by Babeinthewuds My visit to the Holy City of Amritsar in Punjab, India early this year was a call I had to take. No questions asked. A force, not entirely of a spiritual nature, I must admit, had been veering my in-built compass and fashioning my travel plans towards a destination not hitherto considered, for…
by Janet Bein, Young at Heart Diva As we drove from San Diego across the dramatically curving Coronado Bridge, I caught a glimpse of the bright red, cone turrets of beautiful Hotel Del Coronado (The Del). When we got closer, I was struck by the immense size of the building and surrounding property. The white,…
by Valerie Ng My life and career path were going nowhere, so I recently took up the offer of a family friend and moved from my home in the Bay Area to the Los Angeles area. I hadn’t spent much time in Los Angeles, so it’s still fairly new to me. But as a former…
by Daenna Van Mulligen You don’t have to be a wine lover to appreciate the vinous trappings of wine country. At least I don’t think you do because I’ve only ever traveled to wine country as a wine lover. Of course, the depth of my wine-y knowledge, my passion and palate have evolved over the…
by Karla Erovick My earliest memories of Portland were as a little girl going to the big city to go Christmas shopping with my Dad and sister. We often rode the train from our home in Salem. At that time, Portland was an industrial city with shipyards and manufacturing plants along the river. It always…
by Margaret Melaney Here you are on the grand adventure of your life, just you and 25 strangers packed into a bus which never seems to stop except for bathroom breaks on the motorway. You only have a few more days, and you have GOT to salvage this trip. You take destiny by the hand…
by Abbey Laufenberg When the sun appears after weeks of hiding, the snow covered ground is melted away to reveal lost lush green grass, and the birds have returned from their winter vacation, I know summer is just around the corner. Living in a place known for their cheese and frozen tundra, there has to…