Vacations Blog

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

I have to admit St. Patrick’s Day is not a big holiday around our house. Although it should be, seeing as my husband is something like one-eighth Irish, along with some Scottish, English, Polish, and a certain allegiance to Australia since most of his relatives are there. Add to that my Japanese ancestry, and you can see how celebrating all of our cultures would be a little daunting. I think the most Irish thing my husband has ever done is hang an air freshener in his car that was shaped like a four-leaf clover.

But this year we plan to celebrate that one-eighth, by downing an Irish beer (or five). St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Monday, so the festivities will be in full swing the weekend before. We’ll start off by heading straight to our favorite, Tom Bergin’s, a classic Irish pub that bills itself as the oldest Irish establishment in Los Angeles. It’s housed in a quaint cottage in the classic Fairfax District, close to the L.A. County Museum of Art. Along with the beer, I’m determined to order corned beef and cabbage. Believe it or not I grew up eating this traditional Irish dish – my Japanese mom used to make it regularly, although I remember it always being served with a side of rice. Hear that? It’s the sound of a thousand leprechauns groaning.

From there we’ll head down the street to Molly Malone’s, which is unique because it also has live music almost every night of the week, everything from acoustic to rock to reggae as well as traditional Irish music. Some popular bands have gotten their start on this stage: Weezer, 5 For Fighting, Train, Tears For Fears and occasionally musicians will show up and play with bands they know – Lenny Kravitz was there recently. I wish I had caught that – listening to Lenny Kravitz play while sipping an Irish whiskey? Awesome, whether you’re Irish or not.

Monday, March 17 happens to be the first day of Spring Break, so with the kids off of school and my husband and I taking the week off, we’ll be able to head downtown to L.A.’s ninth annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It starts close to one of our favorite locations, Olvera Street, so maybe we’ll start off with a Mexican breakfast. Which is such an L.A. experience – huevos rancheros to begin our Irish day. Come to think of it, the parade also puts us close to Little Tokyo, so maybe the day will end with dinner at one of our favorite sushi bars, Sushi Gen. Our two daughters should be completely confused about their heritage by the end of the day.

Close by, the hip local joint Bar 107 is hosting an all-day party; doors open at 6am. And it’s a wildly popular event – last year there was a line of people waiting to get in even at that early hour, ready to down their $2 Guinness. Somehow drinking at that early hour seems crazy to me, though – I’m sure the Irish experience would end with that most American of pastimes – getting over a massive beer hangover.

How do you plan on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? Will you wear green, or are you hoping to get pinched?

St. Patrick’s Day is known for wild celebrations and copious beer drinking. However, there are also plenty of tamer, more “kid-friendly” ways to enjoy this holiday. Some great spots exist around Austin to have a green-tinted beer and bring the little ones along as well (by “little ones” I am not referring to Leprechauns). Here are some of the best “family-friendly” picks for an Austin, Texas St. Patrick’s Day:

Visit Things Celtic, a store on 35^th street which is dedicated to (you guessed it) all things Celtic. The Saturday before St. Paddy’s, there will be great Irish bands playing all day. They also offer, Irish language lessons and a supervised children’s activity center with crafts and games. You can stock up on great Irish-themed gifts, trinkets, and CDs inside. This is a great way to celebrate the day with your whole family.

Another event you won’t want to miss is the 6^th Street Festival put on by the Celtic Cultural Center of Texas. This will be several blocks of fun, with authentic Irish bands, food, and merriment. Adult tickets cost $12 and children under 13 are free!

Don’t want to fight the crazy crowds? Why not start a St. Paddy’s Day tradition of your own….buy some spirited Irish music and decorations for your house. Then, get everyone involved in cooking a meal made entirely of green food (feel free to get out the green food dye!). Be creative and have fun!

Does your family have any unique St. Patrick’s Day traditions?

In an effort to perform a little community service today, I am here to remind you that it is not too late to make reservations for Easter Brunch. In fact, if you have not checked the calendar lately, Easter is early this year – Sunday, March 23rd to be exact. Are you planning to be in San Francisco for Easter and looking for a nice place for brunch? Here are my suggestions (mostly family friendly, since that is what I know!):

Buffets scream “Easter Brunch” to me – if I don’t have piles of food to choose from, I might as well just be having breakfast. The best, IMHO, is at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where they have been serving Easter Brunch since I was a little girl and would go with my visiting grandmother. I just checked and this year will be no different – the menu is four pages long! Anzu is also having a big buffet, including lots of fresh fish and my favorite, a chocolate fountain. For a little more San Francisco history, head over to the Cliff House, where they will be serving brunch in both their Sutro and Buffet Restaurants.

Some Easter brunches often include extra activities for the kiddies in your group. The Ritz in Half Moon Bay is offering brunches in both their restaurants, plus an Egg Hunt, face painting and petting zoo for children. And the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero Center offers a champagne brunch with special guest, the Easter Bunny!

Open Table has made it easy this year to find the perfect brunch option. A special list of participating restaurants shows a menu teaser, along with location and cost. Plus, you can make reservations right on-line. Nice.

Personally, this year I plan to stay home with the family, and after a mad dash to find easter eggs, I will whip up a classic Easter Brunch recipe of Eggs Benedict Enger-style (spinach on a bagel with a poached egg and Hollandaise), along with some beautiful Texas Red grapefruit. For our pre-breakfast egg hunt, my daughter and I will make hot cross buns, starting the dough the night before and allowing it to do a slow, cold rise in the fridge, before finishing the project in the morning. And if the weather is nice, I think we will probably take a little bike ride in the afternoon, maybe to our favorite place, Canada Road, which is closed to cars on Sunday for cyclists!

What are your plans for Easter? What is the tradition in your family? Do you eat out, or stay in? Share your secrets!

Marsha’s post from yesterday got me to thinking about what others were planning for Valentine’s Day – I would love to say that I am hitting the road, pack on my back, to explore an exciting far-off destination. Turns out the best I can do is a date with my husband while my kids eat pizza with their favorite babysitter. Let’s see what my options might have been:

Erica at Blissful Travel pointed us over to Maybourne Hotel’s Truly Madly Deeply promotion. Luxury accommodations for Valentine’s Day, and looking at the deal, it goes through the end of February, so those of us slow on the uptake can book it as a post-holiday celebration. Valentine’s Day is amateur night* anyway, right?

Sheila from GoVisitHawaii tells us that we could have renewed our vows in Waikiki at the Outrigger Hotel. How romantic would that have been to renew our vows Hawaiian style? Maybe next year, sounds like sign ups begin in January.

Over at the Luxury Travel Blog, Paul highlights deals from One&Only, Sherman Travel, and Kimpton Hotels, including a romantic getaway to Venice. These would be the kind of gifts I like to give – the ones that benefit both the giver and receiver.

Sadly, I should have been reading Rick Seaney’s blog last month when he posted information about the Air France deals to Paris. What is more romantic than Paris?

Are you sensing a theme yet? All these would have been possible with a little planning! For those of you who are stuck for last minute ideas, Outdoorzy posted 5 gift ideas for the outdoorzy woman in your life, including a smashing pink bathrobe. And last (but not least) Viator has pulled together the ultimate list of gift ideas for the traveler. Its a beautiful post with very romantic suggestions for expressing your love for your partner, while traveling!

How are you celebrating tonight? If you are a planner, what’s on the agenda? If you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants, do you have an intended destination? Whatever you decide, we wish you a happy Valentine’s Day!

*Amateur Night – Valentine’s Night is the often the worst time to go out to dinner – the restaurants are packed, expectations are high, the food is sub-par (think warming tables) and they are eager to get you in and out, to make way for the next diners. Piece of advice, if you have not already made reservations, pick up a burrito (for two), grab your favorite movie (romantic or not) and a bottle of wine and spend the evening at home!

Today begins the celebration of Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, and the Year of the Rat. Based on the cycles of the moon, Lunar New Year is traditionally focused on family and remembering ancestors. Famous folks born in the Year of the Rat include Mozart, Marlon Brando and Gwyneth Paltrow. Lunar New Year is celebrated many different ways, and if you decide to go out or stay in, there is something for you!
Check out Min’s blog for her plans for CNY – this year she is cooking the big dinner herself! Shar Scott from Planaganza has some great ideas on how to organize yourself to throw a Chinese New Year’s party of your own. Some of our travel blogger friends have written about their plans from around the world. Globetrotteri wishes us Happy New Year from Hualian, Tiawan; GoVisitHawaii has put together an excellent list of ideas for celebrating in Oahu; Peter from PulauPangkor talks about his plans in Kuala Kurau; and Beth Whitman of the SeattlePI has written about Tet (Vietnamese New Year) festivities planned in Seattle. (psst…I found all these blog posts using our new travel blog search tool!)

In Silicon Valley, my friend Cam Chan describes her plans for celebrating:

My family and I are planning to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and Chinese New Year pretty much the same way that we have celebrated it since I moved to the Bay Area 10 years ago. I am Vietnamese and my husband is Chinese, so we try to incorporate a little of each tradition. I will purchase several banh tet (Vietnamese savory rice cakes that are traditionally eaten during Tet) and a tray of sweeten goodies (sugar coated ginger, melons, etc.) which we will graze on next week. We went to my in-laws’ in San Francisco for the traditional Chinese New Year dinner on New Year’s Eve. Grandma Chan cooked a 9 course meal made from scratch (yummy!).

The grandparents handed out red envelopes or lucky money to the kids (including us) and the grandkids (our children). We have officially entered adulthood in both the Chinese and Vietnamese traditions because we are married. Therefore, we will be expected to give out red envelopes to all those who are younger and unmarried. For us, this means that we are obligated to give money to Albert’s sister and our three children, though we do give out additional packets to the children of our friends also. We also plan to take our 3 year old to Grand Century Mall in San Jose to see the Dragon Dance next weekend. Our three month old twins will have to wait until next year to enjoy the festivities as the performance and festivities are usually very loud and crowded.

The San Francisco Bay Area is chock-a-block of celebrations for this festive holiday, check out some of these suggestions:

Vietnamese Spring Festival and Parade, San Jose, February 10
Lunar New Year Celebration at Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose, February 16-17
Chinatown Community Street Fair, San Francisco, February 23-24

How are you celebrating this Year of the Rat? Did we miss your favorite festival? Let us know!!

If you visit San Francisco Chinatown these days, you will find that the 2008 Chinese New Year animal is the Rat, as in the rat in Ratatouille, The Green Mile or Mousehunt (1997). There will be rats (live or not) in the homes of more than 1.3 billion people in 2008. (I received two pigs in year 2007!) Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday for Chinese people around the world, regardless of the origin of their ancestors, or their current locations. Feb. 6 2008 will be the last day of Year of Pig according to Chinese lunar calendar and Chinese will celebrate Rat Year 2008 that night!

Chinese New Year History

Today, we call Chinese New Year day “Spring Festival” (春节, chūnjié) which was officially set by Nanjing Temporary Government in 1912. Before 1912, the Chinese New Year eve was simply called “Nian”(年) (means “year”), and the first day was called “Yuán Dàn” (means “the first day/dawn”) which we now use to refer to Western New Year’s day – Jan. 1. The origin of Nian can be traced back to Zhou Dynasty (1066 B.C. – 256 B.C.) or even as early as 2600 B.C.

There are a few different versions of folk tales about the Chinese New Year history. One of the most famous legends is that Nian is an extremely cruel and ferocious beast, which the Chinese believe, eats every creature including human being. After years’ observation, people find out that every 365 days Nian comes out and eats people. Red color, the fire and loud noises were proved to be most effective in scaring Nian away. Since then, red-paper couplets are pasted on top and both sides of doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is Gōngxǐ (means “congratulations). So, maybe you also know why color red is the color of China.

Another slightly different version is that Nian is too dangerous and people don’t know if they can survive through the next day, so it becomes extremely important that all family members must come together on New Year Eve. The parents will prepare a feast with the best food they can afford for dinner. After dinner, the family will stay up until midnight, praying for safety. A third less well-known version is that a young guy whose name is “Wan Nian” (means “ten thousand years”) invented the lunar calendar and thus the King named the calendar “Nian” after his first name.

The first two legends actually explain how Chinese people celebrate the New Year. But since China is such a big country, the tradition is very different from region to region .

Chinese New Year Food

New Year Eve dinner is the most important event in celebrating the new year. I remember my mother spending days preparing the dinner and snacks when I was young. We have several must-have foods on Chinese New Year eve. Generally speaking, people in North China eat dumplings (called Jiǎozi, 饺子) which are made of wheat flour, stuffed with minced pork and vegetable and taste salty; people in the South eat a kind of round sweet dumpling (called tāngyuán, 汤圆) which is made of sticky rice flour and stuffed with black sesame paste or peanut paste. People in the Middle, along Yangzi River eat rice cake (called “niángāo”, 年糕) which are be in various styles and flavors.

Today a new trend is that more and more families don’t eat home-made dinner, but go to restaurants for the feasts. I agree with this trend so that my mother, the best chef of the world, can take a day off!

Chinese New Year Activities

CNY holiday is the longest one in China – 7 days. Since it is the only chance for many city immigrants to go back home and meet with families and relatives, many companies, especially self-owned (as opposed to state-owned) will grant a much longer holiday to their employees, from ten days to two weeks. But most MNCs just stick to the law. What do people do in such a long holiday?

• Bàinián (means “greeting the new year”): Visiting friends and relatives in their home. This the most fun part for kids since married grown-ups will give them some money (called Yāsuìqián in North, Lìshì in South) in a small red-paper envelope to protect the kids whom are the most vulnerable target for vicious Nian beast. It is more an obligation than a good will today. This is a Chinese version of Halloween “All Treats – No Tricks” game for Cantonese kids (Hong Kong and Guangzhou area). They will come to you saying “Gōngxǐfācái” (as the characters in the right image) , and you must then give them a Lìshì.

• Go to temple fairs or flower markets or firework shows or parades：Temple fairs are held at various ancient temples in North China. It is a kind of mass gathering that integrates religious worship (for Buddhist and Taoist), entertainment and commerce, (check here for images about temple fairs). Cantonese people go to flower markets instead.

• Travel: More and more people in the cities take leisure trips to escape the cities. As the United States has become the most popular outbound travel destination for China as of December 11 2007, it is certain that you will see more Chinese people in big cities like San Francisco or attractions like the Grand Canyon this year.

• Do nothing but relax: Shanghai is the tourist hotspot for Chinese people. Shopping district like Nanjingdong Road is always fully packed with tourists in holidays. So a few people choose to stay at home to avoid crowd.

What are your plans for Chinese New Year 2008? Does your family celebrate by going out or staying in? Or, have you had the opportunity to experience the celebration of Chinese New Year where you live? We would love to hear your stories!

From guest blogger, Stefania Pomponi Butler, of City Mama

My family and I spend just about every Christmas in Honolulu, Hawai’i because I was born there and it’s where my mom lives. For us, Christmas means fresh ahi poke, wearing “formal” flip-flops to parties (you know, the beaded ones), and spending Christmas in our swim suits. Christmas trees are shipped in from the Pacific Northwest and are dried out by the time they hit Hawaiian waters, and there isn’t any snow, but who cares when it’s 80º outside and the heady fragrance of plumeria flowers perfumes the air.

Honolulu is much-maligned for being touristy and crowded, but if you love the energy of big cities combined with a tropical locale, this is the place for you. Even if you aren’t on Maui or Kaua’i, you can still have a relaxing, Hawaiian holiday.

All Honolulu hotels will have listings of holiday events and the concierge can help you secure tickets to events so if you haven’t made any holiday plans, don’t panic, you’ll be well taken care of. But, if you’d like some ideas of where to go and what to do, read on!

If you land in Honolulu with holiday shopping to do, chances are you will end up at Ala Moana Center, Honolulu’s biggest mall and the home of flagship stores for Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Prada, Christian Dior and more. Honolulu is the glittering gateway to Asia, and the stores at Ala Moana cater to O’ahu’s cosmopolitan tourists and discriminating locals. You can drop a lot of cash at Ala Moana or you can simply walk around and enjoy the festivities. Kids can ride the Santa Train or enjoy snow in Hawaii every evening. Check the the site or ask the helpful personnel about special performances on the main stage. Children of all ages will enjoy the nightly pageantry of the Christmas Gift of Aloha show and parade. We spend lots of time at the mall, but we try to time our visit to coincide with one of the fabulous holiday events.

Once it gets dark, you can pile into your rental car or hire a taxi and do the Honolulu City Lights tour. This is a longstanding local tradition. Think about that street in your town that gets really done up for the holidays and you’ll have a taste of what to expect. Times 100. Honolulu’s downtown district—near the state capital building—gets decked out for the holidays with lights, your favorite holiday scenes, and a giant, barefoot, lei-adorned Santa and Mrs. Claus. Touring the area is free, but once you are downtown, be sure to stop by the Christmas carnival where there are rides and delights for kids.

Around the holidays, Honolulu boasts many different concerts and performances. My favorite is the A Cazimero Christmas featuring local musicians The Brothers Cazimero. It has everything a Hawaiian Christmas needs: beautiful music, amazing singing by the Brothers Caz and their guest artists, and plenty of hula. Get your tickets well in advance and enjoy the recently remodeled Hawai’i Theater.

If it’s a big city experience you are after, and you’re in the mood to get dressed up after all those days on the beach, check the schedule for the Honolulu Symphony. From a Motown Christmas to a visit by Burt Bacharach, from classical to pops, there’s something for everyone.

On Christmas Eve, Kawaiaha’o Church, Honolulu’s oldest church, holds two candlelight services. Erected in 1842 by Christian missionaries, Kawaiaha’o Church was built from 1,000 pound coral blocks hewn by Hawaiian chisel-wielding divers. Experience what Christmas is all about in an intimate setting at the “Westminster Abbey of Honolulu.”

For a New Year’s Eve you’ll never forget do what we do and watch the fireworks from the beach. Our favorite viewing spot is right in front of the Kahala Hotel and Resort. All beaches in Hawai’i are public, even the groomed ones in front of the fanciest hotels. If you are lucky enough to stay at the Kahala ask for a beach front room. If you aren’t, bring your champagne out to the beach (look for the public access paths) and watch the fireworks literally burst right over your head. I can’t think of a more magical way to start the new year.

If you don’t want to do anything at all for Christmas but park yourself on the beach, you can do that, too. And remember, locals don’t pack up their towels when it rains, they head into the ocean and wait for the drizzle to pass. They call it “liquid sunshine,” and if you ask me, it’s better than any Christmas tree lights.

Mele Kalikimaka, Haouli Makahiki Hou!

After Gudrun’s post about seeing the lights in the Bay Area, I thought I would share my family’s favorites just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We especially like the holiday boat parades. Our favorite is the Sausalito Lighted Yacht Parade on December 8, 2007 starting at 6:00 p.m. I like it because it is near my home, not crowded and is quite spectacular. It lasts about an hour, just enough time to keep the kids entertained and to get chilled enough to justify copious amounts of hot chocolate. There is great viewing from inside the Spinnaker restaurant or you can bring your own warm beverage and see the show from the dock just to the north of the restaurant.

My friends from Petaluma have invited us to view the Petaluma Holiday Lighted Boat Parade on December 1, 2007 from their architectural office overlooking the river. As the Petaluma Post described it, “a flotilla of vessels decked in lights will glide into the Petaluma River Turning Basin beginning about 6 PM.” If you miss the parade, don’t worry, boats leave their lights on for a few hours after the parade. There are many restaurants to visit near the river if you want to make it more of an evening. Read More »