#60:
Hi Friends!
It's February 9th, and it's time to discover more places to eat, see, and hang out in California.
Enjoy today's read!
Be Well! Stay Safe!
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Now the Good Stuff…
Do you love a good joke? How about a costume that expresses your comedy soul? Whatever it is you desire this spot is the place, but you need to hurry because it’s closing down soon.
Cherished Bay Area costume store House of Humor to close after 3 decades
by Sam Mauhay-Moore, SF Gate
House of Humor, a cherished novelty store that has supplied Redwood City-area residents with Halloween costumes, wigs and party decorations for over three decades, will close at the end of February, its owner confirmed.
Signs posted at House of Humor say the store lost its lease and will be closing by Feb. 28. Until then, all its merchandise will be sold at half-price.
Greenbaum opened the store 31 years ago. Its massive selection of products has attracted loyal customers throughout that time: On social media posts announcing the closure, dozens of people lamented the news.
This National Park Is Home to the Most Biodiverse Environment in North America
by Sarika Bansal, AFAR.com
While visiting family in Santa Barbara, California, photographer Justin Fantl would often admire the chain of rugged islands located more than 20 miles offshore. “Over the years, I kept staring across the channel, watching the light change and distant peaks appear and disappear in the fog,” he says. “There was a definite pull and a lot of mystery about what was out there.”
Fantl first visited Channel Islands National Park in 2019. The quiet of the archipelago—reachable only by boat—appealed to him. To date, he has made more than two dozen visits and taken nearly 9,000 photographs of the park’s sparsely trodden mountains, ancient forests, dramatic sea caves, endemic species, and hints of human history left by the Chumash and Gabrieleno (Tongva) peoples who lived here for thousands of years.
Patti and I had the pleasure of celebrating a family member’s wedding at this wonderful restaurant. We also had the fun of riding in this elevator to the top and back down. It was worth the trip.
I rode the legendary 'hillavator' to this hidden 77-year-old Calif. restaurant
by Jessica Yadegaran, SF Gate
I’m inside a glass-walled inclined elevator the size of a small closet and it’s heading diagonally toward Soquel Creek in Capitola. As we make our way down the hill, we pass a waterfall, a flurry of lush trees and a winding garden path for people who prefer to make this journey on foot.
“This one is for the beer lover in all of us!”
Bay Area cult favorite beer Pliny the Younger returns for its 20th anniversary release
by Susana Guerreo, SF Gate
Starting next month, fans of the sought-after triple IPA can grab a pitcher of Pliny the Younger at the brewery’s Santa Rosa and Windsor pub locations from March 22 to April 4. You can enjoy a pint even earlier, at SF Beer Week, which starts Feb. 9 at participating locations.
Either way, fans should be prepared for a long wait. Crowds usually begin forming a line at Russian River Brewing Company beer pubs around 5 a.m., especially on weekends, when guests can wait upwards of six hours, according to a press release from Russian River Brewing Company. For better luck, the brewery recommends hitting the tasting rooms on weekdays, Monday to Thursday.
Want to own your very own 150-year-old saloon? Here’s your chance if you have $2.65 million!
Nearly 150-year-old Bay Area saloon hits market for $2.65 million
by Madeline Wells, SF Gate
West Marin restaurant and hotel William Tell House, home to one of the oldest saloons in the Bay Area, is up for sale. Ownership announced both the building and business were for sale in January for a total of $2.65 million ($2.4 million for the property and $250,000 for the business and liquor license).
P.S. If you buy it and need help with the making. up the menu hit me up!
A Few Extra Links:
Monty Python Fan? How about the Gorge of Eternal Peril
California’s Largest Geodesic Dome