We Hiked to Ghost Mountain, Yaquitepec Ruins!

We hiked to the top of Ghost Mountain, to the ruins of Yaquitepec, the off grid desert home of Marshal South!Marshal South was an American writer, poet, and artist best known for his bold experiment in off-grid desert living during the 1930s and 1940s. Born Roy Bennett Richards in 1889 in Australia, he later moved to the United States, where he pursued a literary career.In 1930, during the Great Depression, South and his wife Tanya settled atop Ghost Mountain in California’s Anza-Borrego Desert, where they built an adobe homestead called Yaquitepec. Their goal was to live self-sufficiently, growing their own…

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Castello di Amorosa! An Amazing Winery in a Castle!

Fourth generation winemaker Dario Sattui built an authentically styled 14th century Tuscan castle winery to honor his Italian heritage and deep love for medieval architecture.But it all started with wine.Dario is the great grandson of Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in 1885. The Sattui family lived at the winery, even after Prohibition closed the business in 1920.Dario returned to the U.S. in 1972, with plans to re-open the family winery that had been dormant for more than 50 years. In 1975, he launched V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena.He spent the next two decades…

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A Birthday Celebration at San Diego Zoo Safari Park!

What a special Birthday!  We left Borrego Springs and headed to Escondido for a night of luxury at the Bandy Canyon Ranch and stayed in a very cute cottage.  https://bandycanyon.com/Early in the morning we drove just a few minutes to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a 9:15 Wildlife Safari!  As we boarded the safari truck we were asked if we were celebrating anything special…well yes…my birthday!  The guide came back with a personalized birthday badge.  I quickly pinned it on my shirt and wore it proudly! Our day was stunning with perfect weather and the excitement of seeing so…

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The Stunning Alaska Highway! Dawson Creek to Liard Hot Springs!

This week we start our journey on the Alaska Highway through British Columbia as we travel from Dawson Creek to Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park. First Stop, Dawson Creek and the N.R.A. Station Museum at the Visitor Center, where we learned a lot about the AlCan highway. The Alaska highway, also known as the AlCan Highway, was built in response to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. In 1942, the US entered into World War II and a supply and defense route to Alaska was critical. Canada agreed to building the Alaska-Canada highway on the condition that…

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