HILLS NEWSPAPERS: August 3, 2012

The ghosts of a dozen sailors swirl across the dance floor. Some fan out toward the deck, others sweep into the sleeping quarters. And one sassy spirit slips into the powder room to tease the ladies. Yes, the USS Hornet is haunted. I’ve felt the presence myself. Many years ago I walked the ship with two ghost hunters and heard heart-thumping tales of men who met untimely deaths on the aircraft carrier — at least one in the blades of the propeller. Today they are part of the draw to this ship dubbed “The Gray Ghost.” Continue reading →

Wilhelm Schumacher as pictured in Life Magazine in 1937 edition of Life Magazine

CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: July 20, 2012

This is a tale about travel, not by humans but by honeybees. It’s a tale of two regions — one in South Dakota and one here in Northern California — and how they’re connected.

My great grandfather was a pioneer and a sodbuster. He brought his family to America in 1898 to escape Russian oppression against the Germans. The homestead he built with his muscle and sweat is still standing today, and my cousins still farm the once-rocky soil that surrounds it. Continue reading →

CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: July 6, 2012

Things are jumping in Calaveras County — and I’m not just talking about the annual frog competition. This Gold Country region is emerging as a popular wine destination.

Take Highway 4 east from Stockton, and the first thing you’ll notice is the romantic landscape of grazing cattle and rustic farms under an endless expanse of blue sky. This is breathtaking scenery, unspoiled by development for as far as the eye can see. Continue reading →

Courtesy of the Ranch at Rock Creek

OAKLAND/ALAMEDA  MAGAZINES: July/August 2012

I had to pinch myself. Twice. This chiseled cowboy was singing a love song just for my girlfriends and me. And when he finished, he ambled over to the saddle-shaped bar stool and poured us all drinks.
Our own private bartender and karaoke crooner looked like he’d stepped out of GQ for Cowboys, and he wasn’t the only one. Every wrangler was dreamy at The Ranch at Rock Creek outside Philipsburg, Mont. Like giggling schoolgirls, we secretly called it The Ranch at “Hottie” Creek. Continue reading →

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: June 21, 2012

Whether you play the game or not, golf courses offer some of the most inspiring scenery on earth. Consider the love that goes into a course — the years of design by golf pros, architects and landscaping experts. Like the curves of a woman’s body, the fairways undulate into an expanse of green velvet, framed by foothills and water and trees. Continue reading →

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: May 24, 2012

“She thinks my tractor’s sexy”

— Kenny Chesney

I admit it: John Deer tractors turn me on.

I was sharing this tidbit with a Yolo County grower, the other day — a bit like preaching to the choir since 94 percent of Yolo is agriculture.

“There’s something kind of sexy about farm implements,” I told him. “You know, the circular blades tilling the land and the leafy greens springing up from the soil. It’s Americana. It’s romantic.”

In many parts of the country, farming is a lost art. But in Yolo it’s hot again, especially with the farm-to-table movement that’s drawing young people back to the land. Continue reading →

Steven Backman with his Golden Gate Bridge Replica

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: April 27, 2012

“I have traveled in 201 countries, and the strangest thing I saw was man.” — Robert Ripley

Truer words were never spoken, to coin another phrase. During much of the 20th century, Robert Ripley roamed the planet, looking for oddities to include in his cartoon “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” To say he was eccentric was an understatement.

The Santa Rosa-born man was an oddity himself, sporting a coolie shirt with batwing tie and a pith helmet. His house was a zoo, with a 28-foot boa curled up in a cage and squirrels and chipmunks scampering about as he worked. Oh, and he had girlfriends — five or more at a time — under his roof. Continue reading →

Parkmon Vineyards

HILLS NEWSPAPERS: April 12, 2012

The Bay Area is blessed with the richest wine regions in California. LaMorinda wants to be one of them.

Granted, there’s no celebrated wine trail yet — but the growers in Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda have big plans for the future. Continue reading →