Chris Erskine’s Happy Hour Hiking Club Takes a Tour of the LA Times Building

 

tour of the LA Times

Just in time! We were so fortunate to take a tour of the LA Times building only two weeks before they move to their new location.

tour of the LA Times

Our tour of the LA Times ~

Yes, it’s true, the Los Angeles Times is packing up and moving from Downtown Los Angeles. The new owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiongannounced in April, that he is vacating their historic, architecturally significant home and taking The Times to El Segundo because he could not reach a satisfactory lease agreement. The new building is just about twenty miles (but a long commute) from Downtown. The landowners wanted to increase the rent by $1 million per month. Wow!

This news came as a huge shock to the employees of the newspaper and Los Angeles history will be forever changed. The fearless leader of our Happy Hour Hiking Club, author and columnist Chris Erskine, has worked for the LA Times for twenty-eight years and he was able to arrange a special tour for us just before they all left for good.

Read more

What to See in Seattle ~ Your Complete List of Our Favorites!

 

what to see in Seattle

How do you decide what to see in Seattle?

Trying to decide what to see in Seattle is a major challenge, but a fantastic problem to have! The city is so amazing and there are so many tasty restaurants, picturesque spots and fun bars. Time and again many friends and colleagues ask me where to go and where to eat in Seattle. These personal recommendations are our absolute favorites and are places we go on a regular basis. This list does not include every single touristy activity – you can get those from another travel site or guide book. Of course there are several insanely great shopping areas (Downtown and University Village are our favorites) and a visit to the Flagship Nordstrom is a must.

Read more

Friday Roundup – Bits and pieces we didn’t get a chance to talk about this week!

Friday round up

Happy Friday! If you missed it…You can find this week’s post about == > How to Stay Fit When You Travel ===> HERE My Friday Roundup: Links to Awesome Stories You Have Probably Not Seen. Don’t you love it when someone else does the work? OMGee 20 Books everyone ill be talking about this Summer! …

Read more

The Hyatt Carmel Highlands :: Unrivaled Views of the California Coast Since 1917

The Hyatt Carmel Highlands

We are headed back to one of our favorite spots on the planet. The one of a kind views from The Hyatt Carmel Highlands in Carmel By the Sea should be on your list of possible destinations.

The magical drive up the rocky California Coast should be on everyone’s adventure list and anytime of year is the perfect time to go. As a native Californian, I have been making this drive since I was a youngster and my husband and I have been vacationing in Carmel for at least 30 years. We have stayed here during every season and they all offer something different.

Read more

 Adventures of Empty Nesters: A Year in Review – How Much Fun Did We Really Have?

a year in review

 

2017 was a very busy and truly spectacular travel year!

So I decided to do a quick year in review, not to boast about how many places I have been, but to unpack, pause and appreciate what can be accomplished through thoughtful planning, careful research, great relationships, accumulated miles and points and the best dog sitter in the world!

I started the year with knee surgery on Jan 6th, so the pace of the travel was slow in the beginning, but it quickly picked up in early March. I may not have been fully recovered but we had adventures to take, people to see and places to go. There was no sitting around.

Read more

Four More of the Best Restaurants in San Francisco You Must Try Today

Consider this post to be an addendum to this one ==> 15 Amazing Restaurants in San Francisco to Visit Today!

More of the Best Restaurants in San Francisco

When we make a stop in San Francisco we make it count. In the evening, we don’t relax much, we try to fit in every new (and old) restaurant we haven’t been to yet! Finding the best restaurants in San Francisco is a joyous adventure. During the day, we skip lunch, walk a lot and relish the special gastronomic moments at these unique dining spots that have even earned a Michelin Star.

That is a big deal! San Francisco dominates the region with Michelin worthy acclaim. Receiving a Michelin star is a highly coveted reward for providing an incredible dining experience, coupled with outstanding service and excellent, innovative cuisine.

Read more

An Empty Nester Visit to the Pumpkin Patch in Seattle ~ It’s still fun!

a visit to the pumpkin patch

 

visit to the pumpkin patch
They had the cutest pumpkin house!

Even when the kids are grown a visit to the pumpkin patch in Seattle is still a treat!

Combine, blue skies, the idyllic landscape of a rustic farm in the Pacific Northwest, white puffy clouds, colorful autumn leaves, the lingering aroma of apple donuts cooking and enormous green fields studded with huge orange pumpkins and you have described a perfect day in my book. How about you?

visit to the pumpkin patch
Alex and Brent picking out their pumpkin to carve

Read more

Sending Love to All That Are Suffering From The Las Vegas Tragedy

the Las Vegas Tragedy

the Las Vegas Tragedy

Waking up to the news of the Las Vegas Tragedy

I have always been described as someone who is extremely sensitive. That’s not such a bad description but at times the burden is great. I am affected by the smallest of situations and react with tears and anxiousness more than I really want to and especially when we are surprised by tragedy.

Today I woke up to the news of the shooting in Las Vegas. I was tired and went to bed early so my first available news was seeing the heartfelt sadness and prayers sent to Las Vegas on Facebook.

I had no idea about any of the details and by turning on the news I quickly learned what had happened. These types of horrific tragedies happen so often it makes me sick to my stomach. The number of mothers, fathers and families that are grieving is staggering. What can I do that can make a difference?

Read more

The Farmers Market :: A Saturday Tradition at the San Francisco Ferry Building

the farmers market
the farmers market
The San Francisco Ferry Building

A visit to the farmers market is always at the top of my list, especially when I am traveling. Saturdays are slower in the city and there seems to be a little more leisure time. But when the weather is perfect it is even better! I love to visit the markets in other metro areas to see the differences between regions and also observe what is popular with the other shoppers.

Read more

Where to Eat Great Food in Pasadena Today – Malbec Restaurant

great food in Pasadena

Malbec in Pasadena

Social media can lead to great food in Pasadena ~

I have a great story for you! A social media story with a very happy and delicious ending. A fellow foodie named Susan, who lives near where I live, connected with me on Instagram. She found me and followed me and I followed her in return!

I could tell that she and I had a lot in common through her posts. She loves going to outstanding restaurants and eating great meals and she is also very innovative in her kitchen. Recently she posted a gorgeous photo of a lunch dish she was having at an Argentine restaurant in Pasadena called Malbec.

Read more