All posts tagged: Local Tourist

what’s good in the ‘hood.

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For our third wedding anniversary we made sure we kept our weekend free to celebrate, but then we were so busy with Craftcation (me), tennisings (Hubby), and Japan travels (more on this soon!) that we didn’t actually plan anything until the last minute. Whoops! But lucky for us, we live in the Bay Area where everyday can feel like a vacation and we thought up some last minute plans. On Saturday, our anniversary eve, we picnicked at our wedding park (Live Oak). I prepped some snacks: roasted cauliflower and potatoes, dill cream cheese to go with the cutest heart-shaped lavash crackers, a cucumber dill yogurt salad (we had a lot of dill…), and leftover dumplings from breakfast. Plus beverages. It was beautiful out and there were many people enjoying the warm weather. We admired the trees, Hubby rested in the sunshine, and I painted a little. Afterwards, we went to a favorite Japanese market (Tokyo Fish Market) because it’s fun there and I love markets. On Sunday, our anniversary day, we hung out at one …

quick trip: lake tahoe.

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Here’s a throwback Thursday post if I ever met one. Before the craft show marathon I got to meet up with my parents for a quick weekend getaway. Here’s a 24-hour guide to Lake Tahoe! Visit Tahoe City. Enjoy shops, foods, and lake views. On our stroll I spotted a couple of cute boutiques. I visited a home goods store – Pineapple. Plus a handmade gift shop – Tahoe Trunk Show. They carry items made by California and Nevada makers. We headed down to the lake for waterside photoshoots and serene scenes. For lunch, we enjoyed sushi at Tahoe City Sushi. They served us free sake! And we found the Ursa Mater, bear of pennies! This piece is on display now thru July 31, 2019. Go be fancy. In the evening, we lounged at the Ritz-Carlton because my parents are fancy. What’s nice is that the hotel is non-guest and family friendly. Outside, there’s bocce, views of the slopes, horseshoes, and fire pits; and inside, lots of seating for gathering with friends. We had dinner at …

nearcation: san francisco.

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Nearcation: San Francisco edition, because this is totally going to be a thing now. My God-sister and her hubs surprised us with a hotel gift card to spend a night on the town. We packed a backpack, jumped on BART, and played local tourist for 24 hours. We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake near Union Square where you are welcomed by a red-suited doorman and a swanky lobby bar. We were given a room with a view… We hardly come out to this area of San Francisco so we kept our adventures to any place we could get to by foot or by cable car. We had an afternoon meal at a hole in the wall Filipino street food restaurant. Then to a free craft event at Madewell with Jenny Lemons where we ran into my crafty friend Tally Sue. En route back to the hotel, we picked up boba from Boba Guys (insert Instagram worthy photo below) and veggie pizza from Uncle Vito’s. TV and chill, y’all. The next day we woke up …

roses are…not all red.

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The roses are in full bloom at the State Capitol Park World Peace Rose Garden in Sacramento. I spent part of my afternoon strolling through the park, sitting, and enjoying the scenes. Look at all the varieties in bloom! I especially enjoy the roses that are as big as my face and the ones that don’t look like “typical” roses. Which one is your favorite? Share below!

the packing house.

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I’ve travelled to Orange County a few times over the last year for work. During my adventures I found myself exploring some eye candy places. The Packing House is one of them. A total tourist destination for the super hip, the Packing House has food and drink, lounge spaces with ample seating, and the most wonderfully trendy decorations. It’s a place to socialize and relax. I can see this as an after-Disneyland stop. It’s kid friendly, but on my visit there were mostly young adults and young adults with their parents (raises hand!). Also, good food was to be had. I tried Georgia’s jambalaya with rice. It was warm and comforting. Then I tried milk tea at Sawleaf Cafe – seriously refreshing with just a touch of sweetness. I don’t think I’ve visited anywhere quite like the Packing House before. What a fun place to hang out! I shall return!

wheel! of! fortune!

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Life goal: Appear as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. Because yelling at the TV doesn’t win you a trip to a Prize Puzzle destination. The Wheel Mobile came to town so Feyoncé and I tried our luck at scoring a live audition. Pat was there, as was Vanna; and I brought a sign. Despite my best efforts to cheer my way to get chosen for an audition, contestants were drawn at random, and neither of us were chosen. We had our interview responses ready to go, too! Boo. Contestants were called up five at a time for a speed round. They introduced themselves, solved a puzzle, and the audience cheered them on. Their time from being called up on stage to their exit was their audition. The Wheel Mobile wanted to see enthusiasm! It was fun being in a room full of excited people. And even though we didn’t get called up, Wheel of Fortune liked and reposted my pic on Instagram. #winning I picked up some good pointers from watching the live auditions so I should get to work …

ice cream dates. 

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Ice cream date on a chilly afternoon in the Bay Area? Yea, why not! Some lovelies and I ventured to Little Giant in Oakland for an afternoon of sweets. You can try a few flavors before committing, but I always end up with either coffee or dark chocolate (or both!). I had, you guessed it, the coffee ice cream…with chocolate sauce! It sure was photogenic. This lovely had her cranberry sorbet in a cone. Oh, and robots. Fill in the blank. My favorite ice cream shop in the whole wide world is ______.

anniversary adventures.

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My fiancé and I celebrated our 8th love anniversary a few weekends ago by adventuring to the Sutro District and Land’s End in San Francisco. It was our first time, and it was spectacular. We felt like big kids playing in a (somewhat dangerous) playground.  Our first stop was the Sutro Baths which used to be an indoor saltwater swimming pool complex pre-1967, but is now an historic site, popular amongst both locals and tourists. I for one, was extremely stressed out climbing on the ruins for fear of falling and hitting my head on something hard. But it was a must! The views are lovely. We continued our adventures through the cave and heart spotting. Can you spot the hearts below? And then it was onwards towards Land’s End. This is a wonderful place to hike, explore, and spend time outdoors. Best part – you can’t get lost because most of the trails are loops, and there are plenty of signs and maps around. There are many places to stop for photos and enjoy the crashing …

Seattleite.

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And when I vacation, I like to be touristy like a local! Check out all these local finds I explored in Seattle. My God-sister and her hubby took us to Kerry Park. It’s perfect for panoramic views of the city and sunset if it’s clear enough. They brought us to Lake Union to check out the boat houses… And they took us to the Best of the Northwest Art & Fine Craft Show. You can bet I visited all the crafty shops I could throughout our trip, too. We stumbled upon Dry Goods Design on a rainy evening walk through Pioneer Square. Twas the cutest fabric shop. And I visited not one, but two letterpress studios. That’s just how I roll. Paper Hammer Press (above) and Pike St. Press (below). I wanted all the things. I loved exploring the best of the northwest. A big shout out to my God-sister and her hubby for driving us around town, showing us where the cool kids hang and for teaching us not to carry an umbrella around (so touristy!).

AFOL.

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We went to Brick Fest for my nephew’s 12th birthday. He taught me some new lingo – “AFOL.”  It means “adult fan of Lego.” There really is no age limit to being a Lego fan though. I had been hoarding a box of Legos since college, and, yes, I did buy them while in college. Talk about AFOLs. I just couldn’t get rid of them. And then, a few days before Brick Fest it dawned on me: I should make Lego shoes! Because when going to Brick Fest, you must walk around in Lego-dazzled shoes. Am I right? My Dad dug up my box of Legos from the garage, I grabbed a pair of wedges from Payless, and then I got to hot glueing! An hour later: Lego shoes! Hoarder schmoarder. I have a pair of Lego wedges now! These were the perfect accessory for the occasion. My feet have never been photographed as much as at Brick Fest. Ha! Happy birthday Nephew! AFOLs!!