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