Seattle's secret is out: Lake Chelan, Washington

CHELAN, Wash. — Just say the words "summer at the lake" in certain company, and you'll get a wistful smile, possibly followed by...

Old California and good grub in San Juan Capistrano

What an appealing slice-of-life California town, an easy day trip by car or train. Come for the history, stay for the food. This restaurant-...

How to beat the gas-price woes

President's Day weekend seemed to be a turning point for gasoline prices, which look to be increasing faster than a speeding bullet. If...

More for Your Money: Don't get run over by school-sports trip costs

Whether you're driving the kids to games in your vehicle or sending them on a bus provided by the school, coordinating sports-related teen...

Convict Lake worth going on the lam for a getaway

My brother, John, tried to sleep during the boring part of the three-hour trip from Los Angeles to Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra.

Eastern Sierra's autumn colors peak

There is gold in the hills of the Eastern Sierra, but you don't have to dig to find it. It returns every autumn when Mother Nature paints...

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...

Old Santa Fe: 400 and still evolving

"Oldest house," panted Robert Chavez, steering his pedicab past a 17th century adobe.

Hiking the Sierra with three llamas and a baby

I wouldn't call it a vacation, exactly. Any time you have three pet llamas and a 3-year-old and you're covering 30 miles in less than a...

Hoover Dam still stands as testament to American ingenuity

Clayton Sellers'voice echoes off the sheer rock walls that rise from his vantage point along the Colorado River in Black Canyon, just...

Pac-10 football visitor's guide: Football isn't the only game in town

Fall is in the air, and that means Pac-10 football. The powder blue- and tarnished cardinal-clad lads soon will embark to stadia across...

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...

10 vacations for solo travelers

Whether by necessity or choice, a quarter of Americans take at least one vacation by themselves each year. Some solo travelers are single....

Terrier tests popular destinations for dog-friendliness

A rerun of "Animal Planet" flickered across the TV screen as my roommate yawned deeply, lay down on the floor in front of me and rolled over...

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...

Highway 1's golden opportunities

Last year, in the middle of the recession, my husband, Paco, and I pondered our fall vacation, weighing an ever-growing travel wish list...

National Park lodgings going fast

From the deserts to the mountains, national park lodges in the Western U.S.'s iconic destinations are close to putting up a "No Vacancy"...

Budget-friendly weekend escapes

Want to travel more but spend less in 2010? It's not wishful thinking. If a cruise or a European tour isn't in the cards, you can tap the...

San Francisco vs. San Diego: Which is the better getaway?

Every year, millions of people find themselves craving a vacation from greater Los Angeles. Many of these people don't want to cross state...

California's national parks and scenic sites

Find out about historic and scenic sites as well as programs, fees and directions to California's national parks, monuments and recreation...