"Shop these local goods, and find the perfect piece to take home."

"Growing up in early 1980s San Leandro, my oldest memory of the Oakland Zoo is watching a gibbon swing effortlessly around a cylindrical metal enclosure. It would pause, seemingly observing me, then swing away. I was mesmerized. Not unlike the sway of a gibbon, the history of the East Bay’s beloved institution feels a lot like an arc..."

"It’s hard not to use “pleasant” to describe Pleasanton. After all, the city is quiet and pretty, with a plethora of parks and patio dining, and the ridgeline along its western border is dotted with old oaks. Its history, though, can veer toward the dramatic."

"Long before the 580 and 
680 freeways converged in a multilane, cloverleafed cluster of commuters, Dublin was at the crossroads. Native American trading routes passed through here, as did Gold Rush prospectors, Spanish explorers, cattle ranchers, and stagecoaches 
full of migrating families. For years, the local Alamilla Springs was a place for travelers to stop and freshen up, change horses, and check in with each other on the journey ahead."

"Six years ago, the first road trip my husband and I took as new parents was a journey from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern Oregon, for a funeral. Our 1-year-old had always been generally happy riding in the car, but she chose this opportunity to snooze and scream, alternately, every 15 minutes. It was the longest seven hours of our lives."

"About a day's journey by wagon from San Francisco and San Jose, the Livermore Valley became a popular rest stop for Gold Rush prospectors heading to the Sierra Nevada foothills. Within a few years, a small town formed amid the ranchland."

"Is there anyone who truly enjoys commuting? The endless braking of the cars in front of you. The rising temperature of a packed BART train. The gamble of a casual carpool. With population on the rise and notably low unemployment, more people in the East Bay are testing the transportation infrastructure while getting to work."

"Just northeast of L.A., Pasadena is a world apart: a place where you can stroll streets lined with craftsman-era homes and contemplate the galaxy in the spirit of Einstein and Hubble."

"Connection. That's the drive behind heritage tourism. Also called diaspora, homeland, or roots travel, genealogy trips combine the search for a personal relationship to the past with a traditional vacation."

"Where in the West? Follow our clues to this AAA TourBook attraction." (Included: International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Ore.; Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Kirkwood Ranch in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Idaho.)

"To celebrate Via's centennial, here's an all-season list of wild places, cool rides, modern art, microbrews, and more." (editor and contributor)

"Yosemite National Park has so much to offer, it can seem overwhelming to attempt a quick trip. Schedule all of these and you'll make the most of a long weekend."

"Sipping Pinot Noir on the deck of Sokol Blosser's tasting room, looking out over vineyards that slope gently down the hillside to a line of evergreens and rooftops, I'm only partially reminded of Napa. There's that same serenity that comes from being surrounded by such stunning beauty and bounty. But while Napa is more flash, Oregon's Willamette Valley is quiet, family farm focused, and laid-back."

"It's mostly the wine, of course, that lures us to Wine Country. But at Bardessono, a 62-room luxury hotel, restaurant, and spa in Yountville, it's clear that wine appreciation goes beyond drinking: It's in the rejuvenation offered by a grapeseed oil massage and the beauty of recycled wine casks in the lounge's rich wood-plank ceiling."

"My baggage: I'm an overweight 30-year-old who loves being outdoors and is looking for a fun and natural way to shed some pounds."