One of the historic homes I went searching for in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood was the Atherton House at 1990 California Street. I didn’t know anything about the house’s history, but that — and the scaffolding obstructing my view — didn’t stop me from admiring the place from the sidewalk. Built between 1881-1882, the house was added to the […]
Although I still have quite a lot of photos of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden to share, I thought today I would take a break and offer up something different. Just the other day Google Photos reminded me that in mid August 2019 I took a stroll through Portsmouth Square in San Francisco’s Chinatown. My opening image is one of […]
If you’re into history (like me) and if you love trees (again, like me) this episode is the perfect fit! Although this episode originally aired over 20 years ago on October 10, 2003, both trees still survive — more or less. You may not see the historic Vizcaino-Serra oak tree standing tall in its original location, but if you are […]
There are a number of different Chinatowns in California these days. The one in San Francisco is probably the best known, as it’s fairly large and still thriving, very popular with tourists. In contrast, San Luis Obisbo’s Chinatown has very nearly disappeared, with only one original building remaining — Ah Louis store, first built in 1874. One of the main […]
Well, yes, it’s been awhile. Just shy of a month — a month of some serious ups and downs for me. First there was a trip over to the Mendocino coast; then I came down with Covid for the first time ever; and once I had more or less recovered from that, I spent a week in San Francisco. But […]
These days you’ll find a lot of vineyards in other parts of California, but Napa is still a strong wine-producing region. Still, as Huell has said, there’s so much more to this beautiful Northern California county. I’ve never spent much time in the Napa Valley, but my short visit to the Calistoga area last May was a super fun experience. […]
When Huell attended the grand reopening of the railroad depot in Perris on January 31, 2009, it was not his first visit to this community in Riverside County; you may recall his tour of the railway museum from 2003. I always love to see California towns embrace their history as they move forward into the future, and Perris seems to […]
Just a short drive west of Amarillo, Texas, is the site known as the Cadillac Ranch. It’s been a unique site ever since 1974, and I’m not really sure what to think of it as it now appears. But we had spotted this collection of colorful cars more than once as we drove past on our previous trips to and […]
If you get a kick out of succulents, you’ll enjoy this episode of Visiting, originally aired November 2002. With a laid-back central coast vibe, a wide variety of cactus, and plenty of room for local artists to work out their creative urges, this former nursery along the coast a few miles south of Hearst San Simeon State Park was definitely […]