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January / February 2006
Top Stories:
San Francisco’s Embarcadero
The city by the bay has revitalized its eastern waterfront with a new ballpark, a revamped Ferry Building, and vintage trolley cars.
Ashland, Ore.: Cultural Feast
Ashland, Ore., replete with Victorian charm, offers art galleries, the Shakespeare festival, and a thriving culinary scene.
Avoid Hidden Travel Costs
Watch out for hidden costs in charges for such items as hotel resort fees, changing airline reservations, and gassing up your rental car.
Great Travel Books
Check out these books by top authors about destinations including Istanbul, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Venice.
Easy Airport Pickups
About a dozen airports, among them Salt Lake City, Oakland, and Seattle-Tacoma, have opened cell phone lots where you can wait for arriving visitors.
Winter Bargain Destinations
Next time you want to escape cold-weather blues, try one of these three sunny getaways: Tucson, Palm Springs, and Newport Beach.
Alternative Bus Tours
Some big-city bus tours in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York,
San Francisco, and Seattle offer a more whimsical insider’s insight.
Weekenders:
Davis, Calif.: Central Valley Art Scene
Venture off I-80 for a hidden oasis of the arts, including the Mondavi Center for the performing arts, a bounty of galleries, and public art.
Portland, Ore.’s, Cultural District
Culture hounds head to the Portland’s creative neighborhood downtown for 20th-century art, six theaters, an archive of history, and architectural gems.
Gualala, Calif.: Banana Belt
The North Coast hamlet of Gualala beckons travelers with a bit of art and sun, and plenty of quiet.
Valentine Day Destinations
VIA readers share their favorite romantic getaways in California, Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada.
Museum of the African Diaspora
Belva Davis, board president for San Francisco’s new museum, talks about why the African diaspora needs to be memorialized.
Visionary Communities
You can visit Western Utopias, including some that still flourish, which testify to the dreams of social reformers.
Portland’s Hidden Neighborhood
North Mississippi Avenue, in Oregon’s Rose City, harbors a thriving street scene of uncommon shops and eateries.
Seattle’s Space Needle
Seattle’s Space Needle, a remnant of the 1962 World’s Fair, still attracts visitors with great views and dining in the round.
LeMay Automobile Museum
Tacoma, Wash., is home to a collection of more than 3,000 vintage vehicles.
Food:
Teahouses in the West
Tea enthusiasts have found serene places of refuge in California, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
East Bay Wine Stops
The eastern shores of San Francisco Bay boasts expert winemaking and tasting rooms.
Caesar Salads
The West is the birthplace of the Caesar salad. Here are a few eateries that make it the old-fashioned way.
Alice Medrich: Chocolate Queen
In an interview, Medrich, author of Chocolate Holidays, reveals why she is passionate about chocolate.
Your Car:
Your Car: A Pitted Windshield
AAA experts weigh in on fixing windshield damage and using premium gas.
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