A redwood route for a hike with a tyke

When you’re a parent, especially of children five and under, hiking is an activity you push aside thinking of the  hassles and the dangers that may come your way. Add…

A Home in a Tree-Trunk

Ever seen a whole home inside a tree trunk. You have to see the One Log House in California to believe it!

A Date with Drive Thru Tree

Chandelier Tree: A 2400 year old Coast Redwood Tree that you can drive through. Have you seen it or driven through it?

A first time at strawberry picking

It was going to be a sunny Sunday, said the weather forecast. So we thought we should spend the day out; maybe visit one of the places on our constantly…

Cherry Blossoms at the Japanese Tea Garden

I remember the first time I saw Cherry Blossoms; it was in my mind’s eye. I was reading Memoirs of a Geisha and Arthur Golden (the author) had created such…

Japanese Tea Garden – II (Features and Symbolism)

If you have ever been to a Japanese Garden, chances are that you will recognise one the next time you see one, just about anywhere. With their signature bridges, lanterns and…

Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco – I

Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. Check. This Japanese attraction had been on my list of places to visit ever since we did a five-hour city tour of San Francisco,…

A whale-watching adventure in Monterey Bay

Whale watching. It’s been something I was kind-of interested in until I accidentally saw a video from a whale watching trip. I don’t even know where the video was shot;…

Ever Seen America’s Best Rose Garden at its Rosy Best?

Did you know: America’s Best Rose Garden or one of the best ones is in San Jose, California? Here’s a sample of it collections of roses. >>

A horse haven on the Santa Cruz Mountains

I was there for the wine but it was the locale and the handsome riding horses at Cooper-Garrod that gave me a high that day. This ranch near Saratoga owned…