It started as a promise from a dedicated man to his best friend in the world: a dying lion. In July of 2008, as Josef the "celebrity" lion took his last breaths on the grounds of Vision Quest Ranch in Salinas, Charlie Sammut promised his 500-pound companion that his legacy would be forever celebrated with a zoo. Not just a bigger ranch, or a wild animal park, but Monterey … [Read more...] about Hear Them Roar
Holiday 2012
A Grape Success*
Like many young men in the 1850s, George Boekenoogen packed his hopes and dreams into a covered wagon and headed west in search of gold. Prospecting did not pan out for the dogged Dutchman, so he moved to the fertile foothills of the Salinas Valley, where he started a family legacy around row crops and cattle. George's great-grandson, John Boekenoogen, followed in those … [Read more...] about A Grape Success*
Boys and Their Toys
We typically don't pay much attention to self-storage places. Their invisibility is compounded by locations in out-of-the-way commercial zones. Though many of us have occasion to rent a space from time to time—perhaps for temporary storage of household goods—for the most part they go ignored. Aside from the frenzy displayed by those rabid resellers who bid on the contents of … [Read more...] about Boys and Their Toys
A Thing of Beauty
Ashley Yeates Lathrop has a home in Pebble Beach that looks pulled from the pages of Architectural Digest. Graceful gardens surround the remodeled 1927 Spanish Colonial home, while carefully arranged items—art, pottery, books, antiques, flower arrangements—form vignettes in every corner. Custom-made details include distressed tile floors in varying patterns, specially designed … [Read more...] about A Thing of Beauty