Whale & Dolphin Watching in Monterey Bay

Whale watching is more exciting than it sounds! 

A weekend in February I traveled from SF to Monterey for a whale watching tour. I had anticipated an hour tour with 3 whales. I thought that would be a reasonable expectation.  Unfortunately, conditions are often unpredictable and no company can guarantee that you will see whales during your visit. That being said, there is a good chance that you will encounter sea animals in Monterey despite the time of year. Depending on the month and migration patterns you can expect that grey whales, blue whales, or killer whales.  For a schedule by month visit here. 

During the 2-3 hour tour we saw one whale breach and approximately 3 spouts from the water coming from whales under the surface. The wonderful surprise were the hundreds of dolphins. The pod chased the boat and jumped into the air. They also followed along very closely and appeared to be racing out boat. Although the video is not the best quality (due to excitement, rain, and turbulence) it gives a great pictures of the dolphins I saw during the journey. I could not believe how many I saw at once and how playful they were. 

I would highly recommend going through a local tour company, in particular I went with Monterey Whale Watch and had a great experience with highly educated guides. Don't forget to take a cash tip! Two thumbs up.

Until Next time. Stay Tuned.

Hobby Club: Hunger Games themed Archery

January 21, 2015. Dear Diary, today I will improve my archery skills. The end.

The goal to "improve" my archery skills was a pretty low threshold given that I had only done it once at a summer camp when I was about 12 years old. Needless to say I succeeded. I also had a lot of fun in the process. My friend and I found it slightly competitive and highly addicting.

Archery is easier than I remember. Not as easy as Katniss makes it look, but you get the point. First we started with proper training from Archery Pro Shop. By the time my friend and I arrived we had missed the morning rush and we arrived before the afternoon crowd. It was painless to wait for a 15 minute instruction and a bow sizing. We shot a few arrows in the store so the manager could check our form and recommend adjustments. Secondly, we took our rented gear (~$26 for the day including bullseye) and make the quick drive (or walk) over to Golden Gate Park.

Once we arrived at the field we had to wait about 15 minutes for a target to open up. It is first come first serve. I assumed it was a SATURDAZE novice activity for everyone, however I was mistaken. There were professional archers including some teenagers training for international archery competition. I didn't know that was a real thing!

After the wait for the target, my friend and I set up camp and did some rounds on our own. If you were lucky you got a target next to someone willing to teach you some tricks, unfortunately that was not our situation. We did have fun practicing and working our way further and further from the target to odd angles to see what would happen.

Long story short: It was inexpensive. We had a great time. No one hit a bullseye.

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned. 

Hot Glass, Cold Beer: SF Glassblowing

Step 1: setting up

Step 2: Blow (man on the left)

Step 3: Shape the glass

Step 4: Add more glass as accent piece

Kiln

Example of finished work

My friend recommended a glassblowing workshop the weekend of January 31st. We arrived at night, unsure what to expect. She had heard about this event through a friend of a friend that was into the glassblowing "scene." I am not sure exactly what this "scene" entails, but from what I heard there are very few professional glassblowers in the US. The leaders in the craft live are mostly in italy and some other parts of Europe where the tradition has passed down by family members. An amateur glassblower elaborated that glassblowing techniques are very difficult so people work together to learn from each other and improve their craft. What a unique hobby!

The event itself was exactly as the title describes:

• hot glass-=glassblowing live
• Cold beer= wine and beer options with unlimited pours
• Music- there was a live band in the main room and a separate techno DJ in another room. I do not recommend the techno DJ to be honest 
• Your own glass blown cup to take home
• Reserved seating for VIP. Plenty of standing room for GA ($25)

The main area was  social and had the master artist with two assistants. The main glassblower worked with the glass while another helped him to blow into a long metal straw. The third helped from shaping to moving the glass back and forth from the kiln. 

The pictures above do not do it justice to be honest. If you are in the mood for a funky evening with craft beer, check out the events calendar at Public Glass,

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

5 Bay Area Hikes not to miss

Hiking is a past time in the bay area akin to Boozy Brunches in NY. Everybody's doing it. So I jumped on board. 

If I was on Family Feud and the question was "What are the top 5 words San Franciscans say during the weekend" I would guess YOGA, YOGA, HIKE, HIKE, YOGA. 

Thus far I have been to:

1. Land's End Trail. I wanted to see the Labyrinth created by Eduardo Aguilera in 2004 based on pictures I had seen. It was a gorgeous day so there was a nice view of the beach ad the GG bridge, but the labyrinth was not as large as I expected and it was slightly worse for wear. However, the hike to the point was beautiful and I had a chance to see the Sutro Baths
2. Billy Goat Hill- I had been dying to go here as a SF landmark and fly on the swing overlooking the city. However, when I went the swing had been cut down :( 
3. Marin Headlands- This hike required a drive, but it was worth the views. I tend to favor hikes that have different scenery and different difficulty levels depending on what you are in the mood for.  We stopped by the information center in Marin before starting and they recommended some particularly nice paths based on the time of year.

Next on the list

1. Mt Tam-I have heard the hike to the beer garden at the Tourist club is worth the trip. They are only open select weekends, so apparently you have to plan in advance. Details here for Mt Tam. Schedule of open weekends here.

2. Alamere Falls- This is a longer hike about 9 miles roundtrip and includes a gorgeous waterfall. I have seen pictures, but I am sure they do not do it justice (one above)

3.  Hot Springs Getaway in Big Sur- pictures here. Found on SOSH (app and website for activities in your area)

4. Hidden Black Sand beach in Marin- here also found on Sosh

5. Beach hike on sand dunes- here also on Sosh

Top Bay Area Hike lists include date hike desitinations by Thrillist. Any other recommendations? Let me know @ thesaturdazeblog@gmail.com

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

Tandem or Double Kayaking?

Another day, another Groupon. 

The week of Dec 20th (obviously I am referring to the SATURDAY), I went Kayaking with a few friends in Sausalito. I found a Groupon online through SF Kayaks and Adventures. The challenge was that all kayaks were doubles. Sidebar-maybe they are called Tandem kayaks or maybe I just want to refer to it as a "tandem" because I have a soft spot for tandem bicycles since they are the only kind of bicycle I know how to ride. Either way you want to call it- double or tandem- kayaking was fun!

The best parts:

• Seeing sea lions/seals (different ears/fins) and otters
• Upper body workout. The instructor claimed that when done properly, kayaking is an abdominal exercise because the way you properly push the paddle into the water is done by turning your upper body rather than lifting your arms. Most beginners quickly forget the proper form and resort to kayaking instinct
• The location- the weather is relatively predictable which makes kayaking a sport that can be done pretty much year round. We also had a change to explore the floating homes of SF that were started by artists in the 1950s- 1970s (details here)
• Learning about the Full Moon kayaking they have a few times a month and their annual trip to Baja. Not surprisingly, you can also do the paddle board yoga in Baja (previous post on the blog here).

The worst part

• Upper body workout- yes I mentioned above as the "best" part.  After 2.5 hours you will most likely agree it is the best and worst part.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

Namaste Surfers

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Originally: Nov 15, 2014

Paddle board yoga is one of the best non-traditional workouts.  Paddling is probably the easiest part. The harder part is staying balanced so you are not the one that falls into the water. Avoiding embarrassment is the real challenge.

My roommate and I registered for a class through onBoard SUP. I had heard of them through Classpass and was happily surprised they were included. If you register on the OnBoard Sup website each class is only $30 all inclusive. The two instructors were nice and helped us to get accustomed to standing on the boards. Although they said hardly anyone falls in, we did have someone in our group that had a quick dip in the water. 

From the description- "Paddleboard yoga" you pretty much know what you are getting yourself into. Step 1 paddle away from the dock. Step 2 pick a open spot with less boat traffic (this was easy in Sausalito) Step 3. drop the anchor. Step 4 Adho Mukha Śvānāsana, Ardha Matsyendrāsana and Dhanurāsana. 

If you are confused by Step 4 so I am. Every.Single.Time. I have done yoga for a few years, although far from an expert, I think at this point I should be able to tell the difference between the formal names. However, they all sound the same to me. I tend to agree with Fitbie on the more accurate names. I guess saying "ok now get into rotisserie chicken pose" would not be so "zen."

After we paddled out, enjoyed the view, and did some sun salutations, the other yogis and I had the opportunity to do some harder poses. Surprisingly, some poses are easier on a wobbly board then on land, while others are much more difficult than you would expect. After a few rounds and some great pictures we wrapped up the class. Like I said, pretty much what you would anticipate from the pictures.

OnBoard SUP does two unique adventure apart from the standard paddle board yoga. One is the  their Full Moon Paddle and the other is their Baja retreat. Both look like eligible future SATURDAY adventures.

Until next time. Stay tuned.

The Perfect Day to become a balloon-atic

Hot Air Balloon Tour Sonoma

Hot Air Balloon Sonoma

Alvin and the Chipmunks movie

hot air balloon

Hot Air Balloon Sonoma

View from Hot Air Balloon Sonoma

Hot Air Balloon Shadow

Hot Air Balloon Tour Sonoma

Balloon Tours view in Sonoma

plane looks small from the Hot Air Balloon

Originally: Nov 8 2014

I have to say that so far this was my favorite Saturdays. I had researched more out of the ordinary activities than cooking and eating and I came across hot air ballooning. I became OBSESSED.

I had always wanted to go on a hot air balloon. And not the kind that you see on ABC's The Bachelor where there are three people in the basket- pilot and a couple-and the couple is kissing while the pilot pretends not to be there (they are called pilots). Instead I had in mind traveling the world like Richard Branson . I don't want to date myself, but when I was a child there was a Chipmunks adventure movie where they traveled the world in hot air balloons (girls v. boys) and I distinctly remember the moment when I took a mental note that it was on my bucket list as a non-negotiable action item. 

Fortunately, Groupon was having a sale on their already discounted adventures so I was in luck. Not only was there one hot air balloon company, but there were at least 3 on Groupon for the Bay area. Apparently there is a competitive market for hot air balloons in SF, so if you have not done it yet you should.

I selected the one with the best yelp reviews, convenient and nice location (Sonoma), and friendliest person that answered the phone. The morning of we had to leave very early to drive to Sonoma. Balloon flights are early because of air pressure conditions that make it harder to fly in warmer weather, usually later in the day. I did not know this, now you do.

The weather was so nice that the typical one hour ride extended to almost two hours. The wine country view was gorgeous and we even got to see other balloons in the air. The landing was a bit rough as we had to squat on someone's property. Some fellow riders helped to pack the balloon with the crew and soon enough we were on our way back to our cars. 

They provided a snack (lunch was promised, but they had a problem with the kitchen that weekend) and some wine tasting along with a detail explanation of the company, the surrounding area, and how they got started. 

After the balloon shenanigans had ended I felt quite accomplished. However, the day was not over. After we got back to SF my friend and I decided we had time for a crafts fair. We went to the Renegade Craft Fair that they have in several cities. At the fair you can buy and make crafts. It was perfect around the holidays in preparation for gift giving. I loved the create your own terrarium for $10 from Makerskit, the prints from Cactus Club, the hand made jewelry, and recycled library books turned into notepads. 

I ended the day with dinner and a movie in Japan town. I was so excited to see a movie at the Kabuki theater that allows people to reserve seats and order food and drinks ahead. For dinner I had Sushi before the movie nearby.

If you know me well you know why this was my favorite Saturday thus far. :) Side note, the picture from the "Hello" page is from this day.

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.

GO BABY, GO!

Golden Gate Fields Race Track

Golden Gate Fields Race track

Golden Gate Fields Race Track

Originally Oct 18, 2014

Pick your pony. This Saturday I convinced my friend to rent a car, drive to Golden Gate Fields, and bet on some horses at the racetrack. It is a dangerous thing for a friend to ask me last minute what I am doing because it might entail getting roped into some random scheme I have going. That day was not an exception.

I had been to the race track when I was very young and completely forgot what it would be like as an adult. I imagined big hats, champagne, gloves, etc. I did have a notion this might not be the case knowing that some people spend their lives gambling. My suspicion was correct. The crowd was "interesting" to say the least. There were a few young people. I would say the majority were veterans in the gambling business. Entrepreneurship is still entrepreneurship in the Bay.

First we had to ask what the rules were, how to bet, and which horses would be likely to win. There is a TV that ranks the horse and has expected odds to win. Then theres the ever so scientific art of choosing a horse by the name. Some of the names were quite funny and clever. Others were sexual innuendos that made me a little uncomfortable screaming on the track. The best strategy was asking the ticket salesperson. If they are nice they will tell you what they think. Some are impatient and clearly have no idea what is going on with the horses or jockeys. However, if you find a good teller they may be the key to success. 

Success, mind you, is loosely defined by me as "redeeming my bet" or even "winning a dollar". Because in the end winning is winning. And winning a dollar feels better for morale than loosing 9, even if you don't break even.

Another pro-tip for this activity is to go on $1 Sundays. This clearly is the more economical choice, but does not work with someone with a strict day of the week blog.

Overall, the races were short so the highs of rooting for a horse were worth the thrill. I would stay for at least 3-4 races to make the drive worth it. Either way it doesn't need to consume the whole day.

Until next time. Stay Tuned.

"I'm turning Japanese, oh yes I'm turning Japanese I really think so"

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden San Francisco

Originally Sept 27, 2015

I had been wanting to go to the Japanese Tea Garden since I read about an event that the SF botanical Gardens hosted during a full moon.  I am not sure exactly what you do in a Japanese Garden late at night, but I hope to find out Sept 2015. I heard the lines were long and last minute tickets were hard to find, so next year be prepared and bring a sweater.

My bucket list of Golden Gate Park alone is pretty extensive.  So far I have accomplished:

• Tandem Biking ($30/person) except it's only "comfortable" if you are over 5'8 which I am not
• Museum for cocktail hour at night- no children, cocktails, and an activity. On the night I went they had dance classes. Each week is a different theme. ($12/person)
• Hardly Strictly concert (More in the next post) (free!)

All of  the above activities which were *two thumbs up* and cheap- double win!

When I went to cross off the Japanese Tea Garden from the "Golden Gate To do list" I was pleasantly surprised. It was only $6 for residents to enter and they had a restaurant inside with good food and tea. If you go in I recommend the traditional tea, edamame, and some sushi.

The garden is not that large geographically, but there are enough pockets of interesting statutes or bridges that makes walking around interesting. I assume it would be better (less crowded) to go during the week, but then again that wouldn't work for "Saturdays."

Until next time. Stay tuned.