DIABLO MAGAZINE: May, 2023
We have choices when we vacation. We can arrive hours early for a flight that leaves late. We can share the deck of a cruise ship with swarms of sun-seeking strangers. Or we can jump on a travel trend for 2023–and ride the rails.
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MERCURYNEWS.COM: March 21, 2023
Manteca. Modesto. Merced. Of all the cities along Highway 99 en route to Yosemite National Park, one stands out as a growing tourist destination. Merced has been developing a vibrant, reimagined Main Street anchored by a stylish, full-service hotel — El Capitan. Reopened in 2021 under the boutique brand Joie de Vivre by Hyatt, El Capitan brings comfort and a celebratory vibe to this gateway to Yosemite.
Continue readingVENTURA BOULEVARD MAGAZINE: January, 2023
In the world of luxury travel, there is nothing so sensuous as a chateau. The blend of art and architecture, gardens and hospitality make chateau-style inns a favorite throughout Europe. Happily, there’s no need to travel overseas for one of these fairy tale experiences. Gracious, chateau-style accommodations are waiting to be discovered right here in California.
Continue readingDIABLOMAGAZINE: December, 2022
Icy-blue glaciers that gleam in the light; soaring pines framing turquoise rivers and lakes; and friendly folks who embrace winter sports like ice climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing. Welcome to Alberta, Canada, a long weekend destination that will give you goose bumps for all the right reasons.
Continue readingEASTBAYTIMES.COM: December 6, 2022
It’s one of America’s smallest national parks — with one of the most photographed structures on Earth. San Francisco’s Presidio is just 1,491 acres, but its sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge draw more than 5 million visitors a year.
Continue readingEASTBAYTIMES.COM: September 2, 2022
Oscar Wilde once said “I have the simplest of taste. I only want the best.” For travelers to Yosemite National Park, the five-star Château du Sureau is, quite simply, the best.
Continue readingVENTURA BLVD. MAGAZINE/SOUTH BAY MAGAZINE: August, 2022
Lady Gaga does it. So do Donnie Wahlberg and Glenn Close. And it’s not just celebrities. So many people now travel with pets that it’s become an industry. A survey by TripAdvisor shows 53% of all pleasure travelers sojourn with snorkies and schnauzers and other four-legged friends. You don’t have to be well-heeled to treat your Fifi like royalty.
Continue readingDIABLO MAGAZINE: August 2022
Cars pass it each day, driving to and from Monterey on Highway 1. It’s the fishing village of Moss Landing, marked by two smokestacks from an off-line power plant. For fans of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this is a region rich with marine life. Tucked behind a few shops in this tiny town (just 25 minutes north of Monterey and around a two-hour drive from the East Bay) is a mile-deep underwater chasm called Monterey Canyon that rivals the Grand Canyon in depth, a section of the Old Salinas River Channel, and the Elkhorn Slough.
Ginny Prior 