Unlike what we saw in part 1, Christmas in the city is a study in contrasts. At Thanksgiving, I walked through the streets en route to dinner, and the streets were delightfully quiet, revealing both sights of joy, as well as desperation. A similar experience could be seen on Urban Amble’s mad dash through the … More Holiday Tales Part 2: The Urban Amble
A common lament of those of us who were raised in the northeast is that “while I love California, I do miss the fall”. And I certainly have uttered that phrase many times, although lately, I have found my love of California wavering, its been more tough love given its current dysfunctional state. Last month, … More Traveling Up The Hudson River
I have many favorite places in San Francisco, but one stands above all the rest, the San Francisco Art Institute on Russian Hill. The Art Institute, founded in 1871, is one of the oldest and more prestigious art schools in the country. Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Bruce Nauman, and Clyfford Still have taught there, Joan … More The San Francisco Art Institute
Do not fear loyal reader -The Grand Tour (Recession Version!) continues, after a brief hiatus. To recap, we have made our way south from the Golden Gate Bridge,to the south bay, and back up to the through East Bay. Part 9 takes us to our second island on the tour: Treasure Island. Here’s the route: … More Grand Tour.9-Escaping To Treasure Island
The second part of the road trip took me from Bakersfield down into the desert. The route takes us down into the LA area, then east on Route 66, and then on to Palm Springs. After a few days of R&R, the leg continued north, some more time on 66, then up into the Mohave … More California Road Trip-Part 2: Route 66 and Other Blue Highways
A number of years ago, I read a book by the Native American writer William Least Heat Moon- “Blue Highways”. It told of his driving tour of the country, all on its back roads, or ‘blue highways’. I was captivated by it, and have done similar, smaller versions of this myself over the years. Last … More California Road Trip-Part 1: El Camino Real
Do not fear intrepid reader, the popular Grand Tour (Recession Edition) of San Francisco Bay has continued unabated. The author has just been … More Grand Tour.6- Alviso and the Slough
While the focus of my trip back East was my Dad’s birthday, I did manage to squeeze in a side trip to Buffalo. I went to college in Buffalo, and have a long-standing love affair with the place. Buffalo’s unique history has resulted in an incredible collection of buildings and landscapes unrivaled by any other … More Buffalo Tales- Part 1: The Queen City of the Lakes
Ambling through the city on Easter Sunday. Much to marvel at- no words necessary.
Part 5 in the the Bay circumambulation is a bit of detour inland, to Stanford. I have never really walked around this campus much, though I did a bit of work there a number of years ago. The campus is studded with buildings by rock-star architects, but the original quad is the most compelling part … More The Grand Tour.5- A Detour to Stanford
urban ambles 