Nibbling encouraged along the Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail

PETALUMA, Calif. — As you drive north of San Francisco into Marin and Sonoma counties, the countryside begins to unfold before you....

Weekend Escape: More than 'Peanuts' in Santa Rosa

Fifty miles north of San Francisco, straddling U.S. Highway 101, sits Santa Rosa, former home of Charles M. Schulz and the gang from...

Weekend Escape: California's Pleasanton lives up to its name

Pleasanton, Calif., is — no surprise here — a pleasant small city east of San Francisco Bay that was off the beaten track for...

More things to do and places to eat in San Francisco

SFO Terminal 2. This bright space, formerly the airport's international terminal, was redone and reopened in 2011. Its 14...

49 places in San Francisco that you might have missed

You've been to San Francisco. You know not to call it "Frisco," not to expect ample parking, not to forget your sweater. You know the Powell...

Where to stay in San Francisco on the relatively cheap

Your choices in San Francisco hotels are overwhelming. The prices can be too. So during our staff visit to the City by the Bay, we looked...

California: Yreka a gold mine of natural wonders

YREKA, Calif. — Deep in Siskiyou County in far Northern California, high granite peaks and rocky streams have long incited gold...

California Weekend Escape: Lone Pine a cinematic slice of Old West

Hollywood loves Lone Pine, Calif., a dusty town in the Eastern Sierra. Since 1920, crews have been making the 3 1/2- drive to shoot hundreds...

Alpine County, Calif.: Peace and quiet in California's smallest county

In a state with nearly 38 million residents, it's inconceivable that there's a county with a peewee population. But Alpine County, with just...

Fresh food, thoughtful history hold sway in Petaluma

While working on an update to a Napa and Sonoma guidebook, I realized that Petaluma, 15 miles west of Sonoma Plaza, might merit its own...

Weekend Escape: Yreka is a capital place to relax

The 51st state. The closer you get to the Oregon border along the 5 Freeway, you begin to see signs announcing the State of Jefferson. After...

Weekend Escape: Sonora, Calif.'s antiques, eateries and train ride

Sonora, Calif., the county seat of Tuolumne County, has a charming downtown full of antiques shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants....

The Oakland renaissance

Oakland is feeling its oats. Steel-cut oats, that is. Sprinkled atop a puree of onion soup ladled over smoked dates at the Michelin-...

Animal encounters in the green glades of Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose

Since the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose completed a $72-million renovation in March, it's attracted a new set of visitors besides...

Sacramento Valley: A haven for birds – and birders

It was like a lottery-winning moment for birders. I looked up through the windshield, and there it was: brown and striped, gliding toward...

Calaveras County: Still hopping to it

Los Angeles and this tiny Gold Rush town share the same "City of Angels" nickname, and the similarities don't end there.

Three older women tackle Mt. Whitney

She was sprawled in the mud, her whimper more from exhaustion than pain.

Warp speed to San Jose 'Star Trek' exhibit

True "Star Trek" fanatics who visit "Star Trek: The Exhibition" at San Jose's Tech Museum may find some flaws in the life-size replica of...

Inner Julia Child, please come out now

Until recently, the closest thing I'd come to a cooking class was watching the demo station at Trader Joe's. After seeing "Julie & Julia," I...