Weekend Escape: Big Sur coast

From land or sea, the Big Sur coastline dazzles. This 90-mile stretch of rugged Central California landscape draws millions of visitors...

Roaming the open spaces of Santa Barbara

ARROYO HONDO PRESERVE, Calif. — A creeks cuts out of the Santa Ynez Mountains about 25 miles west of Santa Barbara. It follows a tight...

A few of her favorite things in Santa Barbara

Every time I come to Santa Barbara, I find something new to like. Not exactly secrets, just favorite things, and I'm not talking about...

Southern California Close-Up: Santa Barbara County wine country

About 20 miles beyond the red-tile roofs of downtown Santa Barbara, it begins: the rolling blond hills that go indecently green in spring,...

The best piers in California

Let's call these MVPs—Must Visit Piers. Here are my choices from south to north:

Weekend Escape: The small-town charms of Arroyo Grande

The sleepy Central Coast town of Arroyo Grande, population 17,000, is the ideal place to shut out the mayhem of city life for a few days....

Hotels get into beekeeping business

— Thanksgiving dinner guests at Carmel Valley Ranch can expect the Central California resort to serve a honey of a meal.

Monterey Peninsula's bargain hotels, food and activities

Clint Eastwood knows how to set a scene on screen or at Mission Ranch, his strikingly handsome hotel and restaurant in Carmel.

Monterey's a family-friendly destination

After a long car ride, my wife and I stopped at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove to let our 4-year-old daughter, Ediza, release some...

Slowing down in Big Sur

Until recently, my relationship with central California's magnificent Big Sur coast was all about the drive. Ninety-three miles of...

Bargain guide to Santa Barbara's hotels, restaurants and attractions

I pulled aside the curtain and peered out the motel window. Palm trees swayed gently in the breeze. A cyclist pedaled along the oceanfront....

Keeping the Old West alive in Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley is known for its fine wines and upscale horse farms, but some of the Old West remains, including...

Gilroy: A fascinating history with more than a hint of garlic

Lori Guerriero was on her knees cooing at and cajoling 14-month-old Alexis Garcia, the son of a friend, to smile at her while she tried to...

Highway 1 with kids: 10 fabulous pit stops between Los Angeles and San Francisco

I often lament having left Los Angeles, my hometown, to live in San Francisco, especially now that I have a son. After Kai was born, we...

At Pinnacles, looking in on a condor nursery

I'd never accuse the good rangers at Pinnacles National Monument of pulling a bait-and-switch, but they did have to recently perform some...

Hollywood discovered Guadalupe Dunes decades ago

Beneath untold tons of sands, the ancient Egyptian city is no longer intact. But what remains is in good condition. Shielded from the...

Holy mackerel, that's a great white!

Dawn is coming soon. The lights are off, the sound system silent and the beasts of the Monterey Bay Aquarium have the place mostly to...