HILLS NEWSPAPERS: September 19, 2014
Beverly Hills — swimming pools, movie stars. And a celebrated ZIP code. A century old this year, the 90210 looks as good as it did when the Clampetts came into our pysche in the 1960s. Continue reading
Category Archives: Travel Essays
Levi’s Stadium tour ranks atop to-do list
MONTCLARION: September 19, 2014
It’s the most high-tech, energy-efficient stadium in the country. And it could be the new home of the Oakland Raiders. Sure, Levi’s Stadium already has the 49ers, but when this $1.2 billion facility was built, it was built for two teams. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: Park-sleep-fly package beats airport parking
HILLS NEWSPAPERS: July 25, 2014
Airport parking. It’s one of those things that sends blood pressure – and travel budgets – soaring. It’s also big business for airports like SFO, where parking brings in as much as $118 million in annual revenue. But unless you like donating to the cause (to the tune of $14-$45 a day) consider a Park, Sleep and Fly package.
Happy Wanderer: Maui perfect paradise for film fest, resort
MERCURYNEWS.COM: June 27, 2014
Sundance, Cannes, Toronto. There are more than 3,000 film festivals in the world, but only one has a backdrop like this. The Maui Film Festival must be what heaven is like for cinema buffs. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: Real-life Rosies are museum’s true treasures
INSIDEBAYAREA.COM: June 13, 2014
On the long list of Bay Area attractions, this one should be at the top. It’s a waterfront museum where history comes to life — literally — thanks to four World War II Rosies who serve as docents. The women work on Fridays at the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: For eye opener, experience Yosemite at night
MERCURYNEWS.COM: May 30, 2014
John Muir often wrote about the stillness of the soul beyond twilight. But in all his reflections, he never expounded on the joys of eating carpenter ants. We were about to break new ground. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: Take a trip back to the land in Salinas Valley
Mercurynews.com: May 2, 2014
I’ve never been a fan of head lettuce. Baby greens are more my style. But when I tasted that crisp wedge of iceberg, chilled to perfection and drizzled with Green Goddess dressing, I found salad utopia.
An epiphany like this — albeit an edible one — comes naturally when you’re in the “Salad Bowl of the World,” the agricultural region known as the Salinas Valley. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: La Jolla trip filled with surprises — bacon, anyone?
MERCURYNEWS.COM: April 10, 2014
On the list of luxury hotel amenities, charcuterie never makes the cut. But then, Fodor’s never tasted cured meats like this. La Valencia Hotel’s house-cured bacon is so popular — it comes with its own dipping sauces.
Happy Wanderer: San Jose’s downtown a travel bargain
MERCURYNEWS.COM: MARCH 28, 2014
One of the Bay Area’s best bargain destinations is San Jose. Dionne Warwick’s smash single put this town on the map in 1968, but these days it’s the tech industry that’s fueling the renaissance.
Happy Wanderer: Your own Olympic experience
CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: February 28, 2014
My job in the sled was to stop my big head from knocking into the driver. Kind of an odd Olympic memory, but true. Continue reading
Ginny Prior 