Crystal clear day in SF.

 One of my secret resolutions for 2012 was to explore more of San Francisco. Like many other people, I tend to fantasize about international travel and cross-country excursions but rarely take the time to appreciate the city that I live in. Growing up in Northern California, I’ve always taken the city for granted a bit. Despite living here now (along with the countless trips of my youth), there are still so many places to explore, restaurants to check out and events to uncover. With my lovely new camera in tow, my goal for this year is to take time — weather permitting — to hop on a bus to uncharted territories (read: the Mission, the Inner Sunset, the Castro, Hayes Valley, etc.). Yes, I’ve been to all of these places, but I haven’t really spent enough time exploring and taking in the unique vibe that each district has to offer. For a $2 bus ride, you can get almost anywhere in the city, so it’s certainly an easy and inexpensive way to spend a sunshiny afternoon.

Palace of Fine Arts!

With the sun shining on Saturday morning, Boat Shoe Boy and I grabbed breakfast at nearby Nook, our neighborhood go-to for caffeinating. After a quick bite, we decided to jump on the bus and head to the Palace of Fine Arts, a place that I had yet to explore, for a jaunt and some quality photo ops. I’ve technically been to the Palace of Fine Arts before during a mini trek to the Exploratorium a few years back, but never spent any real time exploring the grounds. This time, I wanted to take it all in. Heading down from Nob Hill, we jumped off of the bus at the end of Union so we could trek through the Presidio en route to the waterfront.

Walk through the Presidio.

Not that I don’t love living in a city, but sometimes it’s nice to escape to a quiet pocket of the world, right? I tend to think that that involves a weekend road trip to Napa or down to Carmel, but it’s always refreshing to realize that there are some very un-citylike parts of San Francisco to explore, too. As a side note, how stunning is that image of the park, the bridge and the blue sky? It’s amazing how much some sunshine can add to your day. Cha-ching.

Palace of Fine Arts

Gorgeous day for a picnic.

After perusing, we made our way down the waterfront to Fort Mason Green for a quick stroll. With my cousin, B., and her boyfriend in town from the Peninsula for the day we headed back to the Marina to link up with them and grab a drink while getting our fill of Vitamin D. As per usual, we headed to our two staples: the Balboa Cafe and Tipsy Pig. The day quickly turned into the evening, so after some epic people-watching at Tipsy (I am truly amazed by the amount of makeup that is used within a 4 block radius of their location — I swear 75% of MAC’s blush sales can be attributed to girls that live in the Marina), we headed down to Delarosa per B.’s suggestion. Admittedly, I’m not a huge pizza person, but I was pretty in love with Delarosa’s food and drinks. Order the margherita + a ‘salty dog’ (without the salted rim) and you, too, will be in heaven. In my opinion, Delarosa > Pizzeria Delfina.

The night continued in North Beach with a quick stop at Tope and then on to Maggie McGarry’s. All in all, a successful day of city exploration. The weekend, we’ll be heading to McCormick & Kuleto’s for a company-hosted soiree followed by a night in Union Square (a good excuse for me to finally get some shopping done). Still on my city tour agenda: shopping in the Haight, a night in Hayes Valley and a foodie excursion in the Mission.

Check back as I continue my tour of San Francisco!

xoxo,

We clearly like eating out... why not do it for less?!

I’m a notoriously ruthless deal monger, but even Boat Shoe Boy was proud of me for this one (and that’s seriously saying something). For anyone out there that likes saving money (who doesn’t?), you’re probably already familiar with restaurant.com as any self-respecting deal-huntress should be. Normally, you can get $25 gift certificates for a mere $10 through their site and there are a number of awesome restaurants, lounges and bars that participate in the scheme. Yes, there are stipulations but they’re clearly laid out by the merchant (e.g. must spend at least $35, must purchase 2 entrees, valid for food only, valid for dinner only, etc.). Not all merchants have the same restrictions, but there is usually something in fine print worth noting.

Regardless, I’ve just scored such an incredible deal through this site that I had to share! I have $250 worth of gift certificates to 10 restaurants in SF that I’ve been wanting to try + a $50 gift certificate to restaurants.com itself to purchase future deals with. My grand total? $37.50. No, seriously.

Here’s the deal: Find the restaurant you want, add the $25 gift certificate to your basket and use promo code ‘NEW’ when ordering. All of your $25 certificates (normally $10 each) will be reduced to $3. I actually added two $25 gift cards that were normally $20 each through the site and they were still marked down to the promo price. Such an incredible deal and such a great way to try new restaurants in your city or on your travels! Who wants to spend more money dining out than they have to?

Get online and get shopping! I’m not sure how long the promo lasts since it’s not really being advertised. Leave me a comment if you end up purchasing, though — I’d love to hear where you’re all going with your (nearly) free dining bucks!

Happy deal hunting!

xoxo,

Hop Kiln

Per a friend’s suggestion, we made our way to Hop Kiln first. The winemaker at Hop Kiln, a whopping 27, is one of the youngest winemakers in the region (and in the country, I would wager). Now, I’ll admit I’m not much of a red wine drinker. Aside from a Pinot Noir here and there, there’s rarely a red wine that I love; they just tend to be too big for me. I was surprised — and ecstatic — to see that Hop Kiln had a couple of reds that I really liked (good start to the day). Either they make great, light reds or I’m just growing up. Wines aside, their interior is great — loads of gourmet goodies for sale; everything from fun olive oils and vinegars to a range of mustards (hello, raspberry jalapeño).

After leaving Hop Kiln, we made our way down to Matrix per our driver’s suggestion. So, in addition to not being a huge fan of red wines, I’m also (generally) not the biggest fan of chardonnay. Okay, I’ll be honest – I like my wine light and sweet. Kind of like adult apple juice. We tasted a range of wines, including a bunch of reds that were too much for me and two chardonnays, the Balletto and the Stuhlmuller Reserve. The winner for me, hands down was the Stuhlmuller Chardonnay. Sadly, Boat Shoes and I don’t see eye to eye on what we consider delicious wine (like I mentioned: apple juice) so we walked away with one of the Zins.

After Matrix, we made our way to Ridge Vineyards, the one winery that was on Boat Shoes’ agenda for the day. We sipped on their Chardonnay on the way in and I was immediately taken back to childhood. No, my parents didn’t give me white wine as a baby, but my mom used to make popsicle-esque delights in the summer that tasted a lot like Ridge’s Chardonnay; very light and crisp. Take that for what you will, but needless to say, I liked it. We made our way through a range of their reds and — no surprise here — left with a bottle of Zin. If I had my choice I would have gone with the 2009 Geyserville Zin — pretty light and drinkable for me — but since Boat Shoes was stockpiling his wine closet, we (read: he) nabbed the 2009 Lytton Springs version. 

From Ridge, we stopped at Oakville Grocer in Healdsburg to grab a bite for the road and made our way to Unti where we could sit at the picnic table to lunch before going in for a tasting. Unti wasn’t part of the Winter Wineland deal but was recommended to us by our driver, Shane. Per the winery’s request, we called in beforehand to make reservations for a tasting. The space is way too small to accommodate loads of people with any kind of personal touch so reservations are highly encouraged (required?) before you pop in. There were only reds available to taste which was okay by me since I’m trying to learn to drink red wines like a real person. We were able to try five of their wines (for a $5 tasting fee which is comped upon purchase): 2009 Segromigno, 2008 Grenache, 2008 Zinfandel, 2008 Syrah and the 2007 Syrah Benchland. We wound up with a bottle of the Syrah Benchland and the Segromigno, both of which were my faves, too.

After lunch + Unti, we headed to Family Wineries, a place that was very similar to the Wineyard that we had visited on Saturday. Apparently the gentleman who conceptualized Family Wineries acted as a consultant for the Wineyard. There were a number of small wineries that were represented under one tent so we had an opportunity to taste a range of wines from a few different sources. We talked to people from Collier Falls, Dashe Cellars and Mietz Cellars, amongst others. We left with a bottle of something (I think the Collier Falls’ Primitivo) and these little guys that we used to tell our wine glasses apart:

49ers v. Cowboys!

Boat Shoes & I at Dutcher Crossing.

After leaving Family Wineries, we knew we only had a short time left to pack in the rest of the places we wanted to see. We made our way to Dutcher Crossing to ensure that we got in before the 4P deadline. The hard part about a day of wine tasting is that the things that you like or don’t like end up blurring together a bit. I do remember liking one of their wines in particular (not that that really helps) and I recall Boat Shoes loving on one of their reds. Again, a bit of a blur, but I remember it getting two thumbs up.

...& at Ferrari-Carano

From there, we made our way to the last stop of Winter Wineland: Ferrari-Carrano. This place is really photo op central. Gorgeous vineyards and a pretty cellar. One thing that I did love about Ferrari-Carano: they actually had food pairings! We made our way down the line and got to enjoy the match ups of reds with soups and the dessert wines with biscotti. One thing I do remember: not liking their Moscato. As a rule of thumb, I love Moscato. I hate dessert wines that are syrupy, though. I found that to be a bit of the case with this one, sadly. Still, syrupy or not, it tasted pretty awesome with a biscotti pairing.

We prepared to head back to the Fountaingrove, but Shane (our awesome driver) proposed one last stop before 5PM: Quivira. Quivira wasn’t part of the Winter Wineland deal anyway, so it didn’t much matter that we didn’t get a free tasting. The tastings at this place are $10 and are comped with purchase. We ended up sharing a tasting and the one thing I took away from this place: the people were awesome. Maybe it was because the guy was a vegetarian who empathized with my difficulty of pairing food and red wine… I can’t be sure, but I liked him.

Now, I know I’m missing a few of the wineries that we hit up (wine-induced amnesia?) but that’s a fairly comprehensive overview of the ones that stood out to me along with some that really didn’t. We left with thirteen new bottles of wine and red wine-stained teeth; all proof of a successful weekend.

From an educational standpoint, my favorite part of wine tasting is getting to taste two (or more) of the ‘same’ wines (e.g. two chardonnays, two pinot noirs, etc. back-to-back) to see how the taste differs. Obviously, they’re not the same since they’re blended with different grapes, grown in different soil in different regions, etc., but for a novice wine drinker it’s an interesting comparison: to see that all pinot noirs don’t taste the same; they don’t just differ by winery but within the winery as well. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the whole winemaking process after this weekend and look forward to another wine tasting event in the future. Stay tuned — I’m hoping to make the next wine tasting excursion a family affair!

xoxo from California,

For anyone interested in hiring a driver for wine tasting in the Napa Valley or Sonoma County, I can highly recommend Shane! He was very reasonably priced for the area and has some great insider knowledge for anyone that needs help picking and choosing wineries.

Boat Shoes and I have returned from a fun weekend getaway in Sonoma County and had an absolute blast. Admittedly, it was a rather gluttonous weekend comprised of a lot of wine drinking and some incredible food. We headed up on Saturday morning and decided to make Saturday our less rambunctious day of the two. Our wristbands granted us entry to any of the participating wineries for both days but with the 49ers game on during Saturday afternoon, we knew the majority of the afternoon would be dedicated to a spot with a television.

D'Argenzio

Tasting at the Wineyard

We chose D’Argenzio for our first stop due to its proximity to our hotel. We pulled up to a complex that could otherwise house a Chili’s and a Marshall’s; a typical strip mall-esque area. We popped in to grab our wristbands and after sipping some wines and chatting with the owners in the complex (D’Argenzio, Kurtz Family Wineries, Sheldon Wineries and the Wineyard), I (we?) left hugely impressed with the space. What could be another complex in the middle of industrial Santa Rosa has be turned into a mini wine haven in the middle of nothingness. Quite a feat. The Wineyard’s concept is one that I found particularly enticing (it’s very similar to Family Wineries in this sense and apparently used Family Wineries as an inspiration for their space): it acts as a tasting room for a bunch of smaller wineries that couldn’t otherwise have a presence.

Beer Flight @ Russian River.

With the 49ers game on, we were able to catch part of it at the Wineyard before migrating. Boat Shoes had specifically mentioned his desire to head to Russian River Brewing Company while we were in the area and I wasn’t about to stand in the way of a man and his IPA. Plus, what goes better with football than pizza and beer? I don’t drink beer so brewery stops don’t particularly appeal to me, but I was loving Russian River by the time we left. Boat Shoes ended up ordering one of their beer tastings (see photo above) and was presented with 15 (or so) 2 – 3 oz. pours of a variety of beers that Russian River brews. Such a great, fun concept. As a side note, their food is also surprisingly delicious.

With wine, beer and a Niners win under our belts (mostly his belt, really), we headed back to the Fountaingrove Inn to check in and clean up for the rest of the evening. {Read my review of the Fountaingrove here.} We had debated on our go-to dinner spot for Saturday night. There were a few that stood out to us: Stark’s Steakhouse, Willi’s Wine Bar, Jack & Tony’s, Rosso’s plus a few X factors. After polling the Santa Rosa community, we came to a decision: Stark’s Steakhouse for the win. Seeing as how I don’t eat meat, I wasn’t 100% sure about Stark’s but felt inclined after looking over their seafood selection. After we walked in I had zero doubt that we had made the right decision. Fantastic drinks (with a drink menu that’s witty and with drinks that are concocted by the bartenders), great service and delicious food from start to finish. {For more, read my review of Stark’s}. We cabbed back to the Fountaingrove and called it a night (though we did attempt to watch an episode of Breaking Bad before passing out). Food coma really does get the best of you sometimes. No matter, though. All the better that I was refreshed and ready to take on Sunday! Check back tomorrow for more on our drive through wine country.

xoxo,

As part of my gift to Boat Shoe Boy for Christmas, I snagged two tickets to Wine Road’s Winter Wineland event in Northern Sonoma County and a place for the weekend so we could enjoy the festivities {click here to view the program}! 140+ wineries in the area are participating and it’s slated to be a weekend of wine tastings, pairings, music & art.

When I purchased the tickets in December I was naturally a bit concerned about the weather. January isn’t known for providing the best weather for gallivanting outdoors. As of late, though, the weather in California has been spectacular (for better or worse). The sun has been shining nonstop in San Francisco and it’s supposed to hover around 65 to 70 degrees in Sonoma during the coming weekend. It really couldn’t be better!

Hard to beat in January. :)

Needless to say, I’m excited for a fun weekend getaway in wine country and doubly excited to put my new camera to use again. If you’re interested in going, you can snag two-day or single day (Sunday only) passes and tickets are on sale at the door for last-minute decision makers. Also, $5 gets designated drivers in to hang out without the wine tasting part.

Lots of stories and pictures to come after this weekend! Stay tuned.

xoxo,

BIG TRIP {Ha Long Bay, Vietnam}

As I was looking at booking a trip for two to LA for an extended weekend, I started tallying the costs: $300 for hotels for two nights (that’s at a mediocre spot including taxes), $150 each for R/T flights, $250 for entry to the happiest place on earth + a car rental. Alternatively, we could drive which saves on car rental costs + $300 in flights. Even saving that amount of money, it’s still a $600+ investment when you consider hotels, food, etc. If I save money from three weekend trips (let’s say around $1300 – $1500), that would put a serious dent in my South East Asia fund!

... or smaller excursions {Napa Valley}

Granted, money isn’t the only factor. Time is a huge factor as well. Three weekend getaways require very little time off of work. A South East Asian excursion requires three weeks off of work. So, what are your guys’ thoughts?

Is it more rewarding to go on a bunch of mini excursions or save up for one big trip?

The real question: Do I book weekend trips to LA {Disneyland}, Carmel and New York (all places that I’ve been and enjoyed) or do I stash that cash and start daydreaming about my trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos?

Take Our Poll

Can’t wait for your input!

xoxo,

]]> http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/short-trips-vs-big-adventures/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/ringing-in-the-new-year-in-tahoe/ http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/ringing-in-the-new-year-in-tahoe/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:31:15 +0000 ShannonElizabeth http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/?p=8935 Continue reading →]]> After deciding to keep our New Year a bit lower key, we made our way up to Tahoe for the holiday weekend. There was absolutely no snow (which is crazy for this time of year) but the lake was absolutely gorgeous over the holiday weekend. Check out these pics — the sunsets and sunrises there are really unparalleled.

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Happy 2012!

]]> http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/ringing-in-the-new-year-in-tahoe/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/new-year-resolutions/ http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/new-year-resolutions/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:00:31 +0000 ShannonElizabeth http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/?p=8860 Continue reading →]]> With 2012 around the corner, I’ve started contemplating some resolutions for the new year. I’m really not much for new year’s resolutions as I tend to think people set themselves up for failure (not to be the eternal pessimist here). I like the concept, but I’ve decided to do something a bit different (read: more feasible) this year.

After a conversation with my roommate earlier in the month, she told me about her resolution scheme this past year: monthly resolutions. Much more realistic to stick with, plus you get to try new things every month! And if a resolution seems like a viable lifestyle change at the end of that time period, you can integrate it into your life without giving up on a resolution entirely. It just makes sense to me — a lot more sense than a year-long commitment, plus it sounds much more fun.

So, I’m sure my list of resolutions will evolve as the months go on and new priorities come into play, but some things I’m wanting to put on my list:

1. Doing two gym classes a week. I’m a bit of a cardio slave at the moment and after speaking with a personal trainer, I’m pretty aware that I need to integrate more strength training into my routine. I try to do it on my own, but there’s nothing like a class to keep you pumping for 60 straight minutes. On my own, I can normally only crank out 20 – 30ish minutes of weight training. In a class environment, you’re much more motivated to stick with it. And now that I’m a Crunch member, I have some fun class options to choose from which will make it infinitely easier!

2. Vegan for a month. Boat Shoe Boy is not on board with this change which makes it a bit more difficult, but I think a month of a vegan lifestyle is relatively doable. Definitely a challenge, but also doable for four short weeks. For anyone in the Bay Area that’s also on board with this, check out Friends of Animals website for a bunch of vegan eateries in your area.

3. Not eating out on weekdays. I almost cringe to think at how much money we spend eating out. Sometimes I’m good about it and I remember to bring mid-day munchies, but I often find myself grabbing a wrap at Starbucks or grabbing a mid-morning coffee somewhere. Dinner is another beast entirely. I accredit our eating out to being in a new city and wanting to explore, but even casual dinners add up very quickly. For one month, I want to prep: breakfast, lunch and dinner at home during the week. Much healthier and much more cost-effective!

I’m still working on compiling a list of things I want to achieve this year, so I’m hoping I’ll think of a few more resolutions as the year unfolds. Other things I would like to put on my radar for 2012: enrolling in Arabic courses, attending more SF-based LSE events (& maybe becoming involved with the alumni group!), finding more time to read, planning more get-togethers with family, checking out local museums and making coffee at home on the regular.

What are your resolutions for 2012?

]]> http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2012/01/new-year-resolutions/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2011/12/farewell-2011/ http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/2011/12/farewell-2011/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:15:54 +0000 ShannonElizabeth http://www.thetravelingscholar.com/?p=8915 Continue reading →]]> It’s a bit insane to me that we’re already saying goodbye to 2011. I’m currently in Tahoe preparing to ring in the new year; a perfect place to relax and think about the last twelve months. 2011 has certainly had some interesting ups and downs but mostly it’s been a year of incredible ups. I get made fun of from time to time for maintaining this blog long after my academic work and international travels have come to an end (at least within a formal setting) but at times like this I find that this forum serves its ultimate purpose: I’ve been able to chronicle some amazing experiences on the regular and can revisit those times whenever I’m feeling a bit nostalgic.

Some of my great memories and travels from this past year?

1. Visiting the East Coast for the first time ever and getting to catch up with my DC and NY-based LSE loves.

In NY!

Our view of the Chrysler Building

In DC.

2. Spending countless weekends in Tahoe with Boat Shoes, family and friends playing in the snow and soaking up the sun.

Sunrise - Lake Tahoe

Boating with Boat Shoe Boy

3. Heading to San Diego for my gorgeous cousin’s wedding!

The gorgeous bride :)

Boat Shoes & I with nana at the rehearsal dinner. :)

4. Heading to Anguilla for Carnival — my first ever Caribbean experience and 10 days at the Frangipani that I will never forget.

In Anguilla!

At Elvis' Beach Bar

Dune Preserve - Anguilla

 5. My first Vegas experience: an extended weekend at the Palazzo and my first Jimmy Buffett concert… quite the experience!

At the Palazzo!

Boat Shoes & I at the Margaritaville Casino!

6. My first trip to the South spending SMU’s homecoming weekend with Boat Shoes and meeting some of his amazing college friends.

SMU :)

At the homecoming game!

7. Moving to San Francisco! Though I had grappled with staying on the West Coast or venturing out to the East Coast to begin a career in DC, San Francisco has been such a great fit thus far and I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2012.

1st weekend living in SF!

At the symphony. :)

At the House of Prime Rib

With my LSE love in SF :)

Christmas in SF :)

Looking back, 2011 was truly an incredible year for traveling, for family and for relationships. With all of the amazing things that have taken place this year, I can honestly say that meeting Boat Shoe Boy (rather serendipitously) earlier this year was a game changer for me.

Our first picture together EVER!

Life is just infinitely better and experiences are so much richer with an awesome partner in crime. Being able to bring someone else into my family and being able to be a part of his has definitely changed my life for the better. I’m definitely looking forward to an awesome 2012! I’m not sure where the world is going to take us this year, but I’m ready.

Hope everyone has an amazing and safe New Year!
Cheers to 2012!

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