California's Central Coast stretches roughly 270 miles, from Ventura to Monterey.Over the years, Nancy and I have been drawn to that part of the state - beautiful, interesting, and between two giant metro areas, so it's usually less crowded.When I was a young tadpole, my famil...

Here's what I liked about The Broad - which as you know rhymes with road and is named for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad: It's not overwhelming. My museum tolerance is about two hours, or two floors. Whichever comes first. Surprises. Several of the rooms you walk into ...

In 2019, Nancy and I visited the rolling hills of Paso Robles to attend Sensorio, an outdoor art exhibition using the power of the sun to create a colorful, immersive experience.Since then, Sensorio introduced new exhibits and a live music stage. So in early May of 2025 we ret...

It was a beautiful day at the Huntington Gardens. Bright sun, mild temperatures, not crowded. Perfect for a photo field trip.From the start I wanted to see the gardens in a different, more abstract way - not exactly as they were, but in a new light. Some of these photos simpli...

Nancy and I took the train from Tuscany to Rome, dropped our bags and walked back outside. I could barely believe it: Straight down our street, a quarter mile away, was the Roman Colosseum.

[A car rolls up a dirt driveway in the high desert.][A man comes down the front steps and waves.] Hey, Zack![Zack] Duncan! It's great to see you![The two embrace.][Duncan smiles.] You smell like an old Chevy![Zack] That's because my old Chevy smells like me.[Duncan] That IS a ...

Over the past 25 years Nancy and I had explored Portland's Washington Park, and loved its forested trails and its distant views of the Northwest's great peaks.

Channeling the amazing energy of a pre-pandemic Manhattan

Balboa Park has some serious history: It was first designated as a city park in 1868, and many of its foundational elements were built in the first few decades of the 1900s. Its most famous attraction - the San Diego Zoo - opened in 1916.Nancy and I have history with this park...