Far from home, in the Macedonian capital city of Skopje, the American wine-lover’s flick Sideways was providing background fodder at a wine event. For a second, Shawn and I thought we’d been whisked back to the United States, until we spotted the Academy Award winner’s subtitles written in the Cyrillic script, an alphabet made even more foreign afterContinue reading “On the Sideways Movie Trail: A Wine Tasting Tour of Santa Barbara”
Tag Archives: California
Tasting Central California: A Paso Robles Wine Tour
Six decades ago, my grandparents and their then-eight children piled into the family car and drove to San Luis Obispo from Minnesota. My grandfather was to begin a teaching position there. Though the family’s chapter in San Luis Obispo (SLO) ended up being a short one (frankly, I don’t know how they bid farewell toContinue reading “Tasting Central California: A Paso Robles Wine Tour”
Wine, Surf, & Sun: A Weekend in Sonoma County, California
Taking to Bodega Bay’s beach just before sunset, we had to pinch ourselves that we were really strolling through the golden sand in winter. Between us both, Shawn and I had endured our fair share of brutal Midwestern, Canadian, even Continental-European winters, but this weather, we were told, was even exceptional by California standards. DuringContinue reading “Wine, Surf, & Sun: A Weekend in Sonoma County, California”
Perusing the Pumpkin Patch
After ten years of life abroad sans an authentic jack o’lantern, I was delighted to awaken my Halloween spirit by visiting a veritable American pumpkin patch last autumn, following a splendid long weekend in Napa Valley. The California farm’s scruffy scarecrows, colorful gourds, and pumpkins transformed into storybook characters brought to mind some of my favorite HalloweenContinue reading “Perusing the Pumpkin Patch”
A Long Weekend in California Wine Country: Getting a Taste for Napa and Sonoma Wines (Part 2)
Note: This is part two of the series, Long Weekend in California Wine Country. Click the image for part one.
A Long Weekend in California Wine Country: Getting a Taste for Napa and Sonoma Wines (Part 1)
“I should like to spend the whole of my life traveling abroad, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend afterwards at home.” William Hazlitt There seems to exist a syndrome among international travelers and expats. They’ve visited the world’s most far-flung destinations, but haven’t seen much of what their home countries have toContinue reading “A Long Weekend in California Wine Country: Getting a Taste for Napa and Sonoma Wines (Part 1)”
Photo du Jour: Saved by a Superhero in San Francisco
During a recent jaunt to San Francisco, we were attempting to cross the street when a hurried driver came rushing into the crosswalk. In a scene out of a comic book, our hero stopped traffic — much to the chagrin of the motorist. :)
Photo du Jour: The Emerald “Umbrellas” of a California Redwood Forest
“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.” Martin Luther
Travels With Tricia 