Cara Clinton 
Pucón, Chile Wilderness lodge meets luxury hotel, circa 1950 “The wise man built his house upon a rock,” said Rony Pollak, quoting a Bible story as she sat down to dinner with me and four other journalists. The house she was referring to is actually a hotel, and that wise … Read more
It’s hard not to be intrigued by a Sin City hotel with the tagline “just the right amount of wrong.” Perhaps you’ve seen the hotel’s TV commercial, featuring pant-less bellhops, bustier-clad women, bedroom photo shoots, and animals crashing a suite party. Unusual, yes – but The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, … Read more
Sweet Intoxication in Central California When we stepped out of the “Wine Wrangler” tour bus, Coy Barnes (the company owner and wrangler himself) assured us we were in for a rare experience at the Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles, California. While shedding layers of clothing in the blazing … Read more
The San Diego Symphony 100 Years and Counting The symphony probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of San Diego. For many visitors, palm trees, beaches and sunsets tend to overshadow theaters, museums and concert halls. I myself had no idea that my city … Read more
There’s something wonderfully peculiar about Jsix restaurant in Downtown San Diego. It borders two distinct areas, the trendy East Village and the historic Gaslamp Quarter. Its décor includes a backlit bar, flower castings on the ceiling and fezzes on the dining room wall. The menu spotlights coastal California cuisine … Read more
The Langham Huntington is just nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles, but it seems worlds away from the concrete and congestion of the city. Its out-of-the-way location at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, in one of Pasadena’s most beautiful residential neighborhoods, makes it ideal for peaceful getaways. … Read more