Big Bend is a massive national park that most outside of Texas have heard little about. The whole West Texas area that bends into Mexico, between El Paso and San Antonio, is often called “Big …
June 12, 2014
United States
Big Bend Country, Texas
L.A. foodie binge
Why break bread in the City of Angels? Wade into a mixology oasis, devour seared red meat and make your way through a parade of Asian delights? Eat, pray and love. Nah, I just love …
June 1, 2014
Take the back roads: Vermont’s historic Route 100
In an era where places rarely or barely live up to their reputations, Vermont’s Route 100 looks and really feels like old-fashioned Christmas cards depicting the New England state. I visited in winter, when buildings …
May 28, 2014
U-T hypes long-delayed Manchester hotel plan
It will be a long, hot day at the end of Austin's typically hellish Texas summer when Douglas Manchester's “Fairmont Austin” convention hotel finally breaks ground. At least that's the latest prediction from the voluble …
May 22, 2014
Cincinnati: hip Rust Belt city
Cincinnati has roots in so many different worlds: North and South, rust belt and agrarian, skyscrapers and green space, historic and hip. Neighborhoods that were marginalized for decades are now favorites of young professionals. Artistic …
May 10, 2014
Camping is no excuse for bad fashion
For Spring break, my family, a few friends, and I drove nine hours to camp amongst the cliffs and Fremont cottonwoods of Zion National Park in Utah. It was breathtaking. The second day we were …
May 8, 2014
Texas two-steppin' in Fort Worth
Cowboy culture is alive and well in Fort Worth, a city of about 775,000 just to the west of Dallas (and often lumped in the same metropolitan area). Fort Worth's a colorful composite of cattle …
April 28, 2014
Carlsbad hash-oil processor processed in Vista
A Carlsbad man was arrested on April 22 after police found ten empty butane cans in the trash container from his home. Authorities had gotten a tip that Daniel Clark Steadman, 32, was cooking hashish …
April 25, 2014
Digital detox in Julian
A digital detox vacation is one where you can’t get cellphone, satellite or internet service of any kind. Ok, I might've just sent you into a panic attack with this thought – so take a …
April 18, 2014
Man admits Vista robbery — but not murder attempt
A man who has been fighting an attempted-murder charge for years made a plea deal on April 8, the day his case was set for jury selection. Phillip Edwards Miller, previously identified as Phillip Esquire …
April 10, 2014
Camping at Doheny State Beach, CA
Our growing family of four is always up for an adventure, and recently we began mulling over this idea of a bicycle-train-camping expedition. Unsure if we'd be getting in over our heads, we decided to …
April 10, 2014
Bersin’s bungling?
The Customs and Border Protection department’s Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia — to which San Diego Border Patrol sector trainees are regularly dispatched for a high-tech education in all manner of shooting, …
April 9, 2014
Qualcomm-linked foundation pays for Davis travel
San Diego House Democrat Susan Davis, infamous for years of free world travel, thanks to various lobbyist-related groups, stuck closer to home in her latest gratis mid-winter foray from the nation's capital. A travel-disclosure form …
April 7, 2014
Former SD councilman ruled off ballot in Nevada
John Michael "Mike" Schaefer, a 1960s San Diego Councilman who tried to establish himself in Los Angeles, Nevada, and elsewhere, is battling election officials in Nevada. Schaefer, who was disbarred by Nevada in 2001 and …
April 5, 2014
Paddling with gators in Florida's Myakka River State Park
Initially I was petrified at the thought of being in a body of water with alligators, but then I realized I didn’t sign up for this kayak trip to see birds. If you’ve spent much …