What exactly do you do?
I’m a longtime journalist and author, Bay Area native and 30-year resident of San Francisco. My book, Great Escapes: Northern California (Countryman Press 2008), covers 30 weekend getaways and day trips in northern California. I have a blog on northern California and recently wrote and photographed two travel apps that can be downloaded on iPhones and Ipod Touches — one on San Francisco’s Chinatown and the other on San Francisco’s North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf. They are guides that include interactive maps, website links and suggestions for restaurants, bars, attractions and historic sites to visit.

What do you love most about the Bay Area?
I love the great diversity of everything: the natural landscape, the people, the cultural activities. We’ve got such a wide range of choices for things to do, from hiking along the coast or in forests, to eating in some of the best restaurants in the world and visiting museums, shopping or exploring a small town like Pescadero or an urban neighborhood like the Mission. Even the weather is diverse. In the summer, you can go from cool fog on the coast to blistering hot in less than an hour’s drive.

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area?
I love to hike on Mt. Tam and Point Reyes, but I live in San Francisco and, almost on a daily basis, I find myself taking long walks on Crissy Field, in the Presidio (on some of the wonderful new hiking paths that have been added there), or on the Land’s End trail, which, on a clear day, has got to be one of the most amazing walks on the planet. They’ve really done a great job sprucing up that trail lately.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
I love so many, but I’m partial to Delfina in the Mission because the ingredients are so simply prepared and high quality. I also love inexpensive little neighborhood places. La Taqueria in the Mission is my favorite for tacos and Shanghai Dumpling King in the outer Richmond is my top Chinese spot.

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea?
I normally don’t recommend chains but it’s a local chain so I don’t mind as much: the La Boulanges around San Francisco. I love their almond croissants with a latte. When I’m in North Beach, I head to Cafe Puccini or Cafe Greco for good espresso.

What is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
There’s a little place called Alaya in the inner Sunset that I like. If I’m downtown, I’ll go to Zara and Loehmann’s.

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them?
I’d show them around San Francisco, starting with the top of Twin Peaks if it’s a clear day. People love that and it gives them the lay of the land. I’d make sure to show them the Victorians on Liberty Street in the Castro, take them through Golden Gate Park (people always love seeing the buffalo and the Conservatory of Flowers), the Ferry Building and walk around downtown a bit — Union Square, Chinatown and Yerba Buena Gardens. Then I’d cross the Golden Gate Bridge and go up to the headlands for a view of the city and the bridge from there. If there were time, we’d go to Sausalito, Muir Woods and drive to Point Reyes to see west Marin.

Favorite winery?
Bartholomew Park Winery in the eastern hills of Sonoma, which has beautiful gardens for a picnic and a very interesting, small museum of the area.

Favorite bar?
Tosca in North Beach. You can’t beat the atmosphere. I love sitting in one of the red booths along the back wall, talking with friends and watching people. On a chilly night, have one of those house specialties with steamed milk, hot chocolate and brandy.

Thank you!

Visit www.greatescapesnorcal.com to learn more.

Crab Stands at the Wharf - by Laura Del Rosso

Sally Waters considers herself a skin care problem solver. She created products to solve her own sensitive skin care issues and eliminate toxins from her daily skin care regimen. Birdy Botanicals offers  several options with multiple uses, 100% natural scents and has a 100% guarantee policy. Sally is a stickler about ingredients and is constantly striving to make her products as user-friendly as possible. Plus they smell divine!

“I have lived in San Francisco for 20+ years and not a day goes by that I am not blown away by the beauty, diversity and culture that the city provides. We have access to some of the best food and drink in the world and as far as the people, an unwritten policy of “anything goes.” And believe me, it goes.” ~The Other Sally.

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area?
My favorite places to hike are San Francisco neighborhoods, Muir Woods and exploring all areas of the North Bay just over the GG Bridge. For biking I love Golden Gate park and over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. I will beat that hill coming back someday!

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
That depends on the day but my list would include:
Yountville
- Bouchon
San Francisco
- Chapeau
- Pacific Cafe
- Clement Street Bar and Grill
- La Mediterranee
- My kitchen because my husband rocks! We call it Cafe Mac.

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea?
Besides my own daily homemade cappuccino compliments of my Bialetti and milk-frother I would go to Peet’s coffee on 16th and Geary because everyone knows my name.

For tea I love going to the Aroma Tea shop on 6th at Clement and tasting as much tea as my heart desires. My heart always ends up with the Phoenix eye-  White tea and Jasmine pearls. (That’s my favorite tea too!)

What is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
My favorite experience shopping for clothes is when you find that gem amongst the heaps at a thrift store like Thrift Town or Goodwill on Fillmore Street or Crossroads,…though I have to be in the right mood.

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them?
I would take my guests to the De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, Napa Valley, The Ferry Building (and the Ferry Farmer’s Market) and possibly to the Frisbee Golf course in GG Park although I suck at it.

You can also find Sally and Birdy Botanicals on Facebook & Twitter!

We had Sangria. Café Flore makes great Sangria!

It seems Wednesday nights (during the summer) are Farmer’s Market night right there on Noe.

After our drinks we wandered a bit through the Farmer’s Market and then headed to La Mediterranee, an authentic Mediterranean restaurant with really good food and friendly service.

We decided to order the Mediterranean Meza (for 2 or more people) $15.95 a person “an assortment of 10 house specialties and appetizers including Lule Kabob, Chicken Pomegrante (my favorite), Spinach & Chicken Fillos, Dolma, Hummos, Baba Ganoush, Tabuleh and much more”. We first started out with the special salad which was a watermelon, beet salad with walnuts and a special cheese (i can’t remember if it was goat or feta but it was good!). The watermelons were surprisingly tasty mixed in with the beets. All of the food was amazing!

Our waitress was great! I asked her what her name was and it turns out her name is Sally! I got overly excited about this fact because I don’t usually meet anyone named Sally unless they are 90 or older. This Sally looked my age or younger so I asked her if I could take my picture with her.

After dinner we headed to Japan down because another friend with her 2 young boys was in town and staying at the Hotel Tomo, a hotel I’d never heard of but was super impressed by. If you are looking for a cool place to stay in San Francisco definitely check out Hotel Tomo. It’s actually a Best Western Hotel that has been recently renovated. Hotel Tomo is inspired by Japanese pop-culture. There is a big giant bed looking thing in the lobby facing 3 televisions. Anime murals on the walls, the doors of the rooms are all different colors, and there are glow-in-the-dark desk blotters in each guest room and the place is very clean and inviting.

Here is how the  Website describes Hotel Tomo:

It’s fun! Our bright, whimsical rooms are perfect for families with kids, or the young at heart. Our gaming suites come equipped with PlayStation 3, Wii, bean bag chairs, and a 6-foot LCD projection screen.

One of a kind design – If you’re into J-pop, comics and anime you’ll love Hotel Tomo.

After checking out the cool hotel we headed back over the Golden Gate Bridge to home. It was a beautiful summer night in the city!

Cafe Flore is located on the corner of Market and Noe. La Mediterranee is across the street on Noe. Both in the Castro district of San Francisco. Hotel Tomo is on Sutter near Webster in the Japan Town area.

Instead of boring you with my rant (because I could go on and on about this) I’m just going to say one thing.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, according to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey.

-About.com

Okay two things… for those of you who wish I wouldn’t be so “out”…  I get emails, tweets & Facebook messages from closeted people around the country thanking me for what I do. People terrified to come out of the closet because of their fear of how other people might treat them. People living is less tolerant places around this country and the world. People whose parents, friends and family have rejected them because they are gay. To quote Rodney King, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Just a thought: Maybe we could all start celebrating our commonalities instead of fighting about our differences. Imagine a world where we all get along.

Here are some of the gay Pride events going on this weekend:

Saturday, June 26, 2010
San Francisco Dyke March
Rally in Dolores Park 3–7 p.m.
at 18th St. & Dolores St.
World music deejay 12:30–3 p.m.
Stage performances begin at 3 p.m.
March begins at 7 p.m.
$5–$10 suggested donation.

SF Pride Celebration in Civic Center
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Noon to 6:00 p.m. – Civic Center

Sunday, June 27, 2010
San Francisco Pride Parade
Kicks off at 10:30am
If you are coming from Marin be sure to take the special Pride Ferry leaving Larkspur at 8:45am.

SF Pride Celebration
Noon to 7:00 p.m. – Civic Center
The Backstreet Boys will be performing at the Main Stage! (located in Civic Center next to City Hall)

Visit: SFpride.org for more info about all Pride events.

Pride events in Marin & the North Bay
Faces of Spectrum

Sunday, June 27, 2010
Golden Gate Ferry adds extra service for the Pride Parade

Saturday, August 14, 2010
Marin Pride 2010

Photos from the 2009 SF Pride Parade

Nikol Elaine is what some might call an artist of the face. A makeup artist by day, born and raised California girl by night, she is clearly on a mission to show you how less can enhance more. Known for her delicate use of false eyelashes and crafty ability to make subtle or dramatic changes, she winks at any challenge. Nikol Elaine works solely on location across the bay area and specializes in wedding makeup.

nikol elaine makeup artistry

What do you love most about the Bay Area?
-I love how lucky we are to be surrounded by mountains and ocean and I love that San Francisco is a mecca for travelers and culture from all over the world.

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area?
-I enjoy hiking and the view from Mt. Diablo

Favorite place to take your dog?
-I love taking my dog downtown Danville to Sideboard cafe as he loves sitting outside to people watch.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
-My favorite resturant changes often as I am a self proclaimed foodie, however this month is Esin in Danville.

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea?
-I could not live without coffee and my first choice would be Cafe 504 in Oakland

What is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
-I love shopping vintage in SF and for gently used clothing at local consignments or at SF’s own ClothingSwap.com!

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them?
-I would take them wine tasting in Napa valley followed by a nice dinner in SF.

Waterbar is located in The Embarcadero on the water with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge. Perfect place to ferry to from Marin. It was such a beautiful day for a ferry ride!

PearlTrees hosted us to a fine lunch. I had the Hearts of Romaine salad with kalamta olives, ricotta slata, and lemon vinaigrette with the Crisp Soft Shell Crabs roasted corn relish, avocado and lime and the Vanilla Pound Cake strawberries vanilla Chantilly and an espresso.

While we dined we networked with each other and listened to Patrice Lamothe tell us about PearlTrees. PearlTrees is a social curator site. The company originated in France. PearlTrees is like social bookmarking on steroids. I don’t know about you but I often bookmark sites and forget about them. PearlTrees makes it visual and easy to find (and share with others). I just started using the program today so I can’t write a full review but so far I’m really liking it! I created a sample here so you can see what I’m talking about and also see how it can be used within a blog. Go ahead click around. It’s pretty cool!

Another neat aspect of PearlTrees is you can connect to others with similar interests. PearlTrees is like a user generated search engine.

I’m going to try it for awhile and get back to you on what I learn and how I like it.

I had been wracking my brain for weeks, trying to come up with a unique birthday gift for one of my girlfriends. I’d almost given up hope when one day when I was driving through San Francisco, I spotted two people in crash helmets driving what looked like a cross between a bumper car and a golf cart. They looked like they were having a terrific time, talking and laughing. The car was bright yellow with big red letters on the side that read “GoCar.”  When I arrived home that evening, I looked up the company on line and bingo!  The perfect gift – a GPS self-guided tour of San Francisco in a talking car! I purchased a gift certificate on the spot. I can’t wait to hear how my girlfriend likes her trip.

Judith Marshall is a native Californian and is the Author of
HUSBANDS MAY COME AND GO BUT FRIENDS ARE FOREVER
www.judithmarshall.net

Thanks Judith!

Please welcome guest blogger Grier Cooper. After reading Grier’s post below, I’m ready to head to Hayes Valley to do some exploring.

Hayes Valley in San Francisco has blossomed into a cultural oasis with a plethora of hip boutiques, upscale restaurants, and an edgy art scene. In a quick stroll around the neighborhood, you’ll feel as though you are exploring the side streets of Paris. Not so long ago, Hayes Valley was one of those sketchy, somewhat seedy neighborhoods where you wanted to watch your back when walking at night. Now, it is a place you won’t want to miss.

Speaking of an oasis, Arlequin restaurant, at 384 Hayes Street, is just such a place. As both a cafe and a wine bar, it also houses a secret garden, nestled behind the cafe. While diners enjoy salads, paninis, or the highly recommended Indian lamb burger, hummingbirds and sparrows flutter overhead.

Dinner ought to be followed by drinks, dessert, and a stroll, not necessarily in that order. However, Sugar, 377 Hayes Street, offers a variety of delectable, sugar-rimmed cocktails in its sultry lounge, and Cafe Altano, 620 Hayes Street, makes a mean crème brulee and tiramisu.

Window shop to your heart’s content, but be sure to swing by the African Outlet, 524 Octavia Street. It’s impossible to miss, with one of the most alluring windows in the city, with African art, artifacts and treasures from every country on the African continent. Sake fans won’t want to miss True Sake, at 560 Hayes Street, where you can taste and purchase from the most extensive collection in town.

Whether you drop by for an hour or two before the opera, or make a day of it, Hayes Valley will have you coming back for more.

Grier Cooper is a California based children’s writer, photographer, and dancer. She draws on over twenty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer to create both fiction and nonfiction that inspires, educates and enriches the hearts and minds of her readers. Visit her at www.griercooper.com.

We parked at the Sutter/Stockton Garage (great location) and walked to the beautiful entrance of the Sir Francis Drake.  Before heading up to the 21st floor we took in the scenery for a bit. The Sir Francis Drake is decorated with beautiful old chandeliers.

At 11:00am, our assigned seating time all 8 of us filed in to the elevator and headed up, up, up. When we stepped out of the elevator on to the 21st floor we were greeted by a friendly host that showed us to our table (located directly in front of the stage!) Some of us (that were older than 21) started out with Bellini’s (sort of like a peach Mimosa), then we headed to the buffet. So many choices! We were having a hard time deciding if we were in breakfast mode or lunch mode so we did a little bit of everything. Fresh salad, deviled eggs, smoked salmon, bacon, sausage, French toast, omelets, fresh fruit and the best chocolate covered strawberries EVER! I think we had more than our fair share of chocolate covered strawberries. We were bringing plates full of strawberries back to the table.

The show started promptly at 12 noon with Donna Sachet as the hostess. My favorite act was the Cher, If I Could Bring Back Time. It was hilarious! I’m not going to share too many details because this is the kind of show you have to see yourself to appreciate but Cher came out with a glittery walker.

I’d describe Harry Denton’s Drag show as good, clean, old-fashioned drag – perfect for any 18 yr olds b-day.

The iPhone camera did not do these beautiful Divas any justice.

After the show we walked the brunch off by heading to Union Square. It was a beautiful sunny day in San Francisco today so we sat in the sun for a bit in Union Square plaza and then headed to Chinatown for some people watching and shopping.

I have not yet tried Florida Street Café but it is on my bucket list of restaurants to go to. The thing that is cool about Florida Street Café is it is a program of the Mission Language and Vocation School and the Latino Cuisine Culinary Academy. It helps support these training programs and increase employment opportunities in the restaurant industry through workforce development.

Celia went the other day and reported that the atmosphere is fun and the food is fantastic and affordable.  She took some photos. I just learned from the Florida Street Café Website they also provide catering services.

Florida Street Cafe
http://floridastreetcafe.com
710 Florida St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.648.5220