MEET.PLAY.GRUB.

That's Bumble Cafe's motto... and the idea behind it is Just.Plain.Awesome!  Bumble Cafe, located in Los Altos, California (near San Fransisco) is a new concept cafe and play space for families.  Owner and mom of three, Mary Heffernan, wanted to create a space where parents could enjoy a meal and socialize while their kids have a place to play under the watchful eye of babysitters.  You see Bumble Cafe has an onsite play area, so you can leave the kids there to have a good time while you have breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks and know that they're not too far away and being cared for the entire time.  

So check it out...here is where you MEET...

Now look at the playspace that's JUST FOR KIDS!!!  This is where they could PLAY...

Plus, all of the food at Bumble Cafe is local and farm-to-table fresh.  

Talk about awesome and fresh GRUB.

THINK "S" FOR SEPTEMBER TRAVEL

One of the questions I get most from clients is where should I jet set to and when should I go? Since we're in the month of September we'll focus on some U.S. destinations that I think are perfect for this time of year...(think of the letter "S" for September). My three picks are San Diego, San Francisco and San Juan. September may be the perfect time to visit any of these 3 cities because the summer crowds have left, the prices have gone down, and the weather often times is the warmest of the year (including- most importantly the ocean temps). In San Diego, lines to get into places like the San Diego Zoo are much, much shorter!

San Francisco has what's called an Indian Summer (meaning their summer is cool and foggy and their fall is warm and sunny).

And I know you must be thinking about Hurricane Season when I suggest jet setting to San Juan, Puerto Rico in September!  Yes, it's a risk, but this month is one of the best times to visit this Caribbean island if no hurricane is on the way.  So just purchase travel insurance beforehand and chances are you'll wind up having an awesome vacation at a "SMART" price!

So, think "S" for names of perfect U.S. destinations in the month of September, and think "S" for Smart and for Savings!!!

MAYBE NEXT YEAR!

Ever since I ran a half marathon in Philly in 2008, I have been meaning to do it again. Well, I may have found the one that I want to do next year...the Bay to Breakers Marathon in SF! Although this one really sounds more like something that I would want to watch than run in on second thought! :)

The annual Bay to Breakers 12K marathon is a quintessential "only in San Francisco" experience. It's more of a party rather than a sporting event, but nevertheless...it's AWESOME according to the locals! The marathon draws more than 50,000 people (some runners, mostly walkers) who start at the Embarcadero and head through Golden Gate Park out to the beach. Costumes are a must and range from Elvis impersonators to superheroes—and some people wear nothing at all (almost sounds like the Mummers Parade in Philly!) Top places to watch include Alamo Square, the front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, and the Finish Line on the Great Highway on the beach. Maybe next year I'll make it there to run, walk or watch. In the meantime, you jet setters in SF should save the date!!!

Mark Your Calendars: May 16th, 8 a.m.-11 a.m

TIMED TRAVEL

People often ask me how I get to jet set so often? My answer to them is always the same...I plan most of my trips during "Shoulder Season" (jet setting between peak and off seasons). The weather is good, the crowds are much smaller and the prices are at least 30% lower! Here's some Jet Set Smart travel ideas for Shoulder Season.

DESTINATION BEST TIMES
CANCUN- MAY, AUGUST, NOVEMBERCARIBBEAN- JANUARY, FEBRUARYHONOLULU- SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBERLAS VEGAS- JANUARY, OCTOBER, NOVEMBERLONDON- MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBERLOS ANGELES- MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBERMIAMI- JANUARY, JULY, AUGUSTNEW YORK- SEPTEMBER, OCTOBERORLANDO- MAY TO AUGUSTPARIS- MARCH, APRIL, AUGUST TO OCTOBERSAN FRANCISCO- MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBERSEATTLE- MARCH, ARPIL, NOVEMBERWASHINGTON, D.C.- JANUARY, MARCH, APRIL, SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER

TAQUERIA LA CUMBRE

"The BEST burritos come from La Cumbre!!!" That's a pretty bold statement! But since I heard it both from the Travel Channel (Man vs. Food) and from a number of on-line reviews, I had to put it on my list of places to check out in SF. I needed to know for myself what all of the rave was about. Taqueria La Cumbre is located in the Mission District of San Francisco (515 Valencia St), the neighborhood in SF to head to for excellent Mexican food. According to their menu, La Cumbre was the first taqueria in San Francisco. All things that would make you think you would sink your teeth into the BEST burrito in your life, right? (More about that in a moment) Taqueria La Cumbre is open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-2 a.m., so it's a convenient place to head to after you hit the bars in the Mission. Inside, Taqueria La Cumbre is decent, definitely clean and well cared for. The decor is simple. (Loved this huge guitar hanging on the wall :-)So I went ahead an ordered a chicken burrito. I loaded it up with the goodies...salsa, cheese, rice, black beans, guacamole, etc. There’s even a salsa bar offering at least six different salsas and a number of fresh vegetables, including corn, radish, cilantro, onion and pickled peppers and juicy lime wedges. So look at my masterpiece when I was done with all of the fixings...looks good, huh? Now for the moment of truth...DISAPPOINTING!!! I think this place may be overrated because it was on the Travel Channel. I would say the burrito was the. absolute. blandest. burrito. i have EVER had!!! Oh, La Cumbre! How you disappointed me! I have heard that the carne asada deluxe burrito may be better (after you add sour cream, guacamole and hot sauce to it), but I don't know if I would believe it. What happened to eating the "BEST burrito ever???" If you're in the Mission and want good Mexican, the locals tell me to head to Pancho Villa or La Corneta instead!

FUN AT THE FERRY MARKETPLACE!

Looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday morning in SF? How about a visit to the Ferry Marketplace and Farmers Market? The Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (it's also open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California certified farmers market, and is the largest farmers market in the whole city! You can find everything here from produce and flowers to breads, cheeses and jams. Now the actual Ferry Marketplace is open seven days a week and has more than forty different food shops inside. It is a food lover's dream with so many gourmet and elegant food stands to choose from. Louisa and I decided to spend our Saturday morning in San Francisco here. We bought cheese, meat and bread both from the Farmers Market and from the Marketplace, and made our own little picnic. It was fun and a fairly inexpensive way to have breakfast!We walked around the Farmers Market first and sampled all different kinds of cheeses, breads and sweets. We bought some AMAZING Bodega goat cheese from the Yerba Santa Goat Dairy.I am usually not the biggest fan of goat cheese, but this one was so creamy, and didn't have that horribly bitter and tangy taste that many goat cheeses do have. Next, we headed inside to the Marketplace and bought some more cheese from Cowgirl Creamery.They sell an Artisan Cheese American selection bag for $20 which includes three different types of cheeses and a knife. We splurged the extra $5 and also bought the wooden cheese platter to put all of our cheeses on. The other thing that I recommend you buy (if you like meat) is one of their Framani Salametto salamis...delicious! Right next door is ACME...one of the best bread makers in all of SF!!!And of course if you are in SF, then you must have some traditional San Francisco sourdough bread...it really is the best sourdough you will ever have!
Once we had purchased all we wanted, we went to the back of the Marketplace which faces the bay and set up our picnic. Great view, great friendship, great food...what more could you want out of life? One last thing I want to tell you about the Farmers Market and the Ferry Marketplace, is that outside of the building there are dozens of vendors who sell jewelry, clothing and souvenirs. I found this amazing bracelet by a local designer...very happy about my purchase!