Picks and Pans – Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas is a strange, strange place. People spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to fly in from all over the world, stay in hotels and drop oodles of money into machines and onto felt table cloths. And for what? To get drunk and watch blinky lights and strippers? For my dollar I’d just […]

Picks and Pans – In and Around Joshua Tree N.P.

PICKS: Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree N.P.

Joshua Tree is the kind of place where it would be downright difficult to live an ordinary life. Even the rocks and strangely animated plants seem as though they must have interesting back stories simply because an uneventful existence couldn’t possibly result in such strangely shaped creatures. Hidden […]

Picks and Pans – In and Around L.A.

PICKS: Thanksgiving weekend with friends

I never really thought that L.A. would be one of the spots on the trip that would feel like a temporary home, but thanks to our friends Norbert, Yolanda, Xavier, Michael, Judith, Teddy, Charlene and Aaron, we had a Thanksgiving weekend surrounded by loving, generous, intelligent friends that made us […]

Picks and Pans – From Los Olivos, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

PICKS: Los Olivos, CA

Although Sean and I spent less than an hour in this town, I’ve already made plans to return. With its old Victorian homes converted into B&Bs, its small main street lined with tasting rooms from local wineries and its relaxed vibe, Los Olivos is the perfect place to spend a weekend […]

Picks and Pans – South Bay

PICKS:

Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University

Just for kicks, Sean and I rode along with our friend Dan to his meeting at Stanford, and while Dan was busy with work, we explored the campus. Along the way, and with a little help from the campus map, we found the Cantor Arts Center. We entered […]