sf bay

Learning science at Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley

california, museum, sf bay

Today, we visited the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley. Inna purchased a Groupon deal on tickets there.. . . . The museum has many activities and exhibits for young kids and adults, teaching them about nano-technology, bridge building, and other scientific endeavors.. . . . After seeing a few exhibits, we saw a 3-D IMAX movie on Prehistoric Animals, focusing on the Woolly…

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Review: Mary Poppins (Orpheum Theater)

california, musical, sf bay, theater

Today, we saw the musical "Mary Poppins" at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco. This was the second time we saw Mary Poppins. Last year, we saw it in San Jose and enjoyed it very much.. . The San Francisco production was also excellent; we enjoyed all the songs. Mary Poppins was played by Madeline Trumble, a Berkeley native. Madeline sang very well and acted…

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Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose

california, museum, sf bay

Today, we decided to check out the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose.. . The museum is not very large but houses many original artifacts from ancient Egypt.. The buildings look very new and well-decorated.. . . . . . Alex and Inna touched some ancient Egyptian artifacts inside the museum, including stones from the Pyramid of Djoser - the first Egyptian pyramid (over 5,000+…

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Green Smoothies in San Francisco

california, sf bay

Today, we decided to explore the various smoothie bars in San Francisco.. . First, we stopped by Sidewalk Juice on 21st Street. The place looked like a hole-in-the-wall, but there was a long line to order juices and smoothies. I ordered a Green Energy Juice containing spinach, parsley, kale, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, and ginger. It tasted fine, but nothing special. The shop is pretty…

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Windsurfing Coyote Point

california, sf bay, windsurfing

Today, after checking the wind forecast (promising 15-26 knots of wind), I decided to start my windsurfing season at Coyote Point, near San Francisco Airport.. . When I arrived around 2:30 p.m., the wind was up, but hardly anyone was there. I started to rig my gear: an Ezzy 5.4m Transformer sail with a Mistral Flow 276 board. A bit later, a few kitesurfers launched…

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Manresa, Los Gatos

california, restaurant, sf bay

I scheduled Valentine's Day dinner at Manresa Restaurant on February 13 - the day before Valentine's Day (as February 14 is impossible to book).. . . . . . . . Manresa is one of the few Michelin 2-star restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chef David Kinch prepares some beautiful dishes and cocktails.. . . . We arrived at 7:00 p.m. for our…

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Gather Restaurant, Berkeley

california, restaurant, sf bay

We decided to stop by Gather Restaurant in Berkeley after seeing the 7:00 p.m. performance of The Wild Bride at the Berkeley Repertory Theater.. . . . . . Inna and I ordered the Kale Salad (Rugosa Verde squash, root vegetables, nuts & seeds, citrus). The marinated kale was delicious, and we enjoyed the salad very much.. . . . . . We ordered the…

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Review: The Wild Bride (Berkeley Rep)

california, sf bay, theater

Today, we went to see the Berkeley Repertory Theater's production of The Wild Bride at 7:00 p.m.. The stage was beautifully decorated. . . . . . According to Berkeley Rep:. Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, The Wild Bride is a grown-up fairy tale that follows a girl’s journey through a visual wonderland. What happens when your father accidentally sells you to the devil?…

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Steamer's Grillhouse, Los Gatos

california, restaurant, sf bay

Today, we decided to have dinner at Steamer's Grillhouse in Los Gatos.. . . . . . For an appetizer, Inna ordered the Crispy Prawns (deep-fried coconut prawns with sunomono salad of julienned carrots & squash noodles). The prawns were well-cooked and delicious.. . . . I had the Tortilla Soup, which was good but nothing special.. . . . Inna ordered the Pan-Seared Scallops…

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Watching Super Bowl XLVIII: 49ers vs Ravens

california, football, sf bay, super bowl

As a 49ers fan, I eagerly anticipated the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans. I called BJ's Restaurant in Oakridge Shopping Center to reserve a space for us at 4:00 p.m. (just after the kick-off). I gave my name and the time of the event, and was assured that everything would be set.. . When I arrived around…

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Amour Patisserie, Los Gatos

bakery, california, sf bay

On Saturdays, we eat lunch at Los Gatos Coffee, where we usually order crepes. I especially like the Olympic crepe, which comes with mushrooms, while Inna prefers other combinations. . . . After munching on delicious crepes, we like to stop by Amour Patisserie for a delicious pastry. Amour Patisserie is a new patisserie/coffee shop recently opened in Los Gatos. Amour offers appetizing pastries and…

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Pagan Restaurant, San Francisco

california, restaurant, sf bay

After walking around the Legion of Honor Museum and the nearby Lands End Coastal Trail, we decided to stop by somewhere nearby for dinner. We looked at Yelp and found that Pagan Restaurant served Thai and Burmese cuisine and was nearby.. . Pagan is pronounced "Bagan" and is named after a famous ancient Burmese city home to thousands of Pagodas.. . The restaurant opened at…

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Legion of Honor Museum: Royal Treasures from the Louvre

california, museum, sf bay

Today, we visited the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco to see the Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette.. . Having been to the Louvre in Paris twice, I hoped I would like the collection. However, there were only a couple of exciting items on display. There were many small snuff boxes (used to hold powdered tobacco) from France and Germany,…

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Review: “Anything Goes” (Golden Gate Theater)

california, musical, sf bay, theater

Today, Anything Goes Musical (revival) played in San Francisco's Golden Gate Theater. . According to Wikipedia:. Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York…

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Bluestem Brasserie, San Francisco

california, restaurant, sf bay

Before enjoying our scheduled Anything Goes Musical performance (revival) playing in San Francisco's Golden Gate Theater, we stopped by for lunch at Bluestem Brasserie. We parked at the Jesse Street Garage, conveniently located close to Bluestem and Golden Gate Theater. . . . . The Bluestem lunch was fantastic. We especially enjoyed the Baby Beet Terrine, the Dutch Baby Pancake, and the Farmer's Market Quiche.…

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