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Many of my favorite adventures began on the sofa with a map. I see a vast blank region crossed by a single lonely road and wonder: “What the heck is out there?” One day, the lure is too great to resist and I go. The experience is always so much more than just another Sunday drive.

I'm a bit of stickler when it comes to the importance of

On Sept. 10, 2000, my eldest daughter and I stood on the

The year was 1991 and it could be summed up in one word: Anticipation. It was exciting, but I knew it would take time for the San Jose Sharks to build some credibility, to build a team that was a contender for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Fifty years ago this month, President John F. Kennedy visited Pacheco Pass and gave a speech I wish every American politician today might take to heart. He gave it to a crowd of Californians who met on Saturday, Aug. 18, 1962 for the groundbreaking ceremony of the San Luis Dam site in the eastern hills of the Diablo Mountain Range. The words Kennedy spoke that hot, dusty, summer day are not well-remembered now, but I believe they offer wise advice on what good governing is all about.

In his State of the Union address to Congress, the very Democratic President Obama made good use of a thought from the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln. As he transitioned from talking about education to an outline of his plans for energy and the environment, Obama said that "Government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more."

I love this time of year, when the weather begins to cool and I can haul out my coat from the deep recesses of the closet. Aside from it being the holiday season, the spattering of rain and blustery winds never fail to make me reflect on and remember moments that have blessed my life.

Not long ago, I visited the downtown districts in Hollister and

Every five or 10 years, like it or not, your past comes calling.