Anyone can plop in front of the TV after Christmas and spend the final days of the year in a football-induced stupor.

Instead, why not head to Anchorage and see what can be created from a little H2O, freezing temperatures and a whole lot of imagination.

From December 26-28, ice sculptors will bring chisels and chainsaws to the city’s Town Square Park to fashion blocks of ice into works of art during the annual Crystal Gallery of Ice event.

The blue-diamond ice is cut out of a pit in Fairbanks and taken by rail down to Anchorage. Each can weigh up to two tons and had to be moved with a forklift.

If you’ve never seen ice carving, you’re in for an amazing experience. Artists have just a few days to work, so many are out in the middle of the night. Visitors are welcome 24 hours a day to watch the magic unfold.

In a matter of hours, the sculptors create animals, buildings, and fantastical creatures. Judging is at 5 p.m. Dec. 28, and then the entries remain on display into March. A special children’s ice park includes slides, and other interactive creations.

Photo: Thanks Alaskanization blog

With the holidays soon upon us, one’s mind turns to … sweets.

I’m always up for something new, and today I’m thinking of handmade peppermints from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen in Cannon Beach, Ore.

Known as Humbugs, these aren’t mass-produced candy canes or glorified Tic Tacs, but British-style treats that have developed a cult following.

Bruce’s, which has been around since 1963, already has a loyal clientele for its taffy (dozens of flavors include molasses, huckleberry and chocolate peanut butter) caramel popcorn, and enough penny candies to keep you on a sugar high until 2010.

Humbugs, which are cream and peppermint hard candies, were developed for a Dickens festival 35 years ago. They proved so popular, they’ve remained a seasonal treat ever since.

The company only makes 200 pounds of the candy, which is then cut into 174,000 irregularly shaped pieces on a century-old machine.

Humbugs sound like they’re worth a trip alone – and the windswept Oregon Coast can make a cozy place to spend the holidays. The web site doesn’t list the candies now, but it may be updated soon. In the meantime, you can call 503-436-2641 [number corrected] to order.

Do you have a favorite coastal candy? Let us know in the comments.

As Christmas approaches, communities welcome the holiday in their own special way. On the coast, it usually involves lights, carols and yachts.

It was a century ago, that an Italian gondolier decorated his boat with Japanese lanterns and took visitors across Newport Bay, Calif. The sight was as popular from land as sea, and the Christmas boat parade was born. Now Newport Beach hosts one of the biggest celebrations, running this year from December 17-21.

Today, swanky yachts, small schooners, and even kayaks deck their hulls and parade through Newport Harbor. Landlubbers can catch the action from almost anywhere on shore. One popular spot, the Balboa Fun Zone, offers commentary on the parade along with harbor history. Reserve a table at Balboa Bay Club & Resort, The Chart House, or another waterfront restaurant for an evening of “light” dining.

The idea has taken off across the country. There are too many celebrations to mention here, but if you find yourself on the Mississippi Gulf Coast on December 11, you can find a great example in Gulfport. Founded just eight years ago, Christmas on the Bayou, is one of many festivals keeping the tradition alive.

For more revelry on the coast, check out our top 10 list of holiday celebrations.

How I wish I were in Seattle this weekend.

ExOfficio, one of the top makers of travel clothing, has a sample sale today through Saturday, Nov. 22. Prices begin at $5

Travelers prize the sturdy gear because many of the products wick moisture, offer UV protection and even repel insects. It all started more than 20 years ago with a ventilated fly-fisherman's shirt, designed “with lots of pockets that would look good enough to go into a restaurant.”

Since then I’ve seen it worn all over the world, from Costa Rica to Cleveland.

The sale is held at the company’s corporate headquarters, 3314 South 116th Street in Tukwila, Washington. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and tomorrow, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It’s cash only, and if you bring a non-perishable food donation, you’ll get $5 off. Plus, if you bring your own bag you can be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate.

The company’s close enough to Sea-Tac airport that you could probably drop by during a layover. But as much as I love deals, I won't be flying in for the occasion.

For those of us who can’t make the sale, what’s your favorite clothing for travel? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks: WanderlustAndLipstick

Want to learn cooking techniques from Top Chef contestants Richard Blais and Casey Thompson? Or care to learn wine and food pairing tips from Ted Allen of Food Detectives?

Then hit up the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival happening now through this Sunday. The event includes 15 celebrity chef cooking and wine classes with hands-on instruction. Look at the schedule for varying class times and locations.

If you can only attend one day, be sure to go this Saturday, November 15 for the Grand Tasting at Embarcadero Marina Park North. Sample cuisine from over 60 of San Diego’s top chefs and 30 gourmet food companies. Wash it down with tastes of 700 different wines from 160 wine and spirit suppliers. Except, don’t taste all 700.

Take a break from stuffing your belly to bid in the auctions (proceeds benefit the American Institute of Wine & Food scholarship programs), have cookbooks signed, and watch the Chef of the Fest competition.

Only drawback: Tickets cost $100 in advance or $125 at the festival. Save a few bucks by being a designated driver, paying only $60 in advance or $100 at the festival.

Pictured: 2007 Chef of the Fest contestants.
Photo from World of Wine Event.

If location is the basis of real estate, Seattle’s new Four Seasons hotel keeps great company. It’s located a block from the city’s top tourist attraction, Pike Place Market, and across the street from the Seattle Art Museum.

The hotel, which opened last week, marks the return of the luxury chain to the Emerald City. The former Four Seasons became a Fairmont hotel in 2003. The new one shows the company isn’t looking back.

Like many hotel projects of late, this one mixes condos and hotel rooms. The 147-room hotel takes up floors 3 to 10 of the 21-story building. Expect the usual over-the-top amenities including spa, infinity edge outdoor pool, plus a TV embedded behind the bathroom mirror. Your teeth brushing will never be the same.

You can also expect views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains and the city skyline. The standard rate is $365 per night, but until April 1, the hotel’s offering the third night free.

I stayed in a similar Four Seasons hotel-condo property in Houston last month. And I was in good company. Accompanying me up the elevator one Thursday night: Dan Aykroyd.

When the first bathhouses opened on the Santa Cruz waterfront more than a century ago, no one could imagine radio, let alone the Internet.

But the famed California boardwalk now offers free WiFi throughout the amusement park and along the nearby beach. No password is required.

So feel free to surf the web surfside. But you probably don’t want to take your laptop on the Giant Dipper, the park’s venerable wooden roller coaster.

The free-access site joins several others in Santa Cruz County, including Natural Bridges State Beach and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

Have you encountered any surprising spots with free WiFi? Let us know in the comments.

One of the many cool things about working at Coastal Living is the test kitchen.

About once a month, we’re forced into a dining room to taste the recipes that will be used in the magazine. It’s grueling work. We’re supposed to rate each dish, and I try (and usually fail) to be discriminating.

It has also been educational. I’ve learned about the different types of lobster bisques, barbecue shrimp, and tiki drinks.

This is all for you dear reader.

Really.

The smarter I get about seafood, the more likely I’ll be able to steer you to the best dining experiences on the coast. (And the more likely, I’ll have to hit the gym the next day, too.)

A few months ago, the menu included Dungeness crab. The delicate, sweet, meat has a distinctive taste, and I was reminded again about why it’s such a delicacy.

There'll be plenty to taste this weekend in Port Angeles, Washington, home of the seventh annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival. The critter gets its name from the nearby village of Dungeness, so you know this is the real deal.

The highlight, of course, is the crab feed. (That’s you being fed, not the crustaceans). There’s also a tank to fish for crab and earn prizes, a music stage, and cooking demonstrations.

Can’t make the trip? Try this recipe instead.

Are you a music fan who loves wine and beer tasting? And do you happen to have rambunctious kids who need constant entertainment? Well this festival meets all those needs.

If you don’t fit that category, then you can partake in the home show, commercial expo, or food sampling amongst countless other activities at the Morro Bay Harbor Festival this weekend.

Festival highlights include maritime displays with a touch tank, the Wine and Seafood Pavilion featuring 46 wineries and 14 restaurants and caterers, three performance stages plus a crafts area and a kids carnival.

A one day pre-purchase pass costs $7 or buy a two day pass for $10. Admission for children 12 and under is free.

The festival serves as a fundraiser for San Luis Obispo County nonprofit organizations, donating a substantial portion of the proceeds to organizations that staff the weekend festivities. Since 1987, over $390,000 has been awarded to participating nonprofit groups.

Now you can feel good about tasting beers from Lagunitas Brewing Company and chowder from Windows on the Water.

Pictured: Hawaiian Shirt Contest

A predicted sunny afternoon and warm evening tomorrow at Huntington Beach, California will provide optimal conditions for the Surf City Nights street fair.

From 5 to 9 p.m., Main Street between Pacific Coast Highway and Orange Avenue closes for the festivities. Find free family entertainment, kids activities, a farmer’s market, outdoor food booths, and retailer sidewalk sales. One block away, the Huntington Beach Pier offers views of the coast.

Park in the Main Promenade Parking Structure at 200 Main Street for two hours of free parking.

For more details, visit hbdowntown.com.

What city has the best restaurants to boot? New York City? Think again. Chicago? Nope, still wrong.

Travel + Leisure and CNN Headline News teamed up to compile travelers’ rankings of 25 top U.S. cities in 45 categories, ranging from culture to food to nightlife, shopping, and others.

And you travel bugs rated New Orleans #1 for destination restaurants, live music and bands, vintage shopping, and ethnic food and cheap eats.

New Orleans wasn’t the only coastal city to rack up the awards. Here’s a sampling of #1 honors from coast to coast.

New York City: people-watching, art galleries, and theater
D.C.: museums
Charleston: friendly people
Miami: attractive people
San Francisco: noteworthy neighborhoods
Portland: cleanliness, environmental awareness
Seattle: cafes/coffee bars, farmers’ and specialty food markets

See the complete list here.

Pictured: Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge at twilight

Coastal living isn’t just all surf, sun and scenery. It also means giving back a bit to the places we all love.

If you’re in California this Saturday, why not spend a few hours volunteering for the state’s 24th annual coastal clean up. Last year, 60,000+ volunteers collected more than 900,000 pounds in just one morning. Marine debris isn’t just unsightly. It can kill fish, birds, and sea mammals. And it can endanger humans too.

You can preregister to help with the event, or just show up at one of the many cleaup sites. You -- and our beaches -- will be better for it,

Prepare to get dirty in this less than conventional approximately six-mile Muddy Buddy race. On November 2 (registration closes on October 30), teams will compete at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas, finishing with a trudge through the infamous mud pit.

You and a partner alternate running and biking the course, stopping to complete five obstacles along the way. Past obstacles have included a cargo net climb, a low wall, and monkey bars.

Yes, that’s right, monkey bars.

Expect to finish in about 50 minutes, fully covered in mud, of course.

Don’t forget to create a wacky costume as the frog-clad opponent next to you might win the costume contest instead. And bring along the kids as they can participate in the Mini Muddy Buddy.

Go here to register online. The adult team fee is $140 plus parking.

Check out these photos to see what’s awaiting you.

When it comes to dining, Seattle’s more than Starbucks and flying salmon.

Seattle Food Tours proves the point with excursions through the city’s Belltown and Pike Place neighborhoods.

Sample chocolate, artisan breads, and chowders along with Mexican and Vietnamese dishes. The two-and-a-half hour walking tours include six or seven snacking stops, and run $39.50.

The company says you won’t need lunch afterwards, so just consider it a moveable feast. Since it’s Seattle, tours run rain or shine, but true to their cultural roots, each excursion starts with a latte.

For 20 years, the slow food movement has preached that good things take time. Started in Italy as a contrast to fast food, supporters celebrate local cuisine and traditions.

It’s a philosophy worth seeking your teeth into. And you can have a chance to do just that next weekend at the San Francisco Slow Food Nation 08 gathering, August 29-September 1. Dozens of food producers and chefs will offer plenty of information and flavors at “taste pavilions.”

Sessions range from "coffee and chocolate pairings" to "craft beer" to "artisan cheeses." There’s even a field trip planned to Half Moon Bay to learn about the state’s oldest fishing fleet – and have a wonderful lunch.

Providing food for thought will be uber-foodies, such as chef Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) and authors Michael Pollan  (Omnivore’s Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation).

If you’re in town, you’ll want to head over. But no speeding. Take it slow.

Photo: Roland via flickr

Think vintage San Francisco transportation and a cable car probably jumps to mind. But area visitors can take a ride on something almost as old: a 117-year-old sailing ship.

The schooner Alma is a floating part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Rangers offer trips in the bay several afternoons a month through November.

And it’s not necessarily a sit-back-and-watch-the-sights excursion. Passengers are encouraged to help rangers hoist the sails, haul lines and generally get in the spirit of a 19th century crew.

The flat-bottome, 60-foot schooner is one of the last surviving of its kind. The ship served as a "flatbed truck" of its day, hauling merchandise around the region.

The three-and-a-half hour tours run $35 for adults; $30 for seniors; $20 for children ages 6-15; and free for kids under 6 when accompanied by an adult. 

From perfume to cooking to medicine, lavender seems to do it all. The lovely herb brightens gardens and floral arrangements – and the city of Sequim, Washington. The town, which calls its self “Lavender Capital of North America” celebrates lavender in a big way next weekend, July 18-20.

Guests love the food court featuring local wineries, and the street fair, where lavender ware will be on full display – and up to 45 varieties of the herb will be for sale. The most photogenic scenes will come at the area’s many lavender farms, which will be open for tours and feature cooking demonstrations.

Also on tap: lavender smoothies, ice cream, and maybe, lavender pie. Or sign up for a five-course lavender-laced gala dinner with everything from lavender focaccia to lavender rhubarb chutney to lavender meringue. 

My favorite festival amenity is dog sitting, since animals don’t mix well with crowds, even aromatic ones.  But don’t feel sorry for the pampered pups. A health food store for pets will offer lavender scented bandanas, providing “calming” aromatherapy for dogs.

Summer time is ice cream time. But please, don’t limit yourself to chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Mapplr.com points reader to two unique Bay Area spots for frozen treats.

Mitchell’s Ice Cream offers a taste of the Philippines with flavors such as purple yam, avocado, and jackfruit. While Bi-Rite Creamery serves organic flavors including ginger, orange cardamom and balsamic strawberry, to name a few.

Meanwhile, our friends at Roadfood.com, have been searching out the 50 best ice creameries in New England. The top four, each earning coveted five cone ratings: Sundae School in Dennisport, Mass., on Cape Cod; Shaw’s Ridge Farm in Sanford, Maine; Tubby’s in Wayne, Maine; and Herrell’s Ice Cream, in Allston, Mass., in the Boston area.

What's your favorite coastal spot for an ice cream cone? A hungry public awaits your tips!

Photo of Bi-Rite Creamery from Daily Feed

Landlubbers, your ship has come in. Nearly three dozen of them.

High masts will lord over Tacoma’s harbor all weekend as it welcomes Tall Ships 2008. Many of the multi-sailed vessels will be open for touring and cruising. Participating ships include the three-masted Coast Guard training ship "Eagle" and replicas of Christopher Columbus’ “Nina,” and the "Bounty,” originally built for a movie.

Taken together, they promise to provide a dramatic scene that seems lifted from previous centuries.

The celebration includes three entertainment areas, with demonstrations, food vendors, crafts, and musical performances. Come early and prepared for crowds. The first festival attracted 700,000 visitors in 2005. Tacoma has closed down streets near the port, and planned for satellite parking areas. Or you can take a water taxi from the Des Moines dock south of Seattle and arrive at the festival by sea, which seems appropriate.

If you can’t make it to Washington this weekend, consider similar festivals up and down the West Coast this summer. Tall ships will visit Port Alberni, British Columbia; San Francisco; Oxnard, Calif.; Los Angeles; San Diego; and Dana Point, Calif.

Pictured: The Kaisei

Some try to ignore their 50th birthday. But in Alaska, they’re so excited about it, they’ve begun the party six months early.

On June 28, Alaska will turn the clock back to 1958, when the Anchorage Daily Times trumpeted “We’re In” – in the United States, that is. The U.S. Senate had voted to accept Alaska as the 49th state on June 30, 1958. Six months later in January, 1959, the state formally joined the union. Hawaii would become the 50th state later that year.

To mark the occasion, Anchorage is hosting the "We're In Weekend," a citywide celebration of statehood. The city will be draped in blue and gold bunting and feature a parade with ‘50s-era cars. There will be an open air marketplace with Alaskan food, street performers, and entertainment stages. At noon, guests will participate in an historic re-enactment as they hang a 49th star on a U.S. flag in front of the old Federal Courthouse.

Elsewhere, Wynonna Judd will host a free concert at Anchorage’s Elmendorf Air Force Base, and a military air show will feature the Thunderbirds, a military parachute team, and other aerial acts.

Sounds like a big party. After all you only turn 50 once.

Alaska cruise season is almost in full swing -- and the shore excursions are more imaginative then ever.

Now visitors can step aboard a celeb-ship for an adventurous introduction to commercial fishing. The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s tour takes guests out on the Aleutian Ballad. The 107-foot ship provided one of the most exciting moments of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch reality show, when it was hit by a 60-foot wave.

Travelers should have a much calmer time during their three-and-a-half hour adventure from Ketchikan. They’ll watch crews toss 700-pound Bering Sea king crab pots, and pull up king and snow crab, octopus, eel, prawns and sharks. All are placed in a live tank on-deck before being returned to the sea.

A cozy base for viewing passing whales and icebergs, Newfoundland’s Qirpon Island Lighthouse Inn shines in our June feature on the remote Northern Peninsula. Bedazzled readers should know of a sister property, Cape Anguille Lighthouse Inn (pictured below), also in western Newfoundland. Another working beacon, another chance to revel in pristine nature, shoot the salty breeze with genial hosts, and sleep in a restored lighthouse-keeper’s house.

Often anchored in wildly beautiful settings, lighthouse lodgings have a gale-force romantic appeal, though the accommodations tend to be more homey than deluxe. Knowing our readers are drawn to them like moths to a flame, we’ve showcased some of the best and always look for new ones, such as the Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo on California’s Mendocino coast. For other places where you can sleep with the light on, consult this far-ranging roundup.

Between airline fees and gas prices, we all could use a vacation. Luckily, here’s word of a great deal on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The new Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas has rooms from $299 per night – the rack rate’s usually $600. The deal’s good through the end of the year, but must be booked by May 31. There’s limited availability, but I entered random dates in September and found rooms at the sale price on the first try.

Kauai, the garden isle, will beguile you. Just look at this story and slide show we ran earlier this year.

Put aside preconceptions about sophisticated San Francisco. It's home to some of the wildest islands on the continent. Blue whales, humpbacks, and even great white sharks pass by the Farallons.

It’s not easy to reach the national wildlife refuge, located 27 miles offshore, yet technically part of the city of San Francisco. But beginning Saturday May 24, and continuing through November, the Oceanic Society offers day-long boat trips. Along with sea mammals, visitors can glimpse more than a quarter-million nesting seabirds, including puffins, auklets and guillemots. The eight-hour tours cost $105.

The (literal) big draw: blue whales. At 85-feet-long, they're the largest animal to have ever lived on earth. Only rarely will you spot a shark, though. They’re more common in the fall, and generally disappear from view unless in a feeding frenzy. For more about the untamed islands, see Susan Casey’s book The Devil’s Teeth. It’s scarier than Jaws because it’s real.

Photo: Courtesy Oceanic Society

If you’ll be in the Pacific Northwest next week, consider heading to Depoe Bay, Oregon, for a unique Memorial Day tradition.

Since 1945, the town has remembered lives lost at sea in a moving ceremony that literally moves. A parade of wreath- and flower-bedecked boats pass under the Highway 101 bridge, which is lined with spectators. The vessels head just offshore where they form a circle and place their flowers in the water. A military helicopter drops a wreath in the middle as jets zoom overhead. 

The ceremony started to remember two men who died while trying to rescue a troller caught in a storm, and has grown over the years. The harbor service begins at 11 a.m.

Photo: Distilled Publishing

Almost as long as people have visited Hawaii, they’ve been bringing home souvenirs. From the Aloha shirt to dashboard hula girls, the 50th state has long looked after our shopping needs.

In this eBay era, it should be no surprise that many old keepsakes are now collectibles. This year, visitors can see these vintage gems in person (take that eBay!) in Honolulu. Both the Hawaii All-Collectors Show, July 18 and 19, and The Wiki Wiki One Day Show, October 26, are held at the Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall complex.

If you’re visiting this month, though, you can still get in on the fun. On May 9, 16, 23, and 30, the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach will feature collectibles displays and discussions in its lobby, presented by show sponsors Ilene & Wayne Productions. 

California is big place. I mean, really big. From the snow-capped mountains, dry desserts, dense redwood forests, and dynamic farmlands to the quickly proliferating wine regions and endless miles of coastline, it's enough to keep any traveler (and one particular travel writer) busy for a lifetime. So, for the best travel tips, I find that guide books specializing on a particular part of this enormous state are more informative than ones attempting to cover the entire she-bang in one book.

Lately, I'm into Open Road's Best of Southern California (Simon & Schuster, 2007) by O.C. native, Elizabeth Borsting. She really dishes on what's worth doing---and what's overrated. "We're talking only the best here, regardless of price range. If it's great, I put it in the book," she says. What I dig the most is not only her insider knowledge of authentic "Cali" things to do (like having a beach bonfire at Huntington Beach or getting a Date Shake at historic Ruby's Shake Shack along the Pacific Coast Highway), but that she suggests the best itineraries based on how much time you have. One day, one weekend, one week? No problemo. She even adds alternative plans, in case you don't like something she suggests. It's authoritative, easy to use, and includes color photos and maps. Available at www.simonsays.com

I'd love to hear about your Southern Cali travel tips, too. Thumbs up or down: What did you think of shopping on Abbott Kinney Blvd in Venice Beach? Is In-N-Out Burger a California icon? Dude, which beaches are hot (and which ones are SO not)?   

I posted a cool opportunity to one of our other blogs, Shore Things, but I wouldn't want to exclude anyone interested in a week-long paid trip to the sand and surf of sunny California. Barefoot Wine and the Surfrider Foundation have teamed up to offer a contest for a summer job where the winner will do some good for the environment and enjoy the coast.

Check out the full post on Shore Things for details and directions to enter.

On my first trip to Hawaii, I was surprised by the leis.

I thought they were just for tourists, but quickly discovered the necklaces are still a vibrant part of Hawaiian culture. Parents give them at graduation, friends offer them as birthday gifts, and every Secretary’s Day you’re sure to see leis around the office.

As a visitor, you can purchase leis throughout the islands. (Honolulu’s Chinatown has a block lined with lei stands).  Or you can learn to make them yourself. Here’s a Los Angeles Times story listing lei-making classes in Hawaii, including a flower farm that will send you a kit with fresh blooms so you can make one at home. But the list is hardly exhaustive. Many resorts and hotels offer instruction too.

Photo: ParadiseFlowers.com

Next time you’re visiting the bay area, book the Lexus Hybrid Living Suite at The Fairmont San Francisco. The hotel pulled out all the stops to offer eco-minded travelers an upscale retreat outfitted with organic linens, low-VOC paints and nontoxic finishes, and materials made from recycled and renewable resources (even the coffee table is made from leather recycled from Lexus vehicles).
Guests in the tenth floor suite enjoy commanding views of the bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz; eco-friendly toiletries; a mini-bar stocked with local wines and organic nibbles; a guide that offers environmentally friendly activities in the area; and complimentary use of Lexus’s LS 600h L hybrid to get around the city. Sounds like heaven to me, but it does come with hefty price tag (rates start at $869 for a one night stay).
For more information or to book, call 415-772-5147 or visit fairmont.com.

Want that day-at-the-beach atmosphere at home? How about adding a Ferris wheel? California's Santa Monica Pier Pacific Park is auctioning off its iconic nine-story ride on Ebay. Bidding starts at $50,000 -- shipping not included. Click here to launch your funfair empire.

It's me, Susan Kim, your connection to everything "coastal" on the West Coast. Follow me through my travels, and I'll hook you up with the best places to visit, including secret beaches, delicious seafood venues (you'll soon discover this is the end goal to many of my travels), cool happenings, and insider tips for the places I write about in Coastal Living.

Today's interesting coastal event is big news around the country: the Olympic torch is passing through San Francisco on its only U.S. stop. The runners will follow a beautiful waterfront route, starting at McCovey Cove and finishing at the Ferry Building. As you probably know, there are many concerns for protesters disrupting the run. This should be interesting. You can watch live coverage of the torch run at this site: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/09/MNDS102IIM.DTL&tsp=1

If you happen to be there (and you're hungry), definitely stop by Pancho Villa next to the Ferry Building for spicy shrimp tacos. Maybe I'll see you there.