tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76393366939761808572024-02-19T08:48:10.647-08:00Sarcastic Traveler BlogAll the best: food, drink, culture, travel and dog-friendly!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-27588644162792704112011-11-04T11:44:00.001-07:002011-11-04T11:44:57.069-07:00New URL - Please update your RSS!Hey everyone. The time has come for me to grow-up (or maybe revert to childhood - depends on your viewpoint) and covert to Tumblr. Updated URL: <a href="http://sarcastictravel.tumblr.com/">sarcastictravel.tumblr.com</a><br />
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Drop in and tell me what you think!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-57071316059453547192011-09-25T22:10:00.001-07:002011-09-27T08:06:30.783-07:00Dog-Friendly NapaGreat site - I had no idea so many of these were dog friendly!<br />
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<a href="http://www.napavintners.com/wineries/dog_friendly.asp">Napa Valley - Dog Friendly Wineries</a>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-27530373665644228812011-09-09T15:52:00.000-07:002011-09-09T15:52:31.375-07:00Belmont Greek Festival - Labor Day Weekend in the Bay AreaWell, this post is a bit late, but you know - use it to plan for next year! :-)<br />
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Labor Day is just all fun-filled festival madness. We were able to make it to two of the three we wanted to attend before we just burned out.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.goholycross.org/festival/">Belmont Greek Festival</a> was something we've been hearing about all year so I was pretty excited to go. It turned out to be smaller than I expected but still nice. If you have kids, it is perfect - half the space was dedicated to kids' activities! There was a stage area where kids from the church / school were performing renditions of the Greek myths - surprisingly good performances. One kid playing Narcissus was hilarious - totally rocked that role (maybe too much??).<br />
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In the back of the church was another stage area where some serious business was happening - we caught part of a table dancing show. Get your mind out of the gutter - not the first kind of table dancing you think of, but rather THIS:<br />
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Impressive.<br />
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There were some booths selling arts, crafts and jewelry, but very few. The real draw seems to be the food. There were vendors set up outside but the word on yelp reviews was to head inside the church for the real deal. We went through line and $45 later had spanakopita, souvlaki, tiropita, and so many other things I cannot remember. We topped all that off with the hunt for loukoumades - these deep fried donut things with honey and walnuts were just ...yum.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth every penny and the food coma afterwards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unless you have kids or you are really into the stage performances, the festival goes by pretty fast. We were there two hours at most and left for a food coma induced nap.<br />
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-- Happy Festivals!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-9524389461350334132011-08-27T19:25:00.000-07:002011-08-27T19:25:50.145-07:00Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain: San Francisco PeninsulaThe park has continued to be a bit of a mystery for me - I have yet to find an official site with a trail map. However, Google Maps <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=san+juan+and+laurel+creek,+belmont,+ca&hl=en&ll=37.522695,-122.317078&spn=0.010568,0.022659&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=43.037246,92.8125&vpsrc=6&z=16">comes through for me</a>. You can see the starting point and the trails clearly on the map. This park is dog-friendly but full of critters, including a coyote that watched us from up the trail one day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCTohqhJTve6CR-_HA38-JgOt4Ko0TvUxQgg5MN7Ovsu8SeWoPcQh-J8Yofv1iLKQjid5x1p2nvGk2ZQp4crlo78K6A0OX3RXdQ0wNjhoPMbAWOq0P_7nVf-e440yZiSzhGZp4fMf/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCTohqhJTve6CR-_HA38-JgOt4Ko0TvUxQgg5MN7Ovsu8SeWoPcQh-J8Yofv1iLKQjid5x1p2nvGk2ZQp4crlo78K6A0OX3RXdQ0wNjhoPMbAWOq0P_7nVf-e440yZiSzhGZp4fMf/s400/IMG_1157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Starting at the intersection on the map, head west on Bartlett Way. There are a couple of houses on the undeveloped road (one of which has lost the bridge section of it's driveway - yikes!) then a large gate that enters the park itself. As you walk along the creek, you'll see evidence of an old home and horse corral that were on this road. There is a bit of urban myth / history about this area in <a href="http://www.weeklywalker.com/Walks%20by%20county/San%20Mateo/San%20Juan%20Canyon_Hiking%20the%20San%20Juan%20Canyon.htm">this blog</a>. Whatever the history might be, this stretch can be pretty lonely and just ... eerie. Can't explain the feeling, but it is odd.<br />
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Maybe part of the eeriness is from another random burnt-out car you'll find when you turn right up the Saltson Trail. The trail gets steeper and as you climb, watch the trees on the left. You'll see the car, part of the <a href="http://sarcastictravel.blogspot.com/2011/06/hiking-burned-out-cars-in-belmont.html">collective of burnt out cars</a> in this area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7_s4aUgzZgelD8uks6BKp369dvCEIcUO_19SORjJptIariq83i0PlmgaC_JCb8Qlre3LBUF7glLJA4LUph1PvEOUQ1X-mO3HCXFEDGOH-dhRrlS1_ZYmUpBYUdV1jpYi30Qd93t1/s1600/burn_auto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7_s4aUgzZgelD8uks6BKp369dvCEIcUO_19SORjJptIariq83i0PlmgaC_JCb8Qlre3LBUF7glLJA4LUph1PvEOUQ1X-mO3HCXFEDGOH-dhRrlS1_ZYmUpBYUdV1jpYi30Qd93t1/s400/burn_auto.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the...? Not like there is a road nearby....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>You'll reach a junction where you have a choice to make. The path the left takes you up to the houses. The path downhill takes you toward Laurelwood Park. To your right is a wonderful, steep trail to the top of the mountain! Go ahead, climb it! It rises at about a 45 degree angle in most places but it really isn't a long climb overall. From the top, you get 360 degree views of the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog in the distance, coming over the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>From the top, you can extend the hike down into Laurelwood Park where the trail narrows and can be heavy with poison oak. You emerge in the well-groomed park itself - a bit disconcerting after the wildness of Sugarloaf! Alternately, you can re-trace your steps - coming back down the path can be steep and there is loose gravel along the way. Watch yourself. </div><div><br />
</div><div>And watch for coyotes, deer and bunnies watching you from the side of the trail. ;-)</div><div><br />
</div><div>-- Happy Climbing!<br />
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</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-40507462485208066122011-08-18T10:40:00.000-07:002011-08-25T09:44:51.419-07:00Carmel Mission - From the Archives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This photo is from 2005. This California location has not changed much in recent years. Anyone able to guess where this was taken? Twitter bragging rights to the first correct guess!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Update: No one figured this one out! This is the Mission in Carmel, CA. It's full name is <a href="http://www.carmelmission.org/museum/">Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo</a> and is the last home of Junipero Serra. It is still a functioning church and school, so pick your visit time appropriately. It is one of the most beautiful missions here in California!</i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #ebdeb8; color: #3c2415;"><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original photo - courtyard of the Mission</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-- Happy Travels</div><span id="goog_1784524426"></span><span id="goog_1784524427"></span></div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-51418245187136522042011-08-11T07:26:00.000-07:002011-08-11T07:26:00.818-07:00Why am I Anonymous?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixobjTzcbjxQ5bIqZPLRnjwiAMsr7MswvHs6IhVkMeJM9xNk4ydL8q6OMMlQeAE2TY8NPbv0zu9e1t3Cv0NK_9gvigYuRWjMfVyM8oTR7DRNjN-NOoZKfleVU50dJ7M4D-UPfB1suQ/s1600/me.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixobjTzcbjxQ5bIqZPLRnjwiAMsr7MswvHs6IhVkMeJM9xNk4ydL8q6OMMlQeAE2TY8NPbv0zu9e1t3Cv0NK_9gvigYuRWjMfVyM8oTR7DRNjN-NOoZKfleVU50dJ7M4D-UPfB1suQ/s1600/me.gif" /></a></div><br />
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One of the important factors of social media is that it is ... well, SOCIAL. So how can you be social and anonymous? Yelp.com pretty much nails this belief in this statement from the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/elite">Elite Squad </a>site:<br />
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"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Yelp Eliters are expected to use their real name! We know nicknames and secret identities are fun and all, but if you want to make it into the Elite, we need to know that you are legit, and will stand by your opinionated opinions."</span><br />
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That is all pretty awesome and makes sense. However, here is why I am anonymous:<br />
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<ul><li>Safety. I am woman and often have to travel alone for work. It freaks me out that everyone in the world (who cared) could know exactly where I am every minute. And then find me.<a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1964873,00.html"> Or rob my house.</a> Either one or both at the same time. </li>
<li>I work for a company who's customers include those airlines, hotels and products that I make scathing, nasty comments about. Our customers also include the ones I really, really like - but to protect myself from massive legal fees and / or losing my job, I try to separate the work person from the snarky person. </li>
<li>If you actually know me well enough and a thing or two about the Internet, I'm really not all that anonymous. I'll talking about you, those few people who have tracked me down. </li>
</ul><div>So, I stand by my decision to keep posting anonymously. If I ever strike it rich and make a bazillion dollars, I will hire my own security detail for safety, get sharks with laser beams to protect my house and quit my job. Then I will publicly own all my "opinionated opinions" right here. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Until then, I'm just Sarcastic T.</div><div><br />
</div><div>-- Happy Stealthy Travels</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-32584200756621031162011-08-09T16:23:00.000-07:002011-08-09T16:23:27.366-07:00Random Weird - Photo Fresh<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCkeKJy8ede8nTXDaR8lczuKvEXnbAj32Fko-WxeBmErvEOvUr38BOgefwtzQJTKtFtJVoew-0Vo2qOdUjr7Ije6iz9YXNCck9hWs4zI0h2wQU25yGCuw-i93jyErxmy5Ddvd90v5/s1600/n612166943_1028890_7343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCkeKJy8ede8nTXDaR8lczuKvEXnbAj32Fko-WxeBmErvEOvUr38BOgefwtzQJTKtFtJVoew-0Vo2qOdUjr7Ije6iz9YXNCck9hWs4zI0h2wQU25yGCuw-i93jyErxmy5Ddvd90v5/s320/n612166943_1028890_7343.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">What is fresh? The fish or the restrooms?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Who knows where this is? Bragging rights on Twitter to the person who can answer in the next 48 hours.<br />
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-- Happy Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-50256242055388213962011-08-02T09:46:00.000-07:002011-08-05T15:22:13.544-07:00Breaking from the Crowd: Peninsula ChefsAs San Franciscans, we are very proud of our local culinary talents. "Big-box" and francises are frowned on and openly blocked at times. The irony - as you leave the city, folks assume all you have is McDonalds and second-rate chefs who couldn't "make it" in the city.<br />
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An interesting trend says the opposite: some chefs have tired of the city or come down the peninsula to do things their way, to find less expensive locations and to take root in smaller, growing downtowns.<br />
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My favorite example: <a href="http://refugesc.com/">The Refuge</a> in San Carlos. The menu: burgers, pastrami, belgian beer, foie gras. Eclectic to say the least, but the shining stars are the beer and the pastrami. I can't say I was a huge fan of pastrami before - it was one of those "meh" things. However, I clearly had never had REAL pastrami - anything pastrami-based on the menu is stunning. The foie gras is always amazing and the seasonal changes to the menu give enough variety that if I ever wanted to try something else, I could. Vegetarians are not left out - there are usually a couple of vegetarian dishes and steamed veggies on the menu. But wait - it gets better! They have a nice covered outdoor area with heat lamps and they are dog-friendly!<br />
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In San Mateo, <a href="http://www.231ellsworth.com/index.htm">231 Ellsworth</a> boasts their chef left Masa's in San Francisco to join the peninsula crowd - and clearly, this has worked well for both the chef and the restaurant. They are both Michelin recommended and won the Opentable 2011 Diners' Choice award.<br />
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Do you have a favorite peninsula place that highlights an escapist chef? Please share it!<br />
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-- Happy Eating!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-9742115447486674252011-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:002011-07-27T11:31:07.169-07:00Eat: True Food Kitchen: Newport BeachI love food and it really takes something special for me to dedicate a full post to one restaurant. On a recent visit to Orange County, I found that place - <a href="http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations-menus/california/fashion-island.php">True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMKapUDVotLfGplNn8rBU8KjUueCYEURBVCNVFuk-LZdgJOnm-THwhirJ8vqMEWCQFOMThtABD-pGOVqckrQStPDn-zRLIVr0eqkgJhXkZOhh6nREFFvkFSmelzPkMTarIxdaq_HK/s1600/TF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMKapUDVotLfGplNn8rBU8KjUueCYEURBVCNVFuk-LZdgJOnm-THwhirJ8vqMEWCQFOMThtABD-pGOVqckrQStPDn-zRLIVr0eqkgJhXkZOhh6nREFFvkFSmelzPkMTarIxdaq_HK/s320/TF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you aren't familiar, the menus are designed around the <a href="http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/about/dr-weils-food-pyramid.php">food pyramid created by Dr. Andrew Weil</a>. This pyramid is a bit more diverse than the one we all know and love from our childhood, but also much more interesting (note the addition of red wine - I could really fall in love with THIS pyramid).<br />
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The restaurant itself is very hip, with lots of square edges, concrete and steel, and chunky wood furniture. It is noisy. And on a Thursday night it was packed beyond belief. So, while waiting for our table, we ordered from the bar - but not what you'd expect. There was no booze in these drinks (they do have some cocktails and wine), instead they were handcrafted fruit and veggie drinks. I was a bit skeptical but the Cucumber Refresher won me over. Yum!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrOKn70PVRBVwjCbtRTaOhhxK0KCRQ4WQI8R1n4VUzVkM_UyObw_G7DmyD8iGD2oBwGFTcRuQiE6oxjOemX2duUH8LRXMIj6CxrGVQR4PXLU_bj8sImdeqMUOo69rM8v92OGUBEC-/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrOKn70PVRBVwjCbtRTaOhhxK0KCRQ4WQI8R1n4VUzVkM_UyObw_G7DmyD8iGD2oBwGFTcRuQiE6oxjOemX2duUH8LRXMIj6CxrGVQR4PXLU_bj8sImdeqMUOo69rM8v92OGUBEC-/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
When we got to the eating part, we ordered the Edamame Dumplings and I thought I was going to devour them all and not share with the table. Thank goodness we had two orders. Simple idea, but simple is good. Amazing flavor combination. For dinner I ordered the Ahi Tuna Sliders. Good idea, not so good for actually trying to eat. Biting into lightly seared Ahi Tuna on a mini-bun isn't easy. I had to break mine down and just go at with a fork and knife. The Kale Salad though - OMG. I snarfed it all down and looked around for me. When I got back home, I looked up the recipe and began making it at home. Who would have thought? Kale. Delicious!<br />
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The staff were helpful and pleasant, though I think our server might have been a bit new and wasn't 100% on what to suggest on the menu or how to explain the dishes. We managed. Oh boy, did we manage....<br />
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Dessert? No room left, had to skip it.<br />
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-- Happy Delicious Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-85281548592334986452011-07-23T11:51:00.000-07:002011-07-23T11:51:00.287-07:00Hiking the Bay Area: Best tools for finding the best spotsOne of the amazing things about the San Francisco Bay area is all the open space and protected green space around us. For such a densely populated area, we are really fortunate in how many accessible parks and open spaces exist. Even better, the terrain varies significantly within a small radius: hike the redwoods, walk the beach, jog along the Bay, hike in the golden hills. Your pick.<br />
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So how do you find the best hiking?<br />
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I've been in the Bay Area over 10 years and one of my favorite sites is still <a href="http://bahiker.com/">Bay Area Hiker</a>. The author takes you on a turn-by-turn of each hike, rates the difficulty level, tells you the distance and the time to complete the hike. It is also sorted by kid-friendly, dog-friendly, easy hikes and more. It is the first place I visit when looking for something new to hike.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-DfR5DJo-9pzYQuRSPe5Pl4rI3ysE82FhAmUtFILIJ0YOQZlEvo-HLxCk3HyipEMLWXRnjnr7wY4JJtJOhMO08SMuYfBIP1rvHBeQYTe58j2LyFXBwk4iULWyRUSn74R7HUbSGuI0B9f/s1600/2030561end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-DfR5DJo-9pzYQuRSPe5Pl4rI3ysE82FhAmUtFILIJ0YOQZlEvo-HLxCk3HyipEMLWXRnjnr7wY4JJtJOhMO08SMuYfBIP1rvHBeQYTe58j2LyFXBwk4iULWyRUSn74R7HUbSGuI0B9f/s320/2030561end.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BA Hiker now has a blog at <a href="http://bayareahiker.blogspot.com/">http://bayareahiker.blogspot.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Another long-time favorite has been <a href="http://geocaching.com/">Geocaching.com</a>. When this first hit the scene, we were living in Seattle and it was a big hit there. It still seems to be a bit of an obscure "sport" but it is a fantastic way to find hiking trails you would not normally explore. Even if you don't play the game, you can use it find great spots in your area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ci.norco.ca.us/images/g-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://www.ci.norco.ca.us/images/g-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
These days, mobile apps have made hiking even more accessible. Of course, the first awesome hiking app is Google Maps on your phone. In most areas, you can see the trails marked on the map for those times when you make a wrong turn. This saved my a*s at least once when I stubbornly kept going on a washed out trail and had to find my way back to something that was actually a trail.<br />
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For those of us needing dog-friendly hiking areas (on-leash or off-leash), the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dog-park-finder/id362002678?mt=8">Dog Parks app</a> is very good. It gives you the basic information you need to find locations that are dog-friendly. On a recent trip to Half Moon Bay, this became an essential tool to find a beach that allowed dogs.<br />
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And my new favorite app: <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/iphone/">Geocaching on the iPhone</a>. I have always been a bit annoyed by having to run batches, download them into my GPS and then remember to take my GPS with me. Or have batteries in the device that aren't dead. I know, get over it right? I was always hoping for something that would just tell me what was around me - I may not always have time to plan ahead and download caches to a GPS. I guess I wasn't the only one - Geocaching.com has an iPhone app that totally rocks. Even though my mobile is on ATT and my coverage is ... "spotty" at best, I can almost always get enough signal to track and download the cache info. It has only failed me once when I was deep in a creek canyon.<br />
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I'm always looking for the newest and greatest - what is your favorite?<br />
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-- Happy Trails!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-60567497614487418712011-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:002011-07-21T08:24:00.914-07:00PHOTOS: San Francisco Weird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Corner of Haight and Laguna in San Francisco:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2X5BAdNoytL3RmC9nH5SyBnhMD33ezJwFqWtrk96XsCzsxdfzvwvCqvZRPV2cHMzj5NXicxTZtz83_MLzCXvQRwyeQvAiQ-M5xMo4P9mQxGnhUdB_gvMPtzmorDQfaUFHh7aomYR7/s1600/164351_10150123390611944_612166943_7716780_5203813_n+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2X5BAdNoytL3RmC9nH5SyBnhMD33ezJwFqWtrk96XsCzsxdfzvwvCqvZRPV2cHMzj5NXicxTZtz83_MLzCXvQRwyeQvAiQ-M5xMo4P9mQxGnhUdB_gvMPtzmorDQfaUFHh7aomYR7/s320/164351_10150123390611944_612166943_7716780_5203813_n+%25281%2529.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Random along a street on the peninsula, near San Mateo:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFomRJczkrxwQgvN3DrT0Kmtps1giHw27bbRIy6JJ9D2HRUZg6eVwJq64yDObTKcgVNVa4I6WXG0owQdMlcdjkMXGmrXUWc1ElezwBIFVTiXCpXth1mYpYPigIHuT-STPe2MbpBx/s1600/smiley_rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFomRJczkrxwQgvN3DrT0Kmtps1giHw27bbRIy6JJ9D2HRUZg6eVwJq64yDObTKcgVNVa4I6WXG0owQdMlcdjkMXGmrXUWc1ElezwBIFVTiXCpXth1mYpYPigIHuT-STPe2MbpBx/s320/smiley_rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-- Happy (Weird) Travels!</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-5441872181338093162011-07-20T07:35:00.000-07:002011-07-20T07:35:01.637-07:00Huntington Beach: No Dogs AllowedOn a recent trip to Orange County to attend a big Shiba Inu meet-up in Anaheim, those of us traveling in from other areas decided to stay in Huntington Beach. After all, it has a huge dog beach and was voted one of the<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/news/dog-129056-city-friendly.html"> most dog-friendly cities</a> in California.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E2_RK6uQ-v4A0tcrcF1vvLnRVOcz7PsoFedjDj1X7YJsLEEnbLWkm5QDoIYejNA2bbXTZADf2L8U6DnXf0LKgWQmzMFMefEPzL4dF1EHWhKsj-5-EW1RPTHtc_CZ8LL5zTYGnaor/s1600/P7150085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E2_RK6uQ-v4A0tcrcF1vvLnRVOcz7PsoFedjDj1X7YJsLEEnbLWkm5QDoIYejNA2bbXTZADf2L8U6DnXf0LKgWQmzMFMefEPzL4dF1EHWhKsj-5-EW1RPTHtc_CZ8LL5zTYGnaor/s320/P7150085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from HB Dog Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Not so anymore. It was very dog UN-FRIENDLY overall. The Dog Beach is still very good - it goes on for a good long stretch and has enough of a bluff to keep the dogs from escaping onto the Pacific Coast Highway. However, it is pretty crowded and narrow and folks hang out there with their kids. For someone use to Fort Funston, it was a bit of a difference.<br />
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The bigger issue was the "<a href="http://articles.ocregister.com/2009-09-02/cities/24671731_1_dog-beach-service-dogs-dog-fancy">no-dogs allowed</a>" policy for all restaurant patios in the downtown / Main Street area and through-out the city.<br />
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Every patio had an iron fence around it with a large sign stating no dogs. I asked one of the owners and he said they had gotten multiple tickets, so they had to enforce the rule.<br />
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Shorebreak Hotel continues to be dog-friendly - check out this little Shiba's own <a href="http://www.tokyoshiba.com/2011/07/surf-city-here-i-come.html">review of the facilities</a>. Because it is their own property, Shorebreak can continue to allow dogs on their restaurant patio.<br />
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Overall, it was very disappointing that they had limited things so much in Surf City - but with California being what it is, there are plenty of other places to go that are dog-friendly! (I'm looking at you Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Francisco)!<br />
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-- Happy Travels (woof!)Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-8959772791470807242011-07-18T09:36:00.000-07:002011-07-18T09:36:22.618-07:00California - The Big EmptySometimes I forget just how empty California can be - it is such a very big state and population hubs tend to be along the coast with a few spots in the central valley.<br />
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Driving back from LA the weekend of Carmagedden, I was forced to take a back road here and there. From I-5 to Hwy 101, there is a long winding highway: 166. It is gorgeous, lonely and reminded me of the sheer diversity of California's plant life and terrain.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX05IClpI6gO3qRL7eP5UowJZY5E35yDYFd48jBjEcSIogm-WIwbotxY1bItni0Minokur4UzIqJ82tYuPrVDcKdbHa7kjCx1lgJnGwRz3m-zSxpCW-JHmhfQHuooEi6BDkRmHSDkx/s1600/IMG_0966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX05IClpI6gO3qRL7eP5UowJZY5E35yDYFd48jBjEcSIogm-WIwbotxY1bItni0Minokur4UzIqJ82tYuPrVDcKdbHa7kjCx1lgJnGwRz3m-zSxpCW-JHmhfQHuooEi6BDkRmHSDkx/s320/IMG_0966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-2v_RKbO404YIcDzd1luqOKzoYwtoaTkP5KJlZNj2Q4TLGN6o6L-DuZehA3Fa7XMT88nkF5CLhbSznItbbT1RWQhxWdecWAkmg8ofFsTP7jfD9Y8RGpE3bEZMSJ31_17HxFyyS-b/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-2v_RKbO404YIcDzd1luqOKzoYwtoaTkP5KJlZNj2Q4TLGN6o6L-DuZehA3Fa7XMT88nkF5CLhbSznItbbT1RWQhxWdecWAkmg8ofFsTP7jfD9Y8RGpE3bEZMSJ31_17HxFyyS-b/s320/IMG_0968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>-- Happy Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-4868017114427886312011-07-11T12:15:00.000-07:002011-07-11T12:18:28.415-07:00Bay Area: Treasure Island Flea MarketOn a recent Saturday, we decided to brave the bridge and head over to Treasure Island for a new flea market. Treasure Island is one of those Bay Area places you tend to forget. It is an odd place to reach - you have to halfway cross the Bay Bridge and exit to the left. If you are coming from the San Francisco side, you don't have to pay the toll coming or going - but from the Oakland side you will have to pay up. The views are worth the effort though.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMq4Mm-UlJ7wvfJXavqyfUoizCBHo7G_aXF8699C1E4Rlek1_i4zzPzEtLckf1NH4Zky1PfQmciidGiXDn1GU4rQTIrybYrbV1x9RZMfYRFE9kX0r4q23_mDw-UkxSazx-W7miWa/s1600/IMG_0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMq4Mm-UlJ7wvfJXavqyfUoizCBHo7G_aXF8699C1E4Rlek1_i4zzPzEtLckf1NH4Zky1PfQmciidGiXDn1GU4rQTIrybYrbV1x9RZMfYRFE9kX0r4q23_mDw-UkxSazx-W7miWa/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city on the Bay: View from TI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Bay Area flea market has seen a bit of a boom in the past year, growing from one major event a month to three a month. The grand-daddy of them all is the Alameda Flea Market (technically called the <a href="http://alamedapointantiquesfaire.com/index.php">Alameda Point Antiques Faire</a>) - never been, but I hear it is madness. The <a href="http://www.candlestickantiques.com/default.asp">Candlestick Flea Market</a> opened last year and again - haven't been. It was rained out most of last fall and we haven't made it yet this year.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.treasureislandflea.com/">flea market at Treasure Island</a> was an un-expected pleasure. It is still small so parking was simple at 9:30am and even getting there on the Bay Bridge was traffic free (shocking). The space between booths was wide enough that you could move freely and there was a good mix of vendors: steam punk jewelry, vintage clothes, new clothing, furniture (old and new), wine barrels and such, organic plants, costume jewelry, antique metal "stuff", and so on.<br />
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As an added bonus, FOOD. The mini-donut booth was awesome. Fresh made donuts with choices of topping. Yum yum. There were hot-dogs and a greek booth. Then there were the food trucks: garlic noodles, waffles and a few others I don't remember because I was so focused on getting garlic noodles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3wDJVGVFATUaPlJuJLN2V8hBW1CZDbu_uXVQjm5QEfryTI46hi07VAVULuLFYCj1MEckNC-NkiI8he31dk_XMrenfRiaHsrJGOXIJ6ZnU0obEWEInJqKGKuvVfob36kXc94jfCji/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3wDJVGVFATUaPlJuJLN2V8hBW1CZDbu_uXVQjm5QEfryTI46hi07VAVULuLFYCj1MEckNC-NkiI8he31dk_XMrenfRiaHsrJGOXIJ6ZnU0obEWEInJqKGKuvVfob36kXc94jfCji/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final bonus: the venue is dog-friendly and for paying our $3 entry, we received a card for free entry next time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And did I mention the totally awesome finds? Thankfully they even have an ATM on site. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-- Happy Shopping!</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-8377880046542419262011-06-26T15:26:00.000-07:002011-06-26T15:26:45.911-07:00Hiking: Burned out cars in BelmontThe San Francisco peninsula has tons of open spaces and terrific hiking areas. One of my favorite sites, <a href="http://bahiker.com/">Bay Area Hiker</a>, does a great job of giving you all the info needed to find good hikes. Armed with an iPhone and the <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/iphone/default.aspx">Geocaching app</a> (or old school, using a GPS and the <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/default.aspx">website</a>), you can find all sorts of unexpected things along the trails.<br />
<br />
Recently the little dog and I have been hiking in Belmont and we've noticed an odd thing: burned out / rusted cars. On the trails, far from any actual roads.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQBenmbADFZwbJ6QxKDdaYw89FsSVS7HPff2UG39anPq9rjtPjkXqzVZlb14kvRc55l-UhzgCpK1GzsBQ2F9ggMPQunpNHomlOPDZcL4R9_NysZDF-xhX5xu9cPG40MC-yCacd503/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQBenmbADFZwbJ6QxKDdaYw89FsSVS7HPff2UG39anPq9rjtPjkXqzVZlb14kvRc55l-UhzgCpK1GzsBQ2F9ggMPQunpNHomlOPDZcL4R9_NysZDF-xhX5xu9cPG40MC-yCacd503/s320/IMG_0528.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No road nearby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The first we found was off the Chaparral Trail in <a href="http://www.belmont.gov/Upload/Document/D240001116/OpenSpaceTrailMap2005.pdf">Water Dog Lake Park</a>. At the time, I didn't have my geocaching equipment with me, but there is a geocache around here I think. A note on the website says this car is "maintained" by the park rangers.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>The second one we found off the trail in the <a href="http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGS013-014">Sugarloaf / Laurelwood Park</a>. We came in via the entrance off Laurel Creek Road, taking the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=belmont,+ca&hl=en&ll=37.519921,-122.318151&spn=0.010143,0.022659&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.360684,92.8125&z=16">Salson Trail</a>. This was a weekday hike and the park was silent - when something shifted in the car, little dog and I both startled. It was almost guaranteed to be wildlife moving around, but too many years in San Francisco made me suspicious someone was living in it and since there was no cell coverage in that area - I didn't stick around to take photos. Next time!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Finally, the third one we've found was again in the <a href="http://www.belmont.gov/Upload/Document/D240001116/OpenSpaceTrailMap2005.pdf">Belmont open preserve space</a>, along the Rambler trail heading toward Canyon Creek Trail. </div><div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPOAQ0mwN6K_iDK8hYd8k8XQRBriU9_Rd-VPbSGfU6Gaqt-yVWwn5MoqUUcFMRO5l87hDbojKBsPOYd_dodHbpbN9K-tnEdbAghpn-elrhZWT-0Uhe9-JyC6NYG5fwJzHdwGMragQ/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPOAQ0mwN6K_iDK8hYd8k8XQRBriU9_Rd-VPbSGfU6Gaqt-yVWwn5MoqUUcFMRO5l87hDbojKBsPOYd_dodHbpbN9K-tnEdbAghpn-elrhZWT-0Uhe9-JyC6NYG5fwJzHdwGMragQ/s320/IMG_0824.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Car Bridge?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This one was just super-cool in my opinion. How on earth that car got there, I can't imagine - but to make it part of the trail was a very cool idea. </div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOyxO-Db0uAL1G0uv0reJXuXUwsDk2otUkYhUuplH4i89BHaIYs7eOf-YYYx2Me4hvqjlPh22fgNwKlFTbaR4uByJoV2pDBbbB64MdiBm7TiDm6kMqQoJnqNKu9j3EmTOAxp48CN-/s1600/IMG_0829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOyxO-Db0uAL1G0uv0reJXuXUwsDk2otUkYhUuplH4i89BHaIYs7eOf-YYYx2Me4hvqjlPh22fgNwKlFTbaR4uByJoV2pDBbbB64MdiBm7TiDm6kMqQoJnqNKu9j3EmTOAxp48CN-/s320/IMG_0829.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hipstamtic shot of the car bridge from the other side</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>It's still a mystery to me how these got down into these canyons. All of the cars seem to be from around the 50's, so maybe there was a road through here before. Highway 280 isn't far away, so there could have been a road through the hills and mountains. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I'll leave you with this final mystery:</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8rSTlepfAioDbLrwWw9KkVJEuQ6L5hmlss1HvD8OSg_gi91aRVEzUFbaJcAikJJfubj_wNazL7o_M2kD_HGvb0tajCAe8Kd5b-k10K1zYVGxaqluhD3TrBnmUgQYoQ7uesLxhkia/s1600/IMG_0821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8rSTlepfAioDbLrwWw9KkVJEuQ6L5hmlss1HvD8OSg_gi91aRVEzUFbaJcAikJJfubj_wNazL7o_M2kD_HGvb0tajCAe8Kd5b-k10K1zYVGxaqluhD3TrBnmUgQYoQ7uesLxhkia/s320/IMG_0821.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign is so old the tree grew around it. Trail is only 2 feet wide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>-- Happy Hiking!<br />
<div><br />
<div><br />
<br />
</div><div><span id="goog_1093523985"></span><span id="goog_1093523986"></span><br />
<br />
</div></div></div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-29482049009605641982011-01-21T08:58:00.000-08:002011-01-21T08:58:03.518-08:00London Heathrow: Terminal 3Don't expect to get through LHR quickly for international flights out of T3.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>One you get past security you will find the "World of Shopping". I don't know<br />
what it this area is really called but it is extremely annoying. The bright lights and strong<br />
smells of perfume stop people in their tracks. Eyes glazed over, they<br />
stare around while blocking the narrow winding pathway through the<br />
mega-duty free shop. If you can muddle through and pass up all the<br />
lovely (fake) deals, you come to an open seating area where a sign<br />
clearly informs you that if you are headed to gates 20-22 you may want<br />
to plan for a 20 minute walk. Son of a .....<br />
<br />
I made it to my gate in 10. I also think I knocked over at least one<br />
person along the way. Folks have a tendency to lollygag in Heathrow.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong - I actually like London Heathrow overall. But the<br />
standard international flight rule of getting to the airport two hours<br />
before departure is a bit misguided for this airport.<br />
<br />
The Star Alliance Lounge is nice but always very busy. The World of<br />
Shopping is extensive but I've never had time to browse. Food stops<br />
seem good but again: no time to stop and enjoy.<br />
<br />
Really, my biggest complaint is just the sheer size of the place and<br />
the comatose passengers wandering aimlessly. Due to these factors, I'd<br />
get there a bit earlier than two hours. See my note on <a href="http://sarcastictravel.blogspot.com/2011/01/virgin-america-you-can-do-better-with.html">Virgin Atlantic systems</a><br />
on more reasons why you might need the time.<br />
<br />
-- Happy (Fast!) Travels</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-24614770286135411672011-01-19T16:14:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:14:33.968-08:00In flight experience: Virgin AtlanticI do not know how United Airlines manages to make their seats so<br />
hideously uncomfortable, but they are indeed masters of making even<br />
simple things complex and horrid.<br />
<br />
It was therefore a nice change to have an economy seat that was at<br />
least comfortable on my bum. While I am never happy to fly economy,<br />
the in-flight experience on Virgin Atlantic was a big change.<br />
<br />
The seat bottoms were more comfortable and they have about one more<br />
inch of pitch than United. The in-flight entertainment is a larger<br />
screen than I expected and all of the movies, games, audio and TV were<br />
free. The headphones were even slightly better (though still cheapies)<br />
than what you would receive on other airlines. The audio quality was<br />
good and clear. My only major problem was my system freaked out and<br />
went to a command line and would not reboot. I rang for an attendant<br />
and she immediately reset my system. The game / remote controller was<br />
a bit touchy and took a bit to get use to. I could see some non-techie<br />
travelers getting frustrated with it.<br />
<br />
The amenities during the flight were very nice. Food was of decent<br />
quality and alcoholic drinks are free on all international flights. A<br />
kit was handed out that provided you with a eye mask and socks.<br />
<br />
An upgrade to Premium Economy is really much closer to being in<br />
Business class. The seats are bigger and wider - it isn't just about a<br />
few extra inches of legroom on this airline. Beverages, including<br />
sparkling wine are served before take-off. The food is a bit better<br />
<div>and the amenity kit includes earplugs. I was seated in a bulkhead</div><div> and the flight attendant brought us footrests after take-off.<br />
<div><br />
Finally, the Virgin staff are lovely people. Very helpful, very<br />
friendly. They seem to like their jobs, enjoy working with people and<br />
want to help make your flight pleasant. In a time where most airlines<br />
seem staffed with bitter, jaded individuals, this attitude was a<br />
welcome change.</div></div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-80939802662586566972011-01-16T12:19:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:15:17.163-08:00Virgin Atlantic: You can do better with your systemsI have frequently discussed how much I love Virgin America and how<br />
much I loathe United Airlines even though I am a Premier Executive<br />
flyer with them. On a recent trip to London I decided to fly Virgin<br />
Atlantic. One month before I had flown United to London and as usual,<br />
it was horrid. Their seats are super uncomfortable and despite having<br />
status I was trapped in horrible coach seats both directions.<br />
Appalling.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://sarcastictravel.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-flight-experience-virgin-atlantic.html">another post</a> I discuss the in-flight experience with Virgin<br />
Atlantic. This post is about their systems. Compared to the ease of<br />
use of the America line, Virgin Atlantic has a way to go. Check-in<br />
online is not intuitive. When asked about your checked luggage, it<br />
shows you a graph of your allowed bags and then asks you how many<br />
EXTRA bags you need. Once you decipher this, you check-in but cannot<br />
pick your seat until after you have checked in.<br />
<br />
I changed my seat after check-in and received a confirmation saying if<br />
I had changed my seat, it would not be reflected in this confirmation<br />
message. Really? How incredibly backwards.<br />
<br />
Next issue: upgrades. They are available but not through online<br />
check-in nor at the check-in kiosk at the airport. When I inquired at<br />
the bag drop counter (which had a very long line at both airports) I<br />
was able to upgrade to Premium Economy. The agent there assigned my<br />
seat then directed me to ANOTHER line to actually make the payment and<br />
get my boarding pass.<br />
<br />
And this is why I was knocking people over as I hurried to my gate in<br />
Heathrow, despite getting there early.<br />
<br />
I expected better from Virgin Atlantic given how smooth systems are<br />
for Virgin America.Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-14088035965890237272010-12-08T17:59:00.000-08:002010-12-08T17:59:09.237-08:00Random Photo: Killarney Ireland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0DhV8FCTw5ond_JSjuHuDF6PDOP_WUykmbyQVBgc_hyphenhyphen3ag3W2pS16zYDy9z4bo3E8M77esbflzqh-H7d9C_HgFMqGjvXnhty2hGb33pN4BmxziJtK2nyklYifp1TxMf8OaB5XBQb/s1600/IMG_1505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0DhV8FCTw5ond_JSjuHuDF6PDOP_WUykmbyQVBgc_hyphenhyphen3ag3W2pS16zYDy9z4bo3E8M77esbflzqh-H7d9C_HgFMqGjvXnhty2hGb33pN4BmxziJtK2nyklYifp1TxMf8OaB5XBQb/s320/IMG_1505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Overlooking the lake at <a href="http://www.lakehotel.com/">The Lake Hotel, Killarney, Ireland</a>. This was one of the most amazing places I have ever stayed. We were there in October and it was so peaceful and quiet. The grounds, the rooms, the staff - all were amazing.Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-87371437276035531052010-12-05T17:18:00.000-08:002010-12-05T17:18:04.159-08:00TSA in the International Terminal at SFOThe security line tonight was very short in the international terminal at SFO. However, they were directing everyone to the body scanner vs. the metal detector. I refused the scan and went through the metal detector and then waited. <div><br />
</div><div>The TSA agent who did the pat-down recorded it and asked why I did not want to go through the body-scanner. I actually found this the most invasive part of the whole process - none of their business why I don't want to go through!</div><div><br />
</div><div>The secured my belongings and then took me over to the chairs - it was a public pat-down but I was informed if I wanted it to be private it could be. The TSA agent was polite and it was over fairly quick and wasn't as invasive as I expected. What was interesting is she then put her gloves through the machine that tests for bomb and explosive residue. I had to wait for that to be completed and then could gather my stuff and leave. </div><div><br />
</div><div>-- Happy Travels!</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-66270909857010360192010-12-03T14:26:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:26:12.341-08:00Heading to LondonIt has been ages since I was in London and I would be looking forward to the trip except for:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>TSA groping (I will be opting out of the body scan if requested to go through it)</li>
<li>There is snow in the UK currently. Lots of it. </li>
</ol><div>Good news - it is a direct flight so no delayed or cancelled connections!</div><div><br />
</div><div>-- Happy Travels (?)</div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-36574593465358388832010-11-16T18:28:00.000-08:002010-11-16T18:28:39.973-08:00Full body scans at the airportI can't say I have all the facts in this one, but I do find it interesting the <a href="http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/11/new-jersey-full-body-scans/131296/1?csp=34travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodayTravel-Flights+%28Travel+-+Flights+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher">New Jersey government is standing up to the feds</a> on this topic. <br />
<br />
Does anyone out there actually enjoy flying anymore? I love to travel, but flying has just become more and more depressing and demoralizing. Rude staff, problems with online technology, higher fares, fees on top of fees on top of more fees. Now add the new security screenings to the list.<br />
<br />
Is it necessary? Last I heard, x-rays are bad for you. Even <a href="http://www.radiologydaily.com/daily/medical-ethics/even-pilots-rebel-at-new-airport-x-ray-scans/">pilots are balking</a> at the invasive technique. This all feels like something where one guy knows another guy and the are BFFs. Guy #1 owns a company that makes full-body X-ray machines while Guy #2 is in power at the TSA. Suddenly, viola! Everyone needs a full-body scan to make us all "safe".<br />
<br />
Here is an idea: use dogs. Dogs can smell drugs, explosives, money and even bed bugs. And don't give me the excuse it takes too long to train dogs - it has taken how many years for these x-ray machines to be rolled out?<br />
<br />
On final word: I'm buying one of these t-shirts. I love the sarcasm!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXU7Sdgwcs4RNXy1ccFwYgTK7BP5WlBqZiu1M8whSf7Hz4vGjQdzWnAlQBSUHIlgZYY-8vbw3PdEMxfIqVZDx0XAiDOvxZ7G2OsF62mkOq4wRkkLolxi_krLAqOcNvRI6SfCIAhUnW/s320/TSAmodel.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.despair.com/tsa.html">http://www.despair.com/tsa.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-- Happy Travels? </div>Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-79982678080819675772010-11-06T13:52:00.000-07:002010-11-06T13:52:29.214-07:00Wine and Spirits: Alameda, CASometimes there is just nothing like being a tourist in your own local area. Here in San Francisco, we tend to stay in the city on the weekends and avoid the traffic and toll booths. During Fleet Week in October, we decided to get out of the city and see what kind of trouble we could find.<br />
<br />
We journeyed across the Bay Bridge to <a href="http://www.ci.alameda.ca.us/">Alameda</a>. Technically Alameda is an island, but it is pretty well connected to the mainland. Formerly a naval post, it is also blessed with some great views of the city. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwoawPpwz6rn2oqwsWATcmPsEl9O7dNolRm2TkFaTpOhM_bfoKSC5pBuq1o6vkhuhHmyslh4sEVEMuEIyBtD2Lyx3g9lTzvNd72HOFchP4r40o4d9UH_LzGJZxaBMS_YemYQQVrEn/s1600/Untitled+0+00+09-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwoawPpwz6rn2oqwsWATcmPsEl9O7dNolRm2TkFaTpOhM_bfoKSC5pBuq1o6vkhuhHmyslh4sEVEMuEIyBtD2Lyx3g9lTzvNd72HOFchP4r40o4d9UH_LzGJZxaBMS_YemYQQVrEn/s320/Untitled+0+00+09-24.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from St. George Spirits</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVilwBYRtaQ4EBONiTIpydRyw2I_oQmu7EgVf6IrV-MJDIPiwHsYSz-v44KzRuFHagu9TNE_9jibAs3S_QLCZTOtbBhWW3OId8mYHPdguBX9CtXn2br8CfIVw5tuNNjAvjX8yUvSV/s1600/Untitled+0+00+14-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVilwBYRtaQ4EBONiTIpydRyw2I_oQmu7EgVf6IrV-MJDIPiwHsYSz-v44KzRuFHagu9TNE_9jibAs3S_QLCZTOtbBhWW3OId8mYHPdguBX9CtXn2br8CfIVw5tuNNjAvjX8yUvSV/s320/Untitled+0+00+14-28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Our first stop was <a href="http://www.stgeorgespirits.com/">St. George Spirits</a>. These guys were the first to start distilling absinthe when it was re-legalized in the United States. Housed in an old hanger, their vodka reflects their home: Hanger One Vodka. This is consistently one of the best vodkas I have ever had. The "Straight" vodka is so smooth you won't know it is vodka. The infused vodkas are amazing - many infusions have a "fake" taste to them, as if the artificial flavor was added after distillation. Hanger One actually distills the fruit for the vodka and you can taste the difference. The Buddha's Hand vodka is superb. Frankly, I can't name one that isn't. They do limited releases and I'm still pining over the Chipolte Vodka - I so want another bottle but it is all gone and they don't know if / when they will distill it again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4igxLMdtt99n5IoaGlS7iIHedX75PqBHntHLc-gA0_zcD8vu6iZK_01X8LJIravprzheqSRF_6h43le0R8olSdBUqX8Wr6Oxnir0InoJMXZ4E5xJ_ECcPOt_ZXijEIyFn_H3VpmM/s1600/Untitled+0+00+00-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4igxLMdtt99n5IoaGlS7iIHedX75PqBHntHLc-gA0_zcD8vu6iZK_01X8LJIravprzheqSRF_6h43le0R8olSdBUqX8Wr6Oxnir0InoJMXZ4E5xJ_ECcPOt_ZXijEIyFn_H3VpmM/s320/Untitled+0+00+00-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha Hand Vodka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Another big hit from the distillery is the new Firelit liquor. Brandy based, this is infused with cold-brewed <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle coffee</a> - a Bay Area favorite. I'm not usually a fan of coffee liquors, but this one is extremely good. You can sip it alone and skip the espresso on summer nights!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjRiw7PQC_jZ99iyG8a1QGLIqgw8uTrBqEJPtUz38ucRg-kDUgq6JAElUL1MGk3rD8nGVcKspbSZV34VkKSlRX4rxTO7uDgEv-FjLwBv5IW9U1zs8OkEdc_C48aYjDGKZglVF9F3A/s1600/Untitled+0+00+04-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjRiw7PQC_jZ99iyG8a1QGLIqgw8uTrBqEJPtUz38ucRg-kDUgq6JAElUL1MGk3rD8nGVcKspbSZV34VkKSlRX4rxTO7uDgEv-FjLwBv5IW9U1zs8OkEdc_C48aYjDGKZglVF9F3A/s320/Untitled+0+00+04-07.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We took the pup with us, and unfortunately St. George will not allow dogs into the tasting room. We didn't get an reason behind this, but I suspect it is because the tasting room and the distillery are all in one building.<br />
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Less than a mile away from St. George is the tasting room for <a href="https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/gateway.jsp;jsessionid=4B855DD8C8E981C1A6148978CB66F7F8">Rosenblum Cellars</a>. Very friendly crew here and they are dog-friendly, allowing dogs into the tasting room! Their strength is their zinfandels, but be sure to try the dessert wines also. Everything is reasonably priced and the staff are very helpful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mk8c8R0yYSwfbOV-5rhxNNFxfqLacTZ_K6IIdyLDVm25slMF2Ak_sl1bvot-CgW-WnGK7zY6FXzRXUA40WlyqOaIiMqpgFkEl_olaC2l6puwGJjq8RQY0GktOfxrk132Y8SA1lUs/s1600/Untitled+0+00+05-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Mk8c8R0yYSwfbOV-5rhxNNFxfqLacTZ_K6IIdyLDVm25slMF2Ak_sl1bvot-CgW-WnGK7zY6FXzRXUA40WlyqOaIiMqpgFkEl_olaC2l6puwGJjq8RQY0GktOfxrk132Y8SA1lUs/s320/Untitled+0+00+05-05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
At this point you should be pretty hungry and need food to keep going. Downtown Alameda has a plethora of restaurants, but for some reason we always end up at <a href="http://alamedalp3.com/">La Pinata 3</a>. A local chain, but I can't say the food is the greatest. However, it is cheap and the margaritas are huge and pretty potent. <br />
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-- Happy Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-33595350842766682952010-10-25T11:07:00.000-07:002010-10-25T13:14:27.254-07:00Surviving Paris: Trains and AutomobilesIn September, we spent a week in the Loire Valley of France. When it came time for us to head out to Paris, we went into Angers and booked tickets to Paris on the <a href="http://www.raileurope.com/train-faq/european-trains/tgv/how-to-book.html?WT.mc_id=google.TGV+Sitelinks.cpc&WT.term=TGV+france&WT.campaign=2172&WT.source=google&WT.medium=cpc&WT.content=609048534&cshift_ck=2175352659cs609048534&WT.srch=1&tid=609048534">TGV</a>. These high-speed trains have limited stops and reach up to 200mph. Woo-hoo!<br />
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I loved the TGV - the drive from Paris to <a href="http://sarcastictravel.blogspot.com/2010/10/le-moulin-bregeon-loire-valley-france.html">Le Moulin</a> took over 3 hours, much of it on country roads. The train trip took about 1 hour 15 minutes. Smooth as silk, easy as can be. Except luggage storage. We had two fair-sized hard-sided bags stuffed with wine and each was maxed out at 50 pounds. They weren't big, just heavy. Still, the luggage storage space was full with all 5 people in our compartment hogging it all. I can't imagine what it would be like when the train is full!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2nsYQQVmCO59nPY8AaCzFpaa4t2QmDcUe1UvWvj-SoA7MMyXo6SfPUTF1Q7gh2qa30t30G7PvGjCWQWvqPb-I96wc6wbpEYG2DFuooJE_uJOd7GIFlefhylPuFi6gGD1pmB1dzjn/s320/DSC00279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helpful signs for the TGV. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2nsYQQVmCO59nPY8AaCzFpaa4t2QmDcUe1UvWvj-SoA7MMyXo6SfPUTF1Q7gh2qa30t30G7PvGjCWQWvqPb-I96wc6wbpEYG2DFuooJE_uJOd7GIFlefhylPuFi6gGD1pmB1dzjn/s1600/DSC00279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>One final note on the TGV - first class doesn't seem worth it. Second class can be fairly pricey as it is, so on the shorter trips, I would recommend skipping the deluxe accommodations. <br />
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We arrived at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Montparnasse">Montparnasse station</a> on a Saturday afternoon looking forward to a couple days in Paris. It was our first trip to Paris and we were very excited. The confusion that day nearly killed that excitement (and my husband).<br />
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Leaving our TGV train, it was easy to find the taxi stands. All seemed to be going well. Our hotel wasn't far, but with two heavy bags we were advised by friends to take a taxi and skip trying to get through the Metro. Unfortunately, the fates were against us. After standing in line about 20 minutes with no taxis, a driver showed up and began to speak very excitedly in French. The man in the couple in front of us spoke some French and I overheard him saying the streets were closed, no one could get anywhere. Oh. Oh no!<br />
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In my other post, the <a href="http://sarcastictravel.blogspot.com/2010/09/travel-story-kindness-of-strangers.html">The Kindness of Strangers</a>, I wrote about this couple and how helpful they were that day. What I didn't mention was the joy of dragging heavy suitcases through the Paris Metro. I managed to get stuck in a turnstile once (the bag couldn't pull through correctly, had to be turned sideways) and I know we must have walked two miles in tunnels. The worst part was for my husband - there were stairs all over. Up, down. Up, down. He was carrying both suitcases up and down each set of stairs the whole way. Up, down, up, down. At one point I began to think we were trapped in a hellish maze of stairs and would never see daylight again.<br />
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We finally reached our platform (up some stairs, down some more) and took the Metro two stops to our hotel location. Yeah! We did it........except there were two final flights of stairs up to street level. My hubby is a pretty strong guy, works out all the time, and he finally broke just before we reached daylight. He had to stop after the first flight and rest. But - we could smell fresh air and we were determined to escape up into the daylight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deceptive picture: looks clean and nice smelling. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RA9nkPbQW6Ts6NpszzId9GACdiWqLHxeDcFVb-tJmwAPlFQQ3lMq2-P54KrMY-XlhjeTVVrbNi6xZ4LWAlKRc30yRgOTHnaFpWchS0bpsnLIiJZ6LdtKYcnVEnNMlskkIreLFcYu/s1600/Untitled+0+00+03-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
Thankfully our hotel was only half a block from there. But there were stairs into the lobby and down to the elevator. SERIOUSLY??<br />
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So - word to the wise - know what is going on in Paris on the day you arrive and do not attempt the Metro with heavy bags.<br />
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We recovered pretty quick from hating the Metro and Paris (hubby's first words about Paris "I hate Paris") and reached the point where we pretty much want to move there and live forever. But I will say the Metros have a bad habit of smelling strongly of piss. Nasty. Watch where you step. Overall though, they are easy to figure out and reliable and far better than a taxi.<br />
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Which brings me to taxis...goodness. We took a cab to the airport on the morning we left and it was crazy expensive. We left from near Notre Dame and it took about 50 minutes in traffic. The meter was off the charts. We expected this, but were not about to try the Metro and trains again and had requested a cab that would accept credit cards. When we arrived at the airport, the cab driver ran my card and said it was declined. Ok, credit card security probably kicked in - try another one. Declined. My husband tried two cards - also declined. I'm about to get violent with the taxi driver, clearly his credit card machine has an issue and he won't let us out of the cab. I finally get him to understand I needed to go inside the airport and find an ATM and he lets me out. Luckily, the debit card that had just come up "declined" really did work and I was able to withdraw some euro to pay the bill. I have no idea what would have happened had that not worked. <br />
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Next time I'll look for a pre-pay shuttle or something. Or maybe pack lighter and take the trains. But, you know, we really needed to bring all that wine back home. :-)<br />
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-- Happy Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7639336693976180857.post-81407477678162502992010-10-22T09:45:00.000-07:002010-10-22T09:45:52.348-07:00Random Photo: BeijingBeijing is a striking contrast of the old and new - and personally I prefer the old. I'm a history buff, so I enjoy seeing the cultural history of a place when I travel. One of my best experiences when visiting Beijing in 2008 was wandering the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutong">hutongs</a> near the Forbidden Palace. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNnvUslj17-Ej7aRkTevxqvZhfBMydrTsdPagIrXYvmg_JdwgkkYtxl72Z1jQ9a2KSviQfQTJIFZR_PA91nVNQecc4CYfk5Sn3HjFDxeTfeivexMPHCb0IXDwGREQVIz4TlxtnG7-/s320/P1020261.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hutong area, outside the Forbidden Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNnvUslj17-Ej7aRkTevxqvZhfBMydrTsdPagIrXYvmg_JdwgkkYtxl72Z1jQ9a2KSviQfQTJIFZR_PA91nVNQecc4CYfk5Sn3HjFDxeTfeivexMPHCb0IXDwGREQVIz4TlxtnG7-/s1600/P1020261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>-- Happy Travels!Sarcastic Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07886244824722616132noreply@blogger.com0