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From Ingrid Taylar, for About.com

San Francisco Favorites

Monday March 30, 2009
Many of us who’ve landed in this enclave known as the Bay Area instantly recognize the good fortune of living on a landscape so diverse and beautiful. Even then, it’s possible to get mired in the pragmatic aspects of life -- and forget just how spectacular even the most common, overly-photographed, and touristy destinations appear to those who arrive on our shores for the first time.

So, in an effort to recap some of my best "firsts," and the things which continue to awe visitors, here’s a bullet list of the "musts" your first-time house guests or repeat visitors should experience in our fair land.

Sutro Baths & Cliff House at Sunset
Photo © Ingrid Taylar

Earth Day in San Francisco

Saturday March 28, 2009

She's under-appreciated and trod upon, even though she does just about everything for us -- our mama Earth. So make plans to show a little love next month . . . and to learn more about living on this planet with a softer footprint.

This year's Earth Day Events include free music, family activities, public environmental art, and eco strolls.

Pictured: Marin Headlands
Photo © Ingrid Taylar

Frozen Yogurt, Frozen Anything = Good

Thursday March 26, 2009
I can think of a few things I wouldn't want frozen, so don't quote me on the "anything" part. But the deep freeze will seem like the place to be as we move into a Bay Area spring. So, a quick update on the frozen dessert scene around town.

If you're new to the city and over-heated, here's a diagram (by way of Google) that will help you figure out where to cool down in the probiotic, dairy kind of way: Map of Frozen Yogurt and Gelato Shops in San Francisco.

If you're more linear:

San Francisco Frozen Yogurt Shops
San Francisco Gelato Shops

And -- it's not yogurt and not gelato, but it's a big-time favorite. If you're near Dolores Park, stop in at Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop for a sweet fix.

The Tap Project in SF

Wednesday March 25, 2009
It's World Water Week (March 22 to 28) and The Tap Project is raising funds to bring clean, accessible water to children worldwide. The project began in 2007 and donates funds to UNICEF's water and sanitation programs. A few stats from the Tap Project website:

  • Every day, 4,200 children die of water-related diseases
  • Nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water
  • One dollar raised through the Tap Project can provide a child with safe drinking water for 40 days
To be a part of the Tap Project, find a list of participating restaurants in San Francisco, and then donate $1 or more for the tap water you'd normally get free with your meal. You can do a restaurant search here.

Photo © Ingrid Taylar

Bee-Friendly Berkeley

Tuesday March 24, 2009
A proposed resolution will turn Berkeley's green spaces into viable habitat for bees -- as reported in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Inspired by distress in honeybee colonies and reduced numbers of pollinators, city officials are looking to landscape Berkeley's open spaces with bee-friendly flora, assisting bee survival and, in the process (no exaggeration), our own.

Crops depend on healthy pollinator populations. But environmental stressors such as pesticides and habitat destruction contribute to their declining numbers. The process of pollination is additionally complex in that specialized pollinator-plant relationships have evolved to propagate individual species. A loss in one species of pollinator can spell doom for the plant which depends upon that relationship. (Check out my discussion with The Orchid Doctor for examples of specialized pollination among orchids.)

The City Council will decide the bee issue on Tuesday, March 24.

Related link: Bay Area Beekeepers

Photo © Ingrid Taylar

Bay Area Wilds: Berkeley Newts

Monday March 23, 2009
Migrating Newts at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden

The botanical garden of UC Berkeley houses a spectacular display of plants, a massive and stinky corpse flower, and a refuge of a rose garden with a panoramic view of the bay.

And -- in the season between the autumn rains and late spring -- there's an added attraction in the Japanese pool: newts and courting newts.

Even if you're ambivalent about amphibians, you might be curious about the creature that holds enough political sway in Berkeley to shut down roads. South Park Drive in Tilden Park closes for an entire season to allow for safe newt migration.

They're fascinating to watch. But the slime of newt is toxic so please don't handle them -- nor disturb them in any way, after their arduous trek to the pools. It's the newt's big chance to find a mate and the last thing he (or she) needs is humans messing up a good thing.

If you're going for the newts alone, phone ahead to see if the newts are in. There is a general admission charge for the botanical garden.

See a map of the UC Berkeley area including the UC Botanical Garden.

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
200 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA
Tel: 510-643-2755
Open Daily (with a few exceptions): 9a to 5p

Photo © Ingrid Taylar

Cantor Arts Center & Rodin Sculpture Garden

Sunday March 22, 2009
At Stanford University - Palo Alto, California

There's no denying the structural beauty of the Stanford University campus. When the magic-hour sun soaks the sandstone in amber -- and the lights come up on the Rodin Sculpture Garden -- and horses trot around the arena at Red Barn -- the atmosphere is almost southern bucolic.

It's all free, including admission to the Cantor Arts Center. The Center and its outdoor Rodin Sculpture Garden are just off Museum Way as you approach the Oval on Palm Drive. The collection at the museum covers a wide swath, from Mediterranean antiquities to modern installations in the contemporary galleries. The Center is also home to the largest collection of Rodin bronzes outside of Paris.

You can read an overview of Cantor Arts Center here. And check out this Visitors' Guide to Stanford for some additional attractions while you're in the campus area.

For a stroll that takes you along San Francisco Bay, visit the Palo Alto Baylands, a nature preserve with a network of trails around wildlife ponds and wetlands areas. The park is about a three-mile drive, east of Stanford University.

SF Spring Festivals & Bay to Breakers 2009

Sunday March 22, 2009
The ire over new Bay to Breakers regulations -- which included a ban on the ever-popular floats -- produced a Save Bay to Breakers website and a Facebook page. In late February, some of the more stringent provisions for the upcoming May 17 race were stricken, and a compromise of sorts was reached. You can read an excerpt from the official press release here.

Here's an overview of Bay to Breakers 2009 -- and other annual April and May festivals in town:

If you have a public festival or fair you'd like to submit for consideration click here for the submission form.

Alice Waters Gets a White House Garden

Friday March 20, 2009
Alice Waters has been pressing for a bona fide White House garden for years, so it's no surprise that she's thrilled about Michelle Obama's decision to plant one (reported in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle). The First Lady will till the first soil today in a garden that will generate produce for the White House kitchen. Next step: Waters' model for the The Edible Schoolyard as national policy.

SF Bay Food Talk #9

Thursday March 19, 2009
March 19, 2009

The latest from local (and About.com) food bloggers -- saving you time, money and dining anguish:

For a list of openings you may have missed last year: San Francisco 2008 Openings.

See previous weeks' SFBay Food Talk listings.

Photo © Ingrid Taylar

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