Fairmont’s Annals of History

In a 24-hour trip to San Francisco to visit the S.O., the last thing I wanted was rain. Puddle-jumping, plane-delaying, soak-you-to-your-bone rain. But there we were, two kids staring out a drenched window, wondering just what the heck we were going to do with this weekend “getaway.” Armed with new toy in hand, we decided to pull an Eloise at the Plaza and make the hotel our playground.

A Thousand Words: Happy 2010!

I admit I’ve been feeling lazy lately. Hey, it was the holidays, I worked hard all year, I needed a break, I went… to Vegas! Well, family first, then Vegas. There’s no place else in the world to escape reality the way you can in Sin City.

New York State of Mind: Buy those plane tix now!

September is the perfect time to plan those fall and winter getaways. The hottest route for this autumn — at least among many of my fellow Angelenos — is New York. What is it about the Big Apple that draws the fall crowds? Perhaps it’s that crisp rainy weather after three months of scorching temperatures, or the leaves just beginning to turn color. I prefer to think that it is nature’s intrinsic call to fatten up for the winter — and there’s no better place to do that than in the city.

Tickets are at an incredible low from now until the end of the year, with the exception of the holidays. Fridays and Sundays tend to be more expensive than other days of the week. Here are some of the best deals going on right now:

Big Parade LA: Walkin’ the City of Angels

Gear up for the Big Parade LA, a two-day, 40-mile walk through the city of Los Angeles, from downtown’s Angel’s Flight stairway to the Hollywood sign, on July 18-19. Stay and play for the day, or an hour, or even five minutes — the walk is open to everyone.

Bookmark this: Modern Hiker

Every once in awhile I stumble across something that deserves more than just a link on my blogroll. No matter what preconceptions you may have about the city of Los Angeles, geographically, Southern California is near perfection. Beach to the west, desert to the east and mountains just about everywhere you look — which means great hiking. Very few travelers visiting L.A. really take advantage of this, and it’s unfortunate. Casey Schreiner is trying to change all that with his blog, Modern Hiker, an extensive blog covering hundreds of miles of hiking trails in and around Southern California.

If Uncle Sam had to pick, he’d choose Chicago

Happy 223rd Birthday, America!   It’s around this time of year that my Midwest roots kick in.  You would never guess that I grew up in Indiana, but put me in a sports bar on 30-cent wing night with a Euchre deck and you’ll quickly see that I’m no Californian by birth.   (Ed. note: Why are [...]