Michele Bigley traveled to over thirty countries before settling down in San Francisco with her family. She is the author of Northern California: An Explorer's Guide and Great Destinations Kauai.
Harvest time has arrived, making Wine Country into the destination du jour of California's Indian Summer. Imagine warm languid days filled with the scent of crisped apples and grape leaves, earth being turned and yes, so much perfume of...
As I stared at the collection of books, train toys, wipes, clothing and snacks overflowing from our backpacks, I had to ask the question: Have we, like most of our thirtysomething friends, graduated from traveling with backpacks? Most of my...
Some destinations rely on their notoriety to draw tourists back year after year. Mendocino County has a different agenda. Combining rich redwood forests, windswept beaches, and artsy towns with one-of-a-kind festivals, San Francisco's northern hippie neighbor...
With honeymoons, anniversaries, and the summer heat all begging to be celebrated, Northern California has its fair share of places to woo your sweetheart. Selecting which is right for you is the only problem. Here are my top romantic inns...
A brush fire torched 10 acres of Kokee forest in the Waimea Canyon State Park this weekend. As of Sunday morning, the blaze was 75 percent contained, with a few hot spots still burning. The fire started along Makaha Ridge...
San Franciscans have a love/hate affair with the 4th of July. Oh how we love to celebrate barbeque, family and friends, the languid days of summer, lounging in Dolores Park with Bi Rite honey lavender ice cream, and a...
On my first overseas trip, I was beginning to feel homesick when I stumbled into a cafe in Amsterdam. It was the typical Dutch coffee shop, complete with typical Dutch vices, but that wasn't what drew me in. The...
After prowling through Travelzoo, Travel-ticker, and Smarter Travel, we finally found a reasonable airline flight to Thailand. But this fickle traveler had to marinate on the price ($670--in summer!), the dates, and if I could handle a 25...
Everyone smirks when they hear you are going to Las Vegas. You know the expression: an upper lip curl that insinuates that you are about to drink yourself into a money spending stupor, indulge yourself with gluttinous cuisine, then shop...
As queen of the procrastinators, I am often scowering the Internet searching for last minute ideas for Father's Day. If you are like me, here are some ideas that dads with wanderlust will surely appreciate. 1. Golden Gate Meat...