So Pier 39. When’s the last time you actually paid a visit? and not incidentally, stopping in to use the bathroom on a jog along the Embarcadero. Locals rarely come here, even ironically – it’s just not on their radar (Bubba Gumps? Hard Rock Café?) – which is kind of curious considering the millions of visitors to San Francisco each year (16.5 million in 2012) who quite possibly make it a part of their vacation experience, especially those with kids. It’s one of the things they remember about the city. Continue reading Pier 39: not terrible→
Point Reyes Lighthouse on a rare but exquisite sunny day
The windswept coast along Point Reyes National Seashore offers some of the most austerely beautiful scenery in the entire scenery-rich Bay Area. Standing atop the 300-foot cliff that overlooks Point Reyes Lighthouse, sunlight dances off ocean swells while waves crash into the rocky beach extending north along the coastline. If you can’t take a frame-worthy photo here, your camera must be broken. That, or the fog. Oh right, the fog. Did they not mention the fog before you embarked on the 40-minute drive from sunny Point Reyes Station? Or the fact that the lighthouse is the second foggiest place in North America (and the windiest on the west coast)? That’s not to say it’s still not scenic, just scenic in different way…moody and cinematic. Continue reading The fog that ate Point Reyes Lighthouse→
Lick Observatory atop Mt. Hamilton east of San Jose
I was going to suggest driving up to Lick Observatory to watch the Perseids meteor shower, but I saw they’re not doing anything special for the event, and then realized it’s best to just go to your nearest unclouded mountain for a good view. But this brought up the subject of a post I’ve wanted to do for a while: The Lick Observatory. If you don’t know, Lick Observatory is pretty significant in the world of astronomy, starting with this fact: world’s first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory. Continue reading Lick Observatory and the best show in the Bay Area→
You may have read the article a few weeks ago on KQED.org, on the minimum annual income a family of four in San Francisco needs for a “secure yet modest living standard.” It’s $84,000. Assuming Suzy and Billy (or rather, Emma and Ethan) get their own bedroom, a quick unscientific survey of craigslist shows that if you want a 3bdrm for less than $4k per month, you’re gonna have to live in the outer edges of the city, you know, in the fog: Bayview, the Outer Sunset, the Outer Richmond, Visitacion Valley. Even then, it’s a lot of dough. Continue reading $84k to live in San Francisco? So that’s why there’s no kids→
August, that time of year when the days are at their doggiest and the ice cream starts melting down your hand before you even get the change back in your pocket. Oh wait, that’s everywhere else. In San Francisco, just dial up the last six months’ weather report, the one that says 59. The only noticeable difference between August and February is the days are slightly longer, except of course when the summer fog rolls and makes it seem like the sun has just set, so I guess, nevermind. Continue reading Best of August in the Bay Area→
I know finding sustainably harvested, local and organic food is important for a lot of people in the Bay Area. So here’s a great site, Farmer’s Pal, that lists purveyors of such foods. And it’s broken down into a whole variety of interesting and useful categories. Looking for a local ranch that’ll ship grass-fed beef or pasture-raised chicken to your door? There’s a category for that. Want to join a CSA or visit a local farmers market? They’re listed by county. How about a farmstay? That’s covered too.
This is something you really need to know about, and I’m giving you a good 10-day heads-up. I’m talking about Silicon Valley Beer Week (July 28-Aug 3), which resembles a mashup between a beerfest and the sponsored after-work talks/mixers that are so popular here in the Southbay and Peninsula. Which means both fun and educational, and better than just a big rented hall with a bunch of folding tables and empty taps too often found at other beerfests. Continue reading Silicon Valley Beer Week: too much of a good thing can be a good thing→
The Best of the Bay Area for travel, discovery and cultural exploration
SFbaytripper 