May 2009

  • Tillamook, Oregon

    By dubayns on 5/31/09 9:26pm
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    Besides the cheese factory that this town has built its most recent fame around, there are more than a handful of reasons why Tillamook is a great place for a weekend getaway or vacation.  Home to wonderful beaches, two cheese factories, multiple wineries, a golf course, and a very historic air museum, this quaint north-central Oregon coastal town has something for everyone.

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  • Camping, Oakland Style

    By legerdemain on 5/31/09 9:22pm
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    Camping. The trees, the hills, the lakes, the dawn chorus. I love camping. It’s great to get outdoors, to enjoy the fresh air for a few days, even if it does mean suffering a little from a lack of sleep (I’m very bad at sleeping outside, it’s fair to say). What I don’t like, however, is packing up the car and driving for miles and miles and hours and hours, up hill and down dale, until you reach your desired location. This is why it’s great when you can find a place to camp that’s within driving distance of a city, or, even better, accessible by public transport.

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  • Southern Thailand and Bangkok

    By becksta on 5/18/09 3:47pm
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    Thailand BeachThailand BeachConsidering a trip somewhere tropical? Maybe a tad reluctant to go to Mexico at the moment in case you meet some over-friendly pigs? I’d like to suggest Southern Thailand as a great alternative.

    First of all, you can find great deals on airfare to Thailand, but you have to look around. Ticket prices range from $600-1400., so don’t give up too easily if you don’t find what you are looking for right from the start. Once you’re in Thailand, take planes to travel around. There are several great discount airlines to choose from including: Nok Air, PB Air, Air Asia, and Tiger Air  and with most prices ranging from $30-50 one way-there's absolutely no reason to jump on an overnight bus (which would probably be driven by a driver on speed.)

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  • Scandia Family Fun Adventure Center, Sacramento

    By legerdemain on 5/4/09 5:33pm
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    This Saturday, we drove out to Scandia Family Fun Center (http://www.scandiasports.com/), near Sacramento, central California. It’s about a two mile drive from the San Francisco Bay area. They also have locations in Vacaville, Northern California, and Ontario, down near Los Angeles.

    As you can see by the website, there are a number of attractions on offer. It’s just off the highway, which is a little disconcerting, as when you are playing miniature golf, you feel like the cars and trucks are right on top of you! Fortunately, not even I am capable of slicing a ball up over a fence with a putter. Though, of course, I did give it a good go, as you’d imagine.

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  • Virgin America and absinthe - really?

    By legerdemain on 5/1/09 2:24pm
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    This morning, I received an email from the airline Virgin America this morning, informing me that they were now serving absinthe on their flights. Seems as if they’re offering it in a cocktail with sprite and lemon, and presumably straight up. One has to assume that they’re not going have the whole sugar – spoon – flame ritual, due to problems with, yknow, the plane catching fire in mid air.

    Even leaving aside the fact that that cocktail sounds, well, weird, I can’t help but think this is a bad idea. Now, I’m not ashamed to say that I love Virgin America. They are cheap, and it’s a little like being in a flying hair salon. Or maybe now, some sort of up market bar. Here’s the thing, though; my experiences with absinthe, thus far, have been mixed at best, and downright embarrassing at worst. Let me preface this by saying that I’m more than capable of handling my drink; this isn’t a story about getting wasted and been stupid and drunk and sloppy. Actually, it is, a little. But I’m not proud of it.

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