Yesterday, a friend’s wife was on a crowded US Airways flight from Charlotte to SFO. She knew it would be a long, problematic journey when one of the attendants saw the rugby team from the Bay Area and said, “Oh no, not again!” First, the A/C didn’t work on the back of the plane during…
Hershey Park is going to draw more than the usual sugar-high thrill-seekers this coming Memorial Day weekend with the launch of the new $5.4 million Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge Ride. It’s a multi-sensory laser dark ride that’s suited to the whole family. One car, dubbed team peanut butter, is pitted against another car, dubbed team…
Vintage wine, fine cuisine and classic car afficionados can all enjoy a few days at the races as the 20th Anniversary Jaguar Wine Country Classic zooms into Sonoma on June 3rd and 4th. Your ticket includes a souvenir program, entry into the COPIA Wine Coutnry Pavillion and the chance to see 300 of the finest…
Until I went to college, I took dozens of trips with my parents — to the desert, to Mexico, to Hawaii, to the mountains, and more. My Mom was always the travel leader in terms of packing our clothes, making sure we wore enough sunscreen on our noses, ensuring we ate the right foods while…
Tourism is San Francisco’s biggest money maker. After all, my home town has bridges, hills, cable cars, great weather, terrific hotels, wonderful restaurants, a cosmopolitan atmosphere, scores of high end stores for world class shopping, and two convention halls. In fact, for the 13th straight year and 17th in the past 18, a poll in…
Ok, I admit it. I love the Da Vinci Code. I’ve read the book twice, will be one of the first people to see it when it’s released next week, and can’t wait to visit the Louvre when I return to Paris in two weeks. If you’re like me and want to tour the mentioned…
We just watched the Queen Latifah movie, “Last Holiday,” and most of it took place at the Grandhotel Pupp in the alpine town of Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. And what a grand hotel it is! The opulent main building was erected in 1701. The Presidential Suite goes for about $4,000 US per night, but a…
Another SF hotel has changed names and owners. The Park Hyatt at 333 Battery Street adjacent to Embarcadero Center just become Le Meridien Hotel, a well-known luxury brand in France since 1972, throughout Europe and New York. This is the view from the hotel towards the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge. With 24 stories, 360…
You go to a fancy restaurant. The sommelier comes to your table and starts chatting. You don’t know squat about wine and can’t tell the dif between a Cab Sauv, a Merlot or a Sirah. What do you do to look intelligent without revealing your ignorance? This intriguing story in yesterday’s SF Chronicle interviews four…
The future was introduced last weekend in London. For those of you who missed it, including me, it was a showcase of 18 pieces from 14 Royal College of Art design students with Disturbance at the Great Eastern Hotel, with objects d’art throughout the hotel. Among the favorites were: • Brit Leissler’s Punch’n’Cuddle Bag —…
I might bring my dog Panda to this event. W Hotels in San Francisco and Bark Magazine have invited our four-legged friends to a Pooch Party that will benefit several non-profit organizations. The dogs will enjoy plenty of treats, fresh air and room to stretch their legs. Owners can win lots of great prizes. Plus,…
Whether you’re a diver, snorkeler or bird watcher, Small Hope Bay Lodge on the Bahamian island of Andros is the place and eco-tours are the big draw. These tours let visitors explore the fifth largest Bahama island’s diverse environment amid the least developed land mass in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean. Among the guided tours…