Want to really feel Fall? Want to breathe in crisp air and crunch leaves...

It's a round-up of my favorite SoCal Beach Piers because Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer...unless you are in Southern California and can hit those beaches all year long. SoCal beach piers are those iconic structures you find on postcards and t-shirts. They are an immediate way to identify which beach it is, and each beach comes with its own look and personality.

We received a lot of advice about getting to Yosemite early, parking in one of the main lots and then taking the Shuttle, which takes you to just about every popular place, or you can hike from those popular places to where you want to be. This was our plan until my 14-year-old daughter sprained her ankle literally two days before our trip and ended up on crutches.  Our plans for hiking now had to be adjusted to Plan B: driving and parking as close to the sights as possible.

How to dine Basque style means understanding what kind of food is prepared and served, it's understanding the traditions of how it emerged here in America. Basque is a region in Europe, but before I enjoy my first meal, I wanted to understand the full experience of how to dine Basque style. What is a Basque meal and what do I need to know? I'm dining at the JT Basque Bar and Restaurant in Carson Valley, Nevada for my first Basque meal, but I shared my first meal with Marie-Louise Lekumberry, to learn how to dine Basque Style at the restaurant she owns and runs with her brother, which has been passed down through the family and has it's own unique history and energy.

My previous winters in Chicago always left me wishing I could be somewhere warm...

The Farm and The Mystery Castle are both fantastic ways to explore the history and legacy around the Phoenix area in unique experiences. Both support the local community, and would make for a wonderful morning.