Some of the best memories I have as a kid are the family road trips we’d take from Sacramento—my sisters and I piling in the back of our wood-paneled station wagon loaded with luggage, fighting for a window seat while dad fires up another cigarette and checks the map. It’s the quintessential American family experience, so what better way to start your summer (Father’s Day is also the official start of summer) than a fun and affordable Father’s Day road trip getaway? Right then: Here are my top tips on places to go and things to do in Northern California that I promise your dad—and the entire family—will enjoy. Read full article »

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up a couple of weeks. You haven’t made any plans yet, have you? I didn’t think so. Well, now’s a great time to start, so grab a pen, find your day-planner, pour yourself another cup of coffee, and take a few minutes to comb over my seven top suggestions for fun and affordable Memorial Day getaways in the month of May. Since it’s the off-season in the mountains right now, we’re heading to the coast for some indoor/outdoor adventuring: digging for clams, taking a cruise on the bay, exploring aquariums, kayaking with sea otters, hiking along the coast, and reminding ourselves how lucky we are to be living in Northern California. Read full article »