Via | Winter 2019

Winter in Yosemite 64

Readers’ favorite road trip tips 14

Organize your digital life 49

San

Francisco essential adventures 24

GRAND CANYON’S 100th birthday page 34

FEATURES

24 Essential San Francisco

The city beckons with secret stairways, artistic alleys, and epic views. Here are 22 ways to discover its true soul.

by

chris colin

30 Fog City Flavors

Sourdough bread, dim sum, burritos, and more: your guide to the San Francisco classics.

by josh sens

34 Where to Go in the West in 2019

Celebrate the Golden Spike in Utah, sports thrills in Vegas, art on the Oregon Coast, and a big birthday at the Grand Canyon.

by christopher hall

40 Where to Go in the World in 2019

Thinking of traveling abroad this year? Consider the three A’s— Africa, Asia, and Australia.

by christopher hall

ON THE COVER

From the Cape Royal overlook on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, take in a panorama of fascinating formations, including Wotans Throne—named after an ancient Germanic god. Page 34.

Cover photograph by David H. Collier

Explore a frozen fantasyland near Salt Lake City. Page 19.

DEPARTMENTS

5 Connect

Have you been storing wine incorrectly all this time?

7 To Our Members

AAA is leading the way in autonomous vehicle safety.

8 Community

Get home safely on Super Bowl Sunday with Tipsy Tow.

11 Smart Life

Beating winter blues, an unusual travel snack, and more.

14 On the Road

Why we love road trips; marvelous mocktails; swinging midcentury design; a weekend in Palo Alto.

49 Smart Guide

Get your digital life organized.

60 Spotlight

Cirque du Soleil’s new touring show; Lady Gaga wows Las Vegas.

64 #ViaAdventure

Yosemite Valley in winter dazzles in this AAA Member photo.

To reunite with their families, emperor penguins migrate up to 30 miles across the ice. You just have to make it across the rink.

Now Open

CHIEF OF CONTENT & PUBLISHING Anne McSilver

Editorial

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dan Miller

MANAGING EDITOR LeeAnne Jones

EXECUTIVE DIGITAL PRODUCER Rebecca Harper

SENIOR EDITORS David Lytle, Megan McCrea

EVENTS EDITOR Ethan Fletcher

Design + Production

DESIGN DIRECTOR Monica Ewing

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Amy Mackey

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Veronica Sooley

PHOTO EDITOR Maggie Perkins

Advertising

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Ted Welch

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Linda Black, Bruce Colton, Mike Walker

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Natasha Alcalá

ADVERTISING ACCOUNTING William Nocera

2,797,286 COPIES Subscription rate: AAA primary members, $2 (included in dues). Change of address: Allow four weeks’ advance notice. Contact AAA at (800) 922-8228. Manuscripts and photos: Query first; Via assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Reprints from Via: Contents copyrighted 2018 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. No part of Via may be reprinted without written permission.

Contact Via Editorial: Address all mail to Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623. viamail@viamagazine.com.

Contact Via Advertising: Address all mail to Via Advertising, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623. Fax (510) 899-0525.

This holiday tradition packs a flurry of excitement you won’t find anywhere else. Experience the new outdoor ice rink, falling snow flurries, and more! Plus, explore the science behind the season and learn how penguins adapt in the Antarctic. Open every day this holiday season.

For tickets, buy online at AAA.com/calacademy, visit your local branch, or call 888-890-2470.

Via (ISSN 1093-1716) is published quarterly by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, 1277 Treat Blvd., Suite 1000, Walnut Creek, CA 94597. Periodicals Postage: Paid at Walnut Creek, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Via AAA, P.O. Box 24512, Oakland, CA 94623.

SMART WINE TIP

Are you a wine collector? Don’t forget that 90 percent of the world’s vintages should be consumed within a year of bottling. You’ll find more storage tips at AAA.com/wine.

Prefer something nonalcoholic?

Read about the West’s most delicious mocktails on page 16. And on page 8, learn how AAA supports safe celebrations.

SHEN YUN is a premier classical Chinese dance and music company established in New York. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

“Lavish production, brilliant choreography, extravagantly beautiful.”

—Broadway World

“My heart was touched tonight, and every time I see actors perform with grace and dignity like that—it’s a spiritual experience in itself.”

—Michael

Uhlman,

writer and actor

“I would tell my friends to see Shen Yun because it’s life-changing. You’ll walk away feeling positive and like you want to help the world be a better place.”

—Andrea Preisler, actress and therapist

“I think it’s for all people and everyone needs to see it! Absolutely everyone!”

—Peggy O’Neil, university professor

Leading the way to AV safety

On page 13 of this issue, we’re sharing some big news: AAA has acquired GoMentum Station, the largest testing ground for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

But telling you what we’ve done is not the same as explaining why we did it. That’s what I’d like to do here.

For more than a century, safety has been a top priority at AAA. That was true at our birth in the early 1900s, as the rise of the automobile transformed our roadways. And it remains so today, as a new wave of innovation centered on autonomous vehicles (AVs) stands to revolutionize how we get around.

AVs have the potential to make all of our lives significantly safer. Every year, some 1.25 million people around the world die in traffic crashes; another 20 to 50 million are injured. In 2017, traffic fatalities in the United States alone numbered more than 37,000.

At AAA, our aspiration is to eliminate fatal crashes altogether. AVs may be able to help us do that. But the technology can only deliver on its full potential if it’s properly deployed.

That’s where GoMentum Station comes in.

Located in Concord, Calif., GoMentum is a sprawling facility with more than 20 miles of paved roads (complete with intersections, tunnels, and even train tracks). Leading technology companies bring autonomous vehicles, electric cars, and other mobility innovations there to test them under realistic but controlled conditions before they hit public roadways. The facility, though, is more than just a test track. It’s also fertile ground for collaboration, where private companies can collaborate with public entities to usher in the next generation of transportation.

Our plan is to further develop GoMentum Station’s testing capabilities and to expand its infrastructure to better simulate a range of real-world driving scenarios.

For more than 100 years, AAA has been helping our Members safely navigate changes on the road. We want to continue to do so for the next 100 years. ba.

TIM CONDON, PRESIDENT & CEO

Get home safely with Tipsy Tow

Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner—Feb. 3, to be exact. And though it isn’t officially a national holiday, it often feels like one. If you’re attending a party on game day, make it a great one. But remember, after the kickoff comes the return—and AAA wants yours to go safely. If you plan on imbibing during the game, the best way to get home is to arrange a ride ahead of time.

But even the best plans sometimes fall through. That’s why AAA is offering its Tipsy Tow service on the day of the Big Game. You don’t have to be a Member to use it: Tipsy Tow is part of the club’s long-standing commitment to keeping the roads safe for everyone. Tipsy Tow can also save you money and enormous headaches. A first-time DUI conviction can cost more than $10,000 in fines, penalties, legal fees, and increased insurance rates.

The service will be available from 6 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday to 6 a.m. the following day. During those 12 hours, drivers, passengers, party hosts, and bartenders—anyone seeking a ride for a motorist who has been drinking—can call (800) AAA-HELP (222-4357) for a free tow of up to 10 miles. (For longer distances, standard towing rates apply.) Just say, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a driver will be on the way to take you and your car home or to a hotel, if that’s where you’re staying. A second passenger can come along if there’s room. (Service may not be available in some parts of Montana and Alaska; if you live there, call your local AAA office to confirm.)

Save on Shell gas

Join the Fuel Rewards program before Jan. 31, 2019, to save 25 cents per gallon (for up to 20 gallons) on your first fill-up at participating Shell stations. Plus, AAA Members who join save at least five cents per gallon on every fill for the rest of 2019 with no additional requirements.

↘ AAA.com/shell CLUB NEWS

Cut your energy bills

Switch to solar and save. When you buy or lease a home energy system from SunPower, you’re eligible to receive a $1,000 mail-in rebate. You’ll reduce your utility costs and your carbon footprint. It’s a win-win.

↘ AAA.com/solar

Connect your car

The Roav Viva is an Alexaenabled USB charger that provides voice-controlled navigation, calling, and messaging; it also connects to your home’s smart devices. AAA Members can get 25 percent off the retail price of $59.99 and enjoy music and audiobook downloads from Amazon.

↘ AAA.com/viva

EXCLUSIVE FOR AAA MEMBERS

30% OFF

A COMPLETE PAIR OF EYEGLASSES (FRAMES & LENSES)*

Did you know at LensCrafters, you can use your AAA benefits to always get the best deal guaranteed? Come in today to see the world’s top designer frames you love. Find a new look and get 30% off a complete pair (frames + lenses).*

AAA.com/lenscrafters

*Present this offer to receive 30% off a complete pair (frame and lenses) with your AAA Membership. Valid AAA Membership required. Complete pair purchase required (frame and lenses) to receive 30% off frame and lenses. The frame, lenses, and lens options must be purchased in the same transaction. Items purchased separately will be discounted 15% off the retail price. Valid on multiple pairs. The Best Deal Guarantee ensures AAA members receive the best promotional price. If the in-store main promotion exceeds AAA discount savings, receive the in-store promotion plus an extra $5 off. The Best Deal Guarantee does not apply to Great Value Package, $99 Plano Blue IQ Package, and 40% Off Additional Complete Pairs. AAA Vision Discounts are administered by EyeMed Vision Care (EyeMed). These are not insurance programs and may be discontinued at any time. These discounts cannot be combined with any other discounts, promotions, coupons or vision care plans, previous purchases, readers or nonprescription sunglasses. Some brands excluded including Varilux lenses, Oakley sun frames and Authentic lenses, and Cartier frames. A valid doctor’s prescription is required and the cost of an eye exam is not included. Eyeglasses priced from $218.29 to $2,423.33. Discounts are off tag price. No cash value. Valid at participating locations only. Void where prohibited by law. Additional restrictions may apply. See store associate for details. Offer expires 6/30/2019

Smart Life

5 things to do now

When making resolutions, don’t forget to include snuggles and sunshine. Those comforts, plus a few important tasks, will set you up for a truly happy new year.

Embrace your hygge. Winter is the season for hygge (pronounced HOO-ga), the Danish word for the sensation of extreme coziness and deep contentment. Get in the spirit: Curl up with a soft blanket and a cup of tea. Catch your rays. Cozy is good, but don’t stay in all day. An estimated 10 million Americans experience seasonal affective disorder in fall and winter, when daylight hours wane. Beat the blues by spending 30 minutes a day outdoors.

5 4 3 2 1

Check your charge. In cold weather, an aging battery may make it difficult to start your car engine. With AAA Battery Service, a tech will come to you, test the battery, and install a new one if needed. Visit AAA.com/ batteryservice.

Protect your e-profile. Jan. 28 is Data Privacy Day. Guard yourself against cyber crime by changing the passwords of your online accounts. Choose a short sentence you’ll remember (such as “ilooovemyN3Wcar!”), make it at least 12 characters long, and create a unique one for each website. For more digital tips, turn to page 49.

Crack into your dinner. Easterners can keep their lobster: Westerners would rather have Dungeness crab. The season for these sweet, briny sea scrabblers is now in full swing. For a list of the West’s best crustacean feasts, visit AAA.com/crabseason.

Tackle winter chores, then kick back— in your warmest, softest socks.

SMART LIST

KRISTENMASCIA

MELANIE DEFAZIO / STOCKSY

Ayesha Curry

The Food Network star shares tips for cooking and connecting. Culinary celebrity

You have a red-hot career, a husband who travels, young children—and you still cook dinner at home. How?

When you have three kids [aged five months to 6 years] and chaotic schedules, dinnertime is never the same. But cooking brings my entire family together. Everyone has a hand in it, whether it’s preparing a simple salad or my mom and me making jerk chicken.

How early can kids start helping out in the kitchen—and in what ways?

If they can stand on a stool, they can help. My younger daughter will shuck corn and cut veggies with a kid-safe knife while my oldest loves to help make pasta dough and run it through the machine.

Q A

Q Q Q A A A

Other ideas for busy people who want to connect with their loved ones?

Find an activity that your family loves and plan to do it every week, whether it’s a Sunday dinner, board-game night, or neighborhood walk. Most of us already take time for coffee and our favorite TV show. Making that same effort for your family is easier than you think.

How do you stay organized?

I’m still very much into analog tools. A small notebook and pen can always be found on my desk or in my purse. Keeping a calendar with important dates and thoughts helps me to feel grounded and is an excellent tool for my “mommy brain.” LEEANNEJONES

About Ayesha

San Francisco Bay Area–based Ayesha Curry hosts Ayesha’s Home Kitchen on the Food Network and ABC’s upcoming Family Food Fight. She owns three International Smoke restaurants, has her own line of cookware, and wrote a cookbook that became a New York Times best seller. She also happens to be married to NBA All-Star Stephen Curry.

LEFT:

Spicy lobster salad from The Seasoned Life cookbook. LEFT: Ayesha and Stephen Curry.

SMART PERSON

SMART IDEA

Testing the future

At first glance, GoMentum Station—which AAA acquired in August 2018— doesn’t look like a place where the future of mobility is taking shape. It’s a bucolic spot, comprising 2,100 grassy acres in Concord, Calif., east of San Francisco. The land is a former U.S. Navy weapons station that has been repurposed: Big names in transportation—including Honda, Toyota, Uber, and Lyft—now bring autonomous vehicles, electric cars, and other innovations there for testing. In fact, with more than 20 miles of paved roads, it’s the largest proving ground for autonomous vehicles in the United States. It has also become a meeting place for private companies and public stakeholders to plot out real-world trials of new technologies. Why would AAA want to run GoMentum? It’s all part of the club’s commitment to keeping Members safe on the road—now and into the future.

WHY AUTONOMOUS?

Driver error is a contributing factor in 94 percent of traffic collisions in the United States.

Melissa Hartwig

Nutrition guru

Salt Lake City author and social media star is changing the way people eat.

What’s your favorite tip for people who are trying to eat more nutritiously?

Fat can actually be really good for you. In the 1990s it was all about low-fat foods and meal-replacement shakes. Now we have paleo and whole foods. I like it when people eat a good variety of fats—nuts, seeds, even saturated fats like clarified butter. But the most important thing you can do to start eating better is to learn to cook, which means you’re starting off with whole, fresh ingredients. Dietary experts agree that eating more whole foods is the foundation for a healthy diet.

with more meat than you’d imagine. It’s easy to find healthy carbs—apples, bananas—and fats when I travel, but protein is hard to find. So I pack meat sticks and beef jerky, because it’s really satiating. Protein will tide you over.

Do you use a food-tracking app?

I’m against food tracking. I don’t think that documenting, weighing, and measuring everything you put in your mouth leads to a healthy relationship with food. Whole30 helps you learn to eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, and differentiate true hunger from cravings. Your body knows how much you should be eating better than any calculator you’ll find on the Internet. AVITALANDREWS Q

You travel a lot for work. What’s the must-have in your carry-on bag? This is going to sound weird, but I travel

About Melissa AAA Member Melissa Hartwig started Whole30, a massively popular monthlong food regimen that eliminates grains, legumes, dairy, alcohol, and added sugars. A decade ago, her initial experiment changed her life. Today, she’s the best-selling author of seven books, and her Whole30 program has almost 3 million social media followers.

SMART

SMART PERSON

Beef pho with zucchini noodles from The Whole30 Slow Cooker. LEFT: Hartwig.

On the Road

EDITORS’ PICK

Expansive vistas await travelers on the Warm Springs Creek Bridge, a graceful 752-foot-long span that glides across Lake Sonoma, near Healdsburg in Northern California’s wine country.

MEMBERS’ FAVORITE

Road trip pleasures

↘ Why do you love hitting the highway? Scenic drives entice with picnics, great tunes, and unexpected discoveries.

“Road trips offer us the chance to drop the baggage of daily busyness and discover the wonders around us— to see a towering waterfall for the first time, to feel the magic of a redwood forest, and to marvel at a star-filled desert sky.”

ARLENEWEDGWOOD

“My wife and I have a tradition: On your birthday, you must wake up in a place you’ve never been before. On a recent birthday trip, we toured the Pinetop-Lakeside area in Arizona, then drove into New Mexico. I woke up on my birthday in Ruidoso, N.M., a stunning sky island in the desert.”

BOBMARSH

“To me, reading the map and imagining the sights along the way is the best part. I’ll make notes on what to see, where to stay. After the trip, I have that map as a souvenir of my travels.”

DUSTYROSE

“I created a Spotify playlist for road trips, and when the family piles in the car, I put it on shuffle. It’s got everything from the Backstreet Boys to Frank Sinatra, and we sing it all at the top of our lungs.” LYJALEVAS

“When we headed to Zion National Park, the rangers at the visitor center told us, ‘Just turn left, and you can see

some arches.’ It wasn’t on the itinerary, but we turned left anyway. Several road trips later, if we see something that might be interesting, we ‘just turn left,’ and we’re rewarded every time.”

ROXANNEANDCHUCKCOWAN

“We always bring two folding chairs, plus a cooler of food for picnics along the way. We also pack a bag of books and leave them at the Little Free Libraries that we pass.”

VALERIEKYTE

“My family is currently on a 5,500-mile road trip. We make no reservations, so we’re not tied to a schedule. We love being able to take an extra day in a beautiful place, or stop at an unexpected sign that promises hot springs up a short trail.” MICHELLEO ’ NEILL

“Flying across the country in a matter of hours is a miracle of convenience, but you’re also 37,000 feet above it all. Road tripping puts you right there, among the trees and lakes, the smells and sounds. There’s nothing like it!”

KARENNUNLEY

NEXT QUESTION

What is your favorite coastal hike in the West, and why do you love it?

↘ Email us at otr@viamagazine.com. You may be quoted in a future issue.

RACHID DAHNOUN / TANDEM STOCK

TASTES

Marvelous mocktails

↘ Move over, Shirley Temple. Nonalcoholic drinks have evolved, and they’re delicious.

Hail the mocktail. Clever bar managers have recently been upping their game when it comes to alcohol-free drinks; in just the past two years, the number of options at bars, restaurants, and even distilleries has exploded. Now, those who avoid booze can choose from a bevy of beverages based on zero-proof spirits, house-made sodas, and shrubs (drinking vinegars).

● Patrons hit Arcana in Boulder, Colo., for the nouveau Colorado cuisine highlighting wild game, foraged berries, and house-made everything. The nonalcoholic Arcana Lemonade fits right in, drawing its pucker from house-made lemon shrub (lemon juice, champagne vinegar, and sugar). “The lemonade has always been popular,” says bartender Patrick Noel. “People who don’t drink still want an interesting cocktail when they go out.”

● Camille Cavan develops cocktails to accompany the ever-changing menu at Quaintrelle in Portland, and she never skimps on booze-free choices. For winter, Cavan created one with apple and pink peppercorn syrup, fruit juices,

soda water, and ginger ale, garnished with an apple peel, a cherry, and mint leaves. It’s served in an etched highball glass, a striking match to the eatery’s modern Pacific Northwest fare.

● Topgolf—a chain of venues where players drive balls down lanes, bowling style—has joined the mocktail party. At its rooftop Las Vegas location, look for the Apple & Pear, a drink that includes caramelly Apple-Pear Barmalade, ginger beer, and fresh lemon and apple juices, topped with a cinnamon and nutmeg–dusted apple chip.

● You & Yours Distilling Co. in San Diego offers virgin versions of some

house drinks in addition to its full cocktail menu. One, called “Is Ken the Father?” mixes rhubarb and raspberry shrubs, lemon, and Topo Chico mineral water for a tart, refreshing spin on its “Rhubarbie’s Dream House” cocktail.

● Cassia sommelier Marisa Brown has become a fan of Seedlip, a line of nonalcoholic spirits first released in 2015. At the chic eatery in Santa Monica, Calif., Brown substitutes Seedlip Garden 108—distilled from hay, peas, spearmint, rosemary, and thyme—for gin in cocktails. The Garden Gimlet is a combination of that plus lime juice and mint, which pairs well with Cassia’s pan-Asian dishes. DAVIDLYTLE

Quince and thyme meet in a winter libation at Portland’s Quaintrelle.

HERE AND THERE

Groovy beauties

↘ Midcentury landmarks from Seattle to Palm Springs recall the era of beehives and tiki bars.

Midcentury modernism—an architectural movement built on wide-open spaces—has thrived here in the West. The style, in vogue from the 1930s to the 1960s, emphasizes simple materials and design that invites the outside in. Today you can tour, eat, and even sleep in vintage gems across the West.

● With its exuberant bank buildings and dazzling movie star homes, Palm Springs, Calif., is the de facto capital of modernism. In 2006, locals launched a celebration of the city’s notable architecture, Modernism Week. It has since grown from a handful of design history lectures and home tours into a full-on extravaganza complete with period-dress cocktail parties and fleets of synchronized swimmers. This year’s event (Feb. 14–24) will honor designer Arthur Elrod.

● In Scottsdale, Ariz., the respectfully restored Hotel Valley Ho oozes

Mad Men–era style, from the yellow, orange, and blue breeze blocks on the balconies to the sculptural fireplace in the lobby. Learn about the hotel’s Hollywood past—and see other historic buildings—on the Valley Ho’s new midcentury tour of Scottsdale.

● Salt Lake City, meanwhile, boasts one of the West’s top midcentury furniture and accessory stores, the Green Ant. Tucked into a pocket of retro-focused businesses downtown,the shop lures passersby with geometric chandeliers, angular chairs, and mod bureaus.

● Clinging to a cliffside above Seattle’s Lake Union, Canlis dates to 1950. Inside, diners walk past a low-slung bar to tables with views of the water and of chef Brady Williams, as he puts the final touches on brown butter dashi with crab in what was, when built, one of the first open restaurant kitchens in the United States. ALECSCOTT

Arizona’s Hotel Valley Ho retains its retro glam.

GREAT OUTDOORS

Snow wonder

When winter comes to Midway, Utah, two dozen artists set to work sculpting thousands of icicles into Ice Castles, an installation made entirely of frozen water. The frigid fort just outside Salt Lake City features tunnels, turrets, and trails perfect for warmly dressed explorers to roam and slide through.

It all started a decade ago, when Brent Christensen built an ice structure in his Alpine, Utah, front yard for his 5-year-old daughter. Since then, his company has built the castles in three countries.

Come during the day to soak in the glacial blues of 250 million pounds of ice or, better yet, after dark, when lights illuminate the structures from within. Just don’t wait too long: Snag online tickets to the freezing fantasyland before nature melts it away for another year.

Thousands of LED lights illuminate Utah’s Ice Castles.

Oberammergau, Germany

From afar, Oberammergau—a red-roofed village high in the Alps, some 60 miles from Munich—looks like any other Bavarian hamlet, perhaps a place to sip a fresh wheat beer or explore a glorious hiking trail. And while brews and views abound here, the town is famed for something else: the Passion Play.

Every 10 years, Oberammergau continues a tradition that began in 1634. It mounts a re-creation of the trial, crucifixion, and ascension of Jesus. The 42nd iteration, slated to run from May through October 2020, is expected to draw nearly half a million travelers, with tickets selling out well in advance. Performed in German, the five-hour epic packs pageantry that transcends barriers of language and religion. The play has long defined the town, but the image hasn’t always been positive. Past versions were downright anti-Semitic, but the modern edition highlights Jesus’ own Jewish heritage. At one point, Jesus holds up the Torah while a chorus sings a Jewish prayer. The play has now become a redemption story—in more ways than one.

TRIP TIP Look to the future

Have visions of travel for 2020? It’s not too soon to start planning, says AAA Vacation Expert Jan Finkelstein. Tour companies and cruise lines often accept down payments 18 months in advance. If your plans change, you can sometimes cancel for a full refund before the final payment comes due.

Palo Alto, Calif.

↘ On the shores of San Francisco Bay, old-fashioned college-town comforts meet high-tech pizzazz.

Before it became the buzzy hub of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto was a sleepy college town: Many tech luminaries got their start at Stanford University. Today, you’ll find leafy neighborhoods just blocks from business parks; bucolic hills dotted with mansions; and old-school ice cream parlors next to cutting-edge restaurants.

● If you’re partial to the traditional retail experience, head to Stanford Shopping Center for many familiar brands (including Apple, naturally). For something more innovative, check out B8ta. The downtown shop showcases the latest tech gear from the valley and beyond, allowing you to try out everything from 3-D printers to electric scooters. Techno-amateurs are covered: In-store iPads provide information on each gadget.

● A short stroll southeast from University Avenue takes you through oak tree–lined Professorville. This lovely neighborhood, a registered historic district, is so named because many of its homes—a mix ranging from stately Dutch colonials to cozy Mediterranean

cottages—were built by some of the university’s first faculty members. Just a bit farther on, stop by the English-style grounds of the Gamble Garden, a reminder of the area’s late-19thcentury pastoral roots. There’s a reason Stanford is nicknamed “the Farm.”

● One of the hottest restaurants in town is Protégé, where two French Laundry alums offer an upscale casual spin on fine dining. You can splurge on the $120 prix fixe menu in the dining room, or sample the cuisine à la carte in the lounge. The stars here are homespun dishes with haute execution: pillowy-soft Parker House rolls accompanied by extruded butter that looks like angel-hair pasta; Cornish hen cooked under a brick until the paper-thin skin is ultracrispy.

● Wherever you eat dinner, save room for dessert at the Palo Alto Creamery. You won’t find better milk shakes than the ones at this ’50s-style soda fountain, where they’ve been mixed the old-fashioned way in metal cans for more than 90 years.

ETHANFLETCHER

TOP: ANNA ROWLAND; BOTTOM: JIM SULLIVAN

TOP: Stanford’s august Main Quad was originally designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. BOTTOM: Ricotta dumplings served with seasonal ingredients such as beech mushrooms and English peas star on the Protégé menu.

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ESSENTIAL San Francisco

The city beckons with secret stairways, artistic alleys, epic views, and more. Here are 22 ways to discover its true soul.

BYCHRISCOLIN PHOTOGRAPHYBY DAVIDH . COLLIER

Is San Francisco a dreamy paradise of winding streets and fog-shrouded hills? Is it a groovy bohemian redoubt where the country’s counterculture came to flourish? Or is it a gated playground for kombucha-sipping tech workers? Outsiders can debate this endlessly, but locals know the truth: IT’S ALL OF THESE THINGS AND MUCH MORE. Getting to the essence of the City by the Bay means focusing on experiences that embrace this mix—some classic, some new, some woefully overlooked.

1 Coit Tower, the famed monument rising from downtown’s Telegraph Hill, is known for its spectacular views. Lesser known is the woman behind the tower. Cigar-chomping 19th-century gambler and socialite Lillie Hitchcock Coit left a bequest to build this strangely elegant structure. Gaze out from the observation deck and ponder your own legacy.

2 The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was the West Coast’s first modern art museum, and a recent expansion converted it to a striking, Snøhetta-designed palace. It’s a contemplative space in a bustling section of the city, replete with light-filled galleries where you can wander from Rothko to Matisse to Thiebaud.

3 A three-mile-long ribbon of green jutting out to the beach, Golden Gate Park is San Francisco’s communal backyard, and as such a fine window into its Lindy-hopping, disco-skating, bison-ogling, fly-casting soul. Spend a lazy Sunday walking the winding trails, and daydream about the park’s hippie heyday during the Summer of Love.

Dawn’s first light touches Coit Tower and the city beyond.

4

In a town ruled by tech, the analog heart of Amoeba Music still beats loud. For more than two decades, this former bowling alley has been one of the country’s liveliest independent music stores. Roaming the aisles of the Haight Street institution feels like a trip to another dimension, where somehow all that matters is the drum sound on that rare pressing of Beggars Banquet. You might even catch an in-store show; Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, and the Violent Femmes have played here.

5 The outside looks like a Mexican cathedral, the inside a mashup of Italian, Moorish, Spanish colonial, and whichever culture sends an organ rising from belowdecks before each film. The beautiful old Castro Theatre is a sight to behold, and if your visit coincides with one of its campy sing-alongs—Yellow Submarine! Frozen! Grease!—you’re existentially required to costume up and join in.

7 A beacon in the heart of North Beach, City Lights got its start asthe cramped headquarters of the beatnik scene. Founded in 1953 by Peter Martin and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the bookstore published Allen Ginsberg’s worldshaking poem Howl just two years later, and it remains an epicenter of independent literature today. Roam among the decidedly nonmainstream titles, and grab a read you wouldn’t otherwise grab. San Francisco is a bookstore town, and this is one of its leading lights.

6

The amount of wire used in the Golden Gate Bridge could circle the earth three times—but walkers can cross the span in under 45 minutes. The 1.7-mile trek can be chilly, but the sights and sounds from the deck will absorb you: the towers getting swallowed by fog, the soft vibrations underfoot, the mournful moans of the foghorns. Thirty-five million tons of goods pass through this strait yearly. Bring along an app such as Ship Finder to learn where all those lonesome freighters are headed.

8

Crissy Field is most striking for the giant celebrity bridge looming behind it, but the former army airfield is also perfect for biking, grilling, Frisbeeing, and general beach cavorting. At some point, you’ll notice that you’re freezing. A café right on the waterfront path, the Warming Hut, purveys all manner of cozy nibbles.

9 San Francisco’s cable cars were born on a wet day in 1869, after their inventor witnessed a team of horses slip to their death on a steep, damp street. Soon a great system of steam engines, gears, and more than 600 cars was erected to replace the carriages. Today, just 40 cable cars remain, but the Powell-Mason line still delivers the most magical view in town. Around Mason and Green, look north for a glimpse of the bay, Alcatraz, and points beyond.

11 Grokking San Francisco requires altitude. You’ll find just that at Mount Davidson, which at 938 feet is the highest natural point in town. The peak is also a world unto itself, where cypress and eucalyptus trees stretch skyward and butterflies flit about the mountaintop. For another perspective, check out nearby Twin Peaks. From its summit, the city is a quilt of little white cubes, rising and falling with its own strange topography.

10

Hundreds of secret stairways carve their way around the city’s hills. Among the neatest are the leafy Esmeralda Stairs of Bernal Heights and the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps—a mosaic-tiled staircase emblazoned with doves, dragonflies, and hummingbirds—in the Sunset. On the wooden steps near Coit Tower, you might see actual wildlife: the famous wild parrots of Telegraph Hill.

12

In this ever-changing city, the Fillmore District—the neighborhood at the foot of Pacific Heights— shows just how much a place can transform. After World War II, the area became a thriving African American enclave, bopping with theaters, bistros, and jazz clubs where Billie Holiday and Miles Davis played. The so-called Harlem of the West was ultimately undone by redevelopment, but you can still find traces of the glory days at such spots as Sheba Piano Lounge (a venue featuring live music nightly) sprinkled among newer restaurants and watering holes.

13

Since the 1960s, San Francisco has hosted an impressive string of outdoor concerts. But of all the annual musical events, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has become the most beloved. Free and refreshingly noncommercial, HSB has blanketed Golden Gate Park with all kinds of music (Emmylou Harris, Mavis Staples, Yo La Tengo) since 2001. Check the calendar, pack 18 layers, and enjoy.

14

Once a gritty warehouse district, SoMa, or South of Market, is now home to tech headquarters, sleek high rises, and swanky eateries. Salesforce Park, an oasis of green in the heart of it all, closed almost as soon as it opened, due to cracks in its steel beams. Check your notifications, and visit when it reopens.

16

A soaring landmark today, Grace Cathedral has humble roots. Its original parishioners were mostly miners who filled the collection plate with gold dust. Don’t miss the church’s labyrinths, and the dazzling stained glass windows, which range from medieval to modern in style. (The Virgin Mary is depicted here; so is astronaut John Glenn.)

15

In the city’s northwest corner, amidst dramatic cliffs and towering cypress trees, sits Lands End. Explore the park on the 1.7-mile Coastal Trail, which traces the continent’s edge from Eagle’s Point Overlook to Ocean Beach, San Francisco’s longest stretch of sand. The walk winds past the relics of the Sutro Baths, a bathhouse that was demolished in the 1960s. End your hike with a bonfire at a fire pit, permitted March through October.

17 San Francisco’s Chinatown was the first such enclave in the United States—the prototype for all subsequent Chinatowns. Several fine tours exist, and one of the best is also free. City Guides volunteers lead groups through alleys, temples, and hidden corners, away from kitsch-heavy Grant Avenue. Come hungry; finding the best pork buns and custard tarts is its own adventure.

18 Before becoming gentrified, the Mission District was a hub of Latino culture—a fact still visible in its fantastic murals, some dating to the early 1970s. On weekends, Precita Eyes Mural Arts leads public tours through otherwise forgotten alleys past hundreds of bold tableaux. Splashed across garage doors and wooden fences, the works depict dramatic scenes from the Nicaraguan revolution, visions of war and peace in El Salvador, and more. Between Balmy and Clarion Alleys, the area is an ad hoc Guggenheim.

19

Given all the sights in the city, one can forget the bay itself. A stroll on the waterfront, from the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf, delivers views of both bridges, Oakland, Sausalito, and all manner of obscenely fit joggers. A ferry ride puts you even closer to the life aquatic. Buy a wildly overpriced drink, sit in the sun, and congratulate yourself for having made Alcatraz reservations months earlier—the tour is as excellent as it is popular.

20 Once a neighborhood you just drove through, Hayes Valley is now a destination in its own right. Its chic, arty boutiques include MMclay, which sells ceramics out of a vintage Airstream, and Doob, which makes lifelike models of people and pets from 360-degree photos.

21 Bits of unreconstructed San Francisco still exist, especially in the Tenderloin. Though it’s the city’s skid row and thus often overlooked, the TL is full of dive bars, inexpensive eateries, and fascinating history. For a crash course, take a Tenderloin Museum walking tour. On Sundays, nearby Glide Memorial Church delivers the most rollicking service in town.

22 Twenty-five years ago, the Presidio—a former fort on San Francisco’s northern edge—was reborn as a national park site laced with gorgeous trails. Four works by British land artist Andy Goldsworthy are scattered about. The most striking might be Wood Line, a line of branches snaking through a misty grove of eucalyptus near Lovers’ Lane. Eminently lovable. ●

chris colin writes for Wired, California Sunday Magazine, and the New York Times.

FOG CITY Flavors

Sourdough, dim sum, burritos, and more: Eat your way through the San Francisco classics.

The city may be small—less than one-tenth the size of Los Angeles—but make no mistake: San Francisco is a culinary giant.

If you’re looking to graze around town, the challenge is figuring out where to start. Luckily, these 14 hot spots, from North Beach to the edge of the Mission, will give you a true taste of San Francisco. Some deal in classic California foods dating to the Gold Rush era. Others serve modern creations. They consist of chic bistros and cash-only stands, throwback hangouts and shrines to contemporary cuisine—a rich melting pot of options.

“This city has always

attracted people from all over,” says Richie Alioto, a third-generation San Francisco restaurateur. “You can taste that in our dining scene.”

Alioto’s grandfather, Nunzio, came from Sicily. In 1925 he opened Alioto’s, a seafood stand on Fisherman’s Wharf that grew into the 160-seat restaurant Richie now runs. Here, Dungeness crab stars in myriad dishes. The best bet for savoring its sweet, delicate meat? Cousin Nunzio’s simple recipe: crab sautéed with garlic, lemon, herbs, butter, and white wine, then roasted.

Back when Alioto’s opened, Dungeness was

plentiful and cheap. Now it’s often treated as a delicacy, as at Anchor & Hope, a downtown spot where crab has appeared as a crowning garnish atop sea urchin panna cotta. Rich food reigns in North Beach, the city’s

historic Italian district. Here, Tommaso’s stands out for its pizzas (baked in the West Coast’s oldest wood-fired oven) and heaping plates of spaghetti and meatballs, redolent with the homey flavors of your nonna ’s Sunday

TOP: FUTURE REFERENCE / CHARLIE VILLYARD; BOTTOM: TARTINE BAKERY

TOP: It’s said that Billy West started Zuni Café “with a huge heart and exactly ten thousand dollars.” BOTTOM: Tartine Bakery draws lines down the block for its famous sourdough loaves.

supper. By contrast, Che Fico, near Alamo Square, operates on the Cal-Italian cutting edge, complementing seasonal pizzas, pastas, and roasts with elevated fare inspired by Roman Jewish comfort food, such as grilled duck liver dressed with purple daikon and onion marmellata.

Dragon Beaux, a dim sum and hot pot palace in the Richmond District, also deals in traditional cooking updated, as in a rainbow coalition of soup dumplings, skins stained black, yellow, green, and red by squid ink, turmeric, spinach, and beets. The chefs also serve more traditional dim sum (pot stickers, scallop siu mai), but if you’re craving a roasted duck burrito, this is your place.

The burrito is San Francisco’s culinary mascot, a dish perfected here that many say just isn’t the same anywhere else. Finding the best burrito in town isn’t easy: A dozen locals might recommend

April’s Chicken, Waffles, & Soul Food, tops shrimp and grits with creamy gravy, and seasons perfectly fried chicken with a mix of spices that she would rather not reveal.

There’s no mystery behind the renowned roast chicken at Zuni Café on Market Street. The chicken is bronzed in a brick oven, plated over a warm bread salad studded with pine nuts and currants, and finished with greens. Credit for the recipe goes to Zuni’s late chef-owner, Judy Rodgers, a pioneer in a city famed for culinary firsts.

though it’s not native, having come from Europe. Boudin Bakery, with its glassy Fisherman’s Wharf location, is the city’s sourdough ambassador. But Tartine Bakery, near Mission Dolores Park, is the locals’ go-to, where the country loaves, tinged with a sourdough tang, verge on legendary, and the sugar-dusted morning buns have an epic reputation too.

a dozen taquerías. But someone will surely point you to no-frills Mission stalwart La Taqueria specifically to its carne asada, delicious grilled beef that gets even better when splashed with house-made salsa on a taco, or wrapped in a burrito. Insiders order their burritos dorado style, grilled for a crispy skin.

Burritos are a budgetfriendly choice in a town full of options haute and humble. On one hand, there’s Avery in the Fillmore, where $125 gets you a seven-course menu populated by such dishes as seared lamb loin with abalone and pickled green tomatoes. On the other, you’ll find modestly priced standouts such as Champa Garden in the Ingleside neighborhood. Here, the fiery Thai-Laotian dishes include nam khao, a salad of fried rice balls spiked with fish sauce and fermented sausage. In the Bayview, April Spears, chef-owner of Auntie

Lately, that creativity has spread from the kitchen to the bar. Take, for instance, True Laurel, a sleek hideaway on the outskirts of the Mission that turns out such cocktails as the Mai O Mai, featuring Panamanian rum, pistachio orgeat, curaçao, coffee-rum float, and lime.

While we’re raising glasses, let’s toast to sourdough—the bread that proliferates here even

The crowds arrive early at Tartine, queuing down the block for the glorious goodies. The wait is worth it, but if you need a quicker salve for your sweet tooth, you might head south to Mitchell’s Ice Cream. From avocado to vanilla, the flavors range from everyday to exotic. My recommendation? Get the ube (purple yam), which is lush, unexpected, and delightful—about as San Francisco as San Francisco gets. ●

JOSHSENS is the restaurant critic for San Francisco magazine.

ABOVE: Exotic ingredients reign at True Laurel, a cocktail spot from David Barzelay of Lazy Bear fame. BELOW: The Five Guys Xiao Long Bao at Dragon Beaux are filled with crab roe, black tru es, kale, pork, and beets.

Where to go West 2019 IN THE IN

Celebrate the Golden Spike in Utah, sports in Vegas, art on the Oregon Coast, and a big birthday at the Grand Canyon.

BYCHRISTOPHERHALL

The good news: Americans are taking more vacations.

According to Project Time

Off, the average U.S. worker took 17.2 vacation days in 2017—the highest rate in seven years. But there’s a flip side to that. Given the wealth of choices, it’s tougher than ever to decide where to go.

To help you plan your next adventure, here are four epic destinations where the spirit of the West will be especially strong in 2019.

The historic Nankoweap Trail is one of the most di cult—and scenic— routes into the Grand Canyon.

WHERE TO GO 2019

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA

Landmark anniversary

The jaw-dropping views are the big draw for many of the 6 million–plus annual visitors to Grand Canyon National Park. But throughout 2019, as the park celebrates its 100th birthday, the spotlight will shine on the fascinating world surrounding those famous vistas. “We’re planning a year’s worth of public events focused on the astoundingly diverse historical, cultural, and natural resources here,” says Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes, the park’s public outreach coordinator. Wildlife programs let you meet live raptors, rattlesnakes, and other critters. You can take in performances by members of the American Indian tribes that live in and around the canyon. Experience the wonders of the night skies during a summertime star party, or time travel with a reenactor’s portrayal of President Teddy Roosevelt, who declared the Grand Canyon a national monument back in 1908, setting the stage for its elevation to a national park 11 years later.

PROMONTORY SUMMIT, UTAH

A golden sesquicentennial

Another big anniversary is being celebrated this year: The transcontinental railroad was completed 150 years ago—on May 10, 1869, to be precise—at Promontory Summit, Utah, about 90 miles northwest of Salt Lake City. As always, history buffs, rail fans, and vacationing families who visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site from May through October can thrill to the sight of replica vintage locomotives belching steam. There are also reenactments of the moment when Leland Stanford drove in the ceremonial golden spike that officially joined the eastern and western reaches of the tracks. And from March 23 to June 15, the Brigham City Museum of Art & History (about 30 miles from Promontory Summit) will present The Spike at 150: Myths and Realities, an exhibit encompassing historic photos, old spikes and ties, and everyday artifacts. The goal, says Kaia Landon, the museum’s director, is to explore the reality of the construction as well as the legends surrounding this key event in the development of the West.

The North Rim is less crowded than the South, and the views are still superlative.

Locomotive No. 119 chugs through the Golden Spike National Historic Site.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY; STEPHEN SAKS PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY; JAMES BUETI (2)

The Desert Watchtower rises in solitary splendor. LEFT: Eileen Yatsattie preserves Zuni pottery traditions.

WHERE TO GO 2019

LAS VEGAS

The new sports capital Vegas has always been a sporting town, but now it’s getting downright athletic. Exhibit A is T-Mobile Arena, home to the National Hockey League’s Golden Knights, whose Cinderella appearance in the Stanley Cup finals last year unleashed a citywide frenzy. The success of the new team has given a jolt of energy to the surrounding neighborhood. A plaza between the arena and the Strip, the Park offers five acres of trees, fountains, and sculptures, plus casual eateries and free musical performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And there are plenty of other sports of the athletic variety around town. In April 2019, baseball’s minor-league Las Vegas 51s start playing at a new home stadium in Summerlin. (Named after the mysterious Area 51 nearby, the team features an alien’s head in its logo.) The United Soccer League’s Las Vegas Lights FC play at Cashman Field. Hoops fans can catch the 2019 WNBA All-Star game on July 27 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. If you’re really planning ahead, look for pro football’s Raiders to move from Oakland, Calif., to Vegas in 2020. Says Bill Bradley, sports editor for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I don’t know of any other city with such a burst of new teams, stadiums, and fan fever.”

By T-Mobile Arena, the Park o ers a rare open-air oasis just o the Strip.

Along the Oregon Coast Public Art Trail, Florence’s bronze sea lions.

RIGHT: Bandon’s fantastic plastic pu n made of ocean detritus.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DAVID H. COLLIER (3); JAMES BUETI

OREGON COAST

Natural splendor, public art

With lovably quirky towns, pristine seafood, stunning beaches, and edge-ofthe-continent views, the Oregon Coast has plenty of well-known attractions to lure visitors. In 2019, a surprising assortment of public art—much of it hidden in plain sight for years—will join that mix. The Oregon Coast Public Art Trail, a self-guided tour of roughly 160 artworks in 27 communities, is slated to launch early in the year, with the release of a website and map. “Most of the works are older sculptures and murals that visitors don’t know about,” says Cannon Beach’s Kevan Ridgway, who assembled the list. “But there are new things, too, like a puffin in Bandon made of marine debris.” Other highlights include a bronze rendering of three sea lions, overlooking the country’s largest sea cave, in Florence; and colorful murals—some newly restored—of whales, anglers, and other coastal scenes on the historic waterfront in Newport. ●

A whale breaches at sunset near Depoe Bay (see spout at left).

Where to go World 2019 IN THE IN

Looking for something out of the ordinary for your travels abroad this year? Consider the three A’s—Asia, Africa, and Australia.

BYCHRISTOPHERHALL

In 2017, Americans took some 87 million trips outside the United States. Most of those (roughly 50 million) were to Canada or Mexico. About two thirds of the rest were to Europe or the Caribbean. That leaves huge swaths of the globe where relatively few of us set foot.

Hankering for roads less taken? Travel pros say Asia, Africa, and Australia are all gaining in popularity, with each continent offering a range of experiences from urban swank to outdoor adventure.

The Mekong River fl ows serenely through the Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) in Laos.

NORBERT SCANELLA / ALAMY

WHERE TO GO 2019

ASIA

Seasonal festivals, epic treks, and World Heritage sites

JAPAN After China, Japan is the most popular destination in Asia. And there’s no better time to visit than during the spring sakura (cherry blossom) season, when billowing clouds of flowers dot the countryside and cities. Tokyo’s Ueno Park is a favorite viewing spot. Later in the year, the koyo (fall foliage) season brings a different yet equally stunning show. The autumn leaves festival at Lake Kawaguchi is a standout, with vibrant red maples framing views of Mount Fuji.

NEPAL For something more adventurous, look to Nepal. The Himalayan nation’s unparalleled mountain vistas are best experienced on treks to destinations like the Langtang Valley. But the country also includes subtropical jungle: Chitwan National Park is populated with elephant herds and rare Bengal tigers. Visit in the fall during the boisterous Dashain festival, and you’ll encounter ornate processions, kite-flying contests, and children taking turns on tall bamboo swings.

LAOS If you really want to get away from the crowds, consider Laos—it’s like Thailand without as many tourists. Intrepid travelers can kayak through the Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) archipelago along the beautiful Mekong River, or take in the wonders of Luang Prabang, a Unesco World Heritage site with 30-plus wats (traditional Buddhist temples). A new Lao National Museum is slated to open in the capital of Vientiane in 2019.

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Mount Fuji looms over cherry trees in bloom. An elephant ambles through Chitwan National Park in Nepal. Laotian monks seek alms on the streets of Luang Prabang.

WHERE TO GO 2019

AFRICA

From winetasting in Cape Town to gorillas in the mist

SOUTH AFRICA A major reason South Africa is perennially among the continent’s most popular destinations: It’s a terrific place to spot the “big five”—lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffaloes—on safari in places like Kruger National Park. Despite the ongoing water shortage in Cape Town, that hub of the country’s wine and arts scenes is still a must for visitors.

EGYPT Thanks to its astounding ancient sites and a stabilizing political situation, Egypt is back on many tourists’ maps. Visitation is up sharply the past couple of years. That trend should continue with the construction of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a 5.2 million–square-foot gathering of artifacts—including many from King Tut’s tomb—that overlooks the pyramids of Giza.

RWANDA For travelers who are looking to explore eastern Africa, Rwanda is one of the best bets. (It’s also one of the safest, according to the U.S. State Department.) Kigali, the capital, is urbane and friendly. You’ll also find excellent ecotours, such as the opportunity to encounter the famous mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park. A third luxury lodge is set to open there in 2019.

clockwise from far left: Tourists approach the pyramids at Giza the old-school way. A woman performs a traditional intore dance prior to a trek to find mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. A black-maned lion sits in regal repose in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

WHERE TO GO 2019

AUSTRALIA

Urban pleasures on the coasts, cultural traditions in between

MELBOURNE Now a gastronomic capital, Melbourne dazzles with finedining venues like Attica, where native ingredients star, as well as casual eateries showcasing the city’s international flavors. Cultural attractions include the East End Theatre District, home to six major theaters, and the world-renowned Australian Ballet. March is particularly packed with events, including the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

ULURU Climbing 1,142-foot-high Uluru (Ayers Rock), deep in the Outback, was once a standard item on the to-do lists of visitors Down Under. But, out of consideration for the rock’s significance to the local Anangu people, such ascents won’t be allowed after September 2019. That shouldn’t dissuade visitors from making their way to the geological marvel: A host of activities focusing on the surrounding desert and the people who inhabit it—from predawn walks to dot-painting workshops— have filled the gap.

PLAN A TRIP

PERTH One of the world’s most isolated cities, Perth boasts a laid-back lifestyle, Mediterranean climate, and modern urban amenities. Scarborough Beach is picture-perfect, its limpid blue water and white sand backed by parks, restaurants, and promenades. In June, the city’s new stadium hosts a game of the rugby league’s State of Origin series—one of the country’s biggest sporting events. ●

christopher hall also writes for National Geographic Traveler and Sunset.

Ready to go or want to learn more? Contact the AAA Vacation Expert at your local branch, visit AAA.com/travel, or call (877) 835-2233, and ask about exclusive benefits and discounts.

A couple strolls along Perth’s Scarborough Beach. Thanks in large part to its polyglot population, Melbourne has emerged as an internationally recognized culinary destination. While climbing Uluru will be banned, there’s still plenty to do and see near this icon of the Outback.

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT:

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Joshua Becker, author of The Minimalist Home, offers five bits of advice for decluttering your digital world: Remove as many icons from your desktop and home screens as possible. Uninstall software you don’t need. Turn off all notifications. Delete unnecessary files, photos, and apps. Put only your most crucial apps on your phone’s home screen; put the rest in folders on a second screen.

digital

You and your life

Managing your photos, privacy settings, and all of that endless email can feel like a part-time job. It can be overwhelming to keep up with everything—from work to shopping to your social life—that now takes place on-screen. But with a few tricks, you can turn that digital chaos into a smoothly running system. One key ally: AAA. The same club that helps you with car troubles, insurance questions, and travel plans can also help you clear the digital clutter. That means more time to spend on what matters—online or off.

2. Shrink your to-do list. Just as utilities and other services offer automatic bill payment, AAA offers Automatic Renewal for your Membership. You won’t have to worry about getting caught without your AAA Member benefits— one less thing to deal with. Sign up at AAA.com/renew.

3. Do email better. We’re all subject to the tyranny of the email in-box. It fills and refills itself relentlessly, letting other people’s agendas control our time and attention. To get a better handle on your in-box, make frequent use of your email app’s Unsubscribe and Report Spam buttons. Then develop a fi ling system—Gmail’s labels are straightforward and easy to learn—that will automatically

sort your messages as they come in. Finally, use apps such as MailTime and Boomerang to declutter your in-box and simplify communication.

4. Gamify preparedness. Can making sure that your household is ready for an earthquake or other disaster actually be... fun? AAA offers a choose-your-ownadventure game, Road to Ready ( AAA.com/roadtoready), that lets you test your earthquake IQ. While playing on a computer or mobile device, you learn about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake—and you also get handy links to a disasterkit checklist and a family communication plan.

Defend your identity. Nearly 5 percent of Americans fall victim to identity theft every year, and fixing the resulting problems can seem impossible. AAA makes identity protection easier by offering Experian’s ProtectMyID with your Membership. Sign up for the service— which also monitors credit and provides fraud support—at AAA.com/idtheft.

Smart Guide

6. Turbo your taxes. No need to spend hours in an accountant’s office this coming tax season. The TurboTax Free Edition is free for simple filers and easy to use. If you need more, AAA Members can save up to $20 on TurboTax’s helpful suite of online products. AAA.com/turbotax.

Monitor your house. Instead of hiring a house sitter when you travel, use technology to keep an eye on your home. AAA Members save 15 percent on select Nest and Google smart home products, and up to 20 percent on AAA Smart Living bundles. You’ll have the peace of mind that comes with being connected to your home from anywhere, complete with mobile alerts and streaming video of your abode. AAA.com/nest.

Use the app. The AAA Mobile app has an interactive map to help you find every AAA Member discount available nearby—and lets you call for Emergency Road Service or a locksmith. You can even book hotel rooms and download guides about travel destinations. Available for both Android and iOS. 8

9. Automate price comparisons. The most time-consuming part of online shopping is checking dozens of websites to make sure you’re not paying more than you need to. Luckily, there are apps that will compare prices and nab refunds for you. Wikibuy checks prices and takes you to the page with the lowest ones. It also tests the best coupon codes for each site. Ebates gets you cash back at over 2,500 sites. And Paribus, which is free, works retroactively to scan receipts in your in-box for price drops, then file refund requests where appropriate.

10. Upgrade your tech. Is your computer slow as molasses and crowded with documents you haven’t opened in eons? You could spend hours defragging, buying more memory, and attempting to sort through years of files. Or you could choose to start fresh. AAA Members save 10 percent on Dell PCs, electronics, and accessories (AAA.com/dell), as well as up to 35 percent on select HP products, with free shipping and dedicated support (AAA.com/hp).

11. Keep watch on your car. The Owl Car Cam lets you check on your car from anywhere. AAA Members get 15 percent off the top-of-the-line video security system, which offers a dual-facing high-definition camera to record everything from break-ins to crashes—even unwarranted tickets—and sends video right to your phone. AAA.com/owl.

12. Unleash data restrictions.

Tired of telling the family to stop streaming videos because your data plan is tapped out? Plans with unlimited data can restore household peace. If you’ve been holding back because of the cost, check out the AAA discounts from Sprint, which include unlimited data and call plans. Sprint will even pay the AAA Classic Membership renewal fees for you and your family. AAA.com/sprint.

13

Roam free. No need to use public Wi-Fi or electric outlets when you’re out. Skyroam’s puck-shaped portable device is your own 4G LTE hot spot and battery charger, whether you’re traveling locally or in more than 130 countries. And AAA Members get 15 percent off. AAA.com/skyroam.

Log your workouts.

Fitness regimens can be more effective— and more enjoyable—when you keep track of your progress. Apps such as MyFitnessPal let you enter what you’ve eaten and log your exercise. In return, they list your caloric intake and show how close you are to achieving your fitness goals. Fitbit’s wearable devices and the iPhone Health app’s built-in pedometer can also do this for you.

Smart Guide

Organize those photos (finally).

If you’re like most people, you feel overwhelmed by the number of photos that live on your phone or computer, or by the paper prints overflowing from old shoeboxes in your closet. Take a deep breath: Good solutions exist for both.

Digital → print

A company called Tweed Wolf can turn that unruly mass of digital snapshots on your phone into expertly curated and edited photo books. Upload as many pictures as you want. In as little as two weeks, a gorgeous keepsake album will be delivered to your door, for you and yours to cherish forever. tweedwolf.com.

Print → digital

Are there piles of photos, slides, or film negatives cluttering your storage?

Scanmyphotos.com can digitize them all for you. Order the prepaid box online, pack it with up to 1,800 Kodak moments, and send it back: Shipping is free. Your favorite memories will be returned to you in digital form on a DVD. Flash drives and downloads are offered for an additional fee.

Southern California

41. Best Western Stovall’s Inn Of Anaheim

42. Buena Park Convention & Visitors Office

43. All Southern California Selections

Hawaii /Maui

44. Napili Point Resort

Oregon

45. Ashland Chamber of Commerce

30.

31.Tally Ho

32.Quality

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Spotlight

JAN. 11–21

All that jazz

Bobby McFerrin at the Fox Tucson Theatre. Trombone Shorty (above) at Centennial Hall. Pink Martini at the Tucson Music Hall. The Tucson Jazz Festival trumpets more than a dozen concerts at locales across the southern Arizona city. The event culminates with the free Downtown Jazz Fiesta, during which visitors can take in 30 bands performing on outdoor stages and at nearby venues. Expect to find an art demo, beer gardens, and food trucks as well.

FEB. 1–10

↑ Snow spectacular in Park City

With hundreds of athletes (such as Chloe Kim, above) vying in some 15 events, the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships is the biggest winter sporting spectacle to hit Utah since the 2002 Olympics. Competitions, hosted at three resorts in and around Park City, are free to attend and include aerial, mogul, and half-pipe contests.

JAN. 28–FEB.

2

A poetry hoedown

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering celebrates 35 years of luring lovers of the American West to a remote corner of northeast Nevada. Elko’s Western Folklife Center plays host to a week’s worth of films, music, poetry, lectures, exhibits, and workshops centered around ranching and cowboy lore.

JAN. 23–27

Phenomenal flyway

Stretching from Patagonia to Alaska, the Pacific Flyway is among the world’s great avian migratory routes. See tens of thousands of waterfowl and hundreds of raptors in one of their favorite winter stopovers in the northern Sacramento Valley. The 20th annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway presents more than 70 field trips and seminars in and around Chico, Calif.

TOP: MATHIEU BITTON; BOTTOM: TYLER TATE

JAN. 19

↑ Upscale takes on a childhood favorite

The ultimate comfort food gets its gourmet due at the Coeur d’Alene Mac & Cheese Festival, held in the northern Idaho city’s Resort Plaza Shops. Enjoy craft beer pairings as you sample variations on the familiar classic cooked up by more than a dozen local chefs, then vote for your top choice. Last year’s entries included one version with green chiles and pork belly.

THROUGH FEB. 17

← The dynamic duo

They were two of the most influential designers of the 20th century, and their work ran the gamut from iconic midcentury lounge chairs to abstract paintings and films. The World of Charles and Ray Eames—an interactive exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California—takes a refreshing look into this husband-andwife team’s personal lives as well as the role of California in shaping their ideas.

FEB. 2–17

↑ Rock out in Arizona Dinosaur bones, meteorites, and petrified wood from Madagascar: These are a few of the countless specimens on display at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. Billed as the “world’s greatest treasure hunt,” the event is a conglomeration of some 50 shows and thousands of vendors at spots around town.

THROUGH NOV. 8

↑ Going Gaga in Vegas

Whether she’s playing an undiscovered singer in A Star Is Born or headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, Lady Gaga knows how to fire up a crowd. For her stint at Park Theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, she presents two shows: the glitzy, pop-infused Lady Gaga Enigma and a stripped-down Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano.

FEB. 14–MAR. 31

Frozen fun in Fairbanks

More than 60 ice artists chisel, carve, and sculpt their way around the clock for the 2019 World Ice Art Championships at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds in Fairbanks, Alaska. Watch contestants compete in five divisions highlighted by the Multi-Block Classic, which in past years has seen frozen formations two stories high.

THROUGH MARCH 24

Circus extreme

In Cirque du Soleil’s latest big-top production, Volta, the groundbreaking Montrealbased company’s vivid imagination turns to street sports—including, for the first time, thrilling BMX bicycle stunts. Catch all the action at AT&T Park in San Francisco (through Feb. 3) and the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose (Feb. 13–March 24).

THROUGH SEPT. 15

←

Tool of rock

Cue the air guitar solo. In The Electric Guitar: Inventing an American Icon, Phoenix’s Musical Instrument Museum explores the origins of this seductive symbol of rock and roll, and its broader impact on music and culture. Among the 80 extremely rare guitars and amplifiers are Bo Diddley’s The Bad Dude (1998), Pete Townshend’s 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, and a Paul Bigsby 1949 Standard (left).

THROUGH JAN. 27

↓ Egypt’s boy king

Relive the expedition when archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed the intact tomb of a 19-year-old pharaoh in The Discovery of King Tut at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland. This meticulous reconstruction leads you step by step through the thrilling 1922 discovery.

JAN. 24–FEB. 3

Star power in Utah

Robert Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1985 to showcase independent film in Utah—he succeeded beyond all expectation. Now a premier launchpad for indie movies, the fest—held in and around Salt Lake City, Park City, and Provo—drew nearly 125,000 attendees last year alone.

LEFT:

RIGHT:

RAINER CHRISTIAN KURZEDER SPOTLIGHT

THROUGH MAY 5

↑ The natural

His image capturing the exact moment a spawning salmon leaps into the waiting jaws of an Alaskan brown bear is one of the most widely circulated wildlife photos in history. See it in Thomas D. Mangelsen: A Life in the Wild at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyo. The retrospective displays 40 of the photographer’s striking prints, some measuring 10 feet across.

JAN. 18–FEB. 4

Wonderful Wizard

The Scarecrow, a yellow brick road, and most everything you remember from this musical classic comes to the stage in The Wizard of Oz, a largely faithful rendition of the 1939 film. Expect brightly colored sets, wondrous special effects, and familiar tunes when the national tour visits California, Wyoming, and Montana.

To be considered for the Summer 2019 issue, event notices must be received by Feb. 1. Send details to viamagazineevents@ gmail.com or Events Editor, Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623.

FEB. 16–17

Honoring Native art

It’s the second-largest show of its kind in the nation. Now in its 35th year, Northern California’s American Indian Art Show at the Marin County Civic Center brings together collectors, dealers, creators, and fans of Indian artwork with items that span eras and genres, from pre-Columbian basketry to contemporary tapestry.

Yosemite sparkles

As the morning fog slowly rises from the valley floor, a stunning display of sun rays shines through the black oak trees lining the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. Leslie Wells of Lincoln, Calif., captured this magical moment in January 2017 while on a four-wheel-drive venture into the valley after weeks of storms had blanketed the Sierra Nevada in snow. “Gold leaves, left over from fall, clung to the trees,” she recalls. “They added a touch of color in an otherwise white winter landscape.”

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