Blog Posts by Sunset Magazine

Find a high-altitude escape for every season at these scenic adventurelands

Big Sky, MT
Big Sky, MT
Fresh powder and no lift lines? It's just another day at Big Sky. It may not share the glory of the glitzy resort towns in Colorado and Utah, but with more snow and open space, this undersung skiing nirvana can rest on its own laurels. Between the town's two ski resorts―Big Sky and Moonlight Basin―there are three mountains used by an average of only 2,500 skiers per day ... it works out to 2 acres per skier. Combine uncrowdedness and lots of fluffy powder with a laid-back cowboy culture, and you've got the perfect winter weekend.
More: Big Sky winter escape

Crested Butte, CO
Crested Butte, CO
Hiking is plentiful here, but two wheels are the true star: At this birthplace of mountain biking, you'll find more bikes than people. Grab one from the Alpineer for a spin on the Lower Loop, a 10-mile network of single- and double-track trails and dirt roads. Or jump on the Upper Loop, a track east of town that takes you

See how a couple turned their yard into the neighborhood's most popular theater

Neighbor-friendly garden
Neighbor-friendly garden
When Rika Houston knocks on doors to invite neighbors over for an impromptu screening, she's never short of takers. Located in the front yard of the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, architect Brian Ten, the cinema is unlike any other in town. Sinking into the cushy sofa with lanterns lit overhead, guests watch The Birds or The Sound of Music on a screen nearly as big as the garage wall. "In the summer, every Friday is movie night," says Houston.

With the help of landscape designer Mark Tessier, Ten overhauled their yard to create a gathering spot for the family, which includes 9-year-old daughter Maya and teenage sons Cole and Taro. But as movie night took off, the couple has been happy to see how it has transformed the neighborhood too. "It's one thing to bump into someone on the street and share a few words," says Ten. "With this outdoor theater, we've gotten to

Cooking hard-boiled eggs is easy until you've had them come out green or labored over peeling them. Here are the secrets to getting them perfect every time.

10 variations on deviled eggs

Prick
Prick
Prick the rounded end of each egg with a push pin. (This releases a little air so they don't crack.) Note: Ultra-fresh eggs are difficult to prick. Let them sit in the fridge for about a week before cooking.

Boil
Bring to a boil
Cover eggs with cold water by about an inch and bring to a boil.

Let stand
Let stand
Remove from heat, cover pan, and let eggs stand 12 minutes.

Drain
Drain
Drain eggs, holding the pan lid ajar.

Shake
Shake
Shake eggs in pan to crack them all over.

Soak
Soak
Fill the pan with ice, add cold water, and let eggs sit about 10 minutes (this makes them easy to peel).

Peel
Peel
Peel off shells.

More instruction guides from Sunset:
How to brine chicken
How to make a no-cook tomato sauce
How to toss a pizza
Quick and easy jams

L.A. designer Kelly LaPlante shows how to give salvaged materials stylish new purpose

Sunset's home decorating guide:
14 key decorating strategies
Painting ideas
Great ideas for shelves
10 rules of freestyle decorating

Salvage style
Salvage style: How to decorate with what you already have
For Kelly LaPlante, a leading Los Angeles-based interior designer, author, television host, and new mother, green design isn't just about choosing fabrics and furniture made from sustainable materials.
She prefers to help her clients find new use―and often unexpected new love―for things they already own. "There's nothing more green than keeping what you have," she says.
Her own Venice loft is proof that hand-me-downs and thrift-store finds can rise to stylish new purpose.
Design: Kelly LaPlante Organic Interior Design, Venice, CA (kellylaplante.com or 310/581-6789)

Refinish
1. Refinish
The dining table was brown and had belonged to a client. "They were going to throw it away," says LaPlante, who saw potential in its curves.
After being

Create beautifully untamed bouquets using finds from the wild or your own backyard to create the perfect affordable gift on Mother's Day

Garden ideas from Sunset:
23 knock-out native plants
Top plants for summer color
20 favorite perennial flowers

Olive branch
Olive branch
Leaves of green on one side, and silver on the other? Yes, please. They add texture and movement to any arrangement.

Quince flowers
Quince flowers
Branches with white or orange-red flowers add height to an arrangement.

Daffodil
Daffodil
A sure sign that spring has arrived, bring daffodils inside to cheer up any room.

Hellebore
Hellebore
Moody as can be, we love hellebores of any color as an element to an arrangement.

Artichoke
Artichoke
Whether still in bud, or as fully-opened purple thistle flowers, artichokes are great in a vase.

Clematis
Clematis
Pro flower arranger Max Gill, of Max Gill Design, advises, "On a magenta clematis (C. 'Madame Julie Correvon'), trim the longest stems of the lower leaves, place them into the vase, and let them spill down to the

We play matchmaker, pairing your camping personality with places you're sure to love.

Sunset's camping guide by region:
California & Hawaii
Northwest
Rocky Mountains
Southwest

Perfect campgrounds for first-timers
Mt. Hood National Forest, OR
Lake Powell, UT and AZ
Wahweap Campground Glen Park National Recreation Area: What better payoff for taking the camping plunge than the finger canyons of Lake Powell? A waterfront campground comes with basic creature comforts (hot showers, shaded picnic tables). After breakfast, the main event: Rent a boat or kayak at the marina to explore what looks for all the world like Zion National Park filled halfway with water. From $23. Book it: 888/486-4665.

Near Santa Cruz, CA
New Brighton State Beach: Sit on a pine-shaded bluff above an endless white beach, New Brighton's 100+ sites get snapped up by those itching for a beach weekend-without the triple-digit nightly tab. The beach is the real draw, and the hot showers don't hurt, but another bonus is that if you forget your

Kick off your Cinco de Mayo weekend with a frosty mojito, margarita, or smoky mezcal cocktail

Cinco de Mayo menu:
42 easy Mexican dinners
14 great Mexican side dishes
11 delicious Mexican desserts

Grapefruit Margarita
Grapefruit Margarita
Ruby grapefruit juice gives an extra tangy bite to the standard marg, while a sugar-rimmed glass helps to sweeten things up.
Ingredients
3 cups ruby grapefruit juice (fresh-squeezed or purchased)
2 cups of tequila
1 cup triple sec or other orange-flavored liqueur
1/4 cup sugar
Preparation
In a pitcher (at least 2-qt. capacity), combine 3 cups ruby grapefruit juice (fresh-squeezed or purchased), 2 cups tequila, and 1 cup triple sec or other orange-flavored liqueur. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day. Pour about 1/4 cup sugar on a rimmed plate. Cut a ruby grapefruit in half and rub rims of double old-fashioned glasses (8 oz.) with cut side of one half to moisten, then dip glass rims in sugar to coat. Fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour grapefruit

Gain curb appeal and transform your outdoor living space with fresh ideas for your porch, patio, and yard

1. Aging garage turned guesthouse
Before
This crumbling garage seemed to hold little promise for stylish live/work space.

After
The remodel enlarged the building to include a bathroom, loft, and a small roof deck, so it can double as guest quarters.
It can also still function as a garage thanks to a set of glass-paneled Dutch doors opening on the plywood-paneled office side.

2. Creating colorful curb appeal
Before
The front yard of this Bremerton, Washington home used to be all lawn―and not very happy lawn at that.
There was another problem. Because the street sloped sharply downhill, there was a dangerous drop-off between the front walk and the deeply recessed driveway.

Cheery new entry (after)
Enclosing the yard solved the drop-off problem―the fence runs along the driveway as well as along the sidewalk.
Thanks to its interesting stepped back sectional design and lively color the lattice fence adds plenty of