Índex per November 2017 a Sunset

IT WAS DAY ONE of the CamelBak Pursuit Series (pursuitseries.co), and I was riding to my tent in the back of a Polaris RZR when Sunset travel editor Lauren Ladoceour took my picture. We had been squabbling goodnaturedly over which one of us would have to sit shotgun, and as I claimed the rear cargo area with triumph, I leaned over the front seat and smiled. The roving choose-yourown- adventure campground had touched down in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Saratoga, California—there’s an aerial view of our location to the left—and rock climbing, outdoor yoga, and kayaking were all on my agenda. Looking at the photo brings me back to the boundless anticipation I felt at that moment, sun-warmed and psyched for a weekend in the wild. It was, to…

IT came topped with a giant red bow— a gift from my husband to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. I walked off the plane in Hailey, Idaho, passed through the sleepy airport, and there she was, waiting curbside: a 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, ready to start a new life at our ranch beneath the majestic backdrop of the Sawtooth Range. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for schmaltz, a romantic for classic Americana. Hell, I’m still clonking around in my Frye boots from college, and I’ve paid silly amounts for rusty old signs and a diner clock that doesn’t keep time. How did my husband know this Jeep with vinyl wood-grain siding would strike the perfect chord? Probably because I cooedwhenever I saw a Waggy cruising a desert highway or filling…

GUIDEBOOK IT’S NOT EASY TO SHAKE off decades of news reports touting debauchery with a whiff of danger. So when visitors became scarce as a result of the headlines, this border town went for full-on reinvention. The TJ of today is a community guided by Mexican art, design, and flavors, but also trends fromthe north (its craft beer scene, for example, is taking delicious cues from San Diego). That creative spirit may have been lost on the Cuervo-dazed partiers of yesteryear, but it’s taking center stage as young natives and committed expats reclaim the city. You’ll see the ingenuity right away at spots like One Bunk, the first boutique hotel in town, and the Escuela Libre de Arquitectura, a school that aims to develop a strong visual identity for the…

It started with a Face- Time tour. Anna and Austin Smith, who were living in Washington, D.C., but planning a move out to Colorado, watched as their realtor virtually ushered them through a 1972 ranch house in Denver. “It was dark and cramped, with brown shag carpet everywhere,” says Anna. “But the price was right.” So without ever seeing the place in person, Anna and Austin put in an offer, moved out West, and got to work. Remodeling on a tight budget, the couple— he’s in finance; she’s an interior stylist—purchased construction materials, tools, furnishings, and even plants secondhand. “Craigslist is our silver bullet,” says Austin. The Smiths also saved money by tackling most of the work themselves, a twoyear- long process that Anna chronicled on her blog, annabode.com. They…

As I scramble up slickrock, where hundreds of thousands of years ago running water formed an impossibly narrow groove, the nerves kick in. Palms begin to sweat, andmy breath quickens as I go over a checklist, questioning what business I have climbing slot canyons in Utah’s greater Zion National Park. After all, we’re not far from 127 Hours territory, right? Will my trail runners keep me from slipping? Are my quads, which haven’t seen so much as a yoga mat in nine months, strong enough to hold me steady? Or am I still the same gangly kid who once tripped on her palazzo pants in fifth grade and broke an arm in the driveway? It’s a kind of gently simmering anxiety I haven’t felt in years, or at least not…

IT’S ALMOST AS if Meredith Metcalf, 37, has bottled the California lifestyle in her vessels. Desert sunset–inspired lamps, gold-spotted raw clay pots, cheery yellow vases: all of them effuse West Coast optimism, much like the artist herself. “What I love about pottery— my hippie-dippy hobby—is that I can do it from start to finish on my own,” she says. Hooked on ceramics since high school in Orange County, Metcalf put her passion on hold while she worked as a model and actress in L.A., and then played in two bands throughout her twenties. After having her first child, she started throwing clay professionally. “It’s been pretty full-on since then,” says Metcalf. “And my son’s 6 now.” Over time, Metcalf has turned her Highland Park backyard into a full-fledged ceramics studio,…

FLAVOR bombs, one after another. There’s nothing mild-mannered about the food on this Thanksgiving table. Fennel-scented turkey crowds up against a crunchy oyster stuffing. The mashed potatoes are a butter cloud, with fried potato balls piled on top. There’s a bracing salad, and Japanese turnips in miso butter. If I were in a restaurant, I wouldn’t have a clue what to drink with all this. What could possibly pair with this tsunami of tastes? Here at Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the answer lies in the glasses in front of me: saison, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale. “Saison brings so much complexity to the table,” says the founder and head brewer, Christian DeBenedetti. “It has a very dry finish, which makes it good for pairing with food,…

As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, our thoughts turn longingly to pine-scented mountain lodges. To celebrate the season, we’re partnering with Snowmass, Colorado, to offer a luxurious ski vacation for two. The prize package (worth more than $6,000): four nights of bed and breakfast at the Viceroy Snowmass, just minutes from downtown Aspen; daily lift tickets for four days; a $100 food and beverage credit; and a gift bag of commemorative Snowmass gear to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic resort town. For more on this Instagram contest, visit sunset.com/snowmasscontest (Oct 18–Nov 15).…

Take a hike— with our guide Walk off the turkey on our top 20 trails, like this stunning Southern California path from Crystal Cove to Laguna Beach: sunset.com/fallhikes. Coming soon: Palm Springs Idea House Our ultra-modern Palm Springs home is under construction and scheduled to open for tours in late January. Follow along for updates: sunset.com/ideahouse. Easy fall tablescapes We teamed with designer Molly Wood to bring you three fresh ideas for decorating your Thanksgiving table: sunset.com/falltablescape.…

SNAG A RENTAL On your next road trip, fulfill your classic truck fantasy with one of the rentals on DriveShare, a new high-end car-sharing service that launched in August. Amid the Porsches and Ferraris, you might find a bright red 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser parked in Seattle. driveshare.com HITCH A RIDE While Wagoneers tend to inspire a singular camaraderie— there are Jeep clubs, meet-ups, and backcountry rides all over the West —other off-roaders have their fan clubs too. In January, the Cal4Wheel group hosts a Winter Fun Festival, held in Grass Valley, California, where 600-plus enthusiasts get together for shared meals, challenging snow rides, and gentler trips reserved for historical SUVs. cal4wheel.com WINDOW-SHOP One of the West’s biggest car shows takes place every January in Scottsdale, Arizona, when consignors from…

WHEN SHE TOOK ON this West Seattle backyard, landscape designer Lisa Port wanted to create a garden that would shine year-round. But she admits to playing seasonal favorites: “I really love this garden in fall because it gets kind of unruly,” says Port (banyontreedesign.com). That’s when the ripe grasses turn golden and the dogwoods’ leaves blaze scarlet, the late afternoon sun intensifying the quintessentially autumnal palette. It’s a far cry from the ratty lawn Port found when she arrived on the scene, hired by homeowners (and Alaska transplants) Kathryn and Mark Daughhetee. Port achieved the lowwater dreamscape by combining perennials like gaura and orange sedge that peak late in the growing season with evergreens like mugo pine, rosemary, and sedums for year-round lushness. She also kept a few existing plants…

HYDRATION A 3-liter water bladder that can slip into a day pack goes a long way. Throw in a couple of electrolyte tablets to keep your systems in balance when the heat gets intense. ETIQUETTE A certified guide can take you into parts of the area that you wouldn’t normally find on your own. Whether you’re canyoneering, horseback riding, or sightseeing, thank your guide with a tip ($50 for a half-day excursion, or $100 for a full day is about right). SHADE At elevation, with the sun blazing, sunglasses with UV protection are all the more important. So, too, is a wide-brimmed hat with a chin strap to keep rays off your neck. CALM This high above sea level, it’s not uncommon for your breath to become shallow and your…

IT TAKES TWO Partners in life and pottery, Hutter and Lee work out of a studio in Glassell Park. “We’re together almost all of the time,” says Hutter. They apply their graphic-meets-earthy style to vases, cups, and planters, including a new series (below right) produced in collaboration with Mudshark Studios. katandroger.com. BEFORE THE HYPERCOOL boutiques, before the pourover coffee shop, artists Roger Lee, 42, and Kat Hutter, 36, staked out a studio in the thengritty neighborhood of Glassell Park. “We liked the rawness and the space the neighborhood offered,” says Lee. The couple, however, is happy to see the area coming into its own too. “There’s an entrepreneurial spirit here that’s great for creatives,” he says. The pioneering duo—he’s from nearby Los Feliz, she’s a Wisconsin native—met a little over…

TIP Fold the top of the bag into a cuff when you’re adding food. That’ll keep the seal cleaner. OF all the eye-popping, science-based techniques that modernist cuisine has given the world—the gels, the foams, the pea juice “caviars”— sous vide, or temperature-controlled cooking in water, is the one that’s truly useful for home cooks. “Sous vide is about making familiar foods more convenient to cook,” says Grant Crilly, cofounder and head chef of ChefSteps, a free online cooking school. “Because it holds meat at a precise temperature, it won’t get overdone.” During the hectic holidays, that means you can get distracted by guests, seriously overshoot your timer, and you still won’t ruin dinner. While the technique requires buying a special device (see “Your sous vide toolkit,” right), it’s worth it.…

ONE-PAN PORTABELLA MUSHROOM SHEPHERD’S PIE SERVES 4 TO 6 / 40 MINUTES Leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes make it easy to whip up shepherd’s pie on a weeknight. This vegetarian version is as hearty as the beefy original, thanks to meaty portabella mushrooms, but you could throw in leftover turkey if you want. 3 cups mashed potatoes1⁄4 cup whipping cream2 oz. parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 3⁄4 cup)2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil8 large portabella mushroom caps (about 11⁄2 lbs. total), gills removed, halved and cut into 1⁄3-in.-thick slices1 large yellow onion (about 12 oz.), chopped3 large carrots (about 9 oz. total), peeled and chopped1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt3⁄4 tsp. freshly ground pepper2 garlic cloves, chopped1⁄2 cup dry white wine3 tbsp. flour11⁄2 cups mushroom broth or reduced-sodium vegetable broth…

SKILL SHARE BACK TO BASICS When friends Lauren Malloy, Ashley Moore, and Emma Moore (no relation) —an animal specialist, folk herbalist, and expert home cook, respectively— set out to teach old-school skills like cow milking and cheesemaking, they weren’t sure how many people would show up. But shortly after the Santa Barbara County–based trio launched Women’s Heritage roughly two years ago, their monthly workshops (which run the gamut from welding to wreath making) began selling out. Now they’ve opened Heritage Goods & Supply, a country-style general store in beach-centric Carpinteria, where they stock Instagram -ready ingredients for the urban homestead lifestyle—think Weck jars and Current/Elliott denim. Got questions on beekeeping, growing an herbal remedy garden, or raising backyard chickens? You’ll find tips (and baby chicks!) on hand. The goal, say…

If you’re considering a big move with your entire pack, it pays to take a dog’s-eye view on the matter and look for sunny, active cities with year-round outdoor fun. Take Boulder, Colorado: The Front Range city is a paradise for pups (and people) who love wide-open spaces and pine-scented air. San Diego, with its super-accessible beaches, is dog heaven as well. Spend all morning on the sand, then catch a Padres game from left-center field at Petco Park’s The Barkyard. (We hear homo sapiens might enjoy tagging along too.) BOULDER POINT OF VIEW “My lab swims all year in Boulder Reservoir. She’s totally fine going out on a sunny 40° day in ¬anuary.” —Emily Wolf, director, Summit Dog Rescue Median home value $687,000 Average November high 54° Off-leash trails…

No mere refueling stop on the way to Tahoe, Sacramento is a bustling riverside city of bars, shops, and galleries, plus restaurants that draw from the bounty of the surrounding farmland. Midtown remains the center of action; just this summer, a gritty warehouse district was made over into a buzzing commercial hub. But it’s also worth exploring the residential areas that make the California state capital feel more like a small town—one in which family-run soda fountains lie down the street from artisan pizza joints. So forget politics for a moment (save the capitol building and its half-acre rose garden for another trip), and get to know the other side of Sactown. GETTING HERE Sacramento is 90 miles northeast of San Francisco on Interstate 80. 10:30 A.M. There’s no shortage…

PLANT Plant a feast for butterflies. Grow natives such as ceanothus, coffeeberry, lupine, oaks, and wild buckwheat, which provide critical food for caterpillars. Replace old, woody lavenders and salvias with fresh plants. Sow a cover crop in empty garden beds to enrich the soil, outcompete weeds, and prevent erosion. Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) and fava beans fix nitrogen; oats and rye add organic matter. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (groworganic.com) sells a wide selection. Finish planting spring-blooming bulbs, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips. Brighten annual flower beds with colorful calendula, pansies, Iceland poppies, and snapdragons, which bloom through winter in mild-climate areas. MAINTAIN Dig dahlia tubers to prevent rot and freezing. Prune foliage to a 4-inch stalk, then cut a 2-foot circle around each plant with a spade. Carefully pry…

“WINTER’S A CHOICE, and I choose no,” says ceramic artist Ben Medansky, a Chicago transplant who moved to L.A. seven years ago. “When the sun is always shining, you can focus on making art.” Medansky’s not the only potter to find inspiration under Southern California’s blue skies. “The ceramics scene here is huge,” says Beth Ann Gerstein, executive director of the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona. “The community is quite broad when you consider the number of artists, designers, colleges, and maker spaces—all working in clay.” It’s the latest chapter in California’s rich ceramics tradition, which began in the late 1800s and has spawned such legendary brands as J.A. Bauer and Heath. “I think the current wave is a direct response to technology,” says Glenn Lawson, co-owner of…

A 3,000-SQUARE -FOOT studio on the border of Atwater Village and Glendale, Ben Medansky’s workspace is filled with pieces that reflect his range, from clever mugs scattered near the coffee station to large terra-cotta works drying on tables. Then there’s the occasional, strategically placed crystal rock. “Being from Arizona and living in California, I have my bit of woo-woo,” says the artist, a Scottsdale native. Medansky, 29, was introduced to ceramics in high school and honed his talents at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. But it was a cup that launched his career. In 2012, shortly after moving to L.A., he was hired by the folks behind upstart java bars G & B Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger to create custom mugs and bowls. With pieces…

EASY BASICS LAST-MINUTE TURKEY RUB In case the grand Porchetta- Style Roast Turkey (page 78) isn’t in the cards this year, we've translated its licorice-y, mildly spicy flavors into a quick rub (below) for a whole bird. Coat a turkey all over with olive oil. Season it inside, under the breast skin, and on the outside with the rub. Then follow our Turkey Roasting Guide at sunset.com/turkeyroasting. Fennel and Rosemary Turkey Rub In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves; 11⁄2 tbsp. coarse sea salt or kosher salt; 1 tbsp. piment d’Espelette or piment d’Ville*, or 11⁄2 tsp. red chile flakes; 2 tbsp. fennel pollen* or 11⁄2 tbsp. ground fennel seeds; 11⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; and 1 tsp. garlic powder. Makes 10 tbsp., enough for a…

Do ahead Arrange the centerpiece the day before. An hour before you sit down, break open a few of the fruits, for drama. DECONSTRUCTED PIE SERVES 8 TO 10 / 30 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR To create this tablescape, arrange seasonal fruits and leaves along the center of your dining table. Then, when it’s time for dessert, bring out bowls, spoons, and paring knives; whipped cream; and dishes of candied nuts and pie-crust cookies (using our recipes or store-bought nuts and butter cookies). Your guests choose from it all to put together their own pie in a bowl. 1 or 2 each of any of these fruits (use at least 4 kinds): pomegranates, Seckel pears, small apples, tangerines, blood oranges, grapes on the vine, Fuyu persimmons Fall leaves (optional) 1⁄2…

THE PRESSURE IS ON WHEN IT comes to choosing wine for the holiday. Yes, we’re all looking for fine bottles that can also handle cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. But we also want something everyone can start drinking early and keep drinking late—just to, say, survive any family issues that may arise. Leaving the latter aside for the moment, the former is fairly easily solved. To taste good with the range of flavors turkey and all the fixings include, wine (red or white) needs to have generous fruit flavors. Happily, this gives Westerners the perfect excuse to drink local, because our regions tend to get a lot of sun, and consequently our reds and whites ooze fruit compared to, say, their Old World counterparts. The other general character a good…