A candid and heartwarming memoir of reinvention about a city girl who trades her career and her heels for five acres and a herd of goats “Jake Keiser is my favorite kind of woman—gutsy, tenacious, and not afraid to be vulnerable. And the animals are pretty f*cking adorable, too.”—Tara Schuster, author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies Jake Keiser was living the life in Tampa, Florida, running a high-powered PR firm and juggling drink dates, shopping sprees, and charity galas. But at age thirty-eight, following a failed marriage, a series of miscarriages, and a still-blistering breakup, she began to suffer from extreme anxiety. Hit with the realization that no amount of Botox could fill the hole in her heart, she decided to make the impulse purchase of a lifetime and bought a farm in the middle of nowhere, Mississippi. Suddenly responsible for more than seventy-five animals and five acres of land, and with only one bar of cell service, Jake begins her search for inner peace. She learns to fix a well, haul wood, shoot a gun, and care for baby chicks, goats, turkeys, geese, dogs, and a cat, playing spa music for them when they’re sick and naming them after her favorite fashion designers. The only problem is that she still can’t figure out how to truly care for herself. Unable to escape the accumulated pain of her past, Jake hits rock bottom. With nowhere left to run, she’s finally forced to confront a bracing reality: The farm won’t save her. Only she can save herself. Poignant, hilarious, and utterly charming, Daffodil Hill is for anyone who feels stuck—for those of us strapped to our desks and dreaming of an unconventional life, for those of us searching for something more. Most of all, it is for people who believe that the greatest love story of all is the one we write with ourselves.

Covers the best that Northern California has to offer, from day hikes in awe-inspiring Yosemite Valley to rest and relaxation at the spas and vineyards of Wine Country. To help travelers plan their trip, Veneman also offers a number of unique itinerary ideas, such as as Winter Wonderland, Culinary Culture, and Driving the Coast - a 10-day tour down Northern California's winding, scenic coastline. With expert advice on finding the tastiest food in the Bay Area, exploring the Big Sur coast, and getting to Gold Country ghost towns, and now with expanded coverage of the many outdoor recreation opportunities available in the region, Moon Northern California gives travellers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

Discover California with Moon Travel Guides! Moon California shows both locals and newcomers alike how to explore the very best of the larger-than-life Golden State, from cities, to mountains, to coastline. What You'll Find in Moon California: Expert advice from Golden State connoisseur Elizabeth Linhart Veneman Itineraries for every timeline and budget, from two days in San Francisco to two weeks on the road, including: The Best of California in One Week, Wine Country, Shasta and Lassen, The Best of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon, Palm Springs and the Deserts, and Las Vegas In-depth coverage of the major cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego Bonus coverage of Las Vegas for travelers and California locals alike looking to explore more of the West Coast Full-color, easy-to-navigate maps with vibrant, helpful photos Ideas for every traveler and every season: indulge your inner oenophile in California's world-renowned wine country, or ski the pristine slopes of Squaw Valley. Walk among the giants of Redwood National Forest, or catch a glimpse of the migrating whales at Bodega Bay. Explore the eccentricities of San Francisco's celebrated art galleries, or sample award-winning tacos in Los Angeles. Discover which beaches are local surfer favorites, and find the best spots for cocktails, dining, and dancing Honest advice on finding accommodations and getting around by car or by public transportation Reliable information on California's history, culture, weather, and diverse landscape Get to know the best of the West on your own terms with Moon California's practical tips, myriad activities and local insight on the top things to do and see. Exploring the Golden State by car? Try Moon California Road Trip. For an all-outdoors adventure, try Moon California Camping. Full list of coverage: San Francisco, Wine Country, the North Coast, Shasta and Lassen, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento and Gold Country, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon, Monterey and Big Sur, Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and the Deserts, and Las Vegas

Northern California offers places to visit away from tourist areas, including the Whiskey Flat Saloon (established in 1862) in Volcano; Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian style mansion near Lake Tahoe; and Niles, the movie-making capital of California before Hollywood was on the map.

From a Daughter’s Perspective Once I learned that this book was being dedicated to me, I insisted that I have something to say about the author, my dad. I would like to introduce his work simply by way of experience and by what I feel has contributed to its making. I am an avid dance person and he has always referred to me as his “poetry in motion,” a well-known phrase for dance, but I had never really read much of his poetry until lately. He was not very open with his writings because he thought his children would not be interested. He would often use phrases that seemed to have a poetic flare. That, to me, was just dad’s way. He would sometimes say a line and then stop and take note of your reaction. This was what he termed as a “hang line.” I later saw these lines in his poems with the dot, dot, dot at the ends. I later learned that dad had his own theory about poetry writing and was not easily taken to trends or reading the works of others who would be looked upon as setting the standard. In his own way, he was insistent with some degree or order or structure citing that it makes poetry more readable and understandable. He totally rejected the idea that structure hinders the creative process but saw it as a tool to preserve it. I remember how displeased he was when I used a stanza of verse that he had helped me with to do an “on stage response” during a pageant. The response was marked down because it was too structured. With dad, poetry was not only dance but it was also music as well. He once related to me how the mechanics of music and poetry paralleled. I’ve concluded that his “theory of poetry writing” relates to his current teaching background as a math professor and his former physics teaching background, especially as I remember the way he tutored me when I was pursing my engineering degree. He perceived that poetry has volume and pitch that is controlled by use of stanza, line-length, and other structural devices that need to be worked with just as music. Rhyme gives a sense of rhythm to poetry as beat does to music. This is the “body and soul connection,” he would say. “I don’t like the trend in avoiding rhyme.” With this insistence comes POETRHYME, a work totally dedicated to rhyme in whatever he experienced. In his way of writing poetry, he was always kindred to nature, a partaker of love, a friend of wisdom, a caretaker of gardens and vineyards that always captured his smiles and personification in a most practical and simple style. Courtney Dockery

A candid and heartwarming memoir of reinvention about a city girl who trades her career and her heels for five acres and a herd of goats “Jake Keiser is my favorite kind of woman—gutsy, tenacious, and not afraid to be vulnerable. And the animals are pretty f*cking adorable, too.”—Tara Schuster, author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies Jake Keiser was living the life in Tampa, Florida, running a high-powered PR firm and juggling drink dates, shopping sprees, and charity galas. But at age thirty-eight, following a failed marriage, a series of miscarriages, and a still-blistering breakup, she began to suffer from extreme anxiety. Hit with the realization that no amount of Botox could fill the hole in her heart, she decided to make the impulse purchase of a lifetime and bought a farm in the middle of nowhere, Mississippi. Suddenly responsible for more than seventy-five animals and five acres of land, and with only one bar of cell service, Jake begins her search for inner peace. She learns to fix a well, haul wood, shoot a gun, and care for baby chicks, goats, turkeys, geese, dogs, and a cat, playing spa music for them when they’re sick and naming them after her favorite fashion designers. The only problem is that she still can’t figure out how to truly care for herself. Unable to escape the accumulated pain of her past, Jake hits rock bottom. With nowhere left to run, she’s finally forced to confront a bracing reality: The farm won’t save her. Only she can save herself. Poignant, hilarious, and utterly charming, Daffodil Hill is for anyone who feels stuck—for those of us strapped to our desks and dreaming of an unconventional life, for those of us searching for something more. Most of all, it is for people who believe that the greatest love story of all is the one we write with ourselves.

Ready to experience California? The experts at Fodor’s are here to help. Fodor’s California travel guide is packed with customizable itineraries with top recommendations, detailed maps of California, and exclusive tips from locals. Whether you want to get a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, wander among giant redwood trees at Muir Woods, or camp in a National Park, this user-friendly guidebook will help you plan it all out. Our local writers vet every recommendation to ensure that you not only make the most of your time, but that you also have all the most up-to-date and essential information you need to plan the perfect trip. This new edition has been FULLY-REDESIGNED with a new layout and beautiful images for more intuitive travel planning! Fodor’s California includes: ● AN ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE GUIDE that visually captures the top highlights of California. ● SPECTACULAR COLOR PHOTOS AND FEATURES throughout, including special features on the San Diego Zoo and wine tasting in Sonoma. ● INSPIRATIONAL “BEST OF” LISTS identify the best things to see, do, eat, drink, and more. ● MULTIPLE ITINERARIES for various trip lengths help you maximize your time. ● MORE THAN 45 MAPS to help you plot your itinerary and navigate confidently. ● EXPERT RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS offer options for every taste. ● TRIP PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS include: guides to getting around, saving money and time, beating the crowds; and a calendar of festivals and events. ● LOCAL INSIDER ADVICE tells you where to find under-the-radar gems, along with the best walking tours. ● HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL OVERVIEWS add perspective and enrich your travels. ● INSIDER TIPS for navigating California’s National Parks. ● COVERS: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Napa and Sonoma, the Pacific Coast Highway, Monterey, Route 66, Carmel, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, the Mojave Desert, Palm Springs, Sacramento, and more. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. Planning on spending more time in California? Check out Fodor’s Los Angeles, Fodor's San Francisco, Fodor's San Diego, and Fodor's Napa & Sonoma.