Travel

Going on safari at Safari West

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / santa rosa / staycation by

pictured: one of the historical vehicles at Safari West which takes you around the property on safari /

Did you know you can go on a safari right here in the San Francisco Bay Area?! Well, you can! Safari West in Santa Rosa is home to many exotic animals you normally would not see here in California, or in an average zoo. At Safari West, there are several types of antelopes, wildebeests, zebras, and more; on land where they can roam. It is truly amazing.

We lucked out on the day visited Safari West because the rain had stopped! While it was cold, we were able to stay dry and access most of the property by vehicle. The specially modified vehicle shown above takes you throughout the property where a guide tells you about the animals. It is both educational and fun! Love that!

In addition to the three-hour tour of the property where you can see and learn about the animals, you can also dine on a BBQ after your tour, and/or stay in one of the several glamping tents on the property. We didn’t stay there, but it really looked fun! Oh, and yes, there are vegetarian options at the BBQ. My daughter loved the mac and cheese.

This is really a bucket list item. You can go with friends, as a family, or with whomever you choose. I saw several families with elementary-aged children, so it is something you can do with kids. My kids are high school and college aged, and they really enjoyed the day. I highly recommend going on a safari right here in the Bay Area!

You can easily book your adventure through Safari West online at SafariWest.com. Be sure to book your meal ahead of time too. We bought tickets for the 9am tour, and then the 12pm lunch. It worked out perfectly.

You can day trip to Safari West or stay locally in the Santa Rosa area. A fun day trip could include a morning safari with lunch, then heading over to the Snoopy rink for some ice skating! Of course, be sure to visit the Charles Shultz Museum too.

I hope you enjoy going on a safari as much as we did!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*apologies for the low quality photos, I was zooming in with my cell phone.

Best Pasta in the South Bay

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / restaurants / staycation by

pictured: Fettucine Bianco from Bella Saratoga, in Saratoga, Ca. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes in the South Bay /

One of my favorite meals is a yummy plate of pasta. I love all types of pasta dishes, and you will find me ordering pasta in restaurants, as well as cooking it myself at home. Therefore, it is only natural that I have a list of the best pasta restaurants in the South Bay!

I grew up eating pasta since my ancestors came here from Italy. Fun fact, I am one hundred percent of Italian decent! So, I would like to consider myself an expert on delicious pasta and how it should be cooked, as well as the best sauces.

So, if you live near San Jose, and you love pasta, let’s talk about the best pasta! Yum!!

My favorite pasta restaurants in the South Bay, listed in alphabetical order.

  • Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar
    • 14109 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos, CA
    • Favorites: Tortellini alla Tommaso, Rigatoni Paesani, and Tagliatelle alla Aldo. Get the cannoli!
  • Bella Saratoga
    • 14503 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA
    • Favorites: Fettucine Bianco, Bolognese, and Chicken Mushroom Linguine.
  • Florentine Trattoria
    • 14510 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA
    • Favorites: Half & Half, Ravioli, and classic Bolognese. Also, get the lemoncello dessert!
  • Italian Brothers Restaurant
    • 330 No Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA
    • Favorites: Pappardelle Salsiccia e Funghi, Rigatoni Pesto, and Rigatoni Mafiosa
  • Sorelle Italian Bistro
    • 915 San Tomas Aquino Road, Campbell, CA
    • Favorites: Sorelle Short Rib Bolognese, Linguini with grilled jumbo shrimp, Traditional meat sauce, and get the cannoli!

Do you have any favorite pasta restaurants in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area? If so, feel free to share in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by, and eat the pasta!

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: Half and Half from Florentine Trattoria

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum San Jose

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged casual style / lifestyle / outfits / san jose / staycation by
rosicrucian egyptian museum san jose review

wearing: blue tee / statement earrings / black handbag / black belt / shorts (similar here) / silver bracelet / summer nail polish / sneakers / ankle bracelet /

Egypt’s history is absolutely fascinating, and we are fortunate to have a fabulous museum which celebrates this ancient civilization in San Jose. If you are local to the Bay Area, and you have not visited the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum yet, what are you waiting for? Go now! If you plan to visit the area, be sure to schedule a visit in your itinerary.

My grades in history were not that great, in fact, when I was in school it was my least favorite subject. This actually makes me laugh now because as an adult, I love history! I actively seek out historical information and I can spend hours diving deep into history. I wish I could do that when I was in school! haha To be frank, there was only one historical subject which fascinated me when I was in school, and that was Egyptian history.

In the sixth grade, my teacher had visited Egypt several times and was able to teach us about it with her personal experience. She even showed us her personal slides taken during many of her visits! It was amazing and I was extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated teacher. This is why I loved Egyptian history; she really made it come alive as compared to all of the other histories I found boring in school. Since I enjoyed Egyptian history, my Mom and my best friends’ mom took us both to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum so we could see artifacts in person. My friend I bought earrings in the gift shop and really enjoyed the visit.

Although the gift shop does not seem to exist anymore, the museum has grown over the decades and includes genuine artifacts as well as casts of original artifacts. The description by each item will let you know which it is. Since my mom took me here, I felt it was only natural that I bring my kids here too. I wish I had done it sooner! They studied Egypt in middle school and now they are in high school and college. Is this a hashtag mom fail? Yikes! But I digress. . .

We spent about two hours at the museum but could have easily stayed longer. There are several levels to look through and the museum also has an exhibit on Alchemy which the museum plans to expand into its’ own museum. Alchemy is directly tied to Egyptian history so it will be incredible when it is complete.

One of my favorite things inside the museum is the recreation of a tomb. You can walk through the cave-like tomb and see what it is like inside of one located in Egypt. They even created the paintings and markings.

In addition to just viewing artifacts and learning history, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum has been thoughtful in their artifact descriptions. I loved seeing how history is similar to modern day as well as how it repeats itself. You can even see an example of how clear cutting created climate change! Please read the photo below as an example.

In addition to the museum inside, there is more to learn in the museum gardens. The museum displays an outdoor version of Senet, an ancient game, as well as plants and other objects which offer descriptions of how they fit into Egypt’s rich history.

I recommend arriving a little bit early to the museum so you can enjoy the outdoor gardens before going inside. They are really beautiful and interesting!

You can learn more, and plan your visit, by visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum’s website at EgyptianMuseum.org.

If you are looking for a yummy place to eat before or after your visit to the museum, I highly recommend Park Station Hashery which is on the corner of Naglee and Park Ave. They have delicious brunch items. My favorite is the breakfast burrito which appears on the specials. The regular menu is good too!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy your visit!

XOXO

Cathy