Epinions Recent Reviews for ericgoldman

Therm-a-rest Compressible Pillow--Very Comfortable, Very Light

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:42:34 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - In the past, I slept poorly when I went camping, no matter how tired I was. I finally realized that the pillow was the problem. I would ball up spare clothing into a pillow, but that didn't provide enough neck support. Now, when I go car camping, I...

Mineral Restaurant, Murphys--Gourmet Vegetarian in an Unexpected Place

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:07:59 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Over the years, we have found vegetarian restaurants in some wacky/unexpected places, but Mineral Restaurant ranks up there as one of our most surprising discoveries. Mineral Restaurant is a high end vegetarian restaurant designed to compete with other...

MacCallum House Inn, Mendocino, CA: MacCallum House Inn, Mendocino: Overpromised and Underdelivered, and Watch Out for Nickel-and-Diming

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:35:30 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - In November 2007, we stayed 2 nights at the MacCallum House in the William Otis Kelly room. The hotel tries to position itself as one of the high-end luxury choices in Mendocino, but they aren’t in that league. Instead, we felt the hotel overpromised...

Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Resort: Costanoa Coastal Camp and Lodge—A Great Resort for Both the Luxury Traveler and the Environmentalist

Sat, 31 Jul 2004 23:31:13 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - With California’s post-WWII population explosion, the gorgeous California coastline became a huge target for development. Recognizing the potential long-term impacts of overdevelopment, California voters created the California Coastal Commission (CCC)...

Pike Lake State Park: Pike Lake Unit, Kettle Moraine State Forest—I Kame, I Saw, I Enjoyed

Fri, 30 Jul 2004 00:37:24 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Pike Lake is one of the five units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, a system of parks ringing Milwaukee. It’s a little small as nature parks go—less than 700 acres—but offers a nice respite from the urbanized Milwaukee metro...

Montgomery Woods State Reserve: Montgomery Woods State Reserve—A Remote Redwood Paradise

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 22:40:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Montgomery Woods State Reserve may be the single best redwood forest I have ever been to. If you love redwoods, this could be the most perfect place on earth. But if you’re not a redwoods aficionado, you might be disappointed. Before you...

Mojave National Preserve: Mojave National Preserve—The Complete Desert Experience, But No “Must-See” Attraction

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 01:53:02 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Introduction The Mojave National Preserve is a complete desert experience. Whatever you expect from a desert visit, the preserve has it. Sand dunes? Check. Cactus and Joshua Trees? Check. Interesting geologic features?...

Providence Mountains State Recreation Area: Providence Mountain State Recreation Area—A Pretty Spot Within the Mojave National Preserve

Mon, 12 Jan 2004 01:48:15 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - It is impossible to talk about the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area without simultaneously talking about the Mojave National Preserve. The state park is wholly surrounded by the preserve, and there is virtually no borders or geographic...

Super Slinky—Bigger is Better, In Some Ways

Thu, 29 May 2003 23:48:23 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I am a slinky addict. I have hundreds of slinkies of all types and flavors. For a more general discussion about slinkies, see my comprehensive review on slinkies at

Slinky Extreme—About as Extreme as a Goatee

Sun, 25 May 2003 01:19:35 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I am a slinky addict. I have hundreds of slinkies of all types and flavors. For a more general discussion about slinkies, see my comprehensive review on slinkies at

Mendocino Headlands State Park: Mendocino Headlands State Park--Heaven on Earth

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 03:01:07 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Mendocino Headlands State Park is a remarkable place. It is one of the most scenic places on earth. I could spend years exploring the small park and never grow tired or bored.

The park wraps around the town of Mendocino. Being so...

Russian Gulch State Park: Russian Gulch State Park--Hiking in the Heart of the Mendocino Coastline

Sat, 24 Aug 2002 01:48:52 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - When people think about hiking on the Mendocino coast, chances are they are thinking about Russian Gulch State Park. The state park is just a couple miles north of the heart of Mendocino town, a short drive or a brief bike ride away. With Van...

Hendy Woods State Park: Hendy Woods State Park--Primo California Redwoods

Sat, 13 Jul 2002 19:53:08 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I’m a sucker for redwood trees. I love hiking among them, even second-growth redwood forests. But I experience a special indescribable exhilaration when hiking among old growth redwoods.

Hendy Woods State Park is an 850 acre state...

Jughandle State Reserve: Jughandle State Reserve--Ascending a Boring Ecological Staircase

Sat, 13 Jul 2002 19:43:18 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Jughandle State Reserve is one of several state parks along the Mendocino coastline between Albion and Ft. Bragg. Its raison d’etre is the “Ecological Staircase,” a self-guided tour of steppes that illustrate the geological evolution of the...

Pinnacles National Monument: Pinnacles National Monument—A Slice of Classic Central California

Sun, 30 Sep 2001 18:10:14 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Pinnacles National Monument is a well-preserved 24,000 acre slice of Central California ready for exploring. It illustrates the transition between dry Southern California and wetter Northern California, with lots of oak and grass chaparral as well as...

2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder: Toyota 2001 MR2 Spyder—A Dream Car if You’re Willing to Pack Light

Sun, 22 Apr 2001 22:49:59 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - The Toyota MR2 Spyder is one of the latest of the 2 seater “lower-priced” high-performance roadsters that have become enormously popular over the past decade. Other cars in the niche include the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z3, the Honda S2000 and the...

Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara--Insights of a Former Native

Mon, 18 Sep 2000 20:50:28 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I went to high school in Santa Barbara back in the early 80s. I offer up these perspectives as a former native who’s now a repeat tourist.

To understand Santa Barbara, you first need to understand its geography. The greater Santa Barbara...

Channel Islands National Park: Anacapa Island--An 11 Mile Boat Ride to Another World

Mon, 11 Sep 2000 00:20:17 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Anacapa Island is one of the 8 Channel Islands running along the Southern California coast from San Diego to Santa Barbara. It’s composed of 3 sub-islands: east, middle and west. The island in total is pretty small (700 acres total), and with limited...

University of California, Los Angeles School of Law: UCLA Law (UCLAW)—An Alum's Perspectives, 6 Years Later

Sun, 20 Aug 2000 17:15:49 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I got my JD/MBA from UCLA from 1990-1994. Obviously the school has changed in several key ways since I’ve graduated—there’s a new dean, a new law library, and a new admissions process that has effectively eliminated affirmative action. However, I’ve also...

California: Murphys, CA--Queen of the Sierra Foothills/Gold Country

Tue, 4 Jul 2000 21:43:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I’ve visited Murphys at least a dozen times over the past decade. Murphys is one of the best destinations in the Sierra foothills/Gold Country and makes a wonderful three-day weekend or week-long trip. What makes Murphys is a premier Gold Country...

Calaveras Big Trees State Park: Calaveras Big Trees State Park, CA--Reveling Among the Giants

Tue, 4 Jul 2000 21:29:17 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a great and convenient place to see giant Sequoia redwoods—the largest living things.

Sequoia redwoods are cousins of the coastal redwoods. The coastal redwoods tend to grow a bit taller, but the Sequoias...

The Slinky--A Slinky Addict Debunks Some Misconceptions

Tue, 4 Jul 2000 21:18:27 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - It’s no secret. I love the slinky.

The story actually starts with one of my business school friends, who kept a small metal slinky in his car. I thought that was pretty cool, so when I saw a small metal slinky at Pic ‘N’ Save for about a...

Yukon: Watson Lake, Yukon--Keep on Truckin' (Right Through)

Sun, 7 May 2000 00:00:46 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - In summer 1997, my wife and I drove from San Francisco to Anchorage, AK on a 3 week vacation. Along the way, we spent a day and night in Watson Lake, Yukon. I had always fantasized about the Yukon as a wild and perhaps idyllic place, so I was ecstatic...

Death Valley National Park: Death Valley-Pretty Nice Despite the Hell & Death References

Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:25:15 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I've been to Death Valley twice. First, I went in Spring 1993 on a backpacking trip up a nameless canyon with some friends. This was an OK trip, but it wasn't much different from a backpacking trip in some other desert canyon.

As a result, I...

Mendocino, CA: Mendocino--Can I Give it 6 Stars?

Sat, 19 Feb 2000 03:53:20 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author ericgoldman - I've lived in many places in California over the past thirty years, including the Los Angeles area, the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Santa Barbara and the Desert. I've also traveled extensively throughout California (see my other reviews) and have...