Lifestyle/Travel Features

Tour of Calfornia, 2012: Santa Rosa to Los Angeles off the bike

The Tour of California will bypass previous stops in Sacramento, Auburn, Davis and much of the rest of Northern California this year. But from Bakersfield to Beverly Hills, the nearly 750-mile trek will offer the race's most diverse route. Combine new cities, new mountain climbs and a new time trial, and even the most discerning [...]

Pacific Gardens Inn: Simple, Quaint & In The Pacific Grove Woods

Asilomar State Beach and its accompanying conference center are among the most well-known destinations on the Monterey Peninsula. It’s surprising, therefore, that several other nearby locations are among the same area’s most unheralded accommodation choices. One option is Pacific Gardens Inn. It’s located across the street from Asilomar and offers a quaint alternative for area [...]

Mariposa Inn & Suites: Monterey’s Hidden, Renovated Surprise

It’s not an official name, but travelers to the Monterey Peninsula have the largest selection of motel and hotel rooms along “Motel-Hotel Row” in Monterey. The properties extend from nearly downtown Monterey toward Highway 1 on Munras Ave. There are a handful of choices on the east side of the street and a vast selection [...]

Four Diverse Carmel-By-The Sea Hotel, Inn Reviews

Carmel is among the country’s most popular small-city destinations. Quaint restaurants, art galleries, boutique shops, unique homes and famous golf courses are all backdropped by the Pacific Ocean. As such, Carmel has a steady influx of constant visitors who often fill the city’s nearly 1,000 guest rooms, particularly during popular global sporting events, festivals and [...]

A Look Back At Monterey Auto Week: Jay Leno. The Quail, The Concours & Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

(This article, with accompanying images by David Paul Morris, originally appeared in the September, 2007 issue of Prestige Magazine, Hong Kong.) About the time Jay Leno and friend arrived in a chocolate-brown vintage Bentley sedan, 78-year-old Mike McNally had likely fixed the persistent oil leak in his 1931 Riley Port Ford. Leno, comedian, late-night talk [...]

Monterey Auto Week: Wondrous Vintage Cars, Maserati to Bentley, Ferrari to Lamborghini

Monterey Auto Week is hard to describe, particularly since it lasts nearly two weeks. And Monterey Auto Week isn’t really an official name, either, because there isn’t an official name to all of the car-related activities on the Monterey Peninsula in August. Nonetheless, the sensory overload of all things automotive continued with the second Carmel-By-The [...]

Learning To Swim (Again) At Age 52 At McKinley Park

(This article originally appeared in August, 2007 edition of Inside East Sacramento.) Nearly 40 years ago, I swam in my last competitive meet at age 13 or maybe 14. My team’s 15-18 boys free relay squad was one swimmer short, so I moved up an age group and entered my fifth event of the day. [...]

Tally Ho Inn: English Charm With A Modern Touch In Carmel-By-The Sea

Visiting Carmel-By-The-Sea for the first time or as a frequented destination affords a good dose of sensory overload. Art galleries, restaurants, unique homes and businesses and myriad recreation choices are all canvassed by the majesty of the Pacific Ocean. And there’s the potential problem. Like other popular Monterey Peninsula cities, with so much to see [...]