Mary Charlebois

PUBLISHED 12/03/18 BY LINKS & LIBATIONS MAGAZINE
St Ermin’s Hotel has witnessed a lot of history. Much is stealthy. St Ermin’s is the birthplace of modern espionage.
Spy vs. spy, trench coats, fedora hats, and carefully guarded briefcases. Clandestine meetings, letter drops, coded messages, undercover activities. These are the images that come to mind when I think of espionage, but buildings played a vital role in the efforts to learn what the enemy was planning.

PUBLISHED 11/16/18 BY MILESGEEK
Are you a tea drinker? I am. A strong cup of black tea has been my morning and afternoon lift for years. In America, I’m in the minority, most folks here are coffee hounds.
As I planned a 30-day tour of southern England, I wondered what tea would be like as I traveled.

PUBLISHED 11/27/18 BY THE TRAVEL 100

The Potting Shed at Thatched Cottage was home while researching Hever Castle in Kent.

It’s tucked behind a thatch-roofed, medieval Hall House, built in the 1400s. A path through an extraordinary English Garden meanders past ponds, under arbors, and through flowerbeds. Roses, lilies, iris, herbs, fruit trees, berry vines, and grasses...

PUBLISHED 11/23/18 BY GoNOMAD
“One day, California will fall into the ocean.”
It’s a common phrase about frequent earthquakes and faults in the golden state. The truth is, California is already falling into the ocean and has been, for thousands of years.

There is a remote and wild place where you can see every stage of the geologic process happening. It’s an area so dynamic, yet so fragile; it’s protected in perpetuity as a national monument.

PUBLISHED 11/19/18 BY GoNOMAD
Tropical climate in Cornwall? Cornwall England?
On the remote, lightly populated, southeast coast of Cornwall in England, you’ll find tropical micro-climates dotted about like lost jungles. Kept warm and moist by the Gulfstream, tropical gardens host beautiful and rare plant collections ranging from English Cottage to Tropical Paradise...

PUBLISHED 11/13/18 BY GoNOMAD
Japantown lies in the middle of San Francisco’s most visited attractions, sights, neighborhoods, parks, and waterfront. The tiny, architecturally distinct district is the perfect bivouac position for exploring.
It’s two miles or less to Fillmore, Height & Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason, Marina, Presidio, Mission, and ATT Park. Key MUNI lines cross north/south and east/west through Japantown serving direct routes to many destinations.

PUBLISHED 11/13/18 BY MaryGo
I love a pot of tea, especially Earl Grey.
In August, while traveling in England, I had some lovely tea. I also learned a bit about the Brits and the amber elixir.
I’ve written a story about my tea adventures. MilesGeek will publish it in November.
Here are a few of my tea photos for all the tea lovers out there.

PUBLISHED BY SHORT WEEKS-LONG WEEKENDS 11/05/18
There’s more to do at AT&T Park than watch the 8-time, World Champion, San Francisco Giants play baseball. Explore the stadium with a behind the scenes tour. The ocean view park has a playground. Attend concerts, races, rugby matches, and Cirque du Soleil. Arrive by ferry or a vintage MUNI trolley car. Immerse in SF Giants history. Honor great players at the Wall of Fame. Eat, shop, learn to cook. Kayak into Covey Cove for a Splash-Hit catch. Picnic and play catch, commune with locals and Gia...

PUBLISHED 11/01/18 BY LINKS & LIBATIONS
Across the lake, through the rising morning mist, a hunting party rides into camp. Red and blue tents are assembled. Meat is roasting on a spit. Food and wine are abundant. Fletchers’ ready bows, arrows, and quivers. A king and his queen arrive on horseback with their entourage...

PUBLISHED 10/30/18 BY milesGeek

It’s a landscape of fields, livestock, farm buildings, and woodlands. Narrow country lanes are held in place by hedgerows and stone walls. Beyond the centuries-old barriers are farms and fields. The earth is golden with late summer grain, or green with rows of potato leaves, asparagus, or corn. Apple and pear orchards are frequent. An occasional farm stand offers fruit, vegetables, honey or eggs.

PUBLISHED 10/17/18 BY MaryGo
22-beds in 30 days, and that doesn’t count two airplane seats.
A 2018 trip to England had me on the move. I stayed in twenty-two hotels, B&Bs, and cottages...

PUBLISHED 09/29/18 BY GoNOMAD

When the hook clicks open, and the pilot catches the updraft, the cockpit goes silent. An ethereal mood takes over as the aircraft ceases its strain against the winch rope. You’re gliding on streams of air. Thermals carry you up, currents take you forward. The vista is glorious. It’s intoxicating...

PUBLISHED 09/22/18 BY TRAVEL DREAMS MAGAZINE
Cool and calm overtook my mood when I stepped inside the Castle House Hotel. My bags were whisked away. The receptionist was expecting me. My room was prepared.

PUBLISHED 09/09/18 BY SHORT WEEKS-LONG WEEKENDS
Hwy 128, a two-lane road, twists, turns, and curls through a long coastal valley. Take it slow, enjoy the view. Meander along, soaking up the shifting landscape of woodlands, mountains, terraced vineyards, orchards, pastures, chaparral, and valleys.

Ninety minutes north of the Golden Gate, things slow down in Mendocino County’s, Anderson Valley (AV). It’s a collage of vineyards, farms, ranches, and micro-towns. AV is a hub for organic food producers and laid-back hospitality. Wine, cheese, be...

PUBLISHED 08/29/2018 BY OAKLAND MAGAZINE
When you hear the phrase, “Let’s go camping,” do you (a) air out the sleeping bags; (b) check the tire pressure on the RV; or (c) desperately devise a way to stay home?
These days, camping is evolving to include everyone from dedicated wilderness backpackers to those who need comfy beds, hot showers, and high-tech flush toilets.
The Mendocino Coast abounds in diverse camping experiences. Camp among giant redwoods, ...