Do You Know the Way to San Jose? @TeamSanJose #SanJoseUnplugged

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

By Erin

*Disclosure: I participated in a media tour to San Jose; all thoughts and opinions are my own*

San JoseLast month I ventured up to San Jose for a very fun and exciting FAM trip. Normally you might just pass on through San Jose not giving it a second thought as you move on to other destinations such as San Francisco or Napa Valley, but there is so much you are missing out on! I will be doing a series of posts this month all about some of the things to see, do, stay at and eat out at in this wonderful city. There is still so much for me to explore myself in San Jose, I hope to be able to return again soon! San Jose truly is a city for any foodies out there. The food alone makes me want to go back, NOW! 😉

Here is some information about San Jose and what I look forward to sharing more with you about shortly as we make our way through San Jose.

Why would you want to come to San Jose? San Jose is rich in history, culture, the arts, and more.

*San Jose is the oldest civilian settlement in California, founded in 1777.

*The site of the first state capital.

*Silicon Valley is very pet friendly—San Jose has approximately 20 dog parks or dog friendly parks.

*It is Northern California’s Largest city with a population of 945,942 (2010 census).

*The third largest city in California and the tenth largest city in the nation.

*The sun shines an average of 300 days a year in San Jose.

*Average daily temperatures range from January’s 50’s to July’s 70’s

Here is a little bit of what I experienced and will share about in my San Jose series.

Dining 

San Jose FoodieIt was one decadent meal after another. You could wine and dine in San Jose for days and keep finding new places that you love. I found so many places that I’d love to go back to and saw others I’d love to try. The San Pedro Market below has enough options alone that I’m sure you could have something different every day of the year.San Pedro Market

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Discovering New Worlds at the 2014 @LACountyFair

Discovering New Worlds at the 2014 LA County Fair

By Erin

*Disclosure: I was invited out to attend the media night for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own as I’ve had a lifelong love for the LA County Fair!* 2014_LACF_4color It’s that time again everyone! Time for Southern California’s biggest end-of-summer bash, the L.A. County Fair, which starts TODAY! This year the fair is back, with so much to explore from Aug. 29-Sept. 28, the fair is bigger and better than ever! Besides all the yummy food I will show you in a bit, the fair lights up the night with Luminasia A larger-than-life Chinese lantern display, that takes the ancient art form of lantern making to a whole new level. Luminasia takes fair-goers through a whole new world filled with colorful replicas of iconic landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Hollywood Sign, and the Eiffel Tower. Giant dragons, flowers and a pagoda also roam the land. These lanterns were handmade by nearly 50 artisans who traveled more than 7,000 miles from Zigong, China to transform the hillside into an evening attraction that is bound to take your breath away. This is Luminasia’s first-ever appearance in California and is the jewel of the evening attractions at the fair this year. (*There is an extra charge to enter into the world of Luminasia*) Liminasia LACF

The Eiffel Tower at Luminasia

What Else is New at LACF?

There are so many new and wonderful additions to the fair this year, visitors will be delighted with their new discoveries and treasure their tried and true traditional fair favorites. Kicking off its 92nd anniversary by opening its doors to new worlds of discovery, lighting up the night with oversized custom-built lanterns; where zonkeys and kangaroos roam the land, award-winning beer and wine can be sampled, and world-class entertainment takes the stage again.

Hall of HEROES

See your favorite Super Heroes at the Hall of Heroes in the Cityscape, a thriving metropolis of skyscrapers and super heroes. Celebrate the science behind beloved superheroes of comic books and real-life heroes. Enter the Metropolis and come face to face with Spiderman and Superman or meet one of our local home-town heroes: law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to protect and serve us to keep us safe.

Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon

The animals are one of my favorite things about the fair, and you will see many special critters roaming about. I’m most looking forward to the zonkeys, being that they are a part of the equine family. 😉 Then mosey on over to Mojo’s Wild & Crazy Lagoon where you will meet Mojo, a Weeper Capuchin monkey and her friends. They have a new home on the water and are sure to be involved in some monkey business. Other animal friends reside at the Peacock Paradise, Fiona’s Perch, Kangaroo Cove and the Enchanted Village. Take a peak at the sea lions at Beneath the Sea and then read your way through an adventure in America’s Kids, where we are celebrating the exciting worlds of children’s literature. LA County Fair Critters

Just a couple of the interesting and unique critters I met at last years fair. 😉

The FOOD!

My most favorite part of the fair though, has to be the FOOD! 😉 You will be able to satisfy all your favorite food cravings here at the fair – deep-fried, on-a-stick, BBQ, dipped in chocolate and anything else you care to imagine. You could eat here for days at the fair and not once eat the same thing twice. With over 300 choices (including Mexican, Italian, Asian and Greek flavors, along with L.A.’s best food trucks) you will need to come back more than once to try everything! What’s new this year? New this year is: Ramen burgers, Sriracha corndogs, funnel cake corndogs, Tequila-infused pickle poppers, and a complete gluten-free menu.

Chicken Charlie’s New at Chicken Charlie’s this year is the Triple-decker Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger and the Bacon-wrapped Zucchini! LACF Krispy Kreme Hamburger

The Krispy Kreme Triple Decker Cheeseburger! Yikes!!

LACF Chicken Charlie

Bacon Wrapped Zucchini

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Knott’s Summer is in Full Swing & Grand Re-Opening! @Knotts #KnottsSummer #CampSnoopy

Knott’s Summer is in Full Swing & Grand Re-Opening!

By Erin

Knott’s Summer is now happening at Knott’s Berry Farm! So many exciting things are happening over here that you won’t want to miss out on! First of all, you will want to cool off at Knott’s Soak City OC sometime this summer, go check that out too! I was invited out to a special media day last Thursday for the Grand Re-Opening of the Mine Ride, Camp Snoopy with 3 new rides, and some awesome new shows to check out to be able to share with you here.

KnottsSummer

 At Knott’s Berry Farm bright and early for the special Media Day!

KnottsCampSnoopy

Did you know that this year marks the 30th Anniversary of Camp Snoopy?  Camp Snoopy officially opened on July 1, 1983 on the site of a former parking lot at the corner of Beach Boulevard and La Palma Avenue. Themed to the California High Sierras, the six-acre children’s area was designed by the Knott’s Berry Farm Design and Planning team. To celebrate this special occasion, Darrell Anderson (Grandson of Walter and Cornelia Knott), Craig Schultz(Son of Charles Schultz) and the whole Peanuts Gang were on hand to kick off the Grand Re-Opening festivities! All of Camp Snoopy has had a wonderful make-over and three new rides have been added! Now lets take a peak at what these rides look like! Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer, The Linus Launcher, and Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies.

IMAG0910-MOTION

 The Grand Re-Opening Dedication at the Camp Snoopy Theatre.

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