Haunted Hotels and Honeymoons

Years ago I was invited to a early Saturday wedding in Dorrington, CA.  My husband and I drove up the long, windy Highway 4 late Friday night.  We stayed at the Dorrington Hotel, not knowing that it is reputed to be haunted.  On Friday night we were the only people staying at the hotel, and I instantly felt scared when I went into the front door.  I just got an eery feeling.  The bathrooms are down the hall from the room so I was terrified every time I went to the bathroom.  There was a journal in the room for people to write about their experiences at the hotel, and of course there was writings about paranormal activities.  If you love haunted hotels I highly recommend that you go to this hotel!

In researching the Dorrington Hotel's ghost sightings I discovered a website called haunted honeymoon.com.  The website is filled with haunted weddings, receptions, honeymoons, and other haunted places!

[Picture from http://phcal.com/cases/dorrington/index.html, which includes a discussion about paranormal activities at the Inn.]

Resources:

The Dorrington Inn
3431 Highway 4
P.O. Box 4383
Dorrington, CA  95223
1-209-795-5800
1-209-795-1140

Resource for haunted weddings, receptions, honeymoon spots, and other haunted places:
www.hauntedhoneymoon.com/

Haunted House in San Leandro open until Nov. 1st!

The Scariest haunted house in California is open through November 1st!
Plus, a portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the breast cancer research foundation
for 2012!

Resources:

Fear Overload Haunted House
Bayfair Center
15555 East 14th Street
San Leandro, CA  94578

(not recommended for children under 14)

Gondola rides, Lake Merritt, Oakland,CA

I'd love to go on a gondola on Lake Merritt!

Resources:


Gondola Servicio
Lake Merritt
http://www.gondolaservizio.com/

Venetian gondola tours in the heart of Oakland

(510) 663-6603

Square Dancing in North Oakland

Square dancing is an American institution and is embedded in our history.  Every 1st and 3rd Fridays there is square dancing in North Oakland,

Resources:

Square Dancing
Music by The Squirrelly String Band
Calling by Jordan Ruyle (with occasional guest performers)
1st and 3rd Fridays each month
8-10 PM
All levels welcome, all dances taught on the spot
$5-$10. sliding scale donation
The Niebyl-Proctor Library
6501 Telegraph Avenue
Info:  http://squirrellystringband.com

Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa - Colorado

The Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa resort has 48 fireplaces to warm up on these cool fall days.  I would love to go to this place, it sounds gorgeous!  Hopefully, I will have a chance to visit in the next few years.  Why do I want to visit?  These are the reasons:

-There are 6,000 acres on the resort lands
-On this land, there is a herd of the following animals:  elk, horses, moose, and Wagyu cattle
-The fireplace in the restourant is three stories, and is made of hand-stacked stones  from a local rockslide
-I love rustic lodges!

Picture from http://www.devilsthumbranch.com/index.cfm/page/The-Lodge/pid/11171

Bonfire-to-go

I love bonfires!  In fact, I am taking a guitar class with the dream of sitting by a bonfire at a beach and playing my guitar!

I wanted to blog about this Bonfire-to-go product as the reality of having a bonfire is not always as romantic as the fantasy.  Why?  Well, it can be really cold by the ocean in Northern California and sometimes it is hard to actually start  a fire on a cold, windy night!  Well, this product, if it works, may just contribute to the ease of having a bonfire!   I have to admit I haven't tested it out yet, but I will order one today and then blog about it.

The ad in Sunset magazine reads like this, "Grab the rope and take this chemical-free birch stump anywhere, even to a firepit at the beach.  Light the wick in the kiln dried Light n' Go Bonfire Log for a slow burn- up to 2 1/2 hours.  From $9.29."

Resources

Light n' Go Bonfire Log
From $9.29
ecoforestfirewood.com

Fun, Pop Up Dining in SF Bay Area!

Life can be boring, same restaurants, same menus!  Why not try pop-up dining?  Even the name is fun!  I've found three pop-up dining establishments in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my prediction is that the trend will grow!

Food Lab
Market Street, near McAllister
San Francisco, CA
(415) 834-5348
www.sffoodlab.com
Lunch Monday-Friday, other hours vary

The Window
1599 Howard St. (at 12th Street)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 861-5438
Lunch Monday-Friday; other hours vary

Cameron's- The Guest Chef
5337 College Ave. (near Manila)
Oakland, CA
(510) 658-7378
www.theguestchef.net

(Dinner Tuesday through Sunday)
Since Cameron's Guest Chef opened, Guest Chef has featured chefs including Joseph Humphrey, the chef-owner of Dixie in San Francisco, to Eva Santillanes, a grandmother from Mexico who had cooked only for her family.  East guest chef gets two weeks, rent free, but Cameron and the other chef share the food profits at the end of the two weeks.

At this link, you can watch the chefs at work with the restaurant Kitchen Cam!
http://www.theguestchef.net/about/kitchen-cam

Dia De La Muerta - San Francisco

The San Francisco Day of the Dead Procession and Festival of the Altars is on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. This is a fun, thoughtful, and meaningful event!  I loved it the last few times I attended.

Resources:

Dia De La Muerta
Friday, Nov. 2, 2012
6-11 PM
Festival of Altars
Garfield Park
(26th and Harrison Streets)

Guests can make an altar for a loved one that has passed away.  Making a Day of the Dead altar is a way to honor the life of someone who  is no longer with us, and to remember our ancestors.

Picture from http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/

Couples yoga and wine (childcare available)

The Bloom retreat in Walnut Creek offers Couples Yoga and Wine this Friday night from 6:30-8:30PM tonight.  They also offer childcare at a their playroom onsite!    I've never been to the couples yoga and wine, but have heard it is a really fun couples activity!

Resources:
Couples Yoga and Wine Retreat Wine
Bloom
Walnut Creek
6:30PM-8:30PM
www.bloomretreat.com

Street Circus in San Francisco

A street festival and a circus collide?  Sounds fun to me!

Acrobatic apes
riveting gypsies
poppin'mimes
Live music, dance, poetry, and more

Resources:

EMPOWER, October 27, 2012
Where Street and circus collide
Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA

For all show tickets, information, and ticket sales, please visit:
www.Soulciety.org/Empower
soulciety.org

Oktoberfest East Bay, Oct. 27,2012, waterfront

When I was in Germany, I really enjoyed the Oktoberfest festival in October.  At the Craneway Pavilion, on the waterfront, everyone will be celebrating Munich's world famous fall festival with beer, games, and music.

Resources:

Oktoberfest East Bay
www.OktoberfestEastBay.com
12 noon to 8 PM at the Craneway Pavilion
www.craneway.com
1414 Harbour Way South
Marina District
Richmond, CA  94804

The Way We Were- classic love story DVD

The Way We Were featuring Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford is one of my favorite love stories.

As said on the DVD, I love......the music, the romance, and the memories.

Resources:

The Way We Were,  DVD
Columbia Pictures, 1999
Documentary written, produced and directed by Michael M. Arick
www.cthv.com
Approx.  118 minutes

Magic Lantern for adults, Children's Fairyland

This Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 from 7-10PM is the Magic Lantern at Children's Fairyland.  It will showcase some of the Bay Area's most innovative video and projection artists, presenting  site-specific artworks amongst Fairyland's fantastical architecture, sculptures, and amusement rides.

Resources:

Magic Lantern
Friday, Oct 12, 2012
7-10PM
Adults 21+
http://fairylandmagiclantern.bpt.me

Autumn Lights Festival, Lake Merritt, Oakland,CA

This Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 6-10 PM is the Autumn Lights Festival in The Gardens of Lake Merritt.  I've never gone to this event before, but I am going to check it out this year!  Looking at the brochure I picked up a cafe convinced me, "Imagine several acres of garden filled with lanterns, carved and lit gourds, ponds glowing from submerged bubbles, and electric fireflies flickering in the trees; all created by Bay Area artists."

There will also be fire art cars and live fire performances!

Resources:

The Gardens at Lake Merritt
Autumn Lights Festival
Saturday, October 13, 2012
6-10PM
666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland,CA

$25.00
www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/277296
or $35 @ the door
Tickets include one drink

Foodies unite- Rockridge festival is today!!!!!

The Out and About Festival is today, Sunday, October 7th, 2012!  There will be music, picnic foods, and even a Chef's stage!

Resources:

Rockridgeoutandabout.com

Chef's Stage information- www.RockridgeMarketHall.com

Favorite Baguettes/Croissants in Rockridge, CA

If you can't afford a plane ticket to Paris, why not go to La Farine Boulangerie Patisserie.  They have the best croissants and baguettes in the bay area according to my opinion (and my son's who loves the chocolate croissants.)  They have a huge table where you can hang out, chat, read the newspaper while looking out on College Ave.   I love this place!

Best coffee in Rockridge- cole coffee!

     I went to Cole coffee this morning for coffee and then to the back store for coffee beans.  I personally think that Cole Coffee has the best tasting coffee in Oakland!  It is a small coffee, not very roomy.  Yet, they brew each coffee separately and it really makes a difference.  Also, the decaff is water decaffeinated, so it is healthier for you.  I love this place!

Resources:

Cole Coffee
www.colecoffee.com
6255 College Ave.
Oakland, CA  94618

phone:  1-510-653-5458

Mac and Cheese Restaurant, Oakland, CA

I took my four year old son to Homeroom Mac and Cheese Restaurant today in the Temescal area of Oakland, CA.  They had an amazing variety of mac and cheese, most of them more adult than child friendly.  In fact, when I was there it was all adults and no families.

There are even a few brunch items, and they have mimosas for brunch.

Resources:

Homeroom Restaurant
Oakland, CA
400 40th Street
510-597-0400
(Beware:  closed Mondays!)

Wedding Cake, Oakland, CA: Sugar Mill Cakes

I tasted pie and cupcakes from the owner of Sugar Mill Cake Company in Oakland,CA at a party.  Wow, her desserts are delicious!  If I was having an event or wedding I would hire her!

Resources:

Sugar Mill Cake Company
Cakes and Cupcakes for any occasion
Jessica Ahlstrand, owner
sugarmillcakes@yahoo.com
www.sugarmillcakes.com
(510) 610-8616

Wedding Site at Chileno Valley Ranch, Petaluma

Today my son and I went apple picking at the Chileno Valley Ranch in Petaluma.  We went in their barn to pay for our apples -- and my jaw practically dropped when I noticed it would be a gorgeous place for a wedding reception!

A limited number of weddings are held at the ranch during the summer months.

Call Mike or Sally at 707-765-6664 for more information.

Resources:

Chileno Valley Ranch

www.chilenobnb.com/weddings.html

5105 Chileno Valley Rd.
Petaluma, CA
94952