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📍Albany Bulb - 1 Buchanan St, Albany, CA 94706

📍Albany Bulb - 1 Buchanan St, Albany, CA 94706
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Sometimes the best adventures are the ones where you get to explore your own backyard.
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We squeezed in a visit to Albany Bulb amongst the three Thanksgivings we had last week and it was the perfect way to slow down during a busy week.
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💡Albany Bulb was a landfill until 1984. Today, it’s a public park that features cool urban art that’s reminiscent of some of the “junk art” that can be found in the desert outside of Joshua Tree.
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This spot is stunning on a sunny and clear day and offers a great view of San Francisco’s skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. It’s also a haven for cute doggos, so that doesn’t hurt either!
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Save this video and share it with someone you’d like to go with on the next sunny day in the Bay.
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#albanybulb #albanybulbart #albanybulbpark #albanyca #albanycalifornia #eastbay #eastbayphotographer #bayareaphotographer #sanfranciscobayarea #sanfranciscoart

This event truly met my... great expectations. If

This event truly met my... great expectations. If you only have time for just one thing this Christmas in San Francisco, I’d recommend the Dickens Fair.

Performances, costumes, singing, solving crimes with Sherlock Holmes, meat pies, the Ghost of Christmas Past wandering through the streets of London, eggnog and hot buttered rum, fencing, carnival games, and so much more!

It was a lot of fun and a very unique experience. We saw lots of families, couples, and various groups all having a great time. Not a Grinch to be found!

Have you gone to the Dicken’s Christmas Fair yet? What were your favorite things? Save and share this video with someone you’d like to go with!

#dickensfair #greatdickenschristmasfair #christmasfair #christmasmarkets #sanfrancisco #sanfranciscochristmas #holidayevents #sanfranciscoevents

The shorter days after Daylight Savings ends in th

The shorter days after Daylight Savings ends in the fall are always a hard transition. And this year felt harder than usual.

The best remedy is an old one: carpe diem! Getting out of the city and heading to nature for the day or taking off early from work once a week so you can still enjoy some daylight between the weekends.

Other things I’ve been doing to get out of that daylight savings funk include:
* Getting back into regular workouts—this is huge for my mental health.
* Exploring new places—travel always uplifts my spirits, and there are still so many things to discover in the Bay Area that I haven’t done yet. And that travel mindset always reminds me of the little things to appreciate and be grateful for, especially in my own backyard.
* Experiencing ALL of the Christmas things—although this time of year means shorter days, it also means getting into the holiday spirit! Growing up, winter was my favorite season simply because it had Christmas in it. And believe me when I say I’ve always been a Christmas betch at heart, even before it was a term. Getting some of that childhood glee back doing holiday things is priceless.

Have you felt much different since Daylight Savings or does it not really affect you? What have you been doing to combat daylight savings blues?

#daylightsavings #daylightsavingtime #shorterdays #fallseason #holidays #christmas #californiachristmas #christmasincalifornia #californiaholidays #bayareachristmas #bayareaholidays #sanfrancisco #sanfranciscochristmas #christmasinsanfrancisco #californiafall #californiawinter

I’ve been wanting to experience the Great Dicken

I’ve been wanting to experience the Great Dicken’s Christmas Fair in Daly City (right outside of San Francisco) for years and I finally made it happen this year!

We spent just over six hours at the fair and it flew by, there was so much to do and see. A few of our favorite things about the fair were the following:
*Solving the Sherlock Holmes Mystery
*All of the live music and performances, especially at the raucous Mad Sal’s
*All of the character interaction—we met Charles Dickens and saw actors just hanging out and chatting with guests to add to the theme.
*Fencing lessons—Suneel did this for $12 and got to fence with one of the crew, it was definitely a highlight.
*Trying all of the festive drinks, including egg nog (so good!), hot mead, hot buttered rum, and even a mulled wine cocktail.
*People watching—besides the actors, so many guests were dressed to the nines in their favorite Victorian costumes. It was fun seeing everyone’s creativity with their costumes and how much people got into it.
*Carnival games—I love a good carnival game, and I tried all three! They were $4 a piece, which didn’t feel like too much compared to other carnival games we’ve done at amusement parks. Plus, it actually seemed like they wanted you to win and to get a prize, which is very different from usual carnival games.

Some things we wouldn’t recommend: The Jekyll and Hyde bar crawl mystery—this was expensive at $65 and the cocktails were just not that good, the roasted nuts (they smelled so dang good but were stale and soft), and the food overall was just okay but a bit overpriced for the portion sizes. You can bring your own food and water to the fair, so I might recommend this instead if you’re looking to save some money.

Are you planning to go to the Dicken’s Christmas Fair this year? Save and share this reel with someone you’d want to go with so you have all of our tips handy!

#dickensfair #greatdickenschristmasfair #christmasfair #christmasmarkets #sanfrancisco #sanfranciscochristmas #holidayevents #sanfranciscoevents

✨SAVE this rooftop bar for the next time you’r

✨SAVE this rooftop bar for the next time you’re looking for good views in San Francisco✨

🏙️ Rising 120 feet above Market Street, Charmaine’s is located in the San Francisco Proper Hotel.

It’s right around the corner from the Orpheum Theatre and a great spot for a drink looking over the city on a nice day.

We went to Charmaine’s after seeing The Book of Mormon and it was the perfect way to end a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the city. Plus, it’s right near BART for easy transport!
 Tip: Besides their delicious cocktails, I highly recommend ordering the pretzel rolls with the smoked pimento cheese dip. Yum.  
🍸What’s the best rooftop bar you’ve been to?

Follow @theatlasheart for more bucket list ideas, local tips, and outdoor adventures in California.
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#charmaines #rooftopbars #sanfrancisco #bayarea #northerncalifornia

✨SAVE this hike for your next trip to San Jose✨

🥾Mt Umunhum Peak Trail - 8 miles, 1188 elevation gain, 3.25 hours to complete
Trailhead: Start from Mt Umunhum Trail (37.159130, -121.876230)

Located in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, this hike features an 84.5-foot radar tower at the top that was used by the US Air Force during the Cold War. Before that, the Amah Mutsun tribal band inhabited the region.

This was my 2nd of six peaks I’m hiking this year in the Bay Area.

The trail had more tree coverage than I expected but it’s still a good idea to start as early as possible if you’re hiking in the summer or fall because San Jose gets HOT.   Another tip: The trailhead is small and fills up quickly, by around 9 am on weekends.  
⛰️Have you hiked to the top of Mt. Umunhum? If you haven’t, are you adding it to your bucket list?

Follow @theatlasheart for more bucket list ideas, local tips, and outdoor adventures in California.
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#mtumunhum #sanjosehikes #sanjose #bayareahikes #bayarea #southbay #northerncalifornia

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