Take a trip: Queen Mary 2
Terry Tazioli		Join Seattle Times Travel Editor Terry Tazioli aboard the Queen Mary 2, prior to her maiden voyage Jan. 12. He'll attend the ship-naming ceremony at her homeport of Southampton, England, headlined by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. He welcomes e-mails.

April 27, 2003

Bye

So this thing – the blog from the Bay Area – is finished for now. (So am I. This is fun; this is also nuts. Not a frantic travel routine I’d recommend! But, hey, anything for you, dear readers.) The Travel staff also will be here in the next few weeks, visiting various parts of San Francisco and environs to prepare some newspaper stories. Over the summer, we’ll show you the results of our efforts in the Sunday Seattle Times’ Travel section. Hope you enjoy that; hope you enjoyed this. If you have some ideas for us, don’t hesitate to pass them along. They’re always appreciated.

Posted by ttazioli at 11:25 PM

Besides wine

Few other tidbits to wrap up the night. Here’s a pretty good site for calendars of things to do. It’s worth a consult if you’re coming down this way. http://www.napavalley.com/special_interest/current_events/apr.html If you’re looking to do something other than swish, slosh, slurp and spit (wine), take some time to walk around the old neighborhoods of Napa, especially spring into summer. Some great gardens and a terrific array of architecturally styled homes. Right out of somebody’s old days. Copia, by the way, the Mondavi family homage to the valley and its products – and no doubt to themselves, just a bit – is worth a visit. Especially, for my money – because it does cost to get in, the gardens out front and across the street. They’re growing up and beautiful. And edible. Check them out. Here’s the site: http://www.copia.org/pages/home.asp And, really, don’t drink and drive. Make sure someone’s designated to haul you around should you choose to sample for the better part of a day.

Posted by ttazioli at 11:23 PM

Good meals

There’s plenty of fine cooking in the valleys north of San Francisco, so there’s no reason not to find a good meal. Yes, however, some of the best food is also the priciest. Real pricey. Might be smart to plan one nice night out, and snoop around for lower-priced fare for the rest of your visit. Or convince any friends you might have in the region that this could be the last time you’ll ever see them and wouldn’t they just love to take you out somewhere, to show you how much you mean to them. Note: That only works once. Couple ideas from this trip. Bistro Don Giovanni, on Highway 29 just north of downtown Napa. Pretty much my favorite. Consistently fine food. Last night there were six of us and we made our way through everything from lamb and rib-eye steak to seafood and perfectly fresh beet-and-bean salad. The link is somewhere below in this series. Make reservations. The place is large, comparatively, and jammed. Another: Foothill Café. It’s in a stripmall across 29 west from downtown Napa. This place is a find – found mostly by locals quite some time ago. Not many touristy types make the journey. It’s in a tiny strip mall and it’s certainly not glamorous. Not the place if you desperately need to be seen. But, the San Francisco Chronicle recently put the place on its list of top 100 restaurants. Try the ribs. Make a reservation. It’s very small and very crowded. Here’s the link: http://www.napayellowpages.com/napa-dining/Restaurants_pubs_cafe.htm

Posted by ttazioli at 11:15 PM

Antiques

If you're into collecting things - like antiques, you might want to do some research on the various fairs in the region. A bunch of us crawled out of bed at 7 this morning to drive to Petaluma, about 45 minutes west from Napa, to shop our way through this... http://www.visitpetaluma.com/downloads/events2003.htm Check out the calendar at the site and click on the antique fair. It was fun in the early morning sun. But vendors said, hey, if you think this is something, show up at the Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire (close to Oakland) next Sunday for a huge outdoor market. This one... http://antiquesbybay.com/ There were more than 100 vendors at this morning's show. There will be more than 800 next Sunday in Alameda - biggest in northern California, I'm told. It'll make you nuts, if you're into this sort of thing. Yes, I made some purchases. No, I won't say what. There are gifts involved! And if I dragged them home on an airplane, I'm convinced I'd be a walking security breach.

Posted by ttazioli at 03:44 PM

Meet me!

Despite my momentary bouts of whining, I have to tell you, this is amazing. At the moment, my equipment and I are sitting in a lovely garden at Cline Cellars, still in the Carneros region of the valleys. There are roses in bloom here that are just this side of unbelievable. I'm typing away, trying to catch up with the day's activities. I must say this whole blog business continues to amaze me. Someone at the next spot over on the lawn looked over a few minutes ago and said, "Aren't you Terry, the guy from Seattle who's blogging his way through the valley?" Trust me. That is not the first time I've heard that today. At the last stop, two women wanted to know if I could check flight schedules for them - they wanted to stay over another night and had seen me chatting away online. At a reception earlier today, a gentleman walked up to me, shook my hand and told me he'd had dinner at my house in Seattle. Another person even earlier told me I was becoming noted up and down the valley. I don't really want to be noted, I smiled, of course sweetly. But it does amaze me. So do the e-mails, literally hundreds of them, some from people I haven't seen in years.

Posted by ttazioli at 03:32 PM

A bit of blogging blather

This ain’t easy, pardon the grammar. Typing and running are things I do pretty well. But not at the same time. Not with a day that included plans to hit an early morning antique street fair (30 miles from my bed), breakfast - 30 miles back, a reception at an olive oil production facility/winery after that - 20 miles away, then a run through an afternoon, special-occasion wine tour 20 miles back toward the starting point. And more. Later. And find time to let you know what’s going on here – which means finding a non-bumpy place to type and send. This is the first time I’ve typed anything in a moving vehicle, too. Note to boss: I’m NOT driving. Pause (while I get out at the next wine stop and head toward the lawn where I can sit and do more of this). Okay, I’ve crawled out of the back seat with computer still running, wireless still hooked up, camera (which makes me nuts) in tow, and more wires and contraptions than I’ve ever seen. Isn’t blogging just grand?

Posted by ttazioli at 03:21 PM

Some kind of update

Sitting on a hillside somewhere in Sonoma. At the Richardson Vineyards. It's a very small operation from what I can see, but passing out sips of wine as part of a special event today. At the moment a glass (actually about a sip and a half) of merlot/cabernet franc/cabernet sauvignon is resting next to me. My second sip of the day, so yes all the faculties are still here and so are the typing skills. Richardson is one of several participants in what's called April in Carneros, an event in the southern part of the valleys dedicated to small wine producers, some of whom are not open regularly - if at all - to the public. A chance to sip and see things you might not sip and see normally. Mark the end-of-April weekend on your calendars for next year. Do believe there's also a Holiday in Carneros weekend in November, which is pretty much the same. Here's a Web site. Check it out. http://www.carneroswineries.org/aic.html More to tell, but my drivers are motioning me back to the car. Gurgle and run time.

Posted by ttazioli at 02:50 PM

sunny Napa

And another gracious good morning from sunny Napa Valley. With toast in hand (yes, we stopped at the Buttercream Bakery yesterday and ordered eight loaves of the English muffin bread), we're dressing to head for more adventures today - antique shopping, wine shopping, olive oil slurping, etc. First a few more things from all of you: Beatrice Palesi "If you are going to be in the Napa Valley for a little while you might want to check out the Napa Country Iris Gardens (phone: 707-255-7880). They are located on Steele Canyon Rd. between the Silverado Trail and Lake Berryessa--Hwy 128. There are picnic tables set up in the garden so bring a picnic lunch. "If time allows, stop at Nichelini Winery, owned and operated by the same family for many years. They produce a very nice Zinfandel you might enjoy" And from somebody whose name I just zapped. (I do believe i mentioned somewhere that I am not adept at these machines.) Thank you anyway. "Good Morning! "Try to visit Luna winery for Sangiovese. It is in Napa, just north of town (on the Silverado Trail). Parker says it has "some of the finest California wines being produced from Italian varietals, they are all remarkably intense." Luna Vineyards. I'm not sure that all worked, but no time to check. I'm being ordered out the door. Later, Possums!

Posted by ttazioli at 07:40 AM

April 26, 2003

Stuff from you

Okay, it’s your turn. I haven’t been to any of these spots, so you take your chances, folks. Some tips from all of you who are reading all this. From Alison Mediola-Hamilton: “Still in Napa Valley? You simply MUST go to V. Sattui in St Helena, along Hwy 29, across from Dean & DeLuca's. From Edward Kavanaugh: "What do you know about the wine train?" Here’s a web site http://www.winetrain.com/ Here’s what I know: Take it when you can see – read daylight. From Jack Hamann: "Our favorite winery is in Sonoma. It’s the Buena Vista winery … and it looks straight outta Transylvania. "I don’t remember much about the wine, but the location is tres cool. It was started in 1857 by a Hungarian count (I’m Hungarian), reached a certain glory, then allowed to fall into disrepair until it was rescued in 1940 by some journalist (I’m sort of a journalist) named Frank Bartholomew who cleaned up the cobwebs and started the restoration. The cellar is in dank caves, and the property has the biggest damn oak trees I’ve ever seen. Totally unlike a lot of the modern wineries in the area that seem too much an extension of Disney or Vegas. Check it out if you have time. http://buenavistawinery.com/thewinery/winery_history.html "Our second favorite is the Schramsberg Cellar … this one’s in Napa. Absolutely awesome tour of big scary cave. My bet is that Osama or Saddam is hiding there. They specialize in champagne … I got a headache just walking through. Way worth it. "http://www.schramsberg.com/1862-1965.html More later... We're off to dinner at Don Giovanni and you're not.

Posted by ttazioli at 06:41 PM

House tour’s done

Last three homes were pretty swell, if you ask me. They actually look as if somebody lives in them. I’d like to - however, again, there’s this small matter of bank balances. This event, however, would be a good one to mark on calendars for next spring. Interesting tour, especially if you take a lunch break and plan to put up your feet at the end of the day. Book authors and chefs were hawking their wares at every stop. All of it food related, including author Lori Lynn Narlock. She has a new book out – “The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley” ($19.95, Chronicle Books) – and offered a few recommendations on what to see and what to do in the valley. More on that tomorrow. Mostly, she wanted to know what to do and where to eat in Seattle. She’s never been. Any ideas? She wants Asian food especially. My personal “fav” – the cookbook for sale at one stop that listed a recipe for pasta pesto somewhat thusly – 1 portion of store-bought pesto, pasta. Add cheese. Whoa! Let’s teach this man how to chop, okay?

Posted by ttazioli at 05:52 PM

You can't do that!

An add-on to yesterday’s item re: the Farmer’s Market in San Francisco. It moved today and right away, the fights begin. You need to read this article. Then you need to tell me what OTHER CITY ON THE WEST COAST exhibits similar behavior. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/26/MN288497.DTL

Posted by ttazioli at 05:50 PM

P.S.

If you eat at Cafe Lucy, get the Provencal salad with the poached eggs. $8. Perfect.

Posted by ttazioli at 12:50 PM

Items

Little bits: If you get a traffic ticket in this state, you may be assigned traffic school online. At www.gottaticket.com. No, bosses, I did not get a ticket. YET. Just something I picked up. Try the Buttercream Bakery. Reopened a while ago, after some squabble or other. That’s not important. What is is that the English muffin bread is back. That’s what my seatmates call it. That may not be what they call it. But ask for it anyway. Corner of Lincoln and Jefferson in Napa.

Posted by ttazioli at 12:49 PM

Lunch at Lucy's

At this moment, six of us are sitting outside (get that, Seattle? -- OUTSIDE) at Café Lucy in downtown Napa. The sun is out. Let’s see. Today’s guests are Mary Teresa Carney – born and raised in San Francisco - who is still convinced that civilization stops at the far ends of the Golden Gate and the Bay bridges. Not so much the Golden Gate, any more, she says, because she and husband David Anderson now own a small place in the Napa Valley. Truly, there are times when I agree with Theresa. In addition, there’s Robert Atkins, conference director for the Silverado Resort outside of Napa, and Lynne Lindahl, a wonderfully rare person who grew up in the valley. Lynne now sells real estate. The fifth is one of yesterday’s walkers, Linda Lee, who is still standing. And me. We’re having lunch. Am I the first blogger in the universe to type and eat at the same time? I hope not. And I hope I’ll be the last. More about the food in a minute. We’re about halfway through “Kitchens in the Vineyard,” the sixth annual tour of an organization called Music in the Vineyards. If you’re down here in August, you might try getting tickets to the annual Napa Valley Chamber Music Festival. Call 707-258-5559 or visit www.napavalleymusic.org. One Spring Saturday a year, the organization throws the tour as a fundraiser. We’re seeing five kitchens, sampling food and, of course, critiquing the design skills of various home owners and their hired minions and volunteers. The first kitchen was very cool. Huge space including kitchen, twelve-foot-long island, dining table and family room. Beautiful. The second home. Um. Nertz. They won’t like me, but hey, I didn’t like their house or their kitchen. To each his, her or its own. If people lived there, I’d be shocked. Sterile – even though it was designer jammed with stuff. You know that feeling? Nothing from that kitchen I’d take home as a must-do. Hey. More than likely nothing from any of these kitchens I’d take home as must-dos. I’ll show you my checkbook balance, which should give you a big reason why. But it’s still fun. People live this way. Really they do. Back to the food. It’s arriving. I need to eat. Thanks for reading. The wine’s good, too. A bottle of FRENCH wine. Put that in your crepes and eat it.

Posted by ttazioli at 12:46 PM

Day two

It's some hour on a Saturday morning that requires a body to sleep in. Who's up and blogging at 6:50 a.m. on a weekend? Raise your hands. Can you see mine? Today is Napa Valley day, so your blogger needs to pack and hit the road. It's about an hour-and-a-half drive north from where I am. So you may not hear much for the next few hours, but there will be plenty later on. (Bad enough when folks insist on driving with a cellphone glued to an ear; imagine someone trying to blog and steer. Bit of a rhyme, there. You're welcome.) Of course, today is absolutely GORGEOUS at the coast. I whined slightly about walking during a hurricane yesterday, missing today's perfect conditions. I was told: "Well, at least you got to see birds flying backwards." Yes. Today's agenda includes a household kitchen tour in the Napa, of course food and wine, and anything else I can manage to squeeze in. Check ya later.

Posted by ttazioli at 07:20 AM

April 25, 2003

A little news from a transplant

Big news in the city of San Francisco - in case you'd forgotten where I am. The farmer’s market, once camped on Green Street by the Embarcadero, moves to the newly refurbished Ferry Building, a few blocks away, tomorrow. Interesting stories from Kim Severson of the San Francisco Chronicle appeared Wednesday in that newspaper. She, bless her, mentions Seattle’s Pike Place Market as one spot the new Ferry market hopes to emulate in popularity and stature. That remains to be seen, but there are big, big plans in the works. Worth stopping by if you’re down here. And worth reading about. Lest you think Kim may not know us, she’s one of us. She reported at The Morning Tribune in Tacoma and the Anchorage Daily News before taking up residence at the Chron. A favorite line: "The interior space is designed to be as far away from a suburban food court as Cinnabon is from a Frog Hollow peach tart." The kid can write. Just ask the James Beard (food and writing) folks who've planted an award on her and made her a many-times nominee. By the way, the folks here spent about $90 million restoring the old building, that inside will hold a bushel of shops. It does make one drool for some similar efforts in one's own hometown without all the accompanying hand-wringi... oh, sorry. Just a home-town guy slipping his journalistic bonds for a second. Too much coffee. Speaking of which, note to Starbucks:The Ferry Building people say only two chains will be allowed to operate inside the walls. Peet's Coffee & Tea (doesn't that just burn your beans?) and Sur La Table. Hey! Chalk at least one up for our side. So - visit the Ferry Building on your next trip. And if you don't know what it is, rent "San Francisco," the '36 flick - with Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald -and see it sort of crumble during the big one. Here's Kim! http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/23/FD272021.DTL

Posted by ttazioli at 07:02 PM

Grub

Pals say some of the best food you'll get along the coast south of San Francisco is from these: Mezza Luna - Italian, in Princeton by the Sea. Barbara's Fishtrap - some say the best fish and chips in the Bay Area, also in Princeton by the Sea. Cetrella - Italian, etc., in Half Moon Bay Cafe Gibraltar - in El Granada (across the highway from Princeton). Breakfast anybody? Favorites are: The Main Street Grill and Original Johnny's in Half Moon Bay and Three Zero at the Half Moon Bay Airport. http://www.halfmoonbaychamber.org/directory/index.html The Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce site, easily searchable.

Posted by ttazioli at 04:10 PM

To blog or not to blog

It’s a fun thing this blogging. It’s not a noun. It’s not a verb. I believe it’s the fastest electronic means of putting foot in mouth or at the very least conveying quickly thought to page without any filters in between. Forgive me but I’ve just remembered that the latest postings show up first at the top of a page, so that it makes no sense (as I’ve done) to reference something below – when there very well may be no below. You’ll catch my drift as you read through. Then there’s this little matter of LABOR INTENSIVE that I’d like to discuss with the inventor of blogging, whoever he or she may be. Send me the name, someone. Thank you. Off to the next adventure. See above (I hope).

Posted by ttazioli at 03:51 PM

Machines!

By the way, this Sunday is the 13th annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines event at the Half Moon Bay Airport which is just south of Moss Beach. It’s a great event – something like 2,000 machines that can be driven, flown, or… well just be machines. Here’s a link to some articles in the Half Moon Bay Review. http://www.hmbreview.com/ On the machines. Local news isn't bad either.

Posted by ttazioli at 02:20 PM

Explosive action

Walker Brigitte Litz – she of the soaked bag (see below) – has lived in Burlingame (over the hill east from the Pacific) for more than 30 years and she’s the one who pointed out the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society and relayed the legend of its name. Founded by Pete Douglas in 1958 (he’s still there today), the beach-front complex in Miramar seats about 200 people for a yearlong series of concerts. It helps to be a member of the society (some $150 a year). Become a member and you just call up to reserve a seat. A non-member? You can drop in, but you probably need to get there very, very early for concerts on a one-time basis. Anyway, says Litz, the name comes from Douglas’ love for classical music - Bach. Dancing, for folks he saw dancing on the beach. Dynamite, for the gung-ho guys who decided to set off explosives to celebrate the Fourth of July in those days. Sunday’s the day for concerts, so if you’re in the area, this is a not-to-be-missed venture. By the way, the other walkers wanted their names mentioned, too. I figure they deserve it. Eight miles in pretty nasty weather deserves a mention somewhere. There also was Jane Powell, 20 years in Saratoga, Rosemarie Willimann, 20 years in Half Moon Bay and Linda Lee, 30 years in Moss Beach. No slouches, these. (P.S. Jane, Brigitte and Linda would like you to know they’re single. There. That was payment for accompanying me on the march.) Thank you all for your history lessons and laughs. http://www.bachddsoc.org/ For the Bach folk.

Posted by ttazioli at 02:17 PM

Gosh it's fun walking in the rain

It is not a smart thing to whip out the computer and cellphone in the midst of a driving rainstorm whilst staggering along the Pacific Ocean shoreline just to keep up a blog. No, it’s not. Ditto digital camera. So I didn’t. So this filing is being posted a few hours after the previous. But it’s worth the delay to save the company the expense of reviving several pieces of waterlogged equipment, wouldn’t you agree? This morning at about 9:45, four intrepid walkers and I took off from Mavericks and Princeton by the Sea, about 27 miles south of San Francisco, and headed for Ocean Colony and a spot just near the newish Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, about 8 miles south. In essence from the northern tip of Half Moon Bay to the southern tip. We survived – lots of rain, lots of wind, some hail, mud, occasional snails and worms on the pathway and someone who forgot to close a bottle of water that then pretty much water-logged a bag full of dry clothes. Even in weather that’s far, far less than ideal, this hike is a great California experience. You can start somewhere in Princeton, a small seaside community with small fishing village, good places to eat – Mezza Luna is one, and, um, interesting places for a cocktail – Old Princeton Landing (where you might hear Neil Young test out a new tune or two on occasion. True. You’re on a pathway, much of it paved, most of the way to Half Moon Bay, a small, increasingly touristy spot with more places to eat and drink. Make sure you slow down and take note of Miramar, along the way. Especially Douglas Beach House and the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society. More in a bit. Once past Miramar (where you could park and make the walk much shorter) you head into Half Moon Bay state beach park, where the path wanders inland and back. At Kelly Avenue, you can head east (many blocks) into Half Moon Bay itself where there is plenty of shopping, food and drink. So now, we soaked walkers are basking in borrowed dry sweat clothes in front of fire, drinking some wine, watching it pour rain and thinking about standing up again. Maybe in a few hours. http://www.bbonline.com/ca/moss+beach.html Some ideas on places to stay in the area http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/wgmt/sfbay/FitzFossil.pdf And still more beach information http://www.half-moon-bay.ca.us/ Here's some information on Half Moon Bay

Posted by ttazioli at 02:12 PM

Flights of fancy

Interesting couple of things on the Alaska Airlines trip down. They’re hawking credit cards that give you mileage – in the aisles, in flight. That’s new, or at least new to me. Hadn’t heard that before. Anybody else heard of such on any other airline? As the movie houses have, for years, gone to commercial messages pre movie, so apparently now go the airlines. Only – we can’t run out to the lobby. The other – flight 592 from Seattle to San Francisco last night arrived 10 minutes early, at about 7:50 p.m. (after leaving Seattle five minutes early, according to Alaska's Web site). Then comes the announcement that this flight, destined next for Palm Springs, would be leaving a bit earlier than planned from San Francisco. Earlier? Never heard that one before either. So, passengers, continuing on, heads up. Linger a little too long in that chili-dog line and you and your heartburn could be left behind.

Posted by ttazioli at 07:37 AM

LIVE! From Moss Beach

Good morning, Moss Beach, CA! It’s 6:55 a.m. and the start of day one of this Travel blog – our first, or maybe our last if truly yours can’t remember which cord plugs into which outlet. Moss Beach is about 25 miles south of San Francisco, hugging both Highway 1 and the Pacific coastline. Great morning – chilly, but the sun’s out and the surf is up, sort of. Today is hike day. I’ve hooked myself up with a group of women who intend to “stomp” from Moss Beach south to a point past the town of Half Moon Bay, another 7 or 8 miles down the coast – maybe farther after we add in detours to stare at wildlife, homes, restaurants and bars. And bathrooms. By the way, today's walk begins at Maverick's, one of the top 10 surfing spots in the world. No, we will not be surfing. We forgot our body suits and you need to be towed out to the waves by hardy and hard bodies on jet skis. We have neither. The land trek south is perfect if you like this sort of thing. Just north from where we'll be starting is the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach, an amazing place to study lots of small sea creatures and various other slimy things. It's worth a stop, if you're down this way. Our route today is a pseudo trail, flat, occupying dirt trails, streets and road shoulders. Eventually it hooks up to a Burke Gillman-like path that takes you into Half Moon Bay. We have some nice Web sites over there on the right side of this page, for reference, and I’ll include more as we blog along through today and the rest of this weekend. A few more early-morning tidbits follow. If you find anything untoward here, chalk it up to it’s being WAY TOO EARLY in the morning for me. And let me know if you have suggestions for pit stops in the Bay Area. E-mail me at ttazioli@seattletimes.com. Ciao for now. Will report in later, perhaps during the march itself – more likely at its end where snacks and beverages and some very comfortable couches await. http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/jun/fitz.html That's a nice one on the reserve. http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/links/ncalrprt.shtml Here's another on the surf report for the area. I don't have a clue what it says, but you hard bodies might. Rumor has it there are regular golf reports on local radio. We'll let you know.

Posted by ttazioli at 07:31 AM