San Francisco Chronicle Travel Stories


		Sunday, February 15, 2009

Learn how not to trip over foreign tongues Spud Hilton, Chronicle Staff Writer When all talking stopped and the hungry eyes of seven Tunisian rug merchants fixed on me, I quietly thanked God (as well as Allah, Buddha, Zeus and anyone else who might be listening) that I didn't know a single word of... Wine and chocolate in Monterey Christine Delsol Days of wine and chocolate in Monterey If amorous pursuits didn't allow time for one of this weekend's barrage of wine-and-chocolate events, the Monterey Public Library's annual Chocolate and Wine Tasting is your chance... Top beachfront lodging spots Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times It's a great time of year to visit California's beachfront hotels, because rates are as low as half of what one might pay in summer. All of these sit right on the waterfront; price quotes, for the sake of consistency,... 'Five places' tops comments on travel stories Susan Fornoff Our new "Five places" feature took its place at the top of the minds of many readers this week, leading SFGate.com travel stories in comments. Must have been the topic: where movies were made. Readers also had a lot to... Pyongyang, North Korea Traveler: Bryan Smith, San Francisco I went because: To get a glimpse at life north of the 38th parallel and use my Korean to connect with North Koreans - to the extent this was allowed. Don't miss: The Arirang mass... Wheeled duffels are for adventure John Flinn Mother Lode wheeled duffels Some of us self-serious travelers feel about wheeled luggage the way suburban dads feel about minivans: It's a sign that our days of dash and daring are behind us. The Mother Lode TLS series... Hotel renovation derails Aruba honeymoon Christopher Elliott Q: My fiance and I booked our honeymoon at the Westin Aruba through a travel agent. At the time we made our reservations, we knew the hotel was renovating its lobby. I spoke with our agent, and e-mailed the hotel... Basic strategies to save money on travel costs Ed Perkins By now you've probably seen dozens of tips about how to save money on travel. Given the lousy economy, that's an appropriate focus this year. I know of only three basic strategies to keeping travel costs down: 1. Shop... World Travel Watch Larry Habegger Mexico 1 Authorities assigned 100 more federal police to patrol Mexico City's international airport following the 18th reported incident of robberies of arriving passengers who exchanged money in the airport. Five of... A guide for the right radio music on the highway Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times If you've ever been stuck with preset radio stations in a rental car or you're on the road and searching - desperately - for a channel you like, Radio-Locator.com may be music to your ears. What works: Radio-Locator not... Basic phrases that make a difference Spud Hilton Let's say for a moment that you're unbelievably and monumentally busy and don't have time for private tutoring, computer programs, CDs or even watching Spanish soap operas on Univision. Here is a handful of very basic... Tourist Italian? No, thank you. Bonnie Smetts At the other end of the line, the phone rang and rang - or rather buzzed and buzzed, the sound Italian phones make instead of ringing. I was about to hang up when someone answered. "I'd like to make a reservation for... Lambert Bridge Winery Carey Sweet, Special to The Chronicle As we pulled up to Lambert Bridge Winery, nestled on gently winding West Dry Creek Road just south of the old trestle bridge for which it is named, my companion sighed with envy. The gorgeous property would be a dream... Go to Sonoma for olive oil tasting Stephanie Wright Hession, Special to The Chronicle Between the crisp, wintry air and its rolling hills topped with misty vineyards, the Sonoma Valley makes a wonderful off-season getaway. But rather than sip wine, delight in the oil of that delectable orb the olive,...