San Francisco and Petaluma

by sheep on March 11, 2023 with No Comments

Petaluma has it all: Airstreams, a French hotel, palmtrees, shops, architecture and chickens...but where are the chickens?

Where are we talking about: The little town Petaluma. Petaluma's well-preserved city center is filled with an engaging mix of boutiques, antiques shops, and specialty stores, many in historic buildings. It's a 45 minute drive from San Francisco by car.

French style sleeping: DDTS spend the night at the Metro Hotel & Cafe. Not in the hotel itself, but in one of the three Airstreams they are offering as well. Our Airstream had a jeu de boules field in front. One of the owners is from Paris...so you will see and feel the French vibe everywhere. The small eclectic self-serve style Boutique Hotel 'Metro Hotel & Cafe' with French charm is in a 140 year-old building restored in 2010. Located near historic downtown Petaluma. They offer bikes with (a French) basket for rent. And that basket you need when wandering around downtown Petaluma...we already warned you ;-)!

A must: The Metro Hotel & Cafe offers you fresh made crepes for breakfast. Don't miss it! You can make your own cup of filter coffee. Decorate your fresh crepes with Nutella, whipped cream or healthy strawberries, mango and banana. Bon appétit!

Where to bike: Petaluma offers all levels of cycling routes, whether it's just running errands around town, enjoying an easy recreational cycle on a dedicated trail, or more challenging hillside treks. The DDTS-team decided to use the bikes to wander around downtown.

Pitstop: Visit Wild Goat Bistro for a nice break during the day. They have delicious food and nice wine. Try the polenta fries...they are really worth the kilo's ;-)!

Little tiny beautiful shops: Explore the walkable shopping area where the architectural gems of the 1800s house many one-of-a-kind specialty stores including retro to fashion forward clothing and fabulous finds for your home and garden. And don't blame DDTS on this, but you won't leave empty handed (Our wooden bike baskets were packed with a lot of shopping bags ;-).

Something with chickens. A little history: By 1918, Petaluma was considered a world leader in the chicken and egg industry. A Chamber of Commerce campaign gave the city the title, “Egg Basket of the World,” and started the Egg Days Parade to celebrate the burgeoning industry. But nowadays it's not that industry anymore. In fact: DDTS saw none single chicken on their way downtown Petaluma!

Small detail: Petaluma played a roll in the famous movie Basic Instinct! The modest little home at 26 Liberty Street has been used in the movie. So that little town in California is not only famous for their chickens ;-)!

San Francisco, glamping in an Airstream and wineries to visit!

by sheep on January 30, 2022 with No Comments

A luxury Airstream outdoor experience in the Red Woods with campfire, marshmallows and wine. Who doesn't want that?!

Russian River AutoCamp is a great place to be. Surrounded by the Red Wood Forest you can stay in a beautiful Airstream and chill out.

Which area: Guerneville in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, United States.

Where to go: Book a stay at AutoCamp. They offer overnight lodging and accommodations in modern Airstream suites. A great experience to glamp, you don't want to miss it!

What do you need: You need a toothbrush and toothpaste...the rest is already organized. Towels, shower gel, toiletpaper, coffee & tea, blankets, sheets...it's all there.

What to do: Buy some wood and a marshmallow kit in the clubhouse of AutoCamp. And settle a wine arrangement to be sure you start a great night near the campfire.

Nice to do the next day: You can use the bikes for free at AutoCamp...so you can make a little round tour to Guerneville and the Russian River. And when you have checked out you can drive with your own car to several wine estates. Such as Iron Horse and Viansa. California has it all!

Los Angeles, Palos Verdes, the Butcher’s Daughter, Melrose trading Post near Fairfax, AMC dine-in, Santa Monica & more

by sheep on September 10, 2017 with No Comments

Los Angeles: how diverse can it be! Breakfast in Venice, movies at Marina del Rey, wandering around for vintage near Fairfax and enjoying the view at Santa Monica beach. O yes...and don’t forget the sunset near Palos Verdes!

Get the best of everything and enjoy nature, culture, food, vintage and the movies in Palos Verdes, Hollywood, Fairfax, Venice, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica beach and Melrose… It is all happening in that beautiful Lalaland!

Which city: Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Where to go: Explore Lalaland by car and drive to Hollywood, Venice, Melrose Place, Santa Monica and Marina del Rey in one day.

What to drink and eat: Start breakfast in the Butcher’s Daughter at Abbot Kinney in Venice and take a bite and drink while watching a movie at the AMC dine-in in Marina del Rey.

What to do: If you are there on a sunday, go to the open-air market of Melrose trading Post near Fairfax. This fleamarket features a range of vendors who are selling antiques, vintage goods and more nice collectibles.

What to love: The Terranea resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. It is a great place to watch the sunset. This park offers a stunning panoramic view of the Point Vicente Lighthouse and the rocky shoreline. When the sun starts setting, you can capture a breathtaking mix of yellow, violet and orange hues.

Los Angeles and Highland Park

by sheep on March 13, 2017 with No Comments

Los Angeles: pitstop on a yellow couch and exploring a tiny stationary shop

Being so many times in Los Angeles but always the desire to explore some new spots. This time we decided to go to Highland Park, an upcoming district in the Northeast of Los Angeles.

Which city: Los Angeles, California, United States of America.

Where to go: To Highland Park, York Boulevard.

What to drink and eat: Drinking cappuccino and having lunch at the Highland Cafe or Cafe de Leche.

What to do: Visiting the tiny shop Shorthand on York Boulevard and finding funny postcards and stationary.

What to love: Experience a new upcoming district with a lot of art galleries, DIY spots, vintage stores and cafe's.

Los Angeles, oysters at Manhattan beach, breakfast in the sand, a vintage community, chill mode at Mama Shelter and music allover at Amoeba Music

by sheep on April 22, 2016 with No Comments

Fishing with Dynamite at Manhattan Beach. That means oysters, crab, ceviche, clamps everywhere! Fishing with Dynamite is a reflection of chef David LeFevre's roots, his travels and his three culinary touchstones. Preparing food that is artisanal, soulful and handcrafted. And this is apparent in the taste of the dishes. It is so delicious! We sat at the bar instead of a sophisticated table, but it was so cozy. We chatted with the staff and made fun with the guys who prepared the oysters just in front of us, while we had a nice overview of this tiny little restaurant and a glimpse at the ocean. Tip: you'd better make a reservation because it is always full house!

The day after we bought breakfast at Target, and fresh coffee and croissants from the Bakery Café at 37 Pier Avenue and settled on the beach of Hermosa. It was saturday and during the weekends it is beach volley paradise on Hermosa Beach. A sportive theatre show during breakfast!

If you haven't visited St. Vincent de Paul Store downtown LA, try to arrange it some day. Because we are always in LA on the wrong day for the Rose Bowl (this Flea Market occurs on the second Sunday of every month) we searched for a nice alternative and that's why we picked out St. Vincent de Paul Store. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Council of Los Angeles, is known for thrift stores in Los Angeles and Long Beach. But the Society is more than a store. It is an organization with 2,500 volunteers who devoted 263,000 hours to calls for help from the needy last year. From books to large furniture and even cars...an afternoonspent at St. Vincent's is sure to turn up some unexpected gems.

We were supposed to only have lunch at Mama Shelter but we stayed their till after sunset. This is not only a hotel. It is more than simply rooms or restaurants. Mama Shelter is a living and meeting space, a true urban refuge that's not just beautiful, modern and lively but also popular, friendly and, Mama Shelter says: sexy. Curl up on one of the sofas and enjoy a drink, a small bite and relax. Mama takes care of everything! The rooftop is brand new and just opened for the public. We had a magnificent view over LA and the Hollywood hills with the remarkable Hollywood-sign when we were laying on lounge sofa's.

After a half day of enjoying the comfort of Mama we visited the Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. Music fans head to this bustling shop for its huge selection of vinyl, video and CDs, plus live shows.

Los Angeles, strict rules from the Stahl House, lunch at Villa Blanca, and window shopping on Rodeo Drive

by sheep on April 14, 2016 with 3 Comments

This time we visited the Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills. The Stahl house was designed by architect Pierre Koenig. His client was Buck Stahl, that’s why it is called the Stahl House. Buck was a former professional footballer who worked as a graphic designer and sign painter. Although there has been some discussion about Buck’s influence on the design, some experts who have seen Buck’s original model agree that his concept gave the direction of the Stahl House. Today, Stahl House is still owned by the Stahl family. Though it remains a magnet for film crews and photographers from all over the world. You have to sign a release before you enter the property. The release contains the following information: "Photography is allowed with a signed release. Only cell phone cameras are permitted. All other cameras or motion cameras are NOT permitted. The Release form is available upon arrival. All photographs are for personal use only. Photographs may not be published in print or electronic form, without the written permission of Stahl House, Inc. No video permitted. No tripods, camera mounts, plugins, clipons or selfie sticks permitted. No photographs may be taken of any photos or copyrighted works on the property”. That’s why we can’t show any images in our compi and vlog. If you want to see some photo’s of our visit you can have a look on our instagram and facebook. That’s for personal use only so that’s where you can have a glimpse of it legally. It was absolutely a breathtaking visit and worth it. You have to buy tickets in advance via the website of Stahl House. We booked the afternoon tour and the light was fabulous for photograpy and the view over LA was amazing!

Before we visited the Stahl House we had lunch at Villa Blanca at Brighton Way. The owner of Villa Blanca is Lisa van der Pump, known from the realtity soap ‘the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’. Lisa Vanderpump has created a sexy, stylish and romantic restaurant with a St. Tropez-like vibe with its large patio and its wonderous decor. It is around the corner of Rodeo Drive so you can imagine who is visiting this place to have lunch or dinner or just to have a glass of champagne! We saw a lot of interesting people walking by while having our lunch in this great place. Chanel meets Furla meets Cartier meets Prada…meets plastic fantastic boobs meets botox faces meets high end lips ;-)! The cosmetic surgery was walking by in live versions, very interesting and typical LA-style. If you want to spend more money afterwards you can visit the Kyle shop by Alene Too near Villa Blanca at Brighton Way and Bedford Drive. Kyle Richards is one of the other wives from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”.

In the evening we ended up on Rodeo Drive. All those beautiful stores with high fashion…we wished we could buy just one piece of Chanel…but window shopping was the only thing for us we could afford. Having happy hour on 208 Rodeo was fun. After a wonderful day in LA we drove back to Torrance and we got the best present ever: We were sent ‘deadheading’ back to Amsterdam the next day. Instead of working we were traveling non-working towards Amsterdam in business class. And after all we got our piece of high fashion: a comfort bag designed by Jan Taminiau for KLM in a special edition. How lucky we were!