Tretakoff Musings
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Schmap Redux
Just a quick note that Schmap, the travel guide site I mentioned in February, has released an iPhone version. Even better, in a burst of savvy viral marketing, they emailed the folks who contributed photos...or were harvested from Flickr. And, completing the viral circle, I have now fulfilled my blogging duty by letting you know. Congrats, my loyal minions. :-)
Just a quick note that Schmap, the travel guide site I mentioned in February, has released an iPhone version. Even better, in a burst of savvy viral marketing, they emailed the folks who contributed photos...or were harvested from Flickr. And, completing the viral circle, I have now fulfilled my blogging duty by letting you know. Congrats, my loyal minions. :-) Saturday, June 28, 2008
Only in Marin
calamari, only in Marin do you also get dim sum.
calamari, only in Marin do you also get dim sum.
Labels: photos
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I'm Not Alone In My Flat Tire Hatred
In the central plaza of downtown San Rafael, CA, on a wet and windy day, I encountered this homage to all who have suffered the pain and frustration of a flat tire on their bike. Nice to see this expression of catharsis and irony.
In the central plaza of downtown San Rafael, CA, on a wet and windy day, I encountered this homage to all who have suffered the pain and frustration of a flat tire on their bike. Nice to see this expression of catharsis and irony.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Mine?
Labels: photos, San Francisco
Saturday, February 02, 2008
I'm On The Schmap
Ok, I'll be the first to admit that I had never hear of Schmap. Time Magazine raved about it. The Washington Post gushed over it. And I was ignorant of it all. However, thanks to geotagging my Flickr photos, I was approached by the editors and asked if they could include two of my photos in their San Antonio edition. I was flattered, and received word today they are in.
The photos in question?
From the King William section of San Antonio, with it's stately mansions and immaculate grounds.
The Guenther House, a working flour mill with a restaurant on the banks of the river. We were tipped off to this King William gem from a great Riverwalk waiter, and brunched here the next day amid the most tranquil setting in a factory you can imagine.
Check out the widget with my photos included.
Geotagging pays off!
The photos in question?
From the King William section of San Antonio, with it's stately mansions and immaculate grounds.The Guenther House, a working flour mill with a restaurant on the banks of the river. We were tipped off to this King William gem from a great Riverwalk waiter, and brunched here the next day amid the most tranquil setting in a factory you can imagine.Check out the widget with my photos included.
Geotagging pays off!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Flickr, Local
I do love Flickr; it makes photo sharing, storage, and all around management perfect. But one annoying problem I have is getting my nice Flickr photos locally, on my hard drive. Half of you are going "Huh? That makes no sense: you uploaded them from your local computer, didn't you?", while the other half of you are asking "Uh...why would you want to? The photos are all on Flickr; can't you just view them there?" Both of you are right, but here are my reasons:
1) I use Picnik to edit and improve my photos. Once edited, I save them directly back to Flickr, overwriting the uploaded versions. That means, even if the image was originally sent from my hard drive, I don't have the edited version locally.
2) Windows' built in screensaver has an option to display pictures, but only local ones. Sure, I can use a Flickr screensaver, but it doesn't fill the screen like the Windows one.
3) I also have a networked DVD player hooked to a TV. While it can wirelessly browse the network and web, it can't pull pictures from anything but the local network. So, if I want to show off the latest Flickr pics on the big TV, I'm SOL.
Enter FlickrDown. It allows you to specify a Flickr username, and pull down all of the sets for that user to your local hard drive. Sets become folders, so no losing any of the groupings. And it just works, period. Down come the images, all in their native sizes, and voila: all three of my points above are addressed. I'm not too sure if there's any syncing possible (i.e. I delete a photo on Flickr, and it deletes locally), but I'll start with this. Hey Flickr: might want to think about adding this to the repertoire of tools!
1) I use Picnik to edit and improve my photos. Once edited, I save them directly back to Flickr, overwriting the uploaded versions. That means, even if the image was originally sent from my hard drive, I don't have the edited version locally.
2) Windows' built in screensaver has an option to display pictures, but only local ones. Sure, I can use a Flickr screensaver, but it doesn't fill the screen like the Windows one.
3) I also have a networked DVD player hooked to a TV. While it can wirelessly browse the network and web, it can't pull pictures from anything but the local network. So, if I want to show off the latest Flickr pics on the big TV, I'm SOL.
Enter FlickrDown. It allows you to specify a Flickr username, and pull down all of the sets for that user to your local hard drive. Sets become folders, so no losing any of the groupings. And it just works, period. Down come the images, all in their native sizes, and voila: all three of my points above are addressed. I'm not too sure if there's any syncing possible (i.e. I delete a photo on Flickr, and it deletes locally), but I'll start with this. Hey Flickr: might want to think about adding this to the repertoire of tools!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Dog emails dog
Brian, as they say, be careful what you wish for.
Who is Brian? Brian is an intern at Box.net. Not familiar with them? They are an online storage company: a virtual drive, if you will. My Netvibes membership introduced them to me. I rarely use them, but thought they were generally fine for a free storage service.
Then Brian contacted me.
See, Brian noticed I was blogging about Picnik, a great photo editing tool for free online. Brian, out of the goodness of his heart, thought I might like to know about Box.net's service to do the same; he even took the time to email my Gmail account to tell me.
Gosh, that Brian. Such a nice, helpful guy. Yep, I might have fallen for this "aw, shucks" approach...had he not included the URL I boldfaced above. See, it's clear from the appending of "picnik" on the URL that Box.net is trolling for Picnik users to switch, and Box.net is using this as a crude viral campaign to go after a competitor.
As it is, Brian, I'll thank you for the helpful hint, and suggest that you switch to a less crude approach in the future, perhaps tagging links with a URL tracker that you build, for instance, or an affiliate network? Brian, you may be a very nice guy, and, as you claim to be just an intern, maybe you didn't know that this approach might be interpreted as ham-handed, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and I'll suggest that you let your bosses know that they probably need to be a bit more subtle in their efforts to build awareness for a new product.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Brian, as they say, be careful what you wish for.Who is Brian? Brian is an intern at Box.net. Not familiar with them? They are an online storage company: a virtual drive, if you will. My Netvibes membership introduced them to me. I rarely use them, but thought they were generally fine for a free storage service.
Then Brian contacted me.
See, Brian noticed I was blogging about Picnik, a great photo editing tool for free online. Brian, out of the goodness of his heart, thought I might like to know about Box.net's service to do the same; he even took the time to email my Gmail account to tell me.
Hello,
My name is Brian, I'm an intern working at Box.net. I saw your post about editing photos online and I wanted to write to you in case you would be interested in knowing Box.net now lets users edit photos online as well.
Using our OpenBox platform, users can now right-click on any image and edit it instantly, for free. OpenBox is a platform which lets developers write software that can be installed directly on the Box.net website.
If you decide you would like to post something about this on your blog, please let me know if you or your readers have any suggestions for the service.
For some more information:
http://www.box.net/services/picnik
Sincerely,
Brian
Box.net
Gosh, that Brian. Such a nice, helpful guy. Yep, I might have fallen for this "aw, shucks" approach...had he not included the URL I boldfaced above. See, it's clear from the appending of "picnik" on the URL that Box.net is trolling for Picnik users to switch, and Box.net is using this as a crude viral campaign to go after a competitor.
As it is, Brian, I'll thank you for the helpful hint, and suggest that you switch to a less crude approach in the future, perhaps tagging links with a URL tracker that you build, for instance, or an affiliate network? Brian, you may be a very nice guy, and, as you claim to be just an intern, maybe you didn't know that this approach might be interpreted as ham-handed, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and I'll suggest that you let your bosses know that they probably need to be a bit more subtle in their efforts to build awareness for a new product.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Screw Photoshop! Hello, Picnik!
Flickr managed to seduce me from keeping my photos on my website, but Picnik takes me all the way. See, normally I upload my raw pictures to the PC, fire up Photoshop to do my crops, color balances, and edits, and then painstakingly save each photo, finally uploading the finished product to Flickr for the world to see. However, Photoshop is a HUGE program, and, as the last version I purchased is several years old, I am always loathe to get in there with the monstrous kludginess.
This year, after taking some photos in San Antonio and capturing the Blue Angels from Angel Island, I decided another approach was in order. I uploaded the raw images to Flickr, then fired up Picnik.com, a site that claims to be a free online Web 2.0 photo editor. In literally seconds, I was pulling in my Flickr images, and editing, faster and better than Photoshop ever let me do. Cropping? Definitely. Color and contract balancing? Count on it. Best of all, an "auto-fix" feature that corrects my horrific raw photos to sensational pieces.
For instance, here's a raw photo:
Now, check it out after Picnik does it's work:
Gotta say, I'm very impressed. Oh, yes, did I mention...FREE? :-)
Flickr managed to seduce me from keeping my photos on my website, but Picnik takes me all the way. See, normally I upload my raw pictures to the PC, fire up Photoshop to do my crops, color balances, and edits, and then painstakingly save each photo, finally uploading the finished product to Flickr for the world to see. However, Photoshop is a HUGE program, and, as the last version I purchased is several years old, I am always loathe to get in there with the monstrous kludginess.This year, after taking some photos in San Antonio and capturing the Blue Angels from Angel Island, I decided another approach was in order. I uploaded the raw images to Flickr, then fired up Picnik.com, a site that claims to be a free online Web 2.0 photo editor. In literally seconds, I was pulling in my Flickr images, and editing, faster and better than Photoshop ever let me do. Cropping? Definitely. Color and contract balancing? Count on it. Best of all, an "auto-fix" feature that corrects my horrific raw photos to sensational pieces.
For instance, here's a raw photo:
Now, check it out after Picnik does it's work:
Gotta say, I'm very impressed. Oh, yes, did I mention...FREE? :-)
Friday, August 31, 2007
My Two Wheeled Partner
Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle, a good look at my typical morning commute, as well as Charles, my co-founder of Loyalty Lab and the inspiration for my two wheeled commuting. (Psst...he's the one in the spandex in the photo.)
Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle, a good look at my typical morning commute, as well as Charles, my co-founder of Loyalty Lab and the inspiration for my two wheeled commuting. (Psst...he's the one in the spandex in the photo.)
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Danger of Public Windows
I've written (and showed photos) of how Windows error messages appear at the airport occasionally. Well, looks like I am not alone with this wry observation. The ever-improving Download Squad blog points out a whole flickr group dedicated to these. My favorite is that one to the right: the Vegas-style video billboard that is frozen for lack of a login screen. I want to see some from the Strip, or a football stadium: when those fail, it must be spectacular. :-)
To be fair, the images are not just of Windows crashes/errors, but embedded systems and NT, as well. The reality is that, the more complex the technology, the more that can go wrong. As we move from dumb phones to cell phones, to smartphones, we had better keep this in mind. For instance, my Palm TX is clearly at the end of it's life: the programs I've loaded into it cause memory leaks, and the Palm OS behaves erratically...until it crashes. How to fix it? Rebuild the Palm (hard reset) and start loading the programs on, one by one. Except the Power button is no longer functional, which is required to do a hard reset. End of life.
Now, take my phone. Right now, it has a frustrating thing where, every week or so, it will start acting erratically. It "forgets" what mode it's in, it replaces ringtones, it deletes photos from contacts...until it finally crashes when a call is coming in, and restarts. Annoying, ain't it? But, the phone was the cheapest Bluetooth phone at the time, so I accept it's quirks. If the iPhone starts giving me OSX crashes, I'll have far less tolerance for the $600 it will cost me.
Any Smartphone users out there seeing this today? Windows Mobile (yes, I have been guiltily lusting after the BlackJack) have this? Treo users?
I've written (and showed photos) of how Windows error messages appear at the airport occasionally. Well, looks like I am not alone with this wry observation. The ever-improving Download Squad blog points out a whole flickr group dedicated to these. My favorite is that one to the right: the Vegas-style video billboard that is frozen for lack of a login screen. I want to see some from the Strip, or a football stadium: when those fail, it must be spectacular. :-)To be fair, the images are not just of Windows crashes/errors, but embedded systems and NT, as well. The reality is that, the more complex the technology, the more that can go wrong. As we move from dumb phones to cell phones, to smartphones, we had better keep this in mind. For instance, my Palm TX is clearly at the end of it's life: the programs I've loaded into it cause memory leaks, and the Palm OS behaves erratically...until it crashes. How to fix it? Rebuild the Palm (hard reset) and start loading the programs on, one by one. Except the Power button is no longer functional, which is required to do a hard reset. End of life.
Now, take my phone. Right now, it has a frustrating thing where, every week or so, it will start acting erratically. It "forgets" what mode it's in, it replaces ringtones, it deletes photos from contacts...until it finally crashes when a call is coming in, and restarts. Annoying, ain't it? But, the phone was the cheapest Bluetooth phone at the time, so I accept it's quirks. If the iPhone starts giving me OSX crashes, I'll have far less tolerance for the $600 it will cost me.
Any Smartphone users out there seeing this today? Windows Mobile (yes, I have been guiltily lusting after the BlackJack) have this? Treo users?
Labels: cell phones, Palm, photos
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tucson
Ok, before we start, the pics are all here.
We headed to Tucson to see my mother's new winter homestead. Never been, but I love the desert, so we were looking to have some fun. She lives in the Catalina Foothills, with the city below. Tucson's population is, surprisingly, about the same as San Francisco's; it's also the home to the University of Arizona: I had no idea. While downtown is nothing to see, the landscape is stunning.
First tourist attraction: the Wildlife Museum. Located way out in the desert, it's an open-air, self guided sprawling facility that covers all of the native plants, animals, and minerals of the Sonora desert. The cave tour was amazing: walk through the cramped passages, and see a wild open cave, along with gorgeous exhibits of semi-precious stones from the area. The native plants and cactii are stunning, and the feel of the place is decidedly unhurried and hands on. Lots of trails and paths to explore.
The animals? WOW. A pair of mountain lions (pumas) lazily sprawled in the sun, with a close up window to see the power of these big cats. Next door, black bears rummaged about, while a pack of Mexican wolves ran mere feet away. Snakes and scorpions were on display in a separate building, but the prairie dogs took the cute factor to a whole new level. Like the San Diego Zoo, you never felt that you were looking at a pen, thanks to the hidden crevasse separating you from them, but more that these were happy, natural animals. While some hid, like the wild pigs, there was more than enough to enthrall with this diverse population.
The next day, with the weather turning colder, we headed to the San Xavier del bac Mission, out on the Indian Nation. This mission, having been in existence since the 1600's, was in utter disrepair and a respite for vandals and bored Native Americans as late as 15 years ago. However, with a renewed emphasis on the amazing art in the building, funds were raised for it's restoration. The Italian team that restored the Sistine Chapel in Rome were brought in for 5 years, and the building was transformed.
Although no comparison to the cathedrals in Italy, it is magnificent inside, belied by the remote location: it's surrounded by open desert, ramshackle homes, and fry bread vendors. Still, it is always packed, as the faithful come to touch the oddly hands-on, lying down figure of San Xavier. For some odd reason, the wooden statue's torso is also on a moveable plaform, so many parishioners lift him up and cradle him, while offering their prayers.
Most of our time was spent at home, as it was unseasonably cold: in the 30's. Adding to that, a freak snowstorm hit, delivering Tucson it's first significant snowfall in a decade. We all stared, amazed, as the snow covered the desert and saguaro cactii, icing over a small pond and making road travel impossible. While it was all gone by noon the next day, the 2" of snow made for some stunning pictures.
The trip was an easy flight, and, with family there, we'll look forward to a return in spring, when the weather will be back to it's normal 80 degrees. :-)
We headed to Tucson to see my mother's new winter homestead. Never been, but I love the desert, so we were looking to have some fun. She lives in the Catalina Foothills, with the city below. Tucson's population is, surprisingly, about the same as San Francisco's; it's also the home to the University of Arizona: I had no idea. While downtown is nothing to see, the landscape is stunning.First tourist attraction: the Wildlife Museum. Located way out in the desert, it's an open-air, self guided sprawling facility that covers all of the native plants, animals, and minerals of the Sonora desert. The cave tour was amazing: walk through the cramped passages, and see a wild open cave, along with gorgeous exhibits of semi-precious stones from the area. The native plants and cactii are stunning, and the feel of the place is decidedly unhurried and hands on. Lots of trails and paths to explore.
The animals? WOW. A pair of mountain lions (pumas) lazily sprawled in the sun, with a close up window to see the power of these big cats. Next door, black bears rummaged about, while a pack of Mexican wolves ran mere feet away. Snakes and scorpions were on display in a separate building, but the prairie dogs took the cute factor to a whole new level. Like the San Diego Zoo, you never felt that you were looking at a pen, thanks to the hidden crevasse separating you from them, but more that these were happy, natural animals. While some hid, like the wild pigs, there was more than enough to enthrall with this diverse population.
The next day, with the weather turning colder, we headed to the San Xavier del bac Mission, out on the Indian Nation. This mission, having been in existence since the 1600's, was in utter disrepair and a respite for vandals and bored Native Americans as late as 15 years ago. However, with a renewed emphasis on the amazing art in the building, funds were raised for it's restoration. The Italian team that restored the Sistine Chapel in Rome were brought in for 5 years, and the building was transformed.
Although no comparison to the cathedrals in Italy, it is magnificent inside, belied by the remote location: it's surrounded by open desert, ramshackle homes, and fry bread vendors. Still, it is always packed, as the faithful come to touch the oddly hands-on, lying down figure of San Xavier. For some odd reason, the wooden statue's torso is also on a moveable plaform, so many parishioners lift him up and cradle him, while offering their prayers.Most of our time was spent at home, as it was unseasonably cold: in the 30's. Adding to that, a freak snowstorm hit, delivering Tucson it's first significant snowfall in a decade. We all stared, amazed, as the snow covered the desert and saguaro cactii, icing over a small pond and making road travel impossible. While it was all gone by noon the next day, the 2" of snow made for some stunning pictures.The trip was an easy flight, and, with family there, we'll look forward to a return in spring, when the weather will be back to it's normal 80 degrees. :-)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Movin' on up!
Loyalty Lab recently moved offices to 100 Pine St, on the 21st floor. I've mostly worked in low-rises on the Peninsula; our last office was the 7th floor. But this is a GREAT view of the city. Located in the heart of downtown, we see the Bay, the other buildings, and can see the icons of San Francisco, such as the Ferry Building and Transamerica pyramid.
My office is wonderful, looking down on the Tadich Grill, a favorite restaurant of mine, and one of the oldest in San Francisco. From my desk, I can catch a glimpse of Coit Tower and still hear the cable cars, 200 feet below. A welcome respite from the cramped quarters we've had for some time.
The strange thing about the building is the noise and vibrations from the elevators. Years ago, I visited a company in the Twin Towers in NY, and was struck by the din from the passing elevators, and the vibrations of the winds and elevators. It's eerie, being up so high, and feeling shakiness, especially in San Francisco, but it's not too hard to get used to.
Come by and visit for lunch!
Loyalty Lab recently moved offices to 100 Pine St, on the 21st floor. I've mostly worked in low-rises on the Peninsula; our last office was the 7th floor. But this is a GREAT view of the city. Located in the heart of downtown, we see the Bay, the other buildings, and can see the icons of San Francisco, such as the Ferry Building and Transamerica pyramid. 
My office is wonderful, looking down on the Tadich Grill, a favorite restaurant of mine, and one of the oldest in San Francisco. From my desk, I can catch a glimpse of Coit Tower and still hear the cable cars, 200 feet below. A welcome respite from the cramped quarters we've had for some time.The strange thing about the building is the noise and vibrations from the elevators. Years ago, I visited a company in the Twin Towers in NY, and was struck by the din from the passing elevators, and the vibrations of the winds and elevators. It's eerie, being up so high, and feeling shakiness, especially in San Francisco, but it's not too hard to get used to.
Come by and visit for lunch!
Labels: Loyalty Lab, photos
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
New Year's Eve
We welcomed 2007 with a cruise on the Bay, courtesy of Hornblower Cruises. 
A luxurious windowside seat, with a decadent 4 course dinner of Tiger Shrimp & Scallops, followed by duck, with a main of Filet Mignon, and a Cappuccino Napolean for dessert. 
Charles and Karen arranged the trip, and we had a wonderful time, punctuated by a great fireworks display and a Zino Mouton Cadet #3 on the cool deck air, as we passed under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
Lloyd and John turned us on to Hornblower, years ago, with the fabulous lunch cruises, and the dinner aboard the California Hornblower was absolutely memorable. A reserved table, open bar with premium selection, seated on the topmost Captain's Lounge, with a jazz duo playing 20 feet away, was just the way to start the new year off right!
We welcomed 2007 with a cruise on the Bay, courtesy of Hornblower Cruises. 
A luxurious windowside seat, with a decadent 4 course dinner of Tiger Shrimp & Scallops, followed by duck, with a main of Filet Mignon, and a Cappuccino Napolean for dessert. 
Charles and Karen arranged the trip, and we had a wonderful time, punctuated by a great fireworks display and a Zino Mouton Cadet #3 on the cool deck air, as we passed under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
Lloyd and John turned us on to Hornblower, years ago, with the fabulous lunch cruises, and the dinner aboard the California Hornblower was absolutely memorable. A reserved table, open bar with premium selection, seated on the topmost Captain's Lounge, with a jazz duo playing 20 feet away, was just the way to start the new year off right!
Labels: dining, fun, photos, San Francisco
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Beauty In My Backyard
Having lived in the Bay Area for more than a decade now, I always appreciate it, but sometimes forget just how amazing every place can be. For instance, Christmas Eve Day was an overcast, cold (Northern California cold; all you Midwesterners, pipe down) kind of a day, perfect for a late breakfast to warm the bones. We headed out to try someplace new, the Lighthouse Café in Sausalito: I ride by it on my bike, daily, and it was always busy. Seems like a good sign.
**WARNING: Mini Dining Review ahead...skip down if you don't care (also will be posted on Yelp)**
The café is right on Bridgeway, the main approach to Sausalito, but before downtown. From the outside, it's kind of cool and kitschy, with a scaled down, two story lighthouse built in to the structure. Inside, small, with a long counter by the open grill, and several booths. Two people service the whole place, plus the cooks.
While the look of the place is classic working-class coffee shop, the food and prices are very definitely Sausalito. Nearly $40 for breakfast for two is ok once in a while, but the food here was not worth the price. Amy's pancakes looked like they'd been beaten down to prevent any fluffiness, and not quite finished; my 3 egg omelet, while good, was hardly worth the $10 menu price. Service was OK; they were pretty busy, and had their hands full. They also have a Scandinavian influence on the food, so it's good for any hardy Nordic types, hankering for a taste of the homeland.
Food: 3 stars
Price: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Overall: 2.5 stars
REVIEW DONE...on to other things.
Thus fortified, we headed for a drive. We decided to stay local, and headed out to the Headlands, by means of the greatest tunnel ever invented. If you've not had the chance to drive in the tunnel from Sausalito (Alexander Ave.) to the Headlands, make a point of doing so. It's one lane, so you wait on either end for 5 minutes for the traffic to clear before you can proceed. Once you get in, it's pure 1940's military: you can almost hear the jeeps roaring through. On the other side, you are transported instantly into a pristine wilderness; you'd have no idea that you are 10 minutes from San Francisco.
Most residents think the Headlands are where you take your out of town visitors for a great view of the Golden Gate: that road, right off 101 that snakes up to the top. True, but that's just the beginning of this national treasure: 9/10 more is open to hikers, riders, surfers, and casual drivers, and the Alexander Ave. tunnel is the best way to see it. You come in on the valley floor, with the cliffs of Hawk Hill on your left, and the ridge separating you from Tennessee Valley on the right. Broad, open plains, with meandering trails and brush are hung with fog from the nearby Pacific, and you drive through converted Army buildings, now turned to residences.
The Headlands Center for the Arts is here: Presidio-era buildings now converted for artists to have working studio space overlooking the serenity of the valley. A major horse boarding and jump-training facility catches your eye as you drive on. You reach a fork: turn right, and it's Armstrong Beach, a hidden gem for surfers and birdwatchers, open to the vast breakers of the Golden Gate. Turn left, and it's on to Point Bonita, with it's former batteries and classic early 1900's lighthouse. With the grey of the day, I snapped a quick picture, as the winds chilled around me.
From there, on to the lesser-traveled roads and the former Nike missile facility, now standing as a sentry over the Marine Mammal Center and the open ocean. A few roads more, and you are in the back roads of the Headlands Center, visiting an open Hostel and dodging fallen trees and startled deer.
We crossed out again through the tunnel, amusingly watching two cyclists waiting patiently for the light to turn, along with the cars (unbeknownst to them, the tunnel has dedicated bike lanes on either side). We came out on the other side, and did a short u-turn into Fort Baker. While still a working Coast Guard base, most of the classic buildings were abandoned with the Army, years ago, and now the Bay Area Discovery Museum is the biggest draw...but not for long. An investment group has purchased most of the grounds, and is now turning it into an ultra-chic resort. They are refurbishing all of the classic buildings as guest bungalows and adding to this wonderful setting.
Outside of Treasure Island, this area has some of the most stunning views of the city and bridge to be had; the picture to the right was snapped with my cameraphone from the secluded marina in Fort Baker, which I had never visited. Isolated, with the raw power of the surf held by a jetty, it's seconds away from the Golden Gate (as you can see), with a breathtaking view of the City's skyline. Yet, it feels like you are walking in some remote wilderness: an undiscovered gem in the midst of the dazzling Bridge and Sausalito downtown.
We finished our explorations by heading back to Sausalito proper, and visiting the twisted roads and hillsides that make the place so unique, complete with surprising apartment complexes and adorable cottages. Some coffee to fortify, and we headed home. The whole trip? Less than 10 miles from our doorstep.
Yep, it's a pretty nice way to spend a holiday: vacationing, in your own backyard.
**WARNING: Mini Dining Review ahead...skip down if you don't care (also will be posted on Yelp)**
The café is right on Bridgeway, the main approach to Sausalito, but before downtown. From the outside, it's kind of cool and kitschy, with a scaled down, two story lighthouse built in to the structure. Inside, small, with a long counter by the open grill, and several booths. Two people service the whole place, plus the cooks.
While the look of the place is classic working-class coffee shop, the food and prices are very definitely Sausalito. Nearly $40 for breakfast for two is ok once in a while, but the food here was not worth the price. Amy's pancakes looked like they'd been beaten down to prevent any fluffiness, and not quite finished; my 3 egg omelet, while good, was hardly worth the $10 menu price. Service was OK; they were pretty busy, and had their hands full. They also have a Scandinavian influence on the food, so it's good for any hardy Nordic types, hankering for a taste of the homeland.
Food: 3 stars
Price: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Overall: 2.5 stars
REVIEW DONE...on to other things.
Thus fortified, we headed for a drive. We decided to stay local, and headed out to the Headlands, by means of the greatest tunnel ever invented. If you've not had the chance to drive in the tunnel from Sausalito (Alexander Ave.) to the Headlands, make a point of doing so. It's one lane, so you wait on either end for 5 minutes for the traffic to clear before you can proceed. Once you get in, it's pure 1940's military: you can almost hear the jeeps roaring through. On the other side, you are transported instantly into a pristine wilderness; you'd have no idea that you are 10 minutes from San Francisco.
Most residents think the Headlands are where you take your out of town visitors for a great view of the Golden Gate: that road, right off 101 that snakes up to the top. True, but that's just the beginning of this national treasure: 9/10 more is open to hikers, riders, surfers, and casual drivers, and the Alexander Ave. tunnel is the best way to see it. You come in on the valley floor, with the cliffs of Hawk Hill on your left, and the ridge separating you from Tennessee Valley on the right. Broad, open plains, with meandering trails and brush are hung with fog from the nearby Pacific, and you drive through converted Army buildings, now turned to residences.
The Headlands Center for the Arts is here: Presidio-era buildings now converted for artists to have working studio space overlooking the serenity of the valley. A major horse boarding and jump-training facility catches your eye as you drive on. You reach a fork: turn right, and it's Armstrong Beach, a hidden gem for surfers and birdwatchers, open to the vast breakers of the Golden Gate. Turn left, and it's on to Point Bonita, with it's former batteries and classic early 1900's lighthouse. With the grey of the day, I snapped a quick picture, as the winds chilled around me.From there, on to the lesser-traveled roads and the former Nike missile facility, now standing as a sentry over the Marine Mammal Center and the open ocean. A few roads more, and you are in the back roads of the Headlands Center, visiting an open Hostel and dodging fallen trees and startled deer.
We crossed out again through the tunnel, amusingly watching two cyclists waiting patiently for the light to turn, along with the cars (unbeknownst to them, the tunnel has dedicated bike lanes on either side). We came out on the other side, and did a short u-turn into Fort Baker. While still a working Coast Guard base, most of the classic buildings were abandoned with the Army, years ago, and now the Bay Area Discovery Museum is the biggest draw...but not for long. An investment group has purchased most of the grounds, and is now turning it into an ultra-chic resort. They are refurbishing all of the classic buildings as guest bungalows and adding to this wonderful setting.
Outside of Treasure Island, this area has some of the most stunning views of the city and bridge to be had; the picture to the right was snapped with my cameraphone from the secluded marina in Fort Baker, which I had never visited. Isolated, with the raw power of the surf held by a jetty, it's seconds away from the Golden Gate (as you can see), with a breathtaking view of the City's skyline. Yet, it feels like you are walking in some remote wilderness: an undiscovered gem in the midst of the dazzling Bridge and Sausalito downtown. We finished our explorations by heading back to Sausalito proper, and visiting the twisted roads and hillsides that make the place so unique, complete with surprising apartment complexes and adorable cottages. Some coffee to fortify, and we headed home. The whole trip? Less than 10 miles from our doorstep.
Yep, it's a pretty nice way to spend a holiday: vacationing, in your own backyard.
Labels: dining, photos, reviews, San Francisco
Friday, December 29, 2006
The Gigapixel Image
An amazing example of Google technology layered on over the ever increasing ability of cameras to capture extremely large images with amazing quality. For instance, this gigapixel image of my hometown, Boston, captured from the Prudential Tower's Skywalk, allows you to drill in so tightly, with such clarity, it allows you to be come a virtual peeping Tom.
For instance, take a look at the original image here:
Now, here's the Hatch Shell (where the Boston Pops plays on July 4th, miles away:
The photo of the Hatch Shell is not a separate photo; it's a zoom of the top left of the 1st photo. You can practically read the names of the composers etched into the steps; that's Mozart's name on the right. Amazing; we're finally getting technology that shows like CSI always supposes we have.
Enjoy a virtual visit to a still life of Boston in the summer. See you there!
For instance, take a look at the original image here:
Now, here's the Hatch Shell (where the Boston Pops plays on July 4th, miles away:
The photo of the Hatch Shell is not a separate photo; it's a zoom of the top left of the 1st photo. You can practically read the names of the composers etched into the steps; that's Mozart's name on the right. Amazing; we're finally getting technology that shows like CSI always supposes we have.
Enjoy a virtual visit to a still life of Boston in the summer. See you there!
Labels: Google Maps, photos
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Right place, right time, and a cameraphone
Think of the ludicrousness of combining a camera with a phone. What a seemingly arbitrary combination! Why not a music player, or a video game, or even a newspaper reader? Nope, for whatever reason, just about every phone is a cameraphone, and usually, like mine, not great quality.
Yet, maybe those phone designers have more forethought. How many times have I been someplace and said, "If only I had a camera." Now, albeit a really poor excuse for a camera, I find myself in just that place, with the tool in hand. And sometimes, you get lucky. For instance:
The full moon, rising over the Bay Bridge, as seen from the Golden Gate Ferry during the last full moon. Sure, with a real camera, I could have had a masterpiece. But at least I got enough to make you understand the sheer impact.
Better, consider this:
The view from the top of the lighthouse on Forbes Island, a man made island/restaurant, just off the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco. The lighthouse gives the best view on the water, for miles around, and the walk up is sheer dizzying fun. Watch your step, coming down!
Last, a picture from just a few days ago
The sunset San Francisco sky, with the proud lights of the restored Ferry Building clock tower, the unofficial symbol of the City. As seen as I walked from my office to pick up the Thanksgiving Turkey from the Golden Gate Meat Company in the Ferry Building Marketplace. Now how's that for a nice sight to see as you leave the office for a holiday?
Yeah, maybe those cameraphone designers knew just what they were doing after all.
Yet, maybe those phone designers have more forethought. How many times have I been someplace and said, "If only I had a camera." Now, albeit a really poor excuse for a camera, I find myself in just that place, with the tool in hand. And sometimes, you get lucky. For instance:
The full moon, rising over the Bay Bridge, as seen from the Golden Gate Ferry during the last full moon. Sure, with a real camera, I could have had a masterpiece. But at least I got enough to make you understand the sheer impact.
Better, consider this:
The view from the top of the lighthouse on Forbes Island, a man made island/restaurant, just off the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco. The lighthouse gives the best view on the water, for miles around, and the walk up is sheer dizzying fun. Watch your step, coming down!
Last, a picture from just a few days ago
The sunset San Francisco sky, with the proud lights of the restored Ferry Building clock tower, the unofficial symbol of the City. As seen as I walked from my office to pick up the Thanksgiving Turkey from the Golden Gate Meat Company in the Ferry Building Marketplace. Now how's that for a nice sight to see as you leave the office for a holiday?
Yeah, maybe those cameraphone designers knew just what they were doing after all.
