So there you are, sitting in your office or cubical on a sunny day, wishing you were working somewhere, anywhere else right now. Like on a small family farm for instance, planting strawberries and picking pears in dirty jeans and warm sunshine. It’s not an impossible dream you know. Mavericks such as Dee Harley of Harley Farms have pursued their passion for life beyond office walls and made it work. So beyond the obvious benefits of taking a weekend getaway to a family farm—fresh produce, scenic drives, baby goats—is the incentive of inspiration, of meeting people who, even in these troubling economic times, are happily living off the land. Read full article »

I have a confession to make. If I didn’t have to visit Northern California’s botanical gardens and preserves to review them for my travel guides, I probably never would have learned how amazing the places are. Until I actually visited the spectacular Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park and the mind-blowing Cornerstone Festival of Gardens in Sonoma Valley, I never realized how… entertaining the world of botany can be. If you’re already a fan of gardens, you won’t need encouraging, but for all you too-cool-for-tulips types, trust me: A getaway to any of these five botanical gardens will turn your thumbs green in no time. Read full article »