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Olivia Harden

Travel Reporter at SFGATE -- based in California. Writing about social justice and mental health everywhere else. Passionate about food, exploring the world, and uplifting the voices of those who often go unheard.

Matador Network •

The US Population Center Is in This Tiny Missouri Town — And It’s a Quick Route 66 Detour

Set in Wright County in south-central Missouri, Hartville isn’t directly on Route 66, but it’s an easy detour if you’re traveling between Springfield and the Oklahoma border. The marker itself sits just outside town along a rural road, with a large red granite monument marking the spot. There’s no visitor center or formal site — just a red granite marker set along a rural road marking the point.

To find the center of the US, the Census Bureau uses data collected every 10 years, calculating what...
SFGATE •

Hawaii flood sends home crashing into Waialua Bridge

When Merrily Cazimero and her boyfriend, Marck Aphay, returned to their home of 12 years, they found it decimated by the most recent flood on Oahu in Hawaii. The flood tore the home away from its foundation, and it collided with the Waialua Bridge.

When Merrily Cazimero and her boyfriend, Marck Aphay, returned to their home of 12 years, they found it decimated by the most recent flood on Oahu in Hawaii. The flood tore the home away from its foundation, and it collided with the Waialua Bridge....
SFGATE •

'Sometimes Mother Nature just wins': Tahoe ski resorts cut season short

Amid a historic California heat wave, two additional Tahoe ski resorts are following Homewood Mountain Resort’s lead and either planning an early end to the ski season or already calling it quits.

Amid a historic California heat wave, two additional Tahoe ski resorts are following Homewood Mountain Resort’s lead and either planning an early end to the ski season or already calling it quits.

On Tuesday, Bryan Hickman, Sierra-at-Tahoe’s director of operations, announced that the resort would shu...
SFGATE •

New concourses at Reno-Tahoe International Airport set to open by 2029

On March 3, Reno-Tahoe International Airport broke ground on its New Gen A&B Concourses. The $650 million project is part of its larger “MoreRNO” investment of $1 billion for “a multi-year infrastructure program that will bring more space, local restaurants and shops, travel technology, and regionally-inspired architecture,” according to the airport.

On March 3, Reno-Tahoe International Airport broke ground on its New Gen A&B Concourses. The $650 million project is part of its larger “MoreRNO”...
SFGATE •

Social media frenzy forces California farm to cut flower-picking season short

An abundance of flowers is a sure sign of spring in California, but a farm in Modesto was forced to end its tulip-picking season early after the event went viral on social media and huge crowds showed up.

An abundance of flowers is a sure sign of spring in California, but a farm in Modesto was forced to end its tulip-picking season early after the event went viral on social media and huge crowds showed up.

John Bos, the owner of Dutch Hollow Farms, told KCRA-TV that the decision to end the sea...
SFGATE •

'Alysa Liu is Oakland': City plans celebration rally for Olympic win

Less than two weeks after Alysa Liu came home, sporting two gold medals, the city of Oakland has announced its plans to celebrate the figure skater.

Less than two weeks after Alysa Liu came home, sporting two gold medals, the city of Oakland has announced its plans to celebrate the figure skater.

On March 12, the city of Oakland is slated to host a celebration rally at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall to celebrate Liu’s achievements at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Naturally, Liu...
SFGATE •

Lifeguards rescue stranded person from Calif. beach cliffs

The Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued a person from the Redondo Beach cliffs over the weekend.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department rescued a person from the Redondo Beach cliffs over the weekend.

On Sunday, the department’s lifeguards, air operations and Baywatch Redondo all responded to a call for a search and rescue for a person stuck over the cliffside, the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Lifeguard Division said on Instagram. They heard the person calling for help in dense...
SFGATE •

Why the California superbloom is more 'a kind of hype' than actual science

Wildflowers are having an excellent year in Death Valley National Park and other state and national parks across California, and the term “superbloom” is getting tossed around liberally. But according to experts interviewed by SFGATE, there’s no concrete way to define the phenomenon. And even if there were, some find the term problematic altogether.

Wildflowers are having an excellent year in Death Valley National Park and other state and national parks across California, and the term “superblo...
SFGATE •

Popular Mexico destination doubles down on tourism fee

A fee that has made travel to a popular tourism destination in Mexico more expensive is not only here to stay, but is getting more expensive.The government of Baja California Sur, home to popular tourism spots like Los Cabos, announced the Embrace It fee — a mandatory tax for visitors over 12 who stay in the country for more than 24 hours — in June. And now, as of January, the price has increased from 470 Mexican pesos (about $25) to 488 pesos (about $28).

A fee that has made travel to a popula...
SFGATE •

Person fatally falls in California's Devil's Slide area

A person fell from a cliff and died on Tuesday in the Devil’s Slide area between Pacifica and Montara, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

A person fell from a cliff and died on Tuesday in the Devil’s Slide area between Pacifica and Montara, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Around 11:45 a.m., the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and the Cal Fire CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit responded to reports of a person falling off a cliff at Gray Whale Cove State Beach. Speci...
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