Cornish Christmas - 12/20/13

Santa?

Cornish Christmas
Grass Valley, CA

A good friend and former Grass Valley native used to attend this event each year, which she jokingly dubbed “Corny Crapness” as a result of the disappearance of her favorite vendor, a bacon biscuit stand.

That does sound disappointing, when you think about it.

Never fear, there remain a number of delights to satisfy the palate such a Cornish pasties and miniature pies; if you’ve left your snowsuit at home and find yourself shivering half to death like one particular ponytailed writer, you’ll find no shortage of hot chocolate and apple cider.  Steaming pulled pork sandwiches can be equally effective.

Strolling along Mills and Main Streets may seem like a journey into the past.  Carolers sing in unison dressed in Victorian garb.  Magicians perform tricks with cards and ropes.  A charming character in a top hat roasts chestnuts on an open fire and sings a particular song lyric ad nauseum.  Numerous other vendors peddle scarves, jams and jellies and homemade soaps.  Were it not for the occasional teenager haphazardly running over the elderly, you’d think you’d been transported to a simpler, gentler time.

Don’t forget to spin the wheel at the Towers Casino booth for your chance to win a blackmatch match play coupon.  This is the 21^st century, after all.

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival - 11/18/13 - 11/24/13

Don't forget to replenish after the 5K!

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
San Diego, CA

This event provides a great opportunity to stretch those stomach muscles in time for Thanksgiving.

Now in its 10^th year, the festival is the area’s premiere destination for food and wine aficionados to attend cooking classes and wine tasting seminars, meet chefs and winemakers, and sample morsels from gourmet food companies.  Bid on a celebrity chef luncheon, then watch chefs compete for $50,000 in the Chef of the Fest competition.  Turn the event into a vacation with a Wine Weekend Getaway package including hotel accommodations and VIP experiences.

Crepes, sushi, gourmet chocolates and more can all be yours.  Enjoy an array of international cuisine before hunkering down with (at least) a week of turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey enchiladas, turkey soup…catch my drift?

Nimbus Fish Hatchery

They make swimming uphill
look easy.

Nimbus Fish Hatchery

Rancho Cordova, CA

I hate to admit that I rely on my GPS far too much.  Even when I return to my hometown, I rely on it to get from point A to point B.  So imagine my disbelief when I learned at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery that salmon and steelhead trout are able to miraculously find their way back to the river of their birth…from the freaking ocean!  That’s impressive.

Visitors to the hatchery can witness this phenomenon first-hand.  When the fish ladders are open, salmon and steelhead swim through the gate at the base and instinctively jump up each step, making their way towards the hatchery.  At the top, they enter holding ponds and, if they are mature, move on to the tranquilizing tank in the spawning deck.  What happens next during the egg-taking process is covered during the informative video shown in the visitor’s center…I won’t ruin the excitement for you!

Multiple raceways hold growing salmon until they are ocean-ready.  25 cents gets you a palmfull of pellets you can use to feed the fish (or get your friends splashed).  Netting covers the area to keep out prey.

Before leaving the site, take some time to learn about all about river clean-up and conservation efforts, salmon and steelhead record weights, and many other facts that will make you further appreciate your next sushi dinner.

Winchester Mystery House

Lovely and creepy at the same time!

Winchester Mystery House

San Jose, CA

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is a lot of things: a mecca for tourists, a destination for the architecturally curious, a probable location for paranormal activity, and a place I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole while I was in my twenties.  Now that I’m slightly more mature (ha!), I decided to book a Mansion Tour to see what the hype is all about.

Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, experienced the great misfortune of losing both her husband and young daughter; legend has it that a medium told her she must build a house…and never cease construction.  If she did, the spirits of those who lost their lives to Winchester rifles would come after her.

Sarah inherited millions of dollars upon her husband’s death.  Those funds, coupled with roughly $1000 a day she received through partial ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, afforded her the ability to construct a sprawling mansion with over 150 rooms and provide room and board to her extensive staff.

Tours offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Winchester’s eclectic taste in color, design and materials of the highest quality.  You’ll learn why there are staircases leading to the ceiling and why doors open to reveal brick walls.  Tackle your claustrophobia as you’re guided through narrow passageways leading you past guestrooms, staff quarters, and even a séance room.

Don’t bring strollers, and more importantly, don’t stray from your tour group; even experienced guides admit it’s easy to get lost in this labyrinth.  If just the thought of spirits gives you the creeps, why would you want to?

National Yo-Yo Contest - 10/05/13

Good luck with this one.

National Yo-Yo Contest
Chico, CA

If you want to see a Thumb Grind, attend this event.  If you want to see an Iron Whip, attend this event.  If you want to see a Boingy Boing, attend this event.

They’re all legal, entertaining, and typically performed by children and young adults.  They’re YO-YO TRICKS.

If you wind up (ha!) in Chico for this annual championship, expect to be amazed.  Competition is split into several divisions; tricks are performed using both single and double yo-yos, and “offstring” competitors wow crowds with yo-yos not even attached to their strings!  Now, that’s impressive.

Awards are also presented annually to individuals who best represent and promote the sport as well as those who innovate new tricks.  I’m going for Most Embarrassing Yo-Yo Attempt at a National Contest.

Eat Real Festival - 09/27/13 - 09/29/13

Robin Thicke knows you want it.

Eat Real Festival
Oakland, CA

Mobile dining has exploded in the last few years.  Talented chefs with a knack for entrepreneurship are able to cater (get it?) to the masses, and this is a perfect time to market to the average Joe who may be too strapped for cash for a formal dining experience, but is willing to shell out a couple extra bucks to avoid the Taco Bell drive-thru.  Admit it: fresh fish tacos beat a Bellgrande anything 100% of the time.

The Eat Real Festival has enjoyed increasing interest, such that a Los Angeles event was added to meet the demands of Southern Californians.  Dozens of trucks are on hand, serving up everything from drinks to desserts…and that’s not all.  This festival is sheer heaven for those who not only love to eat, but want to learn where their food comes from and how it’s prepared.  You can meet local farmers, watch a butchery contest, witness a master noodle-puller (it’s exactly as interesting as it sounds) or explore pretzel-making. 

Then again, you can skip all the educational crap and have your own progressive breakfast/lunch/dinner hopping from truck to truck, gorging on everything from paella to plachinta to pork buns.  Cash is preferred.  Come prepared!

Danish Days - 09/20/13 - 09/22/13

You had me at DUTCH CHOCOLATE!

Danish Days
Solvang, CA

The words “Free Aebleskiver Eating Contest” make me want to drop whatever I’m doing and drive five hours to Santa Barbara county.  Is that weird?

Danish Days is more than just a mere celebration of culture and history.  It’s interactive.  How many festivals allow you to casually stroll through a farmers market, then immediately try on Viking armor or hold Viking weapons while listening to a live band playing from atop something called the Carlsberg Beer Wagon?  Admit it, that sounds more than slightly awesome.

After a weekend of inhaling pastries, daytime wine tasting and nighttime imbibing at the Solvang Brewing Company, enjoy the closing ceremonies in Solvang Park on Sunday afternoon.  Like Grandma always said, nothing cures a hangover like a big Danish sausage.  This IS what she meant, right?

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival - 09/14/13 - 09/15/13

Oh, dear lord.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

San Francisco, CA

This event has it all: buttloads of chocolate (obviously), multiple age divisions of their famed ice cream-eating contest, and lots of cardio provided by the requisite dodging of unsupervised children with sticky, fudgy hands.

Purchase your chosen allotment of tickets, then run amuck sampling cookies, hot chocolate, ice cream, truffles and more...the sky's the limit! Festival veterans such as yours truly prepare a la crab feeds and bring Ziploc bags to fill with goodies to enjoy at home.  If the treats make it home, that is.

Once the crowds die down, go back to your favorite booths and thank them personally for all the extra work you'll have to put in at the gym during the coming week.  I'm sure they'll appreciate that.

Loleta Cheese Factory

You're going to want to stay a while.

Loleta Cheese Factory

Loleta, CA

I recently spent a weekend exploring Humboldt County, and Loleta was on my list for one reason: cheese. 

I was not disappointed. 

I never expect to see factory workers in full swing on a Saturday, so I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped inside the charming storefront of the Loleta Cheese Factory and found employees scurrying around enormous steel vats of milky curds in the middle of the cheesemaking process.  I was also pretty excited at the prospect of unlimited cheese samples; I mean, who wouldn’t be?

Large picture windows let visitors watch the entire process, from milk to cheese to equipment cleaning and sterilization.   Staff are on hand to answer all of your questions, such as “What do the cows eat?”, “What variety is being made right now?” and “Exactly how do you define unlimited cheese samples?”  All the while, workers are stirring curds, squeezing out whey and performing lots of other activities I’m probably not naming correctly.  On this particular day, they were also likely wondering how long I’d be staring into that picture window.

With dozens of varieties available, from cheddars to jacks to cheese curds, you’re sure to find a favorite.  Pick up a few flavors, pair them with some crackers and beverages (also sold on-site) and head outside to an expansive garden and picnic area.  Then, head back in for some last-minute tasting before hitting the road again.

Gourmet Walks

Pace yourself.

Gourmet Walks

San Francisco, Napa and Healdsburg

Because I’m an adult, I make a point of being punctual at all times.  I typically show up early to social functions, only to become frustrated with latecomers who hold up impending festivities.  So you can imagine the horror I felt as traffic came to a screeching halt miles before the Bay Bridge on my way into San Francisco FOR A FOOD TOUR!  Although I gave myself an HOUR of driving-time cushion, I sat as precious minutes ticked away, and I imagined every morsel and crumb I was missing out on.

I did what any sensible traveler would do: I called Gourmet Walks and told them that unfortunately, I was running late.  They happily gave me the tour guide’s cell phone number so I could catch up with the group when I made it into the city.

I spotted my (also late) friend in the parking lot and we called the group to catch up.  Luckily, we had only missed one stop on the tour; our conscientious guide, Shane, handed us a to-go box containing a slice of Chicago-style pizza that we had missed, and we proceeded on.  We were off to a great start!

Food tours are the best way to explore a city since guides typically live in the area you’re touring.  They know where to eat, what to do, how to get there, and little nuggets of trivia along the way.  It’s really the best education you can receive while systematically stuffing your face.  Our NoPa/Alamo Square tour was a feast for the senses exploring the neighborhood ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­near Golden Gate Park.

Don’t bother with lunch, people.  A very light breakfast will suffice as you’ll gorge on several items on an evolving tasting menu.  In addition to pizza, this particular Saturday offered expertly grilled fish tacos, artisan cheeses and fresh-baked breads, strong alcoholic beverages, and not one, but TWO amazing dessert courses.  Along the way, you’ll learn that most of the ingredients for these treats are locally sourced and why it’s so important to support nearby food producers.

Gourmet Walks offers tours in San Francisco, Napa and Healdsburg, running the gamut from savory to sweet.  Three tours are dedicated solely to chocolate, with one that pairs the sweet stuff with wine and cocktails.  Tours fill up quickly, so wipe the drool from your chin and make your reservations today!

California State Fair - 07/12/13 - 07/28/13

So many choices!

California State Fair
Sacramento, CA

The State Fair is here, and my colon couldn’t be more excited!

I prep for the State Fair the same way each year, and that preparation includes several days of cardio and weight training in anticipation of a day-long marathon of gorging on sweets and fried delicacies.  What’s on the menu this year?  How about a 24-ounce steak on a 17-inch cow rib (the Big Beef Rib), Chocolate-Covered Corn Dog, or Deep Fried Burger?  And you’ve gotta love any snack served by the brick, specifically their famous Curly Fries.  If you’re hankering for something sweet, a few bucks will get you Spaghetti Ice Cream, Deep-Fried Fruity Pebbles, and a dessert billed as the World’s Largest Gelato Waffle Cone.  Wash it all down with a Mocha Freeze or Italian Soda.

There are plenty of things to see and do while your chewing and attempting to digest a weekend’s worth of calories.  This year’s concert series features 80s crooners Air Supply and Kool & the Gang as well as other performers from the 90s and today that I’m too uncool to recognize.  Other special events include flat track motorcycle racing, demolition derbies and the Brewer’s Festival at the Miller Lite Grandstand.  You can even pay tribute to the late Huell Howser and pose with his life-size cardboard cutout.

And let’s not forget the mainstay of the fair…all of those exhibits that remind us there are some third graders out there with more imagination in their pinkie fingers than we'll ever be able to muster up.  Award-winning art, woodworking and handicrafts will be on display, highlighting Californians’ creativity and convincing me there’s more to life than spending hours of precious spare time on Facebook and Twitter.

Star Eco Station

Keep your fingers out of this squawkbox if you know
what's good for you.

Star Eco Station

Rocklin, CA

If you’re one of those people who thinks the illegal pet alligator living in your bathtub is in perfectly capable hands, it’s probably not the first bad life decision you’ve made.

Also, you’re probably a little crazy.

Illegal, abused and abandoned wildlife are the focus at Star Eco Station where they receive the highest care and serve as educational tools for the general public.  While most of the residents are housed in species-appropriate cages and tanks (no bathtubs), a few of the residents can be handled, making for an exciting hands-on experience.

Naturalists provide guided tours throughout the facility and offer a barrage of facts about the reptiles, fish and other creatures that call the museum home.  You’ll learn how everyday human life is taking its toll on our planet.  You’ll also quickly learn your personal tolerance for multiple screeching birds within a confined space.

Through Star Eco Station’s camps, mobile exhibits and field trips, it’d be tough to avoid learning something new at each event.  Did you know an iguana can spray its urine 15 feet?  Take a cue from the historical evidence on the floor and stay back.