by Alison McFarlane I live and love the legend and lore of the American West. Cowboys thrill me, Indian culture captivates me, prehistoric life intrigues me. Craving hot hiking trails and blazing fiery sunsets, I journey deeply westward whenever the long weekend, spring break, summer escapade or winter doldrums hit. Cedar City, Utah is home…
by Shannon Connell New Orleans is a place where African American and European lineage and traditions collide to create a culture completely unique to the city; there’s really nowhere else like it in the world. In New Orleans you can sense a kind of energy that permeates the atmosphere, likely instilled by the passion and…
by Cynthia English Balenciaga and Spain, an exhibition curated by Hamish Bowles, European editor at large of VOGUE, featuring nearly 120 haute couture garments, hats, and headdresses designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, conceived and inspired by Oscar de la Renta, is now open at the de Young Museum of San Francisco. Spain. Land of paella, tapas,…
by Kirby Brooks “Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look.” – Henry Miller. Big Sur had always existed as a mythical place in my…
by Rachel Ward “Esta es la Cataluña profunda,” quipped Juanjo—the tall and dark cinematographer boyfriend of my language partner Laia—referring to our remote location, deep in the wine and olive country of the Spanish province that borders France, called Catalunya in Catalan. I suffered waves of nausea from the backseat as our car curved deeper…
by Alison McFarlane I’m a desert rat. I love dry heat, hot salsa and icy margaritas. I just spent a sizzling 72-hour summer weekend exploring Tucson, Arizona and all of the above delicacies. I picked up the scent of deep, rich, dark-roast brew the first morning. Raging Sage, an independent coffee joint, provided the day’s…
by Alison McFarlane There I was — alone in the desert with the Stones. When my son announced he wouldn’t spend his college spring break at home, I was filled with unseemly glee at the prospect of a solo season-opener. Yearning for wicked adventure without much time, Google quivered to a full stop at Red…