Visit Ring Mountain for an Early Spring Getaway

With the weather these days getting ever-so-slightly warmer, you might be thinking about an early getaway this spring. And with so many great attractions—nature in particular—in and around Marin County, your options can often seem overwhelming.

Out near Tiburon is one particularly beautiful locale ripe for a weekend trip: Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve.

Known for its stunning wildflowers and its panoramic views of San Francisco and the Bay Area, the early spring is perhaps the best time of year to visit Ring Mountain.

Pamela over at MarinMommies.com blogged about her family’s trip to Ring Mountain earlier this month—she provided some really helpful information and some really fun facts about this great local attraction:

This preserve on a hill above Tiburon and east Corte Madera was saved from development back in the 1990s, and is home to a number of rare plants like the Tiburon Mariposa Lilly, which is found nowhere else in the world. Large boulders and rocks are scattered throughout the hillside, giving it an otherworldly appearance. You'll even find remnants of Native American settlements here in the way of petroglyphs and a grinding rock.

Numerous trails criss-cross the 367-acre Ring Mountain Preserve. The Phyllis Ellman trail leads from Paradise Drive up to the top of the mountain; you can return to the Paradise Drive trailhead via the loop trail. Most families will want to head for the fire roads on top of Ring Mountain. They're largely smooth and flat (some sections are even paved) and are fine for sturdy jogging strollers, as well as mountain bikes.

Best of all, Ring Mountain is a short distance from almost anywhere in Marin County. It feels like it's a world away, though. From mid-March through April the whole hillside is often carpeted in flowers. I like to think that my photos are pretty good, but they really don't do the view justice—you have to go there and see it for yourself.

Click here to read more about Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve.

Host Trivia Nights in Marin County

It wasn’t too long ago that “geek” was considered a dirty word. But here in Marin, with a wealth of prestigious universities in the area and a hub for the tech industry, it’s not unusual—even accepted—to be a proud geek.

Trivia contests are also becoming a more popular weeknight outing for local brainiacs to show off their chops. But for those of you looking for a little something extra, you can now apply to be a quiz host—you can even get paid for it.

Geeks Who Drink is a fun, new organization that put together quiz nights all over the country—and they’re looking for highly dedicated, fun Quiz Master in the Marin/San Rafael area. Here’s some more information courtesy of their website:

What's in it for you: $50 a night plus a $25 bar tab for three hours of work. You host the quiz, you blog about it, you get paid. 

Performing experience is a plus. 

If you want to co-host with a friend, apply as a team.

If you're applying from a city that has a Geeks Who Drink quiz, or three, and you've never played before, do yourself a favor and play our quiz before you apply. It helps us take you a bit more seriously and you'll be able to see what you're getting yourself into and if it's something you want to get yourself into. For our quiz schedule click here.

Click here for more information on Geeks Who Drink!

Finding A Permanent Home for Our Farmers Market

Currently, the Marin Farmers Market operates at the Marin Veteran’s Auditorium’s parking lot on Thursdays and the Marin Civic Center’s parking lot on Sundays. But under a new proposal, San Rafael residents will be able to vote to give the market a more permanent home in June.

This proposal would turn the Civic Center’s parking lot into a dedicated home for the farmer’s market, which has been a staple of the community for decades in promoting local agriculture and serving up fresh, healthy food to San Rafael and Marin residents—and the plans call for a hefty 4.6 acres, with a building and large canopy. The developer would be the Agricultural Institute of Marin.

In addition, according to the Marin Independent Journal, the proposed permanent farmers market will also be great for the community:

This site has the potential to become a new hub of activity situated near the proposed SMART train station. The institute plans a new “eco-friendly” building that will include a café and market, to be open daily with local produce, meats, cheeses and other products. There also would be space for educational activities, including a kitchen classroom, and for the institute’s offices.

Click here to read more about the proposal for the new Marin Farmer’s Market.

Charity and Fine Dining, a “Stone’s Throw” Away

The SF-Marin Food Bank has been a staple in our community for years, and they’ve been forging relationships with local restaurants lately, too.

This year, Russian Hill restaurant Stones Throw is helping the food bank by hosting a dinner series titled “Eat Like a Chef, Drink Like a Somm.” This program brings visiting chefs and commeliers to Marin County to create special menus based on the food that the chefs enjoy themselves!

These special dinners at Stones Throw will be held on the last Monday of each month, all the way through June. And if you attend, you can eat out without the guilt—all proceeds from food sales will benefit the SF-Marin Food Bank.

But it’s not all on you—on each day of the dinner series, Stones Throw staff will be volunteering at the Food Bank. Even you can volunteer and contribute to this worthy cause if you so desire—Stones Throw is also collecting non-perishable food donations from diners who attend the dinners. Remember to check the SF-Marin Food Bank website for more information on how to donate and volunteer!

Here’s the official schedule for the rest of the program, courtesy of Inside Scoop SF:

The schedule, as it currently stands:

· March 31: AQ chef Mark Liberman and sommelier Kristen Capella.

· April 28: To be announced.

· May 19 (the day after Memorial Day): A16 chef Chris Thompson and owner/wine director Shelley Lindgren

· June 30: Perbacco chef Staffan Terje

The dinners cost $105 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity; optional beverage pairings are $65. Tickets are available via Sosh.

Give Back with Every Cup

Drinking tea has always been a great way to slow things down, come together, and appreciate the simple things in life. But one local business is also using tea to give back to the community.

At Silk Road Teas in San Rafael, owners Ned and Catherine Heagerty have recently begun selling boxes of their high quality organic teas at local Whole Foods Markets and for every box sold, a portion of the profits will go to the Ceres Community Project.

The Ceres Community Project is an exciting initiative that does the following:

• Supports individuals dealing with serious illness with free, delivered and nutrient-rich prepared meals, nutrition education, and a community of caring. 
• Involving young people as volunteer gardeners and chefs, giving them direct, hands-on experience of the difference that fresh, healthy foods and community make, and of their own capacity to contribute. 
• Educating the broader community, including health professionals, about the connection between fresh, healthy food, strong social networks, healing and wellness. 
• Connecting people of all ages and from all walks of life to one another, and to their value as an integral part of the community. 

And it doesn’t stop there—Silk Road Teas also supports adults with disabilities by hiring them through Integrated Community Services, a San Rafael-based non-profit.

You can purchase Silk Road Teas at www.silkroadteas.com or atn ine northern Bay Area Whole Foods stores.

See the King of Blues at the Marin Center

Marin is becoming a more attractive place for some of the biggest musical acts to perform, and later this month you’ll be able to see one of the most influential blues rock legends right here at the Marin Center Showcase Theater.

B.B. King is considered one of the most legendary blues performers in history. He may be 85 years young, but King still performs dozens of shows annually, and he’ll be in Marin at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26 for a very special show at the Marin Center Showcase Theater at:

Marin Center Showcase Theater/San Rafael
10 Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA 94903

From the Marin Center’s website:

Since B.B. started recording in the late 1940's, he has released over 60 albums many of them considered blues classics, like 1965's definitive live blues album Live At The Regal, and 1976's collaboration with Bobby "Blue" Bland, Together For The First Time. Over the years, B.B. has had two number one R & B hits, 1951's Three O'Clock Blues, and 1952's You Don't Know Me, and four number two R&B hits, 1953's Please Love Me, and 1954's You Upset Me Baby, 1960's Sweet Sixteen, Part I, and 1966's Don't Answer The Door, Part I. B.B.'s most popular crossover hit, 1970's The Thrill Is Gone went to number 15 on the pop music charts. From the chitlin circuit with its small town cafes, ghetto theaters, country dance halls, and roadside joints to jazz clubs, rock palaces, symphony concert halls, college concerts, resort hotels and prestigious concert halls nationally and internationally,

B.B. has become the most renowned blues musician of the past 60 years. www.bbking.com

Click here to reserve your ticket!

Know the Signs of Whooping Cough

This time of year, you might be on the lookout for the flu, but it seems that there’s another affliction striking our area this winter: whooping cough, or purtussis.

According to the Marin Independent Journal, California’s whooping cough rate increased dramatically in 2013, and Marin County had the second highest rate in the State. In fact, 2013 brought nearly twice as many cases than it did in 2012, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Whooping cough is still relatively rare, but early diagnosis is key. If you don’t know the warning signs or symptoms of whooping cough, here are some things to look out for, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

Early symptoms can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:

• Runny nose
• Low-grade fever (generally minimal throughout the course of the disease)
• Mild, occasional cough
• Apnea — a pause in breathing (in infants)

As the disease progresses, the traditional symptoms of pertussis appear and include:

• Paroxysms (fits) of many, rapid coughs followed by a high-pitched "whoop"
• Vomiting (throwing up)
• Exhaustion (very tired) after coughing fits

The coughing fits can go on for up to 10 weeks or more. In China, pertussis is known as the "100 day cough."

Click here for more information on whooping cough, from the CDC.