By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik Rori Trovato still remembers the first time she feel in love with ice cream. It was as a child living in Long Beach, sitting on her grandparents’ back porch and...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer With plush seating and a swanky atmosphere, Rocks and Drams has always been a stylish spot to grab a drink. But it recently upped its cocktail game by consulting with renowned mixologist Pedro “Peter” Barriga. “Peter...
By Tim Pompey | Photos by Viktor Budnik Unique little food nooks filled with local character are getting harder to find. Guy Fieri made a name for himself on the Food Network by featuring these slices of Americana on his...
OJAI WINE FESTIVAL June 15 | Ojai From its humble beginning in 1987, the Ojai Wine Festival has grown into a leading regional event attracting close to 4,000 people from throughout the Central Coast and Southern California. The festival has...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it is a miraculous thing. It is one of the primary ways we experience the world, providing tremendous sensory...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik “Anything silly and colorful with a retro twist” is ceramicist Lyndsie Harris’s jam. This talented potter specializes in whimsical teapots, bowls, cups and other items that look like works of...
By Mike Nelson | Photos by Viktor Budnik Pregnant with her first daughter, Summer Dalton was making baby clothes when, she recalled, “One night, I had a vision.” It was, quite possibly, the first such vision in recorded history that said,...
By Karen Schaffner San Antonio, Texas is nothing if not surprising. From the friendliness of its citizens who go out of their way to make visitors feel welcome, to its preserved colorful history to the many opportunities to sample outrageously delicious...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer For lovers of gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer and creative cocktails, there’s no lack of options in Ventura County. Wonderful restaurants, wineries, breweries and bars abound, with plenty of everything to tempt even the...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer The Channel Islands off the Ventura County coast offer a myriad of adventures to be enjoyed by land and by sea. Thousands of visitors cross the Santa Barbara Channel every year to see the wildlife,...