Hunting Oakland’s enigmatic gnomes
Little by little, the gnomes arrived and took their posts. No one knows precisely how or when, because gnomes are a spontaneous lot and prefer to pop up as the whim strikes. It’s a long story, but as...
View ArticleOakland’s video game museum helps gamers get their game on
Until now, Oakland’s Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment — also known as the MADE, also known as the video game museum, and also known as a superawesome nerd magnet — has been a virtual hidden gem....
View ArticleSan Francisco’s Presidio — a Bay Area expedition unknown
The rear window of our Inn at the Presidio room looks out on a path leading up through eucalyptus and pines, their tops blurred by morning mist. Out front, the view stretches over the stoic brick...
View ArticleTreasure hunt for hidden art at San Jose’s main library
The needle-in-a-haystack idiom has never seemed so apt (except for the time you were recklessly sewing atop a pile of hay and, well … please try to be more careful next time). The phrase springs to...
View ArticleRobots, mad science and ‘Burping Bowls’ at Crockett’s Bailey Art Museum
Step right up, folks, and view the mysterious, the curious, the spurious skull of the rare Cyclops Bigfoot and the remains of his female companion (identified by the bones of her telltale high heels)....
View ArticleSan Francisco’s best-kept secret: The Book Club of California
Don’t judge the Book Club of California by its lobby. Even knowing the address — 312 Sutter St., just off Union Square — I passed the storefront entrance three times, finally entering through a...
View ArticleHayward’s colossal collection of giant people
Do you know the Muffler Man? He lives on National Avenue in Hayward, looming large over the driveway of Bruce Kennedy’s Bell Plastics company, along with several friends — a twin Muffler Man, a cowboy,...
View ArticleDriving a race car at Sonoma Raceway is a treat for the fast and the curious
Humans are often scolded for racing through life, instructed to slow it down or even come to a complete stop for a proverbial sniff of the roses. But there’s something to be said for speeding right by...
View Article8 ways to play in Napa Valley — that don’t involve wine
I don’t drink. OK, it’s true I’m a lush when it comes to coffee, and I’ll chug the occasional diet ginger ale if I’m feeling rambunctious. But I don’t drink booze. So why would I love the wine country?...
View ArticleSeveral Tahoe ski resorts close for season
RENO, Nev. — Several Tahoe ski resorts have closed for the season. KRNV-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1rawFVZ ) that Northstar California, Diamond Peak and Kirkwood all closed on Sunday. After four years...
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Outdoor fun: 7 hidden gems on the Stanford University grounds
CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device UPDATE: Stanford has closed almost its entire campus to outside visitors at least through the end of the year. Getting...
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3 awesome little Bay Area day trips for these shelter-near-home days
We won’t be jetting off to foreign destinations anytime soon. Good thing, then, that we live in one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world — and right now, we’ve got it all to ourselves. Feel...
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5 short Bay Area day trips to reduce the pain of $7 gas prices
Gas prices in the Bay Area have officially exceeded $7 per gallon, according to Google Maps updates for two stations in San Bruno. That makes the gas in Emeryville look like a steal at just $6.90....
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Bay Area day trips: Exploring sunny Sunnyvale, from brunch inspo to hiking...
It’s okay to admit that when you think of Sunnyvale, you only think of the tech industry. And while it’s true that you can’t go a single block without passing the behemoth headquarters of some...
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The perfect day trip to the Marin Headlands, from hikes and art exhibits to...
The Marin Headlands are a special place. They’re right across the Golden Gate Bridge but feel like a wild frontier. Cell service drops to zero, wildlife moseys in the road, and if you gaze out over the...
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Bay Area day trip: Isleton, the ‘Little Paris of the Delta,’ gears up for its...
After Oakland craft beer enthusiast Iva Walton lovingly restored a historic Chinese gambling den on Isleton’s Main Street and opened it as her popular Mei Wah Beer Room in 2017, local leaders hoped...
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7 spooky Bay Area adventures, from a haunted forest to a tarantula fest
It’s that special time of year, when the nights get darker, grotesque gourds proliferate, and we pay money to get lost in mazes of corn – so much corn. Yes, Halloween season is upon us, and with it, an...
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Searching for the chicken in Petaluma, the former Egg Basket of the World
Kingdom of 10,000,000 White Leghorns. Chickaluma. The Egg Basket of the World. These were all once nicknames for Petaluma, a charming little city in the agricultural bosom of Sonoma County. By the...
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Brewery Day Trip: Oakland’s Jack London brewing district
The latest installment on my Bay Area brewery tour took me to two newer breweries inside what’s becoming known as Oakland’s Jack London brewing district: Cellarmaker Brewing’s Oakland outpost and...
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11 great winter date ideas for Bay Area adventure, romance and food
Ah those winter doldrums. Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or consider it Hallmark frippery, February is an excellent time to spark some joy with someone special. There are myriad, memorable ways...
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