Blogs from California, United States, North America - page 8

Summer seems to dictate lighter, fruitier wines and soft drinks. Consider these: Unless you're swimming in the stuff, skip the Champagne for casual outdoor occasions and opt for Spanish Cava to pass around as your guests arrive and the coals heat up. It is much less expensive, and after the first glass, nobody cares! Cava is commonly made following the same method as its expensive French relative, yet with local grapes and a wider range of prices. It's hard not to feel relaxed and ready to sit back and enjoy a hearty meal of grilled meats and sides when you have a chilled glass of bubbles in hand. Plus, if you get a few extra bottles you'll find that the crisp mousse is a fine pairing for your spread. Totus Tuus Cava reserva, named for the ... read more

By B roads I mean any road that is not an Interstate. Here are a couple of observations of the roads themselves: They are generally in great condition, not crowded and a pleasure to ride. Kudos to those who maintain them. There are not enough places to stop. Take the UK for example and layby'... read more

Well here we are again, hitting the road on Harley Davidson Ultra Ltd's for our 4th trip. As I always mention when you are reading this blog, they are usually done later in the evening after dinner and maybe, just maybe a couple of drinks - bourbon or margarita's - a small keyboard, big fingers after a long day in the saddle. So please excuse any spelling errors. And you can enlarge the pics for a better look. Day 1 - Arriving in L.A. at 6.30pm after a sleepless night on the plane, so a quick snack, shower and bed was in order. Day 2 - Just a bit of a lazy day, a relaxing walk around Hawthorne, lunch at Chips Diner, over to Hertz Ride and meet Jim to finalize the paperwork for the bikes, ... read more

I wrote this back in 2014. Let's see how much our favorite city has changed. 2014: Borrowed from the Concierge at the Handlery Hotel: Where to find local wildlife: sea lions at Pier 39, elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park. harbor porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge near Fort Point. What about the much maligned fortune cookie? Though they came originally from Japan, they were introduced to America at the Japanese Tea Garden out at Golden Gate Park in the late 1800s (about when my grandfather came to America). And if you go to 56 Ross Alley in Chinatown, you made watch them being made at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. So, who really care's about Ben and Jerry's in the City. Not people who prefer the local varieties, like Mitchell's, Bi-rite, or Swenson's. ... read more

This might be one of the most famous bookstores in the world!!! I wrote this back in 2013. I am reposting (2020), in the hopes that you might donate to City Lights Bookstore, as they struggle through the quarantine in San Francisco. It is by far, the most historic, and unusual bookstore I have ever visited. They have been running a successful "Go Fund Me" page. ​From 2013: Today is a special day for someone very dear. This lady grew up in San Francisco, in the Mission to be exact. But she has never been to the famous City Lights Bookstore. Today is the day! We also had dim sum at City View in Chinatown, and topped it off with some Blue Bottle Coffee at the Ferry Building. This is from a previous email written a ... read more