the next time you're in San Diego, I highly recommend a drive out to Ramona to see the Guy B.Woodward Museum, a fascinating collection of artifacts that reflect the area's colorful Old West history. Read the rest of this entry »

Waterfalls are abundant in northern California, but the remote town of Dunsmuir boasts two cascades that are easy to reach. Hedge Creek Falls is in Hedge Creek Park on the north side of Dunsmuir, just west of I-5. The trail to the 30-foot-high falls starts by a picturesque little picnic area with great views of the Sacramento River, the river canyon and Mount Shasta. The path winds serenely, but sometimes steeply with steps, down to the falls. You can even walk behind the falls.

I never expected to find an Abraham Lincoln museum in southern California. But the Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands showcases the largest collection of Lincoln and Civil War memorabilia west of the Mississippi River. Read the rest of this entry »

Little-known Fern Canyon, located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park north of Orick, was a highlight of a trip my wife, Judy, and I took along northern California's coast. Read the rest of this entry »

The Crab Cooker lures seafood lovers by the southern California seashore.

Boatloads of restaurants serve tasty seafood in southern California. But the Crab Cooker, located just about a block from the famous Newport Beach pier, hooked my family long ago! Read the rest of this entry »

Located high in the Mojave Desert, Pioneertown USA looks and feels like an Old West ghost town.

But this unusual spot outside the town of Yucca Valley, California and Joshua Tree National Park dates back to only 1946–it was built to film movies and house the casts and crews! Read the rest of this entry »

While heading through northern California, we spent a peaceful hour contemplating the beauty of the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden, located in the Klamath National Forest, near Weed. Read the rest of this entry »

Western Sonoma County, California is one of my favorite places. This coastal region about an hour north of San Francisco is filled with majestic natural beauty, lovely places to stay and friendly people. Read the rest of this entry »

Most people think of Palm Springs, California as the playground of the rich and famous. But it's also home to the loveliest palm-filled canyons in the world.

I discovered this at Indian Canyons, owned by the Agua Caliente band of the Cahuilla Indians and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The centerpiece is Palm Canyon , featuring the world's largest oasis of California fan palms–more than 3,000 in all. Read the rest of this entry »

I've never tried surfing. But I dove right into the sport's history at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum in Santa Cruz, California, overlooking the famous Steamer Lane surfing spot. Read the rest of this entry »

I found myself enchanted by tranquil Gravity Garden in California, a private sculpture garden located little more than a stone's throw from Carmel, along the scenic Big Sur coastline. Read the rest of this entry »

My husband, Ken, and I really had a great time at the Riverside County Fair/National Date Festival in Indio, a town based in southern California's Coachella Valley.

This region is one of the largest date-producing areas in the United States. The fun-filled annual event is held in February at the Riverside County Fairgrounds, which includes lots of date palms that add an Arabian Nights-like atmosphere to the festivities. Read the rest of this entry »