Home About The WON Pod Contact

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.

SFGATE •

A decade later, measles returns to Disneyland

On Friday, the Orange County Health Care Agency notified the public that an international traveler who had arrived in the country at Los Angeles International Airport had visited Disneyland on Jan. 28. The agency urged community members who may have been in shared spaces with the traveler to ensure immunity.

On Friday, the Orange County Health Care Agency notified the public that an international traveler who had arrived in the country at Los Angeles International Airport had visited Disneyland...
SFGATE •

New TSA fee could add 30 minutes to airport security for some travelers

Nearly eight months after Real ID enforcement began, the Transportation Security Administration hopes that charging stragglers may encourage them to finally get on board.“We’ve said since last May, when we started Real ID, we’re going to ramp up enforcement, and this is the next step,” TSA spokesperson Jessica Mayle told SFGATE.

Nearly eight months after Real ID enforcement began, the Transportation Security Administration hopes that charging stragglers may encourage them to finally get on boar...
SFGATE •

Private LA airport for celebs causes alarm with NTSB

A top transportation safety official warned that the Federal Aviation Administration is disregarding concerns that a California airport could be the site of the next fatal crash.

A top transportation safety official warned that the Federal Aviation Administration is disregarding concerns that a California airport could be the site of the next fatal crash.

At a Tuesday press conference following a National Transportation Safety Board meeting in Washington, D.C., Chair Jennifer Homendy spoke abo...
SFGATE •

Amtrak announces big changes for travelers on key Calif. route for Super Bowl

Northern California sports fans looking to avoid the hassle of navigating street closures and parking nightmares on Super Bowl Sunday may consider taking public transportation to get around. Perhaps anticipating a rush of riders, Amtrak is making some major changes to accommodate the busy weekend.

Northern California sports fans looking to avoid the hassle of navigating street closures and parking nightmares on Super Bowl Sunday may consider taking public transportation to get around. Perhaps a...
SFGATE •

Southwest is saying goodbye to its most divisive policy. Here's what to know.

The airline has operated under an open-seating policy, sometimes referred to as a cattle call, for nearly 55 years. Gone are the days of waking up early to check in and secure a good boarding group. Instead, like every other airline, customers will be assigned a seat number. Equally significant, it will add seats with extra legroom and charge more for them.

The airline has operated under an open-seating policy, sometimes referred to as a cattle call, for nearly 55 years. Gone are the days of wa...
SFGATE •

Uptown Oakland hotel apparently closing, stops taking reservations

Located in the city’s burgeoning Uptown neighborhood, the 172-room Moxy Hotel at 2225 Telegraph Ave. has stopped accepting reservations, is not taking phone calls and has closed its bar. Attempts to book a room on the hotel’s website for a few days in February resulted in a message that the hotel was sold out.

Located in the city’s burgeoning Uptown neighborhood, the 172-room Moxy Hotel at 2225 Telegraph Ave. has stopped accepting reservations, is not taking phone calls and has closed its bar....
SFGATE •

Other Bay Area airports lag behind SFO in holiday traffic growth

During one of the biggest travel months of 2025, two Bay Area airports, which have yet to push their passenger numbers to near prepandemic levels, saw fewer travelers than the year before.

During one of the biggest travel months of 2025, two Bay Area airports, which have yet to push their passenger numbers to near prepandemic levels, saw fewer travelers than the year before.

In November, around 831,000 passengers traveled through San Jose Mineta International, a 13% decrease from the same peri...
SFGATE •

Another travel delay on I-80 creates pain point on route to Tahoe

Bay Area drivers on the Eastshore Freeway in Contra Costa County should prepare for another pain point on Interstate 80.

Bay Area drivers on the Eastshore Freeway in Contra Costa County should prepare for another pain point on Interstate 80.

Caltrans has planned overnight maintenance between Buchanan Street in Albany and Highway 4 in Hercules through February, it announced Thursday. As part of the $85 million project, Caltrans plans to install traffic signs and electrical conduits, replace tra...
SFGATE •

More major Calif. airports to get TSA upgrade already at SFO

The Transportation Security Administration is expanding another program to keep the agency’s promise of TSA PreCheck airport security lines that are 10 minutes or less. But some California airports didn’t make the cut.

The Transportation Security Administration is expanding another program to keep the agency’s promise of TSA PreCheck airport security lines that are 10 minutes or less. But some California airports didn’t make the cut.

The agency plans to expand its Touchless ID program by this...
SFGATE •

Highway 101 gas station closure to create 40-mile gap on North Coast

Last week, the Yurok Economic Development Corporation (the economic branch of the Yurok Tribe) announced that the Shoreline Fuel Mart in Orick will close on Jan. 1. Its absence will create a roughly 40-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 between Trinidad and Klamath without a fueling station for an unknown period. Orick is a gateway town to Redwood National and State Parks.

Last week, the Yurok Economic Development Corporation (the economic branch of the Yurok Tribe) announced that the Shoreline F...
SFGATE •

California lawmakers demand answers after 8-hour traffic jam on I-5

Several California lawmakers are questioning the efficacy of the state’s transportation agencies after a major interstate in Southern California was unexpectedly shut down three times in the last three months. California state Sen. Catherine Blakespear led an inquiry and wrote a letter Monday to the California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol and the San Diego Police Department, questioning the three abrupt freeway closures on Interstate 5. The interstate is a major ro...
SFGATE •

California theme park turns old IP license into new themed land

Six Flags is giving one of its oldest licensing agreements a facelift at a California property. On Tuesday, the company announced the transformation of Bugs Bunny World at Six Flags Magic Mountain into Looney Tunes Land, scheduled to open in summer 2026. The goal of the refresh is “to evoke the warm, nostalgic feelings of the Chuck Jones era of Looney Tunes,” the park said in a news release.

Six Flags is giving one of its oldest licensing agreements a facelift at a California property. On Tuesd...
SFGATE •

Bay Area airport approves guest passes for non-ticketed visits

With almost 30 restaurants and shops, the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport rivals a mall or shopping center. Typically reserved for travelers before a flight, the airport now allows Bay Area residents and visitors to spend the day meandering through the airport without a ticket. On Monday, OAK launched a guest pass program. It’s the first time non-passengers are allowed beyond security checkpoints at the airport since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

With almost 30 restaurants and shop...
SFGATE •

The California hotel where a $3,000 mattress is the destination

Worse, it feels like as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a lighter sleeper, which means if anything wakes me up, I get the joy of starting the process all over again. So when the concept of “sleep tourism” — a wellness trend where the primary reason for an overnight stay is to get a good night’s sleep — emerged in hotels throughout California, I found it personally appealing. For all the money that business, leisure and staycation travelers might spend on a hotel room, one of the things they shoul...
SFGATE •

New flight from SFO lands miles from gate into major Calif. theme park

Two major commercial airlines are returning to a small, public airport in Southern California, including one that gives Bay Area travelers another option for visiting the state’s “best of the best” theme park from San Francisco International Airport.

Two major commercial airlines are returning to a small, public airport in Southern California, including one that gives Bay Area travelers another option for visiting the state’s “best of the best” theme park from San Francisco International Airpor...
SFGATE •

Cruise medic reveals why Hawaii trips have more onboard deaths

Michael Virgil, a 35-year-old from Southern California, died on board Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas cruise ship on Dec. 13, 2024. Virgil, of Moreno Valley in Riverside County, was traveling with his fiancee Connie Aguilar, their son and other family members to Ensenada, Mexico. A few hours after disembarking from Los Angeles, Virgil died while being detained by security personnel aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas cruise ship, court documents alleged.

Michael Virgil, a 35-...
SFGATE •

More change is coming to Southwest's flight offerings with new partnership

In another move that marks structural changes to Southwest Airlines, the carrier announced Tuesday its partnership with Condor, a lesser-known budget German airline that’s been connecting San Francisco International Airport to Frankfurt since 2022.

In another move that marks structural changes to Southwest Airlines, the carrier announced Tuesday its partnership with Condor, a lesser-known budget German airline that’s been connecting San Francisco International Airport to Frankfurt since 2022....
SFGATE •

Netflix quietly does away with the easiest way to watch TV in a hotel room

Travelers who arrive at a hotel or short-term rental ready to relax by turning on an episode of, say, the latest season of “Love Is Blind” can expect a few more steps than they’re used to.

Travelers who arrive at a hotel or short-term rental ready to relax by turning on an episode of, say, the latest season of “Love Is Blind” can expect a few more steps than they’re used to.

Netflix users recently noticed that the casting button is missing from the company’s app when they try to play their fav...
SFGATE •

Major change goes into effect in California's carpool lanes

Since 1999, California drivers who purchased a qualifying vehicle have been eligible for the state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal, which permitted owners to drive in the carpool lane on freeways and bridge toll plazas even when flying solo.

Since 1999, California drivers who purchased a qualifying vehicle have been eligible for the state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal, which permitted owners to drive in the carpool lane on freeways and bridge toll plazas even when flying solo.

But the program ended on O...
SFGATE •

Major investor set to buy luxury San Francisco hotel

In another showcase of optimism about tourism returning to San Francisco, a major real estate firm is acquiring a hotel property in the city.

In another showcase of optimism about tourism returning to San Francisco, a major real estate firm is acquiring a hotel property in the city.

Blackstone, a global investment firm, is expected to shell out around $130 million to acquire the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, according to the Wall Street Journal. The luxury 277-room property is located at 7...
SFGATE •

'Huge bummer': California EV drivers lose major perk of purchase

Since 1999, California drivers who purchased a qualifying vehicle have been eligible for the state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal, which permitted owners to drive in the carpool lane on freeways and bridge toll plazas even when flying solo.

Since 1999, California drivers who purchased a qualifying vehicle have been eligible for the state’s Clean Air Vehicle decal, which permitted owners to drive in the carpool lane on freeways and bridge toll plazas even when flying solo.

But the program ended on O...
SFGATE •

New construction project likely to snarl traffic for SF commuters

San Francisco commuters may need to carve out more time in their daily routine as Caltrans embarks on a massive construction project on the city’s west side.

San Francisco commuters may need to carve out more time in their daily routine as Caltrans embarks on a massive construction project on the city’s west side.

On Monday, Caltrans begins the 19th Avenue Rehabilitation Project. The government agency will repave all six lanes, which are also considered part of Highway 1, in “a major effort to...
SFGATE •

Fatal head-on big rig collision closes Northern California highway

A fatal collision has shut down a California highway during one of the busiest days for drivers on the road.

A fatal collision has shut down a California highway during one of the busiest days for drivers on the road.

On Wednesday, around 10:55 a.m., the California Highway Patrol was dispatched to Highway 20 between Penn Valley and Grass Valley, where two semitrucks crashed in a head-on collision, CHP Officer Sean Armacher told SFGATE. Following the major crash, a Toyota Tacoma also crashed in...
SFGATE •

California man dies while snorkeling at Hawaii beach

At 4 p.m. on Sunday, first responders were called to Lawai Beach for an unconscious swimmer, according to a news release from the Kauai Police Department. Upon arrival, they found bystanders performing CPR on 56-year-old California resident Gavin Phillips. He had been snorkeling before he was brought to shore, officials said.

At 4 p.m. on Sunday, first responders were called to Lawai Beach for an unconscious swimmer, according to a news release from the Kauai Police Department. Upon arrival, th...
Load More

Contact Me

My inbox is always open, you can contact me with the contact form here