Executive Travel

Up, Up, and Away to Upcountry Maui

The first streams of sunlight shoot deep red, orange, and pink hues over the top of white fluffy clouds and off of rugged mountain outcroppings, making you instantly forget about your groggy stumble out of bed and subsequent drive to the mountaintop where you stand. You drive past rolling acres of lush farmland on your descent from your elevated plateau, which leads you into a downtown area whose rustic buildings easily lure you to find a breakfast place. As you nosh on a plate of down-home grub, a gentleman in a pair of intricately carved boots walks past your table and gently doffs his pristine white ten-gallon hat your way. ...Read More >>

A Region Revitalized: Why A Weekend Getaway to the Temecula Valley is Worth Your Time
Here is an experiment for you.  Go up to someone in your neighborhood, your office, or your next social event, bring up the subject of spending a weekend in the Temecula Valley, and gauge their ensuing reaction.  If you are met with any combination of a nose crinkle, eye roll, or a head shake in a negative fashion, proceed to ask the person when the last time they have tried a Temecula wine.  Chances are the response you will receive will be an older date range going back to around 2000 or earlier.  If this is indeed the case, you will have every right to tell them that the opinion that they hold in regard to Southern California’s lone wine region is invalid, outdated, and needs to be re-assessed immediately.  Furthermore, politely yet sternly inform them they owe it to themselves to take a couple of days out of their busy schedule and explore the area in all of its award-winning glory...Read More

John Wayne Airport: The Only Way to Fly

It was founded by a local pilot.  It is named after a celluloid cowboy.  It accepts millions of people through its gates every year.  Its quirky rules and regulations are the stuff of legend.  While all of these points serve as accurate descriptions of John Wayne Airport, perhaps the most important aspect of this airport originated by Orange County aviation pioneer Eddie Martin is the fact that it is not LAX.... Read More >>

The Orlando Disney Vacation: A Small World After All?

The final project has been turned in, the last test taken, and the bell has been rendered dormant until next September.  Indeed, your kids have escaped the surly bonds of education for another school year and are primed to dive into that sacred time of the calendar known as summer vacation.  For parents all over Orange County, this sacrosanct epoch of youth signifies the need to begin crafting plans for the annual family getaway.  For some folks, the initial stage of this important strategy consists of pulling a red pen or marker from the tacky mug in the kitchen that has long doubled as a pen holder, turning the family calendar to the choicest week possible, and scrawling “Disney World” across a seven day span.  Just like they did the year before.  And the year before that.  And the previous 6 years before that.... Read More >>

Weekend Getaway: Napa Wine Country

It’s no secret that Napa is the land of wine. Vineyards stretch on for miles and every town boasts exciting cuisine and local shops. Whether you’re a first time taster or a veteran oenophile, there always seems to be too much to do and too little time in which to do it. Here are some tips to get you started.

Napa has two main wine roads. Route 29, also known as the St. Helena Highway, runs along the western edge of the valley and is often the default path for any first time visitor. Some of the biggest names in the business, such as Mondavi, Beringer, and Sutter Home, have their wineries here, and this side of the valley is by far the more popular. However, don’t let the thought of crowds deter you, since many of these wineries cater specifically to the informal taster. Mondavi, for instance, offers a 3 hour tour (by reservation only) that will educate your palate and amaze you with the complexities involved in operating a national brand winery…Read More » 

The Art of the Vegas Getaway

Some people may find it odd that Las Vegas is so sacrosanct amongst many Orange County residents itching for that weekend getaway. And frankly, if you have never properly indulged in the Vegas experience, their argument appears to be valid. After all, it is a sordid little burg coated in glitzy tackiness that really only exists to extricate copious amounts of money from the patrons who dare traverse its neon-washed borders. Heck, those of us who have ever hopped in a car or a plane and eagerly made that desert sojourn know the gist of this accusation to be true deep down in their collective souls. But ultimately, we don’t care about the town’s modus operandi, because the prospect of spending a few days frolicking aimlessly within Nevada’s largest city brings us to a rare and most sacred time where we do adult activities with a type of childlike enthusiasm that would be greatly frowned upon in the real world. In other words, it’s a damn heap of fun... Read More

By Rich Manning
Make no mistake: We are truly privileged to live in Orange County. What is routine for us – an envious climate of virtually perpetual springtime temperatures, miles of meandering coastline hugging PCH, Disneyland – is the source of marvel for those living in different parts of the country. And yet the grind of daily habit will unwittingly cause even the most ardent OC cheerleader to saddle the things that make this area of Southern California so incredible with unspeakable terms like “boring” and “mundane” as they plot a means to escape town. Sadly, the ability to squelch such feelings of wanderlust aren’t always easy to come by, as economic and employment factors have far too often conspired to prevent many a person from extending such a jaunt for more than just a day or two in the past couple years...Read More

John Wayne Airport: The Only Way to Fly