Beached Art

leilanimarielabong — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0700

What do star-crossed lovers (thanks, Shakespeare), a black fly in your chardonnay (merci, Alanis) and Santa Cruz artist Jim Denevan's elaborate sand drawings have in common? They're all prime examples of beautiful irony. Denevan's doomed artistry—which can be found, on any fair-weather day, on SF's Ocean Beach or Santa Cruz's Cowell Beach—is front-and-center in this month's Sunset magazine. The geometric precision of Denevan's awe-inspiring patterns nods to the handiwork of aliens (as seen in some of England's notable crop circles) and the great Dutch optical illusionist, M.C. Escher. So, if you want to view one of these fleeting tableaus, it's probably high time you get to the beach before high tide. Just cross your fingers that Denevan is on the same, er, wavelength.

SF's Alite Brings Delight to Camping Gear

AlliePape — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:36:57 -0800

With so many great natural spots within an hour or two of driving, the Bay Area is a camper's paradise. But even as we pack our organic local edibles, throw on our Timbuk2 backpacks, and cover up with a locally-designed raincoat, the gear we take with us is pretty much the same as the rest of the country's: blandly designed, more functional than fun. That's why we were excited to see the new spring product line from Alite, a Mission-based manufacturer of outdoor gear. Founded by three Stanford grads, the company's manufacturing life began with colorful butterfly chairs, which roll up to the size of a burrito (SF-style, of course) and fit easily into a bag. Now they're extending their empire to the overnight aspect of the great outdoors, with fun yet hardy equipment like their In-Law Outlaw tent, designed to mimic the look of a vintage RV.

Those who retreat to the outdoors to spice up their relationships may want to consider investing in the Sexy Hotness sleeping bag. This brightly colored sleeper doubles as a bodysuit, allowing campers to basically wear their bedding around the campfire, like a high-tech Snuggie. When you and your partner are ready for bed, the bags zip easily into each other and feature adjustable middle flaps-- perfect for a little action under the stars.

Even if your idea of the outdoors is an afternoon of beers at Dolores Park, Alite has some great products for an urban day out, like a camera stand that doubles as a cupholder, and a dog leash with a built-in baggie dispenser for cleaning up after Fido.

Best of all, Alite's offerings won't break the bank. Prices range from $30 for the baggie-dispensing leash to $270 for the tent-- not much higher than comparable plain-Jane products, and supporting a local business to boot. You can view the complete spring line (launching March 15) at their website. Alite products are available at REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, and Cole Hardware, as well as from their online store.

Find a Climbing Partner (And a Date) at Planet Granite

leilanimarielabong — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:36:14 -0800

Imagine, if you will, a world where shortly after being introduced to your future sweetheart, you are forced to view their bottoms. I'm proud to say that my local rock gym, Planet Granite San Francisco, has invented a version of speed-dating (whereby belay-certified lovelorn singles are randomly assigned to climb with other belay-certified lovelorn singles) that makes this normally covert act of tush-peeping not only possible, but necessary. Granted, those rumps will be locked in a chastity belt—I mean, harness—which may or may not be an accurate representation of the real thing, but nevertheless, you will be obligated, in the name of safety, to view your partners' nether regions. Can't do that at your run-of-the-mill matchmaking soiree. A point system at this ingenious little social ensures that promiscuity will be rewarded—the more people you climb with, the closer you get to winning some "cool" prizes. And let's not ignore the fact that after completing a night's worth of routes, your biceps will be beautifully sculpted for the follow-up dates to come. The mayhem begins at 6:30 tonight.

Get Blissed Out at Yoga Mandala's Workday-Friendly Urban Yoga Retreat

jennifer — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:10:47 -0800

Let's be clear: I'm not dedicating my first official post as the new travel/outdoors/any-pursuits-of-the-active-kind blogger to yoga because I'm some kind of self-proclaimed guru who finds enlightenment through sun salutations. Oh, no. I trudge to class three days a week and subject my body to all manner of torturous twists, bends and inversions only because I'm chasing the flexibility I attained in the summer of 1985 when I took gymnastics classes in a misguided attempt to become Mary Lou Retton. This is not to say that I am not open to finding enlightenment in my practice, which is why I'm contemplating the five-day Urban Yoga Retreat at Yoga Mandala in Berkeley (which starts today! Eep!), consisting of a workday-friendly 6 AM yoga session, a 6 PM meditation course, plus a sprinkling of nighttime lectures on how to, despite everyday stressors, live joyfully. A tall order, methinks, especially in this economy, but, if I can begin the
day a little more limber (you know, to fight off the haters) and decompress at the end of it with a productive meditation (as opposed to, say, a vat of macaroni and cheese), then I figure it's worth the $239 just for the built-in calorie deficit alone. Wait. Let's try that one again. What you get for $239: a daily glimpse into a blissful existence, plus the training to make it yours, indefinitely. Sounds pretty f***ing priceless to me.

Two Wheel Town: Best Bikes for Cruising In (And Out Of) The City

Stephanie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:59:36 -0800

Three recommendations if a fixie isn't the ride for you.

The Road Bike - Surly Cross-Check

Who’s Riding?
The road bike is the de facto choice for everyone from messengers to commuters because of its speed, simplicity and comfort.

Where to Buy
Pacific Bicycle has a varied selection and excellent customer service. 345 Fourth St., 415-928-8466, pacbikes.com

Whether or not you buy your bike at Valencia Cyclery, you can still stop in for a tune-up at its repair shop. 1077 Valencia St., 415-550-6600, valenciacyclery.com

Get custom single-speeds with colorful components at Mission Bicycle Company. 766 Valencia St., 415-683-6166, missionbicycle.com

Best Routes
49-mile city loop, Paradise Drive (Tiburon)

Must-have Accessories
Stay safe with Knog beetle lights ($18 at Sports Basement, 1590 Bryant St., 415-575-3000, sportsbasement.com). Swrve cycling knickers have lots of pockets and are cut higher in back to prevent exposure ($90 at Pushbike, 3045 24th St., 415-647-7222, pushbikesf.com).

The Touring Bike - Box Dog Pelican

Who’s Riding?
If you’ve always wanted to ride and camp or just leave your car behind when grocery shopping, a touring bike, designed for stability, utility and long-distance rides, will take the load off your back.

Where to Buy
Box Dog Bikes is the exclusive distributor of the Pelican, but also carries other reasonably priced tourers as well as a selection of used bikes. 494 14th St., 415-431-9627, boxdogbikes.com
American Cyclery & American Cyclery Too specialize in all-around high-end and custom bikes. 510 Frederick St. and 858 Stanyan St., 415-664-4545, americancyclery.com

Best Routes
The Wiggle (flattest route from the Mission to the Haight; see a map at sf.wikispot.org/the_wiggle)

Must-have Accessories
Like rucksacks of yore, the colorful Ortlieb panniers carry loads of gear (starting at $143 at REI, 840 Brannan St., 415-934-1938, rei.com). A stack of books or a bag of groceries would fit quite nicely on the Pass & Stow racks. Handmade in SF, they will have you lugging in style and comfort (from $250 at passstow.com).

The Off-Road Bike - Yeti ASR 05 Carbon Pro

Who’s Riding?
Whether bombing down mountains or carrying bikes uphill through mud in a cyclo-cross race, off-road cyclists love getting dirty and need bikes designed to take a beating.

Where to Buy
Big Swingin' Cycles sponsors the annual Lion of Fairfax cyclo-cross race; race proceeds go to local schools. 2260 Van Ness Ave., 415-441-6294, bigswingincycles.com
Roaring Mouse Cycles is great for CX bikes (and touring, too) and has its own cyclo-cross team. 1352 Irving St., 415-753-6272, roaringmousecycles.com

Best Routes
Mount Sutro (SF), China Camp (Marin, where the mountain bike was born), Joaquin Miller Park (Oakland)

Must-have accessories
You need that brain of yours, so don’t go out riding without a serious helmet, like the Giro Rift. You’ll also want to pack the Park Tool Patch Kit for unforeseen trailside troubles ($47 and $1.50, respectively, at Sports Basement, 1590 Bryant St., 415-575-3000, sportsbasement.com).

Impress Lonely Planet, National Geo, Win Your Dream Vacation

jennifer — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:08:06 -0800

Dream vacations: they're what every respectable mind should be wandering towards the afternoon before a three-day weekend. And we've just stumbled across the gold mine. For their 20th anniversary, sustainable travel company Gap Adventures is running something called the Create Your Own Adventure contest. And there are some seriously awesome vacations on there. The top ranked one right now? A spy mission in Europe. Like James Bond. We want to go there.

Ultimately, a panel of 8 pretty heavy-hitting judges (Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, Tony Wheeler, Co-Founder or Lonely Planet, John Rasmus, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Adventure and filmmaker and adventurer Céline Cousteau, to name a few) will pick the most inspired vacation. The winner gets to go on the vacation they designed with two friends. Cha-ching! Also, 5 entrants will be drawn at random to participate in a small group adventure.

This is the perfect way to spend the remainder of your work day. Get on it.

Night Ski in Tahoe for Valentine's Day

jennifer — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:55:10 -0800

It's President's Day: Tahoe's second busiest ski weekend. And conditions on the hill are poised to be shredtastic. Recent storms and a few mid week dustings have kept the groom crews busy the past couple days. That means your favorite trails and lifts will be open and well maintained. Sunny skies, calm winds and temps in the 40's will set you up for outside lunching and pit stops, which is always a win.

But what we're really excited for this weekend is what happens after the sun goes down. Yep, it's Valentine's and that should mean one thing for you in Tahoe: night skiing. Head to Squaw to take advantage of this underrated and often overlooked awesomeness. Squaw night skiing runs from 5 pm to 9 pm and the price is included in both all-day and half day lift tickets. If you only want to night ski, it'll cost you a mere $22 bucks. That's way cheaper than a romantic dinner and will win you way more points for creativity. You can ski The Mountain Run (a 3.2 mile intermediate) or head up the Belmont lift to Terrain Park. Both are lit by 1000 watt sodium bulbs, and hello, the moon and stars. Indulge at a couple of drink spots: get a cocktail High Camp's Ice Bar (yep, that's literally an ice bar) and hit up The Slot back in Squaw village (a new signless annex bar attached to Bistro 22, whose name is a homage to the tight quarters of a Squaw chute skied by locals). A few Slot drink specials of note for your post-night skiing pleasure: the PBJ special, that's a Pabst PBR paired with your favorite 'J' liquor (Jack, Jaeger, Jose, Jim Beam) for $6 or a Rolling Stone: Mickey's Widemouth and shot of Jaeger for $7. Those will do it.

And if you must do the fancy dinner thing, head to the River Grille in Tahoe City. Overlooking the Tahoe River, it'll impress (oh, and it's known by locals as the best Happy Hour around).

Surfers on the Big Screen: Watch Mavericks at AT&T Park

jennifer — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:50:11 -0800

For those of you fretting about the weekend VDay plans (we've got you covered here, here, here and here), stop immediately. There are more important things to worry about. Like world class sporting events. Yeah, the Olympics are cool and all, but Mavericks was just announced for Saturday. So be a Californian and watch 24 of the world's finest big-wave surfers tear it up for the largest purse in history - $150,000.

You can head down to Half Moon Bay, sure, but it's gonna be mighty crowded. In an effort to limit the impact on Half Moon Bay and coastal eco-systems, the Mavericks peeps are encouraging SF-ers to watch it at live viewing party at AT&T Park. Surfers in HD on the jumbo-tron? Yes, please.

Get your tickets online at www.maverickssurf.com ($20 in advance, $25 at the park).

(Or, you can be a hermit and stream it on your computer).

Come One, Come All to the Pelican Inn

Kristin Luna — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:44:55 -0800

Sunny days in the Bay Area have been few and far between of late, which is why in light of a looming holiday weekend paired with some potential sunny 60-degree days on the horizon, we recommend heading out to Muir Beach for some old-fashioned Vitamin E.

With a protected cove and surrounded by the famous redwood trees of Muir Woods, the sandy oceanside paradise seems miles away from the city we all know and love, rather than a quick jaunt over the Golden Gate Bridge. But perhaps its most popular entity is not the beach at all, but the 16th century-style cottage--the Pelican Inn--that flanks the beach. With a rustic facade and one of the best beer selections around, it's no wonder that the Pelican Inn has long been a locals' favorite. The restaurant serves up some classic English fare--bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, Yorkshire pudding, beef Wellington--with a contemporary California spin.

A perfect day would start with an afternoon enjoying a beer out on the lush front lawn, basking in the sunshine, followed by a visit to the neighboring Zen gardens, Green Gulch Farm. Once you've gotten your om on in style, return to the inn for a filling meal in the pub and a bottle of vino (no matter what you do, don't pass on the chocolate cheesecake--it's divine). After dinner, take a moonlit stroll on Muir Beach, before retreating to one of the inn's seven rooms.

Accessed by a covert door, a tight staircase leads up to a second level where all the rooms are located. Intimate and boasting an Old World style, the quarters are cozy but comfortable. Some have four poster beds; all have wooden floors and tapestry rugs and ooze with charm. Those staying overnight will also gain access to "the Nook," a shared private room for guests on the ground level replete with a crackling fire and wing-back leather chairs.

Dorothy, you're not in San Francisco anymore. The Pelican Inn will quickly lead you to believe you're not really in California at all, but reliving the days of yore in bonny England. And we won't wake you up from that dream--ever--if you don't want.

Tahoe Weekend Game Plan

jennifer — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:41:04 -0800

Escaping to Tahoe this weekend for a little Super Bowl and ski action? Here's your game plan.

The Drive Up
Sneak out of the office early on Friday. A moderate storm system is forecasted to hit late tonight, so add an extra hour to 90 minutes of travel time if you can't leave before 3 to account for drivers freaked out by the snow (Worry not, you can count on CHP and Cal Trans to keep the roads relatively un-dicey). If you're riding highway 80, bypass the usual In-n-Out action and hit up Smokey's Kitchen in Truckee for tasty local BBQ. And then there's the staple Ikeda's stop. Obviously, get a pie or two (we recommend the wild black cherry), but also try their Beef Minetstrone soup, which is new to the diner, or their Chicken Pot Pies, made from scratch daily. If you want to woo your Tahoe hosts into a repeat invite, pick up a mango or marion berry salsa. They won't disappoint.

The Snow
Resorts are expecting a foot to eighteen inches of new snow. Win. And... at least 90% of chairs and runs will be open with smaller than normal lift lines (snow scares away pansies). Expect to slide and stack on a hard pack base at the bottom with softer snow towards the top. It's gonna be chilly, so make sure you bring a solid pair of goggles and potentially a face warmer if you're planning on heading up high. (Don't worry, face warmers aren't for pansies).

The Scene
Now listen up, The Superbowl is proof that America loves you. Game time is 3:25 (that's West Coast time) so even if you're cabin bound, get out there and celebrate your country. For your staple sports bar, hit up the Blue Coyote in either Squaw Village or Truckee. We're talking flat screens viewable from every table, and an impressive beer, burger and wing selection. If you're looking to get rowdy with the locals, head to Pete N Peters in Tahoe City. And if you can't tear yourself away from the tables, perch yourself at the Crystal Bay Casino for the action.

The Drive Home

There's a 40% chance Sunday will be snowy, so shake off that hangover you didn't think you were going to have from drinking three beers (it's called Alchitude. Alcohol + Altitude = tipsy on the quicksy) and hit the hill, take some turns then get on the road. Head back anytime before 4pm and you'll be asleep in your snuggie by bedtime.