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Category: Enchanting places

ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITE PLACES…A REDWOOD FOREST

My earliest memories of growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area always have one common component,…redwood forests! My mom and dad as well as my grandmother and grandfather, loved taking picnics among the redwoods in the Oakland Hills and around the Bay. I think my mom enjoyed…

NEW PLACES I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT…FRANCE

It will not come as much of a surprise but I often have “travel” on the brain. This is a first in a series of posts on “New Places I Would Love To Visit” and I chose France for my first one. The top 10 countries…

AWE…STARTLING EMOTIONAL AWAKENINGS

I listened to a fascinating program on NPR featuring Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. He is the author of “Awe…The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life.” The…

A RETURN VISIT TO THE ENCHANTED ISLAND OF GUERNSEY WITH MARLA AND OUR GRANDSON PAXTON

The enchanted island of Guernsey has a very special place in my heart. Marla and I were overjoyed to make a return trip in early August with our grandson Paxton who just finished a month of study in Paris. We had to cancel a Guernsey trip last year due to…

MORE FAVORITE DINING EXPERIENCES…memories of special moments with family and friends

We all have remembrances of dinners with family and friends over the years which we’ve kept in our treasured memory vaults. The key ingredients of those special times are often not the cuisine or the ambiance of the restaurant but the extraordinary people you were with. Going over…

BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING CORSICA

If you crave a European destination with a fascinating history (Napoleon Bonaparte was born here), wonderful sandy beaches and warm water, ancient villages, unusual cuisine and local wines, great hiking in rugged mountains and valleys…and surprisingly few Americans, then Corsica should be on your travel radar! Marla and…

SILENT MORNING WALKS

When I arrive at a new destination, especially if I’m in a different time zone, there is nothing better than getting outside for a…silent morning walk. I love to explore…especially before the sounds of awakening commerce, before most people have had their first cup…