Side Trips: Old Town Sacramento

     The great thing about living in or even planning a visit to the Bay Area is that there are so many attractions you can make a side trip to or visit along the way. One of my favorite side trips is to Old Town Sacramento. Granted, it's touristy, but in that awesome take-you-back-to-family-vacations nostalgic way. It's like visiting a carnival and running to the Ferris wheel, cotton candy in hand, no matter what your age. You just gotta.
     Old Town Sacramento, as its name implies, offers a trip into California history and the Gold Rush that created Sacramento. There are several museums where you can pick up California trivia, including a car and a train museum. You can even catch a ride on the Sacramento Southern Railroad and see an old diesel train in action. Or if the river calls your name, you can tour the Delta King riverboat that started making trips to San Francisco and back in the late 1920s. Eat at the restaurant on board or even choose to stay the night as the riverboat also functions as a floating hotel.
     Just walking through the 20+ acres of this national and state historic landmark is a walk back in time with the cobbled roads, the horse-drawn carriages (yes, you can ride them), the historic buildings, and glimpses of the original city level (Sacramento was built up due to flooding). There are trails along the river that allow great views of the Ziggurat (which turns out to be just an office building, sorry to say) and the historic Tower Bridge, which opened in 1935 and was painted gold in 2002. In one of the tunnels that connects Old Town to downtown Sacramento, there's a lovely historical timeline to consider as well.
     If you don't care about the history of Old Town, there's plenty of shopping and dining. I got an adorable Totoro wallet at one of the gift shops (attention Studio Ghibli fans), and a lawn ornament of a T-Rex eating garden gnomes for my mom. Many of the gift shops offer a great selection of collectibles from Star Trek to Doctor Who. And I always like to fill a couple bags with hand-selected salt water taffy from one of the many candy stores to share with folks back home. In terms of food, I like to keep it casual with fish tacos from Railroad Fish & Chips, a variety of international fries from the Spud Shack, or pizza from Annabelle's Pizza & Pasta, but there are restaurants and cafes and even bars of all shapes and sizes to suit your tastes.
     Old Town Sacramento also hosts a variety of cool events throughout the year, including Gold Rush Days, a Mardi Gras celebration, a music festival, Halloween festivities, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and more. Visit the town's website for more info: http://oldsacramento.com/.
     Driving and parking at Old Town is surprisingly stress-free. In the town itself, you can park with change or credit card at one of the meters (and there are change machines everywhere where you can get quarters) but there's also a parking garage right next to the action. Bathrooms are not only plentiful but convenient. Most are separate from businesses so one doesn't need to ask permission to use them, which any Bay Area resident will appreciate as a rarity. Although tourist traffic gets heavier in the early afternoon, the crowds are not nearly as stifling or annoying as in San Francisco or other Bay Area tourist locales.
     If you want to feel like you're getting away from the city but still enjoy the comforts of city life, Old Town Sacramento is definitely a Miss-Me-Not.

The Ziggurat

Tower Bridge

View of a train car.

The Delta King

You can visit the original city level through that gate to "Pioneer Park."

45th Annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

     Judging from the early crowds at Saturday's HMB Art & Pumpkin Festival, I think the word is out that Half Moon Bay has the best annual festival in the Bay Area. And no wonder. From the moment you see those first pumpkin patches peeking out from the trees on the drive to Half Moon Bay, the experience is like stepping into an enchanted story where all your autumn dreams come true. There are over 200 vendors, many of which sell pumpkin-themed items (don't forget to grab a famous blown-glass pumpkin!). And you can enjoy pumpkin-flavored everything (the ice cream is delish!), watch Farmer Mike carving elaborate pumpkin masterpieces, watch street performances, set your kids loose in the family and kids area, and pick out pumpkins afterwards at one of the many pumpkin patches.
     You can read my previous post on the pumpkin festival here, which includes tips on how best to experience the festival, but here's a recap of this year's visit. In the five years I've enjoyed the pumpkin festival, I think this year was the busiest. In my previous post I advised festival goers to start out early to beat the traffic, but even early birds experienced traffic this year. I arrived in Half Moon Bay at 7:20 and had to wait in line to get a parking spot. Groups of people were already walking down main to the heart of the festival, which didn't start until 9 a.m. By 10:30 a.m., the walkways beside the vendors were so packed it was hard to move around. By the time I left at around noon, most parking lots were full. So getting there early, painful as it might be, is a must if you want a pumpkin hangover and not a traffic migraine.
     I also advised in my previous post to park on the lot on Highway 92 closest to Main Street for a quick getaway. However, this year I parked on Main street a longer walk away. This saved me about $10 in parking, and it was still an easy getaway. The highway is a parking lot later in the day with people trying to get into the festival, so keep this in mind when choosing parking. I wouldn't choose a lot that would require you to pass through incoming traffic to leave.
     I also provided photos of all the delicious pumpkin things you can drink and eat at the festival in my previous post, but this year I tried a couple new things. The pumpkin harvest ale I chose had a smooth finish, but I wasn't too fond of the flavor. The pumpkin chili, however, far exceeded my expectations. I definitely could have enjoyed another bowl.
     One exciting new feature of the festival that I didn't mention in my previous post is the activities a charming shop called Oddyssea offers in their Oddyssea Outside space. Last year, my sister made a mason jar terrarium in this carnival-type area that provides a nice break from the flow of the crowd. This year, people could make steam punkins, pearl necklaces, sand art, and mine for treasure. To participate you just buy doubloons from a stand and trade them to do your activity of choice.
     This year my sister and I also enjoyed a street performance by Orion Griffiths, who starred in Pippin. Griffiths' personality and humor drew us in, but his physical prowess and acrobatic performance amazed us. While balancing on multiple levels of boards, cups, and a tube, Griffiths juggled three pins and performed a handstand. You can follow Griffiths on Twitter (@Orion_Griffiths), and there's also a few videos on Youtube that show his amazing skill (like this one of him performing at Pier 39 in SF).
     I've posted photos from this year's event so you can get a sense of the fun. If you love pumpkins, fall, Halloween, or festivals, Half Moon Bay combines all of them into my favorite Bay Area event. Treat yourself to this Bay Area Miss-Me-Not.

Start your day right with the Pancake Breakfast (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.). Great way to kill time after arriving early and make your tummy happy.

Pumpkin pancakes from the Pumpkin Breakfast. YUM.

Don't forget the freebies! This bag was handed out at the Safeway booth.

Oddyssea Outside

Should we make steam punkins or sand art?!

That sand art is lookin' mighty fine.

 

Mason jar terrarium from last year.

Official gear? Check!

Pumpkin Harvest Ale

Pumpkin Chili

Orion Griffiths drawing a crowd.

Baby chicks from one of the local feed stores. Don't forget the extra shopping the charming little businesses on Main offer!

Giant bubbles, small bubbles...Half Moon Bay's got 'em.

And now...the pumpkins.

The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is Coming Soon!

Followers of my blog know that the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is my all-time favorite Bay Area festival. It combines my favorite holiday, Halloween, with one of my favorite flavors. Check out my post on the festival to learn more, get tips on making the most out of your trip to the festival, and see pictures from this annual favorite! I'll be posting more photos from this year's event later.

                                                                     See more here!

Shows at the Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres

If you live on or visit the East Coast, seeing a show on Broadway is a treat, but you can still enjoy a great show in a great place here on the West Coast. Just off Market Street in San Francisco, the Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres host all the fan favorites. I've seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Golden Gate and Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables at the Orpheum. Phantom of the Opera, my favorite musical, runs at the Orpheum until October 4, and I just caught the 2 p.m. show this weekend.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your own San Francisco show experience. First, tickets can be pricey, and the cheap seats sell out quickly. If you want to save some money, I suggest trying for rush tickets. Rush tickets are a gamble, but if you get them, you usually pay a fraction of the price for very good seats. Most theaters offer a limited number of rush tickets first-come, first-serve or by lottery before a show. For example, the Orpheum is offering a limited number of rush tickets for $40 a piece (CASH) for the Phantom. The tickets go on sale two hours before the show starts.

My sister and I arrived at the theater at 11:24 a.m. to get tickets to the show at 2 p.m., and there was already a small line. The line grew pretty long by the time the box office opened at noon, but it seemed like everyone got a ticket. My sister had to talk me into the rush ticket gamble because I usually like the sure bet, but I definitely recommend this approach. You meet a lot of great people in line, and it's pretty exciting if you get the tickets. We got seats in the orchestra that were in the "limited view" section, but the view was actually great. We were thirteen rows away from the stage among people who spent $125 for a ticket.

If you try this approach, I recommend getting in line at least 30 minutes before the box office opens (two hours before each show). If you get there even earlier and need some places to kill time before the show, the San Francisco Public Library is close to both the Orpheum and Golden Gate (on Larkin), and it has clean, free bathrooms. There are also a couple Starbucks in the area, and you can do some shopping around Union Square.

Now, let's talk transportation. With the techie boom sweeping the Bay Area, traffic is a nightmare. I definitely recommend NOT driving. You'll be stuck on the bridges for hours, and getting parking in the Market Street area is expensive and beyond stressful. The BART is a good option, but I personally think the only way to visit the city for a fun day is the ferry. You get to enjoy great views, refreshments are available on board (you technically can't eat or drink on BART), and the ride is stress free. You can take the ferry from Oakland and Alameda, and it runs until 11:20 p.m. on the weekends. This probably won't be late enough for a night show, but it's perfect for the afternoon show.

If you don't live in San Francisco I recommend the day show. Market Street can be a rough place, especially at night, and I personally hate worrying about catching the last BART out of the city. Plus, if you see the matinee, you have time for dinner after if you want to splurge after saving so much on your tickets.

If dinner and a show is your thing, I highly recommend Straw on Octavia. This tiny, cozy restaurant serves gourmet carnival food that's oh-so yummy. Their most popular menu item is probably their donut burger. Yes, an organic beef patty between two glazed donuts. I don't eat beef, so I can't critique this savory delight, but I've seen it heartily consumed, and it's definitely mouth watering.

Straw offers brunch on the weekends, and my sister and I attempted to get a table after we got our rush tickets and before the show, but alas, it was too busy. However, you can make reservations for dinner, and that turned out to be better because the restaurant was quieter and more enjoyable. I had the blackberry pulled pork sandwich (oh my god), and my sister had the fried chicken-n-waffle Monte Cristo sandwich (again, oh my god). We had delicious fried pickles for a starter.

But the best experience of the meal was the cocktail we chose, the Cotton Candy. They pour the cocktail tableside for the wow factor. The cocktail arrives in two glasses. One is filled with cotton candy, and the other is filled with sake, vodka, and sparkling wine. The server pours the alcohol over the cotton candy, which quickly dissolves and flavors the drink. YUM. I have to say, out of all the excellent restaurants I've enjoyed in San Francisco, I think Straw has the most delicious food and the most unique experience. And the prices are very reasonable. Make sure to make a reservation online before you go.

Finally, nothing tops off a great day in San Francisco like a ferry ride home at sunset. Make sure your camera or phone is ready for those spectacular shots. Dinner and a show in San Francisco, especially when you get a great deal, is definitely a Bay Area miss-me-not.

 

Passing by the Oakland shipping cranes on the ferry ride to SF

 

 

Passing under the Bay Bridge

Don't forget to say hi to the Civic Center.

 

Orpheum Theater

 

Yay!

 

Our seats

Dinner time at the cutest little restaurant.

Cotton Candy Cocktail 

Fried Chicken-N-Waffle Monte Cristo

Blackberry Pulled Pork

 

Fried pickles and seasoned popcorn

Views from the evening ferry. That's the Golden Gate behind the Bay Bridge.

Sunset on the ferry. Goodnight San Francisco!