Maryann Thompson

San Francisco

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Articles

Relive California's Glory Days at One of 12 Born-Again Hotels

Feb 4, 2024 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Arts & EntertainmentWritten by Maryann Jones ThompsonPublished Feb. 04, 2024 • 6:00amIn 1946, Bob Hope was the first guest to check in at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego, which recently reopened following a massive renovation. | Source: Courtesy Hayley Hill for the Lafayette HotelCalifornia's hundreds of historic motels, lodges, hotels and resorts have gotten a serious glow-up since the pandemic.
12 Cheap Travel Ideas for San Franciscans in 2024

Dec 21, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Living in the land of $15 salads and $12 glasses of house Chardonnay, San Franciscans know traveling anywhere will be cheaper than staying at home. But some journeys are looking especially affordable for Bay Area travelers in the new year: Think sub-$100 campsites, sub-$200 airfares and sub-$300 cruises. The Standard poked around the Internet to compile this list of a dozen ideas for the most appealing and least expensive places to go in 2024.
Want To Ski Tahoe This Winter? Here’s What It’ll Cost You

Dec 17, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Skiing and snowboarding are not sports for the faint of heart—and that gulp of courage often begins at the ticket window. An analysis of pricing at Tahoe ski resorts finds that a one-day lift ticket at most mountains will run $150-$250 over the holidays during the 2023-24 winter season. Palisades topped the list with the most expensive holiday lift tickets.
How To Get a Taste of the 2024 Pliny the Younger Craft Beer

Dec 14, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Craft beer connoisseurs are busy making plans for the Bay Area’s biggest event of the year: the 20th-anniversary release of Pliny the Younger. Russian River Brewing announced its rare triple Indian Pale Ale will flow from taps in its two Sonoma County brewpubs from March 22 to April 4, 2024. Younger will also be made available in February to a select set of outlets, including Toronado in the Haight. But hardcore fans may want to go straight to the source.
Bird-Watching a Few Hours From the SF Bay Area

Dec 10, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

LifeWritten by Maryann Jones ThompsonPublished Dec. 10, 2023 • 1:00pmSandhill Cranes in flight during winter migration along the Pacific Flyway. The sandhills are the largest species to join the millions of waterfowl that spend the winter in California’s Central Valley at the southern terminus of North America’s Pacific Flyway, a migratory route that extends north to Alaska, Siberia and the Arctic Circle.
King Tides Arrive Next Week in the Bay Area

Dec 9, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Like “atmospheric rivers” and “heat domes,” “king tides” were something few Californians had heard of until a few years ago. But while the term is relatively new, king tides have been around as long as the sun, the moon and the oceans. Starting next week, the first of the season’s super tides will hit the Bay Area. King tides are simply royal branding for the highest—and lowest—tidal events of the year.
Head to Santa Cruz for a Monarch Butterfly Safari This Fall

Nov 26, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Robert Aldana has taken his kids—now teenagers—to see the monarch butterflies in Santa Cruz ever since they were little, but this fall the display is extra special. “This is one of the most incredible years of monarchs that I’ve seen at Natural Bridges,” said Aldana, who lives just 10 minutes away in Scotts Valley.
Need a Break From SF? Try A Sonoma County Holiday Getaway

Nov 24, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

Post-harvest Wine Country is a happy time. With many vines and trees still sporting their fall colors and a host of holiday happenings on the calendar, both locals and day trippers will find a variety of festivities worth checking out.
Oyster Tasting in Tomales Bay: Where To Go

Nov 22, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

After yet another Thanksgiving without Dungeness crab, it might be time for the Bay Area to adopt a new seafood tradition for the holidays: an oyster road trip along Tomales Bay. A picturesque winter drive to the West Marin town of Marshall will test the mettle of even the biggest oyster lovers. With two historic farms and multiple eateries, you’ll run out of money before you run out of room in your belly.
Five Brand New San Francisco Playgrounds for City Kids

Nov 20, 2023 | sfstandard.com | Maryann Thompson

By Maryann Jones ThompsonPublished Nov. 20, 2023 • 6:00amFor all its problems, there’s one area where San Francisco knocks it out of the park—and that’s the city’s parks. Even after dedicating an eye-popping 25 acres of new parkland last year, San Francisco has continued to debut new recreation and park sites throughout the city in 2023. The city’s existing playgrounds have received a lot of extra TLC.