Clout & About » Places

The Warm Bamboo Renewal at Spa Vitale in San Francisco Will Treat Your Tired Soul

Clout and About — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:24:29 +0000

Think Bamboo ~ and what comes to your mind? For me, it’s peace and tranquility. The sound of bamboo wind chimes outside my home office window soothes my spirit on any given breezy day. A lush bamboo forest we had visited while on vacation in the island of Oahu was filled with lovers names carved on the trunks of the trees (image below). Many other uses of bamboo may easily come to my mind. I couldn’t, however, completely fathom a Warm Bamboo Renewal spa treatment until I had to opportunity to try one out recently. ~~Heavens!~~ I mean, heaven!

Spa Vitale in San Francisco

Bamboo on my mind

Spa Vitale is the penthouse spa facility at Hotel Vitale, Joie de Vivre’s boutique luxury waterfront property by the Embarcadero in San Francisco . It had been a busy week for me, prepping to finish what I had lined up for work and rounding up my holiday errands before the rest of my family was off from work themselves. A pit stop to a spa sounded divine and the thought of this new and unique treatment certainly intrigued me. It was a very foggy day which required some white knuckle driving across the bridge for me so by the time I arrived, I was ready to release some pent up tension. Spa Vitale is the only spa in San Francisco to offer this treatment which is described below.

An innovative technique incorporating polished bamboo rods, massage oils, and soothing heat in conjunction with hand massage, the Warm Bamboo Renewal treatment promotes circulation and provides a deep sense of relaxation and well-being. The treatment can help with lymphatic drainage and sensory nerve perception when preformed with a light to medium touch, but also has the capability of releasing knots and trigger points with deep work, making it a versatile option for guests.

Welcome to Spa Vitale

There are four treatment rooms at this rooftop spa and right outside, through a sliding glass door and on sunny days, there are two deep tubs enclosed only by walls of bamboo for tired souls needing a bathing ritual. Alas, it was winter time and the nippy California weather required layers of clothing to keep one warm. But still, had it been later in the day, I may have opted for a hot dunk and soak. The thought even now as I write this in terribly tempting.

I was pleasantly surprised to meet the equipment that would be gently used on my tired body.

Warm Bamboo rods

Gentle reminder of how tired you can be

This is all that is needed for a rejuvenating experience. And the relaxing strokes courtesy of my therapist Carrie’s magic fingers.

During the massage, trained therapists utilize polished bamboo rods of varying lengths and diameters to knead and roll knots and relax tense muscles. Warmed with a heating pad, the bamboo rods offer a pleasing sensation to the spa guest while allowing the therapist to effectively massage tense muscles, focusing on deep tissue work. The bamboo rods vary in shape so they can easily be used to massage all areas of the body – with longer sticks used for gliding strokes and smaller ones for more detailed work such as relaxing knots and relieving tension by focusing on trigger points. Following the treatment, muscles are looser, joints are more flexible, and a sense of rejuvenation results.

The Warm Bamboo Renewal is a wonderful option for anyone who is overly stressed, as this massage will counteract tension and lack of rest due to the soothing combination of the traditional benefits of massage along with the comforting qualities of heat.

My treatment started with some cleansing breaths inhaling Spa Vitale’s Headache Zapper ~ a concoction of rosemary, lavender and peppermint oil (I did purchase a bottle and have used it for myself and for the husband!). The combination of the use of the bamboo rods and Carrie’s long and slow strokes were hard to differentiate. Only the soothing heat gave it away. It was relaxing ~ and smooth. And deep. (I was blogging in my mind, trying to think of words to describe this unique treatment). Marvelous to the point where I enjoyed every.single.stroke.

It was really one of the most exhilarating non-rushed treatments I’ve ever had. I felt brand new and raring to go, loosened up and thoroughly relaxed.

I had a few minutes to take in the San Francisco view from the outside; loving being on a rooftop.

Rooftop, right outside the spa. Behind the bamboo are the tubs for the private Bathing Ritual

View from my treatment room, after the fog dissipated

Rooftop view from the recliners

And that, I definitely did.

Bliss Spa San Francisco’s Oxygen Blast Facial™ – To Infinity and Beyond!

Lulu del Rosario — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:01:11 +0000

The holiday rush is on and sometimes, year end activities can find us all in some sort of frenzy, or two. Welcome to my life which I wouldn’t have any other way. In times like these, my body has a preferred way to tell me when to inhale and take a deep breath. Hello singular zit-sensation-right-smack-by-my-nose-that-lasts-two-weeks! Ugh.

Knowing I would be in the city with just a little bit of time to spend to cheer up my skin, I headed off to Bliss Spa which comprised 5000 sq.ft. at the 4th Floor of the W Hotel in San Francisco for a luxurious and much needed facial. Because of my time constraints, the spa offered a quickie 30 minute Oxygen Blast™ facial which, for me, was unique and seemed to be the perfect picker-upper. Truth be told, it went beyond it’s description. It did not feel like just 30 minutes at all.

Welcome to Bliss Spa; Stay a while!

Entering the Bliss facility was like walking into a festive spa ready for the holidays! The cheerful ambiance and the friendliness of the reception staff welcomed me as I exited the elevator and entered Bliss World. I checked in and was escorted to the ladies locker room and to the relaxing lounge where I was picked up by my therapist, Jeannie (she will the magic fingers!)

The lounge and waiting area at Bliss (click to enlarge)

As I settled into my treatment room, Jeannie analyzed my skin (sans problem pimple!) and proceeded to send me off to relax-dom by giving me a Body Butter massage around my decolletage. Okay, I’m all in.

My treatment begun with a cleanse with Clog Dissolve Cleansing Milk and then a tone with their Daily Detox Toner (which I purchased). A fruit refining wash to exfoliate was followed by a concocted Vitamin A, C and E treatment. While all these were applied, my skin was loving it. Jeannie placed a hygroscopic enzyme mask on my face and while she allowed my skin to absorb all these goodness, she gave me an out of this world winning scalp massage.

Take Off with a 30 Minute Oxygen Blast!

The five minute oxygen blast™ was something else. Unique to Bliss, every inch of my pore was slowly spray with oxygen and if skin could inhale, it was gloriously taking it all in. My face was glowing thereafter and I didn’t need a mirror to tell me so.

Even Oprah Winfrey agrees!

The entire experience ~ albeit just 30 minutes ~ was phenomenal. I highly recommend a visit to this facility if you have little time for yourself, or the whole day to relax and enjoy all the amenities (including steam and sauna). No wonder Bliss was featured in Oprah Winfrey’s final show! Had I had another hour or so, I would’ve treated myself to a luxurious mani/pedi at this facility. I’ll save that for next time!

Nail stations with television sets and the retail store

For now, I’m glowing and ready to face the holiday season and I’m looking forward to my date with St. Nick! Mrs. Claus didn’t leave empty handed, though! She knows where the amazing deals are!

Happy Holidays with Bliss!

Catalina Island – East End Tour , Our Other Adventurous Tour

Yolanda Zaragoza — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:35:55 +0000

Editor’s Note: This is the 3rd and final article on Catalina Island. If you missed the first two FUN articles, please visit Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE. Thank you!

The morning was over and we had conquered our fear of heights. Now, we were going on a sightseeing tour of the island. There was nothing to fear about. We shall find out!

The East End Tour began at the Tour Plaza where we boarded our open, canopy-covered vehicle, good for 12 people. The open Hummer that we were expecting to ride was out on maintenance service.

This type of vehicle is customized, to make sight seeing and taking pictures easy for us, tourists. First, we were driving on asphalted road, then on pebbled, dirt road. The higher we drove up, the colder it became. It was an icy chill that we were feeling to the bone. The blankets provided on the seat pockets helped, somewhat.

We were on our way and Christine, our driver and tour guide, had interesting bits of information to share with us about Catalina Island.

This grove was cleaned up to reveal the cemetery, after it was discovered that there were people living in the premises. A good number of people were buried here between 1904 and 1972.

The next turn brought us to the vista point to see some of the most spectacular views of the town and Avalon Bay.

This was the breathtaking view from the Wrigley mansion, where William Wrigley and his family had lived.

Before the Wrigleys came to Avalon, there were a couple of pre-settlers, European settlers, and developers who had settled on the island. In the 1830s, the native population seemed to have either died or migrated.

California became a part of Mexico when she was ceded over to Mexico, when Mexico won her fight for independence from Spain. In the 1840s, Pio Pico – the Mexican governor gave Catalina Island as a grant to a certain Don Jose Cornuvias of Santa Barbara. It became Camp Santa Catalina Island, during the Civil war. In the 1860s, James Lick took over control of the island for a quarter of a century. In 1887, George Shatto from Grand Rapids, Michigan purchased the island for $200,000.00 from Mr. Lick.

George Shatto developed a part of the island that is now known as Avalon. His sister Etta Whitney came up with the name which means “bright gem of the ocean.” Shatto worked on making this a vacation destination, bought a steamship to ferry the passengers from the mainland to Avalon and back. Unfortunately, after a couple of years, the business faltered and the land went back to the Lick estate, as he defaulted on his loan.

In 1891, another family got into the picture. The children of Phineas Banning bought the island and organized the Santa Catalina Island Company to develop the island as a resort. However, their efforts were thwarted by a fire that destroyed much of the developed areas of Avalon. With several factors and World War I going against their plans, they started to sell shares of the island in 1919. And next came the Wrigley family.

The Wrigley Mansion, where the Wrigleys had entertained some famous guests.
This was donated to the University of Southern California in 1970 to be used as a conference center. In 1985, it was turned into The Inn on Mt. Ada.

William Wrigley, Jr. (1861 – 1932) made it on his own after several attempts, after working for his father selling soap. He developed his own marketing strategy by always selling something with something as a give away. At 29, he moved his whole family to Chicago to start his own business with his cousin, after securing a loan from his uncle for $5,000.00. With baking powder as the giveaway for the soap, he realized that it was more desired by the customers rather than the soap. He, then, concentrated his efforts on selling baking powder with chewing gum as the giveaway. You guessed it. The chewing gum became the reason as to why the baking powder was selling. After grasping the taste of the people for the gummy products, he concentrated his efforts at selling gums.

Inspite of the competition, he was very successful after launching two product names – Lotta Gum and Vassar. He discovered the wonderful consequences of advertising and the giving away of premium gifts, that soon he produced a premium catalogue for people to choose their gifts from. His advertising motto was “Tell them quick and tell them often.”

It was in 1893 when his chewing gum business shot to fame with the introduction of “Juicy Fruit” and “Spearmint Gum.” Although the origins of gum making was attributed to New Yorker, Thomas Adams, who had introduced “Chicle” in the 1860s, the title of “Father of Chewing Gum” went to Wrigley. He became the biggest gum company. He went international, opening gum plants abroad and selling his products in 30 languages.

With his profits of into the millions, he bought the Chicago Cubs – at first, buying some shares in 1919 and then he became its majority stockholder in 1921. He was an avid baseball fan and was always watching the hometown games. He also bought the Cub Park which later became Wrigley Field, the Los Angeles Baseball Club, and a team in Reading, Pennsylvania.

At the same time, he invested in the west, buying Catalina Island off of the California coast, and made it into a family retreat. He turned it into a resort, developing the island – making great improvements in the provision of public utilities, commuter transportation, lodging for visitors, bringing in fauna and flora, and constructing a Casino that was not a casino as you would expect it to be.

He also continued his investments in Chicago, pumping money for the construction of the Wrigley building that was to be the headquarters of his gum company, as well as int Arizona when he bought a winter resort – the Arizona Biltmore. He had accomplished much while spousing a simple philosophy of “To be always pleasant, always patient, and never argue.” He repeatedly told his son that they had a “five-cent business, and nobody in the company can ever afford to forget it.”

William Wrigley, Jr. died at the age of 71. His son, Philip, took over the reigns of the SCIC.

A side gate with hundreds of steps leading up to the house
The Chicago Cub team used to come to the island for their summer training. They were said to have ran up and down these steps to build their stamina.

The driveway entrance

A side view of the bay and the round-shaped Casino Building , which has been the focal point for entertainment and culture since it openend in 1929.

A view of another town on the island – Lovers Cove

The Avalon Water Treatment Plant

Our very able driver, Christine, maneuvered in and around the mountain dirt road with such precision or…

we would have gone down fast, off the roadside! Several of us had focused on looking straight ahead when our fear of heights got triggered, as we looked down the canyons.

We made it to almost the top of the island, close to 2,000 above sea level. I had to sort of stand up during the ride, with my seat belts on, to protect my lower back condition from being jarred. Some parts of the ride were violently bouncing us.

After that rough ride to the top, it sure felt it was worth it. From here, we were able to see the town of Avalon, the Pacific Ocean, a panoramic view, and felt the warmth of the sun. We also saw some hikers along the way – how gutsy of them, I thought.

Somewhere up there, we saw these two bisons.

The bison herd is not local to Catalina Island. It was when a silent movie was being filmed in the island that a herd was brought over. When the filming was over, and the Zane Grey production company was packing up, 14 buffalos refused to board the boat, so they got left behind and multiplied. In the course of time, they got too many and overpopulated the island, causing damage to the eco system. Today, the herd is kept to a maximum number of 150 to 200. There is a program for the females that keeps them from overpopulating the island.

The conservation and preservation of the wildlife in the island is now under the supervision of the Catalina Island Conservancy, a nonprofit organization. The children of William and Ada Wrigley – Philip and Dorothy, had donated 42,135 acres of the island and 48 miles of the coastline to the conservancy in 1975. A balance between the recreational uses of the island and keeping nature in check is being worked at. This gives the assurance that the island’s natural beauty and charm can be enjoyed for generations to come.

From here, we were back on paved roads. Heading down was a more relaxed ride.

The water reservoir with a protective cover to keep the animals and other things from getting into the water.

Called the Rose Garden, after the person who tends it, there is no rose plant in this garden.

Traces of last May’s fire, which started as a brush fire behind the yacht club, leave a tell tale sign of bare, charred branches. Some 30 acres were scorched to the ground.

A water basin for catching rainfall

This is a view I captured with a random click. I had my camera aimed at all times.

The woodpeckers have made storage holes on the tree trunks – note the black dots in line formation.

Part of the winding road was lined with eucalyptus trees. They were originally imported from Australia in 1941.

Memories of our morning adventure came back when we saw this zipline platform.

A view of Descanso Beach Cove

As we made it down on the other side, we saw the interior landscape of the island where the residential areas had been established. We passed a house that now belongs to a descendant of Shatto, another one which was once the resident of a Hollywood actress, and a mansion belonging to the grand daughter of WIlliam Wrigley.

As picturesque as this place is, for now there are signs about no swimming in the bay. A budget has been earmarked to address the pollution being caused by an antiquated sewage system. As the conservancy strives to restore the island’s natural equilibrium, we can all look forward to having a nice visit to this beautiful “gem in the ocean.”

North of Sydney, The Hunter Valley Is Much More Than Vineyards

Eileen Dolina-Novak — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:32:45 +0000

Years ago, a trip to the Hunter Valley meant a couple of hours drive north of Sydney, some wine tastings in a few vineyards, lunch, then another 2 hours drive back home with one, two or three cases of Shiraz in your car. These days, there is more to the Hunter Valley than just the usual visit to the wine cellars. The Hunter has now become a choice destination for different events and experiences such as weddings at the vines, open-air concerts featuring local and international artists, art exhibitions, hot air balloon rides, gastronomic delights at many restaurants and cafes.

Hermitage Lodge

We visited the Hunter recently for one of these reasons. My husband and I drove the 2 hours to watch one of our favourite bands Steely Dan with guest Steve Winwood. The weather did its magic once more providing us with the perfect afternoon to sit back, enjoy the show with a glass or 2 of Shiraz in hand.

Steely Dan at the Bimbadgen Estate

Wanting to do something different, we decided to forego the usual wine tasting the next day and headed to the highly recommended Hunter Valley Gardens. Armed with my camera, it didn’t take me long to take photos of the beautiful landscapes, colourful flowers and interesting themed gardens. Lucky for us, the Rose Spectacular was on, featuring around 8000 roses of 56 varieties.

Set on 60 acres of land, the Hunter Valley Gardens features 10 themed gardens with a variety of plants and floral display, each with a character of its own.

From mid November through to January, the Christmas Lights Spectacular will be on every night from 6:30pm to 10:00pm with special fireworks display on the opening night, November 11, 2011 and on New Year’s eve 2011… definitely another good reason to come back.

The Hunter Valley Gardens

Broke Road, Pokolbin, NSW

Open 7 days from 9am to 5pm except Christmas Day. During the Christmas Lights Spectacular: Daytime Garden Entry 9am to 4pm, Christmas Lights Garden Entry 6:30pm to 10:00pm, display starts at 7:30pm

Click on images to enlarge

Here is a fun recipe we’re looking forward to trying. This recipe was shared with us by The Hunter Valley Gardens!

Rose Petal Sparkling Wine and Strawberry Jam

Come and see for yourself!

Zip Lining at Catalina Island, Conquering Our Fears and Living to Bloggaboutit!

Yolanda Zaragoza — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:30:36 +0000

We had been preparing for this day – with two adventurous activities scheduled, we were psyching ourselves that we could do these. The first on the agenda was the Zipline Eco Tour. My friend – Jaye, and I, both have a fear of heights. But, I was daring myself to do this and I had to encourage Jaye to join me to do it, too.

The requirements to take this tour were to want to have an adventurous experience and to wear tight-fitting clothes and closed shoes that would not fall to the ground. I brought my gym clothes and athletic shoes. Somehow, Jaye forgot her socks and shoes. But that was not a problem – she bought a pair of socks and she was able to rent the shoes.

We had to figure out how to get there. We were assured by the hotel’s front-desk personnel that it was about a twenty-five minute walk via the Descanso Beach Cove. Since we had not been there, we left much earlier and gave ourselves some extra time to get lost and to do more sightseeing.

Starting off on Crescent Street, we headed to to our destination. We were passing more shops and places to eat. I was keeping my eyes open for unique things along the way.

I was so impressed that even the seagulls here can follow the directions!

It’s a sundae and sweets bar! Noted. We were going back soon for some ice cream on hand-made waffle cones and “chocolate con churros.”

What a catchy name – Afishinados – featuring all “original American fish art”…

and as you can see, everything looks fishy!

The sign reads “SORRY WE ARE OPEN.” That made us laugh.

At this point, we had to veer to the right…

to go towards the direction of the Casino Building, which is not a real casino.

The Yacht Club

The retaining wall on this walkway is decorated with tiles in the original Catalina patterns and tile murals depicting scenes from the years gone by.

The Casino Building is across from the Boat Landing on Avalon Bay

Unfortunately, we were not able to take the Casino Walking Tour, as this was being prepared as the venue for the Jazz Trax Festival’s last weekend. In the Casino walking tour, you will see the Art Deco murals, a 1929 pipe organ, the Avalon theater (the only movie theater in town), and the Casino Ballroom.

We got to Descanso Cove well ahead of time, which begins from the Casino Point Dive Park…

up to where the mountain juts out into the bay.

In just another 50 steps or more, we found this place. We met our two guides – Charles and Denny. First thing we had to do was to tie our hair back, then don our helmets. After, we put on our harnesses and walked over with the metal contraptions, to watch the demonstration.

Denny gave us an overview of the Zipline Eco Tour – we were going to travel a distance of about three quarters of a mile, over five ziplines laid out over three hundred feet above the canyons, at a speed of, approximately, 45 miles per hour, in about one and a half hours. Then, a demonstration of the different positions and signals were shown to us.

After the leap off from the platform, go into the basic zip line body position (sitting position)…

then into the cannonball position, with arms straight and legs crossed and pulled up towards the elbows. This is to gain speed on the ziplines.

Charles explained the landing procedure – how to read his signals to slow down, then to prepare for the final approach at the landing.

Should there be a fast approach, there is a block of wood that would go on the wire to slowdown the zipliner; or, a sack to grab just in case one suddenly stops ziplining in the middle of the course, to be pulled into the landing platform.

It was time. We were a group of four and we were bussed up to the Zipline Eco Tour gates, at the highest point of the zipline course. At this point, there was no turning back.

Denny was going to be our pitcher and Charles was to be our catcher. Charles went down first to await us at the first landing.

With our hearts pounding, we were relieved that the only man in our group volunteered to go first. He just took that first step into the air, literally walking into thin air, and took off. Watching him helped us to recall the steps we had to do.

Jaye took that leap of faith…

and there she went!!

I was the last one to go as I was the one taking most of the pictures. I had to put my camera inside my jacket as I prepared to zip down the wires. I started with good, positive thoughts and prayed. Then, I took that step. All went so perfectly well.

After our first zipline, we thought it was a piece of cake. With four stations still to get to, we all got confident and had no more fears after that initial cable ride.

We asked about the origins of ziplining. Our guides noted that Walt Disney used this means of travel in some of his Disney stories. They also told us a story about how it could have started in Costa Rica.

Once back in the mainland, I researched about it and discovered that a historical timeline cannot be pinpointed. It was a means of getting to inaccessible places among high mountain dwellers, like in the Himalayas. It is still used as people movers and as a delivery system for rations and materials in populations where moving about and transporting goods can be difficult, due to rugged and mountainous terrains, and water ways.

Perhaps, it came about from the techniques and means used by climbers in the late 19th and 20th centuries in the Tirolean Alps, who used “pitons, rapelling, tension traverses, aid climbing, stirrups, pendulums, and the Tirolian traverse” that were “developed by the Bavarians, Tirolian and south Tirolian climbers,” to have efficient movement between “rock pillars and cliffs.”

The cable-and-pulley system found some strategic uses in industries and in World War II. In the 1970s, ”canopy tours” were born out of this cable system among graduate students who were researching the world beneath the forest canopy . The forest canopy is formed by the meeting of the tops of very tall trees that blocks almost 95% of the light. It is like the roof over a forest area, creating a habitat for the plants, the birds, mammals and other creatures in diverse sizes, colors, and shapes. This is critical to the well being of the forest.

The forest’s ecosystem is quite unique, with several microclimates that sustain the different organisms under the forest canopy. Thus, this makes for a very interesting research site for graduate students in the fields of botany, zoology, entomology, and ecology. It was in the 1970s when it became the scene for these scientific-research in Costa Rica. The students figured out how to set up their means to traverse under the forest canopy with ease and without much disruption to the environment below. Employing the Tyrolean traverse, the researchers could go from tree to tree, and make their observations without having to go down to the forest floor.

Soon, someone thought of how fun this activity could be, similar to the canopy tours, and that’s when it became commercial. With little to do with scientific exploration, ziplining is now an adventurous, exhilarating trip, flying down the cables from platform to platform (I call them stations) on the mountain slopes. It has been made safe and secure for the daring, fun-seeking people, with the use of durable materials in a studied design, adapted to the local setting.

Back to our tour…

With regards to landing, our other group mate was a petite lady. Her light weight exempted her from doing the slow-down, star fish position (stand-up position), prior to landing. She stayed in the cannonball position from take off to landing.

Charles signaled us to slow down by spreading his arms wide open, and then the zipliner pulled the handles towards his chest and assumed the star fish position. Once slowed down, the catcher, who is Charles, gave another signal to assume the cannonball position for landing.

St. Catherine’s Lace

Though we had no forest canopy above us, we sort of had a chance to explore the ecosystem here in Avalon. In between ziplining, we looked around the surroundings in each station. Our tour guides showed us some of the flora and fauna indigenous to Catalina Island.

We found this flowering, mounding bush: St. Catherine’s Lace. The clusters of off-white flowers bloom in late spring and turn to brown in the summer – beautifully contrasting the grayish-white, felt-like leaves. Scientifically called “eriogonum giganteum,” this plant grows six to eight feet tall and wide. It thrives even in this rocky, desert-like setting and near the coast.

Here, my gear was being engaged onto the cables, for my third zipline. For my connecting-to-the-cables metal contraption to reach the wires, I had to tiptoe. We were given instructions and a demonstration on how to zipline sidewards, to see the view.

I was able to maneuver and assume a sitting position with my legs stretched out, to side zip down the wires…

to catch this view of Descanso Cove.

That lasted for a few seconds. By the time I reached this dense section with the very tall trees, that was my cue to get back into the cannonball position.

Lemonade Berry Fruits

Another plant we saw up in the hills was a Lemonade Berry bush-tree. Charles took a branch so we could taste the fruits. To taste, we used our finger tip and rub the sticky residue on the red fruits – we discerned a very strong and sour flavor. The fruits from this plant, “rhus integrifolia,” were used by the native Indians who once inhabited Catalina, to make a refreshing drink.

This is the souvenir I have from Catalina Island. I bought a small potted plant and brought it back to the mainland. I will be relocating it to a planter, instead of planting it on the ground, to control the growth. I hope it survives the lowland conditions.

We also saw this dug out in the ground – the home of the Catalina Beechey Ground Squirrel.

The ecosystem in Catalina Island has been affected, negatively, by human activities. The overgrazing and the bringing in of non-native species have contributed to the soil erosion and affected the soil compaction on the slopes. Mining, film making, and landscaping have all added, too, to the deterioration of the island in the last decades. To counter this, the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC) is at the helm of reversing the trend, to restore the island to a healthier state. CIC takes charge in protecting the rare and endangered species through their various programs. It’s a balancing act to do this, especially, with the arrival of an estimated million visitors a year.

We did it! We were brave and we conquered our fear of heights. Our tour guides were very professional and highly entertaining. They graciously gave us high passing marks. This experience was truly exhilarating. I am looking to zipline anywhere I go now.

As our adrenaline levels started to go down, we retraced our steps to go back to town, but taking a detour to go through the Casino Point Dive Park walkway, on the side of the Casino facing the bay.

We noticed someone painting Descanso Cove. He reminded me of how Claude Monet painted – in the outdoors, on location.

Passed the Casino building and before the Yacht Club is a floating gas station, to service the boats. For land vehicles, we found out that the gas cost was over $6.00 per gallon. We wondered how much the fuel for the boats were.

As soon as we were back on Crescent St., we were figuring out what to have for lunch. We thought we deserved to indulge and have a hearty meal.

We also window shopped and checkout some souvenir shops.

At El Galleon, we sat down and ordered our hearty meal: French Onion Soup, Clam Chowder, Caesar’s Salad, and Barbecued Pork Ribs – Texas Style. I think we ordered too much! We didn’t have room for dessert.

We had our second adventurous tour, after lunch: the East End Tour - this was a tour on rugged terrain, in an open-air Hummer that brought us to the highest points on the island, to see spectacular views of the canyons, the coastline, and the animals that inhabit this place. We’ll tell you all about that, too.

Sydney’s International Food Festival and Night Noodle Market

Guest Post — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:46:18 +0000

Editor’s note: Our guest poster is traveling the world on an indefinite sabbatical and fulfilling a dream. He graciously agreed to share some of his jaunts with us. ”He” adds a fresh look at the world, from the eyes of someone discovering nooks and crannies of the globe, with a camera and a journal. We are thrilled to share, albeit vicariously, the sights, sounds and globetrotting tales of Wanderlust_ed

Guest Author: From the travel journal of Wanderlust_ed

Sydney International Food Festival

It just so happens that this week is Sydney’s International Food Festival. Part of the festival includes a Night Noodle Market that is held in Hyde Park. For those of you familiar with San Francisco’s “Off the Grid”, picture that on steroids. It’s a foodie and food pornographer’s wet dream.

The place covered nearly two city blocks and was just lined up with endless food vendors, a la Singapore’s famour Hawker stalls. It was all Asian food, from Thai to Vietnamese to Japanese, Chinese, and Malay. Picking from which to sample was overwhelming. The entire park smelled like an Asian kitchen, which was nauseating and made you hungry both at the same time. I actually ended up coming home smelling like an Asian restaurant.

Sydney International Food Festival

This is an event that takes place every year and lasts two weeks. Families and friends come to enjoy the food, the energy, and music that takes over the park. Some picnic on the grass, while others simply sit on the tables.

Sight, Sounds and the Taste of the Night Noodle Market Images ©Ernesto Delfino Fotos

It’s hard to describe what else it looked like, so I’ll the images I captured tell its own story.

Click on images to enlarge

Truly an experience! But then, there’s lots of good things to try in this city!

About Wanderlust_ed:

A Jet-setter. World traveler. Photographer. Storyteller. I’m a recent retiree from Corporate America before the age of 40 and on sabbatical indefinitely. Some call it being lucky, others may call it being fortunate. I agree with both, but I choose to say that I prepared for this, since they say that “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

I am spending this next phase in my life traveling the globe to fulfill my wanderlust desires, further develop my photography skills, telling stories through writing and travel blogging, all while being a student at the University of World Travel.

Because of this opportunity I’ve been given, it has become my duty and responsibility to capture these experiences through storytelling and photography so others can live vicariously. I invite you see the world through my lenses and storytelling as I candidly capture life.

Two Days, Two Gals in Santa Catalina Island in Avalon, California (Part 1 of 3)

Yolanda Zaragoza — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:23:59 +0000

Editor’s Note: Our Paris-based contributor, Yolanda Zaragoza, is currently Southern California-based during this time of the year. As such, we asked her and another friend packing to review beautiful Catalina Island last week. Here is her review of the island and the activities in and around Avalon. Enjoy! Make sure you come back for Day Two coverage!

After all these years of being a California resident, I was finally going to visit Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, which is just 22 miles away from the Los Angeles and Orange County coast line. Also referred to as Catalina Island, it is a rocky-mountain island located south west of Los Angeles. It is part of the Channel Islands of California, one of eight, that falls under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. With a population of close to 4000, it is administered by the Catalina Island Conservancy. It remains to be privately owned by the Wrigley family.

I am going, primarily, to be refreshed and nourished in mind, body, and spirit, away from the urban lifestyle ~ and on assignment for our blog.

With a good, adventurous, fun-seeking friend who came along with me, we headed to the Balboa Pavilion in Newport Beach

to take the California Flyer for Avalon.

We stood in a long queue composed of couples, families, and groups of friends, going as daytrippers, overnighters, or midweekers, in search of something new, perhaps, even something adventurous. It was a gloomy, fall day. It was a cold morning. On a clear day, Catalina can be seen from Newport Beach. But not this day as the cloud cover was thick. But no one seemed deterred. We were all on time to take the 9:00 morning schedule to Avalon. We boarded the biggest catamaran I have ever seen, and soon we were on our way. The boat ride was a bit choppy, which was expected as we were going against the current.

Alas, we made it to the boat landing in Avalon Bay, in 70 minutes, and we had arrived in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island.

Avalon is the most developed city in the island, and is a resort destination for visitors and cruise ships. The waterfront is a very picturesque landscape of buildings that house lodging and retail facilities, with a few streets going inland.

What a pretty sight! It reminded us of Santa Margarita and Portofino, in Italy

Upon disembarking, we walked a few steps to figure out what to do. We were greeted by taxi cabs, waiting on the curb. But we thought we would asked, first, about our hotel’s location, and it turned out that it was just going to be a five-minute walk. Along with the other visitors and regular commuters, we walked along the sidewalk that brought us straight to the waterfront road.

On Crescent St., where we had turned right, we began to admire the architectural styles, the influences, the quaint shops, the pier, and some local arts and crafts. Finally, we found the Pavilion Hotel, which we were calling “our home” for the next three days.

The Pavilion Hotel is centrally located on 513 Crescent Avenue. After being welcomed and processed to be registered guests, we were excited to see what our room was going to be like.

We took the walkway around the well-manicured, landscaped courtyard…

and found our room number. We had our own outdoor sitting area that was partially made private by the plants planted in front of our patio.

Here it is! It was a good size room for two people. As for the amenities provided, we had WIFI, a flatscreen, HD television, and air conditioning in the room.

Included in the room package was a complimentary continental breakfast:

a variety of cut-up fresh fruits; bagels, croissants, pastry breads, with peanut butter, cream cheese, butter balls and a fruit jam to add to the baked goods; In another table - a cereal set-up to pair with yogurt or milk; pitchers of juice and water; and a coffee bar for that serving of Starbuck’s coffee.

We had breakfast with a view, each morning, just bringing small food servings at a time and watching over our plates, or the flying creatures would join us, uninvited.

We figured that walking was the best way to get to know the town. We started on a leisurely walk to get an overview of this place. Looking for things that were local…

I was attracted to this corner stall, right at the entrance to the pier. Tiles are a prominent decorative item here – in the storefronts, the steps, fountains, and other things like a retaining wall.

The Silver Canyon Tile Co. started out as a ceramic shop, producing wheel-thrown potteries, in 1988. Founded by Robin Cassidy, the line of products was expanded to go into the reproduction of paver tiles that were used in Catalina Island in the 1920s to the 1930s. Many of their designs – in the historical Catalina patterns and other original designs, were used in the 1999 restoration of downtown Avalon. These tiles have a three-dimensional surface and come in bright colors and distinct patterns. The company also produces bass-relief murals and custom-made productions for their clientele, some of which we will see as we continue our walk.

To eat or to tour? That was the question. On the pier, we were eyeing the fish and chips place at the far end, for our lunch. But we went, instead, to the tourism office and asked for recommendations for places to visit.

The Tour Plaza, located between Catalina and Sumner streets - this is where you can get ticketed for your reservations, or, also buy your tickets for any tours you want to take. There are, also, other places where tour tickets can be purchased from.

For several of the tour packages offered, this is where the assembly is for a bus pick-up.

These vintage-looking buses are about 50 years old. These are used to shuttle the visitors to and from the various tourist sights and activities. Among the things to do in Avalon are a couple of scenic tours on land, boat trips and mini cruises, walking tours, and adventurous tours for the young and the old. There is something for everyone and the most thrilling can be when you dare to do something you have never done before.

For our itinerary (thanks to the Santa Catalina Island Company), we opted to have the following tours/activities:

1. Visit the Wrigley Memorial, on our own.

2. Zipline Eco Tour

3. East End Tour

4. Play Mini Golf, at our own time.

5. To walk and explore during our free time.

Continuing our walk, back on Crescent Road…

the sun finally peeked in at about noontime. We found this time of the year – off season, so perfect to be walking around. It went from chilly temperatures to a pleasant low 70s. In the spring and summer, this place is bustling with tourists.

This round-about at Wrigley Plaza is one place where the use of the Catalina tile pavers was attractively employed.

This island has quite an interesting history. It goes back to 7000 years ago when it was inhabited by several tribes, from the Pimungans to different groups of native Americans. The Europeans came to her shores under the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo on October 7, 1542, and he claimed the island for the Spanish king, after peacefully making contact with the local people, who were allowed to continue living in the island. He named it “San Salvador” (Holy Redeemer). An Agustinian friar offered a thanksgiving mass, then.

A second expedition arrived on November 24, 1602 under the command of Sebastian Viscaino. He did know about Cabrillo’s previous expedition that had already claimed this territory. He renamed the island to “Santa Catalina Island,” in honor of Saint Catherine, whose feast day was on the day after they landed here.

We decided to turn into one of the streets in search of Beacon St. The homes are priced at one million and up. Rentals go at $1,700 and up per week, depending on the season. There is hardly any garden space and the garage allotment is for a go cart.

This is the church on the island that was named after St. Catharine of Alexandria, on 800 Beacon Street, just two blocks away from Crescent St. This parish was established in 1902.

This ceramic wall relief, on the church ‘s exterior wall, depicts the arrival of the Spanish expedition under Sebastian Viscaino and the thanksgiving mass that was offered, celebrated by three Discalced Carmelite priests who were traveling with Viscaino.

One morning, we attended a mass to give our thanksgiving for the chance to visit this island.

St. Catharine as portrayed in this modern stain glass window. The leaves from the plant next to the window – on the outside, add to the design and texture of this art work.

According to the legendary tales about St. Catharine of Alexandria, she was martyred in Egypt around 300 A.D. She was only 18 years old when she converted to Christianity, after receiving a vision. She debated with philosophers, which brought about their conversion and the conversion of some 200 soldiers. She was deemed as the wisest woman in Alexandria. This is what brought about her martyrdom.

She is the patroness of philosophers, millers, secretaries, and women in search of a husband. She is a highly venerated saint n the Greek Orthodox Catholic Church and her remains are buried in the grounds of St. Catherine’s Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai, in the Egyptian desert.

The day was almost over, and our afternoon was spent walking to and visiting the Wrigley Memorial. After a light dinner, we decided to turn in to recover for the next day’s scheduled activities: a big day for two adventurous tours.

We passed the fire pit next to the hotel’s courtyard. This tour group was having a good time.

I made it a point to get up early the next day, to catch the sunrise , but these were what I saw when I ventured out at 5:30 in the morning.

The pier

The boat landing

The boats on Avalon Bay

In place of a light tower is a traffic light for incoming vessels.

I walked all the way to the boat landing. This was the view of the town at about past 6:00 in the morning.

I walked back to the waterfront road. Traffic is minimal on the city streets. The golf cart is the common means of transportation. They are available for rent by the hour.

The Mediterranean Café…with a wine bar, espresso bar, beer bar, a pastry and sweets bar

A store specializing in glass art

I verified the time for the sunrise, and I was told that it was “delayed” due to the thick marine layer. Back in the hotel, we got ready for an early breakfast. It was going to be a big day for us as we were daring and raring to go ziplining, inspite of our fear of heights!

Watch us and stay tuned for Day Two!!!

Mondial by Nadia Neuman at the Strand Arcade in Sydney ~ Exquisite Designs, Fashionable Shopping

Bettina Johnson-Green — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:33:30 +0000

In Sydney: Bettina Johnson-Green with Eileen Dolina-Novak (photography).

It is amazing how certain songs, smells, sounds, and places can transport you to a place you may or may not have been in before. One such place is the Strand Arcade, Sydney.

The Strand, Sydney

I imagine myself getting ready to go shopping in the newest city mall. Choosing to dress in my Sunday best – hat included, I catch a tram into town to see what all the hype is about and to see for myself the electric lights – one of the first malls in Sydney to be lit by electricity – in this much-talked about modern, four-storey shoppers’ paradise. The year – 1892.

Built in 1891

The Strand Arcade was the fifth and last of the arcades built in Victorian Sydney in 1891. It opened the following year. One hundred and twenty years, two depressions, two world wars, and two major fires later, it is the only one that remains in it’s original form, after going through careful restoration for it’s 100th birthday in 1992. None of its original beauty and charm has been compromised. Walking through it today brings you back to the days when everyone “dressed up” to go into town to experience the grandeur and elegance The Strand Arcade epitomised.

Where there used to be milliners, jewellers and original stamp and book specialists working in the windows of their shops, you now find an outstanding mix of Australian top designer fashion shops, a vintage watch shop, Strand Hatters for Akubra Hats and specialty jewellery stores, among many other specialty shops.

Click on image to enlarge

If your weary shopped-out body needs a break, there are many options. You may want to stop at The Old Coffee Shop – a tenant since 1892 that still serves coffee from an authentic “Bezzera” coffee machine. The nut shop that stands there today is the original nut shop that was opened in 1939 by the same family that still runs it .

Mondial by Nadia Neuman

One jeweller that stands out among many, is Mondial by Nadia Neuman – a truly unique, award-winning Australian jewellery designer. In the 1950s, Nadia’s father Fred Neuman, started selling jewellery for a Melbourne based jeweller. In 1961, with his wife Maria, he opened their own business – Carina jewellers – in Sydney’s Kings Cross. In the late 70s, the Neumans began importing and distributing some of the world’s most premium quality jewels to prestigious jewellers country-wide. In 1993, Fred opened Mondial: Pink Diamond Gallery in the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney. Pink diamonds, the most precious of all diamonds, became his specialty. They came from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia, which is the largest producing pink diamond mine on the planet (90-95% of the world’s supply) and was featured in Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure in the last season on the Oprah Show.

(L) Nadia Neuman with (R) Bettina Johnson-Green

Nadia with her colleague, Sonia, at Mondial

Fred’s daughter Nadia obviously inherited this passion from him. She dabbled with jewellery designs that were “different” and through the years, in between and during various careers including owning an organic café in trendy Bondi Beach, found much success selling her own pieces through different jewellers around the country. After much resistance, she settled down and did what she was born to do and opened Mondial by Nadia Neuman in November 2009.

Please click on thumbnails to view. Images courtesy of Nadia Neuman used with permission.

Her talent for designing unique jewellery is evident the moment you walk into her shop. She has won many awards, and since words would not do justice to her designs, let the pictures speak for themselves.

images courtesy of Mondial by Nadia Neuman

View more images of Nadia Neuman’s lovely designs as well as additional images of Strand Arcade in Sydney on the video below. If you find yourself in our beautiful city, here’s where you’ll find Mondial.

Mondial by Nadia – Shop 15, Strand Arcade
412-414 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
T. (02) 92222776
F. (02) 92222787
E. nadia@mondial.com.au

Video edited and produced by Eileen Dolina-Novak

The Charming Elegance of the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco, A Truly Hidden Treasure

Joyce Maroon — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:42:37 +0000

Perched atop San Francisco’s beautiful Nob Hill, the Huntington Hotel overlooks charming Huntington Park, stately Grace Cathedral and the city skyline, as San Francisco’s iconic cable cars glide past the front of the hotel.

San Fransicso’s Nob Hill has always been home to the rich and famous. As the city grew and changed throughout the years, one thing remained consistent: Nob Hill is still San Francisco’s crown jewel and the Huntington Hotel its hidden jewel. Sure there are other nearby hotels, like the Fairmont and the Mark Hopkins, but the Huntington truly is a hidden treasure.

The Huntington Hotel in San Francisco

In the old days of the “wild west” Nob Hill was covered with mansions of the railroad barons of the Pacific Line, known as the Big Four. They were Collis Hunk Grin, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Charles Croker. The Tobin family, founders of the Hiberian bank, joined their affluent counterparts on Nob Hill in the 1870′s. They built a huge Victorian home on the site of what is now known as the Huntington Hotel.

The Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, San Francisco CA

In 1922, construction began on the former site of the Tobin mansion, located on the corner of California and Taylor. The result was a 12-story residential apartment hotel building. In 1924, a real estate developer by the name of Eugene Fritz purchased the Huntington Apartments and in 1945, he began transforming the apartments into the Huntington Hotel. Mr. Fritz maintained the original room sizes and for this reason the Hotel’s guest rooms are quite larger than most hotel rooms. This building was once described as the “last word in luxury”.

In 1950, Mr. Fritz stunned the hotel industry that is typically run by men and turned over the hotel’s ownership to his 14 year old daughter, Dorothy. In 1967, Dorothy married Newton Cope, a Sacramento real estate developer, California historian and restaurateur. This marriage cemented the family’s commitment to Northern California’s hospitality industry.

Al Tullis, the Huntington Hotel's most charming doorman welcomes

Upon my arrival to the Huntington, I was greeted by the most friendly and welcoming face, that of Al Tullis, the doorman. Al has a way of making you feel at home right away and is quick to assist you in anything you might need help with. I couldn’t help but be drawn into a conversation with Al and discovered that he has been working at the Huntington Hotel for 17 years now. Even more interesting, Al commutes into work every day from Morgan Hill, that’s approximately 150 miles each way, each day. I asked him why he does it and his response was quick and jovial. He told me he loved what he did and the fact that his work is on top of a hill that has some of the most exquisite sites in all of the Bay Area was just the icing on the cake.

During my stay at the Huntington it was quite evident that its staff took great pride in their work and their hotel. They were very welcoming and treated guests like family. Where else can you get this kind of treatment in Nob Hill?

Elegance and comfort

Amongst this hidden and luxurious hotel you will find the Big 4 Restaurant, named after the CentralPacific Railroad’s “big Four” tycoons. The restaurant’s sultry ambiance showcases Mr. Cope’s amazing collection of 19th century railroad and early California memorabilia. On a side note the restaurant has live Piano performance every night from 5:00 pm until 12:00 a.m.

Big 4 Restaurant

The hotel also boasts a three level world renowned spa, the Nob Hill Spa which will be reviewed separately. The spa became an addition to the hotel in 2001 and is an absolute treasure. I can tell you that this truly is my favorite spa in all of Northern California.

Besides the elegance and comfort of this hotel, what drew me to it was the antiques that are nonchalantly placed within the hotel and blending them into the new look of the hotel. Every corner has a surprise. I can’t wait until my next visit there, who knows what I might discover or who I might run into.

Joyce, out and about, discovering the Huntington Hotel!

Here’s a short slideshow with some apropos music. Enjoy the virtual visit!

Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park: Unwind, Rejuvenate, Indulge

Clout and About — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:20:16 +0000

The Rosewood Sand Hill is located off a lovely drive on Highway 280 in Menlo Park. If you come here and check yourself in on Facebook Places, you’ll quickly notice one thing. There are about a dozen venture capital companies in close proximity. From that, I surmised that this property is a default location for brilliant minds to ‘get away from the grind’. And why not, it’s tranquil here, the food is scrumptious and exquisite and there is every amenity your heart will desire or your mind or body will need ~ to unwind, rejuvenate or indulge. The California Ranch setting with a stunning view of the Santa Cruz mountains, along with the kind and warm service you receive from the hotel staff is exemplary.

It’s one of Anna’s and my favorite hangouts on Sundays, hanging out at Madera. As I mentioned in a separate post, our Sunday lunch at this Rosewood Sand Hill’s signature One Michelin star restaurant lasted four hours. A cousin of ours was visiting from abroad and instantly fell in love with the hotel. So much so, that he checked out of where he was and we were able to book a room for him for a couple of nights.

It’s was siesta hour at 4pm when we checked into our room.

Our room with a view of the courtyard

Perfect siesta spot

Our cousin's suite ~ yes, we were jealous, but we remained friends. His room was decadent!

Fit for a king! Feel like one, that's for sure!

As soon as we thought we could settle in, my niece (who had joined us for lunch) decided she needed a few things at the nearby Hillsdale mall, so off went the mother and daughter team ~ and I took that opportunity to move from this outdoor chair to one by the pool.

This is where you can clear your mind and do a lot of thinking

I thought about a lot of things as I lay by my chair under the perfect California sun. On the way to the pool, I stopped by a Movement Room and an exercise room. The Sense Spa (which is reviewed HERE) was buzzing with people checking in and out ~ and the meeting rooms, perfectly set around a flowering courtyard ~ made me wonder to myself “so this is where brilliant minds come to gather“.

The courtyard in the middle of the Meeting Rooms

There were several courtyards like this. In a couple of them were guests who claimed a courtyard to themselves, set out their laptops and clearly were holding office. There was nothing to distract them; passers by respected their space. Even the workers at the hotel who had to move around did so with as little noise as they could.

by Sense, the Spa at Rosewood Sand Hill

There was definitely a different vibe here. Because it’s so close to Stanford and in the middle of VC country, it’s a bit more formal compared to the other hotels we had visited recently. But it’s a good kind of formal, not snobby at all. Perhaps ‘refined‘ might be the right word word to use.

We’re setting our Sunday lunch camp up the top at the restaurant. After a hectic workweek ~ we want to feel good about life.

Even a great minded almost 18 year old kid agrees!

And here, at the Rosewood Sand Hill, that’s quite easy to do.

Enjoy more photos set to music ~ we really loved our stay here!