Tea for Two at San Francisco's Grande Dame

Antonio Benedetti sings his heart out in front of the Fairmont

Purview of Presidents (from William Howard Taft on), The Fairmont Hotel--the first hotel built on prestigious Nob Hill--began serving a full cream tea the year it opened in 1907. And what and where better to celebrate my daughter's birthday?

How cute is the birthday girl?

In the early 1890s, “Bonanza Jim” Fair used some of his gains from the world's largest silver strike--the Comstock Lode in Nevada--to purchase a plot of land atop Nob Hill for a family estate, His lucky life didn't extend to the building of his dream home; daughters Tessie and Virginia inherited  the property and began to construct a hotel as a monument to their father. As architect, they chose the first female graduate of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Miss Julia Morgan,

The Lobby

In what had to be the mother of all bad timing, the opening scheduled for April 18, 1906 was somewhat delayed due to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.The Fairmont survived the temblor and hundreds of aftershocks, but fell victim to the insatiable fires that leveled much of the city in the next few days (herewith a plug for my novel Shaketown--featuring the Fairmont ballroom as a makeshift hospital on the day of the 'quake). The grand exterior of the building made it through, though the interior was gutted.

Exactly one year and $5 million later, the Fairmont Hotel celebrated the rebirth of San Francisco with
a feast consisting of 600 pounds of turtle for soup, 13,000 oysters and thousands of dollars of California and French wines.

The ever-so-soothing Laurel Court

Though our tea lacked turtle soup (permanently off the menu thanks to the endangered species act), it featured, in addition to a panoply of teas, an impressive variety of sweets and savories, such as two kinds of sorbets, Dungeness crab mango salad on sourdough, deviled egg salad, mixed berries, fresh fruit, two kinds of scones and an assortment of teeny pastry dainties and more. It took us a couple hours to work our way through--not an unpleasant task, as tea is held in the restored Laurel Court, a bastion of old-time ritzy San Francisco, right down to the softly lighted Italian murals on the walls.

The staff went out of their way to accommodate dietary needs--and who could resist "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate on a plate presented with a delicious bite of cake. Yes, we chipped off the chocolate and ate it--so much more dignified than trying to scrape it off with one's teeth. We are classy girls, after all.

http://www.fairmont.com/san-francisco/dining/afternoon-tea-at-the-fairmont/

Angel Fest: Blue Angels on Angel Island

Friend Jenny and I took the ferry out from Tiburon on October 8 to Angel Island State Park, then a shuttle to Point Knox across the bay from San Francisco to see the beginning of Fleet Week. The Navy's Blue Angels Jet Team performed along with the Breitling Jet Team from France and a number of other stunt flyers. The air show ran from noon to 4PM; the seven-member Breitling team from 2-3PM (their vapor trails and maneuvers were particularly intricate) and the Blue Angels in the last hour (tight formations are a hallmark of this team). Different websites cited different times, though I understand the Angels ALWAYS perform between 3 and 4PM. The jets sound like thunder, and the sound reaches you well after the airplanes have moved past. The most thrilling moment for me was when the Blues arrived over our heads on Angel Island, flying in from points north.
Here's my brief video of moments from the day.


For an amazing video of the Breitling Team over New York, see this YouTube. It makes you want to be a jet pilot (or at least buy a very expensive watch).

Once They Were Giants--and Still Are!

It's Bob!

Draft horses--an animal most people associate with the Budweiser Beer team of Clydesdales--are enormous! Weighing in between 1500 to 2400 pounds (the weight of an average automobile) and standing 16 to 19 hands tall at the shoulder (64 - 76 inches; a "hand" is four inches), these gentle giants tower over their fans. The draft horse is the second strongest work animal in the world, after elephants; a pair holds the record for hauling 5.38 tons! Clydesdales are one breed of these hefty horses still used for farm and lumber work and wagon pulls. In addition, the American Cream (the only native American breed), Belgians, Percherons, Shires and Suffolks are popular breeds.

The Annual Draft Horse Classic in the Nevada City Fairgrounds has been held for the last 29 years, and features buggy and wagon driving and a log-hauling competition. Competitors come from all over the United States and Canada. During the Sunday show I attended, we were treated to single ladies and single men buggy competitions in addition to six-horse team driving that takes incredible skill and practice.

The driver actually holds the reins to all six horses separately

In between the competitions, trick riders, precision teams (the California Cowgirls), and antique wagons (including an authentic chuck wagon and dairy delivery truck) entertained the crowd. One of the most beautiful and accomplished displays of horsemanship I've ever seen was by wild mustang trainer and genuine horse whisperer Bobby Kerr; the two animals he rode for the crowd were trained from the wild in 120 days, and it was clear the horses adored him and worked with him as members of a team. He also brought in two of his trained dogs who acted the part of cattle to demonstrate the horse's ability to cut and herd. One of the funniest moments of the show was when Kerr had his main mount climb up into the back of his pick-up truck and have a seat for the ride back out of the area.

The show wasn't the only attraction: there was an excellent display of horse- and wildlife-themed art, and continuous entertainment in a nearby stage.including Sidewinder,a western swing band, and Sourdough Slim, the Yodeling Cowboy--seriously impressive yodeling, folks.

 Next year's Classic is September 21-24. If you, like me, had a total obsession with horses as a little kid, you will LOVE this. Between shows, visitors are allowed to visit the horse barns and say hello to the big boys and girls. It's a little disconcerting when a horse's head is three feet above your own, but these are truly the gentle giants of the horse world, and as sweet-tempered as can be.

See a bigger, better version of the video below at Vimeo:  http://vimeo.com/185190626

Livin' the Lush Life at the Claremont

Few properties in the San Francisco Bay Area rival the Claremont Hotel for fascinating history.

Even the light fixtures are gorgeous

The "castle" sits high atop the Berkeley hills and is one of two landmarks that any local resident can identify from miles away--the other being the Mormon Temple in Oakland. In fact, the original "English castle" was built to please the wife of a Kansas farmer who struck it rich during the gold rush and purchased 13,000 acres on the site. Something must have rubbed off, as his daughter married into British Royalty in true Masterpiece style. The property changed hands, but was burnt to ruin in 1901. A pair of equally lucky miners won what was left in a checkers game, and proceeded to build the Claremont we identify today in 1905. Their dreams were shaken and stirred by the 'quake of 1906 and subsequent financial panic. The building was completed and opened it's doors to guests in 1915, just in time for San Francisco's Pan Pacific Exhibition.

Art in the lobby

Prohibition came and went, but repeal did little to lift the Claremont's spirits (literally). The nearby University of California forbade the sale of liquor within one mile of it's borders; an enterprising student won drinks for life by carefully measuring the distance from the school's border to the door of the hotel. With a few feet to spare, the Terrace Bar was born.

This can be yours for five grand

In 1937, a night clerk that had worked at the hotel since 1926 purchased the property and brought in big bands such as Count Basie and Tommy Dorsey for dancing and dining. The Claremont became a destination for dignitaries and prom dates. The hotel changed hands a few more times until it came under the auspices of Fairmont Hotels, who put up $40 million for a total restoration and an all-white make-over. Now known as the Claremont Club and Spa, visitors can come for a complete package.

Fairmont's renovation and modernization of the property might have made the interior stiff and cold; yet, they've managed to update restaurant, lobby, and rooms that continue to be warm and inviting. I was able to peek into the luxe President's Suite (with president's prices, $5K a night--but if you're the president of anything, you'd want to stay here).

Chef Joe explains it all to you

Which brings me to why I'm lounging around the Limewood Bar & Restaurant nibbling appetizers. The Limewood is the newest star in the Claremont's firmament; Chef Joseph Humphrey has a resume that includes stints at some of the most famous eateries in the U.S., and General Manager/Sommelier Benjamin Chanler Laurin (he of the fabulous French accent) have put together an impressive menu and wine list. Favorites are oysters with hot pepper vinegar and grilled and glazed Gulf shrimp.
The old girl on the hill continues to be a destination, and a great one. Frank Lloyd Wright's words still ring true; he dubbed the Claremont: "...one of the few hotels in the world with warmth, character and charm."

Spies Roam the Streets of San Francisco!

Just had big fun playing an agent in the active spy game "Jericho", brainchild of FoxHound Urban Adventures. As an agent, different teams met with me in several locations in the city to pick up "intel" (instructions on where to go next, who to meet etc.). Of course, several of us agents brought disguises--

I covered 5.5 miles from the Fort Mason Chapel to the steps outside the Marine Museum, to high on the hill of Coit Tower, to a tea shop on Kearny, then finally to an alley between Market St. and Mission (and back). If you like your exercise to have a dash of mystery and fun, this is the bomb (or Nerf gun, depending...).

Foxhound hosts a similar Jericho game for free every month as a meet-up.


Jericho was just one of the urban games featured as part of "Come out and play SF", hosted by Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. Fort Mason has really upped the ante on the variety and quality of the events it supports. Check it out, and watch out for those Nerf bullets!