Blog Archives

Vale Coffee & Matcha Elevates America’s New Ritual in Seattle

11 September 2025

Chef-driven drinks and ceremonial-grade matcha from Japan bring new depth to Seattle’s café scene. Seattle has been known for many things in my lifetime: grunge rock, great coffee, an awesome…

5 min

Grand Canyon Lower Canyon Rafting: 4 Days with Hatch River Expeditions

18 August 2025

I realize I have been absent for the past few months; I needed to regroup and really think about what I am going to do with this little blog that…

3 min

Cambio Tequila Tasting at BARCOA

24 May 2025

I recently received an email from Dave Tyda, owner of BARCOA Agavería in downtown Phoenix. Dave and I go back a few years—I first met him when I interviewed him…

3 min

Phoenix Easter Brunch Ideas: Resorts, Views & Sticky Buns

16 April 2025

There was a time when Easter brunch in Phoenix meant one thing: The Phoenician resort. If you know, you know. It was the place for any celebratory brunch—Mother’s Day, Easter,…

4 min

About Town: A Fresh Start, a Whole Pig, and Some Seriously Good Ramen

26 March 2025

It may not surprise you to hear that, on occasion, I reach a certain saturation point with eating and drinking. So, like clockwork, the new year kicked off with a…

7 min

Virginia Road Trip: Where to Sip, Savor, and Sleep

12 March 2025

I had never visited Virginia before our daughter went to college there, but over the past four years, I’ve completely fallen in love with it. There’s something special about Virginia’s…

4 min

About Town: Élephante Scottsdale, Coffee Builders, Velvet Taco, and Weft & Warp

06 February 2025

The most common question I get is: Where have you eaten lately? Dining out is one of my greatest pleasures, but between visiting kids in college and checking on family…

4 min

Blog

Terra Farm and Manor

16 January 2025

When Terra Farm and Manor, a luxury guest ranch and working farm in Prescott, AZ, opened in 2016, I placed it on my list of Must Visit Destinations. Not just…

3 min

Black-eyed Peas Please: A New Year’s Tradition

06 January 2025

New Year often inspires traditions: making resolutions (I will write a new post weekly), embracing new habits (I will meditate daily), or sharing a celebratory toast at midnight (I did…

4 min

Texas Hill Country Thanksgiving Traditions

26 November 2024

We’ve always celebrated Thanksgiving in the Texas Hill Country—at least as far back as I can remember. For many years, it was with my maternal grandparents in Doss, a tiny…

Signup for my Email Newsletter

Blog