Santa Cruz

I’m planning to go to Santa Cruz next weekend and because I’m writing about fun things to do near San Francisco this summer, I thought this could be a interesting post for more people.

First of all, here are some reason why is interesting to visit Santa Cruz. Well.. it has beautiful beaches and its weather in summer is between 55 and 68 degrees  Fahrenheit. Also, Santa Cruz is one of the oldest counties in California; discovered on 1769 by the Spanish Don Gaspar Portola.  California became a state in 1849 and is one year later when Santa Cruz got its title as county.

How to get there? Driving is the easiest, fastest and most recommendable way. Santa Cruz is only 1 hour and 27 minutes south from San Francisco; you can take the I-280 S or if you prefer to drive next to the pacific coast I will recommend you to take the CA 1 S but it will take you at least 20 minutes longer and is approximately $45 on gas one way. However, if you don’t have a car you can also take the Caltrain from San Francisco to San Jose and the 17 bus from San Jose to Santa Cruz, therefore it can take you 3hr 10 min and is $19 for round trip.

The famous thing to do in Santa Cruz is to go to the Beach Boardwalk which is an amusement park right in front of the amazing beach of Santa Cruz and a State Historic Landmark. The Beach Boardwalk is very important in Santa Cruz history because of the Looff Carousel from 1911 and the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster from 1924. Here are some pictures for that time and don’t worry because I’m pretty sure they renovated it already.

This amazing park does not have admission fee but they charge for rides and attractions so you can buy tickets individually for $3 and $5 or you can buy seasonal tickets for $67 to have access to all the attractions and rides and daily tickets for $37.  Parking is also available for $12 and the park is open in summer season from 11am to 11pm. The main attractions in this park are Mini Golf, Laser Tag, Fright Walk, Vault Lazer Maze, Climb 'N Conquer and Boardwalk Bowl bowling.

Another amazing thing about this beach is that they offer free shows, free movies and Friday night concerts. The Emperor’s Imperia Circus is the main show performing this summer. The shows are scheduled from Monday to Thursday at 12pm and 3pm and Sundays at 12pm and 6pm.

Hungry? Don’t worry , I also thought on that. There are many restaurants, snack shops and food carts serving corn dogs made from a secret family recipe, so they must be good..!. Also, deep fried artichokes, chocolate covered bacon and deep fried twinkies. However, if you are looking to get a table to eat there is the Barbary Coast Restaurant, Fisherman’s Galley and Surf City Grill just to mention some.

And the final and most important thing to enjoy in Santa Cruz is the sandy beach famous for it surfers, and where if you are lucky; you can also observe dolphins, sea lions and whales.. Sounds fun to me..!

Here is a video of how awesome is to see the whales in Santa Cruz coast.

 Useful links

http://www.santacruzca.org/

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=7

http://housing.ucsc.edu/cro/pdf/things-to-do.pdf

Little Italy..!

North Beach is another fascinating area that you have to visit in San Francisco as a tourist or resident, is also known as the little Italy because the strong influence from Italians in the 1800’s. It’s located between Fisherman’s Wharf and China Town, starting on Grant Ave., continuing on Columbus Ave, and finishing in Fisherman’s Wharf. With lot restaurants, shops and bars, North beach also has interesting places to visit.

Before start planning your day, I will recommend you to take public transportation to get into this amazing area of San Francisco because there’s not much street parking over there and parking garages are not as expensive as in Downtown, you can find parking rates for $3 the hour, but still sometimes it can be complicated because usually car spaces in garages are crowded. The most recommendable route to take is the 30 bus that can takes you from China Town to North Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf and Marina, or you can also play to be a tourist in your city and take the cable car to get there, which I don’t really recommend because is $6 one way, so it won’t be the cheapest and fastest way to get there.

The Coit Tower is really famous in North Beach because it has an amazing view of San Francisco and great murals but unfortunately it’s not free, it’s $7.00 per person. I won’t say it’s worth that but I think is a basic experience from San Francisco and a good place to appreciate the city.

Another thing that you can do in North Beach is visit the Saints Peter and Paul Church, which is really amazing just be there, just the sensation that gives you when you walk into the church. It is an elegant church and has an impressive architecture; I would say that is the perfect church where most of the Catholics brides want to be married.

If by this time of your day you are tired, you can walk on Washington Square Park and relax, seat on the grass and observe the local people walking their dogs or tourists taking pictures.

Now can be time for lunch or dinner, don’t worry, North Beach has lots of places where to eat. Some good places that I can recommend you are Trattoria Contadina Restaurant. It has really good food but is not cheap, the size of the portions are really good and enough for one person; and  Calzone  which is a good pizza place where you can have a good lunch or dinner and relax, enjoy drinks and food on outside tables.

Time for a bar? Well, North Beach has lot of bars to choose but one that you definitely can't miss is the Columbus Bar, which has cheap drinks, good music and friendly staff. What else you can ask for? You just need good friends to have good time with. However, there is also the Gino and Carlo bar, I haven’t been there but I have really good references about this place, so I’ll definitely check it out or otherwise, I accept comments if anyone reading this had been there.

If you are looking for something funnier, there is also the Cobb’s Comedy Club that offers comedy shows, drinks and food, everything together. How fun..!

In general I think North beach is a good place to spend your day after noon; there is nothing really happening in the morning but be prepared to stay there until late night and enjoy.

Mission District

Whenever I think about Mission District I think in happiness, colors, food and party. I love mission district because I think is the most colorful area in San Francisco with a lot of variety. It is a place where basically you have a mix of the essential things on San Francisco and it’s blessed by the best weather in San Francisco because is located right in the middle and the well-known San Franciscan fog doesn’t come out that often there.

Staring with Dolores Park (recently renovated), restaurants, bars, and places with a lot of activities (like yoga and guitar and piano lessons); I think Mission District has everything for anyone. I didn’t know but a friend told me that Dolores Park was a lake some time ago, but I think right now is a glorious place to spend a day, relax and get away from the daily routine. Covered by different layers for gays, families, and hipsters; Dolores park’s structure has been thought for all type of people. It has playgrounds and barbeques placesand nice view of the city.  I didn’t realize but some friends also told me that people in Dolores Park has a thought that as the lower you are in the coolest you are.. drinking, smoking and playing guitar..!

Well.. Dolores Park can be a good place where to start a day, but Mission St, Valencia St and Guerrero St. are also good areas for bar hopping and restaurant.  On these streets you can find tacos, Peruvian food, Mexican food, Spanish tapas, Indian, Pakistani, Sushi, Chinese, or American food, you cana get a nice dinner at Firefly restaurant or really good tacos in Taqueria los Coyotes, where after 2am can be really crowd.

Some bars ideas??  Double Dutch is a small bar but really fun dance floor with walls full of stereos, Blondie’s bar really popular for good pint size drinks and Dr. Teeth with good beer and outdoor patio.

What you can’t ignore of this area is the diversity of social classes, having for one side the Latino area and by the other side a rich and expensive neighborhood full of boutiques, thrift stores and quite coffee shops. Another really important piece of Mission district is the Mission Dolores that has also tours into the old mission and is really interesting; I will definitely recommend all people to check out this part of San Francisco as part of the local culture.

Good time in a short time..!

I have a busy schedule this summer but I still need to have a life. Comparing with other summers in my life, this is one that I feel that I’m not having a life, because school and work but I still can say that I love my life and I love what I do, therefore I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way. 

So, I start thinking what can I do in a short time to have a good time? Napa Valley came to my mind..!! living in San Francisco and haven´t been there.. Am I the only one?

Napa Valley is world famous wine growing county. Do you like wine? Yes, no. extra information about wine will never hurt  anyone.  

Napa Valley is just an hour away from San Francisco driving north, How to get there? I will say that the easiest way is driving.. taking either the freeway 80 East and cross the bay bridge or taking the 101 North and start enjoying your trip crossing the Golden Gate bridge..! Therefore, it will take 20 to 40 minutes longer taking  the 101 N. Map.

If you don´t want to drive, get stuck in the traffic and lose time, there is also some same day tours that cost around $100 and $120 that  includes transportation from San Francisco to Napa Valley on shuttle and Bay cruise, picnic lunch and tours in 4 important wineries in Napa. The tour is around 8.5 hours so it can be really recommendable for one day off from work.

But to plan something longer which I will definitely do and recommend; you can start booking a room. Napa has more than 50 hotels including resorts, motels, spas, and bed and breakfast accommodations. Napa also has parks available for camping and RVs, if you want to add more adventure to your trip.

To find the best hotels deals you can always go on expedia.com or use booking.com to hold a room and there is also hoteltonight.com with really good deals. You can find rooms starting at $89 this summer. I will say that the last website could be a risky option but I think life suppose to be like that.

Another awesome thing of Napa is that they always have special events. We just need to set the date and look for the events. Here are some events for this weekend.

• July 20 -- Dance Gala
  Performing Arts: Dancers Yan Godovsky, Darya Khokhlova, and Ivan Alekseevfrom the Bolshoi Ballet, in their first-ever Napa Valley appearance, join the Russian National Orchestra for a magical evening of dance. Napa Valley Festival del Sole, Lincoln Theater - 100 California Dr., Yountville
  Fee: $45-95 Time: 6:00 p.m.       
• July 20 -- Rockin Down the Hiway
  Live Music: Rock & Roll, Country – in fact, ALL truly American music – has always had a lot of material concerning the criss-crossing and traveling around this great nation. The country roads, the highways, the big rigs, the road trips, hot rods, fast cars -- all have long been the subjects of songwriters. 530 Main St., Napa
  Fee: $15 Advance & $20 at the Door. Time: 8pm       
• July 20 -- Smokin’ Hot Cigar Party 
  Celebration: Smokin’ Hot Cigar Party at Baker Street Downtown, Fri. July 20, 2012. Featuring New Release - Romeo by Romeo - a fuller bodied cigar, but not too strong – rated 92 by Cigar Aficionado! Bourbon Tastings with Michter’s, Four Roses & John B. Stetson Bourbons, Hors d’oeuvres, prizes, camaderie & more! Free event 6-9:00pm. Fee: Free Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm 
• July 20 -- Muscat/Moscato Tasting
  Wine Tasting: The Muscat grape has taken the wine world by storm the past two years. Always a fan of the grape, Back Room Wines is pleased to present six superb examples of the grape. Dry, sweet, semi-sweet, sparkling, fortified....the grape takes many delicious forms. Come try them! First & Main Streets, Shop 120, Downtown Napa
  Fee: $10/Tasting. 10% off wines poured. Time: 5:00
• July 21 – Peju Haute Hoedown Wine, Food: Indulge your senses in a special selection of large format Peju wines and explore the diverse barbecue styles of the Carolinas, Texas and California. Then put your dancing boots to use as you boogie down to live entertainment in our beautiful H.B. vineyard setting. Peju Province Winery, 8466 St. Helena Hwy, Rutherford, CA
  Fee: $65 general/$55 wine club price Time: 6pm-8:30pm       
• July 21 -- The Pulsators
  Live Music: Rooted in the fertile musical soil of the Sonoma County Wine Country, The Pulsators are a five piece band that plays its own brand of music. 530 Main St., Napa
  Fee: $15 Advance & $20 at the Door Time: 8pm 
• July 21 - 22 -- July Vintage Aircraft Display
  Family Friendly: Saturday & Sunday - Vintage and Experimental Aircraft based at Napa County Airport will be on display. Meet at the front of the terminal building to be escorted to the display area. Terminal Building 2030 Airport Road, Napa, CA
  Fee: Free Time: 10:00am- 2:00pm Phone Number:             
•  July 22 -- Chill'n Sunday
  Live Music: Join us for music and great food! Featuring Johnny Smith. 610 First Street, Set 6, Napa
  Fee: Free Time: 4 p.m. 
• July 22 -- Richard Glazier @ Napa Valley Opera House
  Live Music: Glazier's passion for the rich cultural heritage of early 20th-century America led him to create special programs celebrating the era---the music, the composers, the performers, old-time Broadway shows and movie musicals. In these concerts, Glazier plays the piano and weaves in commentary on the history behind the songs. 1030 Main St., Napa
  Fee: $20 Time: 4 p.m.      
• July 22 -- Second Annual Mystery Writers' Panel 
  Seminar: Four "New York Times" best selling mystery writers - Robert Dugoni, John Lescroart, Sheldon Siegal & Alan Jacobson - will take questions from the audience and autograph books for sale on site. Reception will be at 5pm. Free admission. 6516 Yount Street, Yountville
  Fee: Free Admission Time: 6:15PM 

Too much information? Too many events? This is a list of just some of them, at least now you know you won´t be bored! You can also finish your weekend with a balloon trip..! if you have time and money you won´t regret.. it is usually between $190 and $230.

Do you want to go next weekend? Here is a link that can be really helpful to plan your next trip to Napa Valley and have fun..!

http://napavalley.com/

This summer..!

Yes, summer is here and whatever ever you are doing, if you are working or studying or both or none, you are probably thinking that is summer in California and you want to do something fun for vacations…! Whatever your interests are cultural activities or more adventure activities San Francisco is one of those places that has everything.

Whatever you are living in San Francisco or planning to visit San Francisco I’m pretty sure that you will want to read this blog. We can start with me. I just have a year and a half  living in San Francisco, working in a hotel meeting people from everywhere and giving them recommendations where to go and I still have tons of places to visit, things to do  and recommendations to follow and to give out.

Why San Francisco?? Well… basically because is where I’m leaving right now but I will definitely continue writing about more good places to visit. Ok ok summer in San Francisco but honestly is not that much summer going on right here, please if you want to meet the real summer in California wait until mid or ends of august so you can appreciate the awesome weather that California can offers you.

Besides Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, what else you can find in this magic city? We can start with the basics of San Francisco; you can start your checklist in this summer and ask yourself how well you know San Francisco as a resident or as a tourist.

Does that was too basic for you.. well let’s check if you have been in the top ten best views in this city

Still too basic for you? Do you want a short trip? Low budget? then let’s move on the road and find more places where to go this summer..!

You can also visit Sausalito

(20min driving North from San Francisco)

Angel Island

(20 min on Ferry)

 Muir Woods

 (37 min driving North from San Francisco)

 Napa Valley

(1 hour driving North from San Francisco)

 Yosemite
(3 hours 10 min east from San Francisco)

 Lake Tahoe

(3 hours 37min  north east from San Francisco)

Santa Rosa

 (1 hour 10 min north from San Francisco)

Santa Cruz

(1 hour and 30 min south from San Francisco)

  Monterey

 (2 hours driving South from San Francisco)

So... we still have summer time to plan something let's set the date, time and budget..!