MONTCLARION: December 14, 2018
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: a night out in trendy Old Oakland. What a dazzling display as we strolled past handsome Victorian buildings outlined in holiday lights. The streets were crowded with mostly millennials savvy about the restaurant scene and eager to be out on a starry night. Continue reading
Ginny Prior/for Bay Area News Group Italian Colors, a go-to restaurant for many Montclarions, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Guitarist Michael Wollenberg, above, who has played at the restaurant since it began, performs Christmas tunes for diners on a recent night.
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: DECEMBER 28, 2018
Italian Colors has beaten the odds. The go-to restaurant for so many Montclarions is celebrating its 25th anniversary — remarkable when you consider 90 percent of independent restaurants close during their first year and the rest last an average of just five years. For owner/chef Alan Carlson, it’s a matter of pride. Continue reading
Courtesy of Tenaya Lodge
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: December 7, 2018
It’s early December and the search has begun for the picture-perfect, Currier-and-Ives holiday experience. You know the scene — the horse-drawn sleigh gliding through snow-covered meadows, the mirrored skating pond and the pines draped in twinkling lights. John Muir knew where to find the magic. It’s still here today — in Yosemite. Continue reading
Laurel Ace Hardware garden team member Miguel Ruiz, left, appears recently with Lisa Ratusz of the Our Water Our World program through the Alameda County Clean Water program. Ratusz taught visitors about integrated pest management and helped with pollinator-friendly gardening tips. Laurel Ace Hardware staff held a pollinator event earlier this fall.
MONTCLARION: November 16, 2018
We’ve always been a one-pet family. But these days we have dozens of birds to add to our brood — wrens, sparrows, jays and dark-eyed juncos — all feeding at our seed stations. Anna’s hummingbirds sip from our Dollar Store nectar bottle. Nuthatches balance on the wire basket, binging on peanut butter suet. And I sit inside with my field guide, logging bird varieties as I sip my morning coffee. Often my cat will lay blissfully on my lap, as if watching a reality show. Continue reading
Ginny Prior/for Bay Area News Group Autumn is called the “secret season” in San Luis Obispo County’s Morro Bay, above.
EAST Bay Times: October 19, 2018
New Orleans, New York, Morro Bay. When it comes to oysters, the coastal town with the famous Morro Rock wins, hands down. Autumn is called “secret season” in San Luis Obispo County’s Morro Bay. The warm sun and mild coastal breeze are perfect for dining seaside al fresco. And for foodies, the choices are impressive. Continue reading
courtesy of Bruce Wendler Fall leaves appear along Dunderberg Road in Mono County. Whether you take a road trip to the Sierra or leaf-peep in your neighborhood, California’s fall colors are showing.
MONTCLARION: October 12, 2018
It’s mid-October, and all these swirling leaves have put me in a mood. It’s not a Sinatra mood, where I liken my life to a vintage wine, (although I am a fan of late harvest zins) but more of a Guess Who mood, as in “seasons change, and so do I.” Continue reading
Eastbaytimes.com: Sept. 1, 2018
It’s not just a SoCal thing. Interest in surfing and skateboarding is reaching new heights now that the 2020 Olympics have added both sports to its summer competition. One of the best places to celebrate surf culture is Huntington Beach, the officially trademarked “Surf City USA” and home to ’60s surf rock icon Dean Torrence of musical act Jan and Dean. Continue reading
