California

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is returning in full form this November 9-13 with its 18th annual bi-national festival and culinary celebration. This year the festival will return to pre-pandemic activities including the action-packed Grand Tasting on Saturday, November 12 located at San Diego's Port and stunning Embarcadero, and new events including various wine dinners, interactive expeditions, and a Latin American inspired Grand Fiesta. As one of the top wine and food events here in San Diego it is a refreshing sign that things are getting back to normal again!

Every great ballpark deserves an equally great place to go before, after and well... this is the San Diego Padres here, so during a game where it's better to drown your sorrows in cold pints of craft beer and smoking hot grilled wings. That's what Bub's delivers. It's probably the best sports bar in San Diego and a place we like to frequent even when the Padres aren't playing.

It would be an understatement to say that Ford's Bronco was one of the most wildly anticipated vehicles to become available this year. Promising to be a "Wrangler Killer" by taking the decades of engineering that Jeep had invested into it's off road king and offering a new perspective, Bronco has some big shoes tires to fill. Is it able to do so? We took it on one of our favorite trails to find out.

Fathers and sons do not always have the best of relationships. One way to repair or improve the relationship would be to take a father and son trip. California is an excellent place for such a trip. 

Catalina Island is one of the not so hidden secrets sitting just off the coast of Southern California. Since it was first settled by wealthy industrialists it has been an escape that while only 22 miles from Los Angeles is quite literally a world away. Most visitors here will be content to simply walk around Avalon, grab drinks, and maybe just enjoy a day with their toes in the sand enjoying the crystal clear waters. I've done that... but what I hadn't done until now was had the opportunity to explore Catalina's back country in search of their iconic buffalo.

I had the privilege of visiting the folks at Boochcraft in San Diego during an open house at their new production facility and quite frankly it changed my perception of the entire beverage segment. As progressive and open to new ideas as I am... I'd generally looked at "Hard Kombucha" as something girly that was more the domain of crunchy dudes who drove Subaru Foresters and talked about how great being a vegan was. While there's nothing wrong with those sort of guys... that's just not me. What I found here though was a beautiful blend of West Coast craft beer scene vibes mixed with many of the same things that I enjoy about hanging out with the new generation of winemakers. Let's take a look at why I'm hooked on Boochcraft and you guys should make sure to grab some too.

Most of the resorts in North County San Diego sit atop bluffs with the beach hard to access and often with obstructed views to boot. While Alila Marea also sits atop a bluff, it has the unique benefit of facing the miles-long South Carlsbad State Beach as well as sitting directly above the Grandview Surf Beach. This makes it one of the best located - truly beach-front resorts in San Diego and offers guests unobstructed views and relaxing sounds of waves crashing on the shore at night.

California Wine Festival, Southern California’s premier wine festival event producer, announces its return to the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort for two days of seaside tasting events on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21. Guests will be able to sample pours from winemaking regions across California, paired with gourmet appetizers from many of North San Diego County’s top restaurants while experiencing lifestyle exhibitors, live entertainment and expansive ocean vistas. 

Sometimes you just walk by a place and have no idea what you've been missing. That was the case up until a few days ago with The Smoking Gun in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. I live just a few blocks away and have walked by the place regularly, without stopping in. On the outside it looks like just any other "hipster bar" downtown but what we found inside was surprisingly good quality cocktails, a very creative menu and a great atmosphere that I can't wait to return to sometime soon.

Taco Fest is over for 2022 and it was fantastic to be back and hanging out with crowds again. Great tacos, fantastic margaritas and tons of excellent music and other entertainment too. If there's one thing that San Diego is known for, it's TACOS so you know a San Diego Taco Fest is going to be dropping some great food. What goes best with tacos (besides beer)? Tequila and Margaritas! So we're excited to see this festival crank up the heat and kick off summer right with tacos from 25 of our favorite local joints as well as margaritas featuring Corralejo Tequila.

Love bar crawls? Love espresso martinis? Well then you're in luck. Mr Black, is celebrating the Espresso Martini with a curated list of their favorite locations in San Diego and other cities across the country. Here in San Diego their featured locations include: Hive, J and Tony’s, Raised by Wolves, Born & Raised, Craft and Commerce, 52 Remedies, Kingfisher, George’s at the Cove, Swan Bar, Frankie’s Oceanside

Wings used to be one of those things that came free with a happy hour special at your local pub. Today though they are a premium treat that in some cases is just as expensive as a steak or good piece fish. Unfortunately not all wings are equal and so it can be very complicated to separate the premium wing companies that are worth spending your money on, from the ones that think you just don't know any better. Lucky for me - and millions of others in San Diego! - Dirty Birds is a great example of a company producing a fantastic product that I personally can't wait to enjoy again on my own dime.

If you love hanging out and drinking premium spirits and craft cocktails... maybe even discovering a new favorite brand that isn't quite fully out on the market yet, then this is the festival for you. The San Diego Spirits Festival is now in it's 13th year and has moved from downtown San Diego to La Jolla this year, running Sept 24 and 25.

Valentine's Day is obviously an annual excuse to focus on love and romance, the reality is that any time of year is a great excuse for a romantic getaway. When it comes to the best vacation spots for couples, there's a lot of great options and it is really up to you to make sure it is the perfect fit for the two of you. Here's our picks for some of the most romantic destinations to take your wife this year!

When you think of "wine cruises", typically you think of riverboats floating through European destinations like those along the Rhine, Rhone, and Garonne (Bordeaux) or maybe even Portugal's Doro river. However, one of the absolute best ways to experience North America's best wine regions is on a Coastal California cruise.  What we liked about sailing on Holland America Line's Koningsdam was that it created an immersive experience - on the ship, as well as in port as well.

We often look at the fabled Route 66 and celebrate road-side attractions that have sadly slid into the past but the I-15 freeway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is still growing with new roadside attractions. While the most famous ones are Alien Jerky in Baker and of course Calico Ghost Town, in recent years the tiny town of Yermo has opened a huge travel station featuring a giant ice cream Sunday... and Liberty Sculpture park memorializing and championing the human desire for freedom. 

One of the hottest food trends right now is birria - no it isn't new but it is newly popular outside of the Mexican community and innovative food pioneers have taken it to new levels, far far beyond the classic birria taco. In fact, on this food tour of three San Diego birria restaurants, we tried it in tacos, pizza, ramen!

Island Packers is one of the most respected coastal cruise operators in Southern California. They have been offering education, recreation, and research cruises exploring California's Channel Islands since 1968. In fact, they are the official boat concessionaire for the Channel Islands National Park. This includes year round transportation to the "local islands" of Santa Cruz and Anacapa for backpackers, hikers, campers, and day trippers too. The also offer seasonal transportation to Santa Rosa Island and San Miguel Island too. Our trip was less about visiting the islands though and more about experiencing the rich marine habitat that surrounds them.

When most people think of visiting Santa Barbara, the image of a resort on the beach or something downtown within walking distance to the "Urban Wine Trail" comes to mind. We did things a bit different though and spent some time getting back to nature and relaxing in style at the El Capitan Canyon located about 20 minutes west of Santa Barbara and directly across the highway from el Capitan State Beach Park.

When you are planning your bachelor party, the first question always seems to be "Where should we go?" If you want a fun night out with friends and don't want to break the bank, then this list of 10 cities is for you. From Las Vegas to New York City, these top destinations will make your trip unforgettable!