Gilroy Selected as Potential Location for New Great Wolf Lodge Family Resort

                                  


The City of Gilroy, California announced that it has been selected by . as a potential location for a new Great Wolf Lodge family resort. Representatives from Great Wolf Resorts have been considering several locations in Northern California but recently agreed to enter a 60-day exclusivity period with the City of Gilroy to fully assess the potential of building a resort in Gilroy. During this period, the City and Great Wolf will discuss a potential public-private partnership. At the same time, Great Wolf will engage in community outreach about the project.

                                           

Great Wolf Resorts Inc. is the parent company of Great Wolf Lodge, North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts. The proposed resort would be located off Highway 152/Hecker Pass, on a parcel of land adjacent to Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park. While project details are still under discussion, the resort would likely follow a similar blueprint as other Great Wolf Lodge resorts, including up to 700 family-friendly suites, a large indoor water park, conference facilities, shops, restaurants, and a variety of other attractions.


Representatives from the City of Gilroy and Great Wolf Resorts will be conducting community outreach programs in the coming weeks to gather feedback from a wide range of residents, community stakeholders, and local organizations.
Needless to say, it would be great for Gilroy, stay tuned.
CTE, Streetwise Special Delivery, Inc.

Café Thyme

Café Thyme
433 First St.
Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 413-1250

One of the best restaurants in Gilroy is Café Thyme. It rivals any upscale restaurant currently in Morgan Hill which says a lot. The quality of the food is distinctive, very fresh, and surprisingly upscale for Gilroy. The only drawback is the location. I read a review of the restaurant in the Gilroy Dispatch and set out to find it which wasn’t easy. It’s located in a very nondescript strip mall on First Street. The cuisine is definitely California farm to table fresh cuisine.
I’ve been there several times over the last six months primarily for lunch and once for dinner and have not been disappointed. The menu changes depending on the season. Recently we ordered the Kale Chicken Caesar and the Cajun Prawn Sliders with Roasted Potatoes. Both dishes were amazing. They don’t have a liquor license yet but in the process of receiving one. All of the Yelp reviews that I’ve read have been positive.
So, we’re giving a shout out to Café Thyme because Gilroy seems to have a history of not supporting its restaurants. So come on people spread the word about Café Thyme.
http://www.cafe-thyme.com/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-thyme-gilroy
CTE

Napa Valley Music Festival “BOTTLEROCK” May 27-29, 2016

                            

Spring is in the air and summer is fast approaching. Music festivals are gearing up. I love this time of year, people are coming out of their warm cozy dwellings to enjoy some great festivals, One that has been groing strong in recent years is Napa Valley’s premiere music festival “BOTTLEROCK”. This festival takes place at the Napa Expo at 575 3rd Street, Napa California 94559. One of my all-time favorite artist Stevie Wonder, will play on the Jam Cellars stage on Friday night. Another favorite artist of mine is Ziggy Marley. He is playing the Midway stage on Saturday from 6 to 7:15pm. Florence + The Machine caps off Saturday night on the Jam Cellars stage. The last day of this three days of entertainment in the Napa Valley, ends with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Jam Cellars stage. There are many other artists playing at “BOTTLEROCK” here are some. The Lumineers, Lenny Kravitz, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Pharcyde, The Suffers, Alina Baraz and Fantastic Negrito to name a few. So jump start your summer and go out and have a good times in the Napa Valley, “BOTTLEROCK” looks like the place to be.

LM

http://www.bottlerocknapavalley.com/

Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara California and to stay at San Jose’s Fairmont Will Cost A Mere 150K

I enjoy football like millions of people around the world but to pay a 150K to stay at a hotel and get some perks is not something I would do. These perks you get in my opinion don’t justify paying a price of $50,000 a night with a three-night minimum Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the four-bedroom Presidential Luxury Suite. All you get is 8 tickets to the February 7th game, with seats in Section 300/Corner Loge these seats are not even close to the field. Oh Wow! You also get two chauffeured Cadillac Escalades for the full stay. One good thing you won’t have to drive in this Silicon Valley traffic or the crazy traffic conditions around Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium on game day. You’re going to need your complimentary private bar and your case of Dom Perignon. If you always wanted a butler you get private butler service, in-room catered breakfast and an "Apple dream gift package" worth $5,000 and you get to pick the products you want. Wow! On Saturday a day before Super Bowl 50 you get a wine country excursion to Sonoma Valley, where the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is located. You can play golf at the Sonoma Golf Club or indulge in spa treatments at the inn. You'll be treated like a VIP at local wineries, and eight magnums of wine will be shipped home for you. For a stay at San Jose’s Fairmont Hotel for a mere 150K you get all this. Not to mention standing in the long lines at the game and fighting the crowds. No Thanks! I would rather stay home kick back in my living room and enjoy the best seat in the house. Someone going to pay this kind of money just for 3 days, I think if you have money like that to burn why not give it to Feed America Don’t be so selfish. Oh well "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)".

LM

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play/

https://secure.feedingamerica.org/site/Donation2?df_id=23470&23470.donation=form1&s_src=Y15YP1B1X&s_subsrc=c&s_keyword=feed%20america&gclid=Cj0KEQiAtMSzBRDs7fvDosLZmpoBEiQADzG1vFGfERvJIHv6zn_RAb9q-6FhTucKF7knGx4JysuhqOUaAiIM8P8HAQ

Google Driverless Car Gets Pulled Over In Mountain View For Driving 25mhp In A 35mph Zone

It’s a sunny cool 53 degrees on Friday morning here in San Jose. As I’m sitting here to the morning news, I hear that the Google driver less car gets pulled over for driving to slow in Mountain View, California. It was going 25mph in a 35mph zone delaying traffic. Say it’s not so because Silicon Valley drivers are so impatient. You don’t see police officers stopping people for driving to slow, especially here. My first thought was who getting the ticket? If there is no one driving the car? No ticket was given. 

LM
http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_29110712/google-self-driving-car-pulled-over-mountain-view?source=infinite-up

Debris From Overpass Falls Onto I-880 in Oakland, Sparks Multi-Vehicle Crash

I’m a native Californian, I love living here and the weather despite the drought great. That can’t be said about the decaying highways and the streets though. On Monday October 19, 2015 around 6:30 p.m. on highway 880 at 23rd avenue in Oakland during the already horrific commute, 100 feet of fence came crashing down across the highway causing a shut down in both directions. This incident caused 8 cars to crash sending two people the hospital with minor injuries. I couldn’t even image driving home after an along days work  and all of a sudden you see a fence coming down in front of you, when you’re going over 40 miles per hour. It is a blessing no one was killed.

Not only are highways bad, the streets in the cities are bad as well. There are pot holes and sinkholes popping up. In Union City California on October 13, 2015 a sinkhole appeared at the corner of Alvarado Boulevard and New Haven St. This sinkhole in a matter of hours had gone from 6 feet by 6 feet to 25 by 25. Crews from Alameda County Water District went down 10 feet in order to repair a 16 inch water main that was ruptured as the sinkhole grew.

California is supposed to be the 9th richest state according to Forbes 2014 list. If that is the case, how come we have such terrible highways and streets? Is it because budgeting for transportation, roads and bridges including utilities would never get first priority. The infrastructure in California needs to be fixed. It is old and decaying. If it’s not fixed we will continue to have incidents like this and people will die.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Debris-From-Overpass-Falls-Onto-I-880-in-Oakland-Sparks-Multi-Vehicle-Crash-334432491.html
https://twitter.com/CornellBarnard/status/654503586479542272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/10/13/the-richest-and-poorest-states-in-2014/

Mudslides and Flash flooding Are Damaging Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — flash flooding in northern Los Angeles County has filled several roads with mud, stranding vehicles and blocking traffic on one of the state's main highways.

There is one disaster that I hope, I never have to experience in my life time that is mudslides and flash flooding. To see a wall of mud and water coming towards me out of nowhere, with such force would scare me to death. I was watching the news and they were showing the enormous mudslides and flash flooding on Interstate 5 known as the Grapevine, near the town of Castaic California which is in northern part of Los Angeles County. During the afternoon commute on October 15, 2015 hundreds of drivers were stranded a sudden on slot of rocks, mud and debris that poured onto the Interstate 5. At least 6 cars were swallowed up by mud, 4 drivers were stranded and 2 dogs. The authorities were checking cars buried for more victims of this massive mudslide. Interstate 5 five will be closed between Lancaster Freeway to Fort Tejon until the mud and debris is cleaned up. This is only the beginning if El Nino comes this winter like meteorologist are saying, we better get ready. Southern California as well as Northern California will be hit with more flash flooding and mudslides then we have ever seen before. With all the fires that burned thousands of acres this past summer, there is nothing keeping the earth from moving. It is going to be awful.



LM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castaic,_California
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/10/15/massive-mudslide-flash-flood-forces-shut-down-of-grapevine-on-i-5-in-both-directions/

Fleet Week San Francisco 2015

I remember back in 1983, several of my friends and I got together and decided to attend the fleet week celebrations in San Francisco on Friday. Now mind you we had never been before, so we didn’t know what to expect. After watching the parade of ships and the air show on Friday and partying with the Navy, Marines and Coast Guards we all decided to make a weekend out of it. We toured the ships, went to the festivals and enjoyed the entertainment. I must say it was one of the best weekends we ever had in San Francisco. All of us still talk about it to this day.

The second week in October, in the San Francisco Bay Area is Patriotic and exciting! Fleet week in San Francisco is one spectacular, fun week. For all you that don’t know what fleet week is all about? Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist attractions. At certain hours, the public can take a guided tour of the ships. Often, Fleet Week is accompanied by military demonstrations and air shows such as those provided by the Blue Angels.
I think if you never been to a Fleet week celebration, you have to go just once.

 There are so many activities for everyone to enjoy. I put a few links to those activities. I also advise you to take public transit parking is horrendous.

LM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Week
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/10/05/fleet-week-schedule-time-blue-angels-air-show/
http://fleetweeksf.org/
http://www.pier39.com/home/events/fleet-week/

Events & Festivals For The Month Of August in San Mateo, Fremont, Oakland, San Jose, Monterey, Palo Alto, Watsonville, Aptos, Hollister, Los Gatos & Santa Cruz

The hot day of summer is going by so fast. August is just around the corner. There is still time to get outside and enjoy the sun before winter gets here. If you’re trying to decide what to do, below are some suggestions that covers a variety of tastes. So go and have some fun.

Aloha Festival - Bay Area! AUGUST 1 & 2, 2015 Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm

San Mateo County Event Center 1346 Saratoga Drive San Mateo, California

http://www.pica-org.org/

                                                                          

The Fremont Festival of the Arts August 1 & 2, 2015 10 am to 6 pm

http://www.fremontfestival.net/

                                                                     

Oakland Art & Soul Festival Saturday & Sunday August 2^nd & 3^rd Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th Street and Broadway Advanced ticket prices are $5-$15.

http://www.artandsouloakland.com/

                                                         

                         

Santa Clara County Fairgrounds 344 Tully Rd. San Jose, CA 95111 July 30 - August 2, 2015

http://www.thefair.org/directions.cfm

                                                 

August 1 & 2 2015 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 2-3. Monterey County Fair & Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road

http://www.montereyscotgames.com/

       

                                                            

Palo Alto Buddhist Temple OBON & BAZAAR August 1^st 5pm-9:30pm & August 2^nd 12-9:30pm

http://www.pabt.org/index.html

Watsonville Strawberry Festival August 1 and August 2, 2015 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Historic downtown Watsonville Free admission!

http://cityofwatsonville.org/visitors/strawberry-festival

California Beer Festival Santa Cruz 12:30-5 p.m. Aug. 9-10. Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos.

http://www.californiabeerfestival.com/

Bluegrass Festival Aug. 7-10. $17-$95. Bolado Park, near Bolado Road and Airline Highway, Hollister

http://www.scbs.org/events/

Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 9-10. Los Gatos Town Civic Center, 100 E. Main St. Free admission

http://www.lgfiesta.com/

Italian Family Festa. Art, crafts, entertainment, food, children's activities. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 23, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 24. Julian and Santa Clara Street, San Jose

http://www.italianfamilyfestasj.org/

Aloha Races and Polynesian Festival in Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, Beach Street and Pacific Avenue. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 24

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/parks-recreation/community-facilities/santa-cruz-wharf

Palo Alto Festival of the Arts. Art, music, food and beverages. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 23-24. University Avenue, between High and Webster streets. Free admission

http://www.mlaproductions.com/

Assyrian Food Festival Free. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Aug. 23 and 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug 24. Assyrian Church of the East, 680 Minnesota Ave., San Jose

http://assyrianfestival.com/default.aspx

Free & Cheap Festivals and Events June 6th & 7th in San Jose, San Francisco, Berkeley, San Leandro, Oakland and Alameda

I love this time of year, summer is just around the corner. I’m getting out the sundresses, shorts and sandals. I plan on going to free music in the parks, festivals, and children activities with my granddaughter. I put together twelve events and festivals going on in the Bay Area June 6^th & 7^th. Also a link for other events that you may enjoy. So dust off those summer clothes and get out there and enjoy!

National Trails Day 2015: Volunteer Outdoors Saturday, June 6 – 8:30 am | Cost: FREE* | San Francisco Bay Area

Celebrate National Trails Day, the nation’s largest celebration of trails and the outdoors, in the Golden Gate National Parks on June 6, 2015. The Trails Forever Team and partner organizations, One Tam, REI, and American Hiking Society, will host a series of trail and habitat service projects.

http://sf.funcheap.com/national-trails-day-bay-area/

2015 Sand Castle & Sand Sculpture Contest | Alameda Saturday, June 6 – 9:00 am | Cost: FREE* | Robert Crown Memorial State Beach Park

Start your creative juices flowing and get ready to bring your shovel and buckets to the beach to create a unique piece of art at the annual Sand Castle and Sand Sculpture Contest on Alameda’s Robert Crown Memorial State Beach.

http://sf.funcheap.com/annual-sand-castle-contest-alameda/

2015 Union Street Festival June 6^th & 7 All Day | SF

The Union Street Festival is one of San Francisco’s largest free annual events and launches the start of the city’s summer street festivals. Join more than 100,000 attendees in the heart of the historic shopping and residential district of Cow Hollow.

http://sf.funcheap.com/san-franciscos-union-street-ecourban-festival/

Bank of America Free Museum Weekend

Saturday, June 6 – All Day | Cost: FREE* | San Francisco Bay Area

Holders of Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit cards and debit cards get free admission to six Bay Area museums and two Sacramento museums for the first weekend each month. Bank of America Free Museum Weekend First weekend of each month.

http://sf.funcheap.com/bank-of-america-free-museum-weekend-21/

 

2015 Bay Area Book Festival: Literary Block Party & Magic Book Castle | Berkeley Saturday, June 6^th & 7^th – All Day | Cost: FREE | MLK Jr. Civic Center Park (Berkeley)

The inaugural Bay Area Book Festival is a free world-class international celebration of the past, present, and future of the book and taking place indoors and outdoors in Berkeley. 300 diverse authors from the Bay Area, California, the nation, and world, from prize-winners to stellar emerging voices.

http://sf.funcheap.com/2015-bay-area-book-festival-literary-block-party-magic-book-castle-berkeley/

Noodle Mania Zine-Making Workshop Saturday, June 6, 2015 10:30 am to 12:00 pm Oakland FREE Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre (McLaren Park)

Celebrate the art of sound. Megapolis Audio Festival is happening in Oakland. Come be part of my collaborative zine, Noodle Mania.

Workshop Description:

Make a zine, share a true story, and eat noodles! Noodle Mania is a DIY audio documentary art project that provides a forum in print, online, and in person for people to share true stories about their lives and practice art making.

http://sf.funcheap.com/noodle-mania-zinemaking-workshop-oakland/

 

Omino Day 2015: All Day DJ & World Music Festival SF Saturday, June 6 – All Day | Cost: FREE | Saturday, June 6, 2015 | 9:30 am to 4 pm Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (McLaren Park)

Omino Day is a free day-long outdoor music festival which provides a social, musical, artistic, and cultural celebration for the families and youth of San Francisco.

http://sf.funcheap.com/ominoday-day-dj-music-festival-mclaren-park/

 

106th Annual Cherry Festival & Parade: En Vogue Live | San Leandro Saturday, June 6 – All Day | Cost: FREE | Downtown San Leandro

The San Leandro Cherry Festival is a long-standing San Leandro tradition celebrating the city’s past, present and future. The Cherry Festival offers attendees the option to partake in food, a beer garden serving local craft beers, live entertainment, handmade arts and crafts, a special Kids Zone.

http://sf.funcheap.com/san-leandro-cherry-festival/

 

2015 Sub ZERO Festival: Outdoor Music & Art Festival | San Jose

Saturday, June 6 – 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE | SoFA District (San Jose)

Come check out the annual Sub ZERO Festival, a DIY, artistically bent, hi/lo-tech mashup focused on emerging and present subcultures thriving in the region, where street meets geek in San Jose’s SoFA District on the first Friday and Saturday of June.

http://sf.funcheap.com/subzero-festival-san-jose/

 

Off the Grid: Presidio Picnic & Food Truck Party Sunday, June 7 – 11:00 am | Cost: FREE* | Main Post Lawn Off the Grid hosts a full season of Picnic at the Presidio from 11 am to 4 pm every Sunday through the fall at the Main Parade Ground Lawn. Expect yummy offerings available for purchase from San Francisco’s favorite eateries and food trucks, Mimosa and Bloody Mary drink kits.

http://sf.funcheap.com/off-the-grid-presidio-picnic-food-truck-party-sf-68/

La Peña 40th Anniversary Party: Puerto Rican Dance & Afro-Cuban Drums | Berkeley Sunday, June 7 – All Day | Cost: FREE | La Peña Cultural Center

La Peña Cultural Center celebrates 40 years of art and activism in the Bay and beyond throughout the month of June, kicking off with an open house, a facility-wide art exhibit, free music and dance classes, and more. “La Pena” means gathering place.

http://sf.funcheap.com/la-pea-40th-anniversary-party-puerto-rican-dance-afrocuban-drums-berkeley/

 

San Francisco International Arts Festival: Final Day Sunday, June 7 – 2:15 pm | Cost: FREE* | Fort Mason Center

The Eyes and Ears Foundation present the annual San Francisco Arts Festival featuring two weeks of art programs, exhibits and performances happening at the Fort Mason Center. The theme for 2015 is Bearing Witness: Surveillance in the Drone Age and the events and exhibits.

http://sf.funcheap.com/san-francisco-international-arts-festival-final-day-fort-mason/

LM

http://sf.funcheap.com/weekend/