City Beer Store

California, and most of the West Coast really, is teaming with many great craft beer bars and bottle shops. One of several craft beer hot spots in the country, you can almost always get what you want in this state. On a recent trip to San Francisco for the Craft Brewers Conference held at the historic Hilton Union Square, I was in need of bottle shop with a large selection of craft beers, so that I might take a few back home to Texas. While asking several people at the craft beer know, one place kept coming up first on the list: City Beer Store.

Located at the base of a complex of lofts in San Francisco’s SoMa district, City Beer Store has been in business since 2006. The brainchild of Craig and Beth Wathen, City Beer Store has a gastropub feel to it. Gastropub you say? Isn’t this a bottle shop? Yes on both accounts.

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Jorge Amado Foundation

You can’t mention Brazilian literary traditions and culture without hearing Jorge Amado’s name. Internationally  famous for immortalizing  Bahian culture in intricately detailed books, the Jorge Amado Foundation in Salvador’s historic Pelourinho is dedicated to the prolific author’s books, plays and TV shows. Read More »

Summer is not quite here yet, but the folks down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina cannot wait to let the celebrating begin. No, really. They’re all about jumping the gun and starting the fun off early with Myrtle Beach MayFest 2011 (and even that starts a little early on April 30!)

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This man smiles at crocodiles.

There is all kinds of activity happening at the proverbial Happiest Place on Earth, and quite a bit of it is pirate-related. Yes, the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is being overrun with rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves. Not to mention devils, black sheep and really bad eggs. Also, cartoon kids.

With the upcoming release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Disneyland has turned the ranch area behind Thunder Mountain Railroad into an interactive, themed shrine to the film (includes a special preview and lots of questionable characters, this experience is currently running for a limited time).

Over at Disney’s California Adventure the Playhouse Disney show is now the Disney Junior show, and as such it now includes an appearance by Jake and the Neverland Pirates characters. These pirates are much tamer than the aforementioned ne’er do-well cads causing havoc in Disneyland.

Basically, there is something for everyone regardless of your pirate level.

For more Disney pirate fun check out the WDW Pirate League and the new Pirates of the Caribbean Suite at the Disneyland Hotel.

For more family-friendly travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

Photo by W. Honea