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.

Beaumont Cherry Festival - 06/06/13 - 06/09/13

A great time stems (ha!) from these little beauties!

Beaumont Cherry Festival
Beaumont, CA

Festivals require a few important elements: tasty food, great entertainment, wacky visitors and a reason to celebrate.  The city of Beaumont in Riverside County is getting ready to hold their annual Cherry Festival, a continuing tradition for nearly 100 years, which has all the key ingredients for a good time…and more.

The parade on Saturday morning is one of the main attractions, drawing what seems to be the entire town to watch dozens of entries on floats, in cars and on horseback.  Cheer troops, scout groups and various local organizations will be on hand, with planes cruising overhead to kick off the festivities.

The biggest draw, however, are the cherries.  Come for the cherry pies, cherry turnovers, cherry jam, and any number of cherry-themed treats.  And don’t worry, plenty of other food vendors will be available once you come down from your sugar crash.  Once you’re stuffed, take a stroll around the festival and you’ll find exciting games, breathtaking carnival rides and a classic car show to keep you busy.  You can even hold your own impromptu pit-spitting contest to the tunes of local bands.  How fun is that?

Willow Creek - China Flat Museum

BELIEVE!  Or don't.  I'm not the boss of you.

Willow Creek - China Flat Museum

Willow Creek, CA

If you ever find yourself in Willow Creek fishing, camping, rafting, or because you took a seriously wrong turn off the 101, make some time for the Willow Creek – China Flat Museum.

Why?  Because this town is known as “The Gateway to Bigfoot Country”.

The Bigfoot Exhibit chronicles an extensive collection of information, footprint casts, photos and other “evidence” of the creature’s existence.  Hundreds of articles document nearly a century’s worth of eyewitness accounts, some which are chilling and some with enough scientific reasoning that naysayers may be forced to at least consider the possibility that there is (or was) something out there.

Don’t miss the Blacksmith Shop and Miner’s Cabin, sure to make you thankful for everyday conveniences like electricity and mattresses more than an inch thick.  Be vigilant upon your departure, and if you see fresh 16-inch footprints anywhere, watch your back!

Larkspur Flower & Food Festival - 05/26/13

Stop and smell the roses...unless you're
allergic to them.

Larkspur Flower & Food Festival
Larkspur, CA

I have a love-hate relationship with flowers.

I loved my high school and college job, working as a cashier in my aunt and uncle’s flower shop inside the Weberstown Mall in Stockton.  When I wasn’t assembling bouquets or fashioning boutonnieres, I was either finishing up homework, glued to whatever soap opera was on the black-and-white TV next to the register, or shoving fistfuls of caramel corn from Mr. Sib’s in my mouth…all for seven bucks an hour.

On the other hand, I also spent an entire college semester gagging for two hours, twice a week, as I was stuck in a classroom with no windows and in close proximity to one particular student, Monica, with a penchant for lavender-scented perfume and the inability to apply anything less than half a bottle right before class.

Lucky for me, Larkspur holds this festival out in the fresh air - at the foot of Mt. Tamalpais, to be exact.  Enjoy the beauty of the flora while sampling the area’s best gourmet foods as locals have done for over 20 years.  Live music and a kids’ corner round out this family-friendly event.

Festivals tend to have at least one BBQ vendor, which is where you’ll find me if I happen to spot Monica in the crowd.  On the other hand, is it considered assault if you Febreeze someone?

Linden Cherry Festival - 05/18/13

Missing this event would be a pit-y!

Linden Cherry Festival
Linden, CA

I must admit that as a young whippersnapper I probably consumed more processed cherries than raw cherries.  A big treat for me back in the day was that crackling of the waxed paper wrapper as I tore open the package of a Hostess Cherry Pie.  I mean, really: soft, flaky crust, encasing juicy cherries and whatever that cherry gel stuff was made of, all glazed with icing.  I want one now!

Now that I’m all grown up (ha!), I try my best not to devour such calorie bombs.  Last summer, I bought a cherry pitter, and officially became a “real” cherry fan.  Full of antioxidants, I ate them by the bowlful.  Did you know that could really upset your stomach?  I didn’t.

Full of cherry orchards and a hub for cherry picking and processing activities, Linden is the perfect small town to host the annual festival, which boasts a car show, parade, bake-off and the ever-popular pie eating contest (not the Hostess ones).  Come to win, because losing is the pits!  Sorry about that one.