WINTER IS THE PERFECT SEASON TO VISIT SAN DIEGO'S CULTURAL JEWEL--BALBOA PARK

It’s no secret that San Diego is one of the nation’s top vacation destinations, for so many reasons. Combining year-round, near-perfect weather in a spectacular natural setting, San Diego is home to a long list of attractions to welcome its visitors. It boasts a rich history dating back to the 18th century.

San Diego's Balboa Park, an urban oasis like no other, is located right in the middle of the city and is referred to as the cultural heart of San Diego. A recent park-wide renovation was recently completed to restore many of the historical buildings that make this park one of America’s finest.

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, check out our recently-published USATODAY10Best gallery to see for yourself what awaits you in San Diego’s spectacular Balboa Park.

For more photos of Balboa Park, visit our San Diego Scenic Photos gallery.

December is the perfect time to enjoy the holiday ambiance of Balboa Park © Joanne & Tony DiBona Photography




EXPLORE THE UNSPOILED WINE COUNTRY OF CALIFORNIA'S SUISUN VALLEY

View on Suisun Valley © Joanne & Tony DiBona Photography

View on Suisun Valley © Joanne & Tony DiBona Photography

California is home to so many wineries and wine-tasting experiences, one could spend years discovering them all—which would be a delightful assignment, indeed!

One particular under-the-radar wine destination is the Suisun Valley, a remarkable wine region separated from Napa Valley by only an invisible county line. Small and pastoral, dotted with family farms, Suisun shares a similar climate with Napa. A wide variety of grape varietals thrive in the region, thanks to warm days and cool nights.

Rustic Charm, Wooden Valley WInery ©Tony DiBona

Rustic Charm, Wooden Valley WInery ©Tony DiBona

Located just 20 miles from the town of Napa, Suisun offers its own unique experience. There’s a good reason why the region’s tourism slogan reads: uncomplicated, uncontested, unspoiled. Wineries here are family-owned and operated, with casual and welcoming tasting rooms. It’s an agriculturally focused region, which makes the visitor experience even more unique and refreshing. Surrounded by beautiful views of the nearby mountains, you can relax and discover quaint places to visit while you sample the delicious wines. Note: If you are a lover of Petite Sirah, which grows exceptionally well in the richer soils of the Suisun Valley, you’ve got a special treat in store!

Enjoying a lovely winetasting event at the lovely Caymus winery, which will open a Suisun tasting room in Fall, 2021. © Joanne & Tony DiBona Photography

Enjoying a lovely winetasting event at the lovely Caymus winery, which will open a Suisun tasting room in Fall, 2021.

© Joanne & Tony DiBona Photography

In addition to exceptional wine tasting at a reasonable cost, you can also explore the quaint markets, antique stores, and boutiques in the area, as well as the historic and picturesque town of Fairfield (home of the famous Jelly Belly Candy Company where you can watch jelly beans being made from scratch,as well as the Travis Air Force Base, built east of town in 1942). The region’s culinary options reflect the farm-to-table philosophy prevalent throughout the region. From simple, down-home meals in rustic eateries to 5-star cuisine, you’ll find something for every palate (including award-winning craft beer breweries).

Since a photo is worth 1,000 words, we invite you to take a closer look at this delightful California wine region. Enjoy our USATODAY 10BEST photo essay on the region, as well as all the photos we captured during our visit on our SUISUN VALLEY PHOTOGRAPHY page. Cheers and happy travels!

Oh, and while you are at it, friend our Instagram and Facebook pages to receive photos and travel reports as we return to live travel reporting in these next months.








AMTRAK RAIL ADVENTURE: SAN DIEGO TO OAKLAND, WITH STOP IN SANTA BARBARA

This is one of many spectacular views you will see on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight as you make your way up California’s Central Coast.

This is one of many spectacular views you will see on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight as you make your way up California’s Central Coast.

If you love train travel, and live in or are visiting California, we can highly recommend our recent adventure, DESTINATION OAKLAND BY RAIL article, originally published last month in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

To view the photos we captured during this trip (remember, a picture is worth 1,000 words!), check our AMTRAK ADVENTURE, SAN DIEGO TO OAKLAND gallery on our Joanne & Tony DiBona photography site.

For a first-hand view of this experience, take a visual journey in our recent post at USATODAY 10BEST

All aboard!

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR YOU VISIT, HEALDSBURG IN CALIFORNIA’S SONOMA COUNTY WINE COUNTRY IS A PERFECT DESTINATION

We’ve had the pleasure of visiting Healdsburg, California in every season of the year. As a photographer, my favorite season is the fall because of the colorful leaves, but you can find an unbelievable vacation experience every month of the year in California’s lovely Sonoma County. And of course, wine tasting has no seasonal limits!

Enjoy the food, wine, and ambiance of this beautiful destination. We invite you to explore our photo gallery for first-hand experiences and personal photos of our visit to one of California’s most beautiful wine destinations.

HEALDSBURG, SONOMA COUNTY CALIFORNIA PHOTO GALLERY

Lompoc California: Discover What's Around the Bend in California's Central Coast

If you haven't thought about visiting Lompoc while touring California's Central Coast, think again.

Lompoc is known as the City of Art and Flowers, and it delivers on those promises and much more. Nestled just one hour northwest of Santa Barbara California, Lompoc is an emerging destination that has it all: a rich historical past; a wine trail and local tasting rooms featuring award-winning varietals; nationally-renowned civic murals; the awe-inspiring historic La Purisima Mission; scenic back roads; rugged ocean vistas; hiking and biking trails; and just about any activity you have come to enjoy in other Central Coast locations. 

Colorful murals such as this can be found throughout the charming town of Lompoc.

Colorful murals such as this can be found throughout the charming town of Lompoc.

Visit EXPLORELOMPOC.COM for information about lodging choices and recommendations for places to see and things to do in this fascinating, and yet-to-be-discovered Central Coast destination.

The slide show below will give you a quick taste of what Lompoc has to offer the visitor. For a more in-depth look at this destination, visit my Lompoc Scenic Photo Site. All photos on this site:  © Joanne DiBona/ © Tony DiBona

Click the arrow to the right below to start the slide gallery.

Lompoc California 2
The Verdant Lompoc Valley: Source of Award-Winning Wines
The Verdant Lompoc Valley: Source of Award-Winning Wines

Lompoc's bountiful wine region is the gateway to the Sta. Rita Hills, a destination for visitors looking for distinctive Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and other, cool climate wines. The Pacific Ocean's marine layer and afternoon ocean breezes traverse this coastal valley to create the perfect environment for growing exceptional wines.

Marvel at Murals
Marvel at Murals

Old Town Lompoc is colored with artistic splendor from the approximately 35 commissioned and community murals painted on building walls and in key locations. Almost every mural is tied to Lompoc's history and heritage, whether celebrating the agricultural community, the Mission , the Chumash Indians, or an historical event that took place in the valley. This mural on the side of the 1924 Lompoc Chamber of Commerce building celebrates the local diatomaceous earth industry, which has fueled the Lompoc economy for more than a century.

An Alley for Art
An Alley for Art

Lompoc's murals can be found everywhere in town, and sometimes in the most tucked away-places. Art Alley is just that.....an alley filled with whimsical, decorative and historical mural works of art. It's a "don't miss" when visiting downtown Lompoc.

Lompoc's First Fire Chief
Lompoc's First Fire Chief

This mural on South G Street in Lompoc honors Charles Everett, the city's first fire chief. He served from 1915 to 1950.

Go Back in Time
Go Back in Time

Lompoc is filled with buildings that reflect its rich history. These include the Grace Temple Church which was built in the 1870's.

Italian Stone Pines line the street near the church, and they, too, have a unique history.  The trees were planted in 1940 and are now valued at over 3 million dollars! They've been featured in several journals on famous trees of the world and have been revered because of their health and beauty.

Award-Winning Wines in the Lompoc "Ghetto"
Award-Winning Wines in the Lompoc "Ghetto"

Award-winning, internationally-acclaimed wines can be found at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, twenty tasting rooms that invite the onophile to an extraordinary tasting adventure in a compact, two-block industrial complex.

Flying Goat Cellars
Flying Goat Cellars

We don't quite know the story about the name, but we do know the whites at the Flying Goat Cellars tasting room in Lompoc are absolutely superb!

Fields of Blooms
Fields of Blooms

Lompoc Valley is the perfect spot to put the top down and explore the uncrowded backroads. Bring your camera, because Lompoc's lush hillsides and flower fields provide plenty of amazing photo opportunities along the way. Visitors can catch fields of sweet peas, larkspur, delphinium, alyssum and marigolds from mid-May through mid-August, located west of town on Ocean Avenue to Bailey, and on Central Avenue.

A Barrel of Fun
A Barrel of Fun

Fun, and incredible wine-tasting, is what you will experience at the Longoria Winery in Lompoc. The jazz-inspired tasting room provides the perfect backdrop for sipping some amazing vintages and you might even ask to take a peek at those golden barrels in the back room that house the nectar of the gods.

Award-Winning Sip
Award-Winning Sip

Winner of countless international awards for its reds, the La Montagne Winery in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto provides the perfect tasting experience. 

Catalina Island: California's Island Resort

Although just 22 miles off the Southern California coast,

Catalina Island

remains a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. The town of Avalon, founded in 1887 as a seaside resort, evokes a charm that is undeniably unique and captivating. It's no surprise that it was a favorite stomping ground for the rich and famous over the decades. View a SLIDE SHOW to see this magical island through my eyes (and camera lens)!

 The picturesque harbor in Avalon, Catalina Island   © Joanne DiBona       

Il Cortile Ristorante....an Authentic Taste of Italy in Paso Robles California

The quaint city of Paso Robles, with its picturesque historic downtown and renowned wine region, delights the visitor with its share of Central Coast charm. But it also offers something very special: an authentic taste of Bella Italia at the Il Cortile Ristorante in the heart of downtown.

pr Old Town.jpg

While the restaurant's hip, chic décor evokes California cool more than rustic Tuscan, the spirit of Italian cuisine definitely is reflected in the innovative and extensive menu. Having traveled many times to Italy, the birthplace of our parents, my husband Tony and I pride ourselves on our knowledge of the authentic cuisine of our heritage.

Our culinary tour of the Old Country began with our “antipasti” a masterfully seasoned plate of grilled octopus in a spicy vinaigrette, followed by carpaccio di anatra, thinly slice duck blanketed with gorgonzola sauce, balsamic reduction and caramelized onions.

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Il Cortile's pastas are all home­made, which was clearly evident after our first bite of our secondi piatti, second course. Tony claimed that his selection (ravioli stuffed with lobster and served in a shrimp-­infused tomato sauce) ­­competed nicely with his Sicilian grandmother's similar family recipe. I, in turn, savored ravioli stuffed with ricotta and tossed with asparagus in a light white wine sauce. To be honest, my grandmother never came close to creating such a wonderful dish.

Magnifico.

Our main course featured the restaurant's signature osso bucco which, as it should, melted off the bone to be enjoyed in its rich sauce. Paired with 2011 Halter Ranch Syrah, it was indeed a culinary match made in heaven.

We ended the meal with Il Cortile's Panna Cotta, a light creamy dessert topped with fresh Central Coast berries. Once again,Tony declared it was every bit as delicious as his grandmother's version and as he admitted later, may have been even better!

Il Cortile offers an impressive wine list, but if you wish to bring your own special vintage, there is a $20 corkage fee with a limit of two bottles.

 So, when in Paso Robles, do as the Romans do (or visitors who love incredible Italian cuisine) and enjoy an authentic taste of Italy at the Il Cortile Ristorante in the heart of downtown.