Buena vista…Sausalito-style–

MMM!  Here we are sucking down tasty Irish Coffees and an extremely delectable dish called ‘lobster escargots’ at The Trident in Sausalito, California, and we are damn glad to be here.

The Trident is owned by the same folks who own the famous Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.  The Buena Vista is famous for its Irish Coffees and the wonderful views across San Francisco Bay that one can enjoy while sucking down a few of these delectable beverages.  The Trident offers the same Irish Coffees–they are equally delectable over here–and fabulous views of the San Francisco skyline while imbibing these tasty babies. . .mmm, aaahh!  In addition, The Trident has a full restaurant serving extremely delicious food. . .one of the things that we devour is the lobster escargots–a wonderfully inventive and mouth-watering take on regular escargots–aka, snails–but with lobster.  Oodles of lobster meat are cooked in a well-seasoned sauce, and all of this is piled on an escargots dish and served with warm garlic toast. . .TOTALLY AMAZING!  We love this thing, and you will, too, if you are ever lucky enough to make your way into this fun little place.

We are told that this building has been around for quite a while, and that it used to host gatherings with The Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Joplin, etc. and so on. . .there are lots of wild images painted on the walls that hark back to another era of mind-expanding existence. . .fun, fun, fun to gaze at these and imagine the things that have happened here while we inhale our coffees and lobster.

I send you reminiscent and tasty vibes from The Trident in Sausalito, California. . .feel them. . .they have the power to help you wake up and smell the roses all around you.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you deserve a virtual trip or three before you kick the bucket.

It’s lovely out there.

Crab, booze, views…

POW!  There are tons of great places to gobble good food and suck down tasty beverages here in Sausalito, California, and one of our favorites is Salito’s. . .mmm, aaaahh!

Salito’s is located right on a marina just off of Bridgeway Street. . .the views here are top-notch–hundreds of boats bob in the marina, the breeze is light and cool, and the bar leading to an open deck is totally conducive to sitting, sipping, eating, chatting with loved ones, and watching “the game” on the boob-tube. . .perfect!  We love this place.

They serve dungeness crab here in a “secret garlic sauce.”  We love secret garlic sauces so we gotta try one.  The crab, as you can see above, is hearty, thick, and looks full of delectable meat. . .we dig in, and it is good. . .real good. . .though just a tad dry. . .and we like the garlic sauce–yet we still love the crab at Seafood Peddler just a little more because of overall flavor and juiciness.  BUT, the setting here at Salita’s is superior to the setting at Seafood Peddler because of the open deck and proximity to the marina.  So, our ideal plan is to fill up on the crab and other food items at Seafood Peddler, then head over here to Salita’s for a dessert crab, if you will, and general drinking while soaking up the open-air atmosphere with the breezes and marina views to distract you from the travails of human existence.  Check this place out if you ever find yerself hangin’ in Sausalito. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaay!

I send you long-term hangout vibes from Salita’s here in Sausalito, California. . .feel them. . .they will have you smiling like a crab all day and all night long.

To see more wonderful images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Nighttime and daytime drinking venue–

BAM!  Our favorite bar for imbibing any time day or night in Sausalito, California is a joint called ‘No Name Bar.’  This place is located on Bridgeway Street in the heart of town and has ever’thang that we look for in a bar: coziness, chill staff and patrons, comfy chairs and benches and corner-spots, wood…wood…and more wood, bands on the weekends, and open til the wee hours of the mornin’. . .oh yeah, we can stay here a long time. . .please don’t kick us out just yet, Mr. Bartender…pleeeeezzz just one more round. . .thank you!

Come on out to the west coast some time. . .set yerself up somewhere here in Sausalito. . .then head on over to the No Name Bar and sip on somethin’ good and tasty while you watch the tide roll away.  You won’t wanna leave any time soon.

I send you soothing vibes from the No Name Bar in Sausalito. . .feel them. . .they will make you forget how kooky this entire existence is for a moment or two.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

 

Dungeness Crab season…Sausalito-style–

KAPOWY!  We are so lucky…we are in Sausalito, California, and it just happens to be dungeness crab season. . .oh baby baby–shoot me while I’m happy!!

We sample the dungeness crabs around town, and our pick for the number one crab in terms of preparation and overall flavor is the Seafood Peddler located on Bridgeway Street overlooking the docks and marina here. . .mmmm, aaahh!  The staff are warm and welcoming, the service is friendly and efficient, the bloody marys are delicious and spicy, AND the crab is juicy, tasty, thick, and packed with lots of meat waiting for us to pick it all out and get it in our bellies. . .jaaaa!!

The Seafood Peddler doesn’t have the best views from the restaurant…so our recommendation is to eat all of the goodness that you can here, then head on over to Salita’s for more drinks, tvs with “the game” on, and fabulous views right on the docks of the marina.  If you come up with a better plan, then let me know. . .until we hear from you, we are stickin’ with the plan above.

I send you mouth-watering vibes from the Seafood Peddler here in Sausalito, California. . .feel them. . .they will fuel you throughout your day today and every day.

To see more magical images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you want to.

It’s lovely out there.

Sausalito, California…delightfully delightful–

BAM!  I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide roll away. . .I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the back, wastin’ tiiiiime!!

Yes, the docks of Sausalito, California inspired Otis Redding to write the famous song that so many of us know and love: “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.”  The bay, of course, is San Francisco Bay, and these are some of the docks on the bay. . .so sweet, so soothing, so delightful. . .Sausalito is all of these things and so much more.

We are lucky to have these days to wander around in Sausalito breathing sea air, eating dungeness crabs cuz they are in-season right now–DELICIOUS, soaking up the precious bay area sunshine, and to be alive right here, right now on the west coast of the U.S.. . .mmmm, aaaahh!!

Sausalito is full of chilled out people, cozy bars for late-night frolicking, tons of good restaurants right on the shores of the bay, and a well-grounded easy-going vibe that is a good antidote for the wound-up east coast vibe that we have left behind.  Come here some time before you kick the bucket. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy. . .the views will make you go, “WOWEEWOWOW!”

To see more wonderful images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 hotel…Sausalito, California–

BOOM!  We want to stay here all of the time and never leave…it’s The Inn Above Tide in Sausalito, California–jaaaa!!

The Inn Above Tide proudly reminds us that this is the only inn or hotel of any kind that is located directly on the shore of San Francisco Bay, and we are damn lucky and happy to be here.  This inn is located about a 45-minute drive from San Francisco Airport. . .we land late at night, our car whisks us away and over the Golden Gate Bridge up to Marin County, and in less than an hour we are safely ensconced in a cozy room with a small deck looking out over the bay, views of San Francisco shimmer in the night, Alcatraz Island sits proudly as ever in the middle of the bay, the Bay Bridge twinkles as thousands of motorists make their way to the city from Oakland, San Jose, and beyond, and the cool sea air wafts into our room prepping us for a deep sleep after our journey to the west coast. . .mmmm, aaaahh!!  And in the morning the sunrise is magical, as you can see above.

Sausalito itself is sweet, cozy, and lovely, and all of these vibes are embodied by The Inn Above Tide. . .so, if you ever find yourself heading out to the Bay Area of California, and you need a fabulous place to stay, then please consider The Inn Above Tide. . .the staff are totally switched-on, the rooms are cozy, clean and pleasantly fragrant, the views are unbeatable, AND the breakfast spread each morning is mucho delicioso. . .you will love it here–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

I send you totally satisfied vibes from The Inn Above Tide here in Sausalito. . .feel them. . .they will put a big skip in yer step today and every day.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

 

Big flavors in Soho…NYC–

JAAA!  The dude who used to run a wonderful restaurant called ‘Tabla’ until it closed about 8 or 9 years ago is back with a new place called “Pao Walla,” and this place ROCKS!

Floyd Cardoz is the guy’s name and big Indian-inspired flavors are his game. . .mmm, aaahh!  Pao Walla is located in the Soho section of Manhattan here in New York City on the corner of Spring and Sullivan Streets, and if you love food with lots of deliciousness and a KICK, then you must eat here.  The menu is full of tasty appetizers, chutneys that pair with the wide variety of housemade breads that are a specialty, and a good number of sizeable main courses that will satisfy you right down to your very existential core.

During my visit, I sample a medley of autumn veggies with a serious curry kick, a plate of grilled black pepper shrimp, a shrimp curry pie thing that is totally delectable, the house bone marrow, the egg kehriwal–TOTALLY MAGICAL, and a serving of kufti (Indian ice cream) for dessert.  All of this goodness is washed down with a couple of glasses of dry reisling–delicious and the perfect complement to all of the lively and tangy food.

EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS HERE. . .so, the next time you are wandering around down in Soho lookin’ for something exciting and lively to eat please pop into Pao Walla, and let the wonderful staff here take you on a food journey that will have you giggling with delight all the way home.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Haarlem at night–

MMM!  So ‘gezellig’ (cozy) to walk the streets of Haarlem, The Netherlands at night. . .the low-lying clouds move quickly overhead dropping rain one second, hail the next, and then nothing the third–the weather here is DYNAMIC, baby…just a few miles inland from the North Sea.  The wet streets glimmer and shimmer and remind me that I am not a good swimmer–I hope the canals keep the flood waters away for yet another evening.

The steeple of the Great Church in the center of town shines shinily. . .pointing upward to the heavens to let the sheep know that all is well…someone is watching over them, at least they hope this is the case.  And in the cold dampness of the Great Market Square there is greenery urging us to forge on for another day, another night. . .we agree to do so.  We have no other choice. . .we do, but we forge on anyway.

Wandering the streets of thousand-year-old cities and towns is magical. . .scintillating. . .captivating. . .soothing.  So many have come here before us, so many will come after us. . .all we have to do is enjoy this moment NOW. . .the universe will take care of the rest.

I send you contemplative vibes from nighttime Haarlem here in The Netherlands. . .feel them. . .they are good for your appetite.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Galactic Gypsy–

POW!  The sky opens up in Amsterdam allowing us to fly away. . .the lights twinkle in the main Schipol Airport terminal reminding us that the darker it gets, the easier it is to see the stars. . .constellations are depicted in the ceiling of our ‘gezellig’ hotel in the heart of Haarlem keeping us in our place as the small and puny humans who think we are doing “important” things here, there, and everywhere. . .and the moon, super or otherwise, watches over us on each and every journey–keeping the oceans balanced and in some sort of cosmic-based rhythm, providing a target for our love (to the moon and back, Alice), and smiling its wan smile full of secrets that we will never know.

I send you lustily wandering vibes from the airports and skies of Europe and America. . .feel them. . .they will help you dream deeply tonight and every night.

To see more fabulous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you deserve a magical virtual trip this holiday season.

It’s lovely out there.

Europeans welcome us, post-election–

JAAAA!!  The Europeans welcomed us with open arms just days after the U.S. election. . .phew, thought they might send us away. . .no, come to us, we sympathize with you having endured so much of our own kookiness throughout history. . .welcome to the pack…exceptionalism is on hold for the moment…evolving…maybe never to return.  A new normal is on the horizon. . .or maybe it is the same normal that has always existed…maybe we couldn’t see it because of the veils blocking our eyes. . .maybe it was all an illusion…is an illusion…the same as it ever was.

The Europeans listen attentively to us here at our gathering point in Haarlem, The Netherlands…learning from us…us learning from them.  Italians, French, Dutch, Germans, Spaniards, Belgians, Swiss, Fins, English, Irish, Hungarians, and Russians. . .so many who have experienced so much worse than we have. . .so many with lessons to teach us.  We wisely listen. . .they wisely listen. . .we connect and move upward and onward together. . .mmmm, aaaahh!  If only it could always be like this.  Europe ROCKS!

Let us all listen, connect, and evolve together. . .I send you wildly hopeful vibes from a cozy meeting room in Haarlem. . .feel them. . .they are good and magical and mysterious and human.

To see more stupendous images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.