The biggest benefit you’ll get from hiking the backcountry of the spectacular Yosemite National Park isn’t what you’ll see, although those sights will likely stay with you for the rest of your life. The wilderness trails of the 1,187-square-mile park also offer you a treasured gift that naturalist and environmental John Muir and many explorers […]
San Francisco and its famous bay, originally inhabited by native Americans, became a possession of Mexico in the 18th century. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War and the execution of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, California became part of America, and two years later, a state. Because San Francisco had been populated […]
If you could only visit one U.S. national park, which one would you choose? Would it be Bryce Canyon in Utah, a wonderland of fascinating topography? Or the scenic Yellowstone, with Old Faithful and other geysers? Perhaps you would choose Shenandoah, with its hardwood forests and miles of the Appalachian Trail. Then, of course, there’s […]
Are you working to live or living to work? Do you have your dream job? Do you wake up each workday excited to earn your living? Do you think up new ideas, while taking a shower, that will help you fulfill your work goals? It’s never too late to change paths. You have to be […]
Not everyone wants to hike through the wilderness of Yosemite or see the sights in San Francisco. The nerds among us—and we mean that in the nicest way—just might be thrilled to spend hours or days visiting the mother lode of innovation: Silicon Valley. Actually named Santa Clara Valley, the famous brainiac mecca got its […]
What are you going to do with the last 5, 10 or 15 years of your life? You barely blinked, and suddenly you’re a senior citizen. But haven’t you heard: 70 is the new 50. In the mid-1950s, a little old lady moved into her son’s family home. She was tiny, gray-haired, bespectacled and a […]
Does San Francisco have crime? Does it have way too many homeless people? Yes. And yes. And so do Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and just about every other U.S. metropolis you could name. But this isn’t a “what about” article because there is no comparison to San Francisco. It’s one […]
Are you ready to get your culture on in San Francisco? How about a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, one of the country’s largest displays of contemporary and modern art? Or maybe the Museum of Craft and Design or the Museum of Performance & Design would be more appealing to you. […]
About 30 years ago, the mother of a third-grade boy brought a writing project to his class. She had found a book that listed addresses (mostly of agents) of famous people, and helped the kids choose different stars and write letters to them. They began their letters by introducing themselves and explaining that the class […]
What are you missing if you don’t ever visit Northern California? San Francisco, for starters. One of the most popular cities in the world, the City by the Bay is home to historic cable cars still in action; fascinating architecture, including the famous, colorful Painted Ladies; Pier 39, with frolicking seals; The Presidio, a former Spanish, […]
