Tag Archives: California History
The Bathing Beauty Bit
Okay so sort of by accident, I’ve been learning more about “mindfulness” lately! (Although with a World Series Game starting shortly, it’s hard to be entirely “in the moment” just now…) While I can sure use the education, it’s been coming in forms I definitely didn’t expect! I mean, bathing-wise, I’ve always been a practitioner […]
The Bit About Transplanted Treasures
One of my favorite things about traveling is getting to make connections I never expected! I just had the pleasure of wandering into a historical connection between my favorite California coastal haunt and a small town about 400 miles away – Their link was media tycoon William Randolph Hearst. While I’d known about Hearst’s habit […]
The Bit About the Golden Dream
Me: “Hey Siri! When was gold first discovered in California?” Siri: “Gold was discovered in California on January 24, 1848.” Yup. Having been born in the Golden State and raised on its history, that’s the answer I expected. And normally, as with other Siri-ish replies for weather or the nearest gas station, I’d have accepted […]
The Bit About “The City” (Part 2)
Heyyy, welcome back to my personal saga of San Francisco! Like I said before, my connection goes beyond me and back to family like my great aunt Martha who called the City home from the 1940’s, and to another Martha who set up shop there – quite literally – long before that. So last time, […]
The Bit About “The City” (Part 1)
I sure hope you’ve got the kind of friends I’m lucky to have! Ones you might not see for ages and then get back together with and it’s as if no time has passed? What a gift that is! Certain places have that feel for me too. Visiting London last summer was just like catching […]
Wine Country: A Bit of Travel “Terroir”
Greetings! Sharing a new word I picked up on a recent wine tasting holiday – “terroir”! Seems fair to pronounce it something like “tehr waar” – or to add a little phlegm to those r’s as you’re able. Terroir has to do with the environmental factors where a wine is produced that contribute to its […]
The Sampling Santa Barbara Bit
So does this happen to you too? Are there close by places – not necessarily bucket list-y ones, just cool sounding ones – that you mean to visit but you never seem to get to? I lived in LA for more than 25 years before getting out to nearby Joshua Tree National Park. At least […]
The Echoes Cross the 101 Bit
Springtime greetings! Just got back from a really refreshing getaway in Northern California! I decided to take my time on the trip and drive up from LA on Highway 101 which runs through California and on to Oregon and Washington. It even took me across the glorious Golden Gate Bridge! Fellow Angelenos know our local […]
The Adventures in Waitressing Bit
So this summer, I was browsing in a railroad museum shop (as you do) and I couldn’t resist picking up what, for me, is a bit of fan merch: Ever since reading about the Harvey Girls and seeing the Judy Garland musical, I’ve felt kind of a kinship with these gals! They were women who […]
Santa Ynez Valley: The What’s With the Names Bit
So just a couple-ish hours’ drive northwest from LA is a favorite destination I’ve been so pleased to get back to. It’s the Santa Ynez Valley! The area’s got diverse and dramatic beauty, lots to do – and some pretty eclectic overlays of history! As local place names suggest, the valley includes multiple cultures at […]
TESSEROLOGY 