Weekend Escape: The Phoenix cool factor in Arcadia

One look at omnipresent Camelback Mountain and you might think the northeast Phoenix neighborhood known as Arcadia is on the outskirts of...

Looking for cowboys in Prescott, Ariz.

Cowboys are my weakness. That's not just the title of my favorite Pam Houston book, but the truth about my undying fascination with those...

Cambria charms with ocean views, nearby wineries

Perched on the Pacific Ocean roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Cambria is charming — full of local boutiques,...

Weekend Escape: At Mt. Baldy, any season is right

We admire this sugared peak from our downtown L.A. offices on the clearest winter days, a 10,000-foot postcard of pleasures. Indeed, Mt....

Chocolate nirvana in Santa Fe, N.M.

SANTA FE, N.M. — It's fair to call me a chocoholic, but it wasn't until a trip to Santa Fe that I realized I'd never had the good...

In Portland, Ore., a garden of pastry delights

PORTLAND, Ore. — Is it possible for an Angeleno to leave home and find love in a region where sunshine is merely a rumor and 50 shades...

Weekend Escape to Chandler, Ariz.

You come to Chandler, Ariz., for desert deceleration — not that fast life they live in Phoenix and Scottsdale. The city of about 240,...

Roaming the open spaces of Santa Barbara

ARROYO HONDO PRESERVE, Calif. — A creeks cuts out of the Santa Ynez Mountains about 25 miles west of Santa Barbara. It follows a tight...

A few of her favorite things in Santa Barbara

Every time I come to Santa Barbara, I find something new to like. Not exactly secrets, just favorite things, and I'm not talking about...

Weekend Escape: Reno is like Vegas but less pricey, raucous

Remember when Vegas was cheap? It can be again, except it's not Vegas, it's Reno. There are better reasons to come here than its...

Favorite spots around Santa Barbara

Travel writer Susan Spano shares her favorite places around town.

In Mammoth, snow has healing power

MAMMOTH LAKES — Before we get to the early snow, the new businesses, the zipping skiers and beaming boarders at Mammoth Lakes, let's...

Weekend Escape: Ely brings Nevada's Old West to life

Motorists have plenty of reasons to stop in Las Vegas, but for those whose final destination is Ely, Nev., the most important is gas. That's...

Weekend Escape: Surfin' Santa Cruz like a local

A family getaway to Santa Cruz proved this eccentric beach town along California's Central Coast is fun enough for a 5-year-old yet cool...

Santa Cruz weekend escape

California Weekend Escape: Paso Robles a classic vintage

Like a fine wine, Paso Robles, Calif., gets better with age. I was delighted to find new downtown restaurants, wine bars and shops since...

Southern California Close-Up: Santa Barbara County wine country

About 20 miles beyond the red-tile roofs of downtown Santa Barbara, it begins: the rolling blond hills that go indecently green in spring,...

Weekend Escape: Historic Benicia, Calif., a Bay Area artists' haven

Benicia, a small waterfront town in the Bay Area often overlooked by travelers, is an elixir for big-city angst. Less than an hour from...

The irresistible call of the Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Who hasn't peered into this brain-bending abyss and failed to conceptualize 6 million years of...

Fresh food, thoughtful history hold sway in Petaluma

While working on an update to a Napa and Sonoma guidebook, I realized that Petaluma, 15 miles west of Sonoma Plaza, might merit its own...