural heart of the emerging East Village Arts District. The 8,000-square-foot building, with exposed beams and original wood floors, is the new home of Fingerprints (420 East Fourth Street; 562-433-4996; fingerprintsmusic.com), one of Los Angeles’s last great record shops. Check the store calendar for coming appearances; Lou Reed did a record signing on a recent Friday. Then, head next door in the same building to Berlin (No. 420; 562-435-0600; berlincoffeehouse.com) for an ice-blended green tea latte or Mexican hot chocolate.

5:30 p.m.
2. SHIP SHAPE

Equal parts kitsch and Streamline Moderne grandeur, the famously Titanic-esque Queen Mary — a 1936 passenger ship turned floating theme park and hotel — is just across the water from downtown’s giant Ferris wheel. For a cocktail or glass of house bubbly, stop in the ship’s grand dining room, Sir Winston’s (1126 Queens Highway; 877-342-0738; queenmary.com) at sunset.

7 p.m.
3. SUSTAINABLE SUPPER

Technically in Signal Hill, a small, incorporated city surrounded by Long Beach, Delius Restaurant (2951 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill; 562-426-0694; deliusrestaurant.com) is four miles from downtown, on an avenue dominated by car dealerships. But in a city with more taco trucks and neon-clad diners than sophisticated restaurants, Delius is worth the trip. The seven course prix fixe menu ($50, plus $25 for wine pairing) changes monthly, with regional renditions of New American staples like duck confit (here with teardrop tomatoes, tomato yogurt spheres, upland cress, queso fresco and mole; $16). The sustainable seafood entrees, like the pan-roasted salmon ($22), include free admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific (aquariumofpacific.org).

9 p.m.
4. WINE TOWN

On the ground floor of the Breakers, a former grand hotel, Wine Down Lounge (210 East Ocean Boulevard; 562-983-2703; winedownlb.com) has candelabra and red and gray walls lined with wine bottles. The three half-glass flight ($12) offers a sample of the 3,500-bottle collection. There’s also a tapas menu, which includes bacon-wrapped oysters ($6) and platters of well-aged cheese (from $14). On Retro Row, 4th Street Vine (2142 East Fourth Street; 562-343-5463; 4thstreetvine.com) is a casual neighborhood wine bar with an excellent beer list and local art on the walls. Blues or jazz bands play many weekend nights.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5. GREEK SOUL

For brunch, Kafe Neo (2800 East Fourth Street; 562-987-1210; kafeneolb.com) serves Hellenic standards like kayana (a Greek omelet with tomato and feta, topped with house-made marinara; $7.75) and avgolemono soup (egg, lemon, chicken and rice; $5) along with almond-crusted French toast ($7.50) and bloody Marys made with sake, feta and kalamata olives. Afterward, visit the small Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (695 Alamitos Avenue; 562-216-4170; pieam.org), with a brilliantly hued mural of a traditional Micronesian A-frame, with exhibits that include sculptures, textiles, paintings and jewelry from across Oceania.

Noon
6. CALIFORNIA CLASSIC

Next, walk along Fourth Street’s Retro Row, a stretch of second-hand boutiques and high-end antiques shops. Recent additions include inretrospect (2122 East Fourth Street; 562-433-6600; inretrospect.co), an emporium of vintage clothes, furniture and oddities, like discontinued board games and faded erotica. Around the corner, Port (402 St. Louis Avenue; 562-434-7678; portLbc.com) has a minimalist assortment of vintage finds and store-brand clothes inspired by the city’s nautical spirit. For a quintessentially Southern California lunch, pull up a plastic patio chair at Steamed (801 East Third Street; 562-437-1122; steamedrestaurant.com), a converted bungalow with terra-cotta tiled floors and Tibetan prayer flags. Quesadillas and California-style burritos are exceptionally well prepared and are served with three kinds of house-made salsa and guacamole.

3 p.m.
7. CRUISIN’

As part of Long Beach’s push to become the most bike-centric city south of Portland, Ore., the city has built bike boulevards and a Bike Station (bikestation.com/longbeach), developed a weekly “Bike Saturday” incentive program (bikelongbeach.org/events) and begun an annual bike festival (longbeachbikefest.org), held each May. A local bike advocate, Elizabeth Williams, leads eight tours, including Velo Vino, which takes riders on an urban wine tasting, and Tale of Two Views, with a 45-minute harbor cruise (Cali Bike Tours, 562-334-2453; calibiketours.com; two and a half hour tours, from $60, which includes bike rental).

7 p.m.
8. CAMBODIAN REPAST

Long Beach is home to the largest Khmer community outside Cambodia. For Cambodian specialties, try the cavernous Siem Reap Asian Cuisine (1810 East Anaheim Street; 562-591-7414; siemreapasiancuisine.com), a dining hall with a bar, small dance floor and gaudy décor of plastic plants and wood carvings. The expansive menu features amok (fish cooked in young coconut, $12.95) and banh chiao (ground chicken and bean sprout crepe, $10.95).

8:30 p.m.
9. PUB LIFE

In the last year, two gastropubs have opened on downtown’s promenade. At Beachwood BBQ and Brewing (210 East Third Street; 562-436-4020; beachwoodbbq.com), sit at the long counter and watch steam rising from stainless steel brew house tanks while sampling house-brewed beers like Beachwood’s potent Annihilator American barleywine or Onyx Imperial Stout ($6 for a four-tasting flight). Just down the block, the stained glass, faux monastic design at Congregation Ale House (201 East Broadway; 562-432-2337; congregationalehouse.com) is gimmicky, but its inventory of over 100 craft beers is the best in town.

10:30 p.m.
10. JAZZ AND WAFFLES

The house bar at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles — part of a chain of 24-hour soul food restaurants — may seem an odd choice for live music. But on Saturday nights, the Seabird Jazz Lounge (730 East Broadway; 562 — 243-3335; seabirdjazzlounge.com) draws jazz fans to the excellent Dale Black Quintet. A fireplace burns into the evening and there’s no cover.

Sunday

7:30 a.m.
11. EARLY BIRD

Come early and expect a wait at the Coffee Cup Cafe (3734 East Fourth Street; 562-433-3292; coffeecupcafe-lb.com), a coffee shop with orange vinyl booths and unexpected touches, like modern art and spicy Mexican influences on an otherwise traditional diner menu. Try Hank’s chicken chile verde omelet ($7.95) or the house-made apple honey sausage and eggs ($8.95). For the kids, there are short stacks of banana nut or blueberry pancakes ($4.75).

9:30 a.m.
12. CRUISIN’ ON WATER

For an alternative to a gondola trip through the Naples canal, go hydrobiking (Long Beach Hydro Bikes; 110 North Marina Drive; 562-546-2493; lbhydrobikes.com) in Alamitos Bay. A contemporary take on the sit-down paddle boat, these pedal-powered water bikes can fit two people and a dog. On your way out of town, head back by the East Village Arts District for a Meyer lemon or chocolate salted caramel tart ($5) and a cucumber Dry soda at Shortnin Bread (401 East Third Street; 562-257-0016; shortninbreadbakery.com). Check out the neighborhood’s newest shops, including Jj Rowe (316 Elm Avenue; 562-353-7693; jjrowe.com), a shop for “the man and his cool kids,” which sells rockabilly style and vintage children’s clothes and toys, and Bow-Tiki Boutique (322 Elm Avenue; 808-280-8563) for vintage travel gear.

IF YOU GO

On the downtown waterfront, Dockside Boat & Bed (Dock 5; Rainbow Harbor; 562-436-3111; boatandbed.com) has converted six luxury yachts — including a gorgeous 54-foot Stephens motor yacht — into a B & B. From $220.

Spread across 11 acres of waterfront, with palm trees, lawns and fire pits, Hotel Maya (700 Queensway Drive; 562-435-7676; hotelmayalongbeach.com) feels like a stylish Miami resort, with bright colors, mod furniture and an excellent hotel restaurant. From $119.

    36 Hours: Long Beach, Calif., NYT, 15.3.2012,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/travel/36-hours-long-beach-calif.html

36 Hours in Santa Barbara, Calif.

November 17, 2011
The New York Times
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS

RECOMMENDATIONS about what to do in Santa Barbara invariably include references to the celebrities who have settled along this beautiful stretch of California’s central coast. Want to take an afternoon hike? Head into the hills near Oprah’s house. Looking for a place to eat? Try the taqueria that Julia Child adored. Just 100 miles north of Los Angeles, this quiet beach community has long been a hideaway for celebrity heavyweights. But over the past few years, the city has also made room for a new downtown scene humming with cool shops and laid-back wine bars, mobile food trucks and casual restaurants. It’s Santa Barbara for every budget — whether you debarked from a private jet at the city’s new $63 million airport terminal or cruised into town off Highway 101.

Friday
4 p.m.
1. WATERFRONT RICHES

The Bellosguardo (Beautiful View) estate, on a bluff at the end of East Beach, is a sprawling property with a sublime location that belonged to the reclusive billionaire heiress Huguette Clark. When Ms. Clark died in May at the age of 104, she bequeathed her extensive fine arts collection so her mansion could be converted into a museum. Until it opens, content yourself with the oceanfront riches already available: the beaches. The area’s finest is Butterfly Beach, a secluded strip of golden sand by the Four Seasons Biltmore in the nearby enclave of Montecito.

7:30 p.m.
2. CALIFORNIA CUISINE

The talented young chef Justin West and his wife, Emma, run Julienne (138 East Canon Perdido; 805-845-6488; restaurantjulienne.com), a warm, inviting bistro that opened in 2008. The seasonal menu places a California-appropriate importance on ranch-raised meats and local seafood and produce, featuring pairings like beef-cheek ravioli topped with fava beans, and foie gras sandwiched between a peppered doughnut and strawberry-balsamic preserves. Try the house-made charcuterie and, for dessert, the nitro ice cream — the Peppermint Pattie flavor is a winner — made using liquid nitrogen. Dinner for two, without drinks or tip, about $80.

10 p.m.
3. HIP SIPS

In the wacky neighborhood known as the Funk Zone, there are street poles wrapped with colorful knitted sleeves and street art murals enlivening tired industrial buildings. A string of new wineries and wine bars has also opened in the artsy area; one relaxed spot that stays open late is Municipal Winemakers (22 Anacapa Street; 805-931-6864; municipalwinemakers.com). In September this boutique producer moved into a garage-like space where the eclectic décor — a collection of old athletic trophies, a giant chandelier of glass bottles — reflects the fun, unpretentious vibe. Settle in around one of the communal tables with a glass of Dark Red (an earthy syrah and cabernet blend) or the aptly named Sweetness Sweet Riesling.

Saturday
9:30 a.m.
4. CHEESE, VINYL, THREADS

Lower State Street is flooded with chain stores and coffee shops, so do your shopping off the main strip. Start at C’est Cheese (825 Santa Barbara Street; 805-965-0318; cestcheese.com), a small cheese and specialty-foods shop where you can pick up tins of Pasolivo tangerine-infused olive oil while nibbling on a fragrant truffled grilled cheese sandwich. Then head around the corner to Warbler Records & Goods (131 East De La Guerra Street; 805-845-5862; warblerrecords.com) and flip through the racks of new and vintage vinyl. End your excursion at the Supply Room (1620 State Street; 805-963-1355; shopsupplyroom.com), a tiny shop that opened in September 2010 inside the Presidio Motel. From the collection of clothes, jewelry and accessories, you can pluck suede buckled booties, brass-and-enamel cuff bracelets and striped Mara Hoffman dresses.

Noon
5. MEXICALI FOODS

Everyone raves about La Super-Rica Taqueria (622 North Milpas Street; 805-963-4940), and for good reason: the tacos, quesadillas and tamales are delicious. But if you just want a tasty, authentic Mexican meal, there’s no need to wait in its tourist-packed line for an hour. Sneak down the road to Taqueria La Colmena (217 North Milpas Street; 805-845-6970), another inexpensive, no-frills spot where the handmade tortillas are fresh and the list of fillings long — try the lomito or cheesy rajas tacos ($1.65 for two). Load them with guacamole and scoops from the salsa bar, slurp some horchata and bop to the bubbly Mexican pop soundtrack.

1:30 p.m.
6. ON THE WINE TRAIL

To tour the Central Coast’s wine country, forget the car and set out on foot. A dozen wineries have banded together to form Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail (urbanwinetrailsb.com), and most are within walking distance of downtown. Start with a tasting at Santa Barbara Winery (202 Anacapa Street; 805-963-3633; sbwinery.com), a pinot noir pioneer and the city’s oldest winery. Then hop over to Kunin Wines (28 Anacapa Street; 805-963-9633; kuninwines.com), where sauvignon blanc from Happy Canyon and fruity Santa Barbara County syrah are poured inside a sunny cottage a block from the beach. Make the last stop a new spot that’s not on the official trail: the Deep Sea Tasting Room (217 Stearns Wharf; 805-618-1185; deepseatastingroom.com) recently opened on the main pier in a stylish second-story space with views of the beach, city and mountains beyond.

4 p.m.
7. TABLET ART

Walk off the wine buzz with a stroll up State Street to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (1130 State Street; 805-963-4364; sbma.net), a modest museum with intimate, engaging exhibits. There are only 19 paintings in the current Cubism exhibition, “Picasso and Braque: The Cubist Experiment, 1910-1912,” but an interactive app on iPads (which the museum lends freely to visitors) augments the experience, providing historical context with a scrolling timeline and illuminating stylistic idiosyncrasies via side-by-side digital reproductions of the exhibit’s paintings. The show runs through Jan. 8, 2012.

7 p.m.
8. DINNER AT THE DRIVE-IN

Hunt down the bright yellow Burger Bus (theburgerbus.com, or follow on Twitter @TheBurgerBus), a retrofitted mini school bus that has been roaming the streets and serving grass-fed, hormone-free burgers since May 2009. Get the CB&J — a huge, juicy patty topped with cheese, grilled onions and jelly on a ciabatta roll ($7.50) — and a side of yam fries ($2.50). Then you can take your dinner to the movies at the West Wind Drive-In (907 South Kellogg Avenue, Goleta; 805-964-9050; westwinddriveins.com). Cinephiles of any age can enjoy this ’60s-era classic, which reopened in 2010 after a 19-year closure. Expect a double feature and a dose of nostalgia.

11:30 p.m.
9. NIGHT OWL NIBBLES

Late at night, State Street is a veritable zoo with inebriated college students gyrating in the windows of thumping clubs and bars. But even sober night owls searching for a midnight snack line up for the outstanding Asian-influenced street food at the Blue Owl (425 State Street; 805-705-0991; theblueowlsantabarbara.com). Operating out of the restaurant Zen Yai, this year-old pop-up spot is open for only three hours (11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.), three nights a week. Try the luscious tri-tip sandwich with tangy oyster-chili mayo ($8) or the flaky banana roti oozing with sweet condensed milk ($6), and then call it a (great) night.

Sunday
10 a.m.
10. BREAKFAST QUEEN

Fuel up for an active afternoon with breakfast at Jeannine’s (3607 State Street; 805-687-8701; jeannines.com). The upper State Street location has a cozy cafe atmosphere with marble-topped tables and a tempting display of fresh pastries behind the wide glass counter. Order the fluffy California omelet with tomatoes, cheese and avocado ($10.95) or go for broke calorically with the banana French toast made with challah bread sautéed to a sweet, sticky crisp in Kahlua, brown sugar and butter ($11.95).

Noon
11. THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Dozens of hiking trails of varying difficulty zigzag around the area. For a sweat-free trek with ocean vistas, stroll around the tranquil Douglas Family Preserve, on a mesa above Arroyo Burro Beach. Or work harder for your views on the 1.8-mile Cold Spring loop trail in the mountains behind Montecito off Mountain Drive. Start at the trailhead on the east side of the creek (look for the wooden sign), and climb over gurgling streams and through quiet, brush-covered hills. Don’t miss the short detour to Vista Point for a stellar panorama of Santa Barbara’s glittering coastline.

    36 Hours in Santa Barbara, Calif., NYT, 17.11.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/travel/36-hours-in-santa-barbara-calif.html

36 Hours on the Mendocino Coast

September 1, 2011
The New York Times
By FREDA MOON

SINCE the ’60s and ’70s, when a flood of artists, hippies and back-to-the-landers brought the cosmopolitan counterculture to this corner of Northern California, the Mendocino coast has made appearances on too many television shows (“Murder, She Wrote,” most notably) and movies (“Overboard,” for one) to mention. Once a collection of working-class logging, fishing and ranching communities, the Coast — as it’s called by residents — has become a stand-in for California’s left-coast eccentricities. This series of hamlets, small towns and rural ridges is now widely known for its intoxicants — its celebrated wine, beer and marijuana. But what makes this stretch of oceanfront real estate so stirring is its profound natural beauty and fierce independence.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) TINY TOWN

Take Highway 128 to the coast, passing through the Anderson Valley wine appellation and following the redwood banks of the Navarro River to Highway 1 and the turbulent Pacific. For local lore and a drink, pull up a stool at Beacon Light by the Sea (7401 South Highway 1; 707-877-3311), high on a hill near Elk, population 200. Part dive bar, part museum of oddities, “Bobby’s place” is run by the Greenwood Ridge fire chief Bob Beacon in a back room of his remote fire station. You’ll be greeted by a Great Dane and an aging grand piano. Afterward, take a sunset walk on Navarro Beach, where sand castles and driftwood sculptures litter the pebble-strewn shoreline, and bonfires burn on clear nights.

7:30 p.m.
2) ENCHANTÉ

For dinner, continue up the coast to Ledford House in Albion (3000 North Highway 1; 707-937-0282; ledfordhouse.com), a French country bistro in the new California style (local farms, local wines, international influences), with a deck and tall Pacific-facing windows. A husband-wife, maître d’-executive chef team turns out formidable renditions of classics like cassoulet ($26) and steak au poivre (filet mignon with roast tomato horseradish sauce; $29) in a homey dining room with live jazz nightly.

10:30 p.m.
3) WILD NIGHTS

For late-night boot-stomping and food until midnight, head for Caspar and the Caspar Inn (14957 Caspar Road; 707-964-5565; casparinn.com), a vintage roadhouse with a long bar, a low stage and a dance floor that welcomes all comers. One of the few coastal night clubs between San Francisco and Oregon, the Caspar attracts surprising acts, including the English Beat, Fishbone and international reggae bands. For those who enjoy themselves too much to make it home, there are 10 spare, shared-bath rooms upstairs (from $45, including show admission).

Saturday

8 a.m.
4) SUSTENANCE

Rise early to wander the Victorian-lined streets of Mendocino village. Walk the narrow footpaths along the rocky, wind-lashed headlands to the Blowhole. Nearby, there’s an imposing Tiki sculpture; do as the locals do and place an offering in the mouth of the carved Kahuna or watch the swells come ashore from the driftwood “Love Bench” above Portuguese Beach. For breakfast, linger over espresso and a house-made bialy ($1.50) at Thanksgiving Coffee Café and Espresso Bar (10485 Lansing Street; 707-937-0836; thanksgivingcoffeecafe.com). For a more substantial meal, head to Eggheads (326 North Main Street; 707-964-5005; eggheadsrestaurant.com) in Fort Bragg — a cramped, Wizard of Oz-themed diner where you’ll find Dorothy’s Revenge, a supremely rich Dungeness crab eggs Benedict ($17.99).

10 a.m.
5) SEAWORTHY

All who have witnessed the frothing Pacific know that its name — from the Spanish for peaceful — is a misnomer. Here, the sea is as violent as it is beautiful. Liquid Fusion Kayaking (32399 Basin Street, Fort Bragg; 707-962-1623; liquidfusionkayak.com) in Noyo Harbor teaches novices to ride the white water with a three-hour surf kayaking session ($100). For a more leisurely paddle, rent a Polynesian-style outrigger at Catch a Canoe & Bicycles Too (44850 Comptche-Ukiah Road; 707-937-0273; catchacanoe.com; $28 a person for three hours) and glide up Big River.

1 p.m.
6) TAKE OUT

At Jenny’s Giant Burger (940 North Main Street, Fort Bragg; 707-964-2235), a classic roadside stand with vinyl stools, order a Giant Cheeseburger ($5.35), fries ($2.20) and chocolate malt ($3.75), and drive north to MacKerricher State Park (24100 MacKerricher Road, Fort Bragg; 707-937-5804; parks.ca.gov) to eat beside cattail-lined, fish-stocked Lake Cleone. Then walk south along the former log-haul road to where the pavement disintegrates into the sand dunes at Inglenook Fen Ten Mile Dune Preserve. Or instead rent a bike in town and ride the length of the trail, crossing the nearly century-old Pudding Creek Trestle, an elegant lattice bridge that was reopened as a pedestrian and bike path in 2007.

3 p.m.
7) COASTAL COUNTERCULTURE

Climb the stairs to the Triangle Tattoo & Museum (356B North Main Street, Fort Bragg; 707-964-8814; triangletattoo.com), where Madame Chinchilla and Mr. G have compiled exhibitions dedicated to Maori tattoos from the 1800s, circus skin art and vintage ink machines. For contemporary installation art pieces and paper made from local invasive species — like pampas grass — and discarded textile scraps, visit the Lost Coast Culture Machine (190 East Elm Street, Fort Bragg; 707-961-1600; lostcoastculturemachine.org), a collective founded last year by Brooklyn expats. On the grounds of the former Preston mansion (of “East of Eden” fame), the Mendocino Art Center (45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino; 707-937-5818; mendocinoartcenter.org) has six galleries and open studios where you can watch artists-in-residence at work.

5 p.m.
8) BEER COUNTRY

The North Coast Brewing Company’s Taproom (444 North Main Street, Fort Bragg; 707-964-3400; northcoastbrewing.com) has wooden booths, animal heads on the wall and a 12-beer sampler ($15) that includes the brewery’s flagship Red Seal Ale. For a wider selection of regional beers, plus excellent New York-style pizza, head to Piaci Pub and Pizzeria (120 West Redwood Avenue, Fort Bragg; 707-961-1133; piacipizza.com). Or travel south to the Wine Bar[n] at Glendeven Inn (8205 North Highway 1, Mendocino; 800-822-4536; glendeven.com), which pours 45 local wines by the glass each afternoon.

7 p.m.
9) IN GOOD COMPANY

Until 2002, Fort Bragg was a company town with a coastline consumed by a sprawling lumber mill. The second story of the former company store, a redwood building with a cathedral-like interior, is now home to Mendo Bistro (301 North Main Street; 707-964-4974; mendobistro.com), a New American restaurant that serves dishes like barbecued lamb shoulder with cornmeal fried tomatoes, pickled onions and mint ($22) and pappardelle with pesto, cherry tomatoes, corn and black olives ($15).

8:30 p.m.
10) ALL THAT JAZZ

For live music and an after-dinner latte, go to Headlands Coffeehouse (120 Laurel Street; 707-964-1987; headlandscoffeehouse.com), a local institution with a monthly art show and a loyal following that’s helped revitalize Fort Bragg’s once-decaying downtown. Just across the alley, V’Canto (124 East Laurel Street; 707-964-6844) is an Italian restaurant-lounge with a welcoming bar and well-considered wine list. Live music acts on weekend nights.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) GOING DOWNTOWN

The eclectic collection of shops in Fort Bragg’s compact downtown include the whimsical sock store Pippi’s Longstockings (123 East Laurel Street; 707-964-8071; pippisocks.com); Tangents (368 North Main Street; 707-964-3884), an emporium of kitsch, candles and silver jewelry; and the stylish consignment boutique, If the Shoe Fits (337 North Franklin Street; 707-964-2580). There are also three bookstores within two blocks, including the Bookstore (206 East Redwood Avenue, 707-964-6559), with a lovingly curated selection of used books.

12 p.m.
12) THE LONG ROAD HOME

Take Highway 1 out of Mendocino County, stopping for brunch at Queenie’s Roadhouse Cafe (6061 South Highway 1, Elk; 707-877-3285; queeniesroadhousecafe.com) for organic allspice-laced corned beef hash ($11.95) or waffles with fresh fruit and yogurt dressing ($10). Then continue south to Point Arena, stopping at the 115-foot Point Arena Lighthouse (pointarenalighthouse.com). Rebuilt in 1907 after the great San Francisco earthquake, it’s said to be the first steel-reinforced concrete lighthouse in the country. Three miles south of town, take the overgrown path to Schooner Gulch State Beach for one final walk along the water’s edge.

IF YOU GO

South of Mendocino, the Glendeven Inn (8205 North Highway 1, Mendocino; 707-937-0083; glendeven.com) is an eight-acre farmstead with in-room breakfasts and a farm-to-table prix fixe dinner three nights a week. From $167.

Opened in 2009, the Westport Hotel and Abalone Pub (38921 North Highway 1, Westport; 877-964-3688; westporthotel.us) rejects televisions, in-room phones and radios in favor of the growling Pacific. Downstairs, the Abalone Pub has haute-bordello style and excellent food. Rates from $140, including breakfast.

    36 Hours on the Mendocino Coast, NYT, 1.9.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/travel/36-hours-on-the-mendocino-coast.html

36 Hours in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

February 24, 2011
The New York Times
By LIONEL BEEHNER

FOR over half a century, Angelinos have flocked to this secluded corner of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s easy to see why. Despite the 8,000-foot altitude, Mammoth Lakes’ sprawl of splashy condos and strip malls has a distinct Los Angeles feel. But the surrounding frozen lakes and granite peaks, immortalized by the photographer Ansel Adams, are decidedly un-Los Angeles, and can hold their own with any landscape in Colorado or Canada. And with expanded daily flights from the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles, not to mention a flurry of new après-ski offerings, Mammoth is hoping to draw skiers from beyond the Golden State.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) SIBERIAN SPA

Imagine a vast white expanse of what looks like frozen Siberian tundra, dotted with natural hot springs and surrounded by soaring peaks. Hilltop Hot Spring is popular with locals, but you can join in, too. There are no formal signs or footpaths — just follow the S.U.V.’s past the airport five minutes east of Mammoth Lakes and enjoy a steaming soak, free of charge. For more privacy, cross the road to Wild Willy’s, a more secluded spring, which requires a 20-minute trek and a pair of snowshoes.

7 p.m.
2) BY THE FIREPLACE

On the other side of town is Tamarack Lodge and Resort (163 Twin Lakes Road, off Lake Mary Road; 760-934-2442; tamaracklodge.com). The rustic log cabin, with its bark-wood ceiling fixtures and 1920s-era fireplace, also happens to have an impressive wine collection and the area’s best chef: Frederic Pierrel (cheffrederic.com). The intimate Lakefront R Restaurant serves up a combination platter of elk medallions, grilled quail and pork marinated in wine on a bed of spicy mashed potatoes ($30). Before being seated, have a mulled wine ($5) or hot cider ($4) by the fire.

Saturday

6:30 a.m.
3) PANCAKES AND BISCUITS

Before hitting the slopes, fill up on pancakes and black-and-white memorabilia at the Stove (644 Old Mammoth Road; 760-934-2821), a cozy spot with long wooden booths and old pictures of cattle ranchers on its walls. For over 40 years, the Stove has served hearty meals like the Sierra Sunrise (a heap of fried potatoes, peppers, onions and ham topped with eggs and cheese for $9.95). On your way out, pick up a homemade pie ($13.95) — apple, apricot, cherry. Get there early as the place fills up fast.

7:30 a.m.
4) BLACK TIE SKIING

Experts from Black Tie Ski Rentals (760-934-7009; blacktieskis.com) will come to your condo and fit you for skis or snowboards. Heck, if the boots don’t feel snug by midday, Colin Fernie and his team will meet you on the slopes and exchange your gear, or switch your snowboard for a pair of skis. Not bad for under $40 (at least for beginner skiers).

8 a.m.
5) FRESH TRACKS

With over 3,500 acres of trails, Mammoth has more variable terrain than most mountains (mammothmountain.com). There are three lodges: Eagle, Canyon and Main. Skiers in search of soft powder and fresh-groomed runs start on Eagle and follow the sun over to Main or the backside of the mountain (to avoid lift lines, reverse the order). Or take the gondola from Main to the summit, 11,053 feet above sea level, where you can find a relaxing spot for hot cocoa. Marvel at the daredevils who ski off Hangman’s Hollow. Or brave the steep and icy chutes of Dave’s Run or Scotty’s. A safer alternative is Santiago, off the summit’s less crowded backside, which offers scattered glades as well as gorgeous views of the Minarets, a majestic series of jagged granite peaks.

12 p.m.
6) SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Lunch on Mammoth typically involves Mexican fare. If you can’t find the new Roving Mammoth, a bright orange snowcat that doubles as a food cart, serving up burritos ($5.50) — you can even track the snowcat’s whereabouts on Twitter — there are pulled-pork nachos ($11.42) at the Mill Cafe (760-934-0675), a festive après-ski spot at the base of Chair 2 (in true California fashion, its entrance is scattered with beach chairs). Or, for overflowing plates of nachos and fish tacos, head to the Yodler (10001 Minaret Road; 760-934-2571), a Swiss-style chalet off the Main Lodge. Gomez’s (100 Canyon Boulevard; 760-924-2693; gomezs.com), a Mexican place with over 200 tequilas and fittingly mammoth margaritas, relocated to a spot in the middle of the village last year.

1 p.m.
7) ART PARK

Take Chair 10 up to ski down a few wide-open runs like Easy Rider or Solitude that stay powdery throughout the day. Or try Quicksilver, a well-groomed trail with gently sloped glades and variable terrain. Snowboarders should head to the new terrain Art Park, which made its debut in December and showcases funky artworks affixed to its rails and steel structures. Mammoth also recently opened the Stomping Grounds, a terrain park packed with jumps, jibs and an Acrobag — which resembles a giant blue moon bounce — to practice flips. Nonsnowboarders should take the newly carved Village Ski Back Trail, a scenic path that meanders past pine trees and the backyards of condos, linking the mountain with the village.

4 p.m.
8) GROWLERS AND PASTRIES

Thankfully, après-ski at Mammoth does not involve bad cover bands. If anything, it revolves around its eponymous microbrew. Insiders make their way to a warehouse converted a few years back into a beer-tasting room for the Mammoth Brewing Company (94 Berner Street; 760-934-7141; mammothbrewingco.com). Still in ski gear, they down free samples before filling up their growlers with IPA 395 ($13), a local favorite, or grabbing kegs and cases to go. Another favorite spot among Mammoth’s growing international crowd is Shea Schat’s Bakery (3305 Main Street; 760-934-6055), which feels, and smells, like the inside of a gingerbread house. The shop serves up steaming hot chocolate and stocks rows of pastries — cinnamon nut bread, ginger cakes and bread pudding.

6 p.m.
9) MIDMOUNTAIN DINING

This winter Mammoth remodeled its swanky restaurant Parallax (800-626-6684; mammothmountain.com), which takes up almost half of the cafeteria at McCoy Station, a midmountain gondola station up from the Main Lodge. Its modern décor and Asian-themed trimmings, including white bark walls, would not look out of place in downtown Manhattan, save, perhaps, for the tacky TV Yule log fireplace. Yet at 9,600 feet, it is reachable by only snowcat, which picks people up at the Mammoth Mountain Inn (10001 Minaret Road; 760-934-2581; mammothmountain.com). Hop aboard a heated snowcat that feels like a spaceship as you gaze up at the stars through its glass roof. Then feast on dishes ranging from a rack of New Zealand lamb to grilled chicken with risotto (meals are prix fixe at $89, including snowcat ride). For optimal views, get there as night falls.

9 p.m.
10) ROCKIES MEETS HOLLYWOOD

Never mind the gondola D.J. booth and vintage lanterns above the bar. Hyde Lounge (6201 Minaret Road; 760-934-0669; sbe.com/hydemammoth) lives up to its Sunset Boulevard forefather. There are bottle-service-only booths (from $200), lasers everywhere and Mammoth’s version of a strict door policy (“No snowboard gear”). The crowd sipping pricey cocktails is a mix of slovenly clad snowboarders and dressed-to-impress partygoers, all crammed within its fire-engine red walls. Warm up with a burning mango ($12), a jalapeño and vodka concoction, and settle in for a night of people watching.

Sunday

9 a.m.
11) OLYMPIC WORKOUT

In recent years, Mammoth Lakes has become a year-round hub for Olympic and pro athletes attracted to the high altitudes and easygoing ethos. A nice byproduct is the state-of-the-art facilities at the Snowcreek Athletic Club, which resembles a giant barn just outside town. The club recently opened the Double Eagle Spa (51 Club Drive; 760-934-8511; snowcreekathleticclub.com), with earthy massage rooms, Vichy showers and a yoga studio. You might even bump into the New York City Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi working out in the weight room.

11 a.m.
12) MOUNTAIN MAN

To appreciate the Sierra Nevada range’s jaw-dropping beauty, drop by Vern Clevenger’s gallery (220 Sierra Manor Road; 760-934-5100; vernclevenger.com) in town. His color photos (prints start at $149) of nearby canyons, lakes and mountain vistas are ubiquitous around town, as is the man himself. Vern’s scruffy yellow jacket and unruly hair have been a familiar presence at Mammoth since the early ’70s. He is a modern-day version of Ansel Adams, who more than anyone put this corner of California on the map.

IF YOU GO

Among the best lodging choices is a private cabin at Tamarack Lodge and Resort (760-934-2442; tamaracklodge.com), which offers a LEED-certified three-bedroom with all the modern amenities ($699), as well as barebones studios ($209).

For something closer to town and more family-friendly — it even installed an ice rink recently — try the Sierra Nevada Lodge (164 Old Mammoth Road; 800-824-5132; sierranevadalodge.com). Its rustic lobby was just renovated (it includes Clark Gable’s baby grand), as were its 150 units. Request a room with a wood stove. Doubles start at $149.

    36 Hours in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., NYT, 24.2.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/travel/27hours-mammoth.html

36 Hours in Downtown Los Angeles

February 17, 2011
The New York Times
By CHRIS COLIN

THE sprawl, the scale, all that freeway time — for many, Los Angeles is an acquired taste. But not downtown. New York-like in its density and mishmash, the long-blighted center has become an accessible, pedestrian-friendly destination in recent years; Angelenos walk around en masse, using their actual legs. The immense L.A. Live entertainment complex is largely responsible for this comeback, but the studiously vintage bars and imaginative restaurants that seem to open every other day are also part of the revival. Skid Row and the drifts of homeless camps haven’t vanished altogether, and the grittiness still varies by block. But this part of town is alive again, in ways that make sense even to an outsider.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) DO THE CRAWL

The Downtown Art Walk — a party-in-the-streets bonanza that draws thousands of revelers the second Thursday of every month — is one way to experience the area’s robust art scene. But you can do your own art walk anytime, and you should. Lured by low rents, a number of impressive galleries have found a home here, many of them on Chung King Road, a pedestrian alley strung with lanterns in Chinatown. For starters: The Box (977 Chung King Road; 213-625-1747; theboxla.com), Jancar Gallery (961 Chung King Road; 213-625-2522; jancargallery.com), Charlie James Gallery (975 Chung King Road; 213-687-0844; cjamesgallery.com) and Sabina Lee Gallery (971 Chung King Road; 213-620-9404; sabinaleegallery.com). The shows are intimate and occasionally provocative, featuring a broad array of contemporary artists: William Powhida, Orly Cogan and others. Most galleries stay open till 6 p.m.; Jancar closes at 5 on Fridays.

7:30 p.m.
2) THE CITY AT ITS BRIGHTEST

Whether you’re catching a Lakers game, touring the Grammy Museum or attending a concert at the Nokia Theater, there is always something splashy to do at the 27-acre, $2.5 billion sports and entertainment behemoth that is L.A. Live (800 West Olympic Boulevard; 213-763-5483; lalive.com). Just strolling the Tokyo-ish Nokia Plaza — 20,000 square feet of LED signage — is diverting. An array of restaurants and bars is clustered at the periphery, but as with Times Square, many visitors just prefer to stroll around this giant pedestrian zone, trying to take it all in.

10 p.m.
3) A LATE, GREAT BITE

Gorbals (501 South Spring Street; 213-488-3408; thegorbalsla.com) is one of the more fantastic — and odd — downtown dining options. The chef and owner, a previous “Top Chef” winner, is part-Scottish and part-Israeli, and his hybrid concoctions are terrific. My banh mi poutine merged Quebec and Vietnam in ways criminally neglected until now. Bacon-wrapped matzo balls, anyone? Small plates range from $6 to $16. The casual restaurant is tucked into the lobby of the old Alexandria Hotel, a well-worn but charming landmark where Bogart, Chaplin and Garbo once roamed the halls.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) ON THE NICKEL

The maple bacon doughnut is a stand-out on the breakfast menu at the new but ageless Nickel Diner (524 South Main Street; 213-623-8301; nickeldiner.com). The rest is mostly well-executed diner food, about $7 to $10 per dish. What’s remarkable is the location — until recently, this block was one of Skid Row’s most notorious. It’s a testament to downtown’s revival that the intersection of Main and Fifth (hence “Nickel”) is now home to a place where people line up for tables.

10:30 a.m.
5) NICE THREADS

The 100-block Fashion District mixes high and low seamlessly. Though many shops sell wholesale only, you can still find a wide selection of deeply discounted designer clothes, fabric and accessories. The jumbled shops and warehouses at Ninth and Los Angeles Streets are a good place to start (feel free to bargain). And don’t miss the rowdier Santee Alley (thesanteealley.com), where cheap meets weird in a thoroughly Los Angeles way. In this chaotic open-air bazaar, energetic vendors hawk the impressive (perfect knock-off handbags) and the odd (toy frogs emblazoned with gang insignias). For a more organized Fashion District expedition, Christine Silvestri of Urban Shopping Adventures (213-683-9715; urbanshoppingadventures.com) leads three-hour romps, tailored to your particular agenda and with an insider’s radar for the best finds; the tours cost $36 a person, with a minimum of two people.

1 p.m.
6) ACCESSIBLE ARCHITECTURE

The arrival of the conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the Los Angeles Philharmonic has brought new crowds to the symphony, but the Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 South Grand Avenue; 323-850-2000; laphil.com) — Frank Gehry’s deconstructivist celebration of all that is big, curvy and shiny — deserves a visit even without a ticket. Bring a picnic and wind your way along the semi-hidden outer staircase up to an excellent city vista and rooftop garden oasis. Free guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available most days. Check first (musiccenter.org/visit/tours.html) for schedules.

7 p.m.
7) LAZY BONES

Since 2010, Little Tokyo’s Lazy Ox Canteen (241 South San Pedro Street; 213-626-5299; lazyoxcanteen.com) has been the kind of tucked-away gastropub people love to insist is the city’s best. Casual and buzzing, the bistro’s long menu features adventurous delicacies, from trotters to crispy pig’s ears to lamb neck hash. It’s hard to pin the cuisine to a specific origin, but a penchant for bold, meat-centric comfort food is evident. Get several small plates, most $7 to $15 each.

8:30 p.m.
8) PICK A SHOW, ANY SHOW

If you’re downtown for a performance, chances are it’s a sprawling affair at L.A. Live. But a handful of smaller settings offer funkier alternatives. The Redcat Theater (631 West Second Street; 213-237-2800; redcat.org) hosts all manner of experimental performances — a recent Saturday featured theater, dance, puppetry and live music from a Slovene-Latvian art collaboration. Club Mayan (1038 South Hill Street; 213-746-4287; clubmayan.com; $12 entry fee before 10:30, $20 after), an ornate old dance club most nights, occasionally hosts mad events like Lucha VaVoom, which combines burlesque and Mexican wrestling. And the Smell (247 South Main Street; thesmell.org; $5 most nights), a likably grimy, volunteer-run space, hosts very small bands circled by swaying teenagers.

10:30 p.m.
9) DRINK AS IF IT’S ILLEGAL

Was Los Angeles a hoot during Prohibition? No need to guess, thanks to a slew of meticulously old-timey new bars that exploit the wonderful history of old Los Angeles. From upscale speakeasy (the Varnish; 118 East Sixth Street; 213-622-9999; thevarnishbar.com) to converted power plant-chic (the Edison; 108 West Second Street; 213-613-0000; edisondowntown.com) to an old bank vault (the Crocker Club; 453 South Spring Street; 213-239-9099; crockerclub.com), these spiffy places do set decoration as only Los Angeles can. And fussily delicious artisanal cocktails are as plentiful as you’d imagine, most in the $9 to $14 range. The well-scrubbed will also enjoy the swanky Seven Grand (515 West Seventh Street; 213-614-0737; sevengrand.la), while the well-scuffed may feel more at home at La Cita Bar (336 South Hill Street; 213-687-7111; lacitabar.com).

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

The Bamboo Plaza isn’t as elegant as its name, but on the second floor of this run-down little Chinatown mall is the Empress Pavilion (988 North Hill Street, suite 201; 213-617-9898; empresspavilion.com), the dim sum mecca that’s lured Angelenos here since well before the downtown revival. The vast dining room holds all the appeal of a hotel conference room, but that only underscores the focus on the shrimp har gow, the pork buns and dozens of other specialties, generally $2 to $5 each. There will be crowds.

11 a.m.
11) BIG ART

That rare breed who has gone from gallery owner to director of a significant art, Jeffrey Deitch has thrilled (and vexed) critics since taking over the esteemed Museum of Contemporary Art last year. Come see for yourself what he’s done with the place, and its renowned collection, including works by Rothko, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg. The museum is spread over three locations; downtown is the main one (250 South Grand Avenue; 213-626-6222; moca.org).

IF YOU GO

Rising from the L.A. Live wattage is a gleaming new two-hotel complex, at 900 West Olympic Boulevard, part JW Marriott (213-765-8600; lalive.com/stay/jwmarriott) and part Ritz-Carlton (213-743-8800; lalive.com/stay/ritzcarlton). The 878 rooms at the JW start at $189, the 123 rooms at the Ritz at $299, and even the most basic deliver a supreme pampering.

The 24th floor of the Ritz is also home to WP24, the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s take on modern Chinese cuisine.

It doesn’t gleam, but the Moroccan-themed Figueroa Hotel (939 South Figueroa Street; 213-627-8971; figueroahotel.com) reflects an equally appealing side of downtown. Every nook of the 86-year-old building features some warm and worn décor reminiscent of Casablanca, and hours can be passed at the tranquil outdoor pool and bar. Rooms start at $148.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: February 19, 2011

An earlier version of a map with this article misspelled part of the name of a street in Los Angeles. It is Cesar Chavez Avenue, not Sezar.

    36 Hours in Downtown Los Angeles, NYT, 17.2.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/travel/20hours-los-angeles.html

36 Hours in Santa Cruz, Calif.

December 30, 2010
The New York Times
By DAN WHITE

FORGET what you heard about Santa Cruz being the city that sleeps. Yes, this sunny coastal town still has its countercultural wackiness. You can still watch surfers shred waves, ride a seaside roller coaster on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and hear a street musician sing Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Cruel World.” But Santa Cruz has been stirred by the tech boom in nearby Silicon Valley. In the past, “rabid localism” meant getting a black eye at the Stockton Avenue surf break. Now, the term refers to the restaurant that uses eggs from its own chicken coop, and the woman who churns organic ice cream with fennel foraged from a nearby field. And sleek lounges offer reasons to stay up until 2 a.m., an eternity by old Santa Cruz standards.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) PACIFIC CRUISE

Once the domain of seedy bars and bong displays, the southern section of Pacific Avenue is now a more fashionable strip where the city’s lust for vintage is on display. Idle Hands Dry Goods (803 Pacific Avenue; 831-466-9305; idlehandsdrygoods.com) feels like an updated Rolling Stones track, melding vintage American outlaw looks (cowboy boots, belt buckles) with rock-’n’-roller attitude (graphic T-shirts, Pendleton shirts). True Love Antiques & Vintage (805 Pacific Avenue; 714-847-3961), is a wonder cabinet of curios, art and odd-ends. And on nearby Cedar Street, MetaVinyl (320 Cedar Street; 831-466-9027; metavinyl.com) carries new and old LPs, turntable gear and rare finds, like a mint-condition copy of 2 Live Crew’s “As Nasty As They Wanna Be.”

7 p.m.
2) HAUT KEBABS

The staid dining scene in downtown Santa Cruz got a jolt this fall with the arrival of Laili (101B Cooper Street; 831-423-4545; lailirestaurant.com), a stylish Afghan restaurant. With its nattily dressed waiters, soaring ceilings and wall-size photo display of precious Afghan jewelry, this is no hole-in-the-wall kebab joint. A cross-section of Santa Cruz can be found on a given night, sampling Persian chive-stuffed Aushak dumplings ($9) and the braised lamb shank with kabuli rice and yogurt ($16). Ask for a seat at the communal table, where you can rub elbows with surfers and techies, and watch a cook in an open kitchen preparing naan dough with a giant rolling pin.

9 p.m.
3) LATIN RHYTHMS

The spiciest spot downtown is arguably the weekly salsa dance party at the historic Palomar Ballroom (1344 Pacific Avenue; 831-426-1221; palomarballroom.com), where dancers swirl in tight dresses, miniskirts and high heels. If you know your salsa moves, pay $5 at the door. If you need to brush up, a $10 fee covers a salsa class and the dance party.

Midnight
4) DEEP RED

A crimson glow beckons late-night patrons upstairs to the Red Restaurant & Bar (200 Locust Street; 831-425-1913; redsantacruz.com), a curiously dark lounge with hidden nooks that stays open until 2 a.m. Unless you sit by the fire, reading the menu can be a challenge, so try the Winnie ($7.75), a house-infused rose tea vodka with fresh lemon and simple syrup. Don’t confuse this spot with the Red Room, which occupies the floor below and is a rite of passage for college students.

Saturday

10 a.m.
5) WARM BRIOCHE

Stock up for an outdoor picnic along the scenic coastline. True to its name, the Buttery (702 Soquel Avenue; 831-458-3020; butterybakery.com) specializes in butter-rich comfort foods like lemon cheese pockets ($2.65) and blueberry muffins ($2.65). It also sells French baguettes ($2). Round out your supplies across the street at Shopper’s Corner (622 Soquel Avenue; 831-423-1398; shopperscorner.com), a local institution with a neon clock, local wines, hard cheeses and tapenades.

11 a.m.
6) TAKE A HIKE

A slow ride on West Cliff Drive offers views of cypress trees, eroded cliffs and epic surf breaks. Park at the Wilder Ranch State Park (1401 Old Coast Road; 831-423-9703; parks.ca.gov), a 7,000-acre park with numerous hiking trails that tunnel through misted forests of alders, Douglas firs and coastal redwoods. The park is also home to bobcats, feral piglets and the occasional cougar.

3 p.m.
7) GREEN HEDONISTS

Once home to a frozen vegetable processing plant, the Swift Street Courtyard (402 Ingalls Street) has been transformed into a kind of epicurean food court. The bittersweet Black IPA ($4.50) is a specialty at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (Suite 27; 831-425-4900; santacruzmountainbrewing.com), an organic microbrewery with a tiny tap room. If you’re hungry, order a platter of fish tacos ($12.50) delivered to the bar from the shop next door, Kelly’s French Bakery (831-423-9059; kellysfrenchbakery.com). Or, if you want to sample biodynamic wines, head to the tasting room at Bonny Doon Vineyard (328 Ingalls Street; 831-425-4518; bonnydoonvineyard.com), where a metal spaceship hovers overhead. A $5 flight of wine tastings includes a white Spanish varietal called albariño and a dry muscat, both made from Monterey County grapes.

6:30 p.m.
8) SEABRIGHT SALUMI

At La Posta (538 Seabright Avenue; 831-457-2782; lapostarestaurant.com), the flavors might hail from Italy, but the ingredients are local. This handsome restaurant, which opened four years ago in a former general store, draws locavores to the hushed neighborhood of Seabright. Examples of its farm-to-table ethos include the ortiche brick-oven pizza ($14) with wild nettles foraged at Route 1 Farm in Santa Cruz, and an escarole salad ($8) topped with a boiled egg that comes from the chickens out back.

8 p.m.
9) MUSIC BOXES

With its large college population, Santa Cruz has long been a hub for indie music. One of the best spots to hear live music is the Rio Theatre (831-423-8209; 1205 Soquel Avenue; riotheatre.com), a former movie house from the 1940s that reopened 10 years ago as a concert hall and features acts like Neko Case and Cat Power. Another reliable option is the Crepe Place (1134 Soquel Avenue; 831-429-6994; thecrepeplace.com), a small venue housed in a century-old Victorian building, where acts such as Erin McKeown and the cult favorite Dan Bern perform under the original stamped-tin ceiling.

11 p.m.
10) ROCKIN’ RYE

With its old armoires, velvet curtains and private room, 515 Kitchen and Cocktails (515 Cedar Street; 831-425-5051) has an air of sophisticated decadence that attracts young professionals, graduate students and neighborhood bartenders. House drinks include the Dry Dreams ($7.75), made of Old Overholt rye whiskey, lemon, egg whites and maple syrup.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) BEACH WALK

After ordering a butter-slathered hot cinnamon roll ($2) at Linda’s Seabreeze Cafe (542 Seabright Avenue; 831-427-9713; seabreezecafe.com), walk to nearby Seabright State Beach (East Cliff Drive at Seabright Avenue), a long stretch of tan-white sand, with a midget lighthouse, a foghorn and a cave. The Municipal Wharf (21 Municipal Wharf; 831-420-6025; santacruzwharf.com), a large pier built in 1914 that draws fishermen and pods of barking sea lions, is nearby. Don’t trust your eyes: that set of “islands” is a fog-bound stretch of coastline.

2 p.m.
12) DEEP FREEZE

Two scoops of celery raisin ice cream? You won’t find that in the freezer case of the local supermarket, but it is among the eccentric flavors that are dreamed up at the Penny Ice Creamery (913 Cedar Street; 831-204-2523; thepennyicecreamery.com). The artisanal ice cream shop, which opened in late August in a former hair salon, changes its menu daily, so you never know whether it will have familiar options like rum raisin and dark chocolate, or whether Kendra L. Baker, one of the owners, has come up something nutty, like black sesame ice cream or mandarin creamsicle.

IF YOU GO

The nearest major commercial airport to Santa Cruz is in San Jose, about 45 minutes away by car.

The Santa Cruz Dream Inn (175 West Cliff Drive; 831-426-4330; dreaminnsantacruz.com), which reopened in 2008, is the city’s lone beachfront hotel, with a 1960s retro theme and Jetsons-style furniture. All 165 rooms have ocean views and private balconies, with rates starting at $179.

Made of sun-baked bricks, the Adobe on Green Street (103 Green Street; 831-469-9866; adobeongreen.com) is a four-room bed-and- breakfast that opened in 1999. It has a dahlia garden, giant birds of Paradise in front and old-timber floors, with rates from $119 weekdays, $189 Friday and Saturday, including a continental breakfast.

The new Pacific Blue Inn (636 Pacific Avenue; 831-600-8880; pacificblueinn.com) is an unfussy bed-and-breakfast with a leafy patio and hot breakfasts made to order. The nine rooms start at $168.

    36 Hours in Santa Cruz, Calif., NYT, 30.12.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/travel/02hours-santacruz.html

36 Hours in Santa Monica, Calif.

October 13, 2010
The New York Times
By FRED A. BERNSTEIN

WHEN Angelenos think of the perfect beach town, they think of Santa Monica. Venice (to the south) has its countercultural charms, and Malibu (up north) is celebrity central, but only Santa Monica feels homey. Residents enjoy cultural institutions, athletic facilities, and stores and restaurants of the highest order. Now, there’s even more. In August, Santa Monica Place, a sprawling indoor-outdoor mall a few blocks from the beach, reopened, with offerings both high (Louis Vuitton and Tiffany) and low (a food court with priceless sunset-over-the-ocean views).

Friday

4 p.m.
1) ART DEPOT

The local art scene heated up this fall with the arrival of L&M Arts, Los Angeles (660 Venice Boulevard; 310-821-6400; lmgallery.com), a branch of the blue-chip New York gallery. The space — in a former power station in Venice near the Santa Monica border — was inaugurated with new works by the Los Angeles-based conceptual artist Paul McCarthy, on view through Nov. 6. From L&M, it’s a short drive to Bergamot Station (2525 Michigan Avenue; 310-453-7535; bergamotstation.com), a former streetcar depot that houses some 35 galleries. Highlights include the Santa Monica Museum of Art (310-586-6488; smmoa.org), with a show of lushly colored abstract paintings by Alberto Burri, through Dec. 18.

7 p.m.
2) OYSTER SHACK


You’re at the sea, so why not enjoy all that it has to offer? The year-old Blue Plate Oysterette (1355 Ocean Avenue; 310-576-3474; blueplatesantamonica.com), one of the dozen or so Santa Monica restaurants that face the ocean, may be the most ocean-y, with its raw bar (bivalves from $1.50) and daily specials such as pan-seared rainbow trout ($16). The casual blue-and-white restaurant, with a tin-pressed ceiling and blackboard menus, draws a chic flip-flop-wearing crowd.

10 p.m.
3) VENICE VIEWS

For one of the best views of Santa Monica, head to the top of the Erwin Hotel (1697 Pacific Avenue; 310-452-1111; hotelerwin.com), just south of the border in Venice. Its rooftop lounge, High, opened last year with banquettes that seem to hang over the beach. If you’re concerned about getting past bouncers, just reserve a table (you can snag a slot for up to four hours through the hotel’s Web site; look for the OpenTable link). Signature cocktails include the Venice Vixen ($13), made with pear-flavored Grey Goose, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and Graham Beck sparkling rosé.

Saturday

8 a.m.
4) BREAD LINES

The lines spill out the door, so arrive early at Huckleberry Bakery and Café (1014 Wilshire Boulevard; 310-451-2311; huckleberrycafe.com). Breakfast favorites include green eggs and ham, made with pesto and prosciutto ($12.25), and duck hash with sunny-side-up eggs ($12.50). The cheerful room — which feels like a large country bakery with pale wood tables and colorful accents — is tended by equally cheerful employees. Opens at 8 a.m.; by 9 it’s packed.

10 a.m.
5) BEACHSIDE WALK

James Corner, the landscape architect who helped design the High Line in Manhattan, has begun transforming a parking lot near Santa Monica City Hall into a six-acre park and a one-acre town square (the project will take years). In the meantime, stroll over to Palisades Park (Ocean Avenue at Santa Monica Boulevard; smgov.net/parks), the iconic strip of land with manicured lawns, swaying palm trees and sinuous paths overlooking the beach and Santa Monica pier.

Noon
6) FOOD MALL

Since reopening in August, Santa Monica Place (395 Santa Monica Place; 310-394-5451; santamonicaplace.com) has become a neighborhood focal point. The glassy open-air complex, which replaced a mall designed by Frank Gehry in 1980, spreads across 500,000 square feet and three stories, and spills onto the Third Street Promenade. Bloomingdale’s is one of the anchor tenants, but you didn’t come here just to shop. The third floor is all about food. In early visits, the high-end restaurants were disappointing; you can do just as well at Pinches Tacos (pinchestacos.com), which serves handmade tacos, and Sarku Japan (sarkujapan.com) in the food court — mixing and matching to create your own fusion cuisine.

3 p.m.
7) BARN RAISING

The Brentwood Country Mart gives shoppers new reasons to cross the Santa Monica border into Brentwood (225 26th Street; brentwoodcountrymart.com). Opened in 1948 as a faux-rustic farmers’ market, the barn-red complex has recently been invaded by trendier retailers like Diesel, a bookstore, and Turpan, which sells contemporary housewares. Among the newest is the Monocle Shop (310-395-4180; monocle.com), a retail offshoot of the fashion and business publication Monocle. Travel-savvy items include a zipper bag named Boston ($400) and back issues of Tyler Brûlé’s magazine to fill it with.

8 p.m.
8) SEASONAL BISTRO

There are lots of stylish hotels in Santa Monica, and some of them offer very good food. Case in point is Fig, a contemporary American bistro that opened last year at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel (101 Wilshire Boulevard; 310-319-3111; figsantamonica.com). The menu, which features seasonal ingredients, recently included a halibut “chop” ($29) and snap peas with mint ($9). There is seating indoors, in an elegant room with starburst mirrors, as well as on the terrace, with views of the ocean though the lush gardens. The huge Moreton Bay fig tree, from which the restaurant gets its name, will make you feel like climbing.

11 p.m.
9) DISCO NIGHTS

Santa Monica may be known for sunshine, but there’s plenty to do after dark. For a taste of the local night life, head to Zanzibar (1301 Fifth Street; 310-451-2221; zanzibarlive.com), a cavernous club that manages to be both cozy and contemporary. It is also the rare venue that seems able to please young and old (you could imagine Joni Mitchell on the dance floor with her grandkids). The D.J.’s play a mix of hip-hop, R&B and top 40. Even the décor has crossover appeal; hanging from the ceiling are perforated copper lanterns (for a vaguely African feeling) and disco balls.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) WARMER DIP

Even in warm weather, the waters of Southern California can be frigid. For a more comfortable swim, duck into the Annenberg Community Beach House (415 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-458-4904; annenbergbeachhouse.com), a sleek public facility that opened in 2009. The spectacular pool stays open weekends only (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) through October, with day passes for $10 (less for youngsters and oldsters). After October, your best bet is the public but country-club-stylish Santa Monica Swim Center (2225 16th Street; 310-458-8700; smgov.net/aquatics), where the adult and children’s pools are kept at 79 and 85 degrees, respectively, and passes for nonresidents are $5.

2 p.m.
11) SUNDAE BEST

At Menchies (732 Montana Avenue; 310-393-4242; menchies.com), no one comes between you and your frozen yogurt. Pull the handle at one of the 14 yogurt stations, choose among 34 toppings, and plop your sundae on the scale — it’s 41 cents an ounce. That makes it possible to have a great dessert without overeating (or overspending). This is where the locals go and, given how well Santa Monicans live, that’s exactly the recommendation you’re looking for.

IF YOU GO

Santa Monica is about a 20-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport. According to a recent Web search, several airlines, including JetBlue, Virgin America, Delta and American have round-trip flights from New York starting at $297, for travel this month.

Santa Monica has a terrific bus system (bigbluebus.com), but most visitors drive.

The Hotel California (1670 Ocean Avenue; 310-393-2363; hotelca.com) is a surfer-style hotel, with 35 rooms, all recently updated with flat-screen TVs and dark wood furniture. Doubles from $189.

The storied Shangri-La Hotel (1301 Ocean Avenue; 310-394-2791; shangrila-hotel.com) is a bright-white apparition on the bluffs high above the Pacific. The 71 rooms, which were extensively renovated last year, start at $295.

    36 Hours in Santa Monica, Calif. NYT, 13.10.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/travel/17hours.html

36 Hours in Silicon Valley

September 2, 2010
The New York Times
By ASHLEE VANCE

LIKE the high-tech companies that give this lush region its name, Silicon Valley thrives on reinvention. Situated just south of San Francisco Bay, the valley was once an agricultural cradle, home to orchards and vineyards. These days, of course, it bears fruit of a different sort, as the home of tech giants like Apple, Google and Intel. Buoyed by the resilience of tech companies, the valley’s dozen or so cities, which include Mountain View and Palo Alto, have managed to sidestep the recession, continuing their shift from corporate strip malls to urban hubs. The valley now buzzes with cultural spaces, lively restaurants and a hyper-educated workforce that has no problem keeping up.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) BETTING ON BOUTIQUES

San Jose may still call itself “the capital” of Silicon Valley, but the picturesque town of Los Gatos is emerging as its trendier “downtown,” with its historic cottages and upscale boutiques. Fashionable shoppers flock to Salt (78 West Main Street; 408-395-0800; shop-salt.com), a women’s boutique that carries California labels like Vince and Black Halo, and Infiniti Boutique (120 West Main Street; 408-399-7071) for its mix of European clothes and accessories. The people cruising the streets in Los Gatos give off a vibe that matches the bright, charming town, which is full of surprises off the main drag.

6 p.m.
2) BARSTOOL PITCH

Sand Hill Road is one the valley’s main arteries, cutting through Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Stanford University. As the weekend gets under way, follow the stream of Prius hybrids, Mercedes coupes and the occasional Tesla electric car to Madera, a new restaurant and bar at the Rosewood Sand Hill hotel (2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park; 650-561-1500; rosewoodsandhill.com). The indoor-outdoor bar is a hot spot for venture capitalists to unwind and gossip, as they survey their domain on a terrace that looks out on the surrounding mountains. Down a cocktail or three, and find your pluck to pitch that brilliant Web idea you had.

8 p.m.
3) AMERICAN FARE 2.0

St. Michael’s Alley (140 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto; 650-326-2530; www.stmikes.com) seized a page straight out of the valley playbook last year by reinventing itself and moving to an ambitious new home, a few blocks off crowded University Avenue in Palo Alto. Two and half years in the making, the restaurant now has three elegant dining areas, including a bar anchored by an artful hunk of walnut. The business casual attire matches the informal cuisine, which leans toward Californian and American fare. Dishes include a cider-cured center-cut pork chop with chipotle barbecue sauce and buttermilk mashed potatoes ($27).

10 p.m.
4) NUTS AND CIGARS

Shame on Stanford University’s students for allowing such tame bars along their home turf, University Avenue. For a more energized crowd, head to nearby California Avenue. A favorite among Silicon Valley’s young titans is Antonio’s Nut House (321 California Avenue, Palo Alto; 650-321-2550; antoniosnuthouse.com), a low-key neighborhood bar where patrons can chuck their peanut shells on the floor, scribble on the walls and take a photo with a caged “gorilla.” Down the road is La Bodeguita del Medio (463 California Avenue, Palo Alto; 650-326-7762; labodeguita.com), a Cuban-style bar and restaurant that serves tall glasses of rum, along with hand-rolled cigars.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Unless you’re the next Mark Zuckerberg, the high-tech campuses that dot the valley are off-limits. But there are ways to sneak a look. For a glimpse of the Googleplex (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View), the headquarters-cum-playground of Google, drive north on Shoreline Boulevard until you see a pair of colorful towers rising on your left. There’s a small public park next to the entrance that peeks inside the laid-back campus. Grander views can be found through Airship Ventures (Building 20, South Akron Road; Moffett Field; 650-969-8100; airshipventures.com), a tour company that offers rides aboard a 246-foot-long airship. Tours, starting at $199 for a 30-minute ride, glide over geek hot spots like Apple’s shimmering headquarters and Larry Ellison’s 23-acre Japanese-style compound. The airship travels all along the West Coast, so check its Web site beforehand for schedules.

Noon
6) CAFETERIA FOOD

Some chefs parlay a reality show into a restaurant. Charlie Ayers used his stint as the top chef of the Googleplex cafeteria — and a few of his Google shares — to open Calafia Café (855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto; 650-322-9200; calafiapaloalto.com). The restaurant echoes the locally sourced philosophy that Mr. Ayers espoused at Google. It is split down the middle between a sit-down restaurant and to-go counter. Try the “really angry” pork tacos with minced habanero peppers and queso fresco ($12) or the tempura-battered chicken and waffles with bacon-studded pancakes ($13).

3 p.m.
7) COMPUTERS 101

The term “Silicon Valley” may have been coined in the early 1970s but the region’s tech timeline goes way back. For a self-guided tour of computer lore, start at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, site of the humble wood garage where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started their company in 1939. Next, drive by 391 San Antonio Road in Mountain View, a squat, dilapidated produce shop that housed the first true silicon start-up — Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory — in 1955. Finally, swing by 844 Charleston Road in Palo Alto, an office building where Fairchild Semiconductor invented a commercial version of the integrated circuit in 1959. Much of that history is now lovingly captured at the Computer History Museum (1401 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View; 650-810-1010; computerhistory.org), which plans to open a major exhibition on the first 2,000 years of computing next year.

8 p.m.
8) VIETNAMESE PLATES

Thanks to Google and its army of millionaires, Castro Street, the main drag in Mountain View, has undergone a culinary and night-life revival. Among the more bubbly spots is Xanh (110 Castro Street, Mountain View; 650-964-1888; xanhrestaurant.com), a sprawling Vietnamese fusion restaurant with a handsome patio and dining rooms bathed in green and blue lights. The playful names on the menu — Duck Duck Good ($24) — and cocktails — Good Ruck ($9) — fail to capture the elegance of the dishes, plated in delicate fashion with exotic sauces. On weekends, the bar/lounge turns into a quasi-nightclub, with D.J.’s and more cocktails.

10 p.m.
9) GEEK TALK

Sometime in April, an Apple software engineer lost an iPhone 4 prototype at Gourmet Haus Staudt (2615 Broadway; gourmethausstaudt.com), a German beer garden in Redwood City. Images of the prototype were splattered on Gizmodo, foiling the company’s well-known obsession with secrecy. The beer garden has since shaken off its notoriety and remains a low-key place for engineers to gab about new software compilers, their Python wizardry and Android A.P.I.’s.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) LOCAL HARVEST

Farmers’ markets dot the valley on Sundays. One of the most bountiful is in the parking lot of the Caltrain Station in Mountain View (600 West Evelyn; 800-806-3276; cafarmersmkts.com), where flowers, fruits and vegetables are sold along with locally raised meats and artisanal cheeses. Vendors sell prepared foods as well, including homemade pork dumplings and fresh samosas.

11 a.m.
11) HEAD FOR THE HILLS

It’s called a valley for a reason. The Santa Cruz Mountains rise along the valley’s western edge and provide a treasure hunt for people willing to explore. Wineries like the Thomas Fogarty Winery (19501 Skyline Boulevard; Woodside; 650-851-6777; fogartywinery.com) sit atop the mountains, offering unrivaled views of the valley. Hikes abound. The Windy Hill Open Space Preserve (openspace.org), a 15-minute drive from Stanford University in Portola Valley, has a range of trails that cut through 1,312 acres of grassland ridges and redwood forests. By the end of the hike, you’ll be able to spot Stanford, NASA Ames Research Center and the mega-mansions like a valley pro.

IF YOU GO

The nearest commercial airport is Mineta San Jose International Airport. JetBlue offers daily direct flights from Kennedy Airport, starting at about $279 round-trip, according to a recent Web search. Another option is to fly into San Francisco, about 30 miles to the north. A car is needed to get around, although there is limited local train service.

The Avatar Hotel in Santa Clara (4200 Great America Parkway; 408-235-8900; avatarhotel.com) caters to geek travelers in name and spirit. Newly remodeled, the 168-room hotel has free Wi-Fi and iPod docking stations. Room rates start at $79.

The Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park (2825 Sand Hill; 650-561-1500; rosewoodsandhill.com) opened last year with 121 rooms and a handful of villas, on a 16-acre estate with stunning rose gardens overlooking the hills. Room rates from about $335.

    36 Hours in Silicon Valley, NYT, 2.9.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/travel/05hours.html

36 Hours in Sonoma County

August 26, 2010
The New York Times
By KABIR CHIBBER

IF you’re looking for a chocolate pinot noir sauce, keep driving. The rustic region of Sonoma County may be a wine lovers’ playground, but it lacks many of the touristy trappings of its more upscale and better-known neighbor, Napa. Not that Sonomans are complaining. Cars have bumper stickers like “Kill your TV” and “Subvert the Dominant Paradigm,” and people here mean it. The freethinking tradition is being nurtured by a new generation of oenophiles who appreciate Sonoma’s low-key charms, filling its beautiful historic towns with upscale boutiques, art galleries and Old World-style restaurants.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) YOUNG BLOOD

Wineries in Sonoma still tend to be smaller, younger and family-owned. One of the youngest is Scribe Winery (2300 Napa Road, Sonoma; 707-939-1858; scribewinery.com), started by Andrew Mariani, 28, and his family in 2007 on an estate of almost 200 acres that used to be a turkey farm. The winery, with its dusty driveway and artfully rundown hacienda, is so new the first wines from these vineyards, a pinot noir and chardonnay, won’t be released until next year. Meanwhile, you can sample its blends made from grapes sourced from its nearby vineyards.

7 p.m.
2) TRAGEDY LOVES COMPANY

The hills of Sonoma come alive with music in the summer and fall. The town of Cloverdale has free evening concerts in its main square, next to the farmers’ market (cloverdaleartsalliance.org). For a dose of high culture, the Sonoma City Opera (484 East Napa Street, Sonoma; 707-939-8288; sonomaopera.org) holds concerts, and the Sonoma County Repertory Theater (104 North Main Street, Sebastopol; 707-823-0177; the-rep.com) features Shakespeare and newer plays, including an upcoming run of Neil LaBute’s brutal comedy of a plus-sized romance, Fat Pig.

9 p.m.
3) LA BELLA SONOMA

Sondra Bernstein’s first restaurant, the Girl and the Fig, is an institution. Her latest, Estate (400 West Spain Street, Sonoma; 707-933-3663; thegirlandthefig.com), opened in 2008 in a historic home, serves regional Italian cuisine using Northern Californian ingredients. Sit outside and start with the prosecco spritzer ($9) and the burrata with homemade olive oil ($11). Favorites include porchetta with polenta served in pork jus ($29) and the Pacific rock cod with wood-fire roasted Yukon golds ($22).

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) FARMER’S CHOICE

A bit too early to be an oenophile? Luckily, there’s much more to Sonoma than wine. The locavore movement is long-established here, and Sonomans are as passionate about what they eat as what they drink. Sample the locally produced cheeses and kefirs using goat’s milk at Redwood Hill Farm (2064 Highway 116 North, Sebastopol; 707-823-8250; redwoodhill.com) and organic wildflower honey from Quivira Vineyards & Winery (4900 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; 707-431-8333; quivirawine.com). And La Michoacana (18495 Highway 12, Sonoma; 707-938-1773) makes soft, creamy ice creams with flavors like caramel and mango, just like those found in Tocumba, Mexico, where the owner, Teresita Carr, grew up.

12:30 p.m.
5) ART STROLL

Healdsburg, one of Sonoma’s main towns, is full of boutiques and second homes of the Bay Area’s beautiful and wealthy, but it retains a youthful vibe. It also has a sizable collection of modern art. The Healdsburg Center for the Arts (130 Plaza Street; 707-431-1970; healdsburgcenterforthearts.com) features a rotating cast of local and regional artists, while Hawley Tasting Room and Gallery (36 North Street; 707-473-9500; hawleywine.com) displays the landscape paintings of Dana Hawley, who is the wife of the respected local winemaker John Hawley. The Capture gallery (105 Plaza Street; 707-431-7030; capturefineart.com) has high-end photography of the Sonoma terrain. And don’t leave without checking out the Hand Fan Museum (327a Healdsburg Avenue; 707-431-2500; handfanmuseum.com), the first in the country dedicated to the once popular accessory. The museum is scheduled to move to a larger space nearby at the new h2hotel next month.

2.30 p.m.

6

THE PADRINO (OF WINE)

Around here, Francis Ford Coppola is known more as a winemaker than an Oscar-winning director, having been a vintner for decades at the Rubicon Estate in Napa. This summer, Mr. Coppola opened the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma (300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville; 707-857-1471; franciscoppolawinery.com). The 88-acre estate, a small part of which is still under construction, has a restaurant called Rustic featuring some of Mr. Coppola’s favorite dishes, two outdoor swimming pools to keep things child friendly, and Hollywood memorabilia like Vito Corleone’s desk from “The Godfather.” Best of all, some tastings of standard wines are free — a rarity in California.

5:30 p.m.
7) BUBBLE BATH

Sonoma has its fair share of high-end resorts where one can sequester oneself from the rest of the world. But it’s better to take advantage of the excellent day spas in the area that let you pop in and out at your leisure. A Simple Touch Spa (239 Center Street, Healdsburg; 707-433-6856; asimpletouchspa.com) lets you lie in a bath of sparkling wine, mustard or fango mud and then enjoy a half-hour massage for $55. The stylish spa at Hotel Healdsburg (25 Matheson Street, Healdsburg; 800-889-7188; hotelhealdsburg.com) has a reviving body wrap using wine and local honey, 50 minutes for $110.

7 p.m.
8) POLISHED CLASSICS

In 2004, when the French chef Bruno Tison took over the restaurant Santé at the historic Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa (100 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma; 707-938-9000; fairmont.com/sonoma), he set his sights high, with a creative menu that paired French flavors with American favorites. The gamble seems to have paid off: the restaurant received a Michelin star last year — one of only four in Sonoma County to be awarded the distinction. Must-tries include the “grown-up” macaroni and cheese with Maine lobster and black truffles ($18), and roasted duck breast in a “dirty rice” of mushrooms and foie gras, accompanied by a duck confit ($37). The menu also features an extensive selection of regional wines.

10 p.m.
9) COCKTAIL TASTING

Wine country is not renowned for its night life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. The cocktail bar at the sleek and minimalist El Dorado Hotel (405 First Street West, Sonoma; 707-996-3220; eldoradosonoma.com) exudes an effortless glamour and gets particularly lively during the Sonoma Jazz Festival. Try the peach jalapeño, a mix of peppers and peach vodka. The town of Santa Rosa is also filled with bars, though many can feel fratty. An exception is Christy’s on the Square (96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa; 707-528-8565; christysonthesquare.com), which draws an older, sophisticated clientele.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) NATURE TRAIL

Leave the vineyards behind and head to the coast, about an hour away at Bodega Bay. Campbell Cove, by the Bodega Head, is a secluded sandy beach that feels as though it was made just for you and the seagulls. Afterward, rent a bike at Bodega Bay Cycles (1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay; 707-875-2255; bodegabaycycles.com) starting at $9 an hour, and pedal up Highway 1, which goes along the rugged terrain of the Sonoma Coast.

Noon
11) YEAST NOTES

Tired of pondering the finer points of merlot versus pinot noir? Well, get ready to debate the terroir of malted barley and hops — Sonoma has a fine collection of microbreweries. Dempsey’s (50 East Washington Street, Petaluma; 707-765-9694; dempseys.com) has a stout called Ugly Dog — because the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is held in town. Bear Republic Brewing Co. (345 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg; 707-433-2337; bearrepublic.com) serves special brews available only on draft, including the ultra-creamy Black Raven Porter and a pale ale called Crazy Ivan that’s been mixed with a yeast used by Trappist monks. There’s not a spitting bucket in sight.

IF YOU GO

Sonoma is about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. According to a recent Web search, flights to San Francisco from New York start at around $279 for travel in early September. A car is needed to get around.

Sonoma Creek Inn (239 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma; 707-939-9463; sonomacreekinn.com) combines the feel of a bed-and-breakfast with a 1950s-style motel. Most rooms come with their own small patios, and all rooms have Wi-Fi. Doubles start at $139 a night.

H2hotel (219 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg; 707-922-5251; h2hotel.com) has 36 rooms done in a minimalist style of white linens and bamboo floors, each with a flat-screen TV and a balcony. Rooms start at $215 between August and October.

The Ledson Hotel on Sonoma Plaza (480 First Street East, Sonoma; 707-996-9779; ledsonhotel.com) has just six rooms, each furnished with a marble shower and whirlpool tub. The colonial-style building looks old, but was built in 2003. Rooms start at $350.

    36 Hours in Sonoma County, NYT, 26.8.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/travel/29hours.html

36 Hours in San Francisco

September 14, 2008
The New York Times
By CHRIS COLIN

FOR much of the 1990s, San Francisco’s Mission District maintained a precarious balance between its colorful Latino roots and a gritty bohemian subculture. Then came the overfed dot-com years. Rising real estate prices not only threatened the Mission’s working-class enclave, but also its status as the city’s center of all things edgy and artsy. Sleek bars moved next door to divey taquerias. Boutiquey knick-knack shops came in alongside fusty dollar stores. But prosperity did not sap the district of its cultural eclecticism. With a population that is about half Latino, a third white and an estimated 11 percent Asian, the Mission still remains a wonderful mishmash. Where else can you find epicurean vegan cafes, feisty nonprofits and a Central American butcher shop that, for a memorable time, anyway, had women’s undergarments in the window?

Friday

4 p.m.
1) ILLICIT TEA

It’s one thing to operate a pirate radio station, with foul-mouthed D.J.’s hopping from rooftop to rooftop to hide the transmitter. But the ever-defiant Pirate Cat Radio went and opened a cafe (2781 21st Street; 415-341-1199; www.piratecatradio.com ). Now you can stick it to the man over a spot of tea or vegan donuts. The grungy décor and sparse offerings are true to pirate form — the fun lies in watching the illicit broadcasts through the smudged window.

6:30 p.m.
2) EAT WITH THE FISHES

Don’t let the trendiness fool you: the food at Weird Fish (2193 Mission Street; 415-863-4744; www.weirdfishsf.com ) is actually terrific. Situated on chaotic Mission Street, this guppy-sized spot serves inspired dishes like sweet-and-spicy rainbow trout ($8), sautéed tilapia ($8) and something called the Suspicious Fish Dish (varies). Even the blackened catfish ($8), novel enough on its own in these parts, gets a bright makeover with fruit salsa. There are excellent vegan options, too, from yam, avocado and spinach tacos ($5) to pea shoots with ginger and soy sauce ($4). There’s often a line, but you can wait outside on the street, enjoying that singular pleasure of sipping wine beside a bus stop, which serves as Weird Fish’s de facto lounge.

8 p.m.
3) ACTING OUT

On a good Friday night, the neighborhood is theatrical in its own right. For more distilled drama, catch a performance at the Marsh (1062 Valencia Street; 415-826-5750; www.themarsh.org ), a small theater devoted to small stagings. Award-winning productions have included “Squeezebox” and “Tings Dey Happen,” a one-man show about Nigerian oil politics. Seating is first come, first served, so buy tickets in advance ($8 to $50) and arrive early.

10 p.m.
4) HOT DIGGITY

It can seem that one hears indie rock or Mexican polka in the Mission, and little else. But the Savanna Jazz Club (2937 Mission Street; 415-285-3369; www.savannajazz.com ) has live sets every night but Monday in its cozy, New Orleans-style room. Cover, $5 to $10. When the last chord is struck and you’re still longing for something late-night and local, discover the bacon dog craze on your walk home. Vendors sell them — a food best consumed in the dark — on the sidewalk along Mission.

Saturday

10 a.m.
5) ART AND NOBLE PIE

Listing all the creative galleries, shops and restaurants in the Mission may be impossible. The best thing to do is carve out a few hours for strolling, knowing that the majority cluster along Valencia, Mission, 16th and 24th Streets. A few standouts: Aquarius Records (1055 Valencia Street; 415-647-2272; www.aquariusrecords.org ) is the city’s oldest independent record store and a sanctuary for music lovers. For guilt-free gluttony, follow your nose to Mission Pie (2901 Mission Street; 415-282-1500; www.missionpie.com ), a bright corner cafe run partly by Mission High School students that sells scrumptious treats in collaboration with Pie Ranch, a nonprofit farm where teenagers learn about sustainable agriculture. Galería de la Raza (2857 24th Street; 415-826-8009; www.galeriadelaraza.org) showcases projects by Chicano and Latino artists and activists. And check out Creativity Explored (3245 16th Street; 415-863-2108; www.creativityexplored.org ), a nonprofit studio where developmentally disabled men and women make and sell beautiful art.

2 p.m.
6) GORGING IN THE GRASS

What you’ve heard about Mission burritos is true: they’re big and everyone eats them. Arguing over the best is a popular sport, but you won’t go wrong with Taquería Cancún (2288 Mission Street; 415-252-9560), a no-frills joint that packs a crowd. Take a Super Veggie ($6.50) up 19th Street to Dolores Park, and enjoy the downtown views among the Frisbeeing, smuggled-beer-drinking multitudes. If it’s the last Saturday of the month, scout out the Really Really Free Market ( www.reallyreallyfree.org ), a haphazard and funky exchange that’s worth a perusal. The prices are really really unbeatable.

3 p.m.
7) WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

At first glance, the Mission District might seem perennially 23, with a Pabst Blue Ribbon fixed forever in its collective fist. But there’s real history in this youthful quarter. Two blocks from Dolores Park is the city’s oldest landmark and the district’s namesake, Mission Dolores (3321 16th Street; 415-621-8203; www.missiondolores.org ; suggested donation, $5). Founded before San Francisco itself, it remains a hub of cultural and religious life. It’s a quick tour, but the bright frescoes and hushed basilica balance the surrounding hoopla with a welcome calm. Hitchcock buffs will recall its cameo in “Vertigo.”

6 p.m.
8) COCKTAIL HOUR

San Francisco is a cocktail-before-dinner kind of town — just ask Sam Spade. Among the district’s grooviest bars are the Latin American Club (3286 22nd Street; 415-647-2732), Doc’s Clock (2575 Mission Street; 415-824-3627; www.docsclock.com ) and Papa Toby’s Revolution Cafe (3248 22nd Street; 415-642-0474). The combination of ambience, music and robust gawking make these perfect run-ups to dinner.

8 p.m.
9) DINNER AND A MOVIE

It may sound gimmicky, but the dinner-and-a-movie at Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission Street; 415-648-7600; www.foreigncinema.com) is an elegant, white tablecloth affair. If the weather’s nice, snag an outdoor table in the austere, vaguely Soviet cement courtyard. Start with oysters ($2 to $2.50 apiece), before carving into the likes of delicate tombo tartare with ginger-lime vinaigrette ($12) and the bavette steak ($28.50). When the sun sets, a foreign film is projected silently on the far wall with subtitles. Heat lamps keep you toasty and, if you want to follow the dialogue, the waiter will even bring vintage drive-in speakers.

10:30 p.m.
10) SWEATING TO THE MUSIC

Hot, sweaty bodies shaking it on a plywood floor in a thimble of a room with holes in the ceiling. If that’s your cup of tea — and, in a way, that sums up the Mission perfectly — head over to Little Baobab (3388 19th Street; 415-643-3558; www.littlebaobab.com ; $5 cover). The bass thumps and an international crowd sloshes around admirably.

Sunday

11 a.m.
11) NOT JUST FRIDA KAHLO!

San Francisco has a storied mural tradition and the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center (2981 24th Street; 415-285-2287; www.precitaeyes.org; $10) runs casual, yet informative tours of the neighborhood’s vast, ever-changing collection. Memorable murals include scenes of a bloody Honduran massacre painted on a garage on Balmy Alley. A few steps away, weeping families pushed out by developers cover a wall. Perhaps most poignant are the simple portraits of neighborhood figures — the flower seller, the bakery owner, the guy who break dances.

12:30 p.m.
12) GOOD BONES

With so much new activity, it’s refreshing to see the bones of older San Francisco peek through. Stop by St. Francis Fountain (2801 24th Street; 415-826-4200) for brunch. Look past the trendy crowd’s tattoos and leggings and you’ll see a fastidiously preserved ice cream parlor from 90 years ago. They still make a terrific egg cream ($3.50), and the eggs Florentine ($9.50) aren’t bad, either. According to legend, the 49ers were founded on the back of a napkin in one of the booths.

THE BASICS

The low-slung Mission District lacks big hotels. For polished digs, head two miles into the South of Market area. The InterContinental San Francisco (888 Howard Street; 888-811-4273; www.intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com ) is the city’s largest new hotel and the views rule. Rooms start at $229, though discounts can be found online.

In the Mission itself, the options are limited. The hostel-like Elements Hotel (2524 Mission Street; 866-327-8407; www.elementshotel.com ) is centrally located, cheap and has little else. Thin walls mean you won’t miss out on street life, or the noises down the hall. Private rooms start at $60.

The unmarked Inn San Francisco (943 South Van Ness Avenue; 800-359-0913; www.innsf.com ) looks like just another rambling Victorian. But inside, you time-warp back to an ornate and tranquil 19th century — the kind with a jasmine-perfumed hot tub out back. The tiniest of the 21 rooms, which shares a bath, is $120; the garden cottage is $335.

    36 Hours in San Francisco, NYT, 14.9.2008, http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/travel/14hours.html

36 Hours in San Diego

NYT

7.9.2008
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/travel/07hours.html

36 Hours in San Diego

September 7, 2008
The New York Times
By BROOKS BARNES

IF San Diego feels half empty, that’s because it is. At any given time, swarms of residents have decamped a few miles south to Mexico or a few miles north to upscale resort towns. Also, the Navy is the area’s largest employer, so a sizable chunk is presumably floating around on aircraft carriers somewhere. Is it any wonder, then, that the town leans so heavily on big tourist attractions (Shamu, the zoo)? A deeper look, however, will reveal more personality than you think. A necklace of quirky, sun-kissed neighborhoods rings downtown, from surfer hangouts like Pacific Beach to gentrifying neighborhoods like University Heights. Restaurants are flourishing, too. There is even an emphasis on preserving history, which, for Southern California, is a headline in itself.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) EASE ON DOWN

There’s no better indoctrination to San Diego’s laid-back style than a stroll along the Embarcadero, a two-mile stretch of downtown waterfront where a gentle sea breeze will lull you into a zombie-like state in no time. The decommissioned aircraft carrier Midway sits nearby and can be admired from Tuna Harbor Park (www.portofsandiego.org/tuna-harbor-park.html), a shady nook next to the touristy but tasty Fish Market (750 North Harbor Drive; 619-232-3474; www.thefishmarket.com ). Warning: Skip Seaport Village, a shopping plaza on the boardwalk, unless you’re into pushy pedicab drivers and shops that sell obnoxious T-shirts.

7:30 p.m.
2) GASLAMP GLAMOUR

Much energy and money have been spent gussying up the Gaslamp Quarter, a 16-block downtown neighborhood that was once an archetype of urban blight. The jumble of frat bars is still rather depressing, but several boutique hotels have opened attractive lounges and restaurants. Avoid the W with its hipper-than-thou staff and head to the sleek but comfy Ivy (600 F Street; 619-814-1000; www.ivyhotel.com ). Hollywood bigwigs roost there when attending Comic-Con, the annual comic-book convention and movie marketing extravaganza in July. The Ivy’s restaurant, Quarter Kitchen, tries a little hard — the hostesses are hilariously outfitted in full-length shimmery gowns — but the menu (by Damon Gordon, formerly head chef for Ian Schrager’s constellation of hotels) and modern décor have A-list locals practically moving in. The caviar tacos with horseradish cream ($26) are a favorite but don’t overlook the Code 7 ($10), a trio of chocolate glazed, jelly and cinnamon-sugared doughnuts.

10 p.m.
3) CULTURE CLASH

How adventurous are you feeling? If the answer is not very, then perhaps top off the night with a sashay through the Ivy’s multilevel nightclub, Envy. For the stronger at heart, there is the Casbah, as in “Rock the ...” Conjuring the 1982 hit from the English punk rockers Clash, the Casbah (2501 Kettner Boulevard; 619-232-4355; www.casbahmusic.com ) is a venerable, if a tad dingy, music club where Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Lemonheads cultivated an audience. Don’t be frightened by the scull-and-cross-guitars logo; the club also features more mainstream acts à la Alanis Morissette.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
4) GREENSWARD GIANT

No visit to San Diego is complete without taking in Balboa Park (1549 El Prado; 619-239-0512; www.balboapark.org  ), the 1,200-acre public park that is home to the Old Globe theater, a gargantuan outdoor pipe organ and a half-dozen major museums. A morning walk or jog along the park’s central thoroughfare is a perfect way to experience it. If some of those Spanish Baroque Revival buildings look familiar, it’s because they starred as Xanadu, the over-the-top estate in “Citizen Kane.”

10 a.m.
5) CALIFORNIA PAST

Tucked in an easy-to-miss enclave just north of downtown, Old Town (www.oldtownsandiego.org ) offers a peek into what life was like in San Diego when agave plants still outnumbered people. Start at the Old Town Mexican Café (2489 San Diego Avenue; 619-297-4330; www.oldtownmexcafe.com ), where the “tortilla ladies,” visible through giant windows, can be seen frantically hand-rolling corn and flour tortillas, some 7,000 on a busy day, the restaurant says. Don’t stop to eat: those tortillas are better seen than tasted. Rather, wander into the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park ( www.parks.ca.gov/?page_ID=663 ) to explore exhibitions like the 143-year-old Mason Street School, a one-room shack decorated with pictures of schoolmarms past. Shops scattered around the Old Town grounds sell the wares of local crafts makers. Large glazed ceramic tiles ($120 to $200) are big sellers.

Noon
6) TACO TREAT

This is a desert, after all, and the sun can be exhausting. Recharge at Casa de Reyes, a traditional Mexican restaurant at the Plaza del Pasado (2754 Calhoun Street; 619-220-5040; www.plazadelpasado.com ). Tucked behind a luscious flower garden, the open-air but breezy restaurant provides a festive atmosphere with folkloric dancers and a mariachi band. Sit by the burbling fountain and try the tacos, preferably stuffed with crispy-edged carnitas ($9.95.).

1:30 p.m.
7) BEACH BOUND

There are dozens of beaches, but none are more authentic than Ocean Beach, a funky surfers’ haven that has stayed frozen in time because of strict zoning rules from the 1970s. Wander through the stuffed-to-the-rafters Ocean Beach Antique Mall (4926 Newport Avenue; 619-223-6170; www.obantiquedistrict.com ). The sidewalk along Newport Avenue, the main drag, is an attraction in itself. As part of a business district improvement effort, the community sells inscribed sidewalk tiles to anybody with $125 and a printable message. The results are oddly touching. (“Jeff Loves Rosie.”) O.B. is a locals’ favorite, so you might feel conspicuous without a surfboard or bare feet. Just call everyone dude and you’ll be fine.

4 p.m.
8) SALTY SEA AIR

Just to the south of the Ocean Beach Pier is a newly constructed concrete path that leads to one of Southern California’s most spectacular stretches of shoreline. Sunset Cliffs ( www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/parks/shoreline/sunset.shtml ) spans 68 acres. Stretch out on the grass, fly a kite (as many locals do) or explore the bluffs and tidal pools.

6:30 p.m.
9) DINNER AT A DINER

You’ve sampled one of San Diego’s new haute restaurants, now go the other way and check out one of the diners that locals gush over. Hash House a Go Go (3628 Fifth Avenue; 619-298-4646; www.hashhouseagogo.com ), promises “twisted farm food.” It’s mobbed at breakfast and lunch but more manageable at dinner. Try the griddled chili crusted Indiana maple duck breasts ($24). Little ones in tow? Then the ticket is the tricked-out Corvette (3946 Fifth Avenue; 619-542-1476; www.cohnrestaurants.com ), where beehive-coiffed waitresses hand out square pieces of Bazooka Bubble Gum to ease the wait for a table.

9 p.m.
10) THE FOX ROCKS

If the Regal Beagle, the pub from the 1970s TV sitcom “Three’s Company” ever had a twin, this would be it. Except that the Red Fox Steak House (2223 El Cajon Boulevard; 619-297-1313) is also a piano bar. Dimly lighted with red Naugahyde booths, the lounge at the Red Fox attracts a diverse crowd from hipsters to elderly couples. Everybody sings along after a couple of drinks. Give the adjacent dining room a peek; the room was originally built in 1642 in England but was dismantled and shipped to California in 1926 by the actress Marion Davies, who used it as part of a summer home.
 

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) IF THEY BUILD IT

Tour the hot and dusty San Diego Zoo if you must. The preferable option, especially for families with younger children, is Legoland (1 Legoland Drive; Carlsbad; 760-918-5346; www.legoland.com ). No lines, immaculate grounds and a surprising lack of pressure to buy souvenirs. This is an amusement park? Come before the masses discover it (annual attendance is about a million compared with nearly four million for the zoo). The 128-acre park focuses on interactive, educational attractions like the new Lost Kingdom Adventure, a ride themed around recovering hidden treasure in 1920s Egypt. For Lego fans — admit it, they’re not just for kids — the park features a cavernous store that sells hard-to-find sets as well as little colored bricks in bulk ($7.99 for a quarter pound).

THE BASICS

Numerous airlines fly between San Diego and the New York-area airports, including JetBlue, Delta, Continental and American. A recent online search found round-trip flights on Continental from Newark Liberty International Airport starting at $339 for travel in September.

The Westin Gaslamp Quarter (910 Broadway Circle; 619-239-2200; www.westingaslamp.com ) is centrally situated and sports a recent $50 million renovation. Large rooms with king-size beds start at $279 a night.

Also downtown is the Ivy (600 F Street; 619-814-1000; www.ivyhotel.com ), a boutique hotel that opened in June 2007 with 159 rooms, starting at $279.

The Hotel del Coronado (1500 Orange Avenue; 619-435-6611; www.hoteldel.com ) is a beachside grande dame famous for its Victorian architecture. Full ocean views start at $480, but less expensive rooms are available. Book well in advance.

    36 Hours in San Diego, NYT, 7.9.2008, http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/travel/07hours.html

Explorer | Sonoma County, Calif.

On the Trail of a Sustainable Feast in Sonoma

June 1, 2008
The New York Times
By TAYLOR HOLLIDAY

THE psychedelic, hand-painted, Mushroom Man pickup truck parked at the New Carpati Farm in Sonoma County, Calif., just outside the town of Sebastopol, was the first sign that this vacation was going to be a little out of the ordinary.

After a short tour of the grassy property and a stop to pet the baby chicks in their coop with a view of the verdant valley in the distance, my husband, Craig Havighurst, and I entered a little plastic hut. Inside, a few rows of shelving each held several oak-sawdust “logs.” As our eyes adjusted to the relative dark, bunches of meaty shiitake and gorgeous canary-yellow oyster mushrooms popped out of the logs in invitation, almost like gold in a mine. “See those white hairs on top?” said Steve Schwartz, owner of the New Carpati Farm and our guide on this culinary pilgrimage. “It means it’s super fresh. You would never see that in a grocery.”

A visit to Mr. Schwartz’s low-tech little mushroom hut on his three-acre farm is a revelation in many ways. But it’s one that most Sonoma County visitors never have, since most are only headed for the area’s excellent wineries. “If you just do the wineries,” said Mr. Schwartz, “you’re missing out.”

After a four-day tour of farms — with a few wineries thrown in — I had to agree. We had come to Sonoma County specifically for the food. Inspired by the “locavore” movement, in which Earth-aware consumers go to great lengths to eat only locally grown, sustainable food from within a 100-mile radius of their home, we decided to take a locavore holiday, creating an entire meal from farms we had personally visited and farmers we had personally met.

This was possible because of Sonoma County Farm Trails, an agrotourism and farm-marketing group that supports sustainable agricultural diversity. It has 165 farm members in Sonoma County that invite interaction with the public in some way —from farm stands to farm tours. Having had its 35th anniversary in 2007, it is one of the oldest, largest and most diverse agrotourism organizations in the United States.

The farms of the Sonoma County Farm Trails are dotted throughout the county anywhere wine grapes and creeping development have spared a patch of land. They are mostly working family farms, making time for visitors generally by appointment.

Wanting the full farm experience — and a kitchen to cook in — we were glad to find Full House Farm, also outside Sebastopol, which offers one of the few farm stays in the county. With our oenophile friends, Kelli Back and Gary Pemberton, we settled into the guesthouse, giddy over the view of the horses in the valley below, which we could see from the picture windows or from the Adirondack chairs perched on the hill. Amenities included our own kitchen garden and a bowl of freshly laid eggs. From Full House Farm, our food-sourcing radius would be a mere 20 miles: north to Healdsburg, west to Bodega, south to Petaluma and points between.

“People are divorced from where their food comes from,” said Ana Stayton at our first stop, Golden Nectar Farm on the southwest outskirts of Windsor. A nutrition educator and lay herbalist, Ms. Stayton, along with her husband, John, co-founder and director of the country’s first green M.B.A. program, at Dominican University of California, runs Golden Nectar with the goal of “helping people imagine the possibilities in their own lives of having a connection to the natural world and living more sustainably.”

A tour of their 2.5-acre farm — past a studio made with straw bales, an outdoor cob kitchen, a car that runs on vegetable oil and a hen-mobile that ferries a handsome assortment of chickens to fresh pecking grounds — feels like a stroll through someone’s giant backyard, albeit someone with the audacity to grow 150 varieties of fruit, from kiwis to blackberries, figs to plumcots.

“This farm was designed as an experiment in biodiversity,” said Ms. Stayton, reaching under a blueberry bush to yank a stray asparagus stem out of the ground for us to taste. As an organic farm that uses only natural fertilizers and pesticides, the diversity and rotation of plants helps keep the soil healthy and pests at bay, Ms. Stayton explained while an intern began transplanting some onions near the blueberries to see if they would ward off pesky gophers.

Although it’s on a slightly bigger scale — 17 acres right off U.S. 101 near Santa Rosa — Tierra Vegetables is run with a similar philosophy. “We want people to know where their food comes from,” said Wayne James, who happened to be there, chatting with a repeat customer who was buying up all the strawberries, when we dropped by the bountiful farm stand that fronts his neatly tractored, though wildly diverse cropland. His sister and the farm’s co-owner, Lee James, was running their stall at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, where San Francisco epicures seek out Tierra particularly for its vast array of chilies and chili products.

Tierra encourages visitors — especially children — to roam its fields. “Organic is part of our sustainable practice,” Mr. James said, “but not all. The work we do here is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. It has to be all three.”

The good news, he continued, is that “a lot more people understand what we’re doing nowadays.”

Proof of that is in the growing numbers of people who frequent farmers’ markets and join community-supported-agriculture programs, like Tierra’s, in which families become subscribers and pay the farmer in advance for a weekly delivery of fresh produce. Shaken into a new awareness by contaminated foods (E. coli spinach, anyone?) that have traveled an average 1,500 fuel-guzzling miles from a farm who-knows-where to your table, more Americans are eager to know their farmers and understand how their food is grown.

Even after visiting Love Farms, however, you may not fully understand the progressive methods of Ron Love. A city farm smack in the middle of Healdsburg (and a favorite of local chefs), its six acres boast 200 different organic crops throughout the year. A talk with Mr. Love quickly veers from his explanation of why his rows of tomatoes are growing up out of plastic-covered ground (the Israeli-desert-style irrigation conserves water and controls weeds and enables him to get his tomatoes on the market before anyone else’s) to a discussion of the heady biodynamics of Rudolf Steiner and his prescriptions for organic farming with a spiritual bent, or what Mr. Love calls “the next level of consciousness.”

“We don’t understand the geometry of the living world,” Mr. Love said. “The ’60s generation are the last people who can farm. We need a framework of valuing becoming a farmer.”

That’s also a concern for the mushroom man Steve Schwartz, who learned to grow mushrooms while teaching women to do so in Thailand in his Peace Corps days and who now works with California FarmLink, which helps preserve family farms by matching up retiring farmers with the next generation of aspiring back-to-the-landers.

There’s no better way to cultivate that next generation than by getting kids out on the farm, which is exactly why many of these farmers take time out of their 80-hour-plus work weeks to give tours. There was a particularly happy assortment of human kids playing with exuberantly friendly goat kids at Redwood Hill Farm, a certified humane farm where all 350 goats have names.

Though it has a small-scale industrial creamery, Sebastopol-based Redwood Hill is still family-run and still makes award-winning goat cheese by hand in small batches, said the understated, gray-haired woman who led our tour of the creamery (it is open to the public a few weekends each year). It was only after we had followed the trail of the various cheeses to the aging racks — seeing how some varieties grow a little moldier and hairier by the week as they age to perfection — and swooned over the taste of creamy-tart crottin and Camembert-like Camellia, that we realized our guide was the owner, Jennifer Bice, a goat-cheese maker since 1978.

If there is one thing you learn from visiting farms, it’s that sustainable farming is an endless challenge. But on a drive toward the Sonoma coast, the environmental payoff is abundantly clear: rolling green hills, freely grazing cows, diversity of terrain.

Head for bohemian Bodega (population 500), and you’ll wind up at Bodega Artisan Cheese. After 22 years as a goat rancher, Patty Karlin is still pushing the envelope at her 60-goat farm and dairy, where she makes cheeses for farmers’ markets and local restaurants. In her 90-minute eco-tour, she shows how she’s moving off the power and water grid — with solar panels and a pond-fed, tiered irrigation system — in an attempt to zero out the ranch’s bills. ”Everything I do has to be a model for the third world,” said Ms. Karlin, who is also a consultant to African farmers.

In the creamery, we saw the experimental Gouda she had made that morning with her young apprentice. And before a cheese tasting, we sampled the exotic microgreens that her apprentice-tenants sell to high-end restaurants under the name Earthworker Farm.

At McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma, the view may be richer and grander, with 18,000 olive trees planted over 80 acres of a 550-acre ranch, but it is still strictly sustainable and organic. Nan McEvoy, a former chairwoman of The San Francisco Chronicle, was the first to bring Tuscan-style olive oil production to Northern California. Her olive ranch and country home on the hills of the border of Sonoma and Marin Counties are as luxurious as her oils. On the frequent and thorough two-hour tour, you’ll visit the olive orchards (each tree will produce roughly a gallon of oil each year) and the milling room (a giant granite stone crushes the olives, pits and all) before tasting the green and grassy extra virgin oil.

After our McEvoy visit, we had done it: We had sourced an entire meal of ingredients fresh from the farms that grew them. So what did we make from our bounty? Our friend Kelli substituted Bodega Artisan ricotta for the cow’s-milk version she normally uses for her ricotta gnocchi — to startlingly light and luscious effect. We made a sauce of New Carpati shiitake and oyster mushrooms; Tierra Vegetables adolescent garlic and fresh fava beans (absolutely worth the double-shucking); Love Farms basil and oregano; and McEvoy Ranch olive oil.

The microgreens salad from Earthworker Farm was a vision with its edible orange nasturtium and blue borage flowers, topped with crumbled Redwood Hill Farm feta and dressed with an olive-oil-lemon vinaigrette from the Meyer lemon tree outside our door.

It was one of the freshest, most satisfying meals we’d ever made, made even better by good friends and local sauvignon blanc.

FROM THE MUSHROOM MAN TO GOATS THAT HAVE NAMES

Sonoma County Farm Trails publishes a free map and guide (707-571-8288; www.farmtrails.org ). You can read about California FarmLink’s programs at www.californiafarmlink.org . The following farms welcome visitors for tours by appointment only.

New Carpati Farm, 4241 Bartleson Road, Sebastopol; (707) 829-2978; free tour with purchase of produce or $5 for adults and $1 for children over 12.

Golden Nectar Farm, 6364 Starr Road, Windsor; (707) 838-8189; www.goldennectar.com ; $15 per person (minimum two adults), children free.

Tierra Vegetables, 651 Airport Boulevard, Santa Rosa; (707) 837-8366; www.tierravegetables.com ; $5.

Love Farms, 15069 Grove Street, Healdsburg; (707) 433-1230; www.lovefarms.com ; tour free with purchase.

Redwood Hill Farm, 2064 U.S. 116 north, Sebastopol; (707) 823-8250; www.redwoodhill.com ; free farm and creamery tours on selected dates.

Bodega Artisan Cheese, (707) 876-3483; www.bodegaartisancheese.com ; $75 for five people or fewer and $15 for each additional person.

McEvoy Ranch, 5935 Red Hill Road, Petaluma; (707) 778-2307; www.mcevoyranch.com ; orchard tours on selected dates, $25.

Full House Farm, 1000 Sexton Road, Sebastopol; (707) 829-1561; www.fhfarm.com ; rates start at $215 a night plus a $125 cleaning fee for a three-bedroom guesthouse.

    On the Trail of a Sustainable Feast in Sonoma, NYT, 1.6.2008, http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/travel/01explorer.html

San Francisco's wild west

West Marin's rugged mountains are the birthplace of mountain biking
and its beaches draw surfers from far and wide.
Welcome to nature's playground

Hank Wangford        Guardian.co.uk        Wednesday May 28 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/may/28/sanfrancisco.usa

Spring Break | San Francisco

Alleys for Cool Cats
 

March 30, 2008
The New York Times
By JESSE McKINLEY

WHILE Paris has its boulevards and Miami its beaches, San Francisco’s lure is its labyrinth of back alleys, those mysterious midblock detours that seem to offer, in equal doses, the promise of discovery and the slightly scary possibility of getting lost — really lost.

Built in haste after the discovery of California gold in 1848 and rebuilt in a bigger hurry after the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco is riven with all manner of concrete crannies, quaint cobblestone back ways and remote waterfront hide-outs like the Ramp, a sunset margarita spot whose front deck literally drops into the bay. In the tradition of a city whose literary legacy includes both the Beats and Sam Spade, those out-of-the-way addresses also include hipster bars and Zagat-rated speakeasies like Bix, an alley-front favorite whose Jazz Age ethos includes tuxedo jackets and torch songs.

Indeed, unlike many cities that have built over or ignored their old service streets, San Francisco has embraced them, with tourist-friendly spots like Belden Lane downtown, which is home to a row of restaurants specializing in everything from Spanish food (B44) to vodka (Voda). Cast an eye down pretty much any alley near the Union Square shopping district and you’ll find a different national cuisine, including French (Café Claude, Anjou), bar-top bar food (Azul), Vietnamese (Le Colonial) or Irish (the Irish Bank), though much of the “eating” there seems to be the liquid variety.

But there are also less obvious places found throughout the city, including in such tony neighborhoods as Laurel Village, near Pacific Heights, where Sociale, an elegant little restaurant, is hidden in a vine-laden inlet off Sacramento Street. Telegraph Hill, meanwhile, has Julius’ Castle, which is literally pitched on the edge of a cliff, while in the area around City Hall you can hunt for the Hotel Biron, a tiny wine bar on Rose Street, where imaginary musical instruments adorn the walls. The nook known as South Park is so cloistered that it’s accessible only by side street. And unlike the television show that shares its name, South Park is pretty, quiet and home to several sweet little spots, including the South Park Café, a one-rose-to-a-table French restaurant.

Finding such places is half the fun, but also potentially treacherous for a direction-challenged gumshoe like me, for whom a trip to the deli can turn into an episode of “Man vs. Wild.” Still, in the spirit of spring break, I recently took to the side streets of San Francisco to see if I could get lost, in a good way. I began my exploration on the type of night that would have made Dashiell Hammett happy: fog, mist and visibility somewhere between lousy and none. In other words, typical for March in San Francisco. (Or August. Or May. Or December ... )

The first stop was a pair of downtown side streets, Natoma and Minna, whose names have become well known to night-life-hungry dot-commers. Located in the SoMa district — so named for “south of Market Street,” the city’s main drag — the area just off Second Street is home to a cluster of white-candle, D.J.-happy establishments. Among the more popular are 111 Minna, a gallery with a liquor license, which often becomes an impromptu boogie room as art fans get tipsy, and John Colins, a beer-and-banter bar that attracts singles and anchors a trio of night spots on Natoma.

None was harder for me to find, or harder for me to get into than Harlot, a selective bar and dance club that opened last year along a bleak stretch of Minna Street. The velvet-roped Harlot takes its name from the 19th-century streetwalkers that were said to work the same alley. Prostitutes and alleys are a common theme in the lore of San Francisco: both Natoma and Minna are rumored to be named for ladies of the night, as is nearby Maiden Lane, where another tucked-away lounge, Otis, does a steady business in bright-hued cocktails behind stained-glass windows.

There were no working girls in attendance the night I tried to enter Harlot. But there was a working doorman. I was flying solo, and single men are about as popular at nightclubs as teetotalers at a tequila convention. Rebuffed, I retreated, but returned a couple of days later during a more relaxed happy hour to find a Gothic-inspired lounge: black walls, seminude portraits and a selection of nasty-looking insects framed on the wall. The bartenders had spiky hair, and the music was already thumping at 6 p.m. I felt as old as the hookers who inspired the place, and walked out past a crowd of attractive young women talking excitedly about an Internet start-up.

Other alleyway establishments revel in a different kind of nostalgia, including Bix, where bartenders in white tuxedo jackets serve cocktails in glasses left chilling in shaved ice on the bar. Blessed with soaring ceilings and a doting staff, Bix is regularly packed with anniversary couples and first-impression daters, soaking in the jazz and sucking down local oysters. I did both, cheered on by Bruce the bartender, who had the line of the night: “They say oysters are aphrodisiacs, but it’s not true,” he said. “I had two dozen last night, and only eight worked.”

No place, however, is more old-school than Alfred’s Steakhouse, which is tucked away on Merchant Street, near Chinatown. Alfred’s was founded in 1928 and looks as though it hasn’t changed much since. The walls are red, the carpet is faded, and the steaks have names. The waiters wear ties, the booths are bigger than your average compact car, and a “Notice of Prohibition” is posted next to the bar. Anyone needing proof that that law is no longer in effect need only check Alfred’s menu, which features more varieties of Scotch whiskey than an Edinburgh stag party. Wines are in abundance, too, including a $2,199 bottle of 1989 Château Pétrus, which was only about $2,190 more than I wanted to spend.

I chose instead a couple of house specialties — a Blue Moon and a Priscilla, both decidedly more macho than they sound — each served in Alfred’s cocktail shakers, which resemble giant baby bottles.

After pacifying myself, I stumbled outside and soon found myself in the heart of North Beach, a jumble of strip clubs and Italian restaurants and bars and cultural throwbacks. Into that category falls the lovely Specs Twelve Adler Museum Cafe, which sits on a nub of a street, Saroyan Place, across from the City Lights Bookstore, where Ginsberg howled and Kerouac is still considered alive and well.

Neither museum nor cafe, Specs is a catch-all, home to both never-say-die bohemians and newly minted college graduates. The décor is classic clutter, with low wood benches and a beat-up piano at the back where a piano player regularly serenades any who will listen. I did — he played a fine version of “As Time Goes By” — and I felt the time doing just that, very pleasantly.

Around the corner and up a steep alleyway is 15 Romolo, on the ground floor of a low-rent hotel. The night my wife and I showed up, we were the only people there, but there was much to appreciate: a dark wood bar, colored bottles behind frosted windows, empty turquoise booths and a jukebox stocked with everyone from Curtis Mayfield to the Clash. My wife and I finished our drinks and headed back into the night. We walked down the hill to the bustle of North Beach and hopped a taxi home, following a wide street past many of the back ways, and hidden hideouts and secreted saloons we’d seen. (And, no doubt, some we hadn’t.)

There was fog, natch, and mist, and visibility somewhere between lousy and none. Typical. But on this night, San Francisco seemed anything but.

EATS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Here’s a sampling of the out-of-the-way spots to be found on the side streets and alleyways of San Francisco:

The Ramp, 855 Terry Francois Street; (415) 621-2378; www.ramprestaurant.com. A popular spot with local college students and former dockhands alike, with a large outdoor deck and a view of the bay; $7.50 margaritas are a specialty.

Bix, 56 Gold Street; (415) 433-6300; www.bixrestaurant.com. A speakeasy-style hideout — jazz, gin and gentlemanly service — whose only entrance is off an alley. Pacific oysters ($13.75 a half-dozen) and ginger gimlets ($10) are ordered early and often.

The Irish Bank, 10 Mark Lane; (415) 788-7152; irishbank.com. A genuine-looking pub whose patrons and pleasant vibe spill into the patio outside. Guinness, naturally enough, is on tap ($5.50), as is Irish stew ($9).

Sociale, 3665 Sacramento Street; (415) 921-3200; www.caffesociale.com. Tucked away along a street of high-end boutiques, Sociale serves Italian cuisine both indoors and out, under a pair of lovely striped awnings. The fried olives ($8) are a treat.

South Park Café, 108 South Park Street; (415) 495-7275. About the only thing open late on a sleepy little urban oval. The prix fixe is $34 and gives you the choice of everything from red beets and remoulade to venison and vegetable couscous. Closed Saturday lunch, all day Sunday and Monday dinner.

Harlot, 46 Minna Street; (415) 777-1077; www.harlotsf.com. One of the city’s more fashionable places to be, and be seen, and everything that entails, from pricey cocktails to bottle service to a V.I.P. room upstairs.

Alfred’s Steakhouse, 659 Merchant Street; (415) 781-7058; www.alfredssteakhouse.com. The picture of the cow on the menu says it all: this is steaks taken seriously. Whiskey, too; the menu includes a San Francisco rye, Old Potrero ($14) found in only a few other places, and Scotches from the Isle of Skye ($11) and the Isle of Mull ($6 and $10), among other places.

Specs Twelve Adler Museum Cafe, 12 William Saroyan Place; (415) 421-4112. Beer, wine, whiskey and a piano. Plenty to look at, and plenty of people to talk to. Even if you don’t want to.

15 Romolo, 15 Romolo Place, (415) 398-1359. Located under a grungy looking hotel, Romolo has a reputation as an in-the-know place. The standard alcoholic accouterments, but the jukebox is a standout.

    Alleys for Cool Cats, NYT, 30.3.2008, http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/travel/30springbreak.html

36 Hours in Berkeley, Calif.

March 30, 2008
The New York Times
By JOSHUA KURLANTZICK

ANYONE who thinks that Berkeley is just a hotbed of political radicalism is in for a surprise. College Avenue, the town’s main drag, is packed with more hipsters with BlackBerrys than hippies with beards. The city’s revamped shops can compete label-to-label with SoHo’s sophisticated boutiques, and its restaurants match its bigger neighbor across San Francisco Bay. But the spirit of 1969 hasn’t completely gone away. Walk down Telegraph Avenue and along one block you’ll find activists for Free Tibet, patchouli-scented advocates of homeopathic medicine, and crusty purple-haired free-love followers, still eager to convert you to their cause.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) BOOKMARK THIS

Old and new Berkeley, activists and high-tech workers, all head to Moe’s Books (2476 Telegraph Avenue; 510-849-2087; www.moesbooks.com). Founded in 1959 and piled high with used books, Moe’s is a reminder that Amazon can’t shut down all the little folks. You can wander its upper floors for hours, flipping through out-of-print tomes on everything from 1950s African history to kabbalah manuals. The store also has frequent in-store readings; check its Web site for coming dates.

8 p.m.
2) COMFORT SOBA

Berkeley’s food scene has blossomed well beyond student hangouts. Take, for example, the local favorite O Chamé (1830 Fourth Street; 510-841-8783). Its classy Japanese fusion fare is decidedly un-college-town, but the slightly beaten-up tables and unpretentious crowd make you feel like you’re eating in someone’s home. And dishes like onion pancakes, soba platters and grilled eel are as satisfying as Japanese comfort food gets. Reservations suggested. Dinner for two about $70.

10 p.m.
3) CINEMA PARADISE

The Pacific Film Archive (2625 Durant Avenue; 510-642-0808; www.bampfa.berkeley.edu), at the Berkeley Art Museum, offers one of the most eclectic moviegoing experiences in the Bay Area. At the archive’s theater across the street from the museum, you might find a French New Wave festival, followed by a collection of shorts from West Africa. The archive is particularly strong on Japanese cinema — and grungy-looking grad students.

Saturday

8 a.m.
4) INTO THE WILD

This is California, so you’ll need to get up early to have prime walking paths to yourself. Wander through the main U.C. Berkeley campus, quiet at this time, and into the lush Berkeley hills overlooking the university. You’ll pass sprawling mansions that resemble Mexican estates, families walking tiny, manicured poodles, and students running off hangovers along the steep hills. It’s easy to get lost, so bring a map; Berkeley Path Wanderers Association ( www.berkeleypaths.org ) offers one of the best. If you want a longer walk, try nearby Tilden Park, a 2,000-acre preserve that includes several peaks and numerous trails open for mountain biking. Or head to the University of California Botanical Garden (200 Centennial Drive; 510-643-2755; botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu), which has more than 12,000 species of plants, including some rare flora.

Noon
5) VEGGIE BOUNTY

It’s tough choosing from the many farmers’ markets in the Bay Area, but for the real deal, head to the Saturday Berkeley Farmers’ Market (Center Street at Martin Luther King Way; open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The Berkeley market is run by actual farmers and has a workingman’s vibe. Afterward, stop by the Berkeley Bowl Marketplace (2020 Oregon Street; 510-843-6929; www.berkeleybowl.com ) for a comparison. A veritable fruit-and-vegetable heaven, the Bowl offers a staggering array of peaches, apples and rows of heirloom tomatoes — pudgy, lumpy, flavorful. Grab a roasted chicken and fresh beet salad at the deli counter, and snack on it while arguing with the various activists who congregate outside the Bowl’s doors.

3:30 p.m.
6) SNAKE PIT

Skip the Berkeley Art Museum, which has only a middling collection, and head instead to the East Bay Vivarium (1827-C Fifth Street; 510-841-1400; www.eastbayvivarium.com ), perhaps the city’s strangest attraction. But don’t come with a fear of snakes: the massive gallery and store, which specializes in reptiles, amphibians and arachnids, is like a living nightmare. Strolling through the Vivarium, you’ll pass gargantuan boas and more scorpion species than you’d ever imagined.

5 p.m.
7) ROCK OUT

The best views on campus aren’t from the 10-story Evans Hall, but from Indian Rock Park. Wedged in a residential neighborhood along the city’s northeast, the park has large rock outcroppings that offer 360-degree views across Berkeley and Oakland, and over the Bay into San Francisco. For more spectacular sunset views, bring some rope and carabiners: the main outcropping, Indian Rock, is a practice site for rock climbers.

8 p.m.
8) GLOBAL STEW

International Boulevard in Oakland, 15 minutes south of Berkeley, certainly lives up to its name. In just a few blocks, you’ll pass Salvadoran wedding shops, taco trucks that could have driven from Mexico City, and vendors selling fresh pineapple covered in salt. There’s no end to the Mexican restaurants, but El Huarache Azteca (3842 International Boulevard; 510-533-2395) ranks among the most authentic. Specialties include moles, marinated cactus, tortas and even huitlacoche, a kind of mushroom that grows on ears of corn. A feast for two will come to less than $35.

11 p.m.
9) PUNK’D

Blakes on Telegraph (2367 Telegraph Avenue; (510) 848-0886; www.blakesontelegraph.com ) was founded in 1940, when Berkeley was still known for jazz, not acid rock. The venerable nightclub is still kicking. And the live music performances are as eclectic as ever, with genres as diverse as punk and ska, to the jazz that got it all started. But first, make sure it’s not sorority or fraternity night, unless your idea of fun is watching college kids pound shots and scream at the top of their lungs.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) BOOKISH BARISTAS

Like many college towns, Berkeley consumes caffeine and alcohol with equal gusto, so rest assured, Cole Coffee (6255 College Avenue in Oakland; 510-985-1958; www.colecoffee.com ) takes its java very seriously. Besides having one of the largest coffee selections in the Bay Area — you can order up to 25 different types — its baristas talk about the latest Italian roast or African blend as if it were a Sonoma red. A warning: their attitude sometimes crosses the line from knowledgeable to know-it-all.

11 a.m.
11) FOURTH AND LONG

Fourth Street is not far from Telegraph, but it’s miles away in style. This trendy shopping district has become a chic, open-air mall with funky home décor, local art and designer fashions. Visit the Stained Glass Garden (1800 Fourth Street; 510-841-2200; www.stainedglassgarden.com) for elegantly curved glassware, funky dangly jewelry that resembles Calder mobiles, and kaleidoscope-like lampshades, with many products made by local artisans. After blowing too much money, reward yourself again with a double scoop of chocolate ice cream at nearby Sketch (1809A Fourth Street; 510-665-5650; www.sketchicecream.com ) — ranked by many local foodies as the best dessert shop in the Bay Area.

THE BASICS

The closest airport to Berkeley is Oakland, about 16 miles away. JetBlue flies nonstop from Kennedy Airport to Oakland, with fares starting at about $359 for travel in April, according to a recent online search. More flights are available to San Francisco International Airport, roughly 25 miles away. Public transportation in the Berkeley area is limited, so rent a car.

The Claremont Resort and Spa (41 Tunnel Road; 510-843-3000; www.claremontresort.com ) is by far the fanciest hotel in the area. Built in 1915 in the manner of an English estate, the hotel has a full-service spa, a lap pool and 279 rooms starting at $189.

For a historical alternative, stay at the Berkeley City Club (2315 Durant Avenue, 510-848-7800; www.berkeleycityclub.com ),
a social club built in 1927 and designed by Julia Morgan, the same architect who built the Hearst Castle. Rooms start at $125.

Cheaper rates can be found at the Rose Garden Inn (2740 Telegraph Avenue; 510-549-2145; www.rosegardeninn.com ), housed in five buildings and decorated with every tchotchke imaginable. Rooms start at $129.

For coming campus activities to see (like concerts and speakers) or events to avoid (like parents’ weekend), visit U.C. Berkeley’s online calendar at events.berkeley.edu. For other activities, check The Daily Californian (www.dailycal.org ),
the university student paper, or The East Bay Express (www.eastbayexpress.com ), a free weekly.

    36 Hours in Berkeley, Calif., NYT, 30.3.2008,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/travel/30hours.html

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