Bike Chico Chico, California is a cycling enthusiast’s paradise. Bidwell Park, its crown jewel, is one of the largest city parks in the US (3,670 acres), with over 25 miles of dirt bike trails. Chico State, the second oldest school in the California state system, encourages CSU students, staff and faculty to leave their cars[…]
WPT DeepStacks at the Atlantis Every so often writing assignments sync perfectly with personal interests. So it was when I covered the World Poker Tour DeepStacks Tournament, hosted by the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada. There were 15 games scheduled over a 10 day period. The majority were No Limit Hold ‘Em, with[…]
Pala Getaway On a recent getaway, we discovered a dandy surprise, the full-service Pala Casino Spa Resort, in North County San Diego. After an efficient check-in, my wife and I headed to the Pala Privileges Center to sign up for their rewards program and the 60 Plus Club. Then we eased into vacation mode with[…]
A Short History of Laughlin, Nevada: The Southern California “drive market” is the number one tourist magnet for Las Vegas. Planning a roadtrip there? For a surprising treat, Turn East at Barstow and head to Laughlin instead. It’s on the Colorado River only 90 miles south of Las Vegas. Don Laughlin’s dream began in 1964[…]
My feeling is that grandparents have one responsibility: do everything possible to build meaningful memories for their grandchildren. I’ve been fortunate to take each of my four kids and now every one of my grandkids for their first visit to the Magic Kingdom. My six year old grandson, Reed, and my daughter, Jane, were visiting[…]
A chance encounter led me to a fascinating story. The tale begins at the Lyceum Theater in San Diego, CA. I was getting ready to see The Pianist of Wildensen Lane, a moving story about a young piano prodigy from Vienna who was put on the kinder-transport to England by her parents in 1938. As[…]
The flight attendant was handing out immigration forms as I was flying to Mexico. One of the questions: “Business or vacation?” What’s the answer for a travel writer on assignment? My first trip was a family reunion at the RIU Palace in Cabo San Lucas in Baja, California. During the planning phase, everyone agreed that[…]
Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest capital city in the United States. It is located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the southern Rocky Mountains. The city lies on the edge of the 320,000 acre Santa Fe National Forest, which features endless opportunities for hiking, skiing, fishing, mountain biking,[…]
New Mexico is officially known as the “Land of Enchantment.” My wife and I were to discover that this description is not an exaggeration. We were inspired and educated by the history, culture, art, architecture and the people, past and present. Taos was first settled around 900 AD by ancestors of the Taos Indians. Two[…]
Sometimes timing is a factor in a successful trip. In our case, with four days of walking, shopping, fabulous meals and late nights in New Orleans, it was perfect to end our vacation with a relaxing and regenerating barge trip up the Mississippi on “river time.” “River time” is what happens on the Mississippi as[…]