By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Dennis Mammana

July 26, 2017 (Borrego Springs) – California Overland Adventures invites you to a 5-hour sunset-to-stars excursion to experience the Anza-Borrego Desert on August 11 or August 16  from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. including an off-road adventure to rugged badlands, dinner and stargazing in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which USA Today has called a “stargazer’s paradise.”

Overnight camping options are also available on separate dates.

By Miriam Raftery

April 29, 2017 (Warner Springs) – Ten historic cottages at Warner Springs Ranch Resort reopen this weekend, after the resort’s long closure for remodeling under new ownership.

“As they were in the past, Warner Springs Ranch Resort cottages are meant to provide a simple, rustic setting similar to that experienced in the old west…a place to create memories that last a lifetime,” an announcement from Warner Springs Resort reads. “You’ll find our cottages to be a comfortable environment to unwind after a great day on the golf course or on horseback.”

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2017 (Cuyamaca) –From flowing water falls to blooming wildflowers, nature put on a spectacular show in San Diego’s East County. On Saturday,  I headed out to the mountains, taking the Highway 79 exit north off I-8 to start with a visit to Green Valley Falls in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park, followed by stops at Lake Cuyamaca  and picturesque Julian.

East County News Service

Boats, float tubes, canoes and kayaks are once again allowed after rains raised water levels

April 5, 2017 (Lake Morena) – For the first time in years, the boat launch at Lake Morena County Park is now open—and the county encourages you to gather up your fishing rods and bait for a day of fishing and fun.

By Miriam Raftery

March 31, 2017 (El Cajon) –“This is truly our day. We’re here to celebrate,” Sycuan Tribal Chairman Cody Martinez told a packed house during a groundbreaking on the Sycuan reservation for the tribe’s casino expansion.

The ambitious project will include a 12-story hotel resort with 300 rooms,  adult pool with swim-up bar, kids pool,  gardens including a 420-foot-long “lazy river,” new restaurants , spa,  60,000 in additional gaming space, and a spacious 11,401 square foot ballroom that can double as concert hall seating 1,200 or banquet room  with capacity for 700. The $226 million, 500,000 square foot project is slated to open in 2019.

East County News Service

March 9, 2017 (Alpine) -- Forbes Travel Guide has  unveiled its annual Star Rating list, naming Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine as a new Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel. Viejas Casino & Resort will be showcased with all of the Star Rating recipients on ForbesTravelGuide.com. Read the Forbes review here:  http://www.forbestravelguide.com/san-diego-california/hotels/viejas-casino-resort.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Robin Norris Kendall, Miriam Raftery, and Mike Uhrhammer

November 15, 2016 (Lakeside) – If you love camping but don’t want to lug around camping gear, now there’s a fun new camping experience at Lake Jennings in San Diego’s East County:  tipis!

They’re spacious – each measures 20 feet in diameter, made of canvas from Colorado and pine wood poles from Montana.  Tipi (also spelled tee-pee) is a Lakota Sioux Indian word meaning “living in.” The Native Americans used buffalo hides to make their tipis, which were toted on horseback from site to site across the Great Plains. 

By Leon Thompson

Photos by Miriam Raftery

June 13, 2016 (26 miles across the sea) – Catalina is the perfect romantic getaway.   The beautiful shores of Catalina Island “The Island of Romance” is an easy boat ride from San Pedro to a whole different world.  A world of Mediterranean charm where you can picnic, stroll the beach, watch whales the dolphins play and discover a secluded cove.  Put away your watch because you will be on “island time.” So how did this unique place come to be?

East County News Service

April 21,2016 (Lakeside) – You’re invited to a fun and festive Earth Day celebration and birthday party for the new Triple H Ranch bed and breakfast, 12453 Yerba Valley Road in Lakeside from 1 to 8 p.m.

Activities for the whole family include tours of gardens and the bed and breakfast, a petting zoo, face painting, an open gallery, mosaic making, music, plant and seed exchange and gifts, poster and photo contests, and a pot luck luncheon.

East County News Service

February 4, 2016 (Borrego Springs)--From a romance-filled Valentine's Day special dinner to an exceptionally beautiful wildflower season just around the corner, there are plenty of reasons to fall in love with La Casa del Zorro Resort in Borrego Springs this month.

By Susan A Mahalick

Photos of Vintango provided by Jo Ann Martino

November 13, 2015 (Baja California, Mexico)--It was a fine fall day to visit one of my favorite winemakers, Jo Ann Knox Martino who owns Vintango. She has been making wine for six years now and this year she only put up Nebbiolo. In years previous she has done Zinfandel and a blend of  Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. She harvested 16 tons of grapes and put up 15 barrels of this wine. She still has 10 cases left of my favorite, the 2011 Zinfandel, which she poured for my friend, Rocky, and I. She is also experimenting with pomegranate wine since there are trees on the ranch. We were able to sample some of this as well and give feedback she appreciated.

Article and photos by Susan A Mahalick

August 7, 2015 (Baja California, Mexico)--Another beautiful summer day for this now locally famous annual event dawned just like most this time of year, with a light marine layer and cool temperatures. The event would not start until 11 a.m., when people have to start cooking their entries on site to be ready for judging and tasting at 2:30 p.m. Booths were mostly set up the night before, with one couple who always has the best spot in the first place where most people start their tasting. Frank and Darlene, who live here, have entered since the first cook-off seven years ago. Two hundred and eighty to three hundred and twenty people were estimated to have attended the event.

All-new seasonal treatments and spa-inspired fare are carefully curated to soothe and rejuvenate with a nod to the Anza-Borrego Desert

July 13, 2015 (Borrego Springs) -- When it comes to summertime relaxation, there’s no better place than the spa to prep for long, laid-back days and fun in the sun. This season, the luxurious Spa at La Casa del Zorro is offering a suite of new services and a health-centric menu to help guests feel bright, brilliant and beautiful inside and out.

by Susan A Mahalick. Photos and article by the author

June 23, 2015 (Baja, Mexico) - I met Sitara when she first got here from Costa Rica with not much more than the clothes on her back and a dog named Lily. We became fast friends, fast. She got enrolled in the wine school which has tough requirements, one of which is knowing Spanish well enough to understand the classes and become proficient in business afterwards. I was her very first investor and it is indeed the best investment I have ever made. In a few short years she is now sending her wines to Mexico City which is the ultimate market here and poised to export to the United States. It takes at least a year to become legal, getting a tax stamp for your bottles, becoming a legal resident and the like. Since her grandmother was Mexican this allows her to become a dual citizen with the US. Originally from Alaska, she is an adventurer like so many of us expats in Mexico. She prefers to create blends so I just got a case of her Dolcetto at the rock bottom price of five dollars a bottle. I am going to use some of these along with her new house wine, Ruffian, for a wine tasting BBQ tomorrow on my patio with two friends.

East County News Service

June 15, 2015 (San Diego) -- Road tripping for the summer? Road trips can be a fun and cost-effective way to spend time with family and friends while traveling to your summer vacation destination. But, if you don’t know what car maintenance you should complete before you leave or the best ways to save money while on the road, the adventure could end up costing you more than an airplane ticket.

Lisa Copeland, founder of Buying Cars Her Way and a leader in the automotive industry for more than 25 years, offers 8 tips on road tripping: