trip to murphys: April 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

where is CA best quality of life...

hello i plan to take a break this year having achieved postgraduate studies and i am thinking of teaching French in the US...

i wondered which California county is supposed to have the best quality of life?...since most have universities i may choose any of them...

i%26#39;ve heard that Santa Barbara county may be the best place, who can tell me more about comparative advantages/drawbacks of CA%26#39; shore counties?...

apart from those i know like climate wetter up north and San Francisco...huge urban sprawl in LA... and bigger cities being more cosmopitan i suppose...

where is CA best quality of life...

Congratulations! Fantastic! and best of luck to you in your studies! The most important aspect of studying is your surroundings. I would recommend any college town. I, myself, am originally from Southern CA. Because of public transport difficulties I highly recommend living close to campus. UC-Santa Barbara is a very good school, and it is quite a beautiful scene -- if you can afford to live there, I%26#39;d highly recommend it; I had a friend who found his group of life-long, unpretentious, true friends there, and you%26#39;d have to study because there, because everyone else is busy doing same. The cafes and clubs are there, and so is the beauty of the Pacific..... But for relative inexpensive places to live and really good, non-frustrating public transportation, I would also recommend Northern CA. Berkeley, Oakland, Orinda, S. Francisco can be managed relatively cheaply. And the weather keeps one moving. Good luck to you. (I%26#39;d take Berkeley, if I could go.) Also: Try www.craigslist.com, for postings of recommendations.

where is CA best quality of life...

Hi surfsearch,

I went to U.C. Berkeley for a semester and really enjoyed the atmosphere and surroundings--you%26#39;re only about a 25 min. subway ride away from San Francisco. There are lots of great restaurants and hangouts in Berkeley and the school has the best academic reputation (at least it did when I went in the 1980s) of all the University of California campuses. You may also like U.C Santa Cruz which is about an hour and 15 min. away from San Francisco. This school has a reputation for being a party school, however, but is near the coast in a small college town. U.C. Santa Barbara is very nice and Santa Barbara is a lovely and beautiful town but it is much closer to Los Angeles than it is to San Francisco. I also like U.C.L.A. a lot and that is in the heart of Los Angeles so if you like a big city atmosphere, I would choose between U.C.L.A. and U.C. Berkeley. I hope you have a great time whichever school you decide to attend.

We live in Ventura County, Thousand Oaks and we love it. The air is clear, the city safe and lots of hiking %26amp; biking trails, easy drives to the beaches (both Malibu %26amp; Ventura). Easy drive into the city and up to Santa Barbara. The climate is nice - we stay about 5 -10 degrees warmer than the coast, but 10 - 15 degrees cooler than the Valleys. You get a nice coastal breeze in the evenings and fog in the morning. We have a great farmers market and lots of fresh produce throughout the year. Thousand Oaks is slow growth - and although it has grown up a lot over the years, they are very strict on keeping a lot of open space. Thousand Oaks has a popluation of 120,000 but still maintains a small town feel. We have a civics art plaza that gets great entertainers and plays.

We also have a very good public school system, Cal Lutheran University is here as well as Moorpark College (a 2 year college) and Cal State Channel Islands.

Downside - HOUSING - it is very expensive - it has more than doubled since we moved out here.

Good luck.

More and more, I hear good things about the Sacramento/Davis area. It does get very hot in the summer, but overall has a great climate. Only about an hour to San Francisco and about 3 hours to the mountains and Lake Tahoe area for skiing. Great access to the American River for boating and white water rafting. No doubt real estate there is climbing as in the rest of the state, but you can still buy a house there. The biggest university there is UC Davis (in Davis), but Sacramento has smaller colleges, such as Sacramento State. I live in Monterey County and, like Santa Barbara County, it%26#39;s so very expensive. It%26#39;s gorgeous here, but we pay for it. Plus, there is no major university except for the relatively new Cal State Monterey Bay, which has a shaky reputation. The expensive coastal communities are seeing older and older populations, as young people cannot afford to move here and buy real estate. It%26#39;s a shame.

first timer - want to do one tour and couple of tastings...

Going with some friends to napa on sunday of labor day weekend. we only have 1 day so we need to squeeze it all in! would like to do 1 tour and a couple of tastings. i can%26#39;t tell the difference between expensive or cheap wine so just want to go places that are pretty or good views and pick 4 wineries with different feels. suggestions for itenirary?? thanks!!!

first timer - want to do one tour and couple of tastings...

krzyviv-

This is a very common question, and lots has been written about it over the past few weeks/months.

If you use the ';search'; function, you%26#39;ll find over 30 threads on this topic just in the past 3 months alone!

Here are a few, some with comments specifically pertaining to Labor Day weekend, You will need to cut and paste them, eliminating the space after ';tripadvisor.com'; (I had to do this, since this program does not allow strings of more than 140 characters):

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ShowTopic-g32766-i258-k248523-_Napa_Trip_Report_Warning_very_very_lengthy-Napa_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ShowTopic-g32766-i258-k223984-_Suggestions_for_small_wineries-Napa_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ShowTopic-g32766-i258-k213720-_First_time_Napa_trip_Please_provide_a_sanity_check_and_or_recs-Napa_California.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ShowTopic-g32766-i258-k198982-_Which_span_class_hterm_Winery_span_Husband_and_I_have_1_day_in_Napa-Napa_California.html

Hope this helps. :)

-Russ Herschelmann

Innkeeper

Napa Old World Inn

first timer - want to do one tour and couple of tastings...

hi russ,

i%26#39;ve read all the posts and i%26#39;m hoping for a little more insight.

so i had really wanted to go to domaine chandon for the bubbly wine. but then i read that schramsberg is a favorite for many people. which would you pick?

for the 1 tour that i want to do: do you recommend sterling or mondavi? i%26#39;ve read that mondavi is very ';technical.'; is it interesting? or does sterling give a more entertaining tour?

for an art/winery - i%26#39;ve read that the hess winery and clos pegase are both good...do you recommend either one and which is better?

and then which winery do you think has the most spectacular grounds? there were votes for stag%26#39;s leap, niebaum-coppola...does either have a picnic area? if not - which winery has a great picnic area? also, some people say niebaum-coppola is a must see for first timers and others say it%26#39;s a waste of time. the website looks really nice. what%26#39;s your take?

there%26#39;s just so many and so little time!! since i can probably only squeeze in 4 or 5 in a day...which of the above ones do you recommend. (i%26#39;m not even sure if the ones i%26#39;ve mentioned are even to close to each other.)

thank you!!!

so i had really wanted to go to domaine chandon for the bubbly wine. but then i read that schramsberg is a favorite for many people. which would you pick?

for the 1 tour that i want to do: do you recommend sterling or mondavi? i%26#39;ve read that mondavi is very ';technical.'; is it interesting? or does sterling give a more entertaining tour?

for an art/winery - i%26#39;ve read that the hess winery and clos pegase are both good...do you recommend either one and which is better?

Wow.

OK, here goes:

-Most beautiful grounds: Hard to say. Domaine Chandon is a personal fave (love the gardens).

-Best bubbly: Love the Schramsberg cave tour. But our house bubbly is Chandon (we had a blind tasting over 3 days last holiday season, and Domaine Chandon won 5-1 and 7-1 over the closest competitor. I was shocked).

-Best tour: Mondavi, if you want to learn how wine is made. I%26#39;ve never been on a better tour (and I%26#39;ve been on more than 40 winery tours, all over the world).

Del Dotto%26#39;s tour is spectacular, if you want something unique, and will talk about for probably the rest of your life. Bring lots of food to eat in the car afterwards, and DO NOT plan to drive anywhere within 20 min of getting out of the tasting. You will be smashed.

-Coppola is fun, if you like movies/hollywood (I do). Their grounds are beautiful, but I thought their tour was a snore (and the guide was snotty).

-Art tours/wineries: Hess is amazing, but only if you love modern art. Otherwise, I%26#39;d go to the DeRosa Preserve or Carlo Marchiori%26#39;s house (which may not be open-- you need to check).

My best advice?

Here it is: The real hidden secret of the wine country is its ability to just seep into your bones and *relax* you-- to let you stop looking at your watch, and start to enjoy life without so much dependance on the clock.

That%26#39;s pretty remarkable, considering what time-stressed lives we live.

So when it comes to visiting the wine country, my greatest suggestion is to: NOT plan too much. Let some magic happen.

This is next to impossible for most folks in only 1 day (it takes vets 2 days, and most other folks 3-4 days). But boy, is it an amazing, wonderful feeling.

Try it. It just may change how you look at wine.

-Russ Herschelmann

Innkeeper

Napa Old World Inn

Ann Kellys by the Lake

anyone know if the food is good there??

Ann Kellys by the Lake

.........the food is good and decent but nothing exceptional or gourmet if that is what you are looking for..........fine for breakfast or lunch..........

Ann Kellys by the Lake

We did not enjoy it for dinner. Fish not fresh. Bland flavors.

thx for your input...larryjohn - also like a parking tip i saw earlier that i think was from you about driving past the AQ along the waterfront til the parking signs ed.

have ideas for more fancy and expensive meals - this was just looking for an inexpensive place for either breakfast/lunch - depending on how expensive the hotel is (Hyatt) for bkfst.

enjoy everyones postings - this is a wonderful forum..

I%26#39;ve eaten breakfast at Ann Kelly%26#39;s a couple times and thot. the crepes were great.FYI, there is a visitors%26#39; bureau or whatever it%26#39;s called, straight across the lake from Ann Kelly%26#39;s.

410 Matheson - Healdsburg

Anyone stayed at 410 Matheson? Looks like a fabulous place but can%26#39;t find any reviews anywhere!

410 Matheson - Healdsburg

Yes, my wife and I spent 3 nights and it was fantastic. The rooms are as perfect as they appear on the website. And the pool area is incredible. The morning meal is served in the main dining room and they just do a great job with it. We will be going back soon and can%26#39;t wait!

Good luck

mask making

Dumpling House

I am looking for a good dumpling house in northern california san francisco / sacramento area. any suggestions would be helpful!!

Dumpling House

Dumpling is dim sum. Just look at the other topics concerning dim sum to answer your questions.

Dumpling House

I wonder whether oz is asking where to get good potstickers. Or the other ways to make potstickers, boiled or steamed - jiaotze, kuoh tieh, shao lun bao, and the like. These dumplings are home cooking for a Chinese person, and a favorite. Dim sum is often more complicated and a family would go out to eat these rather than spend the time making them at home. Although, it%26#39;s likely that a place that makes good dim sum is likely to make good dumplings. And some places specialize in dumplings.

No, there are dumpling houses, and they are not dim sum. Unfortunately, I have none I recommend at this moment. Doesn%26#39;t mean there aren%26#39;t any, just means I haven%26#39;t gotten out in quite a while just for dumplings.

BetterthanBings,

Yeah, my mistake. I had to ask around to make sure about the distinction. Thanks for the clarification.

Funny, this very day, The SF Chronicle published this review of a Sunset District dumpling house. I didn%26#39;t see it until I got home after work:

- Amanda Berne

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are the stuff of urban lore. Those who have had these tender pork dumplings even once can find themselves on the lookout for new places to feast on them.

What makes them unique is that they%26#39;re filled with steaming hot soup, which gushes out when you take a bite.

It sounds like it could be painful, but it%26#39;s not. And on a windy, fog- filled summer night, San Francisco%26#39;s Outer Richmond district is the perfect place to indulge.

That%26#39;s why on a recent night I came to be sitting at Shanghai Dumpling Shop with a large basket ($4.95) of the little treasures in front of me. The small, bright place is known for Shanghai-style dishes as well as delicious soup dumplings -- and they%26#39;re some of the best I%26#39;ve found yet.

There%26#39;s a method to eating the dumplings so that you can savor every bite. One at a time, dip them into the accompanying dish of black vinegar, scoop them onto a soup spoon and, if you can, plop them whole into your mouth. If you can%26#39;t finish them in one bite, the spoon will capture the soup so you can slurp it up.

The traditional black vinegar accompaniment is garnished with strands of ginger, for extra pungency. It%26#39;s the classic condiment for these dumplings, and a nice change from the usual soy sauce and chile paste.

Xiao long bao aren%26#39;t the only wonderful dumplings on the menu. Shanghai Dumpling Shop serves about a dozen savory and sweet dumplings, including a tender rice dessert dumpling floating in a warm, sweet broth.

The boiled chive dumplings ($4.25), filled with a mix of pork and chives, come gushing their own juices -- no soup included in this one -- with a pleasant amount of garlic chive seasoning.

Other appetizers are good, too. In fact, I liked them better than many of the main dishes.

It really doesn%26#39;t matter what you order first -- dishes stream out of the kitchen as they%26#39;re ready.

The yellow bridge cake ($4.25) is spectacular. Plump, fist-size buns are filled with smoky twigs of pork with a pastry crust that is ever-so-slightly sweet. The Shanghai-style salt pan cake ($4.25) wasn%26#39;t quite as good. It has a similar crust, but is rolled thinner and filled with sauteed onions, which caused the crust to go limp in the center.

Spicy wontons ($4.25) are a little different. They%26#39;re piled in a bowl surrounded by a healthy dose of bright orange chile oil, beautiful against the white of the wrappers. A little mince of pickled vegetable offsets the spiciness. However, the wontons were a bit greasy to eat too many.

Starters also include an interesting selection of offal and salted meats, including salt duck ($4.25). The meat is cured firm, like ham, and the salt brings out the true flavor of the duck.

Be warned, however: The saltiness takes over after a few bites. But this appetizer is intended for small nibbles only.

Drunken chicken ($4.25), a typical Shanghai-style preparation, didn%26#39;t fare as well. The chicken was salted in the same manner as the duck, but was covered in a sauce that tasted like pure sherry, which threw the dish out of balance.

Noodles also play a prominent roll on the menu. The chewy Shanghai-style noodles ($4.95) were especially good, the noodles tasting fresh and absorbing the soy and seasoning from the sauce.

The noodle-like fried rice cakes with preserved vegetables and pork ($5. 75), which featured thin disks of rice cakes that act like thick, wide noodles, didn%26#39;t fare as well.

The dish was shy on pork and preserved vegetable; more of those ingredients might have kept the rice cakes from sticking together.

On the other hand, lion%26#39;s head meatballs ($6.95) have more than enough pork. A fine dice of fresh water chestnuts punctuate three huge meatballs that are crusty on the outside, with a perfectly tender middle. The braising sauce is just thick enough to cling to the meatballs, adding a rich, savory depth of flavor.

The pork chop with green onion ($6.95) is worth ordering even just for the sauce -- dark, thick and slightly sweet from cooked onions. But the sauce on the pine nuts with fish ($6.95) reminded me of the cloying sweet-and- sour sauce of my youth.

Bok choy with bean curd sheets ($5.95) shows that the simpler, the better at Shanghai Dumpling. The sauce in this dish, with a hint of garlic, barely coats the fresh bok choy and lengths of noodle-like bean curd.

The saltiness that permeates many of the dishes begs to be toned down by dessert. A crispy red bean cake ($2.95) has a flaky pastry dough, similar to the yellow bridge cake appetizer, but this time wrapped around a sweet red bean filling. It%26#39;s served hot, and it%26#39;s delicious.

If you start a meal with dumplings, it%26#39;s only fitting to end that way, with dumplings with wine fillings ($3.95). To our delight, it was like a dessert version of soup dumplings, except the soup came on the outside, sweet and spiked with nubs of lychee. The sticky dumplings are filled with a slightly gritty black sesame and sugar paste -- good, if just a bit less inspiring as the starter.

After dinner, soup dumplings were all my friends could talk about.

I just listened. Not only had I found excellent soup dumplings, I had started a group of five on their own xiao long bao adventure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amanda Berne is a Chronicle staff writer. E-mail her at aberne@sfchronicle.com.

Shanghai Dumpling Shop

3319 Balboa St. (at 34th Avenue), San Francisco; (415) 387-2088.

11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. No

alcohol. Reservations accepted for large parties. Credit cards accepted for

$20 mininum purchase. Easy street parking.

Overall TWO STARS

Food TWO STARS

Atmosphere ONE AND A HALF STARS

Service ONE AND A HALF STARS

Prices $

Noise Rating THREE BELLS.

Pluses: Great dumplings, especially soup dumplings, and Shanghai-style

noodle dishes.

Minuses: Some dishes aren%26#39;t well balanced. Not much in the way of service.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RATINGS KEY

FOUR STARS: Extraordinary

THREE STARS: Excellent

TWO STARS: Good

ONE STAR: Fair

(box): Poor

$ Inexpensive: entrees under $10

$$ Moderate: $10-$17

$$$ Expensive: $18-$24

$$$$ Very Expensive: more than $25

Prices based on main courses. When entrees fall,, Channel:, Channel:

BETween these categories, the prices of appetizers help determine the dollar

ratings.

ONE BELL: Pleasantly quiet (under 65 decibels)

TWO BELLS: Can talk easily (65-70)

THREE BELLS: Talking normally gets difficult (70-75)

FOUR BELLS: Can only talk in raised voices (75-80)

BOMB: Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

Chronicle critics make every attempt to remain anonymous. All meals are

paid for by the Chronicle. Star ratings are based on a minimum of three visits.

Ratings are updated continually based on a least one revisit.

My bad: Shanghai Dumpling House is in the Outer Richmond not Sunset. Doh. Balboa Street.

unique last name

Lunch places near Golden Gate Park?

I%26#39;ll be visiting the Tea Garden area of the park with my two children one day during our stay and I%26#39;m sure we%26#39;ll be ready for lunch before we%26#39;re done looking around. Is there anyplace that we can walk to (like within a few blocks) from that part of the park when it%26#39;s time to take a lunch break? Fast food or anyplace that would have a kids menu, a pizza place, etc.?

Thanks!!

Lunch places near Golden Gate Park?

On the south side of Golden Gate Park around 9th Avenue there are many restaurant choices for lunch. You can find Pizza, sndwiches, and even a Burger King. A good place is Howards Cafe on 9th and Irving.

Lunch places near Golden Gate Park?

Oh good! Thank you so much! We%26#39;ll have to check out that cafe but I%26#39;m sure as soon as the kids see Burger King, that%26#39;s where we%26#39;ll be. LOL

I have no idea of the menu, but they have just opened the De Young Museum cafe from now until Sept 30. That is right next to the Tea Garden. The museum itself, doesn%26#39;t open til Oct 15. Maybe check it out, otherwise 9th Ave Lincoln-Judah has everything under the sun. You might try Park Chow, 1240 9th Ave. They have burgers too. Plus you can dine on the roof, outdoors, if you wish. Way better than BK, but I know how kids are. Or maybe Gordo Taqueria for burritos, 1239 9th Ave, or.......You%26#39;ll find something!

OOO, thank you! I%26#39;ll definetly check out the museum cafe. That would be perfect if they have something the kids will eat. Park Chow sounds good too. Maybe the lure of eating on the roof would overcome the pull of Burger King. LOL

I found info about the museum cafe and a menu you can download if anyone else is interested in this.

deyoungmuseum.org/deyoung/鈥?/a>

It sounds so cool and very San Franciscan since they only use locally grown food. And...I saw chicken strips, my children%26#39;s main sustenance. LOL

Thanks again for mentioning the museum cafe!

FYI - the entire concourse around the Tea Gardens and De Young Museum is closed as they are building a new underground parking garage and rebuilding the Academy of Sciences museum as well. It is scheduled to be completed by October but I drove by there today and the entire place was still pretty torn up.

I%26#39;d avoid the Burger King that%26#39;s on 9th near Irving...let%26#39;s just say it%26#39;s not the best....you%26#39;ll understand if and when you see it for yourself. Park Chow is a great choice and many local families go there with there kids. It is a sit down restaurant, so if you want something a little faster you might try Sliders, which is right across the street next to the Taqueria mentioned in one of the previous posts. Slider%26#39;s serves burgers that are excellent, but huge...you%26#39;d probably have to split one between the kids. There are also 2 or 3 pizza places in the same area, so you hae lots of different types of food to choose from in the 2 to 3 block radius near the intersection of 9th and Irving.

Oh goodness! Can you even get to the Tea Gardens then?

We%26#39;ll make sure to avoid that Burger King. Thanks for the tip on Sliders.

YES, the Tea Garden has been open through the whole thing.

They are still working, but the cafe is open. See 8/19 on this page:

www.thinker.org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp鈥?/a>

You probably access it by going over the hill to JFK Drive side. You can visit the Rose Garden on that side, also.

http://www.lightight.com/GGP/GGPmain.html

On the Lincoln Way side, check out the Botanical Gardens--FREE. Near Tea Garden.

http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/tour.html

Thanks for the menu. Probably pricey, though.

Yeah, people don%26#39;t look highly of that Burger King, esp. the residents nearby.

Good places around 9th and Irving (or a couple of blocks in either direction are the previously mentioned Park Chow (American), Gordo%26#39;s (burritos), Ebisu (for sushi), Naan and Curry (Indian), Pasta Pormadoro (pasta), Crepevine, Hahn%26#39;s Hibachi, Plutos (sandwiches and salads), Yellow Submarine (sandwiches), PJ Oyster Bed, and Tart to Tart (cafe). There are also a couple of pizza places in the area. There%26#39;s also a Jamba Juice right at the corner of 9th and Irving, and plenty of coffee shops (including Starbucks).

LV>Death Valley>Yosemite

We%26#39;re planning to take the following route as part of our whirlwind 2wk trip of California/Nevada/Arizona in October (14th -28th). Any advice re driving times between each location would be appreciated as I have the unpleasant task of trying to plan our hotel reservations and it%26#39;s so-o-o-o hard when I%26#39;m not sure where we%26#39;ll be on what date!

LV%26gt;Death Valley%26gt;Yosemite

Las Vegas to Death Valley is 141 miles about 3 hours drive.

From Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes is 4 1/2 hours or 205 miles. From Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley is about 101 miles or about 2-3 hours of driving (more towards 3 as you%26#39;ll want to stop at various places nad look.

If your schedule allows, I%26#39;d try to book a place at Mammoth Lakes (i.e. lodging will be available.) The reason for this is that the drive from Mammoth Lakes up Tioga Pass through Toulumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley is absolutely spectacular. You will want to do this during day-light hours and not miss the sights.

Here is a web site on Mammoth Lakes and they have everything from motels to condos for the evening.

Enjoy planning.

http://www.visitmammoth.com/

LV%26gt;Death Valley%26gt;Yosemite

Foss

Never been to California however travelled quite a bit in Nevada/Arizona/Utah over the years.

Have always used www.randmcnally.com to plan the route. This has been pretty accurate when it comes to working out where you will end up each night!

Better check this route before departure.

Death Valley in October is o.k., but Tioga Pass into Yosemite is probably closed becuase of snow already.

In that cas you will have to drive via Bakersfield to get to Yosemite.

If duringa weekend the advise is to book a hotel in DV, during the week it is o.k. Check Furnace Creek Ranch or Furnace Creek Inn (more expensive) or Stovepipe Wells.

Forget Mammoth Lakes, it too far out and you have to drive much of the same way back.

Butter important Tiogapass almost sure closed.

Message for Katsie!

Katsie - for future reference, could you please let us know what sort of a deal you get with allstatescarhire.com

Thanks!

Message for Katsie!

Hi Katsie,

I have a question for you too, also relating to the car hire.

I%26#39;m still waiting for them to reply to my e-mail regarding a possible charge for a one way hire. Are you taking a one way hire and if so are you being charged a fee for doing so? Did you just use the e-mail address on their web-site?

Thanks

Kiwi

To mfi,

Allstates charges are way cheaper than anywhere else I%26#39;ve searched and I%26#39;ve spent hours and hours trying to find the best deal. I just want to know about the one way fee which they say they %26#39;may%26#39; charge. Without the one way charge they are about NZ$200 cheaper for a SUV for a week than anyone else, even with all the insurances and taxes. Hope this helps, and I%26#39;m sure Katsie will be able to add more.

Message for Katsie!

Katsie,

I also meant to ask, am I reading the small print correctly, that they send you a voucher, (post or courier?) and that your e-mail print out is not enough to pick the car up?

If they don%26#39;t answer my e-mail soon there%26#39;s not going to be enough time for them to send us a voucher! How long did yours take from when you booked?

Thanks for your help.

How nice to see %26#39;message for Katsie%26#39;!!! Quite thrilling.

To answer your Questions, I am not an expert , but allstates say that if pick up and drop off are in the same state there is no extra charge. Your emailed voucher is all you use. No courier and snail mail stuff. They answered my emails really quickly(within hours!) You might check that you sent your email address correctly. I sometimes switch two letters if I%26#39;m in a hurry and my typing is SLOW. With a daybreak phone card the calling rate to the UK is so cheap, their number from here is 0011 44 845 408 1481 . I am going to charge them a commission after this! Hope it helps. I am going to visit in Sydney on Fathers day weekend! I love it.

Hi All,

In reference to AllStates, I emailed them back in July with a couple of questions, one being one way drop off charge. Another being the cost of a tank of petrol if we take the cheaper insurance option.

There was also something in their fine print about ';own negligence'; not being covered under their insurance.

This is their reply-

Thank you for your recent E-mail. I can confirm that own negligence is caused by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you will most likely be charged about $50.00 for the petrol and there is no one way rental charge.

Many Thanks,

Sarah,

Reservations Team,

www.allstatescarhire.com

hope this helps!

Hi All,

There was also something in their fine print about ';own negligence'; not being covered under their insurance.

This is their reply-

Many Thanks,

Sarah,

Reservations Team,

www.allstatescarhire.com

hope this helps!

Not sure why I keep posting twice!!

Sorry

I finally heard back from them overnight, and they said there would be no one way charge from LA to SF as we%26#39;re dropping off in the same state.

I tried every other rental company in existance (I think!) and some wanted to charge US$200 for one way hire.

The most expensive price we had for a 4X4 for one week was over US$300 more than what we%26#39;re paying through AllStates!!

mfj

I am paying $539aud or 226 pounds for an intermediate 4 door car for 13 days all inclusive. the silver option. The travel agent here could only get me aud$900 as the best rate. Quite a difference. fifteen 02 was also about a $100 more.

When are you going?

regards

Katsie

Hi Katsie!

That%26#39;s very good! What car rental firm?

We%26#39;re not sure when we%26#39;re going - anytime between November and April. We%26#39;ve got a lot happening in our lives at the moment, but as soon as we see that window, we%26#39;re outta here.

It can%26#39;t come soon enough!

Vegas To Yosemite Valley to San Francisco

Were driving from vegas and stopping just outside the park, then staying at the yosemite lodge in the valley the next night and the day after driving to san francisco. Could someone recommend where to stay outside the park the first night we are thinking lee vining. And give me the best route for each journey with rough driving times. Thanks for any help you can give.

Vegas To Yosemite Valley to San Francisco

If you are driving from Vegas to Lee Vining in one day that%26#39;s alot of driving. You could drive 5.5 hours and stop in Bishop or go another hour and stay in Mammoth or about 2 more and stay in Lee Vining.

If you stay in Bishop or Lee Vining the Best Westerns are your best bets.

Vegas To Yosemite Valley to San Francisco

Lee Vining to Bishop is only 65 miles, about an hour and 15 minutes. Mammouth is about half the distance between the two and June lake half that distance to Lee Vining. The road is a fast, divided highway. I would look at June Lake. Easy to get into and out of, still pretty, some lakes....

Thanks for advice. think i might just blast it all the way to lee vining in one day, so im closer to the valley for the next day. so its roughly a 7 hour drive to lee then? is there any way to drive through death valley on the way up, if so what sort of extra distance would that be? is it worth it

We decided the drive wasn%26#39;t worth it, and Lee Vining motels weren%26#39;t for us. We flew Southwest Airlines ($49 one-way) to Reno (late July), renting a car and driving to Yosemite. Of the lodging options, I agree that June Lake or Mammoth Lakes are best for driving from LAS (we looked extensively before concluding we%26#39;d rather fly to RNO and drive to Yosemite Valley in 4.5 hours). We found RandMcNally.com calculated driving times quite accurately on our 2-week trip from AZ to UT to NV, and then NV to CA ending at SFO.

Fortune cookie factory

Hi!

I am in SF now and cannot find my notes on where the firtune cookie factory is located. Anyone know?

Thanks.

Fortune cookie factory

There%26#39;s one on Ross Alley, that%26#39;s between Stockton St and Grant Ave, Jackson and Washington St. The store is in the front and you can actually see the machine with some lady folding the cookies when they come right out of this oven.

Fortune cookie factory

Thanks - we%26#39;ll try to find it today.

mask making

grammarandspellingmistakes

Medieval Times...Worth it?

Just wondering what your input is on Medieval Times. Do you NEED reservations? What is the food they serve? Is it worth it? How long is the show.

I%26#39;ve looked on their website and can%26#39;t find the answers to these questions. Please help.

Also, how far is it from Disneyland?

All help appreciated!

Medieval Times...Worth it?

Depends - how old are you and do you have kids. The kids loved it - however, there is a lot of dust, so if anyone has bad allergies - it takes away from the enjoyment. I haven%26#39;t been for a while, but you used to need a reservation. They used to serve cornish hens, corn on the cob and some other finger food. It is in Buena Park (near Knotts berry Farm) about a 10-15 minute drive.

Medieval Times...Worth it?

I just checked out their website and the show looks great, I would like to know if I should reserve tickets thru their site or is there another tour company that might also include transportation to the theatre that we should book thru, also if the show is dusty do I really want to pay for the vip seats at the front, won%26#39;t it be dustier there?

We went to the show in April and had a wonderful time.

It was just my husband and I. The crowd -age from about 6 to 80 were having a wonderful time.

They have a no-host bar so any drink is basically available.

Dinner is first soup; beverages (soft beverage or beer); 1/2 a chicken (plenty); potatoe; bread; and vegetable. Apple strudel is served for desert. The food is good (i.e. meaning the chicken is moist, etc.) and the service is fast. They have a server for your assigned section and do a good job of serving.

The meal is served during the show. The show is about 2 1/2 hours long. On the site they say get their early (they do have some other attractions like a museum, place to have drinks outside, store, etc. They take your photo on the way in.)

We got there about 45 minutes prior to our show time and since we did not do the museum, we could have arrived 30 minutes before and been perfectly happy.

You get to root for your favorite Knight (i.e. you are given an assigned section to sit with a knight assigned to that section.)

Its about a 15 minute drive from Disneyland - basically drive from Disneyland on I-5 North to Beach Blvd.

If interested in such things, I Highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

(Note: Its a great way to have a fun meal and be off your feet for dinner after running around at Disneyland during the day - especially if you have a multi-day pass.)

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the info. I%26#39;ll have 3.5 year old with me so I%26#39;m not sure about being out that late since the only show that night is at 8pm. But thanks so much.

They do have an afternoon show on the week-ends so you might look into that. If he likes knights, etc. your 3 year old will like it.

We really liked medieval times. A warning, though...don%26#39;t pay extra for the tickets up close. The horses kick up a lot of dust (and who knows what else) and it gets all over your food and drink.

We%26#39;ll be at Disney on Saturday and Sunday so the day we were looking at was Friday.

Oh well, maybe we%26#39;ll hit it next time.

Staying right in Hollywood???

We stay in a lot of Marriotts, my husband has a lot of points there!

I found a beautiful sounding Renaissance on Trip Advisor in Hollywood right across from Mann%26#39;s Chinese Theatre. My older daughter is in to Theatre, hollywood, actors, etc. and would love that environment. In pages on reviews I only saw one bad one!

However, my husband is nervous about staying in this area? Is it seedy? Is it safe? Is it nice? What about venturing out to eat dinner at night?

Thanks!

Staying right in Hollywood???

I%26#39;ve stayed in Hollywood to attend a convention at that Renaissance in 2003. It%26#39;s gorgeous. The pool, the bar, the lobby.... Very stylish and quite nice. I stayed at the Roosevelt, a charming old hotel on Hollywood about a half block away, so was walking around quite a bit. I didnt have a problem at all with it. The Hollywood %26amp;bHigheland shopping center right next to Renaissance, at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, is a trip. ';Over the top,'; was my first thought when I saw it. That was quickly followed by, ';I want to go there!'; I spent a pleasant afternoon doing just that.

I also saw the Producers at the theater down the street (OK, way down the street). I wouldn%26#39;t have walked simply because of the distance, but would have felt comfortable checking out the clubs and restaurants along there if I had been walking...

The edginess of the neighborhood has its benefits. Walk down Hollywood a ways and you can find an inexpensive Vietnamese-run place to get a manicure and pedicure. And along the way you can read the names of the stars.

Anyway, I just looked at the Renaissance%26#39;s site and it%26#39;s very evocative of the vibe you%26#39;ll find there:

www.renaissancehollywood.com/intro.html

Staying right in Hollywood???

Better than bings--thanks for your help!

it%26#39;s fine, but you will see some weirdos (me) and maybe homeless people. it%26#39;s not glamorous or anything, but the location is great. the hotel is very nice.

iluvkimi,

Is it safe to venture out at night? Any streets to avoid?

Any restaurants you recommend near there?

How far is Rodeo drive and what%26#39;s the best way to get there?

Thanks

it is safe at night, there are many tourists and people walking about everywhere. i suppose if you walked pretty far east it can get kind of sketchy, but that would be a long walk and i don%26#39;t know why you%26#39;d be doing that anyway.

there are many restaurants in that area. the hollywood and highland complex alone has several. not sure what your tastes are.

beverly hills is probably about 15-20 minutes by car.

I forgot to mention in that other thread of yours that you will most likely not see any ';stars'; wandering around that neighborhood. There are restaurants near your hotel where you might catch a celeb or two, but they are pricey and I don%26#39;t know your budget.

wineries and other activities

Going to sonoma/napa the first wk of October, and staying at the Sheraton in Petaluma. My husband and I are looking for good places in eat, wineries to tour and possibly pick grapes! I%26#39;ve heard of hot air balloon rides and bike tours. We%26#39;ll be renting a car and staying 4 days. Any suggestions?

wineries and other activities

From Petaluma, definitely visit Sonoma and its town square.

There is an excellent winery with a view on the drive there....

Viansa - Winery and Italian Marketplace http://www.viansa.com/

The town square of Sonoma - historic (where California Bear Flag Republic started), shops, olive oil and wine tasting, and a good restaurant Girl and the Fig)

http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/

www.bestinsonoma.com/cheese_history.htm

Then continue and enjoy Benzinger - they start up a tractor and take you out to the fields....

http://www.benziger.com/

and also Jack London State Park is close by

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=478

and then continue to Kenwood area for more wineries..

http://www.sonomavalley.com/html/wineries.php

On the way back to Petaluma drive down Highway 101 and possibly stop in Santa Rosa Railroad Square for dinner.

http://www.railroadsquare.net/

***************************************************

For the bike tour, recommend Healdsburg Westside Road.

http://winecountrybikes.com/Day%20Tours.htm

The road here is delightful to ride....and they are mostly smaller wineries so great to ride your bike to....

***************************************************

For the balloon ride, suggest Napa

http://www.balloonrides.com/

And then tour some of the larger wineries such as Niebaum-Coppola, Beringer, Sterling, V. Sattui, Domaine Chandon, Mondavi for a tour...

possibly having a picnic Lunch (V. Sattui) and then enjoy one of the excellent Napa Restaurants (anything from French Laundry to Celadon in Napa and 20-25 of being of worldclass quality....Good to decide what you like to eat and then ask for recommendations on the site. Napa is the place to pay the big bucks for a great meal.)

In Napa, I would also check out if any events are going on....

a good source to do that is:

napavalley.com/special_interest/…jul.html

I would recommend if there is an event at COPIA to enjoy that and perhaps lunch at Julia%26#39;s Kitchen.

If you want to taste wine out of the barrel (and both these places serve good quality wine) suggest Del Dotto

http://www.deldottovineyards.com/ or Pine Ridge Winery

http://www.pineridgewinery.com/. They are sort of expensive $40/$35 dollars however Pine Ridge for example spends a full hour with you explaining the wine industry, growing, tasting processes and how wine matures from barrell to bottle.

They also serve excellent wines (both barrell and bottle.)

***************************************************

Also enjoy some of the other excellent sites in the area:

Healdsburg Area - Armstrong Redwoods State Park

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450

Wonderful Sonoma Beaches

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=451

and Bodega Bay (made famous for Alfred Hitchcock%26#39;s the Birds)

http://www.bodegabay.com/index.shtml

for an excellent family style Italian dinner, try Union Hotel in

Occidental. http://www.unionhotel.com/

***************************************************

In Napa area, COPIA and Napa Valley Museum are nice.

http://www.napavalleymuseum.org/

and if you want to see animals, both Marineworld and

the local and fun attraction Safari West http://www.safariwest.com/ is a real hoot.

There are also shopping areas in all these places, with the best discount shopping mall area being close to Napa Vacaville

www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp…

**************************************************

Locally to Petaluma, Muir Woods is also nice.

Other fun factory tours close by is Budweiser Beer Tour (serves boutique beers as well as the more traditional) and also the Jelly Bean Factory.

http://www.budweisertours.com/docs/calif.htm

…about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/jellybelly.htm

*************************************************

If you%26#39;re outdoors, also consider kayaking or canoing in the Russian River area.....http://www.russianriver.com/.

And of course if you are into Mud Baths, Calisoga is great for that napavalley.com/regions/calistoga/spas.html

followed by lunch or dinner at Brennan%26#39;s Gril in Calistoga....

*************************************************

Check for wine tasting coupons and suggestions from others.

The area is delightful....so much to do, you%26#39;ll have a fabulous time.

wineries and other activities

Thanks for the info! Do you recommend any champagne wineries or interactive places? Napa seems far from petaluma, what is the best route to and from?

For sparkling wine, definitely visit Gloria Ferrer (www.gloriaferrer.com) which is located off Hwy #121 in the Carneros Valley, so. of the town of Sonoma--and it%26#39;s closer to Petaluma than Napa is. They also make some very nice Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.

Anyone know of any red zinfandel wineries that are good? My husband%26#39;s favorite!

If by chance you%26#39;ll be venturing out to the Dry Creek Valley which is pretty much SE of Healdsburg, some of the outstanding Zins are grown there. My favorites: Philip Staley, Teldeschi and Roshambo. Roshambo%26#39;s 2001 Taylor Vineyards Zin is the BEST I ever tasted! Also a visit to very picturesque Lake Sonoma Winery will reward you with a taste of their ';old vine'; Zins which are excellent.

Hi there! If you%26#39;re a zin fan, check out the wine at Ledson. It%26#39;s a gorgeous castle, very friendly people and their wine is pretty exclusive to their winery and restaurant, The Harmony Club, located in the plaza. We had a glass of their zin with dinner and just had to purchase some at the winery. I think you will enjoy them. There is also a nice boutique shope there where you can purchase picnic items. Enjoy the wine country! :)

My favorite for Zins is Ravenswood. It%26#39;s in Sonoma. The staff is great and they are very helpful in answering questions. They had several zins to taste and they grow grapes in other areas of CA so they have zins from grapes grown in Amador county as well as sonoma.

mini, thanks for the detailed post. I%26#39;ve printed it to keep. Just starting to plan a wine country trip.

NYC to LA airfare cost

flying from newark to lax and want to bid on priceline and need suggested fares. thanks

NYC to LA airfare cost

Hello. I%26#39;m originally from NJ and fly back and forth often. Haven%26#39;t used priceline in years though.

Any normal ticket seems to cost between $280 and $320 depending on what airline. So, anything under that would be a savings. My experience with priceline (many years ago) was to go a buck over a set number - for example - they may have a limit not to give away airline tix for $230 or less. So if you want to pay $230 I suggest $231 just in case. Don%26#39;t want to lose out by a buck.

What I always hated about priceline was that if you went to cheap then you couldn%26#39;t just do it again and fly the same dates. So, you almost have to go on the high side of your max. $215 to $230 sounds good.

Good luck!

NYC to LA airfare cost

I%26#39;ve never used Priceline but it seems to me that ewr-lax is a very popular route -- lots of carriers, lot of competition. I can%26#39;t imagine that Priceline is going to offer much of a discount, unless you end up with a red-eye (maybe you don%26#39;t care).

A quick look at Continental.com shows daytime flights (ewr-lax) for September for $247. Is saving $15 worth the uncertainty and inconvenience of ';flying blind'; on Priceline?

I%26#39;m not sure where in LA and when you%26#39;re traveling to LA, but you might consider Long Beach. It is a small airport and much less hassle than LAX. You can fly from JFK-%26gt;Long Beach on Jet Blue, and they are starting service from EWR in October. Check www.jetblue.com for details. They have all leather seats and live TV during the flight, and they%26#39;re prices are very competitive.

Are you serious? Jet Blue will go to Newark starting October? Excellent. I love Long Beach Airport. JFK and Laguardia are way too out of the way for most of Jersey.

thanks...and jet blue out of newark...can%26#39;t wait for fall

CORRECTION: Sorry to get your hopes up, but it doesn%26#39;t look like EWR-%26gt;Long Beach is going to be one of their routes. Yes, JetBlue is starting service from EWR in October, but it looks like it%26#39;s only to their Florida cities.

My boyfriend and I are flying to New York City end of Sept. From LAX to Newark. Our tickets cost $300 r/t.

When I flew a few years ago, I got a good deal @ $244, but a stop over in St. Louis.

Anyone try good hostel in Hollywood?

I will be staying in hostel for my travel in my 1week travel in LA, any suggestion for picking a hostel? Pls share your experience, manay thanks!

Anyone try good hostel in Hollywood?

My friend and i have booked to stay in USA Hostel Hollywood for a week in Nov as our friend stayed there at the start of the year and said it was great.

The best way to find out i suppose would be to read reviews on different hostels websites one for example would be www.hostelworld.com

Let me know if you get any good feedback and enjoy your trip

Jillian

Anyone try good hostel in Hollywood?

thanks for your help. But anyone heard about Banana Bungalow hostel in Hollywood, will this better than the USA hostel?

Pls comment.

thanks!

Yeah, I think I%26#39;ve heard someone from here staying there before, and thought it was fine. Location is in West Hollywood, which is a better place!!!

web hosting domains

falls only in april and may? true or not?

my neighbor mentioned that the best time was april-may and that the falls dry up in June. So ... are those the only good times to go and see the falls? Other months that are comparable?

thank you!

karyn

san diego ca

falls only in april and may? true or not?

The fullest time for the fall are in the Spring. This is in relations to when the snow starts to melt - i.e. winter has ended, warmer days, sun out more often. The falls also depend upon the amount of snow fall for the season - last year was a very good year for snow fall, so the falls have been spectacular this year. Its never certain what year will be a major snow pack year and what year it will not (usually you know about end January.). Even in ';non-peak snow'; years, spring is generally good.

As such, if you want to go see the falls at their peak, plan on end April/first half May. This is the best time to go as many schools are not out yet and summer is not into peak visitor season yet.

falls only in april and may? true or not?

In most years there is still decent water in the falls come mid-June. Certainly it will be below peak, but there will be falls to see!

Last year%26#39;s snowpack was still melting in early August this year, making for beautiful sights at Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls when we were there then. I don%26#39;t believe they ';dry up'; totally.

This was an amazing year, though. Definitely far from normal. Usually there is NO water in Yosemite Falls by mid-summer. Bridalveil falls does not dry up normally, but usually it is reduced to a trickle by mid-summer. Vernal and Nevada falls do not go dry either.

mask making

Triple Espresso - Front Row

After reading about it on this forum, I%26#39;m considering tixs for Triple Espresso for my trip in November. Since it%26#39;s so far out, the best seats are the front row. For those who have seen the show, will front row be good seats? I%26#39;ve been to shows before where you miss a lot of what happens near the floor of the stage because you%26#39;re too close. I don%26#39;t want to miss anything! Thanks.

Triple Espresso - Front Row

We were front row center...great seats. However, there is some audience interaction: my husband was called on stage, and I was involved a few times. You don%26#39;t have to talk just have fun with the actors. So, if you like the thought of possibly being involved, go for the best seats in the house. You won%26#39;t miss a thing!

Enjoy the show!

You%26#39;ll love it and have a great time!

Triple Espresso - Front Row

Thanks! I%26#39;ll go ahead and book.

Which Winery ?

As first timers in California, my boyfriend and I are interested in spending a day wine tasting. Clearly Napa is 鈥榯he place to go鈥? however am slightly concerned about tourist numbers - since we don鈥檛 want to be spending hours in the car getting there (from SFO). I鈥檝e heard good things about Sonoma and also Santa Ynez Valley as alternatives. We鈥檙e not very knowledge about wine and would be after a friendly winery %26amp; nice lunch. where would people suggest ?

Any advice would be super! Thanks

Which Winery ?

Santa Ynez is much farther away San Francisco than Napa and Sonoma.

Which Winery ?

Where are you landing in California? That would determine a lot. If it%26#39;s Northern California (SFO, OAK, SJC) then don%26#39;t try to go to Sta Ynez Valley. If you%26#39;re landing in LA, then Sta Ynez makes sense.

Sonoma is lovely, and, frankly, the place ';to go'; as well. A sleeper is the Lodi area. It%26#39;s been getting a nice little reputation, but it%26#39;s not as sexy as the other three. Santa Ynez didn%26#39;t really vault into prominence until ';Sideways,'; anyways.

From San Fran we are visiting Yosemite %26amp; then plan to travel back to Monterey %26amp; along the coast road to San Luis Obispo %26amp; Santa Barbara. I%26#39;m thinking stopping at a vineyard either in Paso Robles or Santa Ynez but there might well be other areas more suitable on the way down the coast. Any suggestions would be great?

Thanx

Hi I am from Liverpool and have lived for 7 years so I sometimes feel like a tourist. Although Napa is the place to go, I have not been because of time constraints. When I go wine tasting I go to Los Olivos (close to Santa Ynez) which is only 2 1/2 hrs drive north of Los Angeles. You can also stop off and see Santa Barbara on your way. The little town of Bulleton (sp) is where the wine rooms and restaurants are. Mattis Tavern is a must for dinner and we always stay over at the very rustic Zaca Lake retreat. The retreat has a website and is a bit crusty but is off Foxen Canyon Rd where you can find all of the wineries. The quality does not compare to Napa but unless you are experts, I think you would enjoy it. My favourite place to taste is Rancho Sisquoc. Good luck!

Universal Studios

Can anyone please recommend a good and reasonably priced hotel near to Universal Studios

Universal Studios

Closest ones to Universal are Hilton or Sheraton.....

Universal Studios

There is a Holiday Inn Express (Universal City) on Cahuega Blvd, about a mile and a half from Universal Studios. I%26#39;ve only passed by this hotel, and it is quite new, on a busy street, and the photos show a small indoor pool. While not a ';resort';, it is very convenient to Universal Studios.

Hotel Del - how can I get a better rate?

Upon several suggestions, I checked out the Hotel Del and it does look fabulous. However, the rate I found was $207 per night plus a $20 resort fee. Does anyone know of a way to get a better rate? Would priceline be an option? I%26#39;ve never bid for anything on there, so I don%26#39;t know how low they%26#39;d go. I%26#39;d be willing to shell out $150, but I think $207 is too much.

Cortney

Hotel Del - how can I get a better rate?

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com - they tell you how to use sites such as Priceline. I%26#39;ve never used them myself, but they are very popular on the New York Trip Advisor site.

Hotel Del - how can I get a better rate?

http://www.hoteldel.com/delclub/

Then ask for their fall rate special for Discovery Club.

They are offering to Discovery Club Members:

ESCAPE EASY WITH THIS COOL FALL OFFER

$185 per night when you stay Sunday - Thursday, from September 5 - October 31, 2005. PLUS, as an added bonus, receive a $25 dining certificate when you book this offer.

To make a reservation, please call 800-hoteldel.

With the food credit, that brings the place down to $160.00 per night if you are staying Sunday - Thursday.

Hi CMacD,

Go to www.traveljet.com.

They have a rate of $170/night listed. However, you need to make the reservation today since they change their rates all the time.

Good Luck!!

Shazia

structuretoptr

Place to stay and affordable eats

I%26#39;m looking to stay in a very nice area near local restaurants. I was looking at Inn of the Spanish Garden and Harbor View Inn but both, while in good locations, are a bit too expensive. I was hoping to find something for no more than 1000 for the week, including breakfast. I saw some reviews for Brisas Del Mar but it looks rather run down.

If anyone has any suggestions, I love to hear from you.

One more item, any suggestions for casual places to eat with good food would be appreciated as well.

Looking to go next week.

Thanks a bunch.

Place to stay and affordable eats

As a resident, EVERYTHING in Santa Barbara is expensive. A run down dump condo is at least a mil. I%26#39;m sure you can relate being from New York. I can%26#39;t help you much with the hotel, but I%26#39;ll warn you, you don%26#39;t get what you pay for here, you get much less...Now, as for food, that I can do! Avoid the pier! Tourist trap expensive and mediocre food. Scoot up the road about 1 block to the Harbor/marina and there is a place called Brophies. It%26#39;s always packed because it%26#39;s AWESOME, there is always an hour or more wait because it%26#39;s AWESOME and it%26#39;s mostly locals because we know where the good inexpensive seafood and fun atmosphere is. Everytime I have out of town guests, they beg to go there now. Some come just for Brophies. Go up the stairs, give your name, ask for ';upstairs outside';, get a Bloody Mary and a ';hot Plate';. WHATEVER YOU DO......Don%26#39;t give up because of the wait and go to the place next door, there%26#39;s a reason they can fit you in, it%26#39;s because everyone else is waiting for Brophies. Have a great time! Bring your flip flops.

Place to stay and affordable eats

For a ';week';, does that mean 5 days? 7 days? Check places on upper state street, they%26#39;re a little cheaper than down by the harbor. But there are plenty of Best Westerns and Holiday Inns if you dont need something TOO fancy but want to be near the action.

The Santa Barbara Inn, formerly the Radisson, is a great place.

As for eating, I second the suggestion of Brophy Brothers... its on the Harbor (different from the wharf). Put your name in and then walk around the harbor area, great place to watch the sunset.

Gaslamp Quarter Restaurant?

I will be taking my husband to San Diego for his birthday, and we will be staying at the Omni. I%26#39;d like to surprise him with a group of friends for dinner at some place in the Gaslamp Quarter. Mexican, Seafood, Hawaiian, or American are all fine.... Just a cool place within walking distance that would be good for a group. Any suggestions?

Gaslamp Quarter Restaurant?

There are dozens of great restaurants in the Gaslamp District so it%26#39;s really difficult to choose, but for a group celebrating a birthday you might really enjoy the Gaslamp Strip Club - no, it%26#39;s not what it sounds like - the strips refer to steaks and they also have other options (I had Ahi). Explanation: you choose your meat raw from a menu and they have several big grills around the restaurant, and you choose your side dishes, and then you stand around the grills, and each person grills their own meat however they want it cooked. It%26#39;s a really fun, festive atmosphere, and the cooking is half the fun - sounds like it would be great for your particular dinner.

www.gaslampstripclub.signonsandiego.com/

Gaslamp Quarter Restaurant?

I like croces, owned by the late jim croces wife, good food at not too crazy prices.

Check out Mr. Tiki%26#39;s Mai Tai lounge! It%26#39;s very festive, the food is great, and they handle large crowds very well. I have held a couple of larger parties there and they were perfect. The food is awesome, the drinks are great. It%26#39;s a Cohen Restaurant, so the quality is outstanding.....

cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/鈥rtiki.php

Thank you so much for the responses! I think we%26#39;ll try Mister Tikis Mai Tai Lounge.... It looks like a lot of fun!

restaurant recommendations from the locals

Can anyone recommend a few nice resturants (various cuisines), moderate price but somewhere with good food, good atmosphere in Santa Monica, Venice or Marina Del Rey.

I%26#39;m thinking of a resturant you would take your parents or friends to if they were visiting from out of town.

These kind of gems are only known by the locals!

restaurant recommendations from the locals

Since you said moderate price I will avoid the real nice expensive ones.

C%26amp;O Trotteria in Marina Del Rey is excellent Italian food for a low price and right by the beach. http://www.cotrattoria.com/ its low budget seating (patio furniture) and loud but excellent food and service.

If you miss the Brit food LOL you can always hit Kings Head in Santa Monica. Best fish %26amp; chips etc this side of the pond. www.yeoldekingshead.com/newsite/home.htm

If you don%26#39;t mind spending a little more money for killer seafood then The Lobster in Santa Monica is your place - right at the pier. thelobster.com/LobsterNew/html/homepage.html

Enjoy!

restaurant recommendations from the locals

I used to work in Santa Monica, so have spent many evening with family, firends and business clients. some of my favorites (I still make the drive from time to time) are:

Ocean Avenue Seafood is a favorite of mine (not cheap - but amazing food and a fun atmosphere). It is on 2nd Street so you can easily walk up to 3rd Street Promenade if you want to go out for drinks afterwards.

For a more funky restaurant - try Typhoon - it is on the South side of the Santa Monica Airport and you can watch all the private airplanes take off and land. The upper level offer sushi and the main restuarant offers ';...The exhibition kitchen executes an endless menu of dishes from every corner of Asia: Japanese gyoza, Indian samosas, Chinese dim sum, Thai coconut-chicken curry, Filipino fried squid, Indonesian stir-fried noodles, and much more.'; You can also get some unusual item like fired crickets, scorpians and manchurian ants. You often have celeb spottings there as mainy will grab a drink or a bite to eat before or after flying. It is usually packed on weekend nights. http://www.typhoon-restaurant.com/home.html

1 Pico (at the Shutters hotel) is another ';date night'; place hubby %26amp; I love. Good seafood, big fireplaces, great view of the ocean.

I Cugini: excellant Seafood/Italian food, fun atmosphere, big portions too share.

Even though it is a ';chain'; I have always enjoyed PF Changs. Asian Fusion type food - very good though and fun for a gorup of people.

There is such a wealth of great food in the Santa Monica area, but hopefully this and the other post will help you narrow it down. I think most of the above mentioned have their own websites with menus and prices...

Thanks guys!

My dad is coming to visit and I know he will insist on paying so I wanted to go somewhere that is reasonable price for what you get. (around $20 main courses max).

Thanks for your suggestions! I am going to seek those websites! That place at the airport sounds fab! I%26#39;m definately going to go there!

Try to find the street - Montana Ave (used to live half a block away). The restaurants there are small and cozy with good food. You do have a good number of choices and it is a nice walk after dinner along this street.

By all means, if you like Italian food, visit Guido%26#39;s on Santa Monica, just East of Bundy. The food is surprisingly good considering the cost ($12 - $26 per entree), and the service is also above average.

Just avoid the valet parking, as it is more a pain than it is worth.

But, if you want to splurge and are ready for a culinary orgasm, hit Drago on Wilshire (Between 26th and Princeton). Expensive, but it will be the best thing you will ever put in your mouth.

try some of the places on Abbott-Kinney

Vising Yosemite while Staying in South Lake Tahoe

I will be staying at the Embassy Vacation Resorts the first week in September. I wanted to visit Yosemite while I am there. Should I take a tour bus or drive myself. If I drive myself , how far is it and would you recomment staying overnight.

Vising Yosemite while Staying in South Lake Tahoe

I would drive myself. From South Lake Tahoe take the Kingsbury Grade where you can later catch 395 and head south. It%26#39;s about 2.5 hours to Lee Viining. Then it%26#39;s a drive down to the Valley. On the way the view is spectacular. Make sure you stop along the way especially Olmsted Point.

I would suggest staying overnight but it may be really hard to find a place in Yosemite in September if it%26#39;s around labor day weekend. You could try to stay in Lee Vining so at the end of a long day driving down and visiting Yosemite you would be nicely located to drive back to SLT the next day..

Vising Yosemite while Staying in South Lake Tahoe

thanks for the info. I took your advise and I booked a room at the Best Western Lake View Lodge in Lee Vining for the night.

Tab 3148:

You might like to drive about 10 minute drive south on Highway395 from Lee Vining to the turn-off to June Lake Loop.

This is a wonderful place to go with Grant Lake, Silver Lake, Gull, and June Lake. Very ';vacation oriented'; while Lee Vining is more of a ';road stop'; with some motels, groceries, and view of Mono Lake.

Since you have lodging, you can stay at Best Western, but you might like to take this scenic drive while in the area.

Its well worth it.

www.junelakechamber.org/pages/summermenu.php…

Enjoy your trip.

That Best Western is the nicest place in Lee Vining. It is quite close to the 395/Tioga Pass junction and within easy walking distance to eateries.

Whatever place you stay have a great vacation!!

It might be worth trying to stay at the Yosemite Lodge right in the park. It is usually booked up a year in advance, but I got lucky by calling many times a few weeks before we went and got a cancellation. If you are flexible within the week you are staying at south lake tahoe this might work. It was well worth being in the park. The road to the Valley from Lee Vining is difficult driving...winding and twisting.

Does anyone know how long the drive is to the valley from Lee Vining.

Valley to Lee Vining is about 1.5 hours if you drive straight through but don%26#39;t so that because the views are spectacular. Stop at Olmstad Point, Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake at a minimum.

Thanks again for the great information. I will be sure to make several stops along the way.

Anyone ever stay at yosemite scenic wonders vacation rentels. they look beautiful on the web . Is is hard to get a reservation there the first week in September after Labor day. would that be better than staying in Lee Vining . I know you have to stay 2 nights minimum but it looks like its worth it. 1 night may not be long enough to see alot. I don%26#39;t know when I would get to this area again so I want to see and do as much as possible while I am there.

The ride from Tahoe to Yosemite along the Eastern Sierra is stunning. You%26#39;ll be sad, with a short schedule, that you can%26#39;t tarry, and when you get to Yosemite, sad you don%26#39;t have more time to spend there, too. And then there%26#39;s Death Valley... with more beautiful country along the way.

black eyed bean salad

Bed sizes

We are going to stay in motels, during our vacation in california

And my question is: What are the sizes of the beds? we need to have two large beds for four people. Is that two queen beds?

Whats the width of them?

Bed sizes

Hotels vary. Some will provide 2 queen sized beds and some will provide 2 doubles. Here are dimensions of each:

Full Mattress Size 54'; wide x 75'; long

Queen Mattress Size 60'; wide x 80'; long

Hotels will specify which size they provide.

Bed sizes

Suzie whilst we are bilingual here in UK regarding imperial and metric measurements I bet Hotrod over in Sweden had to dig out his trusty calculator to convert those inches to metric.

4%26#39;6'; = 54'; = 1.37m approx width

5%26#39;0'; = 60'; = 1.52m approx width

or King = spacious, Queen = cosy.

LOL very good. Did not think of that. Also interchangeable words full=double

If you can get a ';king'; size bed, they%26#39;ll probably be ';California King'; in California.

Dimensions: 72'; wide, 84'; long (1.85m x 2.15m).

In other parts of the US, you will get an Eastern ';King:';

Dimensions: 76'; wide, 80'; long (1.95m x 2.05m)

It is a good job Hotels don%26#39;t provide bunk beds otherwise we would have to include a third dimension. Maybe some do. I guess we will soon find out... watch this space.

(apologies to Hotrod for hijacking his thread)

Best Route

Thanks for all you valuable advice and as a result, we are travelling from Las Vegas and are now booked in for one night at Lone Pine and then carry on to the Cedar Lodge just outside Yosemite for a further 4 nights, then on to San Francisco. Can anyone suggest the best route to travel so that we get to see as many o the best bits as possible between Las Vegas and San Francisco. Thanks in anticipation!

Best Route

To me, it sounds like you already did this....

Are you driving from Las Vegas through Death Valley National Park to Lone Pine? http://www.nps.gov/deva/

You will then be taking Highway 395 from Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes - at the turn-off to Mammoth Lakes take this and if possible take the gondola to top of the mountain.

Then return to Highway 395 and continue up till you see the turn-off for June Lake Loop. Take that - its a 14 mile road where you%26#39;ll see June Lake, Gull, Silver, and Grant.

http://www.visitmammoth.com/

http://www.junelakechamber.org/

You%26#39;ll then continue north on Highway 395 and you%26#39;ll see Mono Craters. You might want to also stop at the visitor center at Mono Lake (a few miles north of Lee Vining.)

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514

Then drive south again and take Tioga Pass into Yosemite Park. You will be driving through Toulumne Meadows which is beautiful. Get a very early start from Lone Pine so you have time to enjoy! With 4 nights in Yosemite, I%26#39;d mosey along this route. In Bishop, you might want to stop at Schatt%26#39;s Bakery -as its an excellent bakery.

Then enjoy Yosemite.

Upon leaving Yosemite, if you want to mosey to San Francisco (this is NOT the direct route) drive from San Francisco to Sonoma and then take Highway 49. This will let you see Columbia, some caves, and other interesting things in the area

such as Railtown 1897.

http://www.historichwy49.com/mainmap.html

http://www.columbiacalifornia.com/

http://www.csrmf.org/railtown/default.asp

You might want to also drive to Calveras Big Trees and also Ironstone Winery for wine tasting....

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=551

http://www.ironstonevineyards.com/

After enjoying the Highway 49 area, then take Highway 80 to San Francisco. You might want to stop by Old Town Sacramento. http://www.oldsacramento.com/

Excellent railroa museum here; fun place to visit....

and then continue down Highwy 80 until you get to Highway 29.

Plan on a late dinner in Napa, perhas at Celadon

http://www.celadonnapa.com/

After dinner, drive the last hour to San Francisco.

Enjoy yuor trip!

Alcatraz for kids?

Hi!

My husband and I really want to see Alcatraz and will be travelling with a 3 and 6 year old - is the tour appropriate for them?

Thanks

Anything we should not miss? We are there for 5 days later this month.

Alcatraz for kids?

Alcatraz - I always find it interesting.....

People, who stayed in prison, always worked so hard to try to get out of Alcatraz

and

all the tourists work so hard to find a way to see Alcatraz.

The key things about Alcatraz - it is a long walk up hill to the prison area. (they do have a very tiny tram that takes a couple of people...but almost all people have to walk up hill to the prison.) If the 3 year old is up to it, it might be interesting for them. The 6 year old would probably find it fascinating to see the prison area and the views from there...(the kids we saw that age found it interesting....the younger ones it depends on the hill climb and if they are up to it.)

Lots of suggestions on what to see on the forum regarding San Francisco....so I%26#39;d start there and also the recommenndations regarding attractions....Given your kids age, you might want to include a visit to San Francisco zoo, Fisherman Walf and Pier 39 especially to see the Sea Lions, and a cable car ride....

Alcatraz for kids?

We were there with our 3 1/2 %26amp; 7 year old in June. We decided not to do the Alcatraz tour as my 3 year old would have been a nightmare... My son however, would have loved it.

Highly recommend the Firetruck Tour - the kids had a blast (and so did hubby %26amp; I). Lunch at the Blue Mermaid before hand is great too.

The cable cars were a huge hit and they also really enjoyed riding the f-line trolley.

Be sure to stop at Ghiradelli for ice cream sundeas, the kids still talk about how big they were.

The cable car barn was fascinating to my son and they both enjoyed Chinatown, the fortune cookie factory and Dim Sum (their first time).

Pier 39 with the Sea Lions is fun and the kids loved the two story carousal. My daughter insisted on riding it a second time. Also a Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf the USS Pampanito Sumbarine %26amp; the USS Jeremiah Battle ship are open for tours. My son and hubby really enjoyed those while my daughter and I macked out on shrimp %26amp; crab cocktail waiting for them.

We were only there 2 1/2 days but did a lot and had a great time. They keep asking when we can go back.

I held off on taking my kids to Alcatraz until they were 8. Even then they didn%26#39;t ';get'; a lot of the information and they got pretty tired and wanted to leave. The audio tour is good but it moves along kind of quickly and it might be tough for your younger one to understand. Bottom line is I%26#39;d hold off on this until they%26#39;re older. The fire engine tour would be fun, the sea lions at pier 39 and other places mentioned by others would be much more appropriate for them. A half day in golden gate park might be fun too. The zoo is great but it takes awhile to get there from downtown Union Square area.

Thanks for the great input - having a crimianl justice background I think it would be interesting but you all have confirmed that maybe next time with the kids..

Thanks for the great suggestions of other ways to amuse the kids while hubbie works! We are there for 5 days :o)

One thing about Alcatraz... please realize that it REALLY smells bad. Sea birds hang out there and you know what that means.

But they provide nasal plugs in the reception area.

mask making

seaplanes???

I have heard that you can get sea planes in the bay area, which company is best? Has anyone every tried it? my mum really wants to give it a go but I%26#39;m not so sure!!!

Thanks

seaplanes???

I%26#39;ve never done it and never seen it done.

However, I%26#39;ve seen the seaplanes parked (anchored?) near Mill Valley. Do a websearch on seaplanes + ';Mill Valley'; and I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll find them all.

Here%26#39;s one company.

http://www.seaplane.com/

seaplanes???

That company also flys out of SF, at Pier 39, if that is more convenient. Here is another link. There are also helicopter tours.

www.cyndirecommends.com/html/air_tours/

relocating to california in a few years

Hi, I am an early childhood edu. major at Fred. State, in NY. Never been to CA but my uncle lived in San Diego all his life and loved it! The weather%26#39;s always perfect, and it%26#39;s beautiful there.

I always wanted to live by the ocean, but I%26#39;m scared of tornadoes and hurricanes, and all things poisonous, and dont like blistering hot weather, so the east coast is out! I also wouldnt like temps under 40F..

Where should I start looking at?? I want somewhere near the ocean (less than 30 minute drive), and ideally, somewhere I could get a nice apartment for a reasonable price, and most importantly, somewhere I could get a job!

Also, somewhere with a college would be good because my cousin will be graduating high school when I graduate college and wants to go to collge in CA and stay with me.

I would like to be somewhere scenic (not like city-scenic), but with trees and such lol..nature-scenic.. and it would be nice if LA was within a one hour drive, but not necessary (not more than a 5-hr drive though)

thanks...

Sarah

relocating to california in a few years

You might want to try either San Louis Obispo or Santa Cruz. They might be expensive (everywhere in CA is!) but the weather is nice, they are by the ocean and there are both junior colleges and state universities there.

Santa Cruz: UC Santa Cruz %26amp; Cabrillo College (JC)

San Louis: Cal Poly San Louis Obispo and Cuesta (JC)

relocating to california in a few years

Hi Sarahlamo,

I agree with San Luis Obispo which is about 4 hours from both Los Angeles (to the south) and the San Francisco Bay Area (to the North). It is extremely scenic out there with a wonderful downtown area with great restaurants and shops that are independently owned and with very friendly people. However, I don%26#39;t know about the job market there, as it is not a big city and there are really no big cities nearby so that might be a drawback. It also might be expensive too and the demand for housing is probably very high since the area discourages growth.

Another option (only about an hour away from Los Angeles) you could check out is Oxnard. It is between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and has a large and growing population so there may be jobs there. Neighboring communities like Ventura, Camarillo, and Newbury Park are also worth checking out but Oxnard is the biggest and the most affordable of the communities there (coastal Ventura County). Oxnard is not very scenic but no community is perfect and you%26#39;re very close to Santa Barbara (about 30 min. away). The traffic is worsening in that area because the road construction and public transportation have not kept up with the fast growing population in that area so that is a drawback too (although it still isn%26#39;t as bad as in Los Angeles!)

Anywhere near the ocean is, generally, not going to be cheap. The most expensive places will be near major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles ( i.e. Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades).

You might want to look south of Los Angeles in Orange County. I%26#39;d probably would start looking in Huntington Beach. It%26#39;s know for it%26#39;s youth culture and it%26#39;s nickname is Surf City. To be honest, I think you%26#39;ll only be able to afford a beach city apartment if you%26#39;ve got roommates to share the cost. I know what preschool teachers make and it%26#39;s not much. You might want to look at communities that are next to beach cities like Fountain Valley or Costa Mesa if you want something more reasonable.

South of Los Angeles City and north of Orange county is the South Bay area which includes Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance. Rent may or may not be higher than beach cities in Orange County. I know house prices are more expensive but rent might not be any more and would put you closer to L.A. You%26#39;ll just have to check it out.

Camarillo, in Ventura County is a rapidly growing community, lots of young families and kids - plenty of preschool - all with waiting list and all looking for qualified teachers.

You are close to the beaches and there is still a lot of farming in the area (mainly strawberry fields). You are also an hours drive from LA, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica (with good traffic of course).

There are lots of hikes and bike trails in Thousand Oaks (10 minutes drive).

Cal State Lutheran, Moorpark College %26amp; Cal State Channel Islands are all within easy driving distance.

Camarillo prices are rising, but I think it is still far more affordable than many of the surrounding areas.

Ventura County has a lot of variety. Someone else mentioned that Oxnard is the most affordable area within the desires you have.... and I agree. Port Hueneme is at the coast near Oxnard and is also affordable, although everything is expensive in California. We don%26#39;t have tornados or huricanes though...not the same weather as the east coast.... so fear not.... The ocean is cooler here and so the areas snuggled into the coast are also known for their cool constant weather. There is a newish college called Channel Island State, which is in a lovely location near the coast of Point Mugu and Malibu and near Newberry Park and Thousand Oaks on the mountain side and Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura on the plains..... Ventura has some really nice apartment complex also.... Downtown Ventura is a perfect location.... nice night life there too. Accessable to everything.