San Francisco is My Home

24
Mar

Weekend preview

Author: kris, Category: Out of town, Outdoors, Weekend preview

The Monday weekend preview rolls around again, but today I’m a little stumped. You see, friends, I am going out of town starting Friday. Usually just knowing I’m going to be in the city over the weekend makes me peripherally aware of stuff that’s happening — you can’t help taking note of flyers and things around town and thinking “hm, option.” But this weekend, no such luck.

Instead, I’d like to draw your attention to a few stellar out-of-town options for a weekend away.

Option 1: Sand and sun

Northern California has almost everything you could ever need, from our indie-rockin’ beanies right down to our smug, self-satisfied little toes. However, sometimes you find yourself wishing you didn’t have to wear three layers of clothes to visit the beach. At those times, I recommend a quick weekend in the south of our fair state. Head to Monterey for some of the state’s most stunning coastal landscapes, which can be interspersed with a trip to the outstanding Monterey Bay Aquarium when you’re tired of lounging on golden sands. (Lest you think this is one of those touristy, semi-dull museum experiences, think again. The Aquarium is actually exciting, gorgeous and surprisingly fascinating for a warehouse full of cold-blooded critters and invertebrates.)

Option 2: Mountain dew

Not the drink; the landscape. The Sierras are a perfect place to backpack (although you’ll need some serious cold weather gear if you go now). You can also find lovely hotels in Tahoe or Yosemite. For example, the Yosemite View Lodge features semi-affordable suites with jacuzzi tubs overlooking the river; I highly recommend it.

Option 3: Party

You can always find cheap flights to Vegas or L.A. if you want to go somewhere a bit more people-oriented. It will tell you something about me that the closest I’ve been to L.A. is Disneyland and I’ve never been to Vegas at all. When I want to party I usually head to Santa Barbara, where the plethora of drunken underage co-eds letting their hair down can supply you with anecdotes for a month. If you want a slightly more adult holiday down there, check out San Ysidro Ranch, the uber-luxury spot where celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck stay when they come to town. I could never afford to stay there, but I did get the insider’s tour and stood in one of the fancy-pants bathtubs.

06
Mar

Falls in spring

Author: kris, Category: Nature, Outdoors

Some of you may notice I tend to wander off for a few days around the beginning of each month. Where do I go, and why? Could be anything, really. I’m not telling.

One place I might have been this month was off checking out one of our seasonal local waterfalls. I found this article in the Chron last month and have had it on my mental to-do list ever since. Though it is in the Chron, it mysteriously does not deal with child death, fatal MUNI accidents or the Mayor’s hair. Instead, it provides a list of great spring waterfalls to check out.

As we amble along through this unseasonable summer, I recommend taking advantage of it with a trip to a waterfall. Good for families, first dates and friendly gatherings, waterfalls lift your spirits in a way that letting the tap run for a few hours never seems to do. You think you’re going to get outside when the real summer comes. But that’s when the fog and rain hits. Do yourself a favor and step out your door now instead.

These falls are in Arizona, a bit farther afield. The picture is from here.

11
Feb

For romantic times, make it mini golf times

Author: kris, Category: Kids, Out of town, Outdoors, Sports

I don’t know what your plans are for Valentine’s Day, but you might consider mini golf. I just played at Golden Tee Golfland and was reminded why this is the best of sports: bright colors, sunshine, no skill required and a limitless potential for fun picture taking.

The romance of mini golf is not immediately apparent, but that is of course what makes it so romantic. By taking your significant person to a mini golf course, you’re saying “Baby, we don’t need $60 entrees and fancy chocolates (half of which are the gross, jam-filled kind) to get our seduction on.” You’re also saying “Baby, I can’t afford to buy us a weekend stay at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara,” but he/she probably already knew that.

Golden Tee Golfland has a reasonably well-maintained course, and the obligatory arcade. Also, it’s in Castro Valley, which almost guarantees you’ll have a sunny day, even in February. If you want something a little more impressive, you should check out Scandia in Sacramento, which has much fancier obstacles spread over two courses, and also bumper boats, batting cages and more.

15
Jan

Bird Walks

Author: kris, Category: Events, Kids, Nature, Outdoors

I’ve been slacking on my promise to include some kid-friendly activities, but here’s a good one for older kids: birding walks in the SF Botanical Gardens.

This sounds like the kind of thing I might have dragged my feet through as a kid, whining and wishing to be back with my Nintendo, but the guide is an old hand at peaking kids’ interest and the gardens are actually filled with some pretty exciting things: ospreys carrying fish in their talons through the air, and all that “red in tooth and claw” stuff.

The walks are held on the first Saturday of each month. Meet in Strybing Auditorium at 10:00 am. Walks last a couple of hours and are free, but will be canceled if it rains. As an added bonus, you can hang around for a picnic lunch in the gardens afterwards, since this is one of the most beautiful and visually interesting spots in Golden Gate Park.

This photo was taken by Mike Baird and obtained from Wikipedia. 

20
Dec

Garden with your neighbors

Author: kris, Category: Outdoors

Apartment hunting in this city is all about compromise. Sometimes you have to give up the dream of having a yard — even a shared yard — in favor of a building that’s on a reliable bus line.

For those of you who have decent public transportation but are still mourning your inability to grow your own hops, you might try this list of community gardens. Community gardening brightens a neighborhood, fosters communication and relationships between neighbors, and gives you somewhere to play in the dirt for a few hours. What better way to take part in your little patch of world than to help people grow stuff on it?