MONTREAL — It’s OK if Minnesota Wild fans felt underwhelmed as free agency began last summer. After hinting at a free-agent splash that the team’s owner dubbed “Christmas in July,” the moves made by general manager Bill Guerin on July 1 had virtually nobody running to the season-ticket queue.

Minnesota signed faceoff specialist Nico Sturm. It grabbed local depth guys Tyler Pitlick and Matt Kiersted. The Wild did not add any potential stars named Brock and, for the most part, when players on his radar weren’t available, Guerin didn’t spend just to spend.

Perhaps the biggest name coming to Minnesota on July 1 was acquired by trade, when the Wild acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations. In other words, he was a freebie.

Tarasenko had tortured Wild fans for years in the regular season and playoffs; he has 14 goals and 18 assists in 37 regular-season games against Minnesota, as well as 12 goals in 17 postseason games, including two hat tricks. And he won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the St. Louis Blues. But Tarasenko coming to Minnesota produced a serious and fair question among Wild fans: What does he have left in the tank?

Tarasenko had just two goals in mid-November when he missed seven games due to injury, and many were ready to write off his presence in Minnesota as a nice pre-retirement gig for respected veteran. But with the rash of injuries that has beset the Wild this month, the 34-year-old has been picking up the slack.

On the Wild’s just completed, three-game road trip, Tarasenko had five goals and eight points.

“He’s playing awesome, especially with (Joel Eriksson Ek) and (Matt Boldy) down. He’s stepped up big time for us,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said after Tarasenko scored twice in a 5-4 to the Canadiens.to Montreal. “That’s why he’s a leader. That’s why he’s had such a successful career. Such a great addition to this team.”

Wild coach John Hynes has taken a hands-on approach with Tarasenko from Day 1, flying to his family’s home in Florida over the summer to welcome the veteran and talk about his role. More recently, with all of the injuries the team is facing, Hynes reminded Tarasenko that in times like these, he’s needed most.

“Vladdy and I talked a few days ago, and just a little bit about his game,” Hynes said before Tuesday’s game at Bell Centre. “I think his game has been really solid. And his ability to use his shot when he plays with pace, playing a skating game, that’s when he’s most effective. In Buffalo and in Toronto, for sure, he was willing to skate with the puck and without the puck, and I think when he does that, he has the ability to make plays.”

Tarasenko had 11 goals in 80 games last season in Detroit. On Tuesday in Montreal, in his 44th game, he scored his 12th and 13th of this season. Whatever was said between him and his newest coach was clearly taken to heart.

“Yeah, we had a conversation. We always stay in touch during the season,” Tarasenko said. “Obviously, with the guys out, you have more minutes, more situations you play in, and try to help the team win. Like I said, I think it’s pretty good overall trip tonight and very tight schedule, so there’s no time to be upset or happy. Have to be ready for the next ones.”

The Wild return to St. Paul to begin a four-game home stand with an 8:30 p.m. ESPN game Thursday at Grand Casino Arena.

Minnesota Wild forward Vladimir Tarasenko, right, celebrates after his goal with teammate Ryan Hartman (38) during first-period NHL hockey game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

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Hotel. Motel. Holiday Inn?

Of the options famously offered by hip-hop group The Sugarhill Gang, motels are often the cheapest. They also poke a soft spot in the heart of nostalgia-lovers. Some might look down upon them, but a road trip wouldn’t be complete without these bastions of terrible coffee and neon splendor.

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Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the first motor hotel in the world – the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo. To mark the occasion, Vogue has published a selection of “11 Best in the U.S. to Visit Now.”

Motels are enjoying a boost, the magazine asserts, thanks to COVID steering people away from planes and toward car travel: “Their cheerful, pastel-hued mid-century designs and vintage aesthetics also speak to an increasing longing for simplicity and authenticity — motels remind us of a time when travel felt less polished and more spontaneous, filled with possibilities.”

Here are some magazine named the coolest ones to visit in 2026.

Vogue’s best motels in the U.S. to visit now

1 Austin Motel: Austin

2 Skyview Los Alamos: Los Alamos, Calif.

3 Silver Sands Motel & Beach Bungalows: Greenport, N.Y.

4 The Dive Motel: Nashville, Tenn.

5 The Vagabond Hotel: Miami

6 Hotel Lucine: Galveston, Texas

7 The Longleaf Hotel: Raleigh, N.C.

8 The Starlight Motor Inn: Charleston, S.C.

9 The Ace Hotel & Swim Club: Palm Springs, Calif.

10 Rhode’s Motor Lodge: Boone, N.C.

Source: vogue.com/article/best-motels-in-the-us

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY

At a time when productivity means optimizing every second and screens blur the line between work and home, some people are slowing down and disconnecting by looking to communication devices from the past.

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Tactile activities ranging from writing letters and typewriter clubs to TikTok communities showcasing calligraphy skills and wax seals are giving retro writing instruments a resurgence. More than quaint throwbacks, the pursuits provide their enthusiasts with opportunities to reduce their technology use, be more intentional with time and build meaningful connections with others.

“I feel as though my pen pals are my friends. I don’t think of them much differently than if I were chatting with a friend on the phone, in a coffee shop or at another person’s house,” said Melissa Bobbitt, 42, a devoted letter-writer who corresponds with about a dozen people from her home in Claremont, California, and has had up to 40 pen pals at one time. “Focusing on one person and really reading what they are saying, and sharing what’s on your heart is almost like a therapy session.”

Ink, paper and other tools that once were the only way to send a message from afar are continuing to bring people together from around the world. Below, some of them explain the appeal of snail mail and give recommendations for getting started.

Writing can be an escape

In a society shaped by constant availability, hands-on hobbies like writing letters and scrapbooking require focus and patience. The act of picking up a pen, sealing an envelope with wax and laying out pages may yield aesthetically pleasing results, but it also creates a space for reflection.

Stephania Kontopanos, a 21-year-old student in Chicago, said it can be hard to put her phone and computer away, especially when it seems all of her friends and peers are on social media and her classes and personal life revolve around being online.

“There are times when I’m with my friends and at dinner, I’ll realize we are all on our phones,” Kontopanos said, adding that she tries to put her phone down at those moments.

Kontopanos also unplugs consciously by sending postcards to her family and friends, scrapbooking, and junk journaling, which involves repurposing everyday materials like tickets and receipts to document memories or ideas. She says going to the post office has become an activity she does with her mother back home in Kansas and includes sharing stories with the postal workers, people she would not have routinely encountered.

Nostalgia can foster community

Writing and sending letters is nostalgic for KiKi Klassen, who lives in Ontario, Canada. The 28-year-old says it helps her feel more connected to her late mother, who was a member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents mail carriers and other postal employees.

FILE – Flo Young, originally from Cambridge, Mass., browses through a box of a pen pal letters outside the Sullivan County Health Care nursing home in Unity, N.H., June 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

In October 2024, Klassen launched the Lucky Duck Mail Club, a subscription-based monthly mail service that sends participants a piece of her art, an inspiring quote and message. She says her membership includes more than 1,000 people across, at most, 36 countries.

“When I sit down, I’m forced to reflect and choose my words carefully,” Klassen said. “It also lends itself to vulnerability because it is easier to write down how you are feeling. I’ve had people write me back and I’ve cried hearing so many touching stories. I think for a lot of people paper creates a safe space. You write it down, send it off and don’t really think about it after.”

For Bobbitt, who has corresponded by mail for years, there is a “grand excitement” when she opens her mailbox and finds something that is not a bill or advertisement. “If we all filled each other’s mailboxes with letters, we would all be kinder and, at the very least, won’t dread checking our mailboxes,” she said.

Bobbitt says she first joined a pen pal club in second or third grade and later was connected to more writers through Postcrossing, an online project that partners people around the world to send and receive postcards. She says some of the postcards turned into letters as friendships grew between her and some other regular writers.

It’s a similar feeling of connection that inspired DJ Robert Owoyele, 34, to create CAYA, a monthly “analog gathering” in Dallas. Owoyele launched the event less than a year ago and has since organized evenings with letter writing, coloring, vinyl listening sessions and other activities.

“We live in a digital age that fosters a false sense of connection, but I think true connection happens in person,” he said. “When we are able to touch or see something, we are more connected to it naturally. These analog activities are a representation of that.”

How to get started

While writing letters and engaging in other vintage pursuits might seem accessible, it is not always easy to get involved. For many people, carving out time to slow down can feel like another obligation in a schedule filled with to-dos.

Kontopanos says she decided it was important for her to reprioritize her time. “The older I get, the more I realize how much time had been wasted on my phone,” she said. Creating space to explore allowed her to discover the hobbies she loved doing enough to make them a priority, she said.

There are many hobbies to consider, some of which don’t require expensive tools or hours of free time. Frequenting spaces where communities centered around these hobbies gather can be a way to learn about the different activities. For example, participating in typewriter clubs such as Type Pals, attending events like the Los Angeles Printers Fair hosted by the International Printing Museum in California, and engaging with social media communities like the Wax Seal Guild on Instagram and The Calligraphy Hub on Facebook.

FILE – A Bonhams employee displays a Royal Portable Typewriter Owned By Orson Welles, manufactured circa 1931, serial no. P283613, by Royal Typewriter Co. Inc., New York, at Bonhams auction house in London, Nov. 14, 2022. . (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Klassen says that based on posts she’s seeing on her social media feeds, reviving vintage writing instruments and small tactile pleasures might be on the verge of becoming trendy.

“The girls are going analog in 2026,” she said.

Versatile main dishes that showcase grains can be rich in taste and kind to your food budget. And if you are trying to eat less meat, get in line you’ve got loads of company. Many are making a concerted effort to eat more grains, vegetables and fruit while reducing meat intake.

For years, meat has been firmly entrenched in the American diets, but grain-based dishes can provide great flavors and textures. They work deliciously as a mealtime main event. And if you want to adopt the “meat-as-a-condiment” approach, add a moderate amount of cooked chicken or seafood as a garnish on the recipes that follow.

Barley and Mushroom Magic features the two titular ingredients as well as yogurt dressing, olive oil, lemon zest and capers. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Barley and Mushroom Magic

Barley, the grain that is featured in this dish, is one of our most nutritious grains; it contributes protein, thiamine and niacin. Barley also is a rich source of dietary fiber. For a vegan rendition use vegan yogurt and maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing and use olive oil instead of butter when sauteing the mushrooms. The dish is a main course salad and should be served at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 cups water with a pinch of salt

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) pearl barley

Yogurt dressing: 6 ounces (3/4 cup) whole milk yogurt (not Greek style), 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Minced zest and juice of 1 lemon

Generous handful of clean baby arugula, divided use

3 tablespoons drained capers

Optional: 1/2 small bunch fresh tarragon, leaves torn from stems, divided use

1/2 small bunch fresh dill, torn into bite-sized pieces, divided use

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

15 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Garnish: 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), a few arugula leaves and a few fresh herb leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring salted water to a boil on high heat in a large saucepan. Add barley and cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. If the water has been absorbed before the barley is cooked through, add more water and keep cooking. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water to wash away the starch; drain and shake colander to remove water and put in a large bowl.

2. Prepare the dressing: Mix all the yogurt dressing ingredients together in a small bowl; taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Set aside.

3. Add the oil to the barley along with the lemon zest and juice; toss. Add most of the arugula reserving a few leaves for a garnish, the capers, and most of the fresh herb leaves reserving some for a garnish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

4. Put butter in a large, deep skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add mushrooms and a small pinch of salt. Fry, tossing occasionally, until any liquid released in the frying process disappears and mushrooms are nicely browned. Add garlic, fennel, and thyme; cook 2 to 3 minutes (do not brown garlic). Remove from heat.

5. Transfer barley mixture to a platter and top with mushrooms. Spoon on yogurt dressing, dropping in on top of the barley mixture in spoonfuls. Top with remaining herb leaves and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Source: Adapted from “Salads Are More Than Leaves” by Elena Silcock

Vegan Black Bean Fried Rice works as a one-dish dinner. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Vegan Black Bean Fried Rice

When my family from Northern California visit, I love to serve this delicious dish. They are vegan, and this dish fills the bill as a one-dish dinner. Cook the rice ahead for the best results, a day ahead if possible. Allowing it to cool and dry out a little helps it to brown better.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more if needed

2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sliced green onions, plus more sliced green stalks for garnish

1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped leaves, divided use; see cook’s notes

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot or Sriracha, plus more for serving

3 cups cooked long-grained rice, white or brown (day-old rice is best)

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed

Garnishes: Diced or sliced avocado, tortilla chips, hot sauce for passing at the table

Cook’s notes: If you don’t have cilantro, substitute fresh parsley. Other (drained and rinsed) beans, such as pinto beans, cannellini beans or garbanzo beans can be substituted for the black beans.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 3 tablespoons oil in large deep skillet (preferably nonstick) on high heat. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil, green onions, cilantro stems and bell pepper; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in hot sauce and cooked-cooled rice.

2. Spread out mixture and let cook, undisturbed, until underside crisps slightly about 5 to 6 minutes (if needed because skillet is dry, drizzle a little oil around edge of skillet). Using a spatula, flip portions of mixture over to crisp other side, letting it cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes. Add beans and toss; cook to heat up beans, about 1 minute. Fold in cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Garnish with avocado slices, tortilla chips and sliced green onion stalks. Provide hot sauce for those that prefer a spicier dish.

This nutritious farro salad was created by the late chef-restaurateur Domenico Maurici. (Photo by Curt Norris)

Domenico Maurici’s Farro Salad

For 31 years, Domenico Maurici was the chef-owner of Il Farro in Newport Beach. Sadly, he passed away last year, but I remember his culinary talent and enthusiasm with great fondness. He joined me in my home kitchen and shared this recipe for farro salad, a scrumptious dish that can be a main dish by adding cooked shrimp, diced and sauteed pancetta, or a generous garnish of feta or goat cheese. He used semi-pearled farro, grains that are processed to retain some of their exterior bran; semi-pearled (the package often says “semi-perlato”) cooks more quickly. I remember that he took on an enthusiastic tone when touting the grain’s health benefits, its nutrients and high fiber content. He viewed farro as a delicious health food. Spending time with him felt like a delicious health-filled vacation.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces farro, about 1 1/2 cups, cooked and cooled; see cook’s notes

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon minced  garlic, see cook’s notes

1 pound fresh cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup fresh basil (loosely packed), cut into thin strips

1/2 peeled hothouse cucumber, diced, see cook’s notes

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, sliced

Garnish: 1/4 cup minced parsley

Optional garnish: crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese

Dresssing: Enough extra-virgin olive oil to lightly coat the farro, fresh lemon juice to taste

Cook’s notes: I often buy farro at Trader Joe’s; it only requires 10 minutes of cooking in boiling salted water. If you buy another brand, follow the package cooking directions.

Domenico told me that you don’t have to add the garlic, but he much preferred the dish with the garlic. He zebra-ed the cucumber, using a vegetable peeler to remove strips of peel alternating with unpeeled strips.

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook farro according to package directions (it will be tender yet chewy). Drain in colander and season with salt. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Place farro in a medium-large bowl. Add garlic and toss. Add tomatoes, basil, cucumber, and olives. Drizzle on enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the farro when tossed. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Season to taste with salt. Toss. Divide between plates and garnish with parsley. If you wish, add crumbled feta as a garnish as well.