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Fran Endicott Miller is a luxury focused freelance feature writer for a variety of lifestyle publications and websites, editor-at-large for JustLuxe.com, and California editor for luxury travel concierge service Essentialist. Prior to her journalism career she held positions in the fields of politics, television, and professional sports, and is proud to have established the Golden State Warriors’ first community relations department and programs. Principled and genuine, she’s known for thoughtful and thorough coverage, and for the quality of her writing. When not traveling, she can be found walking her Northern California neighborhood with her beloved golden retrievers Reggie and Nate. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @frandicott, and find below a small sampling of her many articles.
frandicott@comcast.net
LATEST
How and why Crescere Wines tapped London-based artist Yehrin Tong to design its ethereal logo.
Fans wait in line for hours for Matt Horn's 'West Coast Barbecue' delicacies.
With an artistry and passion undoubtedly shaped and influenced by his great uncle Pablo Picasso, Jacob Vilató is finding creative success on his own terms.
The region’s proliferation of wineries, haute cuisine, and luxe accommodations provide Paso Robles with a posh profile that is sure to gratify the most well-traveled visitor.
Redmint is the manifestation of Helina Fan’s mission to demystify powerful TCM practices and make them accessible to all.
With boundless energy and optimism, each of these three San Francisco hospitality icons has persevered to continue providing fans and admirers with entertaining diversion, inspiration, and hope for a brighter tomorrow
If sheltering has you feeling a bit claustrophobic, jump in the car, drive through the tunnel, and head to Emeryville for some soul-satisfying takeout from Townhouse Bar & Grill.
Reagan Blackwood, eldest grandchild of Rombauer Vineyards' founders Koerner and Joan Rombauer, is proud to represent the company her family founded 40 years ago.
Edgewood Tahoe's magic is found in its combination of authenticity and luxury.
Royal Prince Wines, a new Napa Valley label, promises pedigree without pretense.
HOTELS
San Luis Obispo finally has a hotel befitting its stature as home to one of California's top-ranked higher learning institutions.
If luxury is in the details, then Sonoma’s MacArthur Place easily tops the list of Northern California wine country’s most luxurious hotels.
The Francis House artfully marries the building's historic past with modern comforts.
Spacious, tranquil, and scenic. The Inn at Newport Ranch more than delivers.
Grand, elegant, and historic – like the city itself - Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace provides full access to the best of Budapest.
Located on 16 prime Menlo Park acres with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and Stanford University to the east, Rosewood Sand Hill’s buzzy energy is inherent.
No matter the season, Bernardus Lodge & Spa is always a feast for the senses.
Those who ‘get it’ know; Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown is greater than the sum of its parts. More than a hotel; it’s a lifestyle.
Surrounded by groves of fragrant eucalyptus and panoramic Golden Gate Bridge views, these two luxe hotels are San Francisco’s best kept hospitality secrets.
It’s a winning combination - the Four Seasons brand of luxury hospitality and California Health and Longevity Institute's personalized nutrition and fitness services.
The charming Olea Hotel welcomes guests with a level of gracious hospitality typically found in five star establishments.
The elegant Hotel Drisco blends seamlessly with the Pacific Heights mansions that surround it.
Blending seamlessly into Lanai’s pristine landscape is Four Seasons Resort Lanai, the ultimate spot from which to enjoy the island's beauty.
To stay at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is to abandon allegiance to any other favored Hawaiian locale.
At Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, the Four Seasons brand of stellar service has never presented itself so completely.
The Dominican Republic's Casa de Campo is more than the sum of its spectacular parts.
The Big Island is home to yet another of Fairmont's dream worthy-destination hotels.
The Ritz-Carlton infuses Bacara with new sparkle and new life as only it can.
Of the multitude of resorts that line the Southern California shore, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel has no equal.
Just as its Royal Family muse has embraced modernity, so has Victoria B.C.'s Grand Dame, the Fairmont Empress.
WINE & COCKTAILS
The Central Coast AVA supplies fruit for top makers around the state.
Each of these stellar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons is sure to wow even the most discriminating palate.
Pierre Seillan and his children Hélène and Nicolas steward their vineyards on two continents utilizing Old World expertise and flawless, modern winemaking technique.
If you've got a wine lover on your gift list, give him/her what he/she really wants: a bottle of the good stuff. And we mean the REALLY good stuff.
Chatting with the formidable Casa Dumetz founder Sonja Magdevski about her love of Pinot Noir.
Home to some of the most historic and recognized wineries and vineyards, this AVA is considered the birthplace of Napa Valley's commercial wine industry.
Vintner Denise Adams oversees stellar properties in Saint-Émilion and on Howell Mountain.
Few Napa Valley wineries - or any throughout the world for that matter - can claim history and proprietorship as compelling as that of Palmaz Vineyards.
For more than three decades, Patz & Hall has crafted dramatic Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that serve as a California benchmark for the two popular varietals.
ADAMVS wines possess the purity, precision, and elegant tannin structure of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons.
At Theorem Vineyards, owners Kisha and Jason Itkin focus on kindness and community during these unprecedented times.
Beckstoffer. The name carries with it great - and grape - expectations. Quality, prestige, and distinction are synonymous with the iconic wine industry moniker.
Napa Valley vintner Dave Phinney is no ordinary winemaker. And now he's no ordinary distiller.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the district is known for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignons.
Chris Strieter, Max Thieriot, and Myles Lawrence-Briggs grew-up playing in the vineyards that they now cultivate for their Senses Wines.
The wines are delicious, but the Belden Barns backstory is equally yummy.
Each of Napa Valley Vintners' green wine tasting itineraries allows you to sniff, swirl, and sip for the greater - and greener - good.
Despite his penchant for the occasional adrenaline rush, Nico Cueva prefers to fly slightly under the wine industry radar. But as Kosta Browne continues its reign as one of the most collectable brands, Cueva’s anonymity wavers.
You know the logo: three black ravens intertwined in an art-deco circle of totality and timelessness. It's perhaps the most tattooed wine logo in the biz.
Cain wines are definitely not for everyone. But fans claim there is nothing quite like them.
A peek at her Facebook page and Instagram feed reveals that Ransome Rombauer is not like other teenage girls...
Since the winery’s founding in 1972, Bo Barrett has been involved with every vintage.
Robert Parker has dubbed her the Queen of Cabernet, but Heidi Barrett is also known as the hardest working winemaker in Napa.
Nine Suns winery shares its fabled Pritchard Hill address with viticulture powerhouses that could easily intimidate or overshadow the new kid on the block.
Warning: Friendship with Chris Strieter may lead to unforeseen entrepreneurial activity.
Take your wine wanderlust a bit further than Napa and Livermore and explore Italy’s Piedmont region.
BEAUTY & FASHION
Mon Shampoing blends the alchemy of nature, high-performing French botanicals, and a touch of luxury.
Foster's Lab introduces an innovative skincare brand that helps protect skin from blue light exposure.
Orpheus Skin is the world's first 100% clean, botanical stem cell skincare dedicated to the rare Orpheus Resurrection flower.
Full-bodied. Divinely scented. Succulent texture. Fleshy and supple. A description of your favorite glass of Pinot Noir? Not exactly.
Monteverdi Tuscany is making sure that anyone can bring a bit of Italy into his/her place of shelter.
SkinCeuticals, known for advanced, professional-grade, science-backed skincare, has opened its first SkinCeuticals SkinLab™ in St. Helena, California.
Fragrant foliage, flowers, and fruit combine to produce these totally fresh and original scents, created by master perfumer Anne Flipo.
Fans know that to use Natura Bissé products is to love them, and to perhaps become addicted to them.
TRAVEL
The Danish capital of America is no longer your grandad's Solvang.
With its Mediterranean-inspired architecture, expansive beaches, enveloping Santa Ynez mountains, and year-round sunshine, Montecito is the perfect place to dip your toes back into the travel scene.
Long characterized as California's quintessential surf town, Huntington Beach shows off a new, sophisticated side.
An AmaMagna Danube river cruise is always destined to woo.
Where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in the Emerald City.
'Blown Away' is great entertainment; but why settle for television when you can experience the real thing?
Palo Alto buzzes with a palpable energy and entrepreneurial spirit that's contagious.
AmaMagna’s experienced guests cautioned that I had started at the top of the river cruise ladder – that there is no better ship. After seven days and nights of pampering, fine dining, and exquisite wines, I knew this to be true.
Aboard Rocky Mountaineer, luxurious attributes combine to create a little bit of travel magic.
Torontonians share a passion for fashion, food, and culture - the fusion of which is found in the tony village of Yorkville.
Open space and little traffic reveal a side of California long thought lost and gone forever, but it’s real, and it’s spectacular.
You know those fantasy ads and commercials that portray a singular couple strolling a vast white sand beach, with no one else in sight? This is the Punta Mita reality.
Three very different, soul-stirring ways to experience California luxury travel.
DINING
Bay Area residents seek safe alternatives for enjoying an al fresco adventure; picnics are the way to go.
Farm. Restaurant. Inn. Each of SingleThread’s three entities, connected by a namesake single thread, represent the highest echelon of their respective industries.
The personal liquor lockers that line one wall at The Vault provide a tongue-in-cheek nod to the restaurant's former life as a true bank repository.
Three Michelin star Kenzo in Downtown Napa is a destination eatery attracting Kaiseki fans the world over.
Fans of celebrated chef Dominique Crenn and her lauded eatery Atelier Crenn will be pleased to know that the French-born chef now has as many San Francisco restaurants as she does Michelin stars.
As the elegant gentrification of Yountville continues to evolve, a new entrant on the hospitality scene is commanding the spotlight.
PLāYT is place to return again and again in order to experience every delicious menu item and every crafted cocktail.
San Francisco classic Scoma's is primed for (re)discovery.
Palo Alto's reputation as the innovation capital of the world has not necessarily extended to culinary breakthroughs, until now.
Pronounced 'kwa,' the moniker's French to English translation is 'speechless,' and that is exactly the state in which many diners find themselves after enjoying a stunning meal at this haute jewel.
The Big Four, a Nob Hill mainstay since 1976, might not be the most au courant of San Francisco spots, but its traditional, clubby atmosphere could be just what the hipsters ordered.