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January 24, 2007

AMY TAN'S SAN FRANCISCO

"This is a city with soul," says Amy Tan of her native San Francisco. And I love her all over again -- even though she her current view of the city is from a home across the Bay.

In a new Washington Post series called Their Town: People We like and The Places They Love, the author of The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses and The Bonesetter's Daughter" dishes on all her favorite spots in her hometown, San Francisco.    

Turns out, Chinatown isn't one of them ("too full of tourists"). Amy Tan prefers the Richmond District and Clement Street (where, incidentally, I love to browse in Green Apple Books after a Vietnamese feast.) She also loves The Presidio, but only recently visited Alcatraz (proclaiming it "worth the trip"). She's enchanted with the constantly changing character of San Francisco Bay, yet recommends the guidebook San Francisco Off the Beaten Path (Globe Pequot Press) to visiting friends."This city is like an opera -- very dramatic, historical, tragic, funny, lyrical, beautiful, over-the-top." Catch up with her for a  personal tour.




Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 01:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 17, 2007

DOES 'PET-FRIENDLY' INCLUDE CATS?

A doggone great question, Martha! Thanks for your comment to the May 3 post “5 Times When Renting a Vacation Home Makes All the Difference”. The answer is … sometimes. If in doubt, ask.  

Most vacation rental owners and web sites clearly state whether or not a particular property is “pet-friendly”. While one person’s idea of a pet is the family dog, another is thinking cat. Or gerbil. Or budgie.

 

Some rental sites such as the prolific Vacation Rentals By Owner stamp listings with a bright blue (I’m assuming generic) paw prints to make it easy for scanners to recognize pet-friendly homes among hundreds of listings. (I'm guessing that leaves out gerbils and budgies.)

 

Others, like Rentals Express, make “pet-friendly” a primary search criterion, serving up a convenient listing of pet-friendly properties by location--throughout the US and around the world, from Australia to the Virgin Islands. (FYI: Martha. There are 67 listed in California and 23 in Arizona.)

 

However, because many more of us are allergic to cats than dogs, some rental companies, such as Sonoma County-based Russian River Getaways, make no bones about offering only "dog-friendly" accommodations.

 

Bottom line: Always ask before you rent.

 

Nearly half of the homes reviewed in Renting Paradise e-guidebooks accept pets. Keep in mind that some require an extra deposit or cleaning fee for pet-guests.

 

Of course, it goes without saying traveling pets of any species should be well-behaved and meticulously supervised. Bring blankets if you let pets is on the furniture, scratching posts for active cats and a lint roller to collect visible fur. Never leave pets alone in a strange home unless they are crated, or off-leash on the grounds. And don’t let dogs bark all night, unless you want a visit from the local sheriff.

 

Them’s the rules. But if you’re a responsible pet owner you already know the drill.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:52 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)