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.

• Must Sees in San Francisco

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.

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.

• 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

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}

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}

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}

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.

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

• ING Bay to Breakers 2009 - The Rundown
• April 2009 Festivals
• May 2009 Festivals

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

• Michael Bauer wonders if diners are skimping on tips as an effect of economic downturn. Most of his commenters suggest they aren't.
• Foodnut does a short review and pictorial of the new Tipsy Pig gastrotavern in the Marina.
• The San Francisco Chronicle reports that La Folie is about ready to roll with its lounge adjoining the restaurant.
• Foodgal talks about TCHO's Hot and Cold Drinking Chocolate (TCHO at Pier 17, San Francisco).
• Danilo Alfara (About.com: Culinary Arts) lists the many About.com food sites you can follow on Twitter.
• Colleen Graham (About.com: Cocktails) writes about new cocktail apps available for the iPhone.
• Camper English at Alcademics makes a first attempt at an orange liqueur swizzle stick to bridge the gap between a Tommy's margarita (my personal favorite) and a liqueur-infused margarita.
• For this month's chocolate fix, the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon is coming up this weekend at Fort Mason.
• Jessica Yadegaran posts about a Final Toast to Bill Brand in the Bottoms Up blog formerly occupied by the great Brand. Brand was killed in a Muni accident in February.

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}