Posted on

Byodo-In Temple (Oahu)

Address: 47-200 Kahekili Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

Byodo-In Temple is located on the Eastern side of the Island of Oahu and situated at the foot of the Ko’olau Mountain. Byodo-In Temple means “Temple of Equality” and it welcomes all comers to paradise. The Temple represents the Japanese coming into America and is located inside the Valley of the Temple Memorial Park. The Byodo-In Temple in Hawaii is a beautiful replica of a historic Japanese Buddhist Temple. The Temple is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am- 5 pm. The admission fee is $5 for adults, $2 for kids under 12 years old, and offers military and Kamaaina (local residents) rates.

We drove for about 35 minutes (16 miles) from our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel to Byodo-In Temple via HI- 63 North. Our drive to Byodo-In Temple was very scenic, and fun, as we passed through the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Leonard’s Malasadas food truck, and the town of Kaneohe. We arrived at Byodo-In Temple around 3 pm and the free parking lot was almost full.

At the entrance, we had to pass through the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and drove all the way to the end of the road until we reached the Byodo-In Temple. The parking lot was almost full as we arrived a little bit late around 3 pm. At the entrance booth, we paid $5 for adults ages 13 and up and $2 for kids ages 4-12 years old. We were surprised and in awe, as we crossed a small bridge and saw the beautiful Temple with the panoramic Ko’olau Mountain in the background. The temple was surrounded by a lush greenery garden with tropical plants and a large pond surrounded the Temple. We then proceeded to the 5 ft sacred bell called Bon-shu which is located before the entrance to the Temple. We all pulled back the large wooden log and it produced such a soothing, calming, relaxing sound that soothes others at ease. It is believed that ringing the sacred bell will bring blessings of happiness and longevity of life from Buddha. We had to remove our shoes/slippers before we went inside the peaceful Temple. There is this huge 9 feet buddha situated inside the middle of the temple that is housing all the sacred urns. It was such a beautiful and spiritual statue to see and experience. There were also a few visitors who said a prayer and lighted an incense stick inside the temple.

Our next stop was the gift shop and the large Koi pond surrounding the Temple. My daughter and I purchased a bag of fish food for $2 at the gift shop. My daughter had fun feeding the numerous large Koi fishes in the pond and was all fighting or jumping out of the water for food. We were surprised as a beautiful black swan suddenly emerged from the corner and joined the other Koi fishes. It swam back and forth towards us and entertained all the visitors who were busy taking pictures. Just don’t get too close to the swan as a safety precaution. We took lots of great pictures of the entire area of the Byodo-In Temple with its relaxing, tranquil settings.

Overall it was a great experience for us to be able to visit a sacred, peaceful, and tranquil place in Hawaii. It’s a place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle lifestyle in the city such as Waikiki. I would highly recommend this place when you visit the Island of Oahu. Our entire exploration of the Byodo-In Temple lasted for at least an hour and it was well worth it.

Tips: Ensure that you pack bottled water to stay hydrated and parking is a little bit challenging to find an open spot so be patient. Be respectful, be quiet and remove your shoes/slippers before entering the sacred temple. You will have to pass through a cemetery at the entrance and will need to drive all the way to the end of the road to reach the Byodo-in Temple.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Byodo-In Temple after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel near or around Byodo-In Temple.

Click the banner below to book your Hawaii activities or tour packages.

HawaiiActivities.com - Top Hawaii Tours & Activities
Posted on

Boat Oyster Bar (Marshall, CA.)

Address: 20215 Shoreline Hwy Marshall, Ca. 94990

Boat Oyster Bar is a full-service outdoor cafe at Hog Island Oyster Farm. In 1983, started oyster farming in Tomales Bay on five acres of shellfish farm and produced high-quality, fresh Pacific Oysters. The oyster farm grew to 160 acres and raised five farm-raised, edible oysters. The uniqueness and fresh taste of their oysters are credited to their farming techniques and the water they grow. Boat Oyster Bar is situated in a town called Marshall California and is owned by Marine Biologists/Oyster Farmers John Finger and Terry Sawyer. The company is one of the Top Producers of sustainable shellfish. The Boat Oyster Bar is about 1 hour and 41 minutes (57 miles) from San Francisco via US 101 North and CA-1 Pt. Reyes Petaluma Rd.

Our drive to the Boat Oyster Bar in Marshall was a very fun, scenic, and winding road. The relaxing and beautiful view of Tomales Bay during our travel was well worth the drive. We saw a lot of dairy farms, cows, and local stores on our way to the Boat Oyster Bar. We arrived at around 11:30 a.m. and found parking right away. We had to pass through some of the areas where they keep their fresh oysters and a retail window for ordering oysters to go. We were surprised and mesmerized as we walked into the Boat Oyster Bar. The settings were so relaxing and beautiful as there were about 10-15 outdoor picnic tables all overlooking the beautiful Tomales Bay with clear blue skies. There were only 2 couples seated when we arrived as if we have the entire place to ourselves. We had to first place our order at the bar and our food was brought to our table by our friendly server. The cool thing is that we get to watch or see when they were grilling our fresh oysters. The extra small oysters which are called sweetwater were rich, sweet-tasting Pacific Oysters that were so delicious, especially the grilled bbq. The oysters were a little bit spicy due to the Chipotle but very savory with a mouth-watering flavorful sauce.

There were three of us at our party which includes 2 adults and 1 child. We ordered the BBQ grilled oysters with 4 oysters per order and grilled with Chipotle bourbon butter for $17. Daily Raw Oysters served with hogwash and lemon with 6 oysters for $21. (12 pcs for $40, 24 pcs for $80). Charcuterie Board for 4 people with the famous Cow Girl Creamery Mt. Tam, salami, and crackers for $34. And for our drinks, my daughter had the Mexican Coke and my wife ordered the local wine. We ordered the famous extra small oysters (sweetwater) which were so sweet and delicious. My wife loved the savory, fresh raw Pacific oysters served on a platter with ice. After lunch, we walked around the area and took lots of beautiful pictures with the view of Tomales Bay. The taste of Mt. Tam cheese on our charcuterie board was very delicate, cheesy, and earthy that we end up driving to the town and purchased one.

Overall, we enjoyed our fun Father’s Day lunch experience at the Boat Oyster Bar especially eating at their outdoor picnic tables overlooking the beautiful Tomales Bay. Nothing compares to eating outdoors with family on a sunny day with good quality food, wine, and fresh raw and grilled oysters. It’s definitely a unique memorable experience to be remembered.

Tips: Make sure you get there early to find parking and avoid the long lines, especially on weekends. You can reach the Boat Oyster Bar either via Nicasio Valley Road or Tomales Petaluma Road. We took both ways and find that Nicasio Valley Road has more winding roads than the Tomales Petaluma Road. On Thursday they only allow walk-ins and reservations are required on weekends (Fri-Mon). Limited to one party of 2-10 people per table. Behaved dogs on leash are allowed. No outside food or beverages and a $20 corkage fee per bottle for the first 2 bottles. Bring jackets, hats, and sunscreen as the weather changes. They no longer offer the onsite “shuck your own oyster” experience but you can buy fresh oysters to go at their retail window. If you want a full dining experience visit Tony’s Seafood Restaurant a few minutes away. You can buy good cheeses at Cow Girl Creamery which is located at Point Reyes Station about 20 minutes away.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Boat Oyster Bar after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel or place to stay near the Boat Oyster Bar in Marshall California

Posted on

Berry Best Family Farm (Contra Costa County) (Brentwood)

Address: 7450 Balfour Road Brentwood, Ca. 94513

Berry Best Family Farm is situated in the town of Brentwood which is a part of the Contra Costa County. In 1878, the town of Brentwood was founded and it’s known for its farming and agricultural products such as peaches, corn, cherries strawberries, and many more. The Berry Best Family Farm offers one of the sweetest strawberries in the county. The Family Farm is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from San Francisco/Daly City via I-580 East. The farm opens from 9 am -5 pm but started their u-pick strawberries at 10 am on our visit. The Strawberry picking season is best in the month of June while the cherry-picking season is best in early May to mid-June. The season changes or varies depending on the weather and crop size.

We arrived at the farm early at around 9 am due to the fact that we didn’t know the strawberry picking will start at 10 am. Since we arrived too early, we decided to check out the surrounding area and took pictures of the family farm. It was a sunny day but was windy in the morning and later became warm in the afternoon. The Berry farm also has a small produce stand with a wide variety of fresh produce and fruits such as watermelon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, lemons, local honey, and various greens. We had to park our car on the side of the road behind the farm signage. We then proceeded to the main entrance and bought a box for 50 cents each to put our u-pick strawberries. My 12 years old daughter was excited when she saw the strawberry field with rows of bright, delicious, red strawberries ready to be picked. We all went on our own and picked the sweet, ripen, and reddish strawberries in different areas of the field. My daughter was happy while she picked her own strawberries from the field.

It took us about 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete our strawberry picking and had 3 full boxes of fresh sweet strawberries. We then proceeded to the exit area and a lady weighed all our picked organic strawberries. We paid a total of $50 for our strawberries and the price that day was $3.50 per pound. We didn’t buy anything at the farm stand since we just went there for the u-pick strawberry experience. The farm area has a portable potty onsite and a tank with water to wash your hands.

Here are some of the Strawberry picking farm rules that we saw posted in front of the entrance. Cash only, no backpacks allowed, 50 cents per box, please avoid jumping over the rows, no pets allowed, no outside food, no eating strawberries in the field, and a minimum of 2 lbs per person.

Overall, we were completely satisfied with the wide variety and quality of the sweet fresh strawberries. It was a fun and relaxing strawberry-picking experience, especially for my daughter. Their fresh strawberries were so sweet that it felt like we were eating candies. The warm sunny weather and fewer people made our strawberry experience at Berry Best Family Farm very memorable. We will definitely come back for the other types of berries during its picking season. We actually went Cherry picking afterward as the entire agricultural area is surrounded by farms that offer a Cherry picking experience.

Tips:  They have a large dirt parking lot area for all their customers. Be careful when driving through Vasco Road which passes through the mountains. The road is very winding, with lots of uphill and downhill. There were even a few police cars that we saw waiting for cars that were speeding. The agricultural area has a lot of Cherry-picking farms all around the vicinity. We went to the Cherry Blossom Farm for our Cherry picking experience which is about 3 minutes away. There is a good restaurant called Tequila Taqueria about 25 minutes away and S.F. Premium Outlet in Livermore which is about 35 minutes from the Berry Farm. There is also a winery called Hannah Nicole Vineyard within the area. Don’t forget to bring comfortable shoes, a shirt that can get dirty, sunblock, a hat, and sanitizing wipes while picking strawberries.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the Berry Best Family Farm after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel or place to stay near the Berry Best Family Farm in Brentwood, Ca.

Posted on

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve

Address: 2488 Cherokee Road, Oroville, Ca. 95965

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is located in Butte County and about 3 hour drive from San Francisco via I-80 East and CA-70 North. North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is about 3,300 acres, elevated basalt, and created by ancient lava flows with beautiful colorful wildflowers, waterfalls, and vernal pools. There are a lot of non-native plant species and are good for hiking, wildlife, wildflower viewing, and hunting.

We arrived at the North Table Mountain at around 9:00 a.m. and parked outside of the parking lot on the side of the road. The parking lot inside the property was completely full by the time we arrived. We carried and brought our backpack with all the necessary items such as drinking water, food or light snacks, a first aid kit, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant. We saw about 15 porta-potties situated near the entrance and a few warning signs stated that you need to purchase a CDFW license online to enter the reserve and private property. A few waterfalls are located at the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve such as the famous Phantom, Beatson, Hollow, and Ravine Falls.

It is easy to get lost at the North Table Mountain so we downloaded and follow the map on all trails. From the entrance, we choose the trail on the left and walked along the Creek all the way to the first fork or trail split. At the first trail split, if you go straight it will lead to the Ravine Falls and the right will take you to the Phantom Falls. We proceeded to the right and walked through a few meadows with beautiful wildflowers and a few cows. On the second split trail, there was another sign to Ravine Falls or to the Phantom Falls. The trail path to Phantom Falls will lead you to a Private Property with barbed wire which you have to go around it. While the path to the Ravine Falls is a challenging hike/trail since we had to climb over a few downed trees, cross a few creeks, walked through a narrow trail path, and hiked through the downhill and an uphill path leading to the Phantom Falls. After ascending from the Ravine Falls we passed through a private property gate and made a left. From the private property gate, we hiked for at least 20 minutes and arrived at Vista Point which gave us the best view of Phantom Falls and its beautiful surroundings. The Vista Point is made up of rocks and it’s near a cliff. Be careful as most of the trails have a lot of sharp rocks, mud, and dirt. We took a lot of pictures along the trail and saw a couple of people hiked all the way down to the bottom of the falls. There were a lot of people still arriving when we left at around 1 p.m. and it was hard to maneuver since the road is narrow and lots of cars parked on the side of the road. It took us about 3 1/2 hours out and back from the entrance to the Phantom falls which also includes stopping and taking pictures along the trail.

Overall, we enjoyed the challenging hike at North Table Mountain. We visited the Ravine Falls and Phantom Falls which are the two most visited waterfalls at North Table Mountain. There were a lot of people during our visit and we wore our masks while walking or close to other people due to Covid safety requirements.

Tips: Try to get there earlier before 9 a.m. to avoid the spring and summer crowd. And park your car closer to the entrance or on the side of the road for easier access going out. Wear good hiking shoes to prevent you from twisting your ankle due to a lot of big, pointed rocks along the trail. We visited the Reserve during the first week of Spring and saw all the beautiful wildflowers throughout the trail and the abundant water flow from the waterfalls.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel or place to stay near North Table Mountain.

Posted on

Partington Cove ( Monterey County)

Address: 57100 CA-1 Big Sur, Ca. 93920

Partington Cove is a remote inlet with a wooden tunnel, rugged beach, and a dirt trail located in Big Sur, California. The Cove is named after John Parrington who owns a tanbark transporting business in the 19th century. The cove is a conveniently accessible place to load and unload a cargo of Lumbar.

It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes (151 miles) drive from San Francisco to get to Partington Cove via US 101 South, SR 156, and Highway 1. The drive was very beautiful, scenic, winding, and relaxing once we got to Highway 1 which is also called Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). We arrived at Partington Cove at around 12:30 pm and there were a lot of cars parked on the side of the road. We parked our car a few feet away from the gated entrance along Highway 1 since it’s our only option.

The hike to Partington Cove trail is open from 8 am until sunset about 1.1 miles out and back moderate hike. It took us about 2 hours since we took pictures and explored both the Cove and beach area. You can easily miss the gated entrance to the Cove Trailhead so look to your right when driving downhill coming from the North. A good indicator is when you see a lot of cars parked on the side of the road near a bridge. And if you reached McWay Falls that means you have gone too far. The trailhead is made up of dirt, up and downhill, zig-zag, and short steep uphill climb on your way back. The Partington Cove trail is used for nature trips, hiking and is accessible year-round.

When we reached the bottom of the trail, we then proceeded to the right and saw a “danger” signage stating that wading and swimming are unsafe. If you proceeded to go straight or to the right after the danger signage it will lead you to the beach area. But we made a left, passed through the wooden bridge, a creek, and went through a short wooden tunnel. We came out of the tunnel and were mesmerized by the amazing view of the Cove, the clear blue-green color of the water, and a great view of the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the trail is a wooden bench facing the ocean waters that is a great place for a photo opportunity but be careful as you walk through the rocks.

The other trail leads to the beach area with big rocks, a creek, and small running waterfalls. As a reminder to watch out for strong or sleeper waves for safety. You have to go through some big rocks to navigate your way through and can enjoy the ocean water. It’s also a great place to have a picnic or take great pictures.

Tips: When parking on hwy 1 watch out for oncoming cars as you don’t have enough space on the side of the road and try to park your car properly or correct orientation. It’s easy to get side-swiped when getting out of your car or walking on the side of the road. Bring a hiking or comfortable shoes, hiking poles as needed, drinking water, and sunblock. Be prepared to walk on a short, steep uphill dirt mountain trail. Arrived at the Cove earlier on weekends to avoid the large crowd.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Partington Cove after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Posted on

EPIC Steak Restaurant

Address: 369 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, Ca. 94105

Epic Restaurant is a classy steakhouse with a picture-perfect, romantic view of the waterfront and the Bay Bridge. It has a custom-built wood-burning grill and oven with a spectacular fireplace. The Waterbar and Epic Restaurant are sister companies, Parke Ulrich is a business partner and Executive Chef for Epic Restaurant. EPIC has both an indoor and outdoor heated patio seatings available with a contemporary cuisine and a variety of crafted cocktails.

EPIC restaurant is located in the Embarcadero area and situated under the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. We made a reservation for 4 pm via open table for my daughter’s 12th birthday celebration. She requested to eat at EPIC since she loved the steak on our first visit. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and sat us at the heated outdoor patio table as per our request. The outdoor patio table has an unobstructed view of the waterfront and the Bay Bridge. All the heated tables outside have a great view of the Bay Bridge and the waterfront. The inside of the restaurant has a very rustic and contemporary theme or setting.

We were promptly greeted by our friendly and knowledgeable server named Meike. She answered all our questions regarding the menu and provided us some recommendations regarding the drinks and food. We ordered our appetizers which were composed of Acme sourdough with European style butter($6), Dungeness Crab Cake ($24), Garlic Shrimp ($24). As for the main entree we had Roasted Maine Lobster ($38 half/$76 full), 14 oz Prime New York Steak ($59), 14 oz Prime Ribeye Steak ($61). We also ordered some side dishes such as the Roasted Mushrooms ($12) and Julia Child’s potatoes ($12). And finally, we ordered the delicious sweet peach cheesecake with a “Happy Birthday” written for my daughter’s birthday. My daughter ordered the mojito (virgin/no alcohol) and my wife had the refreshing mixed drink called Painkiller($15) which is made up of Flor de Cana Gran Reserva 7 rum pineapple, and coconut cream.

The Acme sourdough bread was warm, soft, and fresh which is paired with the sweet European style butter. My daughter enjoyed the soft and moist flavorful Dungeness crab cakes which are made up of corn pudding and nopales salad. My personal favorite is the delicious, appetizing Garlic Shrimp with cognac and soft brioche. As for the main entree both the 14 oz Prime N.Y. steak and the Prime Ribeye steak were juicy and cooked to perfection. The Roasted Maine Lobster is a light dish with a great combination of Pernod and ricotta gnocchi. And finally, the sweet peach cheesecake was very delectable with a combination of poached summer fruits and white chocolate.

Overall, we were fully satisfied with the flavorsome food, drinks, and outstanding service at EPIC restaurant. Especially with our friendly server and Assistant Manager on duty that day. We were lucky that we personally met Mr. Parke Ulrich which is friendly and a business partner and Executive Chef of EPIC Restaurant.

Tips: The EPIC restaurant’s valet service is not operational as of now. So you would either park your car on a metered street parking or park at Hills Plaza Garage (Folsom st) which is across the street from the restaurant but a little bit pricey.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the EPIC Steakhouse Restaurant after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel close to Epic Restaurant in San Francisco.

Posted on

Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary (Pacific Grove, Ca.)

Address: 250 Ridge Road Pacific Grove, California 93950

The Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary and grove of trees is a safe haven for thousands of Monarch Butterflies during their winter migration. It is located at Pacific Grove in Monterey County. Monarch Butterflies migrate to safe overwintering areas to survive, the Monarchs migrate to areas that are neither cold enough to kill them nor too warm that it wastes their energy flying. The Monarch Sanctuary in Pacific Grove’s purpose is to have a safe place to view the Monarch Butterfly and protect or maintain its habitat. Flowering nectar plants and new trees are planted by local volunteers as well as restoring or maintaining the Monarch Butterfly habitat. The Pacific Grove Trail is a 0.3 short and easy trail and is the overwintering spot for Monarch Butterflies. Pacific Grove is nicknamed “Butterfly Town USA” due to the unique migration of butterflies. The Monarch Butterflies cluster together on Pine, Cypress, and Eucalyptus Trees in the sanctuary from October to February. The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. It’s free admission and parking but donation boxes are available in the sanctuary and donation is optional.

It took us about 2 hours and 10 minutes drive and 118 miles from San Francisco to Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary via US-101 South, CA-156 West, and CA-1 South. The route was very easy and straightaway but can get traffic or congested especially on CA-156 due to two lanes only. The drive was very nice and relaxing seeing all the expensive, beautiful, and big houses on the way to the sanctuary. We arrived at the sanctuary at around 2 p.m. and were lucky enough to find parking right in front of the sanctuary entrance. There was a big wooden signboard that states Monarch Grove Sanctuary. We had to walk on a dirt path that led us to the beautiful butterfly sanctuary. There were a lot of people as it was on a Saturday and a beautiful day. We were then greeted by a friendly volunteer docent and informed us that we can use the telescope to see a closer look at all the Monarch butterflies that were clustered together on top of the trees. The loop or trail is about 0.3 miles, short and easy. There were a lot of Monarch butterflies clustered on top of the trees, an area with flowering nectar plants where we saw butterflies on top of the flowers. There were also informative signboards about the Monarch Butterflies available along the short trail. My daughter enjoyed and had a great time watching a few Monarch butterflies flying through the trees and flowers. In fact, we saw one Monarch butterfly land on a person’s jacket and had a close-up experience and picture of the beautiful, colorful butterfly. We took lots of great pictures and only stayed for at least 45 minutes since we have to head back home.

Overall, it was a very memorable family experience especially for my daughter where she learned that it has to be 55 degrees or more for the butterflies to start flying. And seeing all the brownish-orange grape-like clusters or pinecones of monarch butterflies sleeping was priceless. My daughter was in awe seeing the beautiful orange-colored Monarch butterflies flying through all the surrounding trees. It’s a fun and safe experience for all ages to enjoy.

Tips: Limited parking spaces are available in front of the sanctuary entrance by Ridge Road street otherwise there is parking along the residential area. There is a Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History that exhibits the Monarch butterfly and it’s about a mile away from the sanctuary. Bring a jacket just in case the weather change, binoculars to see the clustered butterflies on top of the trees, and a camera with a zoom lens for a closer shot. Take selfies or group pictures at the Pacific Grove Inn butterfly wall mural near the sanctuary entrance. There is a public restroom available onsite. Watch out for deers, as we saw a few deers eating in the grassy area closer to the sanctuary. There are other locations to see Monarch butterflies which are Pismo Beach Butterfly Grove, Santa Cruz Monarch Butterfly Grove, Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about the Monarch Butterfly Grove Sanctuary after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel close to Monarch Butterfly Grove in Monterey.

Posted on

Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch Restaurant (St. Helena)

Address: 738 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574

Farmstead at Long Meadow Restaurant is owned by Mr. Ted Hall and has a farm-to-table dining experience. Established in 2010, Farmstead is housed in a former nursery barn with a fun and relaxing ambiance. The restaurant features authentic farm-to-table menu selections and is vegetarian-friendly offering vegan and gluten-free options. Farmstead is open for indoor, heated covered dining, wine tasting, cafe, and Friday Farmers Market.

The Restaurant is by reservation only and it’s usually difficult to find an open time slot to reserve a seat. We arrived early for lunch at Farmstead restaurant at around 10:30 a.m. which our appointment was scheduled at 11:00 a.m. We registered/check-in with the host and were given a pager to inform us when our table is ready. Since, we arrived too early, we decided to check out the surrounding area. The property grounds are beautiful, clean, and peaceful. The first thing that we visited was their organic garden full of a variety of fresh vegetables. My daughter and my wife enjoyed seeing an old truck and tractor located near the oak trees with a few chairs and tables set up to relax and enjoy your wine tasting. We also visited the General Store and the outdoor Farmstead Cafe where you can order breakfast and drinks in the morning. We were finally seated at a covered outside table and were impressed by the beautiful table set-up. All of the tables were surrounded by vines that made our table setting feel very private, unique and secluded.

Our server was very professional, friendly, fast, and provided us with excellent service. We first ordered an apple juice and shirley temple drinks for both myself and my daughter while my wife had the “Birds of Paradise” cocktail drink with Ilegal mexcal, aperol, passionfruit, caramelized pineapple, and lime for $12. There were a wide variety of appetizers but we ordered the appetizing Warm Di Stefano Burrata with roasted garlic, estate olive oil, baguette for $19, and their famous Cheese Biscuits. The savory smoked chicken wings with Alabama sauce for $18. And for our main entree, we ordered the flavorful Dungeness Crab Cioppino with manila clams, pei mussels, rockfish, calamari, tomato and fennel broth with a side of garlic bread for $48, the Grilled Idaho Trout with mushrooms, fennel, toasted almonds and bacon vinaigrette for $34, and the Dungeness Crab Roll with butter toasted brioche and housemade potato chips for $42. Lastly, for our dessert, we all shared the delicious and popular “Big Easy” Beignets with bourbon caramel sauce which costs $12.

Overall, we were satisfied with the quality of the food and the outstanding service of the entire staff. The relaxing view of their organic vegetable garden, the great service, and the beautiful sunny warm weather made our farm to table experience very memorable.

Tips: Close to V. Sattui Winery and Gott’s Roadside Burger which has a good dessert wine and famous hamburger in Napa. Request for an outdoor seating when making a reservation and be there early as it gets crowded by noon. There is a separate cafe, outdoor seating lounge for wine tasting and a General Store located within the property. Few of the visitors end up parking in a residential area due to limited parking space.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch Restaurant after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel close to Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch Restaurant in St. Helena.

Posted on

Cafe Aquatica (Jenner) (Sonoma County)

Address: 10439 CA-1 Jenner, Ca. 95450

Cafe Aquatica is a relaxing beach shack situated on a rocky hill just above the Russian River estuary in Jenner, California which offers stunning ocean and river views with fresh local organic ingredients. The small coastal town of Jenner is located on the Pacific Coast and situated close to the mouth of the Russian River. Jenner is also known as Jenner-by-the-sea. The Cafe Aquatica is about 1 hour and 45 minutes from San Francisco via US-101 North and CA-1 ( 84 miles). Cafe Aquatica is open for business 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our drive to Cafe Aquatica in Jenner was a very fun, scenic, and winding road. The beautiful panoramic view of the ocean during our travel was well worth the challenging drive. We saw a lot of dairy farms, cows, cheese, and local creamery stores on our way to the restaurant. We also drove by at a small, quaint coastal town called Bodega Bay where they filmed the movie by Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. We were lucky enough to find a parking space in front of the Cafe. The interior and exterior design of the Cafe is like a Gypsy sea-hut decor. As of now, the Cafe only has outdoor seatings available due to Covid safety practices. We first had to order our food over the counter and were given a pager to inform us once our food is ready. The server called our names and we had to pick up our food at the counter window. The place wasn’t too busy so we were able to find a table in the covered patio and later moved to a table closest to the water. The Cafe has a very relaxing, cozy, and peaceful ambiance. There was a singer/entertainer that performed live music near the covered patio or deck during our visit.

My wife ordered the healthy Pesto Portabello Sandwich with toasted Foccacia, balsamic roasted mushrooms, tomato greens, pesto aioli, served with side pickles for $12. As for my daughter, she had the famous and delicious Local Dungeness Carb Roll for $15. And lastly, I ordered the Smoked Lox Bagel with a toasted bagel, cream cheese, salmon lox, greens, and seeds for $12. As for our drinks, my wife ordered the Pinot Noir red wine while my daughter and I had the strawberry and orange seltzer water.

Overall, we enjoyed our relaxing and California Dreaming experience at Cafe Aquatica, especially with all the outdoor patio tables and chairs overlooking the beautiful ocean, gorgeous sunset, and the Russian River. Nothing compares to eating outdoors with your family on a nice sunny day with good quality food, relaxing ambiance, live music, stunning ocean and river view.

Tips: No reservations are needed for breakfast and lunch since it’s on a first-come, first-serve basis. Watch out for oncoming cars on both sides of the main road when coming out from the parking lot in front of the Cafe. You can rent kayaks, paddleboards, etc in the Visitor Center close to the Cafe. There’s also a local gas station and kayak rental booth across the Cafe. Live Music is available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s also a nice restaurant a few minutes away from the Cafe called River’s End with an amazing panoramic view of the ocean and the river.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Cafe Aquatica after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, comment, and share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe.

Click here to find a hotel close to Cafe Aquatica in Jenner.

Posted on

Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant (Siskiyou County)

Address: 100 Railroad Park Rd, Dunsmuir, CA 96025

The Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant was built in 1968 and is located in the town of Dunsmuir, California. Dunsmuir is a union pacific “Train Town” that was a thriving railroad community during the golden era and located in the Shasta Cascade. In 1968, the Park Railroad owner started the Caboose Hotel business in Northern California. The old and authentic caboose or rail cars were collected and preserved during the Rail era. The old, antique rail cars were all converted into a unique, and comfortable units for visitors to stay in.

It took us about 4 hours and 20 minutes (274 miles) to drive from San Francisco to Railroad Park Resort via I-5 North towards Mt. Shasta. The Railroad Park Resort is situated on 50 acres of land and each caboose is separated from the other. The Railroad Park is the only hotel in Dunsmuir that offers 23 cabooses, RV hook-up sites, tent campsites, and vintage cabins. We were surprised to see that they also have a unique, and vintage dining car restaurant on the premise. Some of the Hotel’s amenities are a dining car restaurant, free Wifi, free parking, game room, vending machine, hot tub, outdoor pool (closed during winter), gift shop and campsite.

Upon our arrival, we went directly into the main office and also a gift shop to check in. I already contacted the Hotel a few days earlier and asked them if they can set up something inside our caboose for my daughter’s birthday celebration. A friendly front desk lady greeted us with a smile and walked us towards our reserved caboose which is located across from the main office. Our reserved train caboose was colored bright yellow and had to ask my daughter to open the door. She was surprised, happy, speechless as she opened the door and to see the caboose was filled with colorful balloons, a “Happy Birthday” banner, cupcakes, and free birthday gifts. We stayed at Caboose #1 with one King bed, twin bed, air conditioning, full bath, toiletries room, refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave, clan foot tub, climb up cupola, free Wifi and can accommodate a maximum of 3 people. We even parked our car right on the side of our caboose which was easier for us to carry and load our belongings inside the caboose. The inside of the antique caboose cars were all authentic and original with a rustic feeling but equipped with modern-day comfort. My daughter enjoyed going up and down the cupola which is a small windowed projection on the roof of a caboose with an elevated seat that the crew uses to inspect the train from this perch.

Overall, we enjoyed our short stay at the Railroad Park Resort and a hidden gem in the Dunsmuir area. It was a one-of-a-kind experience for my family to sleep inside a genuine train caboose with modern amenities in a rustic setting. It was fun waking up in the morning with the stunning view of Castle Crags. And we were able to watch the beautiful, and bright stars in the sky at night. It’s a great unique and romantic place to stay with your family while enjoying the great outdoors. It was a fun and memorable experience for us to stay in one of the vintage train cabooses and experience life in the Railroad Era.

Tips: Make sure to eat at the unique, vintage, one-of-a-kind dining Train Themed Restaurant which is an 1893 Wells Fargo Car or Pullman “Club Car”. Take a picture and visit the 1927 Williamette Steam-driven locomotive that is parked inside the property and located close to the train restaurant. The restaurant is a museum itself full of unique and original parts. There are a lot of nice places to visit within the area such as the famous Mossbrae Falls, Hedge Creek Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake, Shasta Lake, Castle Crags, Trinity Alps, Dunsmuir Botanical Garden, and many more. There is also a popular restaurant place called “Yak’s on the 5” that serves one of the best BBQs I had ever tasted.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel/room at Railroad Park Resort or around the area close to the town of Dunsmuir.