railroad revival tour

This April, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show will embark on a musical tour unlike any other. I learned of the last minute announced Railroad Revival Tour a few weeks ago on the radio and realized this would probably be a once in a lifetime experience. Traveling exclusively in vintage railroad cars, the bands will journey across the American Southwest over the course of a week. All three bands, whom which I equally LOVE, will be playing concerts at only six unique outdoor locations along the route. Not only is this an exclusive tour, its starting near my home base in Oakland CA. I was lucky enough to wait in line the hour tickets went on sale and snagged a couple of my own. (The tour sold out that same day within hours). I'm definitely stoked to check this out in April! It better not rain on me!

Check out their music:

smugglers cove

If ever you're in the mood for a little tropical cocktail bar, look no further than Smugglers Cove. Smugglers definitely gives off sort of a cheesy Pirates of the Caribbean vibe when you first walk in but do not be alarmed- you're not at Disneyland! The entire cocktail menu and list of liquors is actually quite impressive. If you're into rum then this is definitely your kind of place. I, on the other hand, am into giant Scorpion bowls and getting flowers or umbrella garnishes on my drink. What can I say? Its the simple frills that amuse and please me so much! Happy Birthday to Alex! Had a great time at the Smug Co...

All the ladies together celebrating Alex's 27th birthday

photo credit: Hubpages

photo credit: AP/Eric Risberg

Jessie, Nicole & Danielle

Me, Cher & Arin

Laura's infamous socks.

Alex's big birthday drink!

Documenting Tyler dropping her phone...

The bday girly

asia sf

On Friday night I went to one of San Francisco's greatest entertainment landmarks: AsiaSF. The stars of every evening are the world famous gender illusionists, who dance, serve and perform right at your table. Every hour the ladies would get up on the Chinese runway bar, strut their stuff and lip sync to pop music. Although the restaurant was a little less than what I would have expected (it was super cramped and crowded), I can still say that the dining experience was one of the most entertaining I've had in quite some time. It'd be a trip for any one visiting San Francisco to check out this place.

Alex, Jen, Cher and I with our AsiaSF waitresses

Porcupines appetizer- fried scallops & shrimp

Alex's Birthday ice cream cone

six ingredients for a good weekend

1). Go see some live music. Whether at a mellow jazz club or rock concert, live music is always original and full of energy. It's a great excuse to go out and dance too!
2). Take yourself on a long walk or hike. It's important! Spending time exercising outdoors helps revitalization, increases positive energy and decreases stress.
3). Play Pirate. When I was young, my mom and I used to play a game called "pirate" where we'd embark on a spontaneous mini road-trip adventure together. I still do this every now and then- it's a lot of fun and a great opportunity to discover new places.
4). See a movie. A classic pass time that never gets old...and it's affordable entertainment!
5). Eat some quality brunch. I'm a big eater-outer myself so enjoy trying new brunch spots. Even if you're trying to save money, its super easy to make yourself a stack of pancakes or an omlette at home. Yum!
6). Make yourself a cocktail. I obviously saved the best for last ;)

**Have a great weekend**

mendocino: a stay, play, gourmet getaway

Mendocino is best known for it's spectacular scenery, seaside victorian villages and distinctive wineries, although like myself, most people just love it as a place to getaway and relax. Derek and I used our 2 year anniversary as an excuse to indulge in a weekend of B&B luxury away from the city in a place neither of us had been to before.

I'd always heard such great things about Mendocino and was so excited to finally take a road trip up the coast. The drive alone is absolutely stunning. We went local wine and champagne tasting at the Navarro, Husch and Roederer Estates, fine-dined at the MacCallum House Inn and Little River Inn, explored the coastline and enjoyed bed and breakfast at Glendeven. If there's one thing I could change about the trip it'd be to stay in Mendocino for longer than just one night. It just wasn't long enough!

thirteen rounds of boonville

If you're from the Bay Area and a fan of beer then you're probably familiar with the Anderson Valley Boont Brewing Co. Although I don't have much of a palette for beer (I'm definitely more of a wine drinker), I do know that Boont makes some of the best I.P.A and Amber Ale's this country has to offer!

I stopped by the birthplace of Boont while en route to Mendocino with Derek this past weekend. We showed up at 11:30 in the morning and surprisingly had the entire Brew house to ourselves. Derek ordered a 13 beer sampler (the maximum number available) which I thought was a little aggressive, but was convinced we shouldn't miss out on trying all that Boont has to offer. I had expected the beer to come out in portions the size of shot glasses but they were actually about four times that amount! As soon as I saw our platter of beer samplers, I knew we'd be sticking around for a while...

Thirteen mini-rounds later, we had the alcohol inspired idea to try a game of Frisbee golf. I had time to kill before driving again so might as well. Boont Brew Co. has several acre's of land and turned part of their site into an 18-hole Frisbee golf course. It was actually really fun trying to remember how to throw a Frisbee. We were never able to throw it in the exact direction we intended to, but that's half the reason the game was so entertaining. Highlight of the Day: Derek throwing a Frisbee into a tree and trying to get it down with his second Frisbee when that one, too, gets stuck in the tree. Classic.