mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Destination Burlingame

October 25, 2013 — 4 Comments

I stayed recently in the town of Burlingame, CA for a 5 day visit to the Bay Area. I chose the spot for the convenience to the airport and the great little guest cottage I had found on air bnb.  The dueña is a designer, of both the interior and the landscape kinds.  The space and garden are so secluded and private that I enjoyed the instant retreat when I stepped into my yard.  I had planned to spend time in San Francisco and the East Bay during my 5 day stay.  The CalTrain 6 blocks from my cottage made the transport  into town simple and fast.  I spent two days without leaving the town of Burlingame because the first was exploration, and the second was enjoying the town with my friend from Berkeley.  I was pleased to introduce locals to the fabulous La Corneta Taqueria downtown, where the salsa bar is second to none anywhere.  When my friend Donna came to visit she gave me an intuitive reading, which was excellent.  After that we just did not feel like going out to town, so we took the advice of the landlady and tried GrubHub for food delivery.  While we drank the wine my landlady had provided a nearby Indian restaurant prepared a feast and delivered it to the cottage.  We dined in my lovely backyard dining area, savoring the food and the private setting.

The downtown shopping area of Burlingame is full of cute individual businesses and a few key chains like Starbucks.  The two extreme star businesses are the PEZ museum, near the train station down town, and Nini’s Cafe, which was only a couple of blocks from my house.  Nini’s is the only place in California where you can look around and see absolutely nobody looking at a cell phone.  The atmosphere is maintained by three generations of family proprietors who run the business in person, taking very good care of loyal customers. After my giant Popeye omelet, I am now a loyal customer myself.  I found the town of Burlingame to have everything I like and nothing that I don’t like.  I would recommend the garden cottage to anyone for a layover or a retreat in the San Francisco area.  It is charming, extra comfortable, and designed for serene privacy.  The neighborhood is just lovely.

Travel Time

October 2, 2013 — 4 Comments

jet

jet

I have learned to budget time by planning many trips for myself and travel clients. When tour companies take groups out on an excursion the itinerary is published to give all a sense of unity. Planning time for commuting in a city or check in at a strange terminal must be done with precision and plenty of lead time. I think travelers are often too optimistic about the amount of time it really takes to get across town or out of town.  Being on time for appointments or performances is essential to enjoying a visit.  I also think free unstructured time to explore is an important element of happy tourism.

Here are the ways I like to expand my world when I travel.  I use time in new ways:

  • Explore museums of all kinds, usually by myself
  • Enjoy a lot of walking outdoors, cityscape or natural path
  • Try food I will not find at home, both new preparations and new items
  • Rearrange my at home routine by eating breakfast
  • Meet with friends for special performances, events, or meals
  • Use a big part of each day taking taking photos

I learn before I go.  My research into options can take weeks for some destinations.  I study maps and transit systems, look up details and make notes if there is something I want to make sure I see. No matter what I learn from reference materials I always ask for a local’s opinion if I can.  Once I have made the arrangements for the elements of the trip, lodging, transportation, dining, and exploration I believe it is important to give in to serendipity as much as possible.  I find that being open in both mood and schedule allows  the magic of the place to speak to me.  Sometimes I meet cool people who inform me; other times I am called by special architecture or botany.  I find that when I plan and inform myself just enough to know where I am, but not too much to make assumptions, time is my ally.  It expands and allows me to turn a few days into an exciting yet easy to accomplish new adventure of discovery.  I am working on turning next week in San Francisco into just that.  If you know about something special I need to know before I go, please pipe up, gentle reader.  I do enjoy the unusual, and already know about many of the usual highlights of the bay area.  I am open to learn more.