Tikal was a spectacular adventure into the jungles of northeast Guatemala. We woke to Howler Monkeys growling high in the trees above. After breakfast we met our driver and loaded the van. Within a few hours we would be in Belize. Belize is just south... Continue
Wifi isn’t all that it’s cut out to be. The past couple of weeks I have been adventuring through Guatemala and Belize with the promise of good wifi, the kind of wifi that gets columns back to the states. Unfortunately, wifi didn’t always find it’s... Continue
Eliza spoke of suffocation from the stench hovering around the stables on a hot summer day. Everyone knew her. She drew sympathy from local Indians, the Mexican elite, soldiers, and American settlers. California was restless in the mid-19th century, as people from all backgrounds rummaged... Continue
Earlier this week I attended Troop Fourteen’s Court of Honor in which six young men became Eagle scouts. The Boy Scouts of America has in interesting history and is rather dear to my heart. Growing up in San Francisco I spent every Tuesday evening in... Continue
For many parents around the Valley, this is the week their little ones have waited for and dreamed of, for what seemed an eternity -- summer vacation. Throughout the summer there are endless events that promote history in one way or another. Do visit... Continue
This week I discuss one of Sonoma’s own, Mr. Henry Weyl. While most simply pass by Weyl’s buildings extending from the corner of First Street West and Spain, specifically the Sonoma Hotel, Weyl was one of Sonoma’s mover and shakers in the latter part of... Continue
My children remind me daily that summer will soon be here. They are so excited, however, it will take but a few hours, once the last bell has rung, for them to scream out those dreadful words, “I’m bored.” For parents looking for an educational... Continue
What do the Grateful Dead, Bear Flag Revolt, The Chosen Family, 8,000 year old Native American site, a Victorian estate, Camilo Ynitia and George McKale all have in common: Olompali State Historic Park. If you have never visited Olompali, there’s never been a better time... Continue
This week I rehash a column published May 6, 2010. The content extolls the virtues of Sonoma in the 19th-century, and a little like Camelot, one can’t find “a more congenial spot for happily-ever-aftering than here in” Sonoma. In “The Illustrated Atlas of Sonoma County,”... Continue
This week’s column focuses on taxes. I have written about the subject before and every April 15 I am reminded once again that I am a procrastinator. Procrastination, as far as taxes are concerned, could be a bad thing. Just ask Walter Anderson, considered one... Continue