Author: Lee Daley

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Be it in San Francisco or Victoria, Canada, Afternoon Tea is a celebration to savor. Having enjoyed many leisurely afternoon tea conversations and comforts, I have now chosen my two very favorite high-mark Afternoon Tea “happy hours,” both located on our Pacific West Coast. Let me tell you a bit (or should I say a “sip”) about each one. Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont San Francisco has been this city’s tradition since 1907 and to this day accompanies its tea service with polished silver, fine china and personal service. Here is a chance…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley.   Freshly reopened after a thoughtful renovation, Santé at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn has returned with renewed style, vibrant seasonal cuisine, and an elevated wine country menu. My spouse and I recently experienced dinner at Santé and enjoyed it so much we have highly recommended the experience to friends and family. In a peaceful setting overlooking the outdoor pool area and gardens, the menu highlights modern California-French cuisine inspired by Mediterranean flavors and crafted with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from nearby organic farms enhanced by wild-foraged herbs along with sustainably caught seafood. Once relaxed, you…

January 23, 2026 Story and photos by Lee Daley and John Sundsmo. It’s not too late to partake in San Francisco Art Week with it’s celebration of art and culture running right now until January 25. Connect with this vibrant art community by visiting the area’s preeminent art fair, the FOG Design+Art exhibition at the Fort Mason Center, Pier 3.  The iconic San Francisco FOG showcases “arts and design that shifts, morphs and reveals itself through multiple forms and dimensions.” This year’s opening day revealed to us acclaimed worldwide galleries at the exhibition, along with leading US and West Coast…

Article and Photos by Lee Daley. Memories of my Equestrian travel in Ireland’s southwest coastal region often pop into mind. Whenever I reflect back on this first visit to Ireland, my thoughts follow a stream of consciousness that flows effortlessly. The past becomes the present, and I am there once again. My stay at the ancient Kinnitty Castle in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains introduced me to the beauty of Ireland’s natural world. Soon after my arrival, an almost film-like experience occurs. Arriving much earlier than others in my small group, I wander downhill to Kinnitty Center and…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Updated December, 2025. When traveling solo or with just one friend, I love to plot out time to refresh in a local public garden, whether large or small. On a recent getaway to Mendocino, I felt incredibly fortunate to immerse myself in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. My timing could not have been better. The rhododendrons and azaleas were in stunning full bloom, while an array of artistic sculptures scattered throughout the grounds highlighted our stroll to the seashore. Feeling totally immersed, we stopped to create memories, photographing favorite views of the individual corners where…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley In Japan, at dawn on the first day of January each year, hundreds gather at the base of Mount Fuji to witness the maiden sunrise ushering in the new year. The Ainu tribe, Japan’s ancient indigenous peoples, believed the sun was one of the most powerful among hundreds of gods, actually the most important of all. To witness the annual hatsuhinode, as it is called, is to partake in a sacred act. If the morning fog lifts, the sun crests near the peak to shimmer like a gem. When it aligns perfectly with the…

Review by Lee Daley. Photographs by Robert Holmes. Famed photographer Robert Holmes has published PASSAGES a collection of his favorite photographs  from the past fifty years along with the stories behind them. Despite having photographically illustrated well over fifty books, and published frequently in every known travel magazine, this collection of 270 images is the first that reflects Holmes’ own personal favorite images and the extraordinary life passages that have accompanied his work. Not one drawn to the flash of superficiality, Holmes artistic drive goes deep. “As a photographer, I seek out the authentic, quintessential soul of a place,” he…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Upscale shoppers will want to travel to Vietnam’s capital city with very little in their suitcases, leaving lots of room for the distinctive range of designer clothes, handicrafts, and local fashions they’ll find there. Hanoi has long been considered the artistic center of the country and, as a bonus, it serves as a gateway to the many ethnic minorities to the north who find a much-needed market for their unique wares through some of the city’s specialty boutiques. From dawn to dusk, share Hanoi’s busy pavements with locals, so be sure to bring comfortable…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley.  Vermont boasts more than one hundred still remaining covered bridges, the most in New England and a testament to America’s golden age of craftsmanship. Often spanning rivers and streams in mountainous regions, covered bridges are inevitably inviting and many are called “Kissing Bridges.” Photographers collect them, schoolkids picnic in them; winter sleigh rides and horse-drawn carriages traverse them. And lovers kiss in their sheltered privacy. All are still in active use. You can cross three covered bridges in the town of Bennington in the state’s southwestern corner. All three traverse the Walloomsac River. From…

Updated August 25, 2023. Story and Photos by Lee Daley.  When it comes to year-round activity, Calaveras County, a 2.5-hour drive from anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, has it all. Truly a place for all seasons, this is where outdoor activities, wine tasting, fine dining and just plain “fun in the sun” thrive. Here in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, you’ll find more ways to unwind than you can shimmy in your swimsuit. And to unwind any time of day, the county’s prize-winning wineries beckon. One thriving community with the unique moniker of Murphys boasts more than two dozen…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley New adventures await at the San Francisco Presidio Tunnel Tops Park with a recent large-scale mural installation of creatures like coyotes, monarch butterflies and colorful exotic birds.The exhibit is now on show at the Outpost Courtyard overlooking Chrissy Field. Strolling the Cliff Walk to reach the exhibit is my favorite route. Along the walk, San Francisco immodestly showcases some of her most prized glories with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, breathtaking bay views and farther along, the glistening visage of the city skyline punctuated by the dome of the Palace of Fine…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. I first ran into Jimmie Dale Gilmore while on a writing assignment in Cambridge, MA, when a friend excitedly told me the singer, composer and guitarist was performing that evening at a local blues venue. That was twenty years ago and while the club is long gone, the legendary Gilmore is still rocking out blues, rock and country tunes and I’m still following him here and there to be transported by his heartfelt tenor voice and versatile guitar skills. Gilmore has been a member of The Flatlanders since 1972, along with Butch Cassidy and…

STORY AND PHOTOS BY LEE DALEY. What is it about the Greek island of Santorini that captivates all who visit? It’s easy to credit its beauty to the shimmering blue Aegean, the drama of its whitewashed cube dwellings built atop one another, clinging to cliffsides, some even built cave-like into one. But inexplicably, it’s much more. One has only to wander for a day along the winding pathways above the caldera in the village of Oia to sense the fundamental union of elements at play. Santorini invites visitors to wander its winding pathways. There’s a primal symmetry here, an organic…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley Now is the time to indulge in a getaway to Mendocino County. It’s all there, breathtaking beauty, surf, sand, a rocky coastline, world-class botanical gardens, and an oceanfront artistic village. A destination worth flying to from anywhere in the US, Mendocino County offers an idyllic interlude within a three-hour drive from  San Francisco. Heading north along the coastal drive to Mendocino, the vistas, the reflections, the crisp sea air become absolutely intoxicating. It’s a stage set to behold. With an early morning start, you’ll have time to stop at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley.  San Francisco Top of the Mark atop the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel is now celebrating the hotel’s 50 year anniversary.. The iconic 19th-floor sky lounge  has updated its live music roster to include acclaimed local musicians such as Nick Rossi and his Swing Four. Celebrate Easter Brunch with live piano music and unlimited Bellinis surrounded by spectacular views of the City and the Bay. The Views: Here is where patrons can channel their inner Ansel Adams with frame-worthy photos of views from every window. On a foggy afternoon or evening, you’ll want to capture…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. San Francisco’s Redwood Room at the Clift. Welcome to the Redwood Room—an unforgettable San Francisco destination just steps away from downtown Union Square. Whether at the bar, crafted from an 800-year-old redwood tree. or seated in the extended seating area with its magnificent Klimt artwork display, you can expect superb service in an elegant and intimate setting. It’s almost a rite of passage for locals and visitors to take in the Redwood Room vibe with its soaring redwood walls, subdued Art Deco lighting, and welcoming servers.  On a recent Thursday evening visit, my spouse…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Claremont Club & Spa: Create memories to treasure with a celebration of this year’s Holidays in the Hills at the Berkeley-based Limewood Bar and Restaurant’s outdoor dining deck. Here is where you’ll find stunning sunset views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Mount Tamalpais. Or choose the inside dining room and convivial bar, equally memorable. Look for farm-to-table dishes at this “castle on the hill” sitting at the base of Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. A longtime favorite, Limewood is part of the Claremont Club & Spa whose amenities boast an impressive spa,…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. “For me, people come first. I have tried to assert the dignity and eternal importance of the human being.” – Alice Neel Throughout People Come First, Alice Neel’s paintings reflect both her radical personal ideology and her quest to capture the dignity and importance of her subjects. Neel (1900-1984) spent most of her adult life in New York City where, beginning in the 1930s, she lived through the rise of communism, the ensuing Great Depression and the eventual civil rights and feminist movements. Deeply immersed in the society around her, she described her artistry…

 Story and Photos by Lee Daley, “Where are we eating next?” became the favorite game my husband and I played during our brief four-night cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau aboard Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner at sea gave us ample opportunity to sample the offerings of the Holland America Line kitchen and the ambiance of its restaurants. Our cruise included two outings on land; one on Half Moon Cay, a private island owned by Holland America and the other a stop in port at Nassau. Except for lunch in those two ports, we hopscotched from…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. While traveling from Hanoi to Saigon during the month of December, a time of warm and balmy weather, I felt completely immersed in the diverse cultures of Vietnam. On show everywhere, from art galleries to design centers, from colonial architecture to ancient wooden vessels plying the Mekong, from stunning cuisine, both haute and humble, cultural diversity reigned. True to Vietnam’s multi-cultural influences, our second-story Hanoi rental exuded vintage colonial décor. In the front room, tall windows exposed an eye-catching view of the bustling street below and flooded the space with streams of light. Two…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Update: Date night Winemaker Dinners to go: Executive Chef, Joseph Paire of Berkeley’s Limewood Restaurant, in partnership with leading winemakers, will present a series of unmatched 4-course wine-paired dinners for two to-go. Each winemaker dinner will begin with a 30-minute Zoom session featuring  Chef Paire and a regional celebrity Winemaker. These Limewood Restaurant chef-designed date nights have been so successful, two more will follow. Right now, two new date night dinners to go have been scheduled for February 26 and March 12. Executive Chef Paire brings more than 20 years of fine dining experience…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley.   Editor’s Note: This is an update on current conditions for Utah’s parks:  Often overlooked for New England or the Smoky Mountains, Utah’s national parks and woodlands–combined with local live performances, museums and galleries–offer not only stunning colors but rich cultural experiences. You’ll find Utah fall color gold throughout Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks and Kolob Canyon. Here, Mother Nature’s paintbrush sketches a brilliant palette of orange, gold and scarlet set against a backdrop of soaring red rock towers, deep canyons and massive monoliths. Another bonus is that Utah fall color gold glitters well…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. In Prague, my husband and I were searching for the John Lennon Wall. “Just turn down the path along the river and follow that road over the bridge for about twenty minutes,” a local teenager told us as he gestured toward a riverside path below the Charles Bridge. Dressed in tattered jeans and a black leather motorcycle jacket, he could have looked like a local anywhere. “Yes, that’s right”, he shouted as we followed his lead and left behind the castles and cathedrals of central Prague. En route, we crossed over yet another bridge…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. in Varanasi, as the sun’s glow edges the horizon beyond the River Ganges, the local boatmen are already up and about, readying their craft for visitors to the holy city. I sheepishly scan the shore, wanting to find just the right boat for this momentous journey, a ride along the waters. Liking the looks of a bright blue dinghy sized vessel, I feel blessed when the boatman looks my way, beams and tells me his name is Chandran. Accepting his welcoming hand, I climb aboard, eager for the adventure. Before setting out, Chandran lights…

Peggy Guggenheim at Home in Venice: Collector, Patroness, Lover. Story by Lee Daley. Photos by Lee Daley unless otherwise noted. On the Grand Canal of Venice if you look carefully, you will see-–almost hidden, overshadowed as it is by the multi-storied palatial homes along that waterway–a low white stone palazzo that belies the treasures held within. This was the home of Peggy Guggenheim, an American heiress and art collector who single-handedly saved modern art. Peggy Guggenheim is known for her art collection and her outrageously unconventional life. Many have called her risqué, a term with which she would most likely…

Reviews by Carol Canter and Lee Daley. (Review by Carol Canter) “Curtains up, light the lights, you got nothing to hit but the heights!” Well, everything did come up roses opening night for Bay Area Musicals’ fabulous production of Gypsy, which director and choreographer Mathew McCoy calls “the ultimate showbiz fable.” And that it is — a fable bursting with all the glitz and glitter, hilarious humor and heart-wrenching pathos of the ultimate show biz mother, Rose Hovick, as she pushes her two daughters — hard, very hard — to live out her own dreams. This 1959 fable of the…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. The Hawaiian island of Kauai serves up cuisine that is both hot and cool. Hot as in haute and cool as in food trucks. New to food truck dining on Kauai, the lushest of Hawaii’s islands. I made my visit’s first priority a culinary quest where I could indulge my appetite for local, natural, and delicious from a food truck kitchen where island food could be had for a fair price. As it turned out, I lucked into two that spoke of authenticity and distinct island flavor. Here’s my take on the food truck,…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. When I think of the perfect Maine getaway, Ogunquit immediately comes to mind. It’s all there, breathtaking Maine beauty, surf, sand, rocky coastline and a small artistic village. A destination worth flying to from anywhere in the US and an idyllic day trip from the Boston area, locals often refer to the village of Ogunquit and its beach as a beautiful place by the sea. For good reason. Living there, they appreciate how well the coastal salt air of the Atlantic gently cools the summer sunshine as it brings relief from inland heat waves.…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. If, like me, you’ve more than once viewed a painting and wished you could walk right into it, you will find Topiary Park in Downtown Columbus an art lover’s dream come true. Ensconced in the shadow of ultra-modern high rises, paths wind through this ethereal space, a sculpted shrubbery rendition of Georges Seurat’s famous post-impressionistic painting, A Sunday on the Island of la Grande Jatte. Spread out over five acres, more than seventy life-like topiary sculptures, clipped and shaped into three dimensional figures of couples, children and pets, resemble the figures in Seurat’s artwork.…

Copyright Story and Photos by Lee Daley On a recent trip to China, I visited Black Mountain Valley, a place of untamed raw beauty, full of mystery, lush vegetation and silver-hued waterfalls. The two-hour drive from Chongqing on a narrow two-lane road through greenery-covered mountains delivered me from one world—of airports, highways and cruise ships—to another in the midst of nature’s unplanned majesty. It felt like an act of purification. Arriving in the valley, we saw that mid-October had blessed our little group with blazing orange and red maples hovering over a cascading stream. Like others, I stretched out my…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley For a soul soothing stay in San Miguel de Allende, Hotel Matilda, the “hotel different,” is an eye-opener. When you travel to a Mexican colonial city that has been designated a World Heritage Site, you might expect to stay in a well-preserved restored mansion turned hotel. And, in San Miguel, you would have your choice of some of Mexico’s finest examples of Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.The city’s historic center is filled with buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, many lovingly restored. On the other end of this spectrum, Hotel Matilda, a boutique hotel,…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Chongqing in China is well known worldwide as the gateway to the Three Gorges, the jumping off point for a three-day cruise on the Yangtze River. Chongqing is also renowned as the nation’s hot spring capital where those in the know can recover from a lengthy flight with a day or two of immersion in the region’s healing waters. Arriving in the city, my husband and I headed to Tong Jing Hot Springs Resort for a soothing soak in the mineral-rich waters that are only part of the perks in this idyllic landscape. Set…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Update 1/21/2020: Victory Cruise Lines has now announced this Mexico cruise as “Roundtrip Cancun/Puerto Morelos, Mexico Cruise”. Once accessible only by sea, Mexico’s Yucatán is a place steeped in history. Here, both Mayan traditions and modern life flourish peacefully in a setting of architectural and natural beauty. Some of the most wonderful ways to experience the true Yucatan are to stay at a traditional inn, spend time with a Mayan shaman, swim in a cenote, visit a hacienda, explore ancient ruins and dine on Mayan and Mexican cuisine in a candle lighted cave. My…

Exploring South Africa’s Cape Winelands Story and Photos by Lee Daley You’ll find no better way to round out a trip to Cape Town than to ramble out to the Cape Winelands. Less than an hour’s drive away, the countryside offers a welcome counterpoint to Cape Town’s urban vibe. Three Cape Winelands villages- Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl–form the ideal triumvirate for exploration and tastings. Besides great weather and gorgeous mountains, there are spectacular examples of Cape Dutch architecture and fertile valleys ripe with scented orchards and vineyards. Each village is a world unto itself, offering a diverse network of well-marked,…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. In Croatia, aboard the Katarina Line Futura:  As we watched deckside, our small cruise ship anchored alongside the Dalmatian Coast shore of Brač Island and its Golden Horn Beach, known as one of Europe’s most beautiful. Holding just 38 passengers, the Futura’s compact size slips into ports large ships can’t handle. Our eager group of sunbathers easily disembarked and clambered aboard small boats for the short ride to the coast line’s golden sands. Once ashore, my companion and I decided to meander. Sunbathing could come later. A short walk from Golden Horn’s white pebble…

Story by Lee Daley.  Photos by John Sundsmo and Lee Daley Sonoma County is known for its excellent Chardonnay wines and those produced at Sonoma Cutrer Winery are no exception. Tucked away on a lush hillside in Windsor, Sonoma Cutrer may be one of the few places in Sonoma where you can play croquet and indulge in a picnic on beautifully manicured tree-shaded grounds all in the same day.  My spouse and I went for the wines and the picnic but took a slice at swinging the croquet mallet for good measure. “We embrace Burgundian traditions but do it on…

Lake County:  Northern California’s Sweet Spot Story and Photos By Lee Daley Drive a few hours north of downtown San Francisco and a different world awaits. On a recent weekend getaway, my city stress lessened and lessened, almost in layers, and finally just plain disappeared once my ramble north landed in the land of lakes, aptly named Lake County. With dormant winter chill now giving way to warmer, sunnier days, I found a haven of rolling hillsides and emerald green valleys nestled in the grandeur of mountainsides. Grape vines and trees are just starting to open their buds, lake fishing…

Story and Photos by Guest Columnist Stephanie Levin. Snippets of independent, quiet conversations from our little band of hikers erupted as an umbrella of oak trees narrowed to a dirt trail that ascended, descended, twisted and ascended again before leveling out. I had signed on for the pre-dawn two-mile hike up to La Cocina Que Canta, translated as “The Kitchen That Sings,” Rancho La Puerta’s organic garden and cooking school. I’d never actually hiked anywhere before the sun came up; in fact, I don’t like to get up before sunrise, but the opportunity to enjoy breakfast at La Cocina Que…

A mythological wine tasting with Georgós Nu Wines Story and Photos by Lee Daley. “Come.Taste my wines and experience the glory of Greece.” So said Georgós Zanganas, company founder of Georgós Nu Wines. And so our small group of wine lovers gathered in San Francisco to listen to the myths and taste the wines made from grapes organically grown and fermented in Greece on family land. We dined on complimentary bites accompanied by tastings of his five premium varietals, each symbolically named for iconic Greek islands and legendary gods and goddesses. I was fascinated with the homage given to the…

Story and Photos by Lee Daley. Approaching Palm Springs, that desert oasis nestled between two mountains–the Santa Rosa to the south and the San Jacinto to the west—I knew a treat was in store. The scent of sagebrush carried on the wings of clean desert air stimulated my senses. Feeling calm and rejuvenated, I soon realized this destination deserved many more returns. Whether in search of sybaritic spas, outdoor adventure, night life, art and culture, fine dining or a resort pool, Palm Springs seems to cover it all. After spending a day in the desert and another at the magnificent…