Travel

Check out the California location for the Wits' End series

Murphys: The picturesque Sierra location that inspired Doyle. Wits' End centers around the owner of a UFO-themed B&B in "Doyle,"...

Casablanca Cartomancy

I've posted this elsewhere before, but it always strikes me as a good blog around the summer solstice, so I'm reposting it here. -...

Spy vs. Spies

When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Estonia ('94-'96), we had to get creative on weekends. A friend discovered a roll of...

Magical Mt. Shasta

The darkness is absolute. Steam and burning herbs scald my nostrils, choke my throat. I’m not actually claustrophobic, but panic sends my...

5 Reasons You Need Krampus for Christmas

Tonight is Krampusnacht! If you’ve never heard of Krampus before, never fear. I’m about to enlighten you. In Germany and other Alpine...

The Fairy Tale Cottages of Carmel

The fairy tale whimsy found in your own backyard can be surprising. I've lived in Northern California most of my life but somehow managed...

A Little Alien

"That was a guy from Australia." The bartender/waitress/hotel receptionist hangs up the phone and sits beside me at the bar. Dollar bills...

Review: House of Eternal Return

No, this isn't a book review; it's a review for a mind blowing art installation in Santa Fe, New Mexico. What makes this interactive...

Windy Hill

I walk the Windy Hill Jeweled dragons tumble over amber grass And roost in dying oaks Their wings confetti flashes. The round top’s...