California

Travel Features and Photos from Bay Area Travel Writers

Thumbnail image for <i>Travel Features and Photos</i> from Bay Area Travel Writers

Travel Features and Photos: California’s National Parks, Monuments, Trails, Seashores and Historic Sites launched in December, 2015. Beautifully photographed and expertly written by members of BATW, this latest anthology explores and celebrates national parks and monuments in the Golden State — a tribute to the National Park Service on its 100th anniversary in 2016.

Read the full article

San Jose’s SOFA Murals

murlas in San Jose California

[nggallery id=40] Surprise — San Jose, California has blossomed into an art-lover’s paradise! Public art enlivens every street in the city’s vibrant SOFA (South of First Area) district. On a recent visit we enjoyed sculpture-lined streets and these lively murals. By the way, San Jose used to be called “Valley of the Heart’s Delight,” which […]

Read the full article

Mendocino County: Days of Wine and Rhodies, part 1

Thumbnail image for Mendocino County: Days of Wine and Rhodies, part 1

If the recession has you planning a “staycation” this year, Mendocino County may be just the ticket. Best known for its rugged coastline, award-winning wineries, and native rhododendron groves, Mendocino offers active fun like kayaking, horseback riding, golf, hiking, and biking. You can also enjoy a wide variety of rejuvenating activities such as theater, music […]

Read the full article

Mendocino County: Days of Wine and Rhodies, part 2

Thumbnail image for Mendocino County: Days of Wine and Rhodies, part 2

“This plant is having sex 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 3 or 4 months; it’s very strenuous!” Jim Celeri is showing me a gorgeous rhododendron that is in full bloom, and explaining the plant’s need for water. While I’d prefer a less thirsty specimen for my garden, I have fallen in […]

Read the full article

China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy

Thumbnail image for China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy

The Asian Art Museum kicks off its 10-year anniversary with an epic exhibition from one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in modern times—don’t miss it! The exhibition will be on view from February 22–May 27, 2013 at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.  China’s Terracotta Warriors presents ten life-size terracotta figures — the maximum number permitted outside China […]

Read the full article

Olmec exhibit at the de Young

Thumbnail image for Olmec exhibit at the de Young

Considered the mother culture of Mesoamerica and recognized as America’s oldest civilization, the people known today as the Olmec developed an iconic and sophisticated artistic style as early as the second millennium BCE. Their monumental head sculptures remain among ancient America’s most awe-inspiring and beautiful masterpieces.

Read the full article

Earthquake in San Francisco

Thumbnail image for Earthquake in San Francisco

Prepare to be moved!  Earthquake, a major new exhibit and planetarium show at the California Academy of Sciences takes visitors on a kinetic journey toward understanding these super seismic phenomena and how they fit into the larger story of our ever-changing Earth.  Occupying the entire west hall of the Academy, the exhibit features a number […]

Read the full article

Nothing in Life is More Important than Sex

Thumbnail image for Nothing in Life is More Important than Sex

By Laurie McAndish King. “Nothing in life is more important than sex.” So says Steinhart Aquarium Director Bart Shepherd, and I’m inclined to agree…

Read the full article

Best Mother’s Day Present: Napa

Thumbnail image for Best Mother’s Day Present: Napa

Napa Valley is more than a place to taste excellent wine and enjoy famous California cuisine; it’s also sublimely beautiful, with roses alongside winding roads, Spanish moss dripping from sturdy white oaks, and red-tailed hawks soaring above charming towns and whispering ghost pines.

Read the full article

Snow in San Francisco

Thumbnail image for Snow in San Francisco

‘Tis the Season for Science at the California Academy of Sciences, as the popular exhibit celebrating the science behind holiday traditions returns for a second year. Enjoy indoor snow flurries twice an hour in the Piazza. View taxidermy specimens of the real birds mentioned in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” …

Read the full article