Category Archives: Destinations

Mammoth Mountain: Bike park offers 80 miles of single track

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By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Mammoth Mountain’s Bike Park boasts 80 miles of single track. With a vertical rise of more than 3,000 feet, the resort offers 3,500 acres of riding.

More than half of the 42 named trails can be handled by beginner and intermediate riders. Another third are reserved for advanced riders, while 20 percent is recommended for professional riders only. They can all be reached from the Panorama Gondola.

Some of the downhill trails have developed a cult following. Some brave riders take Kamikaze, the first trail dating back to 1987, which sends them barreling down 2,000 feet of fire road from the summit to the Main Lodge.

The Twilight Zone ski trail has carved-out berms and pavers. Then there’s Pipeline, a trail with many man-made features including dirt jumps, wooden ramps, trestles gaps and a great step-up jump.

A little less harrowing is Beach Cruiser, a wonderful 4-mile intermediate track. It climbs through large Lodgepole pines before looping around Reds Lake for a long roller coaster ride back to the Main Lodge.

Then there’s Paper Route/Skid Marks/Manzanita, the intermediate course used for the resort’s 8/24 Endurance Race. This rolling loop offers fast downhills and technical sections, as well as a couple switchbacks at the far end. (This year’s race, originally scheduled for this weekend, was cancelled.)

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Ireland brews up holiday tour of artisan beers

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The Emerald Isle is brewing up a storm through an explosion of craft breweries producing unique, quality beers to tempt the most temperate of tasters.

In the last year alone, 13 new breweries have opened bringing the total number on the island to 35, each with a different brew to sell and a different tale to tell.

One of the best ways of sampling these artisan beers and hearing about what inspired them is on a Brewery Hops of Ireland three or five-day holiday tour.  Starting and finishing in Dublin, these small group tours visit established and emerging micro-breweries as they travel south towards Waterford and Cork and, on the longer tour, west to Galway.

The tour stops at up to 10 breweries for a visit and look behind the label to the see the skill, love and enthusiasm that make every beer distinct. And of course there’s a chance to sample the golden, red and dark brews.

Along the way are visits to O’ Hara’s Brewery, Ireland’s largest craft brewer situated in the heart of the country’s hop and malt-growing ‘Barrow Valley’ region in Carlow. In this brewery each beer is crafted using classic brewing methods to create the traditional Irish beers styles.

You can meet the brewing team and walk through the brewing process with them.  The famous Kilbeggan distillery, home of the oldest working still in the country, is also on the tour agenda, as is the White Gypsy Brewery, Templemore, considered to be one of Ireland’s most progressive independent breweries.

Newer breweries on the tour include Metalman Brewing, whose pale ale was voted best beer in Ireland at the 2013 Beoir Beer Awards, the multi-award-winning Galway Hooker, and Blacks of Kinsale which opened last year.  But it’s not all about the beer.

Led by Mia Tobin of Brewery Hops, her tours offer a multi-dimensional experience embracing Irish history, culture, music and food while travelling through some of Ireland’s most scenic areas.

There is time between brewery stops to visit the historic city of Cork with its famous English market and for those on the five-day tour, a chance to visit the magnificent Cliffs of Moher in County Clare and the cultural glories of Galway.
There are also artisan food tastings including a visit to the Burren Smokehouse near the Burren Brewery and, on the last day, a gourmet artisan lunch on site at White Gypsy Brewery.

Overnights are in small, boutique type accommodation and evenings are generally spent in local pubs or eateries enjoying traditional Irish music and the local craic.

Private group tours combining other activities, such as golf, can also be arranged.

www.ireland.com
www.breweryhopsofireland.com
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Mammoth Mountain: Ventura family rolls Off the Top

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By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Visitors can take the gondola up to the peak for the scenic view, and some passengers bring their mountain bikes along. Once on the top, mountain bikers can go rolling down the steep slopes, navigating around the boulders that are usually hidden deep in the snow.

A Ventura family rolled their bikes off the gondola, ready to tackle the mountain. The Boudreaux clan, including mom Tina, her husband and their two teenage sons, Tyler and Trevor, had spent the morning riding around the lower trails and were ready for a big ride.

“It’s really, really fun so far,” said Tina Boudreaux. “The weather is perfect.”

The adventurous family was going Off the Top. That’s the name of the intermediate trail zigzagging down the back of the mountain. Just as it does for ski trails, the resort has classified the bike trails from beginner to expert.

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Mammoth Mountain: Dodger the Bulldog frolics in the snow

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By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Mammoth Mountain can be a lot of fun in the summer if given a chance. I’ve only been there skiing in the winter — it is one of my favorite ski resorts — so I didn’t have a clue about what it offers in the sunny summer months.

To my surprise, there were still patches of snow on the 11,000-foot summit. Which made for some fun for Dodger, a burly English bulldog, who hadn’t seen snow before.

The Shryne family of Whittier brought Dodger along with their sons, Nathan and Brady. The family of four was vacationing at nearby June Lake to get some trout fishing in, and decided to take a break and visit the mountain.

“I wanted to show them the great views, and show Dodger some snow,” said Joe Shryne.

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Borrego Springs: Desert town makes great weekend getaway

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Photo courtesy of San Diego Visitors and Convention Bureau

Photo courtesy of San Diego Visitors and Convention Bureau

By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

If hiking, botany or four-wheeling are not your things, Borrego Springs can be a great weekend getaway for the metropolitan couple or the Southern California family. Though remember, this is not Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack desert. You are far from the car-choked boulevards of Palm Springs or the highway-close Indian casinos.

Borrego Springs (borrego is Spanish for bighorn sheep), is a fancy name for an isolated desert valley east of Temecula and west of the Salton Sea.

The town has two main streets: Palm Canyon Drive and Yaqui Pass Road. You know you are there when you see the traffic circle, known as Christmas Circle. From here, actually a city park, spin a cluster of restaurants and inns.

Some notable places to stay include the Borrego Valley Inn, a 15-room hotel; the Borrego Springs Resort & Spa, a 1970s-like throwback with a karaoke room and a bar that is straight out of “Mad Men,” one of our favorite places to hang out (don’t miss the all-day happy hour); or the low-budget Hacienda del Sol motel. For RVers, there’s the Leapin Lizard RV Ranch in nearby Ocotillo Wells, and the Desert Sands RV Park in town.

We stayed at the newly restored La Casa Del Zorro, a 42-acre resort with five swimming pools, main room and individual casitas. We went in early June and the air conditioning at the place didn’t work. Even the AC in the casitas, where they finally moved us, didn’t bring down the temperatures inside the bedroom to less than 82 degrees.

Learn from our experience: Don’t go in the summer unless you don’t mind heat. In fact, most tourists visit in February and March, but Raffetto advised booking a stay for November or December, when the highs are 77 degrees and 69 degrees, respectively, as opposed to June, July and August, when the mercury tops out above 100 degrees.

From desert wildflowers to dazzling sky displays including a glimpse of the Milky Way, Borrego Springs makes you feel like you’ve left civilization behind.

In a way, you have.

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Borrego Springs: Feasting on grand canyon at Font’s Point

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By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

My cautious side resisted the suggestion.

“Really, it is a tradition here in Borrego Springs,” explained our guide, Joe Raffetto of California Overland Desert Excursions.

My wife, Karen, and I hadn’t noticed that Raffetto had tossed his grimy baseball cap in the yellow Jeep we rode in on and put on a suede cowboy hat. He was ready for what would happen next.

I gave in. “OK,” I answered, lowering my head.

“Stand together. Look down at your feet. Walk 10 big steps, then stop and look up,” he instructed. I could hear my tennis shoes squishing against the coarse sand until I stopped and looked out.

My eyes feasted on a 360-degree panorama of the badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, sprawled in Technicolor reality.

This Grand Canyon-like place appeared out of nowhere. The precipice held steady as hot desert winds tickled my back. I felt like “The Lion King’s” Simba on Pride Rock surveying my kingdom.

We had arrived at Font’s Point, a landmark four miles off County Road S-22 and Route 78, not far from the golf courses and emerging resorts of the small town of Borrego Springs, yet separated from civilization in both space and time.

Font’s Point, named after Father Pedro Font, the chaplain who accompanied Juan Bautista de Anza on the journey to Monterey in 1775, amazed those pioneers then and is still delivering today.

From the edge, I could see striated rock canyons carved by ancient riverbeds. It’s a place of mammoth fossils from the Pliocene Epoch unearthed by paleontologists. It was a place once teeming with giant mammals until the Colorado River veered south and left it dry.

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The Mission Inn: Fine dining offers steak, seafood, pizza and brunch

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54 Degrees at Duane's (Photo courtesy of The Mission Inn)

54 Degrees at Duane’s (Photo courtesy of The Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

For more upscale dining, try Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood at The Mission Inn. The very elegant restaurant has received the AAA Four Diamond Award since 1996, as well as Wine Spectator’s award of excellence.

We loved the warm amber decor and marveled at the central masterpiece, “Charge Up San Juan Hill.” The 8-by-6-foot painting of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders is one of the largest paintings in The Mission Inn.

54 Degrees at Duane’s wine bar next door offers 28 wines by the glass and 285 wines by the bottle. The simpler Mission Inn Restaurant is famous for its champagne brunch on Sundays, with unique food stations and a mimosa bar.

Las Campanas Mexican Cantina in the front courtyard offers seating under shady umbrellas. We sampled the signature margaritas and Mexican cuisine for lunch.

Bella Trattoria Italian Bistro, located under an outside arcade on the pedestrian plaza, offers southern Italian cooking with pizzas baked in a brick oven, custom pasta dishes and pressed panini sandwiches.

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The Mission Inn: Presidential Lounge and Spanish Courtyard ooze history

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The Spanish Courtyard at The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

The Spanish Courtyard at The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

The Presidential Lounge is named for the many presidents who have stayed at The Mission Inn. If the presidential portraits on the walls weren’t enough of a hint, the majestic mosaic presidential seal on the floor under our feet was a dead giveaway.

Theodore Roosevelt visited in 1903. Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, were married next to the fireplace, while Ronald and Nancy Reagan honeymooned here. Take a minute to try out the enormous chair hand-built for the portly

William Howard Taft. A total of eight presidents have visited, including John F. Kennedy.

Outside is the Spanish Patio, a restaurant that feels like it is in the inner courtyard of a castle in Spain. Its design was inspired by owner Frank Miller’s visit to Spain in 1911. Some of the tiles came from Seville, while the four grinning gargoyles in the water fountain are copies of a waterspout from a castle near Barcelona.

In March, the Spanish Patio celebrated 100 years. Every month for a year it will feature a special entree.

In July, it is Ronald Reagan veal osso buco with herb couscous, roasted chanterelles and turnips. In August, the menu will include Cary Grant barbecued squab with fingerling potato salad, mustard green slaw and red onion paste.

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The Mission Inn: Time travel is possible at this elegant hotel

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The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Time travel is possible. Travelers just have to use their imaginations to step into the past. Fortunately, they can combine Old World charm with modern amenities for a comfortable visit in Riverside.

It was on a record 104-degree day that we stepped through the San Gabriel Mission style bell tower at The Mission Inn in Riverside to find a vibrant part of California history. As we strolled down the lush garden path past ancient Spanish cannons, we stopped in front of a huge birdcage.

Normally, two brightly colored macaws greet guests, much as they have done for more than 100 years. But the heat had driven the birds indoors.

Stepping through the doors, we entered another era, a time when Spanish missions towered over the land, calling the faithful to worship.

Moving into the cool, dark lobby, we rolled our carry-on bags past elegant seating areas to a beautiful wooden registration desk. An antique phone on the desk drew us back into California’s colorful 1900s.

No soaring ceilings, glass walls and marble desks can be found here. The Mission Inn celebrates its unique past by maintaining its historic style. The mission of the Mission is to share its glorious history with travelers tired of the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Soon, we were huddled in a tiny European style elevator for a rumbling ride to our room. Each of the 238 guest rooms and 27 suites are decorated differently. No cookie-cutter rooms here.

We then took the elevator to the rooftop of the historic hotel for a magnificent view of downtown Riverside. While there, we found a secluded, restful patio on top of the Rotunda wing.

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Mississippi muse: Having fun on the family farm in Collins

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Visitors can tour three historic cabins at Mitchell Farms in Collins, Miss. Below, visitors play with the family dog in corn pool, and Nelda Mitchell captivates visitors with tales of her family on a tour of one of the cabins. Photos by Bill Gossy

Visitors can tour three historic cabins at Mitchell Farms in Collins, Miss. Below, kids play with the family dog in the corn pool, and Nelda Mitchell captivates visitors with tales of her family on a tour of one of the cabins. Photos by Bill Gossy

By Marlene Greer, Correspondent

Cotton may once have been king for seven or so generations of Mitchells, but today, the family farm in Collins thrives on peanuts, corn, wheat, soybeans, and a bit of history and agritainment.

Owners Dennis and Nelda Spell Mitchell, their son Don and his wife Jo Lynn, have turned a portion of the farm into a learning and play zone for kids and families with an animal barn, wagon rides, hay bale maze, sand mountain, rope swings, mini old west town, and corn pool.

There’s a whole lot of running, jumping and rolling going on around the farm, thanks to Jo Lynn’s desire to be with her family.

Mitchell Farm Corn Pool Reduced

“I worked as a sales rep and traveled around the state,” Jo Lynn said. “I wanted to come home and work at the farm, but I knew I didn’t want to drive a tractor. I had to find a way for me to work on the farm and make an income for the farm.”

Dennis and Nelda, both from farming families with roots in Mississippi going back to the early 1800s, moved to Collins in 1960 to begin farming. He worked the farm while she taught first grade. Don now manages the farm, but all participate.

Speaking with any member of the family, you come away with how much they love their farm.

“I’ve always wanted to farm since I was 2 years old playing with my tractors in the sandbox,” Don said. “I like the challenge, because most of the time every day is different. There are always hardships with farming, but the challenge keeps you motivated. This is all I know and this is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

In addition to the kids play area, three historic log cabins full of period furnishings, antiques, and Nelda’s beautiful wood carvings and art pieces are open to visitors. The couple have been avid collectors for decades.

Mitchell Farms Nelda Reduced

“Dennis and I both enjoyed looking at other peoples restored log houses, antiques and things they had preserved,” Nelda said. “It was a fascination for both of us. That got us started trying to preserve what was around us. We just hated to see old things left to deteriorate.”

And of course there’s the farm store, where visitors can purchase fresh sweet corn, peaches, tomatoes, homemade jams and jellies, canned goods and peanuts.

– Mitchell Farms, 650 Leaf River Church Rd., Collins, Miss. Admission $8 weekdays, $10 weekends. For more information, visit www.mitchellfarms-ms.com.

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