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“Straight ahead for 42 Miles” said the automated, slightly pitchy, woman’s voice. My road trip buddy and I looked at each other as if to check what we’d just heard. Sure enough though, the GPS was right. Straight as a die, but much, much more interesting with stops on the way to check out a coyote crossing the road, a sign marking a public phone that wasn’t there, and the remnants of some poor animal carcass that didn’t quite beat the vehicles before us.

The 1950s facade of The Laurel Inn reveals that this property—now a Joie de Vivre Hotel—has been part of San Francisco‘s Pacific Heights neighborhood for many decades. But a multimillion dollar renovation in 2017 refreshed the boutique hotel’s 49 guest rooms, while keeping the retro charm intact with midcentury modern furniture and rich velvet and wool textiles. Located within a few blocks of the Presidio and mere steps from the shops and restaurants of Sacramento Street, many of the spacious rooms have been designed with kitchenettes to add to the residential feel of the hotel. Ask for a room with a city view—watching the fog roll in over Pacific Heights and the downtown skyscrapers beyond that each morning from bed is an experience not to be missed.

Joshua Tree in the Mojave Desert is as weird as the shapes of the trees that make it up. While beautiful in its sparse vastness, it is no surprise that alien enthusiasts have taken to the area. For a taste of this, try a rejuvenating soundbath at George Van Tassel’s Integratron which was originally built on top of a “magnetic vortex” as a time machine. If you find yourself with time to kill before or after a soundbath, drive to Giant Rock, the self-proclaimed “largest boulder in the world”. While walking around the poorly graffitied boulder, watch out for motorcross riders that appear out of the dust like ghosts.

With killer views of the waves crashing onto Ocean Beach, the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant is one of the best places to grab a bite and watch the sunset in San Francisco. Before its current incarnation, the 1925 Spanish revival building served as a beach changing room, an Army outpost during WWII, and a VFW hall. The disused building was shuttered in 1970, but spared for its landmark WPA murals and mosaics. Come to see the murals, and stay for the food and Ocean Beach views. Upstairs, above the visitor center, the Beach Chalet Restaurant serves fresh fish and steaks. Downstairs, opening out to Golden Gate Park, the sunny and more casual Park Chalet offers burgers or fish and chips, and live music on weekends.

Dear, sweet, honey. Raw, unfiltered, unheated, made in Montana honey to be more precise. The Wustner Brothers keep their bees in the Sapphire Mountains outside of Missoula, where they can happily forage on Montana wildflowers and create delicious honey. The Wustner Brothers currently have several varieties of honey, including napweed, wildflower and clover honey. Creamed honey in a variety of flavors is also available. Wustner Brothers Honey can be found at grocery stores and in restaurant menus all over the state- don’t miss their creamed honey with local huckleberries for a double dose of Montana goodness.

The unofficial symbol of St. Louis, the Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States, rising 630 feet into the air. It sits at the center of Gateway Arch National Park, which was established in 1935 to commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s vision of a transcontinental America. In 2018, the park emerged from a five-year, $380 million renovation, which added a grassy pedestrian walkway over the interstate as well as a revamped museum with new exhibits about the construction of the arch and how the expansion of the United States affected Native American communities. Tour the new sites, then take the four-minute, vertigo-inducing tram to the top of the arch, where you can see up to 30 miles east and west on a clear day.

When the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel first opened for business in 1912, Beverly Hills was just a suburb of Los Angeles, and the hotel provided a place for people to stay when looking at parcels of land to live on in the area. But as the city of Beverly Hills developed, the hotel—nicknamed the Pink Palace—became a perennial favorite among the Hollywood set ranging from Golden Age stars like Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe to modern day celebrities like the Kardashians, Saweetie, and Mark Wahlberg. Today the hotel is run by the global luxury hotel group Dorchester Collection, and the famous cursive sign, whose font was created by architect Paul Revere Williams, one of the few Black architects at the time in L.A., still greets guests upon arrival.


The 210 guest rooms in the main building and 23 bungalows sit on 12 landscaped acres. The guest rooms feature midcentury modern–inspired design, some of the most comfortable hotel beds in the game, and marble bathrooms. They include a dreamy one-bedroom, Rat Pack suite in the Crescent Wing that was a favorite of Frank Sinatra; it’s decked out with a full bar, grand piano, and a patio. Each bungalow is unique: Some are themed after famous former patrons. The Marilyn Monroe bungalow is resplendent with touches of pink while the Howard Hughes is aviation themed and features dark woods and forest greens.



The Beverly Hills Hotel feels like an urban resort, with a 19,000-square-foot spa, an iconic pool and lounge area decorated in a Barbie-esque pink, a bar, and three dining options. The poolside Cabana Cafe is best for soaking up those Southern California rays (the McCarthy chopped salad is especially popular), while the Polo Lounge is said to be a favorite among Hollywood executives. The Fountain Room Coffee Room, famous for its pies, cakes, and breakfast options, was where Geffen Records signed Guns N’ Roses onto its label.

Restaurateur Brooks Reitz built his name with this chicken-and-oyster joint that feels old-school despite its carefully crafted ambiance. On a first visit, it’s sinful not to order the perfectly salted, crispy/juicy fried chicken amalgam shellacked with a glaze of Old Bay and cayenne suspended in melted lard. That necessitates a second visit to gorge on the poached char-grilled lobster and sausage, or the Leon’s Fish Fry, a platter of shrimp, oysters and catfish. Leon’s was the first to open way-Upper King, now the restaurant hotbed, and it’s held onto its cool status thanks to its thoughtful buildout in a restored auto body shop, retaining the exposed rafters and a rollup garage door that opens to a patio out front.

No trip to D.C. is complete without ordering the district’s signature dish, the half-smoke. And while many restaurants serve it, there’s only one worthy of your order: Ben’s Chili Bowl. The popular landmark diner has been feeding the community and cultural icons since the area’s “Black Broadway” days, when jazz greats such as Miles Davis enjoyed this comfort food classic. When riots broke out after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, Ben’s remained open and served both police and protesters. While the U Street Corridor has undergone an urban makeover, Ben’s has remained the same, serving its quarter-pound of half-pork/half-beef smoked sausage on a bun with mustard and onions, all smothered in spicy homemade chili sauce. The prestigious James Beard Foundation even took notice, deeming it one of “America’s Classics.” Bring cash and come hungry.

In a city built on dreams, Chateau Marmont is the place where imaginations run wild. Opened in 1929 as luxury apartments in the style of a French château, the building became a hotel in 1930 and, over the decades, has hosted an exhaustive list of some of Hollywood’s biggest names—Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Johnny Depp, and many more. Celebrity hotelier Andre Balazs renovated the hotel from top to bottom in the early 1990s, maintaining its signature Old World elegance (crushed velvet armchairs, wrought-iron chandeliers, columns galore) while outfitting it with all the requisite modern luxuries.


From its secluded 1950s bungalows to its signature pool surrounded by gardens, the chateau is the kind of place where anyone can be somebody, and no secret will be spilled. Cameras are forbidden in the restaurant—a favorite spot for industry types and guests alike—and the famously solicitous staff won’t blink an eye if guests are misbehaving or just lounging all day by the pool.

You may not expect to find the world’s best frozen pina colada at a joint hidden behind a gas station and underneath a condo unit, but that’s where to order the drink—lovingly dubbed the “Erik Estrada” and mixed with coconut milk and spices with a dash of Angostura bitters—and that’s how co-owner T.J. Lynch rolls. He took the hidden-gem aesthetic from his New York bar, Mother’s Ruin, and translated to the laid-back vibe of Folly Beach. In addition to the island’s best cocktails, Lowlife’s loyal following saddle up at the indoor/outdoor bar for the Old Bay-dusted local shrimp roll, the bold, rich tuna poke, and the Duke’s mayo-doused, addictive double cheeseburger.

To begin to understand the true wilderness that occupies most of the southern tip of Florida, there is nothing like a visit the 734-square-mile wetland preserve of Everglades National Park. More than a national treasure, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, deemed important to the greater culture of all of humanity, and is the largest tropical wilderness in the USA. Among the many and diverse species that dwell here are manatees, Florida alligators, American crocodiles, Florida panthers, and the state’s elusive black bear, in addition to several unwanted invasive species including Burmese pythons. From Miami, the best access point is Shark Valley, where you can ride a 15-mile loop through the park aboard a tram, climb an observation tower for panoramic views, and walk out to viewing decks to spot alligators, birds, and more. For the more adventurous, there are several outfitters who can take you deeper into the Everglades on kayaking tours to visit a pristine wilderness few people on the planet get lucky enough to witness.

I discovered this Marin Headlands view of the Golden Gate Bridge on one of my very first trips to San Francisco. In my three-plus years living in the Bay Area, I still haven’t found a view to top it. My favorite time to visit is just after sunset, when most tourists are fleeing from the evening breeze and the lights from the Golden Gate are just beginning to glow. If you’re lucky, you might witness an illuminated container ship as it exits the Bay on its way to Asia. This vantage point is on the North side of the Golden Gate—for the active traveler it’s a lovely green hike after a stroll across the bridge but alternately you can dive up. There’s also a closer view at the base of the hill.

For over 37 years, this legendary western clothing shop, run by proprietor Paul Martinez, has been outfitting locals and cowboys with boots, hats, three-piece suits -- and bolo ties, of course.

Jubiliee is one of Houston‘s favorite boutiques. On one side of the store, you’ll find unique juniors and womens clothing. The other side of the store has vintage furniture, eclectic home decor, cards, and gifts.