Good Morning Friends!
Happy Easter and Passover!
Here’s what we have for you in this edition.
Be Well! Stay Safe!
Mark and Patti
Longing for the Beach?
Easter Holiday is Closing Santa Barbara Beaches
Isla Vista beaches will be closed from Friday to Sunday during Deltopia weekend.
The closure comes after beaches in Isla Vista were left with trash and debris, including human waste, in 2009, the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department said. The closure is intended to “protect public health and safety and protect the beach from excessive waste and litter.”
San Francisco’s Most Secluded Beach
I started my winding route down to Marshall’s Beach from the parking lot by Battery Godfrey, off Lincoln Avenue in the Presidio. Behind the graffiti-covered concrete remains of a once-mighty explosive cannon defense system, the over-the-shoulder view of the Golden Gate Bridge reveals its international orange undulations like nowhere else.
Know Before You Go
Disneyland Dining & The Show
Disneyland visitors are often overwhelmed with entertainment choices, and the planning involved to secure a spot for these spectacular shows. To make matters worse, the number of Disneyland Resort guests has grown exponentially in recent years and crowds seem willing to wait hours for prime viewing. Between the two all-new nighttime spectaculars, the classic fan-favorite Fantasmic and the return of the massively popular Magic Happens parade, standing around holding a spot digs into your day.
Last year, I spent so much time traveling that Los Angeles International Airport was practically a revolving door. Of course, I got into a routine after a while, but it didn’t matter — I hit a pain point every time, whether I was fighting the airport’s infamous traffic roundabout or standing in a long line behind someone who packed a full-size lotion in their carry-on.
“We Are Wide Open”- Big Sur Wants You Back
Tired of traffic in Tahoe? Over the online hustle to navigate the endless line loop at Disneyland? Can’t afford that ticket to Maui? Well, you may be in luck. There’s a vacation spot in paradise waiting for you, right in your own backyard.
The crowds are thin. The tree canopy is full. The waterfalls and streams are currently turned all the way up.
Aramburu Island: A Hidden Gem in Marin County
It had been months since anyone stepped foot on Aramburu Island, just off the town of Strawberry in Richardson Bay, and it was, well, trashed.
A plastic drawer was nestled among native plants. Styrofoam pieces littered the flat, marshy ground. A soggy pillow draped over a twisting branch. The small 17-acre acre island, only accessible by kayak or boat, isn’t visited often — but that’s how its owners want it.
Best Theme Park Churo-It Isn’t Disneyland
Few food moments in my life can compare to the time I took a bite of a freshly made churro. It was inside a tiny cafe in Spain; that tantalizing combo of flour, water, salt and sugar was unlike anything I had ever had stateside. The churro’s origins are in Europe, but somewhere along its voyage to North America, the U.S. made the churro all its own. Yet, we somehow got it wrong. Very wrong.
Lombard Street-San Francisco
In San Francisco, there’s probably only one place that made horror actor Vincent Price dizzy while riding in a sidecar. The famous, crooked Lombard Street stretches for three miles, but just a short section attracts the most attention from the thousands of tourists who flock here. Famous for its eight sharp curves squeezed into one block, this crowd-pleasing section of Lombard has given it the moniker "the crookedest street in the world." Its place in film and pop culture has heightened that reputation — but is this claim to fame deserved? Read on to find out.
That’s a wrap for this edition…
One Last Thing…
We hope you enjoyed this week's California Mishegoss, even though it was calorie-laden. Maybe it's what the good doctor ordered; then, maybe not.
Either way, enjoy your weekend and the week ahead.
Check out our food newsletter DelPaggio's Cucina, if you have a moment. It's full of some great homemade recipes you may enjoy!
Mark & Patti