The Bay Bridge is closed for who knows how long. We feel for ya! Good news!
The Triton Hotel and Prescott Hotel in San Francisco are offering Bay Area residents a fantastic alternative to finding ways back and forth into the city!
Bay Area residents, wondering how to get into work this week, or get into SF for those Halloween parties this weekend with the interstate 80 Bay Bridge closed to and from San Francisco?
Answer: Walk home each night/ morning to the Triton or Prescott Hotels in Union Square! Just log onto the hoteltriton.com or prescotthotel.com website and reserve your room anytime between October 28 – Nov 3, 2009 (and thru Nov 2 at Prescott) under the Rate Code: SFB and reserve a room for just $80 a night!
Rates based upon availability and must be booked in advance online with Rate Code SFB.
Inspired by the original creators’ imagination, San Francisco’s Hotel Triton continues to evolve, always staying at the forefront of all things visionary and distinct. The property is an homage to the city’s sense of cool with subtle references to pop culture and a California-chic style that makes the 140-room hotel a wonderland like no other. The hotel has joined forces with a number of dynamic names in the entertainment industry including Santana, Jerry Garcia, Haagen Dazs, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more, to design a collection of celebrity hotel suites.
The Prescott Hotel has long been synonymous with great taste from carefully chosen amenities to elegant décor. AAA has recognized Prescott Hotel with a prestigious 4-diamond rating and it is consistently sited as one the best places to stay in the world by publications like the New York Times, Travel & Leisure, and Conde Nast. Celebrities such as Robert Redford, Madonna, and Elizabeth Taylor have made Prescott Hotel home while residing in San Francisco.
Ready for your close-up? Hawaii Movie Tour’s provide a fun and technicolor fact-filled way to see many of Kauai’s most beautiful spots. The comfy bus is fully equipped with surround sound and tv monitors for viewing the bits and pieces of the movies pertaining to the actual film locations.
Ben, our gregarious, fun-loving guide was a walking (or in this case, driving) encyclopedia of film and TV lore. He was also very knowledgeable about the island’s history, geography, wildlife (he taught me how to say the name of the state fish, “Humuhumukununukuapua’a” which he said has a face like a pig) and, most importantly, all the latest gossip.
For example, the latest buzz was that the ultra- private Steven Spielberg had been spotted scouting out locations for the next Jurassic Park.
“He usually goes around in a disguise so he won’t be recognized,” Ben chortled, “but I don’t know who he thinks he’s kidding– wearing a raincoat in Hawaii is kind of a dead give-away. Now Pierce Brosnan, on the other hand, couldn’t be friendlier. The only celeb thing about him is that the special “007” license plate on his wife’s car.”
We knew we were in good hands when we arrived at the tour office where film-buff owners Bob Jasper and Jerri Wassink have the actual tiki from Raiders of the Lost Ark in the front yard. Other tour highlights from our six hour tour include:
Wailua Falls: provided the opening scene for Fantasy Island– you can almost hear Tattoo’s annoying shriek, shout “Da plane! Da plane!”
Coco Palms Resort: became Elvis’s second home while he was filming Blue Hawaii. This legendary resort is finally being rebuilt after being shuttered since the 1992’s Hurricane Iniki. While we were exploring the gorgeous grounds (Hawaii Movie Tour is the only company allowed on site) out strolls Larry Riviera, strumming his $2,000 koa wood “uke” softly singing “The Love Song of Kalua” from the TV series “Fantasy Island”. Rivera was a close friend of Elvis Presley while he filmed “Blue Hawaii” on Kauai.
“In fact,” Larry told us with a big wink, “I was the one who really taught Elvis how to hit the high notes.”
Although he turns 80 next year, this spry little man is still in big demand for both singing engagements and coordinating “Blue Hawaii Weddings” on the same lagoon where Elvis exchanged his movie vows.
Hanalei Bay: This remote two-mile crescent-shaped beach was just selected No. 1 on“Dr. Beach” Stephen P. Leatherman’s 2009 list of top 10 beaches, however it was actually “discovered” back in the 50′s when the hit musical “South Pacific” was filmed here.
“The sheer beauty of Hanalei Bay is breathtaking,” said Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. “It’s really an idyllic setting.”
What? No filming today? You mean Kauai is naturally this breathtakingly gorgeous even without hair and makeup?
That’s probably why at least 70 Hollywood films (some of the biggies were South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii, and Raiders of the Lost Ark) have been shot here, not to mention numerous television shows and commercials. Even though many of them were real bombs, it certainly wasn’t because of the location shots. Between the pristine turquoise jeweled ocean, the multi-hued flora and fauna, the cascading waterfalls, and the towering razor-sharp cliffs flanking the Napali Coast, this is one island that simply does not have a bad side– snap a picture in any direction and you’ll end up with a Louvre-worthy masterpiece.
Whether you choose to explore Kauai by air, sea or land, the changing views never grow old even though Kauai is the grande dame of all the Hawaiian Islands. She carries her almost 6 million years quite nicely thank you, and as a result of her longevity she has the densest rain forests, the deepest canyons, the most dramatic sea cliffs and more natural white sandy beaches than all the other Hawaiian Islands put together.
Offering something for everyone, this enchanting island makes a perfect choice for a romantic honeymoon, a family holiday, or a fun-filled girlfriend getaway.
Last chance to splurge on art. This weekend, Oct 31 & Nov 1 is the grand finale of San Francisco Open Studios at Hunters Point Shipyard in San Francisco.
There are 300 artist who once a year agree to open their studios to you, the inquiring art enthusiast, allowing you free open access to the Hunters Point Shipyard including Islais Creek Studios.
There is a guard post at the entrance, just say the magic work “hi, i here for Open Studios”,
and a friendly volunteer will hand you a map. All other times of the year you would need
prior approval to visit a studio and present your drivers license/ id at the guard house for an entrance pass. All this to make my point, now’s your chance to see what’s going on out there.
It’s a great time to meet the artists and purchase their most recent work without the gallery markup. Best of all… Free Parking.
OCTOBER 31 & NOVEMBER 1
Saturday & Sunday
11am – 6 pm
Opening Reception – Friday Oct 30
Building 116
6pm – 8pm
How to get there ? Map & Directions
want to check out examples of the artwork before making the trek?
go on over to SoMarts.
SOMArts Main Gallery
934 Brannan Street
Wednesday-Friday, 12pm to 4pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am to 5pm
It’s not to late to get your art groove on. Sat, Oct 24 & Sun Oct 25 is the weekend where South of Market San Francisco Artists open their studios free to the public. I highly recommend you put LIZLAND on your calendar. Artist Liz Mamorsky has an incredible showcase of her found object robots, tables, menorahs on wheels, op art paintings, lots of eye popping colors. And then there’s the studio itself, probably the nicest one in SOMA. Liz has two floors of art and floor to ceiling collections of future art pieces. A real working studio. Come on down to 739 Clementina, off Folsom, betw 8th & 9th st. Here’s some more pix:
Plan your art day with a stop at the SOMArts building on
Brannan betw 8th & 9th. Here you will find samples of
art from many of the participating artists.
SOMArts Main Gallery
934 Brannan Street
Wednesday-Friday, 12pm to 4pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am to 5pm
You’ve got the next two weekends to go on your art splurge.
Weekend 3: October 24 & 25, 11am to 6pm
Bayview, Excelsior, Financial District, North Beach, Potrero Hill, Russian Hill, SOMA, Tenderloin
Weekend 4, October 31 & November 1, 11am to 6pm
Hunters Point Shipyard
Perfectly Located in Union Square Just Steps Away From World-Class Shopping, Dining and The Macy’s Holiday Tree in Union Square
What better way to celebrate the holiday season than a weekend in San Francisco where you can delight in the holiday magic without breaking the bank! The historic and legendary Sir Francis Drake Hotel, a Kimpton hotel, is offering rates starting at just $99 when booked by October 28, 2009.
This offer is good for stays Nov. 1, 2009 – April 30, 2010 and is non-refundable and non-cancellable.
To book, please visit the website at www.sirfrancisdrake.com and use rate code SFD99 when making a reservation or call 1-800-KIMPTON (1-800-546-7866) and ask for rate code SFD99.
Perfectly located in the heart of Union Square and just steps from world-class shopping and dining—the legendary Sir Francis Drake Hotel offers the perfect place to call home during the holiday season or anytime of the year. This neighborhood is one of the most festive with its store windows all beautifully decorated, twinkling lights and of course the Union Square holiday tree.
The Sir Francis Drake Hotel is located at 450 Powell Street, San Francisco, California 94102.
Need an innovative gift for a newborn this year? Give the gift of language with the development system, “Your Baby Can Read!” Reading babies? Indeed. Dr. Robert Titzer, renowned professor and researcher on infant development, created a multi-sensory approach to education enabling parents to teach reading to babies. With flashcards, books, CDs and DVDs, parents can jump start their child’s education long before kindergarten starts. Once babies begin recognizing symbols and words, their vocabulary expands exponentially, advancing literacy development. Dr. Titzer has demonstrated the success of his program with thousands of reading babies including the exceptional academic achievements of his own grown children.
ALL-INCLUSIVE plus $500 spa or shipboard credit. 14 nights, free
UNLIMITED shore excursions, 2 for 1 air, free beverages-yes all kinds
and 6 star elegance. See the link-I want to go!!!!!
Where do i get this coupon you ask? Get thee to Oprah.com.
Click on the Container Store link under “Hot Topics” or search “Container Store”. The coupon is good until Nov. 1.
Prepare your palate for a gastronomic delight by getting tickets for the 6th annual San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival. Sip varietals from over 170 world-class wineries and sample dishes from 70 fine-dining establishments. Practice the art of swirling your glass by stopping at a wine-tasting seminar or sign up for a cooking class taught by an award-winning chef.
Mark your calendar for the list of featured activities:
November 18 – Don a party dress and fill your glass at the posh WineRave
W Hotel, $ 45 in advance, $60 at the door.
November 19 & 20 – Think you have what it takes to create a culinary masterpiece? Get the scoop on some of the best recipes by signing up for wine tasting and cooking classes hosted by nationally-acclaimed chefs and award-winning winemakers.
Macy’s School of Cooking and the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center, $45-$85
November 20 Find your inner wine connoisseur at the Master Sommelier Reserve Tasting, an exclusive evening for all those with a palate for only the finest varietals, featuring 160 different wineries.
Wonderhaus Building, $100 in advance, $125 at the door.
November 21 Partake in the Grand Event where you will sip and sample the day away, while meeting some of your favorite chefs, listening to live music and mingling with the food savvy of San Diego.
Embarcadero Park North, $125-$175
November 22 – Enjoy the Celebrity Luncheon and AIWF Big Bottle Live Auction that features 15 celebrity winemakers and a world-class menu prepared by nationally renowned chefs.
San Diego Marriot Hotel and Marina, prices start at $150.
What: San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival When: November 18 – 22, 2009 Where: W Hotel, Macy’s School of Cooking, San Diego Wine and Culinary Center, Wonderhuas Building, Embarcadero Park North, San Diego Marriot Hotel and Marina. How:www.worldofwineevents.com Price: $45-$175
The event benefits the American Institute of Wine & Food culinary arts scholarship program.
We knew we were in good hands when we arrived at the tour office where film-buff owners Bob Jasper and Jerri Wassink have the actual tiki from Raiders of the Lost Ark in the front yard. Other tour highlights from our six hour tour include:
What? No filming today? You mean Kauai is naturally this breathtakingly gorgeous even without hair and makeup?
