Sunset Waters of the West 2021

Maybe it was the sea air and the strange way it can make food taste better than it does inland, but I’ll never forget the sea urchin fed to me by Stephanie Mutz, the legendary urchin diver who supplies some of the best restaurants in the country with uni (seastephaniefish.com). I was at the Cultured Abalone farm in Santa Barbara, where a million abalone grow, their pearlescent shells shades of turquoise, lavender, and rose (culturedabalone.com). Living alongside the abalone are thousands of purple sea urchins, a species that’s increasingly pushing the prized red sea urchins out of their territory. Pulling the purples from the ocean and finishing them here makes but a dent in rebalancing the populations, but the results are preposterously delicious. Fed a steady, impeccable diet of seaweed…

To love riding bikes is not the same as being a cyclist. I watch narrow, Lycra-clad women and men pedal fiercely up steep roads and think that what they’re doing has nothing to do with enjoying the day on a great bike. My sentimental journey with bicycles began in childhood, like most of them do, navigating town from a banana-seat model that had tiny ants painted on the chain guard. Later, a red ten-speed offered a taste of freedom, a way to get to the public pool and then my first job at a grocery store. I rode to my first college football game propped on a handsome senior’s handlebars. In my twenties, I won a pair of Schwinns in a raffle, and lugged one of them up and down four…

CLASSIC HEADTURNER Cannondale’s Adventure Neo 2 EQ is pedal-assisted and equipped with a Bosch e-bike system. The deep step-through frame means easy on and off. Suspension seat and fork cushion the ride up to 80 miles on one charge. cannondale.com, $3,400 TIRE POWER The Diamondback Response’s Bosch Performance Line Speed motor means you can hit up to 28 mph on this sporty pedal-assist ride. Oversize tires tackle city streets or off-road obstacles with ease for up to 65 miles. diamondback.com, $4,100 TOWN & COUNTRY Electra Townie Go! bikes are featherlight and start at around $2,000. But this top-of-the-line 10D EQ Step-Thru has a smartphone hub, hydraulic brakes, and picks up impressive speed. electra.trekbikes.com, $3,799…

We’re professed fans of Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak. With minimalist aesthetics and a subdued color palette, the brand’s collection of apparel, cooking equipment, tents, and other outdoor gear is both elegantly technical and just darned good-looking. When we found out they were opening Takibi, a camping-inspired restaurant across the street from their United States headquarters in Portland, we started researching flights to PDX. While the space, designed by local architecture firm Skylab, is meant to evoke the feeling of camping (a wood-fired hearth, airy wide open spaces, abundant exposed wood, folding camp chairs and tables on the patio), the results are anything but themey. That wood-fired hearth turns out Japanese-influenced dishes like grilled miso-marinated trout and koji-cured amberjack from kaiseki-trained chef Alex Kim. The beautiful, expertly made cocktails are from…

LIVEWIRE COCKTAILS CO. Honeydew Collins (7.5% ABV) Los Angeles, California The Honeydew Collins, created by Los Angeles bartender Joey Bernardo, is an elevated spin on the piña colada. Coconut, honeydew, lime leaf, and elderflower balance out the gin and make for a cocktail that tastes like a day at the beach. ZADDY’S Corpse Reviver (4.5% ABV) Petaluma, California A take on the original Corpse Reviver from the 1800s, Zaddy’s replaces the traditional brandy with gin to make the drink lighter and adds orange, lemon peel, fennel, nutmeg, and coriander for punch. At only 100 calories, this is a guilt-free canned cocktail to enjoy all summer long. COCKTAIL SQUAD Whiskey Ginger (5% ABV) Boulder, Colorado Cocktail Squad has packaged up the classic whiskey ginger with organic ingredients and clocks in at only 90 calories. The ginger’s heat balances out the whiskey in a cocktail that’s…

SAND HARBOR STATE PARK, LAKE TAHOE “It’s one thing to look out and see Lake Tahoe, but it’s a complete other feeling being able to experience it on the water. Looking at the crystal blue emerald waters and big mountains around you. or kayaking or paddleboarding Tahoe this is an easy put in spot. Come summer, I pack my Lakeshore paddleboards, sunscreen, and personal flotation device. The pro move is to get there early, like 7 a.m., before the parking lot is full. The east shore has some of the best views. You can paddle for miles on a good day. Afterwards, hit Moe’s Original BBQ for the best wings and cold beer right on the lake.” LAKE SABRINA, CALIFORNIA “I was procrastinating driving back to L.A. and saw a sign that read,…