I am terribly excited to be honored as a feature blogger with Lesley Carter’s Bucketlist Publications. Please check out my piece on Treasure Island nestled in between spans of the Bay Bridge in windy San Francisco Bay! It’s one of those places I have driven by a million times and always wondered what was there. Well, I finally found out. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Click here to view my post on Bucketlist Publications for a fun story and more photos…
As previously mentioned in Random San Francisco – Part One – Seward Mini Park, the weird/unusual/strange/fun/tasty keep me coming back to San Francisco as often as possible. Its been around 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in Sacramento. And when it gets hot like this I start migrating like an animal to the cooler climates. San Francisco is regularly about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees) Celsius which in my book is a lot better.
A while back I visited the Sixteenth Avenue Mosaic staircase @ sixteenth avenue/moraga street and was blown away. I went back for another visit to check it out again. This time me and half of San Francisco was visiting at the same time! The area is very hilly and multiple pedestrian staircases exist through the neighborhoods. It appears some genius decided to make the very long and steep staircase in to a piece of art and well…it is a masterpiece.
The staircase starts with the sun and the moon, the water, the earth, and the streams ultimately meeting up with the sea. A lovely view of the ocean can be seen from the staircase and leaves you with the feeling that the staircase is actually feeding right in to the ocean.
If you walk to the top and keep going it takes you up to a 360 degree vantage point of the San Francisco skyline that is second to none. It is a wonderful and free place to visit that encompasses the San Francisco vibe in frankly an unimaginable way. Kudos to the brains that thought this idea up and executed it.
What’s your favorite random San Francisco location?
For more information on the steps click here!
Some places you visit so often that you reach out for the random and unusual to keep it interesting. I have been traveling regularly to SF since I was just out of high school and one of my best friends moved there to go to school. I am no SF expert but when I visit I am always looking for interesting and different things in the city to explore.
Traveling from Sacramento through Oakland and over the Bay bridge we stopped at Treasure island for what turned out to be a cool and kitschy and crazy place. More on that location later…
We headed towards the Castro area and parked our car in the area of Seward and Douglas. It was here we found a charming San Francisco neighborhood and an awesome homemade park boasting a large dual-cement slide for children. The Seward Mini Park was built in 1973 after a young girl proposed it as an alternative to development.
Bring a piece of cardboard or borrow the many that are laying around and race a partner. The park is traditionally for children and closes at dark. (They apparently frown upon adults racing in the park without children.) The park also boasts a neighborhood garden that looks to be in rehab at the moment.
After you take a slide have a nice walk around the neighborhood and look at some beautiful staircases and lovely architecture. See if you can find the two houses with the false facades.
It’s parks like these that make me love SF and keep me coming back. What’s your favorite random San Francisco location?
For more information and a more precise location of the park click here!
For more Random San Francisco (16th Avenue Mosaic Staircase) click here!
Did you ever make mixed tapes in the past? Did you ever try and seduce someone with your idea of the perfect set of love songs? Did you ever create a mixed tape masterpiece for a family member to bring them back to a time to your past together? Does a song every bring you back to a particular location while on vacation?
Well, a little while back I posted about Road Trip Food. It got me thinking about Road Trip music.
I vividly remember driving my German friend through California and Arizona choosing appropriate “Road Trip Music” all along the way. We listened to the Gypsy Kings as we drove through Central California. We listened to the Beach Boys while traveling through LA. We listened to U2’s Joshua Tree Album while traveling through Joshua Tree National park in Southern California near Palm Springs. We listened to Elvis in Las Vegas. We listened to American Indian mystical music in Sedona.
On subsequent trips to Europe with her we listened to country specific music when traveling through France and Italy. We also paid special attention to whatever was popular in the country at the time. I vividly remember a song called “The ketchup song” which to this day I still do not understand. Europe had to have a flaw and that song was it. We listened to the Proclaimers in Scotland and Ah-Ha in Germany. (I was actually fortunate enough to see them in concert while there!)
Traveling through Ireland with my brother I brought Irish CDs with me only to find out the car we rented didn’t have a CD player. Nonetheless we listened in hotels to Van Morrison, U2, Sinead O’Conner, Thin Lizzy, The Chieftains, Clannad, The Corrs, and Christy Moore.
I was introduced to Ronan Keating who sang, among other songs, “Nothing at all.” I was familiar with the song from when Alison Krauss sang it and remembered Keith Whitley sang it first. I pointed this out to a bartender who was singing along to it and he nearly threw me out of the bar for lying to him. I never did convince him that someone else could have sang it first.
On a road trip with my husband to Utah we knew we would be stuck in the car for two full day’s worth of driving just to get to our main destination. We ended up getting Farenheit 52 as a book on tape. It was terrible! Don’t hate me. Everyone else in the world seems to love that book… We had better luck listening to the Serial Podcast about a journalists journey to find the truth behind a murder! That was an absolutely wonderful way to spend a road trip up and back to visit in-laws in Oregon!
Now-a-days we have Pandora and iTunes and a billion other music options. It seems mixed tapes are no longer necessary making room for digital “playlists.” I can tell you I will never bring a physical CD on a flight ever again! But, I do miss the days where I put a lot of thought in to what music would be played to enhance my trip no matter whether I was driving or flying.
What kind of music do you listen to on the airplane when traveling? Or what kind of music do you listen to in the car on a road trip? What songs transport you back in time to a vacation moment you had long ago?
I am so fortunate to live near Lake Tahoe. Growing up in Sacramento I have long appreciated the fact that I live approximately an hour from some of the most epic destinations in the world. I live close to San Francisco, the wild California coast, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Mountains, big trees, Napa, etc, etc, etc.
Growing up I spent a lot of time in Lake Tahoe. I have never lived there but I have always felt like it was my go to place to escape the heat and lay on the beach even when the water is generally too cold to swim in for very long! (Remember it is filled up primarily of snow pack run off. Brrr.)
So, people ask me all the time, “What would you recommend to do in Lake Tahoe?” Well, how much time do you have? The answer depends on what you are in to because Lake Tahoe has it all and then some. Gambling, hiking, watersports, world class skiing, great food, bicycling, tubing on the Truckee river, shopping, antiquing, and more.
So, by popular demand below are some of my favorite things to do in Tahoe starting with the 72 mile drive around the lake allowing visitors the luxury of stopping wherever strikes their fancy.
1. Whether you take highway 50 or highway 80 from Sacramento to Truckee and then highway 89 to Tahoe City one must embark upon the 72 mile drive around the Lake. If you do nothing else other than drive around the lake you will be rewarded with some of the most epic views anywhere this side of Switzerland. If driving around the windy roads isn’t your bag hop on the Tahoe Trolley and help Keep Tahoe Blue with multiple stops around the lake.
2. From highway 89 Stop by Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics, and hopeful home of upcoming Olympics. Ski, mountain bike, take the tram to the top and ice skate, shop at the lovely boutiques, or simply sit and eat in any of the wonderful cafes. My favorite thing to do in Squaw Valley is to walk the trail in the valley and take in the gorgeous views. You will quickly forget you are in California and immediately start singing like you are in the Sound of Music.
3. Take in some sun at Kiva Beach. I have been going to this beach since I was a girl. It is quiet and easy to park. And there is a wonderful walking path towards the beach that takes you through original pioneer buildings at Talloc Historic Site. The buildings have been updated since I was a tot but they are wonderful in the summer and in the winter if you want to snow shoe in. You will be rewarded with a lovely beach, great mountain views, pine tree shade canopy, and the sound of the lapping lake. Just try and not relax in this place! I dare you.
4. Visit Taylor Creek and take in the Rainbow trail. Gorgeous views of the lake can be had at this park. But most importantly visitors can see the wetlands systems that help keep Tahoe so blue. They also keep local beavers, salmon, and other fish thriving in their local habitats. Children can take a small trail teaching them about Smoky Bear and hiking/camping wildfire safety. Visitors can also enjoy an underground glass fish viewing area particularly interesting when salmon are spawning.
5. Rent a bike. The lake has a great trail system and there is no better way to see, smell, and enjoy the lake than on a bike. It allows you easy access and no parking fees along with the quick ability to stop anywhere. Keep in mind the elevation changes quickly on the lake so monitor this depending on your skill level and desire to sweat.
6. Visit the Camp Richardson Valhalla Renaissance Fair. Don’t forget to dress up and bring a mug for beer. This event is wonderful for children with multiple activities to keep their interest occupied from meeting the Queen to learning how to shoot a bow and arrow to learning Renaissance games. You can even see a real life Parrot show.
7. Eat at the newly remodeled Burger Lounge if not for the food but for the enormous and amusing sign. Stop by Camp Richardson for an ice cream cone if your calorie count isn’t high enough after your burger and fries.
8. Rent a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe. Take them out early in the morning before the waves and current get too strong. (Trust me, I learned the hard way.) Carnelian Bay, Pope Beach, Crystal Bay, and Kings Beach all are wonderful places to get out on the water. But, the important part is that you get out on the water anywhere you can.
9. Take in an outdoor concert at Harveys outdoor venue. While there is sadly no lake view it is a wonderful place to take in top musical acts outdoors in the cool summer weather. Afterwards take in a club or some gambling at any one of the great Casinos.
10. Spend your gambling winnings by eating at the fantastic and comfortable little organic café Sprouts in South Shore.
11. Take in the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare festival. While there is no lake view at Harvey’s the Shakespeare festival encourages theatre goers to bring a chair and a blanket and some wine and enjoy the show on the beach. I doubt Shakespeare ever had this venue in mind when he was writing his plays but it makes perfect sense to me! Et tu Brute?
12. Stroll along Truckee’s trendy main street. If you would have asked me years ago if I thought Truckee would be a go too destination I would have laughed. But, consider staying in Truckee or spending a nice afternoon walking along and enjoying the shops of Truckee. Multiple interesting and trendy restaurants have popped up as well at breweries to enjoy a pint. Pay special attention to parking restrictions or the meter maid will give you a ticket! (I also learned this the hard way.)
13. Learn about California history at Donner Lake and Donner summit visiting the Donner Party memorial. You can better understand what it really meant for pioneers to travel cross country for the thought of a better life. And most importantly, you will have a glorious lake view surrounded by more glorious mountain views. Sit back, close your eyes, smell the pine, hear the birds, and feel the sand in between your toes.
14. Visit Cal Neva Tahoe Biltmore & Casino for an Old Tahoe Casino charm and nearby Crystal Bay to admire beautiful architecture and pricey wooden boats.
15. Visit the Concours d’Elegance where tons of vintage wooden boats are on display. Visitor’s are even allowed to step on board many of the boats to admire the craftsmanship.
16. Take the Heavenly gondola up to the top of the Sierras to get a 360 degree view of the lake and the Carson valley on the other side. You will feel like you are in Switzerland. When you descend back down to earth visit any one of the fun and youthful outdoor sport clothing shops to buy a new bathing suit or pair of sunglasses.
17. Lastly, No stop to Lake Tahoe is complete without visiting Emerald Bay. The Bay gets its color from the lake soil and the reflection from the sky. This spot on Tahoe is one of the most spectacular sites on the lake and arguably in anywhere in California. Hike down to Vikingsholm to see a wealthy pioneer home built in the style of the Vikings. See the tea room built on a small island dotting the middle of the Bay. If you still have energy go the other direction and walk up to Eagle Falls to cool off in the brisk mountain water.
There is something in Tahoe for everyone. I have been going here all my life and Tahoe always seems like the place I want to go to relax, to think, to have fun, to go swimming, to hike, to enjoy by myself, with the bulldog, or with a group of friends. Everyone loves something different about Lake Tahoe, but I dare you to find someone who doesn’t fall in love with it in their own way over and over again every time they visit.
Have you ever visited Lake Tahoe? Did you visit in the summer or the winter? Tell me your favorite part of Lake Tahoe!
Last September our family had quite a scare. A massive wildfire ripped through the El Dorado Nation Forest in a dead run towards our family cabin. In what seemed like an entirely impossible feat Mother Nature once again showed us her might by making the King Fire move 50,000 acres over night. For almost a month fire fighters did everything humanly possible to keep this fire contained. For most of the month though Mother Nature mocked their efforts. It seemed the drought conditions in California combined with unusual wind conditions made for an extremely dangerous go of it. The Fire ended up contained after approximately 97,000 acres of destruction. It stopped one mile from our family cabin. We are very lucky to have our cabin and our health when others were not so lucky. We are most grateful that no one lost their life fighting this fire. (Thank you to all of you out there that helped fight this fire.)
Having said all of that, I went up to the cabin this weekend for the first time since the fire and since the snow has melted in the mountains. For those of you familiar with the area I drove from Highway 80 in Auburn >Highway 49> through Georgetown and up Wentworth Springs Road towards Ice House. I was extremely saddened to see Stumpy Meadows reservoir almost entirely burned. And the beautiful tree lined road for tens of miles at a time burned and destroyed and clear cut. It was easy for me to pretend that it was fall and the orange needles on the pine trees were just turning colors in October. But, the reality is needles don’t turn orange and all of those trees are dead. Logging has begun with hundreds of logging trucks making the drive on a daily basis. I can only hope planting will begin soon. But as my husband put it, “The forest will never look like it is supposed to again in our lifetime.” That thought weighs heavily on my mind.
On the drive back we stopped along the road so I could take some photos. I had always been taught in school and by the old timers that the forest does strange things after a fire. I was hoping to catch some wild flower growth or something interesting that perhaps I have never had the opportunity to see before so closely. What I found was something entirely different and amazing. My forest has been enchanted! It was barren and empty and injured in places. But, in others it was touched by the fairies. Please enjoy the photos that still mesmerize me today. And bare with me they were taken with my iPhone…
Rainbow colored moss growing near a stream and under a burned tree. I have never seen moss this color in this forest before.
More beautiful moss growing near burned out trees.
Strange things growing on the forest floor. This photo almost looks like it belongs in an aquarium not on the forest floor.
Gorgeous colored moss growing near a stream. It looks to me like it can be an abstract painting.
Gorgeous colored grasses and moss growing near a burned out tree trunk.
Beautiful sunset.
More lovely colored moss.
Logging site.
Massive burn piles are being created by the loggers. Had to put the Jeep in the photo so you could see how large these burn piles are in spots. I understand that hundreds of logging trucks are going through here each day. I can’t wait to see baby trees being planted.
Stumpy Meadows is a pretty reservoir. This was the scene of one of the more dramatic videos during the King Fire. The majority of the reservoir was on fire. If you look closely you can see the trees have been burned almost all the way around the photo. It is still beautiful in this light but it is mostly destroyed. It makes me wonder what it will look like after it is logged and barren.
In the final hours of our sibling bachelor party weekend for my younger brother we found ourselves in the Manitou Springs area of Colorado after driving through Garden of the Gods National Park. We attempted to drive up Pike’s Peak and were stopped at the main gate due to snow. We decided to see if the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway was running and by golly it was.
Pike’s Peak boasts one of the oldest and highest “cog railways” in the United States. (They are, it seems, jealous of New Hampshire’s cog train.) Riders can buy a relatively expensive ticket ($37) at the depot whilst enjoying some delicious roasted nuts and hot chocolate. (I say hot chocolate because the coffee was terrible and cold. Boo.)
Big Horn Sheep, Yellow Bellied Marmots, Deer, Elk, and Bears live on Pike’s Peak and can be seen on the ride unless it is snowing! As an alternative riders can relax and watch the beautiful rocky scenery go by as they are climbing/chugging/cogging up to 14,115 feet above sea level. One will see gorgeous pine trees, waterfalls, aspen trees, and eventually a blank wild land too high to sustain much vegetation. (I was slightly worried when I read the sign that said not to ride the train if you were pregnant, prone to heart disease, had difficulty breathing, etc etc etc. I was worried I might not do well in the altitude but I felt great the entire time.)
The ride was about three hours with a thirty minute stop along the way. Bring your jacket, gloves, and hat because the train is not heated and many of the passengers choose to open the windows for better photo taking. Please remember to be a kind human and shut said window if your seat mates are getting hammered by the snow coming in through your window. (Thank you!)
Have you ever taken an interesting train ride anywhere? Have you ever ridden a cog train?
Pike’s Peak Cog Train Depot
Map in the depot
“All aboard!”
Tickets, hot chocolate, and a window seat!
Ever wondered what a cog looks like in the snow?
We are climbing!
A view from hanging out the window in the snow.
Just your friendly snow plow at aprox 9,000 feet elevation. PacMan is going to eat that snow for dinner.
Still climbing
Snowing and cold but we were able to de-train (is that a word?) and walk around before heading back down the mountain.
Cold Feet
On our last day in Denver we attempted to head to Vail. I have always had grand visions of Vail being the Cannes or the Paris of Colorado. Since it hadn’t rained in recent memory here in California we thought it would be fun to visit the snow. We managed to get about fifteen minutes outside of Denver before it started to snow pretty hard. We knew we would never make it to Vail and back, in the snow, by the time we needed to catch our flight. Alas, Vail will remain a mystery to me still. We re-routed our drive south to the Garden of the Gods National Park near Colorado Springs.
The park was lovely. It is reasonably small and reasonably free. 😉 One can start their visit at a wonderful little visitor’s center with a lovely gift shop and café. The rain was coming down in buckets which made photography difficult. But, my brothers were good sports stopping the car at every pullout and helping me keep my camera dry. My socks were wet but my excitement was high.
Since it is still the off season there were very few tourists in the park which made it even better. Better to take photos and view the sites. better to make erratic movements to pull the vehicle over because your sister is pointing and yelling “Stop!”
Have you been to any great National Parks in Colorado? What about Utah? (I see a lot of resemblances here between the rock/geology in Utah and Colorado…)
For more about Garden of the Gods
One of the first views when entering the park on Juniper loop from the visitor’s center.
After a soggy walk I viewed some beautiful “fins”.
Balanced rock. Interesting how our country allows for a road right through the middle of a natural wonder.
I wasn’t kidding about the rain.
To read about my other Rocky Mountain Adventures click here…
I ran across this lovely blog called Captivate me! The site encourages bloggers to post four versions of the same photo once per week for four weeks. It’s called the One Four Challenge. I am going to perform an abbreviated challenge and include all four photos plus the original all at once.
I took a fun little country photo of the back of my husband’s helmet while motorcycling down a local country road at sunset. The photo by itself is moderately boring. However, with a new app I recently downloaded on my iPhone called Enlight I had some fun with the photo. (I am pretty impressed with the editing capabilities of the iPhone these days…)
Tell me which one you like best. I am partial to the watercolor effect myself!
Happy travels!
Original
Watercolor
Fuzzy
Colorful
Interesting B&W
As previously mentioned my brothers and I visited Denver to spend the weekend together celebrating one of their impending weddings this summer. We enjoyed a baseball game at the Rockies stadium and a short sidestep to the Mork and Mindy house. Our next stop was Rocky Mountain National Park.
The park is approximately an hour and a half outside of Denver. The elevation is “Rocky Mountain high” which means fewer trees but no shortage of lovely views. It also means one gets out of breath practically climbing out of their car. But perhaps I just need to exercise more…The weather was cool and snowy in parts.
We viewed Big Horn Sheep, Elk, Coyotes/Wolf, and Deer. The wildlife was ample and the number of visitors was low. It seems the high season is in the warmer weather months which was lucky for us. We encountered a number of intrepid visitors at Bear Lake where a short walk provided the visitor with a lovely frozen lake view. People were skiing, snowboarding, and snow shoeing. We managed to slip and slide our way there just in tennis shoes.
A highlight for me, rather randomly, was the Rocky Mountain National Park visitors center. It boasted lovely lines and architecture that seemed peculiar to me for being a government building. While wandering around reading plaques I realized the interesting architecture was because a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright created the building.
What’s your favorite National Park in Colorado or anywhere for that matter? Has anyone visited any lovely Frank Lloyd Wright properties they particularly enjoyed? I hope to see many more in my lifetime!
Stanley House on the way to the park
It’s still winter in Colorado for sure. Not a spring flower to be seen anywhere.
The animals do not seem to be too afraid of the visitors.
Bear Lake.
Frank Lloyd Wright inspired visitor’s center
If you enjoyed this post you might enjoy my other Rocky Mountain Posts…
Bulldog Travels / Photos By Jenny 