Table of contents for February/March 2019 in Sunset

Back in 2016, when Kate Day (at right above) and Kyle Marie Begley (at left) were running their own Portland-based landscaping company, one frustration kept rearing its head: a lack of gardening clothes made for women. “If the pants were great for working in, they didn’t look good,” remembers Day. “If they looked good, they didn’t stand up to the job.” Finding that other women echoed these sentiments, Begley and Day partnered with one of their clients, apparel designer Sara De-Luca, to found what would become Dovetail Workwear (dovetailworkwear.com). The result is a clothing line created for women, by women, with products that are comfortable, are good-looking, and can withstand the rigors of gardening or any other labor-intensive job. Best sellers include the sleek Maven Slim pant (worn by Begley…

The last time I visited Zion National Park, the most popular of Utah’s slickrock fantasylands, it was the bright, hot middle of July, peak season for the landmark. I quickly found out that its eye-popping natural splendor can be hard to appreciate when you’re being swamped by a flash flood of Speedo-clad European tourists. “Ansel Adams never photographed that,” my girlfriend Sophia said, nodding to the mob of tourists filling the sheerwalled canyon of the Virgin River. “No,” I replied, “and John Muir didn’t wear it, either.” Increasingly, it’s difficult to turn a blind eye to the overcrowding of the West’s cherished parks. Zion welcomed a whopping 4.5 million visitors in 2017, an increase of more than 200,000 from the previous year. This is surely cause for celebration—folks are getting out,…

TOOTHBRUSH? CHECK. Squeaky toys? Ready to go. These days, nearly 40 percent of pet owners say they take their animal companions along on trips, according to recent data collected by the travel giant Orbitz and pet-sitting network Rover. At its simplest, that might involve jumping into a pickup and gunning it for the nearest campground where there’s plenty of room to roam. But what if you’re hopping on a flight to, say, San Francisco for a girls’ weekend and want to show off your new four-footed best friend? Many airlines are going out of their way to accommodate pets, and some, like JetBlue and Southwest, even sell their own custom-designed carriers. So if Fido’s game, we say: Go for it. To pave the way, we’ve culled the best dog-friendly destinations,…

9 A.M. Wake up to a continental breakfast and expansive lawns at Lodge at the Presidio (from $275, $40 pet fee; presidiolodging.com), a 42-room boutique hotel in a historic brick building on a former Army base. 10 A.M. Walk southeast to the Marina District and grab a Muddy Paw—applesauce cake enrobed in dark carob — at Le Marcel, a bakery exclusively for pups (lemarceldogbakery.com). 11:30 A.M. Shop swag like hand-knit dog sweaters and California-made collars at George (georgesf.com), a trendy pet shop in nearby Pacific Heights. 12 P.M. Snag a leash-friendly outdoor table at Pizzeria Delfina (pizzeriadelfina.com) on California Street and ask for a piping-hot pie with seasonal toppings. 2 P.M. Make the climb to Alamo Square (sfrecpark.org), where you’ll find an off-leash park and a view of the iconic Painted Ladies. 3:30 P.M.…

FOUR years ago, design moguls Cortney and Robert Novogratz did the unthinkable: The Southerners turned die-hard New Yorkers, who raised seven children in the city, moved to Los Angeles. “We were there almost 25 years. We never left after 9/11. We never left after Hurricane Sandy,” says Cortney in a soft Georgia drawl (Robert grew up mainly in Virginia). “But we were doing some work out here, and we were like—let’s just go for it. It was important for us to mix it up for our kids, for them to see people don’t just live like they do in Manhattan. They needed to see how people can live.” So the family zeroed in on the Hollywood Hills, for its amazing views and a central location that still felt urban. The pair…

Florist Ariella Chezar is known for a loose and playful style—an aesthetic that took root during her decade-long stint in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yet no matter where you live, her new book, Seasonal Flower Arranging: Fill Your Home with Blooms, Branches, and Foraged Materials All Year Round (Ten Speed Press; $25), provides inspiration for how to best bring your yard’s beauty and bounty indoors. This excerpt is a gift for any antsy, cooped-up gardener—and a cheerful and fun activity that’s a harbinger for the warmer days to come.…

Change came late to the Santa Ynez Valley, but it came on hard, the verdant swath of towns north of Los Angeles developing at a rapid clip over the past decade. What once was a hardscrabble ranching culture dating back to the Spaniards now boasts a cadre of restaurants, shops, breweries, yoga studios, and tasting rooms. Few of the region’s once-sleepy small towns resemble what they were even ten years ago, when the luxe wine scene first boomed. Thing is, that’s a good thing, here. Like a wine whose flavors require time to integrate, for the structure to develop, the Santa Ynez Valley has gelled in an exciting new way. The best restaurants embrace local farmers, foragers, and ranchers, taking their cues from endemic flavors as much as France or…

NEARBY OJAI and the town of Santa Barbara itself might be more wellknown for all things relaxing and woo-woo, but that boho vibe definitely makes its way into wine country. And thanks to a gorgeous new place to stay and some folks more keen on getting you healthy than getting you tipsy, even teetotalers can feel like they’re part of the action. Stay Just a stone’s throw from the rush of traffic along U.S. 101, the Skyview Los Alamos (from $159; skyviewlosalamos.com) feels both connected to the highway—it’s a renovated vintage motor lodge, after all—and in its own world entirely. The revamped 1950s building, complete with a bright yellow MOTEL sign and an original (now heated) pool, feels at home in the 21st century thanks to details like succulent-heavy landscaping and…

Nowhere is the western whiskey boom more diverse than in the Bay Area, where dozens of distilleries have sprouted seemingly overnight. Pop into St. George Spirits just off the barracks-lined waterfront in Alameda, California, and you’ll find Lance Winters, owner and a West Coast whiskey pioneer, ensconced in the belly of a yawning former naval hangar. Winters comes to life poring over the rows and rows of experiments piled high in his laboratory. The place looks one click shy of a movie set. Amid a replica of a shoe from director Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic, gallons of a distilled mezcal not available to the public, and a jug of distilled tree-ripened guava sit stashes of liquid history dating back years. “When we make whiskey, we’re making a statement about…

MARINATED LAMB COOKED on COALS SERVES 6 A floating 400-square-foot house tucked in an inlet deep in a fjord in Victoria, B.C., is home base for Jeremy, Sarah, and their young daughter Bella. To simplify their small kitchen, they only stock essential everyday items—such as a sharp knife and a few key spices. Meals, like this Middle Eastern–inspired dish, center around the kitchen’s small woodstove. ¼ cup olive oil¼ cup pomegranate molasses¼ cup balsamic vinegar3 garlic cloves, minced2 tsp. baharat spice blend (see Note)¾ tsp. sea salt3 lbs. lamb chops or cutlets1 medium cucumber¾ cup full-fat yogurt¼ cup loosely packed finely chopped fresh mintSqueeze of lemon 1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, garlic, spices, and salt. Add the lamb, making sure that each piece…

Che Fico knows how to draw a crowd. From the moment their doors opened in San Francisco’s NoPa neighborhood, chef David Nayfeld and his team hit the ground running as one of the hottest restaurants in the West (and the country), serving food you brag to your friends about the next day. During these late-winter months, it’s a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs creation from Nayfeld’s kitchen that you want to eat. “Whenever I think of [comfort food], I go toward something that tends to be in a bowl or provides warmth—literally and figuratively—and has some sharing aspect to it as well,” says the Bay Area native. Here, Nayfeld shares the cozy, heavy, carb-y foods you’ll want to make for a completely anticlimactic night in with friends—plus some quasi-healthy shishito peppers to keep…

To receive all information on a state or category, circle the state or category number on the card found on page 81. TRAVEL TRAVEL CHRONICLES 101 Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce 102 Hotel del Coronado 103 Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau 104 Travel Medford & Southern Oregon 105 Visit Buena Park 106 Visit Central Oregon ALASKA 107 Explore Fairbanks 108 Gray Line Alaska ARIZON 109 Tempe Tourism Office BRITISH COLUMBIA 110 Marine Link Tours CALIFORNIA 111 Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau 112 BW PLUS Stovall’s Hotels of Anaheim 113 Calaveras Visitor’s Bureau 114 City of Riverside 115 Furnace Creek Resort 116 Fairfield - Gateway to the Napa Valley 117 Hornblower Cruises & Events 118 The Lodge At Torrey Pines 119 Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau 120 Lodi…

Launch alert! Visit sunset.com/smarter for the latest home hacks, smart-home gadget reviews, and more. Spring escapes In need of ideas for a spring getaway? Check out these ideal destinations for the season: sunset.com/springtrips. St. Patrick’s Day party menu From corned beef to colcannon, celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with our holiday menu for a crowd: sunset.com/stpatricksday. Top sources for plant seeds Get ready for spring planting with our go-to sources for seeds, both online and brick-and-mortar: sunset.com/shopseeds.…

You bring a reusable bag to the grocery store and you ditched plastic bottles for a reusable water canteen years ago. But there are plenty more ways to curb waste across your home, from the laundry room to the shower. Here’s our guide to kick-starting a nondisposable lifestyle. 1. Enjoy iced coffee guilt-free with this stainless steel tumbler. $24; wildminimalist.com. 2. Load up in the produce or bulk-bin aisle with these all-cotton bags. $10; june homesupply.com. 3. Replace paper towels with this all-cotton napkin set, handwoven by artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico. Shown in Rust and Oatmeal. $65/set of 4; danahaim.com. 4. Swap dryer sheets for naturalwool dryer balls, hand-felted in Sonoma County. $35/set of 5; ambatalia.com. 5. Many cities and counties do not accept plastic utensils in the recycling bin.…

BUS: Many public transit systems in the West are dog-friendly (presuming you follow a few guidelines), including the Seattle area’s King County Metro, recently named North America’s best large transit system. PLANE: Many airports now offer fun “pet relief” areas complete with fake hydrants and plastic turf, but Phoenix Sky Harbor oneups them: Terminal 3’s outdoor Paw Pad features native Arizona plants for a more natural feel. TRAIN: As of 2016, some pooches can hit Amtrak’s rails for an extra $26—with a few limitations. Dogs (and their required carriers) must weigh in at less than 20 pounds and stick to routes shorter than 7 hours. CAR: Unless the UberPET service expands to the U.S., you can’t request paw-friendly wheels on demand. Lyft, Uber, and most taxi companies suggest simply calling…

It’s true: Hotels are going to the dogs. At Sonoma County’s just-reopened Gaige House + Ryokan (from $299, pets $65/stay; thegaigehouse.com), humans snack on fresh-baked matcha cookies and gaze at the serene garden while dogs kick back with sushi-shaped treats from a bento box. After exploring Red Rocks Park, more rough-and-tumble animals crash on a dog bed at the new Origin Red Rocks (from $89, pets $10/night; originhotel.com) in Golden, Colorado, with complimentary cheesy snacks. And for more urbane hounds, Seattle’s snazzy, newly redesigned Hotel Theodore (from $149, pets $45/stay; hoteltheodore.com) has a pretty luxe doggie room-service menu: Free-range chicken with oats and carrots, anyone?…

LET THE KIDS SHARE BEDROOMS “They are only together a short period of time and will always remember these times,” says Cortney. But try to carve out individual space for each child, such as a desk or nook where they can retreat. BUILD TRANSITIONAL ROOMS Using this strategy from the get-go won’t require a lot of changes as kids get older. Shelves, sturdy dressers, and a reading chair can go from baby to teenager. BE PLAYFUL IN THEIR ROOMS Take a chance and play with color. Bring home swatches from the paint store and allow the kids a chance to participate in the color selection process. PUT LESS EMPHASIS ON TOYS Focus on learning tools such as books and musical instruments. Artfully arranged bookshelves, instruments hanging on walls, and children’s…

IN WINTER, HERE’S ONE WAY to fast-forward to spring when you just can’t wait any longer: Clip the budding branches of quince, crabapple, or pear trees, smash the ends, and settle them into a container of just-warm water. Wait a few days, or even a week, and you’ll start to see those buds open up. Some will flower, others will pop out in pale green leaves. It’s that combination of leggy stems and tiny blossoms that’s so architecturally interesting. Here, I’ve taken inspiration from the pink-white blossoms of flowering quince by adding tall stalks of white or green amaryllis that stand at attention like soldiers. Next, I add hellebores, so popular these days that you’ll find pots of them blooming in the supermarket. Just snip a few blossoms, and when…

FOR A LONG TIME, if you wanted to eat in the Santa Ynez Valley, the choices were slim. The Hitching Post II was pretty much the only place to be, thanks to a deep Santa Barbara wine list and steaks expertly grilled over red-hot oak coals. (Not coincidentally, that’s where the Sideways restaurant scenes were filmed.) But the dining scene has become much more diverse in recent years; everywhere you go, you’ll find restaurants embracing local produce, meats, and seafood. And even if you’ve been on a nonstop Pinot Noir kick since 2004 (no apologies necessary), you’ll be thrilled by the diversity of the wines on offer, from juicy Grenache to sparkling Grüner Veltliner. Stay In the heart of tasting-room-saturated Los Olivos, Fess Parker Wine Country Inn (from $375; fessparkerinn.com) is…

PAGE: 64 ALC/FEATURE: 63% DESCRIPTION: A blend of crops and culture resulting in a revival of western spirits. STYLES: Single alt, vatted malt, bourbon, rye. AUTHOR: Matt Bean REGIONS FOUND WITHIN: The Pacific Northwest, the Mountains, the Bay Area, and beyond. PRODUCTION: Pot-still, column still, and blends thereof. Terroir runs deeper than just roots. The interplay between soil and society—the cultural terroir—is what makes the West’s food and wine scene so distinctive and rewarding. Over the past decade, a new wave of distilleries has emerged here, bringing both facets to the glass in ways more varied than ever. These new producers are born of the land, literally and figuratively—from the liquid in the glass to their distilleries tucked into the cities and countryside to the production methods melding Silicon Valley…

Drink • RYE 688 Geary St., San Francisco; ryesf.com. HIGHLIGHT: A killer rare whiskey selection at (relatively) low cost. Buy • EPICUREAN TRADER 1908 Union St., San Francisco; theepicureantrader.com. • CASK 101 Spear St. A4, San Francisco; casksf.com. • HEALTHY SPIRITS Four locations in San Francisco; healthyspiritssf.com. Eat • RAMEN SHOP 5812 College Ave., Oakland; ramenshop.com. HIGHLIGHTS: Real-deal ramen complemented by top-shelf whiskeys. Visit • SAVAGE AND COOKE DISTILLING 1097 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo, CA; savageandcooke.com. HIGHLIGHT: Prisoner winemaker Dave Phinney goes high-concept and high-proof. • SONOMA DISTILLING COMPANY 5535 State Farm Dr., Rohnert Park, CA; sonomadistillingcompany.com. HIGHLIGHTS: Try the original Sonoma Rye side by side with the Cherrywood Rye at their appointment-only tasting room. • ST. GEORGE 2601 Monarch St., Alameda, CA; stgeorgespirits.com. HIGHLIGHTS: “Baller” Whiskey originally for Oakland’s Ramen…

Long Beach, California Coast, Urban Fresh Big city excitement plus miles of beaches, bays and inland waterways—the buzz of an urban vibe with the relaxed atmosphere of a beach resort. More than 125 restaurants share the walkable downtown waterfront with hotels, shopping, attractions, entertainment, and nightlife. VisitLongBeach.com Hotel del Coronado Poised in San Diego on one of America's best beaches, the iconic Hotel del Coronado has welcomed discerning travelers for more than 130 years. Discover our inDELible experiences and write your own story in the glittering sand. Only at Hotel del Coronado. Hoteldel.com Award-Winning Food and World Class, Handcrafted Ales Established in 1995, Bear Republic Brewing Company is one of the oldest independent craft breweries in the nation. The family run business operates two brewpubs and a production brewery in…

PERFECT DAY If the very idea of a ski town has you dreading endless lift lines and bland resort buildings, the winter wonderland of Crested Butte might be just what the doctor ordered. Miners flocked to this peakrimmed valley deep in the Elk Mountains in the 1880s in search of gold and silver, but today’s pilgrims seek treasure of a different sort: plentiful snow minus the crowds plaguing the resorts along Colorado’s Interstate 70. Along its main street, storefronts are painted in bright hues, reflecting a quirky mountain culture that attracts artists, makers, and inventive restaurateurs as much as ski bums. The real CB unfolds after you unbuckle your ski boots. 7 A.M. Wake up with an espresso drink at Camp 4 Coffee (camp4coffee.com), a local’s haunt housed in a…

SCOUT @scoutgoldenretriever BREED: Golden retriever FOLLOWERS: 155K KNOWN FOR: He gives out free hugs at spots like Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and his overnight trips amount to a directory of dog-friendly hotels in the West. RECENT FIND: Endless wavesplashed sand (and several fellow Goldens) at Oregon’s Cannon Beach. RILEY @riley_yorkie BREED: Yorkshire terrier FOLLOWERS: 10.1K KNOWN FOR: A shorty for sure, but this tyke favors the big and bold, so he cruises California in search of eye-catching public art. RECENT FIND: A vibrant mural of Pakistani student activist Malala Yousafzai in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. KUIPER @spacewhippet BREED: Whippet FOLLOWERS: 51.4K KNOWN FOR: He’s one of the fastest 100-yard sprinters in the United States, and his stops around the West often include charming little history lessons. RECENT FIND:…

The booming West Coast cocktail scene has helped fuel interest in local whiskeys, and mixologist Duggan McDonnell has been a champion of local make. We asked him to put together the ultimate late-winter warmer, with a kick of restorative nutrition to help you battle the seasonal blues. GINGER-TURMERIC HONEY SYRUP 16-oz. local raw honey¼ lb. fresh ginger3 tsp. chopped fresh turmericDash Himalayan Pink Salt HOT TODDY COCKTAIL 1½ oz. Scotch¾ oz. Ginger-Turmeric Honey Syrup4½ oz. hot water2 slices Meyer lemon1 large slice fresh ginger 1. Pour the honey into a medium saucepan (use hot water as needed to help it flow).2. Add 16 oz. of hot water to the pan.3. Peel, then dice ginger before placing it into a food processor; grind briefly. Add ground ginger to pan and heat…