North America

in NORTH AMERICA

DAY TRIP : BOLINAS, CALIFORNIA

Bolinas is a small Northern California town, nestled in the hills where the Bolinas Lagoon meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s only 30 miles from San Francisco and yet it feels far removed. Still, it pulls in its fair share of fashionable city folk and tourists. I recently spotted a group of gorgeous young Italians sipping cold beer in pretty glassware on the patio at Coast Cafe. Clearly they, like everyone, wanted to check out Bolinas.

To do so, they would have had to journey along the coast and wind their way blindly off the 101 into the town. There is no road sign. There is no road sign because the locals have spent years foiling attempts by the state highway department to identify the town. They tear the road signs down because they don’t want to be found … Read More

HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

I planned our trip so that we would arrive by train and experience the city on foot. This is a family trip, a historical tour with the kids. This is how we roll: each pulling a small carry on spinner through the station to the subway below, which swiftly transports us across the Schuylkill River toward Historic Philadelphia. We emerge on a sunny, bustling sidewalk and wonder: Do we go straight for the cheesecake or drop our bags at the hotel first? Our spinner bags make perfect makeshift chairs and since we are lollygagging, we eat cheesecake under the canopy of an oak tree. Hello Philadelphia! … Read More

THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES

… We chose the morning tour, figuring it would be cooler and we’d have a better chance of seeing wildlife. We were not disappointed: Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, and Tri-colored Herons were among the majestic birds that nested in the mangroves. We spotted at least six alligators (normally from a comfortable distance) and paddled through byzantine mangrove tunnels. Thank God for our guide, who was experienced, knowledgeable, and pleasant: We could not have found our way around or out of the Everglades without him! …. Read More

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

I was in New Orleans once before and stayed in a charming hotel on one of the quietest, prettiest streets in the French Quarter. Although it was picturesque this time was better; I was in a home, with a family that I know and love. My friends had been living in New Orleans, also known as “Nola”, for eight months. I promised I would visit them while they were there (working on Quentin Tarantino’s latest film “Django Unchained.”) I kept my promise and arrived just in time; We spent their final weekend together, making the farewell rounds at all the best local joints, savoring each favorite dish one last time, toasting friends with Sazeracs and Vieux Carre … Read More

MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS

15 Rules for Vineyard Bliss

1. Be with friends ; rest and laugh in abundance. 2. Carry a paddle board into the ocean. Climb on, stand up + smile. 3. Enjoy long lazy lunches at home followed by a nap. 4. Ride the waves or walk the beach at Aquinnah … Read More

STINSON BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Stinson Beach is a long crescent of white sand with a small main street and a few weekend houses. It’s a favorite Bay Area weekend getaway for families and surfers and if you grow up in Marin County, it might be one of the best reasons ever to cut class. I also have friends who love Stinson Beach when they’re alone; sometimes they hike down from Pantoll Station, arriving through Steep Ravine or they get up early and walk the length of the beach, ending up on the boulders at the southern end … Read More

MARFA, TEXAS

Hidden in what seems like Middle of Nowhere, West Texas lies the beautiful town of Marfa. Marfa has been an artists’ colony ever since the 70s, when sculptor Donald Judd stumbled upon it while journeying through the high desert. Inspired, he quickly moved in (from New York City) and began creating contemporary works of art within its spectacular landscape. Over time others joined him. In the last decade Marfa has become a magnet for artists from all over the world who seek peace and quiet and a community where art is appreciated, and everywhere … Read More

WEEKEND IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

“To describe the beauties of this region will, on some future occasion, be a very grateful task to the pen of a skilled panegyrist.” So wrote Capt. George Vancouver when sailing into the inlet area that would one day be named for him. Old Georgie had many beautiful places to compare it to; on this same journey he had already surveyed the coastlines of Cape Town, New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, China, Oregon and Washington. I had to look up “panegyrist” in the dictionary (it means “written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing”), so obviously I’m not his guy. But I can rave about Vancouver with the best of them … Read More