by Matthew Jaffe, Sunset senior writer

Ask people in New Mexico what their favorite time of year is, and they’ll tell you autumn. The weather is nearly perfect, the summer crowds are gone, and the chiles are roasting.

It’s a busy time with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the Taos Fall Arts Festival and artists studio tours all happening in the coming weeks. But if you’re in New Mexico for any of these fall events, don’t forget to get out and explore the state’s natural side.

It’s aspen time above Taos and Santa Fe and one of New Mexico’s top outdoors destinations is also one of its least known and most beautiful: Valles Caldera National Preserve.

If 89,000 acres of protected land can be considered a secret, then this is it.

Located in the Jemez Mountains just outside Los Alamos and within an hour or so of Santa Fe, the preserve sits inside the collapsed 14-mile diameter crater of a supervolcano that erupted more than a million years ago. For 150 years the property was a ranch; log cabins and a hunting lodge stand as reminders of the preserve's earlier days. Some cattle ranching continues here but it's managed as part of the preserve's mission to protect the biological health of the land.

What’s striking about the preserve is its scale. You look across vast meadows cut by creeks (the flyfishing for brown and rainbow trout here is outstanding). Ponderosa pines, some 500 years old, cloak the preserve’s peaks, with the yellow and orange of aspens marbling the hillsides. Nor are the aspens the only autumnal attraction. The preserve is home to New Mexico’s largest elk herd, and fall is rutting season and a great time to hear the big bulls bugling.

Trails and some preserve areas are open to the public without reservations but to really get inside, take a tour or call ahead to arrange access into the backcountry for hiking and mountain biking. We've all heard references to "last best places," right? Well, Valles Caldera is definitely one of them. It will open the door to a side of New Mexico that most visitors never see.

by MacKenzie Geidt, Sunset assistant travel editor

I wait for it all year long.  It's not Christmas, it's better.   A bibliophiles dream....and it's finally here!  If you're into books, the Big Book Sale, September 25-28 (Thursday-Sunday), will blow your mind.   I'm having heart palpitations just looking at this picture...

Hot damn, that's a lot of books and I want them!  It's the 44th annual Big Book Sale at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, and we're talking mountains of used books ranging in price from $1-$5.  And remaining books on Sunday will be $1 or less!  And over 50,000 more books than last year!!  OK, breathe, deep breaths, remain calm, breathe.....BUT I CAN'T WAIT!  Good thing they have shopping carts, because I'm gonna clear this place out.  And you should too!

Here's some data that makes me lose breath: 8000 boxes of books, 300 tables, over 300,000 books in over 50 categories, rare books, first editions, and also DVDs, CDs, books on tape, videos, and more.  And ALL the proceeds go to the San Francisco Public Library, my second home.  So you can justify blowing your savings on all the books you can get your grubby paws on knowing it's going to a good cause. 

Admission FREE: Thursday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm.  Visit www.friendssfpl.org or call 415-626-7500 for more info.  Fellow book fiends, see you there!

by Matthew Jaffe, Sunset senior writer

When she was growing up, Theo Stephan was caught between two culinary traditions. There was the 1960s-vintage American approach—her mother was a devotee of Crisco and margarine. But her grandmother, a native of Greece, was a true believer in olive oil. For just about everything. On toast, in a walnut cake, and even as medicine.

“If I had a stomach ache, she would put some olive oil on toast with sugar,” says Theo. “She would even use it on burns and scars too.”

Thankfully for those of us who love olive oil, it was her grandmother’s sensibility that ultimately prevailed. These days Theo is the owner of Global Gardens, an olive oil and gourmet shop in Los Olivos, and one of three Santa Ynez Valley specialty food operations that we profiled in the September Sunset.

Tastings—at least for wine—are nothing new in the Santa Ynez Valley, one of California’s leading appellations. But at Global Gardens you’ll be sampling olive oils and vinegars and led through their different characteristics by Theo or one of her staff.

“There’s a tremendous range of flavors,” says Theo. “Herbal to floral to fruity. There’s one that is quite peary. And terroir exists with olive oils too. Our olive oil has a sagey finish because our trees grow in a chaparral area. It has everything to do with pollinating and the fruit setting properly.”

Before opening Global Gardens, Stephan lived in Ohio, where she owned an advertising agency. She loved her food clients and it was while working on a Santa Ynez wine country photo shoot that she saw groves of olive trees and began to imagine the possibilities. She moved west and took extension courses in olive oil production at UC Davis and eventually imported 500 trees from Crete. Theo says it takes a minimum of ten years before getting a decent yield from the trees, which is critical because to produce one gallon of olive oil, she needs at least 40 pounds of olives.

“People think you want a big meaty olive but most of the oil content is actually in the pit,” she says.

“I definitely learned from my grandmother,” she says. “I’ve even been using olive oil to take off my makeup since I was a teenager.”

TGIF! The weekend is finally here. Make it count with this preview of Sunset’s October Weekend guides, starring regional experts.  Below, a Salt Lake City brewer talks about beers and bikes—not at the same time, of course!  Check it out, then keep scrolling down to read other great weekend tips posted earlier this week.

Jennifer Talley, hard at work at Squatters Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City. Photograph by Alexa Miller

Expert: Jennifer Talley, outdoorswoman and brewmaster at Squatters Pub Brewery, Salt Lake City

Fields of study: Beer and the great outdoors

Best places to sample beer in Salt Lake: The Bayou ($; 645 S. State St.; 801/961-8400) has more than 200 beers available, with 30 Utah beers on tap.

Best brew fest in the West: The Great American Beer Festival in Denver (Oct 9–11). Falling Rock Tap House pub ($; 1919 Blake St., Denver; 303/293-8338).

The perfect day off: Biking the Mid Mountain Trail in Park City. In October, the red and gold of the hills is outrageous.

Favorite Western beers: The IPA from Odell Brewing Co. (closed Sun; $4 tasting fee; 800 E. Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins, CO; 888/887-2797): It’s refreshing, well-balanced, and exciting. The Zonker Stout from the Snake River Brewing Company ($; 265 S. Millward St.; 307/739-2337) is a must-try.

Her own pub: Squatters Pub Brewery ($; 147 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City; 801/363-2739. Other locations in Park City and Salt Lake International Airport).

Best Squatters Pub brews for fall: Alt and In the Way, and Black Forest Schwarzbier: medium-bodied, malt-driven, with more depth than summer brews.

Every day this week, Sunset is getting you ready for the weekend with previews of our October Weekend guides.  Today our regional expert—a Northern California mixologist—serves up his favorite places to eat and drink.  Leave a comment with yours!

Scott Beattie is renowned for redefining the use of local ingredients in both new and traditional cocktails. Photograph by Jen Siska

Expert: Scott Beattie, former mixologist at Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, CA, and author of Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus (Ten Speed Press, 2008; $25)

Field of study: Favorite fall libations and where to find them

Great autumn drink: Apple brandy from Ukiah’s Germain-Robin (800/782-8145).

Top spot for a beer: O’Reilly’s Irish Pub & Restaurant ($$; 622 Green St., San Francisco; 415/989-6222).

Best wine bars in California’s wine country: Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ ($$; 975 First St., Napa; 707/226-3976). Locals: A Collective Tasting Room (free tastings; 21023 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville; 707/857-4900).

Where to eat in Geyserville: Taverna Santi ($$$$; 21047 Geyserville Ave.; 707/857-1790). Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria ($$; 21021 Geyserville Ave.; 707/814-0111).

Bartenders who know their stuff: Duggan McDonnell of Cantina ($$; closed Sun; 580 Sutter St., San Francisco; 415/398-0195). The staff at Bourbon & Branch (closed Sun; 501 Jones St., San Francisco).

By Peter Fish, Sunset editor-at-large

Big investment houses are crumbling! Banks are trembling! You can’t THINK about your portfolio without breaking into a cold sweat.

What do you do?
Become a pirate.

Consider this. Did Blackbeard or Jean Lafitte ever worry about under-performing exchange-traded derivatives?

Were pirate ships ever named Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac? Did pirates ever have to be “bailed out?”

No, no, and especially no. Pirates weren’t bailed out. Pirates walked the plank. 

If in this era of failed financial swagger you want to escape into a world of maritime swagger (much more fun) I highly recommend attending this weekend’s 2008 Portland Pirate Festival. At first Portland may seem an improbable pirate center, given that it’s about 1200 nautical miles from The Spanish Main and given that, strictly speaking, it’s not actually on an ocean but on the Willamette River. 

All that said, I went to the festival last year with my 10-year-old-son. We were both decked out in pirate gear, and I worried that we’d be facing a reprise of the most horrible night of my life--when I attended an alleged “space age” costume party dressed as a spaceman only to discover that the costume theme had been cancelled without anybody telling me; I stood in the corner in silver tinfoil for an entire evening, drinking heavily.

But in fact we were underdressed. Here were thousands of pirates, wearing puffy Seinfeld pirate shirts, wearing  pirate boots, and pirate hooks, and pirate plumes.  Here were Caribbean Pirates and Mediterranean pirates, pirates making plans on cell phones, pirates taking pictures with expensive digital cameras, pirates who looked like they normally dressed in motorcycle leathers and pirates who looked like they normally dressed in Coldwater Creek. There were Keira Knightly-esque pirates and Johnny Depp-esque pirates and pirates who tried to be Johnny Depp-esque but ended up looking like Anna Wintour. 

There was pirate music—including the appealing duo of Captain Bogg and Salty—and pirate food and pirate parrots. There were displays of sword play. And, because September 19 is national Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day there were lessons in that useful skill, which mostly requires adding the words “me hearty” to anything you say. As in:

The Dow Jones industrials are plummeting, me hearty!
My 401K is in free-fall, me hearty!
Feel better, don’t you? 

Coming at you, another preview of one of Sunset’s October Weekend guides, which always feature regional experts.  Below, an L.A.-based landscape designer tells us the top spots for native plants.  Don’t forget to leave comments!  We want to hear your favorites too.

L.A. landscape designer Cassy Aoyagi loves to work with native plants. Photograph by Andrea Gomez

Expert: Cassy Aoyagi, landscape designer

Field of study: Gardens for Southern California

Best native plant for newbies: Cleveland sage is bulletproof, and it has that sweet, savory fragrance we associate with Southern California chaparral. It smells just like the West.

Native plant to avoid: Mimulus (monkey flower).

Absolute favorite: Meadow rue (Thalictrum fendleri polycarpum).

Where to find meadow rue: The Theodore Payne Foundation (closed Sun–Mon through Oct 13, closed Sun–Wed after Oct 14; 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley, CA; 818/768-1802).

Inspirational demonstration gardens: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden ($4; 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont; 909/625-8767). The garden at La Cañada Flintridge Library (4545 N. Oakwood Ave.; 818/790-3330).

Favorite spots to see native plants: La Tuna Canyon Trail (off I-210 in Sunland) in the Verdugo Mountains. Haines Canyon (near Tujunga; 818/899-1900) in the San Gabriels. All the hikes north and east of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena; 818/899-1900) in Pasadena.

Every day this week, we’re giving you a preview of Sunset’s October Weekend guides, featuring regional experts.  Here, a crafty Southwest couple shares ways to celebrate Latin culture.

Patrick Murillo and Kathy Cano-Murillo don’t need to go far to find inspiration for their artwork. Photograph by David Fenton

Experts: Phoenix artists Kathy Cano-Murillo and Patrick Murillo

Field of study: Chicano art and culture

Their new exhibit: La Casa Murillo: A Life-Size Shadow Box (Oct 3–Jan 11; $10, $3 ages 6–12; 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602/252-8848), a manifestation of their fantasy home in the Lovena Ohl Gallery of the Heard Museum.

Where to get an authentic taste of home: Barrio Café ($$; 2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix; 602/636-0240).

Where to dance the night away: Pepin Restaurant ($$$; salsa dancing Fri–Sun, $10; flamenco show Sat–Sun; flamenco lessons Tue, $10; 7363 E. Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale; 480/990-9026).

Where to find project materials: Sueños Latin American Imports (6035 N. Seventh St., Phoenix; 602/265-3486).

Where to find inspiration and Day of the Dead art: Spanish Market at the Heard Museum (Nov 8–9; free; 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602/252-8848). Vision Gallery (Day of the Dead shrine display Oct 20–Nov 1; closed Sun; 80 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, AZ; 480/917-6859).

The October issue of Sunset will be on newsstands this weekend. Can’t wait? Here’s a peek at the tasty Insider Tips in our Northwest Weekend guide—warning, they may be habit-forming!

Each day this week, we’ll give you a preview of another one of our regional Weekend guides. Tune in daily, to get your local scoop or to collect a few ideas for fall travel. And please share your own tips in our Comments section.

Sarah Hart is a self-proclaimed chocoholic, and she has one sweet job. We’re particular fans of her latest treat: hand-dipped marzipan bonbons with fig jelly. Photograph by John Clark

Expert: Sarah Hart, founder of Portland’s Alma Chocolate

Field of study: Chocolate! (Jealous much?)

Favorite chocolatier right now: Elizabeth Montes from Sahagún chocolate shop (closed Sun–Tue; 10 N.W. 16th Ave., Portland; 503/274-7065). Try the Pepitapapa Bark—toasted pumpkin seeds, jalapeño, and bittersweet chocolate.

What she’s handing out to trick-or-treaters: At Alma (closed Mon; 140 N.E. 28th Ave., Portland; 503/517-0262), kids in costume get little milk chocolate frogs that look like they could jump off the counter. And adults who dress up get a Habanero Caramel Crown.

Most delicious hot chocolate: Hit Coffeehouse Northwest (1951 W. Burnside St., Portland; 503/248-2133) for a hot drink made with Michel Cluizel Venezuelan chocolate, whole milk, a splash of cream, and a pinch of Portuguese sea salt ($4.40 for an 8-ounce cup).

Most memorable pairing: A smoky Spanish chorizo topped with shaved chocolate at Txori tapas restaurant ($$$; 2207 Second Ave., Seattle; 206/204-9771). It was mind-blowing.

The best of the bacon-chocolate trend: Davíd Briggs of Xocolatl de Davíd in Portland makes a great bacon chocolate—bacon caramel too.

By Amy Wolf, Sunset travel editor

Where in the world are these toes to nowhere? Anyone?

Hint #1: it’s gorgeous, windy, and surrounded by beaches.

Hint #2: One of the beaches nearby has the inglorious name Stump.

Hint #2: This one (above), whose name I won't divulge—that's for you to guess—is full of sandstone rocks that were once quarried and used in the streets of San Francisco.

But that’s too easy for an expert like you. How about this: What excellent campground is near here?

Anyone know the answers? Post them in a comment below. Get it right and I’ll give you a tip on the best campsite to reserve there...