From the Editor

Autumn — it means different things in different parts of the country. Leaves will soon start turning in New England. But in San Francisco, where John Rosenthal reports on seven drinks that each define a neighborhood in the seven-square-mile city (“In the Drink”), all the buzz is about “the crush” a few miles up north that will produce a gusher of Napa and Sonoma wines. And speaking of the harvest, in our “Greener Good” column Gretchen Roberts writes about vintners in Australia, California, France, and Oregon who are focused on environmental sustainability and producing great-tasting grapes that are easy on the planet.

Stories like these always fire up my personal enthusiasm for travel, so if you’re like me, plan a late-fall visit to Los Cabos, Cancún, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta, or Nayarit (“Coasting in Mexico”), or visit my second home, New York. If I could afford to join a destination club (“Homes Away from Home”), I’d have my choice of luxury residences in cool world capitals and resort destinations.

Now that school is back in session, indulge your passion to keep learning. Writer Jamie Stringfellow suggests taking a learning vacation (“The Guide”), such as cowboy college in Arizona; a tree-climbing course in Oregon with an overnight in the branches; a wolf discovery expedition in Yellowstone National Park; cheese-making classes in Canada, France, and Spain; or wine-making in California. In Nashville, you can even book a learn-to-sing vacation for your dog, with grooming, voice lessons, and a studio session. But you don’t need formal instruction to keep learning — whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, you’re bound to learn something from every journey.

Now, what about you and where you live. What drink defines your town? Maybe a Sazerac in New Orleans, a margarita in Tucson, or a fruit smoothie in Los Angeles. E-mail us at continental@pohlyco.com and let us know about the drink that defines your town. We’ll toast the most interesting entries in a future editor’s letter.

Gail Harrington, Editor

Contributor

Northern California–based Rachel Weill, who photographed our feature about San Francisco, says the Ferry Building was her favorite place. “I think I ended up shooting there three times — not out of necessity, but because I was craving some Cowgirl cheese, Acme bread, or the most perfect fruit pastry at Frog Hollow.”

A year ago, Jamie Stringfellow traveled to Oregon and learned how to climb a tree, an experience that informed her writing of this month’s Guide to Learning Vacations. “I slept in a treeboat 200 feet above the ground,” she says. “There’s life in the canopies of these tall trees that does not exist on the ground.”

We welcome letters from our readers: Letters about this magazine should be sent to the Editor, Continental magazine, 99 Bedford Street, Floor 5, Boston, MA 02111, or e-mailed to continental@pohlyco.com. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address, daytime telephone number, and e-mail address, when possible. We reserve the right to edit letters for space and clarity.