Archive of offMetro Articles

Despite the name, there are many good-for-you experiences to be had in Carlsbad. United Airlines offers nonstop flights from San Francisco that can get you to San Diego International Airport—about 30 minutes from Carlsbad—in about an hour and a half. Here are some suggestions to help you have a healthy and happy vacation that’s good for you, the community and the environment. 1. Stay at West Inn & Suites (especially

Here are the best green Bay Area destinations oM has discovered this year. A Wine Time: East Bay Winery Bike Tours | Oakland California’s newest wine sensation is closer than you think. And you can reach it by BART. And bike. Enjoy a day away exploring the urbanite oenophile’s dream in Oakland and Berkeley. American Pie: Pie Ranch| Pescadero A working farm with a pie-in-the-sky mission of spreading food knowledge to the community,

Main Street, U.S.A. is alive and well. And there is a well-preserved example of it in Petaluma, California. Quaint, charming, and at the same time modern, Petaluma has a little bit of everything—whether you’re after a relaxing stroll down memory lane or a wild outdoor adventure. Here, what to do in Petaluma. 1. Head to the bank (no, not that one). Housed in the gorgeous 1920s building that was once home

Even in a state enviable for a laid-back culture and countless natural and culinary assets, San Diego is a place apart. The sprawling, sun-drenched city has a paradisaical feel, with a number of attractions (including zoos and beaches) that often rank among the very top in the nation. Indeed, California’s southernmost city offers so much it would be impossible to see it all in one weekend, but we’ve outlined the nuts and

About 15 years ago, I got a job in Sausalito. Within days, I was eating my lunch on the bay-front rocks while the egrets and pelicans dined on theirs 40 feet away in the San Francisco Bay. I weaved my way through tourists and window shoppers, all of us giddy with the Northern California sun in January. I met the locals in bars and restaurants on Bridgeway. We talked crystal

Sacramento. It’s our state capital, the birthplace (or nearly) of the Gold Rush, a field trip mecca, and that’s about it, right? Wrong. Yes, Sacramento is all of those things, but it’s also a happening metropolis with a great arts scene, fun nightlife, and delicious eats. Here, some of the best activities to do in Sacramento. 1. Explore landmark buildings, old-fashioned photography studios, and sweet shops galore in Old Sacramento, the first historic

Kids or no kids, there’s something, well, magical, about the Magic Kingdom. From the old-fashioned charms of the Happiest Place on Earth to the newfangled thrills of the updated California Adventure Park, the Disneyland Resort offers up diversion, delight, and then some. And the pleasure is all the richer when you don’t have to contend with lines, hassles, and high temps. Enter, “off-season.” While Disneyland technically does not have such

Oxnard is a “little bit country, little bit rock-and-roll” kind of place. It sits halfway between bigger (and better known) cities, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and although it’s Ventura County’s largest city, it maintains a cozy, small-town feel. Here, home-style salsa and strawberry festivals peacefully coexist with the famous Hollywood Beach (a past getaway spot for the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable). Whether you choose to kayak