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On Location: Road Trip – Soaking Up the Sun and Surf in Baja California, Mexico
The holidays are over and winter weather has set in for us Northern Hemisphere folk. If you’re like me, this is the signal that it’s time to make some plans for a warm weather get-away and a road trip down Baja California is the remedy! Tijuana Tijuana has gotten a bad rap in the past few decades, but 2017 is definitely it’s comeback year! It made #8 on the New York Places to Go in 2017 list, sighting a culinary renaissance, a new transit system and luxury condo boom. Many of it’s problems are not gone, but hopefully this new energy will transform this border town to its former glory.…
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On Location: Road Trip – Explore West Marin, Northern California
Within minutes of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge and leaving famous San Francisco, you find yourself surrounded by some of the most serene nature in California. Wind your way through picturesque Marin County to an old-growth redwood forest at Muir Woods, then continue down to the classic coastal town of Stinson Beach for a quick cup of coffee to warm up in the fog. Next, head to Point Reyes National Seashore to see incredible ocean views and wild life ranging from tule elk to whales migrating up the coast. After you’ve worked up an appetite, be sure to stop in for some fresh farmed oysters from Tomales Bay in…
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On Location: Exploring Stateline North Lake Tahoe
Stateline North Lake Tahoe is one of my favorites spots on Earth! I’ve been vacationing summers and winters here since I was a tiny baby. I even lived at Lake Tahoe for 2 years and worked as a designer just inches from where this map depicts. Many come to visit Lake Tahoe and only visit South Shore (the more built up and commercial side of the Lake.) Although South Shore Lake Tahoe offers great attractions, the North Shore should not be missed. This side of the lake is filled with old Tahoe charm, incredible beaches, natural hot springs and even old fashioned casinos reminiscent of the 1950’s. Below is an itinerary…
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On Location: Road Trip – Cruising 395 and the Eastern Sierras
Want to explore a lunar landscape? Discover a Wild West ghost town? Dine at an authentic Basque restaurant? Roll the dice at a craps table and do this all within only a few hours drive? Head to the California/Nevada border, and hop on Interstate 395 for an unforgettable scenic road trip! Road Trip Highlights Reno/Sparks – Nicknamed the Biggest Little City in the World, Reno and the Sparks area has had it’s share of ups and downs with mining, gambling and Wild West history, but it looks as if the booming metropolitan is growing up. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, and less than an hour from major ski resorts and Lake Tahoe adventures, the Reno area has…
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Culture: Fresh Dungeness Crab in San Francisco
There are those who methodically create a stock pile and then there are those who dig and devour every morsel they find. There are leg men vs. body people, garlic butter dunkers vs. lemon mayonnaise dippers. Head to most restaurants during the Winter and early Spring months in San Francisco and you are sure to spot this motley group of people. Who are they? They are devoted dungeness crab eaters. Crab is not only a meal, but also a ritual for San Franciscans. Ask most seafood loving locals, and they will tell you a story or two of long nights with friends gathered around a table filled with cooked crab. A dungeness…
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Art on the Go: Sketching in a Cemetery and Creative Projects Beyond Halloween
The other weekend my daughter and I headed to Half Moon Bay for some sketching with my local en plein air art group. Although I live relatively close to this moody seaside town, I have never truly explored it to find out all the great sketching opportunities it provides. Our mission was to sketch around the downtown area. Some members of the group are local residents and they had a whole host of good locations to draw, one suggestion being a cemetery only 2 and 1/2 blocks from Main Street. Given it was October, and Halloween was approaching, I was sold! A cemetery sketch outing is a great way to celebrate the…
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Art on the Go: Finding Cultural Sketching Experiences Right at Home
Sometimes you don’t have to hop on a plane and travel far to find a culturally rich location to sketch. It’s amazing what may be right near home. For instance, in the Bay Area where I live, within 30 minutes I can be in a Japanese Tea garden, one of the countries largest Chinatowns, and a thriving Pakistani community filled with restaurants and unique supermarkets. With two kids in school, my life doesn’t always offer the freedom to jet off on a whim, but I still crave sketching scenery of far off lands. Just doing a little research on the web has opened my eyes to many of these same experiences in my own backyard. For…
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On Location: Sketching at Filoli Country Estate
Filoli is a historic country estate open to the public in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco. Sitting on over 600 acres of pristine California land, in the heart of the Bay Area, it is a true treasure to visit. From the classic European style mansion (built in the early 1900’s and most notably known for the mansion of the 80’s television show Dynasty) to the acres of traditional gardens and grounds, it truly is a paradise setting. Filoli offers estate and garden tours, and also hosts many other exhibits and events including a quarterly Artist access day. Being so close to my home, it’s a wonderful way to get out…
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On Location: 10 Tips for Visiting Death Valley, California
The dry, parched land stretches out before you for miles. The air burns your lungs as you take in a deep breath. There is no water in sight. This is Death Valley, California, a harsh landscape ready to be explored by only the most fearless traveler. Well, not really. Death Valley National Park gets almost 1 million visitors a year, so obviously, it’s not only for the adventure traveler. It can get mighty hot in the summer, though, with an average of 116°F in July. To make the most of your visit, here are 10 tips to enjoying this austere climate and experiencing the beauty Death Valley has to offer.…
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Art on the Go: Photography Light Trails – Lights on Lombard
Playing with light trails is one of the most gratifying photography tricks out there. An unexpected, spectacular shot can actually be quite easy to achieve. You only need a little technical information, and the rest is all luck! This past summer, I headed to San Francisco for a fabulous night photography class. One of the exercises was to photograph car lights on the crookedest street in San Francisco, Lombard. The street, although lit up with lamp posts, is pretty dark. To see the zig zag of the car lights driving down the curves really captures the feeling of the street. It also provided a creative view of one of the…
