5 Bay Area Hikes not to miss

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alamere falls

Hiking is a past time in the bay area akin to Boozy Brunches in NY. Everybody's doing it. So I jumped on board. 

If I was on Family Feud and the question was "What are the top 5 words San Franciscans say during the weekend" I would guess YOGA, YOGA, HIKE, HIKE, YOGA. 

Thus far I have been to:

  1. Land's End Trail. I wanted to see the Labyrinth created by Eduardo Aguilera in 2004 based on pictures I had seen. It was a gorgeous day so there was a nice view of the beach ad the GG bridge, but the labyrinth was not as large as I expected and it was slightly worse for wear. However, the hike to the point was beautiful and I had a chance to see the Sutro Baths
  2. Billy Goat Hill- I had been dying to go here as a SF landmark and fly on the swing overlooking the city. However, when I went the swing had been cut down :( 
  3. Marin Headlands- This hike required a drive, but it was worth the views. I tend to favor hikes that have different scenery and different difficulty levels depending on what you are in the mood for.  We stopped by the information center in Marin before starting and they recommended some particularly nice paths based on the time of year.

Next on the list

1. Mt Tam-I have heard the hike to the beer garden at the Tourist club is worth the trip. They are only open select weekends, so apparently you have to plan in advance. Details here for Mt Tam. Schedule of open weekends here.

2. Alamere Falls- This is a longer hike about 9 miles roundtrip and includes a gorgeous waterfall. I have seen pictures, but I am sure they do not do it justice (one above)

3.  Hot Springs Getaway in Big Sur- pictures here. Found on SOSH (app and website for activities in your area)

4. Hidden Black Sand beach in Marin- here also found on Sosh

5. Beach hike on sand dunes- here also on Sosh

Top Bay Area Hike lists include date hike desitinations by Thrillist. Any other recommendations? Let me know @ thesaturdazeblog@gmail.com

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

Horseback Riding in Malibu

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This SATURDAZE was a horseback riding class for myself and my mom. I booked it through Connemara Ranch in Malibu by our house. for Christmas. We rode on January 3rd 2015.

A great gift idea for the holidays is to reserve a class for yourself and a friend/family member. SATURDAZE experiences are more fun when there is a group and who can say no to a free adventure? Especially one that they might not have researched, planned, and paid for themselves. 

If the adventure is a gift, clearly you should consider the recipient's interests. Luckily, there are a variety of packages for two or more- flight classes (later post), cooking classes, workout classes, DIY classes,  that cater to all types of people. i will continue to post ideas and share in the newsletter!

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

JETPACK!

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Be a superhero! Fly the Jetlev Jetpack! 30 feet in the air! Over 30 mph top speed! Walk on water! Submarine below the water's surface! Call Jetpack America at (888) 553-6471 to book your flight today or visit our website at JetpackAmerica[dot]com to purchase and schedule online.

Jet packing is one of the coolest SATURDAZE activities around! I first heard of jet-packing from a link my grandmother sent me. I was immediately hooked. For those of you that do not know what jet packing is I will try to explain. The jet-packer (in this case me) was strapped to a 30 lb. backpack. The pack is attached to a hose that propels the jet-packer in the air with water pressure. For the first time rider the jet ski or pod give you throttle. The better you do, the more throttle you can play with.  Eventually you can control your own pack.

The instruction prior to launch was to do very small movements that would then change the direction and height at which I was flying. At first it was very simple and I floated around with ease. As I started to overanalyze my movements became less subtle and I had a few crash landings. 

Some of the novice moves include dolphin (going in and our of the water), stairway to heaven (walking up the air) and superhero (arm in the air as you fly high).

The video music selection was supposed to be ironic or comical. After I posted the video on instagram a friend reminded me of the Kenny powers episode (also a video above). I hope you enjoy the reference.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

Tandem or Double Kayaking?

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Another day, another Groupon. 

The week of Dec 20th (obviously I am referring to the SATURDAY), I went Kayaking with a few friends in Sausalito. I found a Groupon online through SF Kayaks and Adventures. The challenge was that all kayaks were doubles. Sidebar-maybe they are called Tandem kayaks or maybe I just want to refer to it as a "tandem" because I have a soft spot for tandem bicycles since they are the only kind of bicycle I know how to ride. Either way you want to call it- double or tandem- kayaking was fun!

The best parts:

  • Seeing sea lions/seals (different ears/fins) and otters
  • Upper body workout. The instructor claimed that when done properly, kayaking is an abdominal exercise because the way you properly push the paddle into the water is done by turning your upper body rather than lifting your arms. Most beginners quickly forget the proper form and resort to kayaking instinct
  • The location- the weather is relatively predictable which makes kayaking a sport that can be done pretty much year round. We also had a change to explore the floating homes of SF that were started by artists in the 1950s- 1970s (details here)
  • Learning about the Full Moon kayaking they have a few times a month and their annual trip to Baja. Not surprisingly, you can also do the paddle board yoga in Baja (previous post on the blog here).

The worst part

  • Upper body workout- yes I mentioned above as the "best" part.  After 2.5 hours you will most likely agree it is the best and worst part.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

 

 

SantaCan Santacon

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Originally December 13, 2014

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero año y Felicidad

This year for SantaCon we celebrated a friend's birthday with a gift exchange, brunch, and in home portraits. NY was where Santacon was first introduced to me so it was only fitting I went back. Typically,  I do not like to dress in a giant full velvet outfit, but when in Rome...

Leading up to Santacon, a friend had the great idea to do a secret santa through Elfster which worked well even though we were not all in the same city. The commentary on the Elfster site and not-so-secret wishlist added some humor to the process. 

Once we were all in town we swapped gifts and stories over brunch then went to a friends apartment as a meeting location before going out on the town ;) While we waited to gather our Santa crew we took a series of silly portraits. My favorite was the picture posted above because it was very clear each person's interpretation of "silly" was very unique. 

2015 Santacons have not been scheduled yet, but the links are below for the overly prepared

Until next time. Stay tuned.

 

SATURDAZE goes to London

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Originally November 29, 2014

SATURDAZE travels abroad! The week of Thanksgiving I traveled to London to visit some friends from school.  The weekend was too short, but it was worth the trip. Europe is always a good idea.

I landed on Thursday and made my way to my friends apartment while she was at work. Her brother had never been to London so we went to the touristy sights- Westminster Abbey, London Eye, and Big Ben. Then we had a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Whole Foods with some ex pats, my friend's American co-workers, and their British friends. My first Friends-giving was a success even if I had to sacrifice homemade pumpkin pie.

More importantly, the SATURDAY consisted of exploring outdoor market and going to Winter Wonderland. The Winter carnival was much more impressive than what I expected.  There were at least double the amount of rides compared to any local fair I had been to in CA. It was packed full of both kids and adults in full holiday cheer. The only cautionary tale is to watch out for people running around spilling your (or their) mulled wine from over excitement. If you do not have fun at Winter Wonderland you need to rethink what you consider "fun", Mr. Scrooge.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

Quack Attack

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Quack Attack

"If you are happy and you know it quack quack if you are happy and you know it..." This is what I heard for about 2 hours on a Ride the Ducks land/sea ride. 

Every time I  move to a new city I take an official tour of the city (usually by bus). It is usually pretty cheesy and meant for tourists with children, but it helps me to orient myself in the city  and it provides some historical information I would otherwise not have looked up myself. I had always wanted to go on a duck boat mainly because I wanted to see a car drive into the water successfully.  Even after the trip was over I think that was the highlight.

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Namaste Surfers

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Originally: Nov 15, 2014

Paddle board yoga is one of the best non-traditional workouts.  Paddling is probably the easiest part. The harder part is staying balanced so you are not the one that falls into the water. Avoiding embarrassment is the real challenge.

My roommate and I registered for a class through onBoard SUP. I had heard of them through Classpass and was happily surprised they were included. If you register on the OnBoard Sup website each class is only $30 all inclusive. The two instructors were nice and helped us to get accustomed to standing on the boards. Although they said hardly anyone falls in, we did have someone in our group that had a quick dip in the water. 

From the description- "Paddleboard yoga" you pretty much know what you are getting yourself into. Step 1 paddle away from the dock. Step 2 pick a open spot with less boat traffic (this was easy in Sausalito) Step 3. drop the anchor. Step 4 Adho Mukha Śvānāsana, Ardha Matsyendrāsana and Dhanurāsana. 

If you are confused by Step 4 so I am. Every.Single.Time. I have done yoga for a few years, although far from an expert, I think at this point I should be able to tell the difference between the formal names. However, they all sound the same to me. I tend to agree with Fitbie on the more accurate names. I guess saying "ok now get into rotisserie chicken pose" would not be so "zen."

After we paddled out, enjoyed the view, and did some sun salutations, the other yogis and I had the opportunity to do some harder poses. Surprisingly, some poses are easier on a wobbly board then on land, while others are much more difficult than you would expect. After a few rounds and some great pictures we wrapped up the class. Like I said, pretty much what you would anticipate from the pictures.

OnBoard SUP does two unique adventure apart from the standard paddle board yoga. One is the  their Full Moon Paddle and the other is their Baja retreat. Both look like eligible future SATURDAY adventures.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

The Perfect Day to become a balloon-atic

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Originally: Nov 8 2014

I have to say that so far this was my favorite Saturdays. I had researched more out of the ordinary activities than cooking and eating and I came across hot air ballooning. I became OBSESSED.

I had always wanted to go on a hot air balloon. And not the kind that you see on ABC's The Bachelor where there are three people in the basket- pilot and a couple-and the couple is kissing while the pilot pretends not to be there (they are called pilots). Instead I had in mind traveling the world like Richard Branson . I don't want to date myself, but when I was a child there was a Chipmunks adventure movie where they traveled the world in hot air balloons (girls v. boys) and I distinctly remember the moment when I took a mental note that it was on my bucket list as a non-negotiable action item. 

Fortunately, Groupon was having a sale on their already discounted adventures so I was in luck. Not only was there one hot air balloon company, but there were at least 3 on Groupon for the Bay area. Apparently there is a competitive market for hot air balloons in SF, so if you have not done it yet you should.

I selected the one with the best yelp reviews, convenient and nice location (Sonoma), and friendliest person that answered the phone. The morning of we had to leave very early to drive to Sonoma. Balloon flights are early because of air pressure conditions that make it harder to fly in warmer weather, usually later in the day. I did not know this, now you do.

The weather was so nice that the typical one hour ride extended to almost two hours. The wine country view was gorgeous and we even got to see other balloons in the air. The landing was a bit rough as we had to squat on someone's property. Some fellow riders helped to pack the balloon with the crew and soon enough we were on our way back to our cars. 

They provided a snack (lunch was promised, but they had a problem with the kitchen that weekend) and some wine tasting along with a detail explanation of the company, the surrounding area, and how they got started. 

After the balloon shenanigans had ended I felt quite accomplished. However, the day was not over. After we got back to SF my friend and I decided we had time for a crafts fair. We went to the Renegade Craft Fair that they have in several cities. At the fair you can buy and make crafts. It was perfect around the holidays in preparation for gift giving. I loved the create your own terrarium for $10 from Makerskit, the prints from Cactus Club, the hand made jewelry, and recycled library books turned into notepads. 

I ended the day with dinner and a movie in Japan town. I was so excited to see a movie at the Kabuki theater that allows people to reserve seats and order food and drinks ahead. For dinner I had Sushi before the movie nearby.

If you know me well you know why this was my favorite Saturday thus far. :) Side note, the picture from the "Hello" page is from this day.

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

2-for-1 Saturdays

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2-for-1 Saturdays

As I mentioned in the first post I define adventures loosely as "big or small." Potentially I wrote that so I did not set myself up for failure or as a cop out. Alternatively, some weeks are just not as wild as others and that is OK. 

These two weeks are combined, partially because these adventures are both small and better together and partially because I am trying to catch up to real time SATURDAYS. Here goes...

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GO BABY, GO!

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Originally Oct 18, 2014

Pick your pony. This Saturday I convinced my friend to rent a car, drive to Golden Gate Fields, and bet on some horses at the racetrack. It is a dangerous thing for a friend to ask me last minute what I am doing because it might entail getting roped into some random scheme I have going. That day was not an exception.

I had been to the race track when I was very young and completely forgot what it would be like as an adult. I imagined big hats, champagne, gloves, etc. I did have a notion this might not be the case knowing that some people spend their lives gambling. My suspicion was correct. The crowd was "interesting" to say the least. There were a few young people. I would say the majority were veterans in the gambling business. Entrepreneurship is still entrepreneurship in the Bay.

First we had to ask what the rules were, how to bet, and which horses would be likely to win. There is a TV that ranks the horse and has expected odds to win. Then theres the ever so scientific art of choosing a horse by the name. Some of the names were quite funny and clever. Others were sexual innuendos that made me a little uncomfortable screaming on the track. The best strategy was asking the ticket salesperson. If they are nice they will tell you what they think. Some are impatient and clearly have no idea what is going on with the horses or jockeys. However, if you find a good teller they may be the key to success. 

Success, mind you, is loosely defined by me as "redeeming my bet" or even "winning a dollar". Because in the end winning is winning. And winning a dollar feels better for morale than loosing 9, even if you don't break even.

Another pro-tip for this activity is to go on $1 Sundays. This clearly is the more economical choice, but does not work with someone with a strict day of the week blog.

Overall, the races were short so the highs of rooting for a horse were worth the thrill. I would stay for at least 3-4 races to make the drive worth it. Either way it doesn't need to consume the whole day.

Until next time. Stay Tuned.

NY I missed you!

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NY I missed you!

This was a special Saturday. One of my close friends got married. This may not be as exciting to the world as it was to me, but it was very special for a few reasons.  

First, I had moved form NY to SF in July and had been back once to move out the remaining furniture and junk from the apartment I had sublet. This trip was the first time I would not have a NY address. 

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"I'm turning Japanese, oh yes I'm turning Japanese I really think so"

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Originally Sept 27, 2015

I had been wanting to go to the Japanese Tea Garden since I read about an event that the SF botanical Gardens hosted during a full moon.  I am not sure exactly what you do in a Japanese Garden late at night, but I hope to find out Sept 2015. I heard the lines were long and last minute tickets were hard to find, so next year be prepared and bring a sweater.

My bucket list of Golden Gate Park alone is pretty extensive.  So far I have accomplished:

  • Tandem Biking ($30/person) except it's only "comfortable" if you are over 5'8 which I am not
  • Museum for cocktail hour at night- no children, cocktails, and an activity. On the night I went they had dance classes. Each week is a different theme. ($12/person)
  • Hardly Strictly concert (More in the next post) (free!)

All of  the above activities which were *two thumbs up* and cheap- double win!

When I went to cross off the Japanese Tea Garden from the "Golden Gate To do list" I was pleasantly surprised. It was only $6 for residents to enter and they had a restaurant inside with good food and tea. If you go in I recommend the traditional tea, edamame, and some sushi.

The garden is not that large geographically, but there are enough pockets of interesting statutes or bridges that makes walking around interesting. I assume it would be better (less crowded) to go during the week, but then again that wouldn't work for "Saturdays."

Until next time. Stay tuned.