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!

The Fremont Festival of the Arts

     This festival was actually recommended by a neighboring vendor at the Park Street Art and Wine Festival, and it did not disappoint. The festival is one of the largest I've seen in the Bay Area (of art and wine festivals, not fairs) with more than 700 vendors, three stages for live music, a kid's area they call "Kid City," and lots of space to mill about in without feeling crowded.
     The first thing that struck me when we arrived at the festival was the layout. The vendors are arrayed along both sides of a street divided by a meridian. This gives shoppers plenty of room to walk, stop and chat, and generally move about without reducing the flow of foot traffic or making the festival feel overcrowded. The wide open spaces were also a refreshing break for someone used to the packed-in feel of the big city, though Fremont is plenty large. Another thing I appreciated was that the festival producers put most of the service vendors on one of the side stretches, so those looking for something like window replacements or health coverage could wander that stretch and those who don't require any services (No, for the love of breakfast cereal, I do not own a house!) can avoid it.
     I was also happy to see many vendors I haven't seen at other festivals. Sugarbird Hollow was selling adorable little houses and campers, seasonal and not. Black Tie Caramel was selling handmade caramels in unique flavors like Coconut Lemongrass as well as caramel sauce. And the Washington High School ceramics program was selling wonderfully unique cups, bowls, plates, and more for absurdly low prices, and proceeds went into the program. There was a good variety of art, although few of the vendors sold prints and many of the canvases were very large. And many vendors that I've seen at the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and other events had new work or different items on display. The Bubble Wands vendor was there filling the festival with a magical assortment of bubbles.
     In terms of food, I wasn't actually impressed with the variety and amount of vendors. Indeed, I didn't eat at the festival. But there was a lot of lemonade, well, everywhere. There were also a couple of Oasis booths selling slushies in kid's and adult's cups, which were refillable for a lower price. In terms of alcohol, this festival had margaritas in addition to various beer and wine choices, which I found unique.
     Another bonus of this festival is the amount of freebees handed out by businesses. Places like Blaze Pizza and a couple radio stations were letting people spin a wheel for prizes. Pacific Commons, a Fremont shopping center, was giving out free lip balm. And Lucky was giving out strawberries stuffed with goat cheese and topped with a lemon jam.
     Now, onto challenges and tips for enjoying the festival with the least amount of headache. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Free parking was sparse, and most spots required a fair walk to the festival. If you don't get to the festival early, as in shortly before the start, you might have a traffic meltdown. The BART isn't far from the festival, so if you can BART, I'd recommend it. Also, the early bird gets the best freebees without waiting in long lines.
     In terms of weather and what to wear, Fremont is HOT. I regretted wearing a t-shirt and jeans, wishing instead I'd chosen a tank top and capris. Sun screen is a must, but it won't be enough. I strongly recommend sun glasses and a hat. There is a lot of open space and very little shade so it feels like the sun is pummeling you the whole time. Fortunately, there were several hat vendors if you forget your own.
     If you drive, don't forget about the shopping opportunities around the Pacific Commons area. There's a lot of big box stores, but there's also great food joints like Blaze Pizza, Which Wich, and Buffalo Wild Wings to name a few. And the Century theater is not only large, but its food offerings are unique. They have an ice cream counter that also serves a variety of beer (beer in a theater?!). And the food section is a walk-through affair where you can pick out your own hot dogs, burgers, nachos, candy, kettle corn, drinks, ice cream desserts, and even hummus.
     I would definitely put the Fremont Festival of the Arts at the top of my Bay-Area-Miss-Me-Nots list.

Panorama of wide open spaces...

The Nathan village. Hot dog anyone?

Plenty of seating areas scattered throughout.

 

A map of the festival.

Fremont Fire Department

Homemade Caramel?!

You could sit in the mini-BART. Always wanted to do this.

Halloween house from Sugarbird Hollow (hey, it's never too early for Halloween).

Camper from Sugarbird Hollow

Park Street Art & Wine Faire

     Alameda is a charming little island nestled between Oakland and the San Francisco Bay, and it has plenty of charming little festivals. Around Mother's Day, Park Street hosts the Spring Festival, complete with live music, a variety of vendors, delicious food booths, activities for kids, and beverages for adults. In June, Webster Street on Alameda's west end hosts a festival honoring the historic Neptune Beach area (see my post on the festival here). In October, Park Street hosts one of the best classic car shows around (see my post on that one here). But in July, Park Street hosts one of my favorite Bay Area festivals, the Park Street Art & Wine Faire.
     I've already written a post on this wonderful festival with tips on how to make the most of your visit. You can read that here. In that post, I highlighted a couple of vendors I enjoyed visiting. However, this year, I'm happy to announce that my sister will have a booth at the fair. She started her own business, Handmade Hill, in January. As her business name suggests, she makes a variety of handmade items--hats, quilts, scarves, jewelry, etc.--and many of these items will be on sale at the faire. She'll also have a variety of local prints and paintings for the art lover. And she'll be selling sticker bundles, including authentic Playland tickets she has turned into stickers. I'll be helping her with the booth, so I'll be able to give those of you who have considered doing booths at festivals feedback on the experience in a later post.
     Besides my sister's booth, the fair will have over 300 vendors and will stretch from Encinal to Buena Vista. For Island natives and those nearby, there will be free bike parking so you can avoid the traffic. For all others, there's a very affordable parking garage around the corner from the Alameda Theater. When that fills up there is plenty of parking in the area, but you'll have a bit of a walk.
     Stay tuned for photos and feedback from this year's event, and learn more here!

And here's your promised FEEDBACK:
     My sister and I had a lot of fun as vendors at this event, but it was definitely a lot of work. Vendors are allowed to start setting up a little after 6 a.m. on the day of the event, and because this was my sister's first craft fair as a vendor, we got there at 6 on the dot. We were able to pull up to our spot, unload, and find free parking very close to the event. However, I did hear other vendors who arrived much later complain about the lack of vendor parking. Our booth space was located across from one of our favorite Alameda cafes, the Blue Danube (they have tea, coffee, Italian sodas, breakfast and lunch items, and more!), which proved very convenient for quiet rest and meal breaks, and we were within sight (but not smell) of the portable toilets.
     In terms of setup, it took us four hours to get everything put together, signed and ready to go. Granted, we had a couple fixtures to build and a lot of signs and tags to make. We also had some struggles with the E-Z Up canopy, as did a neighboring vendor with the same type. However, a nearby vendor, Julie, gave us a hand and some valuable advice for the best shows in the Bay Area in terms of foot traffic and profit.
     We were surprised to learn that many vendors simply leave the booths at night with no take down or wrap them in tarps. Julie recommended lowering our canopy on top of our fixtures, which we did, but we did take our merchandise with us. After manning the booth for eight hours, we were very much ready to call it a day at 6 p.m., when the faire was officially over each day, but there were a number of late shoppers that made it difficult to close up. This was especially annoying on the last day because it made it very difficult to get vehicles next to booths for loading.
     We were also surprised, and we heard many others vendors echoing our concerns, by the amount of foot traffic. My sister and I go to this event every year as shoppers, and it always seemed like a very busy festival. However, this year, the foot traffic seemed light, and a lot of people passing our line of booths walked quickly and didn't even seem interested in looking at the booths. While walking around the faire on Sunday at the busiest hours, I discovered that most foot traffic was concentrated in the middle of the faire in between the rides and the kids' area. People seemed reluctant to push through the crowd gathered around the Water Ballerz in order to see the last line of booths. Indeed, it was hard for me to push through to get back to our booth. However, most of the people who ventured into our booth purchased something.
     On the plus side, the event page for the event featured our booth on Facebook and retweeted a lot of our tweets, which I thought was sweet. The weather was lovely, with the perfect breeze. The music was wonderful (at one point, I could hear the Mario Brothers theme song drifting on the breeze from the stage), and our neighbors were great. I loved our location, even if it meant a decrease in foot traffic. And we did great for our first festival.
     Here's some advice if you want to be a vendor at this faire in the future:
     1) Pack snacks and water
     2) Make sure you have the inventory to cover your booth fee and bring in a profit
     3) Introduce yourself to your neighbors (they have a lot of wisdom!)
     4) Get there early for setup, and have parking scoped out early
     5) Prepare mentally for the long days (around 13 hours a day with setup and takedown)
     6) If coverage allows, take breaks to walk around and have a little fun
     7) Utilize social media
     8) Take advantage of your canopy by hanging items from the front so they are more visible to the casual passerby

A big shout out and thank you to Alameda and everyone who visited our booth! We hope to see you next year! I've provided a link on my right side bar to upcoming festivals other vendors recommended.

Hill's hat and sticker table

 

Hill's painting and rug fixture, made out of a pallet

 

Hill' quilt wall and base

 

 

Hill's flower scarf display

 

Hill's jewelry, print, and keychain table

  

Hill next to her shop banner

The apron Etsy shop owner isewmuchtime made for us. Thanks JoAnn!

Hill, feeling a little overwhelmed during setup. Is it coffee time yet?!

Alameda's Park Street Bridge. Love ya, Alameda!



Angel Island

     There are many ways to enjoy (and even not enjoy) Angel Island. You can take a quick day trip (via the ferry or your own boat) and just hang out on the beach at Ayala Cove with a picnic lunch or a barbecue feast. You can take your bike via ferry or rent a bike or Segway on the island and hit the Perimeter Road loop. You can even camp overnight. However you choose to experience it, you can't skip Angel Island.
     And here's why. First, the island provides a valuable opportunity to learn about and interact with Bay Area and United States history. The island was home to the Coast Miwok people long before anyone else set foot there, and the island was used for military purposes for most of the United States' wars; Camp Reynolds was built during the Civil War, the East Garrison housed soldiers from the Spanish-American war and welcomed troops returning from World War I. During World War II, soldiers shipped out from the island, and German and Japanese prisoners of war were kept there. And during the Cold War, the island housed the Nike missile site.
     Besides holding the shadows of wars pasts, the island provides a glimpse into the darker side of United States history. One of Angel Island's nicknames is the "Ellis Island of the West" because it served as an immigration station from 1910 to 1940, and almost a million immigrants from all over the world suffered there while waiting for permission to pursue the American Dream. Many had to endure long and complicated tests meant to bar them from completing their journey, and the living conditions were miserable with living quarters stuffed beyond capacity. Some Chinese immigrants stalled on the island due to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act carved poems into the walls of the barracks to voice their misery. Those touring the Immigration Station today can still see one fully preserved poem and the ghostly outlines of others that have been lost to time and paint. The island's history encourages a greater respect for the struggles and suffering of immigrants and anyone who has been the victim of racist attitudes and unfair laws.
     On a more positive note, Angel Island offers sweeping views of San Francisco Bay and its various bridges, especially on a clear day. You can see the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate from various parts of the island. You can look across the Bay to Tiburon, San Francisco, and Alcatraz. You can watch every kind of ship imaginable sailing to and fro. And you can see a variety of wildlife from various birds and deer to sea lions and whales. Angel Island is one of the best places in the Bay Area for taking souvenir photos or even professional ones.
     Finally, Angel Island is a pretty cheap but pretty dramatic Bay Area experience. You get to cruise the Bay, enjoy the beach, picnic and camp, hike and sightsee, and get an historical brush-up all in one affordable trip. The ferry ride will cost you the most, but you can pack as much food as you can carry onto the island. Entry to the U.S. Immigration Station costs just $5 per person, and if you choose to walk Perimeter Road, you have no other costs. The beach at Ayala Cove is lovely, though the water can be a little murky. And, thank goodness, there are nice bathrooms.
     The last time I visited the island, I went with my sister and dad, and this is how we did it. To avoid the traffic snarl and parking drama of San Francisco, we made the lovely drive to Tiburon, one of the cutest and most charming little coastal towns you'll ever visit. We paid just $5 to park for the day near the ferry stop (don't make the mistake of parking in the pricier lot after the roundabout). We went on a weekend day because the ferry service is extended on those days with a final departure from Angel Island at 5:20 p.m. versus 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, depending on the season (visit www.angelislandferry.com for a full schedule breakdown). As I said, the ferry ticket will probably be your priciest item. From Tiburon, the round-trip ticket will set you back $15, and it's CASH ONLY. Keep in mind that the ticket from San Francisco is $18. Arrive early if you want first pick at seats and locations because that line gets long in a hurry. We took the first ferry departing at 10 a.m. Easy peasy.
     Once on the island, you have to choose how to experience it; by bike, by tram, by Segway, or on foot. But first, if you brought a lot of things you don't want to haul around the island, there are lockers near the café you can rent. For the active and adventurous, biking or walking the Perimeter Road is best (be warned, the loop is about five miles long, and has a few inclines and declines that will make those muscles burn). For those who want a more leisurely experience, the Segway or tram are the best, though they'll cost you. A Segway is $68 per person, and the tram is $15.50 a person.
     We wanted to keep costs low and set our own pace, so we chose to walk Perimeter Road. We went left from Ayala Cove and climbed a long and fairly steep staircase to get to the path. If you go this way, you'll feel every stair, but this is the fastest way to get to the Immigration Station. We chose to tour the Immigration Station and the area around it. There are more stairs, but it's worth it. To get inside and see the living quarters, mess hall, and poems carved into the walls, the cost is $5 per person, again CASH ONLY. There's a large group of tables in front of the Immigration Station where you can enjoy your picnic lunch, which we did, imagining what immigrants must have thought and felt while eating in the same place.
     We then walked to Fort McDowell, where you can wander among deserted buildings, including a hospital, and feel the history sifting under your feet. If you take this route, make sure to stop for a bathroom break because it's the last restroom until Camp Reynolds, and that one isn't easily accessible for the exhausted. The views and photo ops were amazing on the five-mile trek around the island, but I have to admit, that tram looked lovely around mile three.
     Once we dragged ourselves back to Ayala Cove, we sat on the cement wall near the beach to enjoy some refreshments. Kids played in the sand, people moved about their boats anchored in the cove, and families chatted happily around picnic tables and blankets on the grassy expanse above the beach. If you didn't pack a picnic lunch, there's a tiny café near the ferry stop. Hanging out on the beach until a ferry arrives is a nice way to finish your Angel Island experience.
     We caught the 3:30 ferry back to Tiburon so we could make the short drive to Sausalito and do some shopping and dining. Sausalito is also a charming and bustling little place that has plenty of boutiques, restaurants, and lovely views, but it's also pricey. And it has a lot more tourists than Tiburon. This is the place where people who bike the Golden Gate stop to take the ferry back to San Francisco, so there are a lot of people and a lot of bikes. Pack extra food and picnic on the shore near the ferry stop if you want to save money.
     Everyone says to only do Angel Island on a clear day, but a clear day can be hard to come by on the Bay, and you can't always match your day off with the fine weather. We planned well, but the forecast was still wrong the day we went with cloudy skies for most of our trip. However, this turned out to be nice because the cooler weather made for a more pleasant walk, and the views were still amazing. If you visit or live in the Bay Area, Angel Island is most definitely a miss-me-not and a nice break from the crowds.

Foggy Views in Tiburon

Inside the Ferry

 

Shortcut to the Immigration Station

The Immigration Station

 

A Poem in the Wall

The Golden Gate on the Horizon

Perimeter Road

 

Ghostly Ruins

 

Back at Ayala Cove

Bye, Seagull

Bill Dan Balancing Rocks in Sausalito