Smelling the Flowers in San Diego

It had been a little over two years since I had been to San Diego. The first time, I had gone with a tiny, two-month-old baby and a longing to feel the sun during a rainy October. This time, I had a giant, crazed toddler and a longing to feel the sun during a rainy…

42 Hours in Los Angeles

Ah, (other people’s) weddings. They’re a cheap person’s dream.  And black tie weddings? They’re a cheap person’s happily-induced coma, one that involves a weekend full of free food, top shelf booze, and chauffeured golf cart rides around a hotel. Nonstop flights from Kansas City to Los Angeles are surprisingly affordable. It turns out hotels rooms…