Category — Weekend Trips

Celebrate Earth Day! Here are some interesting events:

San Francisco:

• Green Apple Festival. Volunteer activities take place at parks, beaches, schools and forests that focus on tree-planting, energy efficiency retrofits, water protection, urban gardens and forest restoration today through Sunday. For volunteering efforts, times a
• Earth Stroll at Crissy Field. Take an interactive fitness walk, play eco-games, visit with live animals and learn how to create a healthier planet. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Crissy Field, near Mason Street off Highway 101. 415-561-7690.
• “Party for the Planet” at the San Francisco Zoo. Green-themed activities, puppet show and scavenger hunt. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Great Highway and Sloat Boulevard. Call 415-753-7080 or go to www.sfzoo. org/registration/calendardetail. asp?orgkey=1431&ActivityKey= 539272.nd location information, please visit www.greenapplefestival.com.

Peninsula:

• Earth Day at Coyote Point Museum, San Mateo. Eco-art, nature walks and talks, interaction with the museum’s nonreleasable animals and special cleanup events. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 1651 Coyote Point Drive. 650-342-7755, www.coyoteptmuseum.org/activities/family-events/earth-day.
• Portola Valley’s Earth Day Fair. The event will include water conservation tips, composting demonstration techniques and recycling games for kids. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Town Center Community Hall, 765 Portola Road. 650-851-1700.
• Belmont Earth Day Festival. Tree-planting, discussions and entertainment. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 25. Barrett Community Center, 1870 Ralston Ave. 650-595-7441 or www.belmont.gov/earthday

South Bay:

• Weed the Wetlands at San Francisquito Creek, Palo Alto. Remove non-native and invasive species. 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. For more information, contact 510-452-9261, extension 119, sanfrancisco.about.com/ od/aprilevents/tp/earthdaysf. htm.
• Earth Day Eco-Friendly Workshop. Children and parents are invited to participate in this event. 1-8 p.m. Monday. Sunnyvale Public Library, 665 W. Olive Ave. 408-730-7262.
• Earth Day at San Jose State University. Aztec Dancers, an electric bicycle company giving test rides nearby and games supplied by the Environmental Club. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday. El Paseo de Cesar Chavez. 408-924-5467.
• “Your Home, Your Community, Your Environment: A Community Conversation on Climate Change.” 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday. City Council Chambers, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale. 408-730-7262.
• Greening Your Life. A panel of experts discusses easy ways to be green at home. 7-8 p.m. Thursday. Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive. 408-730-7262.

East Bay

• Earth Day Weeding Project. Help remove non-native vegetation like Russian thistle and ice plant to ensure endangered birds and fish can thrive. 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, off Highway 92 near Eden Landing Road, Hayward. For information, call 510-452-9261, extension 119 or go to www.savesfbay.org. and click on East Bay in the bottom left corner of page.
• Earth Day at the Oakland Zoo. More than 40 earth stations, hands-on learning, crafts, face-painting and Wildlife Theater presentations. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. 9777 Golf Links Road. 510-632-9525.

My sister hosted a fabulous weekend long bachelorette trip at Costanoa. We rented three canvas family cabins with bonfires for each one. We hiked to the ocean along the sandy bluffs, ate at their restaurant, and had a bbq on their lawn. Costanoa is a beautiful retreat located on the coast near Highway One in Pescadero, right between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Think of this place as luxury camping, with a warming hut and nice bathrooms with saunas. We also hung out in the hot tub area and then karaoked through the rest of the night.

In the midst of my own wedding planning, I checked out some interesting organic and green wedding ideas in the Bay Area. One place that I really liked was a restaurant called Barndiva in the beautiful town of Healdsburg.

The owner, Lukka Feldman, gave us a nice tour of the city and offered to host an all inclusive wedding with organic, local food and drinks. The restaurant is a beautiful restored barn with an outdoor garden. It is one of the few restaurants featured in Michelin from the Bay Area. Don’t miss this place for drinks at night if you are in Sonoma wine country.

As a farewell to a good friend who moved back to Amsterdam, a group of us stayed as a hostel in Pigeon Point Lighthouse, a beautiful spot just 10 miles south of Half Moon Bay. It was very easy to drive to on highway 1.

The hostel probably has one of the best views for the amount we paid. Inside, we shared a cozy kitchen and living room, with views of the lighthouse and ocean. We later hung out in the outdoor hot tub which was right next to the ocean.

The next day, we took a walk to the beach right next to the lighthouse and looked at the tidal pools. A friend found a crab, and we spotted several seals out of the water staring at us.
We ended the day with a hike up Wilbur’s point, where we saw a nice panorama of the lighthouse and ocean. Pigeon Point is definitely a find–I would go back!

My boyfriend and I took a weekend trip to Lake County, just north of Napa County. We stayed next to Clear Lake, in the town of Lakeport and made a trip to Ceago, a winery I had read about in Sunset Magazine. Clear Lake is the largest enclosed freshwater lake in California, with beautiful wildlife, and a haven for birds and fish.

It’s about a 3 hour drive north of San Francisco, a good distance as a weekend trip. I found the area to be not as touristy as Napa or Sonoma, and still a “hidden” destination for Bay Area folks. There’s plenty to do with local wineries and farms, and Clear Lake State Park with a beach, camping on the water, and hikes.

It’s wedding/birthday season and my last weekend was packed with trips to both Sonoma and Napa. A big group of my high school friends celebrated two birthdays in Sonoma wine country. I couldn’t make it until the dinner which was held at El Dorado Kitchen. The drinks were very fresh and relaxing (see the mint mojito and pomegranate cocktail above).
To start, I had a Caesar salad with local, organic romaine lettuce, with cucumbers. The salad was also very fresh, but I think it had a little too much dressing for my taste.
Although we sat outside near the pool and patio, the interior (see above) of the restaurant was decorated in a relaxed, but modern California style.
For my main course, I tried a mushroom, pea, tomato bow tie pasta. This was a fantastic pasta dish. As a vegetarian, I often don’t expect much from pasta, but the mushrooms in this dish were unbelievably tasty.
At the end, I tried a rhubarb tart with ice cream served on the side. This was better than the other choice that the table had which was a chocolate brownie. I recommend trying this rhubarb tart, it wasn’t too sour nor was it too sweet. El Dorado’s service was prompt and courteous and all of our food came out at the same time piping hot. I’d definitely recommend stopping here if you are in Sonoma tasting wine. El Dorado is located in central Sonoma right on the square, 405 1st St W. There is also a hotel as part of the building which is nicely decorated.

I was in Hong Kong last week and many of my friends brought me to new places in Hong Kong that carried organic and healthy foods. One of them was a market, called ThreeSixty, that was a smaller version of Whole Foods in a major mall in downtown Central called the Landmark. The selection was very impressive for a place in Hong Kong, but prices were very high.
ThreeSixty even had a nice food court on their second level, with over seven local restaurants and food stands to choose from in a nice, shiny environment. They had everything from wheatgrass juice to Italian food to pan Asian food to an actual sushi boat restaurant in the back.My friends brought me to Life for dinner, an organic, vegetarian restaurant in the streets of Hong Kong’s SOHO district. Tucked in an ally near a major escalator, the restaurant was cozy and reminded me of something you would find in the Bay Area.
Inside, the place was very crowded, with a warm color scheme.

I ordered an Asian stirfly vegetable and tofu dish on top of quinoa. The taste was very strong, but perfectly complemented the plain tasting quinoa. We also tried a lentil burger (which I highly recommend), a pumpkin soup, and a masala chai tea. After the meal, we went for a quick massage at a place called “Happy Feet”– a perfect ending to the day in Hong Kong.

As you enter or exit Yosemite on highway 120, you can stop by a tiny town called Groveland, just 26 miles from the entrance of the national park. We stopped to get a coffee to prepare for a long drive back to the Bay Area at a place called Mountain Sage. Inside the store, we found an eclectic mix of things from an art gallery, a nursery, fair trade clothing and organic coffee and food. I ordered a looseleaf organic chai mix and my friend ordered a cappuccino.

It’s a great stop for a quick bite and shopping for even camping and backpacking gear. On June 2nd, they will host a Sierra Earthfest, with sustainable companies featured with food and activities in an outdoor fair.

My sister got engaged a couple weeks ago in LA. To celebrate the occasion, we went to a beautiful restaurant, called Inn of The Seventh Ray, located near Malibu. It’s considered one of LA’s most romantic restaurant. Sitting outside next to a creek, we had a big selection of organic, local ingredients. It felt like a little fairy tale walking under the stung lights and beautiful outdoor surroundings.

We shared the portabella mushrooms, heirloom tomato salad (I recommend this dish!) and a vegan tapas dish for appetizers. For dinner, I split the summer corn risotto and the agave glazed vegan duck with my sister. To top it off,we shared a bottle of 2005 pinoit noir by Mendicino’s BARRA winery. This wine was probably the best I have drank that was organic.

Located at 128 Old Topanga Canyon Road in Topangam about 15 minutes north of Los Angeles. 310.455.1311

Straus Family Creamery, a small family run farm in Marin is hosting a tour through Marin Organic on October 5th at 1:30PM. Come see the cows that make milk, yogurt, ice cream and more.

Tucked into the hills overlooking Tomales Bay, this 660-acre family-run dairy is home to 270 happy Holstein and Jersey cows. The Straus family has been nationally recognized time and again for their pioneering efforts in sustainable farming and for the high quality of their products.

One look at the juicy green grasses and delicate wildflowers that eventually become your milk and you’ll know why.

After kayaking in Point Reyes’ Drake’s Estero, an awesome bay full of hundreds of birds, wildlife, seals and more, my boyfriend and I tried some cool organic places on our way home from Marin.

Our first stop was at Point Reyes Station, a tiny cute village at the southern end of Tomales Bay, next to Point Reyes national seashore. We found a wonderful store called Toby’s Feed Barn, and inside were local and organic produce, honeys, grains, and even organic animal feed for ranchers in the area. Next to the barn was an organic coffee and tea shop and a yoga center. On Saturdays, this barn hosts the only all local, all certified organic produce market in the Bay Area sponsored by Marin Organic. Toby’s is located on Main Street in Point Reyes Station.

Our next stop going home was in Fairfax, another lovely town in Marin County, but much bigger than Point Reyes Station. We stopped downtown and passed a slew of yoga, alternative medicine, and funky clothing shops. But the best thing we found was Lydia’s Lovin Foods, an organic vegetarian restaurant with live and cooked foods. The decor was warm, the waitress very friendly and food was fast. We tried the Ocean Friendly Nori Roll, filled with sprouted almont pate, avocado, cucumber, lettuce wrapped in nori. Vivek got a detoxing special soup made out of cucumber, celery, and more. He also got a side of very Green Salad–this is the way a salad should be, not like the one in Flea Street Cafe. This salad was fresh, tasty, and had a great flavor (We tried the tahini ginger dressing). The cucumber soup and Nori roll really hit the spot. I’d definitely recommend this place; apparently other people have already, it’s won awards last year for best vegetarian and vegan cuisine and best caterer.

You’ve also probably seen Lydia’s sold at Whole Foods, Rainbow Grocery and other health food stores. They’re known for their raw and sprouted cookies and crackers. I definitely think this is worth trying. Lydia’s is in Fairfax, located at 31 Bolinas Road.

What a great Napa organic tour: a certified organic olive oil farm with solar powered fermentation tanks and other organic goodies for guests.

• Last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle article describes the Long Meadow Ranch tour in Rutherford.
• Located in Rutherford Gardens, 1796 S. St. Helena Highway, Rutherford. Daily tours at 10:30 a.m. $35 to $50 per person.