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Holiday fun, outdoor romps and other cold-weather adventures

O L D WO R L D YULETIDE MARKETS

S U G A R P LU M SECRETS

1 2 BAY A R E A OUTINGS

GINGERBREAD ARCHITECTS

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YO S E M I T E SERENITY

G E T T I N G M E R RY WITH THE MOUSE

WINTER HIKES

I L LU M I N AT E D FA N TA S I E S

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C O V E R I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y N E I KO N G

Credits SECTION EDITOR

DESIGN

COPY EDITING

Jackie Burrell

David Jack Browning Jennifer Schaefer Chris Gotsill

Sue Gilmore

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OLD WORLD FLAVORS&SIGHTS Bay Area cities roll out the red carpet for open-air holiday markets both homegrown and imported B Y SA L P I Z A R R O

Merry crowds enjoy the Christmas in the Park booths held in San Joseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plaza de Cesar Chavez each year. PATRICK TEHAN/STAFF ARCHIVE

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hristmas is around the corner, and you’re warming up with a steaming mug of glühwein, taking in the aroma of bratwurst cooking on a nearby grill and trying to decide if you should opt for a another fruitﬁlled slice of stollen. It may seem like you’re in Europe, where Christmas markets abound in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland — but this is actually Mountain View and the annual Weihnachtsmarkt, hosted by the German International School of Silicon Valley. “We strive to create an authentic experience, and I think people are drawn to that,” said Sheila Muto, a parent volunteer who helped launch the event in 2013. “Some people want to experience this traditional market that they remember from Germany.” Outdoor winter markets in Europe date back centuries, with the oldest in Germany believed to have been founded in Dresden in the 15th century. No matter where you ﬁnd them, they share common traits, like small wooden booths, locally made crafts, often a large Christmas tree, warm holiday food and mulled wine. Modern European markets, which go on for weeks, include concerts — everything from children’s choirs to swing music — as well as attractions like carnival rides and ice rinks. In recent years, California has

A life-size tin soldier guards Santa’s house, adding to the jolly atmosphere of Christmas in the Park. JIM GENSHEIMER/STAFF ARCHIVE

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The Great Dickens Christmas Fair held at the Cow Palace in Daly City each year brings a taste of 19th-century London to the city, complete with winding lanes, market booths, live entertainment and hundreds of costumed characters. JOHN GREEN/STAFF ARCHIVE BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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embraced the tradition like a Patagonia vest, with markets popping up in Sacramento, Cambria, Orange County and, of course, the Bay Area. If you take a jaunt up Highway 101 on Dec. 14, the same day as the Weihnachtsmarkt in Mountain View, you can step into an Italian Christmas market in Palo Alto. Last year, Saratoga played host to a French Holiday Market. Prefer something with a more English flavor? No worries, guv’nor, as the Victorian-era Great Dickens Christmas Fair re-creates the world of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at the Cow Palace in Daly City — right down to the packs of street urchins running between the stalls. Carlotta Addante with Bay Area Italian Events, which organizes the annual Italian market titled “It’s Natale in the Bay Area,” said about 30 vendors are expected to fill the Mitchell Park Community Center for the daylong event, selling Christmas ornaments, Italian baked goods, olive oil and more. The secret to the success of these European holiday fairs, she said, are due to the Bay Area’s famous multiculturalism. “On one hand, we have Italians that want to reconnect with local communities on special occasions like Christmas,” she said. “On the other hand, a lot of Americans and other immigrants are more and more curious about approaching a new, different style of food, music and culture.” Which is why you might find a Vietnamese family sampling panettone in Palo Alto or a Bangladesh-born tech worker enjoying a gingery spice cookie called lebkuchen. Muto, whose husband is from Munich, Germany, said the school volunteers do their best to re-create the atmosphere of the openair winter markets there, framing the vendors’ stalls in wood and

The colorful carousel at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park festivities adds to the holiday fun. PATRICK TEHAN/ STAFF ARCHIVE

providing an eclectic mix of performances throughout the day. There’s a petting zoo and even a train for kids to ride. This year, Opera San Jose singers will perform selections from “Hansel and Gretel,” and the Zicke-Zacke Band will perform German and Swiss music to close out the evening. “We traditionally have the school community choir lead a singalong, with holiday songs in both German and English,” Muto said. About 10,000 people came to the Weihnachtsmarkt last year, and its success has prompted the event to expand. Instead of taking place right in front of Mountain View City Hall and Pioneer Park, a couple of blocks of Castro Street will be closed off, allowing more space for attractions and vendors selling handcrafted wares for holiday shoppers. Ironically, the one Bay Area event that’s closest in both spirit and tradition to the European markets is a purely American invention: San Jose’s Christmas in the Park, which draws more than 100,000 people during its ﬁve-week run from the day after Thanksgiving through Jan. 5. With its lanes of decorated, illuminated Christmas trees, nightly entertainment and booths selling a multicultural array of food, the 30-year-old tradition puts an American spin on the European village atmosphere in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. “So many people were raised on the tradition of going to Christmas in the Park with their families during the holiday season,” said Christmas in the Park executive director Jason Minsky. “The event has created so many memories over the years and is a throwback for many who grew up in a different era.” The only thing missing is real snow. It may feel like Europe, but it’s still the Bay Area.

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5 Yuletide markets

Entertainment at the annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair ranges from Father Christmas, who greets merrymakers as he enters Nickleby Road, to harpist Bonnie Barnum, at right. 10

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JOHN GREEN/STAFF ARCHIVE

Join the fun at ﬁve holiday markets and fairs taking place in the Bay Area for the 2019 holiday season:

Weihnachtsmarkt The German International School of Silicon Valley’s seventh annual German Holiday Market features seasonal German foods and libations, a petting zoo, craft vendors, a train for kids and musical entertainment. Dec. 14, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain View City Hall Plaza. https://bayareane.ws/GermanMarket It’s Natale in Bay Area A traditional Italian market with entertainment and food vendors features plenty of gift ideas, including baked goods, chocolate, jams, olive oil, wine, books and crafts. Dec. 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto. Tickets $6. www.bayareaitalianevents. com A 60-foot tree and a forest of smaller trees decorated by San Jose schoolchildren draw visitors to San Jose’s Christmas in the Park. ANDA CHU/STAFF ARCHIVE

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair A re-creation of Victorian London at Christmastime, with music halls, pubs, theaters and shops, is populated by people in period garb living the world of “A Christmas Carol” and “Oliver Twist.” Nov. 23-Dec. 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets $32 adults, $14 kids 5-12. Cow Palace, Daly City. https:// dickensfair.com Christmas in the Park Hundreds of illuminated Christmas trees and holiday-themed displays, along with nightly entertainment, including an opening-night parade and a tree-lighting ceremony every night. Nov. 29-Jan. 5, Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose. www.christmasinthepark.com San Jose Holiday Craft Fair A large-scale craft fair featuring more than 275 makers, designers and artists. Dec. 14-15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. San Jose McEnery Convention Center South Hall. www. sanjosemade.com — Sal Pizarro

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CA L I F O R N I A LOV E R S G I F T G U I D E

quintessential California gifts

Whether you’re shopping for a beach-loving friend, souvenir hunting or touting local pride, these whimsical gift ideas embrace that California vibe.

Scents of San Francisco

Golden Gate Park: In the midst of a bustling city, it offers tranquility among gardens brimming with the heady scents of dewkissed grass and flowers. This 8.5-ounce candle captures the park’s natural aromatic qualities using pure essential oils, like juniper and geranium, that last for approximately 50 hours. $38. www.scentsofsanfrancisco.com

Clockwise from bottom left, Golden Gate Bridge fog globe, California tablecloth, Karl the Fog book, Terroir gin, Scents of San Francisco candle and California coast playing cards.

St. George Terroir gin

A taste of Mount Tam with that tonic? Alameda’s award-winning St. George Spirits evokes Mount Tamalpais’ forests and chaparral with this gin ($35 for a 750ml bottle, $12 for a 20 ml) distilled with Douglas fir, sage, bay laurel and other botanicals. The result is a woodsy, earthy spirit perfect for sipping straight or in cocktails. www. stgeorgespirits.com

DOUG DURAN/STAFF

Karl the Fog

You know him from the many paparazzi shots — embracing the Transamerica Pyramid, canoodling with the Golden Gate Bridge. Now San Francisco’s unofficial mascot and Twitter celebrity has his own book, “Karl the Fog, San Francisco’s Most Mysterious Resident” (Chronicle Books, $15), filled with Karl’s witty commentary, 50 fog selfies and an intro by longtime BFF Sutro Tower. Available at indie bookstores and Amazon.

Golden Gate Bridge Fog Globe Let the rest of the world have their snow globes. We Californians have a much better version: Turn this one upside down, and glittery gray fog envelops the Golden Gate Bridge in evocative swirls. Karl never looked so good. Help support the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy by purchasing the fog globe ($30) through their stores or online; https://store.parksconservancy.org.

Whether you’re picnicking at Berkeley’s Tilden Park or San Jose’s Alum Rock, this colorful retro tablecloth ($32) will add midcentury mod charm -– and keep the ants from your baguettes and brie. They do a tea towel version ($9), too. Available at local boutiques and online; www.redandwhitekitchen.com; www.amazon.com.

Put some sizzle in your gin game – or just Go Fish with flair – with these illustrated playing cards ($20) designed by Oregon artist Aaron Voronoff Trotter. Each card features a different take on the California landscape, from Napa’s vineyards (Queen of Diamonds) to Venice Beach’s canals (Ace of Spades). Available from www.illustratedplayingcards.com, or stop by Trotter’s booth Nov. 23 at Treasure Island’s Treasure Fest.

Red & White Kitchen’s California tablecloth

California Coast playing cards

— Jessica Yadegaran and Jackie Burrell BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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B O O K LOV E R S G I F T G U I D E

clever gifts for Bay Area book lovers

From a Paul McCartney picture book to a Nancy Drew purse, here’s how to delight your favorite book lovers, big and small.

Nancy Drew book purse

Wicked Witch bookmark

The only thing better than solving a mystery with your BFFs while riding about in a roadster? Carrying a purse made out of a vintage Nancy Drew book while you’re doing it. These adorable handmade handbags ($36$42) are made by Mugwump, a Portland, Oregon-based design group, from discarded books, vinyl and leather lacing. Perfect for toting a smartphone, wallet and assorted clues. They do Hardy Boys and other children’s books, too. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ Mugwump

Whether your favorite bookworm is reading “The Wizard of Oz,” “Harry Potter” or “Angelina Ballerina,” MyBookmark’s clever bookmarks ($27) put their best foot – er, feet – forward to save their place. Glinda may drift off in her golden bubble, but the Wicked Witch’s ruby slippers and striped stockings mark the stopping spot. Find it and other fun gifts at SoCal’s MyModernMet.store online.

“Handmaid’s Tale” pencils

You’ve never seen a No. 2 like this before. Etsy artist BouncingBallCreations wraps pencils with quotes from classic and popular fiction, transforming them into works of art that pay homage to everything from “Game of Thrones” to “Alice in Wonderland.” This quintet ($10), which comes in a fabric pencil pouch, displays lines from Margaret Atwood’s seminal work. www.etsy.com/shop/bouncingballcreation

Clockwise from bottom, “The Handmaid’s Tale” pencils, Joy of Cooking anniversary edition, Margaret Atwood book, Nancy Drew pocketbook, Paul McCartney book, Wizard of Oz bookmark. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

Paul McCartney’s “Hey Grandude!” Forget Jude. This “Hey” goes out to the irrepressible Grandude, who whisks his four charming grandchildren on adventures around the world, complete with stampedes, avalanches and flying fish – and cows. With words by McCartney and charming illustrations by Kathryn Durst, this picture book (Random House Books for Young Readers, $18) is a keeper. We suspect an entire generation of grandfathers will be changing their names. — Jackie Burrell and Jessica Yadegaran

The new “Joy of Cooking”

For nearly a century, Americans have learned to cook from Irma Rombauer’s classic cookbook. Now her great-grandson, John Becker, and his wife, Megan Scott, have penned a new “Joy” (Scribner, $40), the first full revision since the best-selling 1975 edition. At 1,152 pages, this one’s a behemoth with 600 new recipes including kale salad, miso ramen and lamb shawarma and 4,000 classics. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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BA L L E T

Sugar plum secrets What you don’t know about ‘Nutcracker’ S TO R Y B Y R A N DY M C M U L L E N I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J E S S I E F O R D

t’s “Nutcracker” season. And across the globe, dance companies, costumers, set designers — not to mention parents and kids — are getting ready to dive into the opulence and magic that is the tale of Sugar Plum Fairies, dancing snowflakes, a massively blossoming Christmas tree and childhood dreams. “The Nutcracker” is such a holiday institution, you may think you already know everything about it. But here are some behind-the-scenes secrets, from DIY tutus to sunflowers, quick-change artists and recycled snowflakes.

An epic fail

Plum Fairy) had to make their own tutus. The current production uses Martin Pakledinaz’s eye-popping costumes, from the Snow Queen’s tutu and its hundreds of Swarovski crystals to Drosselmeyer’s coat, which cost $11,000 all by itself.

Adapted from an 1816 E.T.A. Hoffmann story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” the famous ballet debuted in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and a score by Tchaikovsky — and it pretty much bombed. Except for Tchaikovsky’s score. The composer craftily culled a 20-minute suite from the ballet, which was an immediate hit. The ballet, of course, has since become a mega-success. The U.S. premiere was 75 years ago — on the San Francisco Ballet stage on Christmas Eve, 1944.

A lot of snow S.F. Ballet’s lavish “Nutcracker” set designs, created by Tony Award winner Michael Yeargan, include 600 pounds of “snow” — fire-retardant paper confetti — fluttering gracefully to the stage during the “Dance of the Snowflakes.” It takes six stagehands to make that happen.

Then and now San Francisco’s original “Nutcracker” was staged on a tight wartime budget that included just $1,000 for all the costumes. S.F. Ballet dancers Jocelyn Vollmar (the Snow Queen) and Gisella Caccialanza Christensen (Sugar

Snow in L.A.? Celina Cummings portrayed the Rose from Waltz of the Flowers in Willam Christensen’s “Nutcracker,” which had its U.S. premiere on Christmas Eve in 1944. SAN FRANCISCO BALLET/SFMPD

Los Angeles Ballet’s “Dance of the Snowﬂakes” scene results in 3 inches of “snow” fall for each performance — more than the Los Angeles region gets all year.

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Now, that’s recycling San Jose Dance Theatre, which has presented “The Nutcracker” every year since 1965, uses rice paper to create its magical snowﬂakes. After each show, the ﬂakes are swept up and used again the next night — and the next and the next.

California stylin’ The Los Angeles Ballet sets its popular version of “The Nutcracker” in 1912 L.A., with nods to historic neighborhoods like Hancock Park, the snowy pines of the Angeles Forest and the Pacific Ocean view as seen from Venice Beach. The show also uses SoCal flora, such as citrus trees and bougainvillea. And the “Waltz of the Flowers?” Giant sunflowers.

Quick change In San Jose Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker,” the dancer who plays Clara has just 20 seconds to change from party dress to nightgown. She rarely needs even that much time. The current company record is 6 seconds. Members of Mark Foehringer’s dance troupe perform “Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets,” a 50-minute show aimed at kids.

A tree grows (and grows) San Jose Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker” Christmas tree grows to a height of 60 feet under the spell of Dr. Drosselmeyer (yes, the guy with the eyepatch). It takes 15 crew members to move the Stahlbaum home apart to accommodate the mushrooming evergreen.

A show shortens Bay Area choreographer Mark Foehringer got the inspiration for his take on the ballet while watching a traditional “Nutcracker” performance. “I heard a little boy turn to his mom at the beginning of the Second Act and say ‘Is it almost over?!’” he recalls. “A light bulb went off in my head.” The result: “Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets,” a 50-minute, streamlined production aimed at kids (and their grateful parents). 18

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MARK FOEHRINGER DANCE PROJECT/SF

A hip-hop ‘Nutcracker’

Everybody is a star

The ballet has been adapted into all sorts of musical frameworks, including rock, metal and rap. Music/dance producer Mike Fitelson, who debuted his “Hip Hop Nutcracker” in New York in 2014, grew up in Oakland’s Montclair neighborhood and got his ﬁrst look at the ballet right here. He was “horribly bored” by it, he says, except for one segment featuring high-leaping Russian dancers. That memory fuels his “Hip Hop Nutcracker” — set on New Year’s Eve in the present day — which embarks on a nationwide tour this season, with stops in Oakland’s Paramount Theatre on Nov. 19, as well as San Diego and San Luis Obispo.

The San Francisco Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band is all about bringing together people from all walks of life, so it’s no surprise that its take on the famed ballet is the annual “Dance-Along Nutcracker.” There’s no stage separating audience from cast and musicians, and when the disco ball and the “Dance-Along!” sign alight, viewers — particularly kids — are encouraged to get up and bust a move. Each year features a different, usually comedic, theme — this year’s is “Nutcrackers in Space.” Clara has just 20 seconds to change from her party dress to a nightgown in San Jose Dance Theatre’s “The Nutcracker.” SAN JOSE DANCE THEATRE

The touring show “Hip Hop Nutcracker” was created by Oakland native Mike Fitelson, who thought the original “Nutcracker” was boring when he first saw it. HIP HOP NUTCRACKER

Strings attached

Stars take their shot

Some very famous dancers have starred in “The Nutcracker.” But puppets? Yes, Virginia, there is a puppet “Nutcracker.” The beloved, L.A.-based Bob Baker Marionette Theater has its own kid-friendly version of “The Nutcracker,” currently on hiatus, as the troupe has recently relocated to a new home in Highland Park.

Among the pop culture icons who have starred in lesser-known adaptations of Hoffmann’s “Nutcracker” story are Barbie, in the 2001 direct-to-DVD animated feature “Barbie in the Nutcracker”; Tom and Jerry, in “Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale,” noted for being the last project that animation legend Joseph Barbera (of Hanna-Barbera fame) ever worked on, as he died during production; and Robert Goulet and Carol Lawrence, in a poorly received 1961 TV ﬁlm “The Enchanted Nutcracker.” Members of Los Angeles Ballet perform during the “Dance of the Snowflakes” segment of “The Nutcracker.” More “snow” falls during this scene than Los Angeles usually gets over an entire year. LOS ANGELES BALLET

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5 Nutcrackers

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The Bay Area is stocked with a wide array of full-length and kid-friendly, abbreviated performances of “The Nutcracker.” Here are ﬁve possibilities to enjoy this fall. San Jose Dance Theatre Launched in 1966, the South Bay’s longest running “Nutcracker” production features topshelf performers, sets and costumes as well as the 52-piece Cambrian Symphony; Dec. 6-15; San José Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose. $20-$95; www.sjnutcracker.com Mark Foehringer Dance ProjectSF “Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets” is a 50-minute kid-friendly production; Dec. 7-22; Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco; $20.50-$42.50; mfdpsf.org/ nutcracker-sweets Dance-Along Nutcracker San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band presents “Nutcrackers in Space,” the group’s latest twist on the ballet, with, of course, audience involvement encouraged. Dec. 8-9; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; $35-$50; www.sflgfb.org San Francisco Ballet The company celebrates the 75th anniversary of performing the first-ever full-length “Nutcracker” production in America (Christmas Eve, 1944). Check website for special anniversary events. Helgi Tomasson’s acclaimed adaptation of “The Nutcracker” is set in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights around the conclusion of World War I and features Tchaikovsky’s complete score in the composer’s intended sequence; Dec. 11-29; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $59-$285; www.sfballet.org Oakland Ballet Company Artistic director Graham Lustig’s popular “Nutcracker” draws from the original E.T.A. Hoffmann short story; 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 2122; Paramount Theatre, Oakland; $24-$99; oaklandballet.org. — Randy McMullen

The current San Francisco Ballet production of Helgi Tomasson’s “Nutcracker” uses Martin Pakledinaz’s eye-popping costumes. ERIK TOMASSON/SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

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A R T S LOV E R S G I F T G U I D E

cool gifts for Bay Area music and art lovers

Here are five fun ideas for the culture vultures in your life, whether they’re into Piet Mondrian, Alexander Hamilton or heavy metal.

Modern Artists Socks

Let the rest of the population choose boring hosiery. For those who love modern art down to their toes, there’s Modern Artists socks ($40) — a quartet of fab footwear that includes portraits of pop artist Roy Lichtenstoe, surrealist Sole-Adore Dali and, of course, Feet Mondrian. Find them at Southern California’s MyModernMet.store online.

Popchart’s Broadway Costumes Your Broadway-loving bestie caught “Hamilton” at the Orpheum and “Wicked” in San Jose, then jetted off to New York for the latest star-studded musical? Commemorate all those great musicals with this cool Comprehensive Curtain Call of Broadway Costumes poster ($30) that includes everything from 1927’s “Showboat” to the current “Hamilton” run. popchart.co

Black Sabbath: The Vinyl Collection 19701978 Shopping for the metal fans in the family? This nine-LP boxed set ($250) features Sabbath’s first eight studio efforts — including four that rank among the greatest albums of the genre — as well as mono singles from this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act, featuring vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. Pair it with tickets to see Osbourne, when he performs next summer at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center (July 17), Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre (July 25) or the Hollywood Bowl (July 27). rhino.com

Music Genius Playing Cards

Clockwise from bottom left, Grand Museum Board Game, Black Sabbath vinyl collection, Popchart Broadway costumes poster, Modern Artists socks and Music Genius playing cards. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

(the queen of hearts, of course) to Joan Baez (the six of diamonds). Find it at Amazon, Uncommon Goods and Chronicle Books.

The Grand Museum Board Game Uh oh. The museum director has vanished, leaving behind a staggering budget deficit. Now it’s up to the art lovers playing this cool board game ($49), made by Quebec’s Today Is Art Day, to stage enough wildly popular exhibitions – an “All Through the Night” exhibit, perhaps, with Van Gogh’s swirling “Starry Night” – to keep the museum afloat. It’s a gorgeous game, from the painting cards to the playing pieces, which are famous statues, including the David and Winged Victory. For two to four players, ages 12 and up. Available through PBS and Amazon. — Jackie Burrell and Jim Harrington

A royal flush takes on new meaning when Queen B and Prince are involved. This clever deck of playing cards ($10) brings rock stars to the poker — or crazy eights — table, with suits devoted to music genres and cards adorned with music legends from Beyonce BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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The

isitors ﬂock to the Bay Area during the winter holidays, and it’s often your job to show them a good time — in addition to keeping them cozy in your home and preparing a Thanksgiving or Christmas spread. Whether or not your out-of-towners are houseguests, too, they’ll be looking for things to do while they’re here. That’s where you come in — and appear oh-soin-the-know. Here are 12 places to send those houseguests adventuring, from an ice rink with bumper cars (yes, really!) to cool museums, a rooftop park and ﬁve holiday cocktail pop-ups. Actually, you might want to come along.

days of holiday houseguests — and where to take them S TO R Y B Y C H U C K BA R N E Y A N D J E S S I CA YA D E G A R A N

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y M AT T C U R T I U S AND GINA TRIPLET T

Get your “Glow” on at the Exploratorium

The Exploratorium’s award-winning “After Dark” program for adults is a great way to socialize — and learn something in the process. Every Thursday night, guests are invited to grab a drink and immerse themselves in mind-bending, interactive exhibits that explore perception, art and science. On Dec. 5, the program kicks off the Exploratorium’s annual “Glow” show, an eye-popping, jaw-dropping festival of illuminated sculptures specially devoted to making spirits bright. After opening night, “Glow” runs every day through Jan. 26, and children are welcome to enjoy the exhibit during daytime hours. It’s a very fun — and safe — way to get lit. Details: $19.95, Pier 15, The Embarcadero, San Francisco; www. exploratorium.edu/glow.

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Learn the sport of curling We don’t know exactly how curling became so cool, but millions of entranced Winter Olympics viewers can’t be wrong. The epically deliberate pace. ... The funny lingo (a “bonspiel”?). ... The weird equipment (sweeping “brooms” and clunking “rocks”). They all make what looks like shuffleboard-on-ice a blast to watch. But why not actually get out and play? After all, the chance of rupturing a hamstring seems to be minimal. Curling clinics are being held this winter at outdoor rinks, including Cityline in Sunnyvale and San Francisco Civic Center. And the Silicon Valley Curling Club offers occasional lessons at Solar4America Ice in Fremont. Here’s hoping you have fun and put just the right amount of wobble on your kizzle kazzle — whatever that means. Details: $20-35 per lesson or clinic. www.siliconvalleycurling.com; www.citylinesunnyvale.com; www. winterparkicerinksf.com.

Sip a Partridge in a Pear Tree Miracle, the hyper-decorated holiday cocktail pop-up, is back in Northern California this season, with locations in San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento and for the ﬁrst time, Petaluma. Inside these Instagram-worthy pop-ups, you’ll ﬁnd tinsel-topped presents, Santa hat-backed chairs and custom holiday-themed glassware. Look for now-classic cocktails like the Snowball Old Fashioned, made with gingerbread bourbon, wormwood bitters and lemon zest; a rum-aquavit-amaro Christmas Carol Barrel; and the And a Partridge in a Pear Tree, built on reposado tequila, pear brandy and spiced demerara syrup. Also back this year: festive drinks served in ornaments and snow globes at San Francisco’s independent Deck the Halls and a winter lounge pop-up at the Four 26

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Seasons Palo Alto called Apres. Details: Miracle starts Nov. 25 at Paper Plane, 72 S. First St., San Jose; Pacific Cocktail Haven, 580 Sutter St., San Francisco; The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, 2718 J St. and Sippin Santa at Jungle Bird, 2516 J St., Sacramento; and Nov. 26 at Brewster’s Beer Garden, 229 Water Street North, Petaluma; www.miraclepopup.com. Deck the Halls starts Nov. 25 at 1217 Sutter St., SF. www. deckthehallsbar.com.

Go bump on the ice

At 11,000 square feet, San Mateo on Ice is the biggest ice rink in the Bay Area with real ice. And starting Nov. 8, they’ll split it in two so you can traverse its sleek surface atop a colorful electric bumper car. That’s right, you’ll be bumping friends and family of all ages and sending them twirling around the rink without worrying about ice skater traffic. This holiday ice rink is the only one offering bumper cars on the entire West Coast. Who needs skates?

Who needs skates when you can ride bumper cars on the ice? San Mateo on Ice is the only West Coast rink to offer a bumper car option. SAN MATEO ON ICE

Details: $10. Ages 5 and older. Open through Jan. 12 at San Mateo Central Park, 50 E. 5th St., San Mateo; www.sanmateoonice.com

Channel your inner hoopster You’ll want to wear your best Golden State Warriors gear for Hooptopia, a one-of-a-kind, interactive basketball experience at Thrive City, part of the Dubs’ new Chase Center digs in San Francisco. At Hooptopia, fans of all ages are taken through the life of an NBA player, from predraft workouts and press conferences to slam dunk tests — alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, perhaps — and championship-worthy confetti showers. Candytopia, the whimsical, interactive candy museum, is behind this new Instagrammable hoopfest, so you know it’s gonna be sweet. Details: Tickets — $36 for adults, $27 for kids — are available at www.thehooptopia.com. Hooptopia runs through June at Thrive City, 7 Warriors Way, Suite 100, San Francisco. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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Or your inner Burner (without all that desert dust) You don’t have to road trip to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to appreciate what has become one of the world’s most celebrated cultural events. The immersive “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” brings it to you — at the Oakland Museum. The exhibit showcases Bay Area artists’ sculptures, costumes, photography, paintings and interactive installations that ﬁll the museum’s Great Hall and spill into outdoor plazas. And you won’t have to watch any of it being ritually burned to the ground. Do look for a 40-foot-tall outdoor temple, a Burning Man Block Party and Playa events at this West Coast debut. Details: Admission is $12-$21. Runs through Feb. 16 at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland; museumca.org.

Stroll above the streets

Sitting atop the Salesforce Transit Center in the heart of San Francisco’s SoMa is what’s been described as a lush “living roof.” It’s a vibrant, 5.4-acre patch of manicured greenery amid a sea of gleaming high rises. A curved walking trail lined with benches surrounds expansive lawns, dancing fountains, a children’s playground, an amphitheater and, of course, a Starbucks. You and your guests can relax with a picnic while listening to live music. Or you can expend some energy with a Zumba class. A free, glassedcube gondola carries passengers from street level to the fourth-story park. (There are elevators, too, if you’re so inclined). Details: 425 Mission Street, San Francisco. Winter hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; www. salesforcetransitcenter.com.

Left: Soar to the rooftop park at the Salesforce Transit Center aboard a gondola. KARL MONDON/STAFF

Right: Cruise the beachy breweries of Santa Cruz aboard a Brew Cruz bus, with stops for suds and tours. PATRICK TEHAN/ STAFF FILE

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from “The Lego Movie.” … Almost. Details: $3 admission fee. Open FridaySunday at 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto; www.moah.org.

Take a Brew Cruz

If your guests have a taste for craft beer and want to blend it with some beach-town bliss, then head for Santa Cruz and this enjoyably laid-back road trip. Annie Wolff-Pautsch (a.k.a Captain Annie) deploys a refurbished school bus nicknamed “Betty Jane” (for groups of 8-15) and a 1964 Volkswagen van, aka “Slowboy” (maximum seven passengers), enabling riders to have some good, frothy fun. Her vintage wheels pull into several showcased breweries for tours and discounted tastings, with food options available. Along the way, just savor the suds and gorgeous seaside scenery. Details: $45 per person (public tours) and $75 (private); www.scbrewcruz.com.

Traipse an urban wine trail Want to taste Napa and Sonoma-grown wines without leaving the East Bay? Go to Oakland. Its Urban Wine Trail is home to eight warehouse wineries and tasting rooms, including Two Miles Wines and Prima Materia, crafting impressive wines from grapes grown

Far left: The new Burning Man exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California lets you experience the spectacular art of the Black Rock Desert event without getting dusty. OMCA

Above: Explore train layouts, Bay Area landmarks, castles and miniature cities — all in Lego form — during the annual Lego Holiday Extravaganza in Palo Alto. JOHN GREEN/ STAFF FILE

in some of California’s most prestigious regions. Newest among them is Côte West Winery, which opened in late 2018 and has its own 4,600-square-foot production facility. Winemaker Brett Hogan, a Davis grad who trained under Burgundy’s Dominique Lafon, makes Old World-style wines, including single-vineyard pinot noir and chardonnay, from Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Coombsville grapes. Details: Hours vary. Download the Oakland Urban Wine Trail map at www.visitoakland.com.

Go Lego crazy

What is it about colorful little interlocking plastic bricks that make us so darn happy? (At least when we’re not stepping on them in the dark with bare feet). Once again, the Bay Area Lego User Group (BayLUG) and the Bay Area Lego Train Club (BayLTC) are putting their fertile imaginations and engineering prowess to good use by co-hosting a wow-worthy holiday display — a Lego Pop-Up Exhibit at the Museum of American Heritage — that features intricate train layouts, Bay Area landmarks, castles, miniature cities, sculptures and more. It’s almost enough to prompt us to start singing “Everything Is Awesome”

Sip by the sea

Twenty wine tasting rooms in a one-square-mile village? You bet. Carmel-by-the-Sea is not only gorgeous, it offers a breezy, self-paced wine stroll — the Carmel Wine Walk by-the-Sea — where you can taste award-winning still and sparkling wines from producers like Wrath Wines and Caraccioli Cellars. The region’s Wine Tasting Passport sweetens the deal: The $100 passport entitles you to tasting ﬂights at 10 of the 13 participating tasting rooms. Better yet, it can be used all in one day, of course, or spread out over several months. Details: Buy the Wine Tasting Passport at Blair Estate Tasting Room, located on the first floor of Carmel Plaza on Ocean Avenue, between Junipero and Mission; www. carmelcalifornia.com.

Explore a thoughtprovoking exhibit Decades before Colin Kaepernick took a knee, San Jose State University sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their ﬁsts on the medal stand at the 1968 Summer Olympics to protest racial injustice. Like Kaepernick, their actions spurred plenty of condemnation (They were banished from the U.S. team and targeted with death threats). This seminal gesture is explored in a thought-provoking collaboration between Smith and conceptual artist Glenn Kaino that focuses on the meaning and merits of social protest. The exhibit, “With Drawn Arms” at the San Jose Museum of Art, features sculptures, photos, drawings and archival objects from Smith’s time as an athlete. Details: $8-10. Nov. 1-April 5, 110 S. Market St, San Jose; www.sjmusart.org. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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S P I R I T S LOV E R S G I F T G U I D E

great gifts for coffee, beer and cocktail lovers

Whether you’re shopping for a wine lover, a coffee fan or another sipping demographic, these gift ideas are sure to please.

“Vineyards” coffee table book

San Francisco photographer Fred Lyon travels the world in his new book (Princeton Architectural Press, $40), with vineyards unfurling across the rolling hills of Austria, France, Italy and California — from Napa to Los Olivos. Pair it with a bottle of wine. www. amazon.com

Verve Trekkie Kit

Your coffee lover can take her ritual on the road with this light-weight, packable kit ($55) from Santa Cruz’s Verve Coffee Roasters. It includes a Hario Hand Grinder (a $38 value), filters, a Munieq Tetra Drip and a pack of Verve’s Seabright House Blend, which has notes of fudge and toasted coconut. Add an insulated tumbler ($18), and you’re good to go — literally. www.vervecoffee.com

Amaro Angeleno

This sunny amaro captures Southern California’s coastal flavors all the way from its local grape-distilled base to its botanicals,

herbs and SoCal oranges. It’s tailor made for a golden negroni or a prosecco spritz. $35 at Bay Area and Los Angeles bottle shops. https://amaro.la/

B&E Whiskey

St. George Spirits’ Breaking and Entering whiskey gives a tongue-in-cheek nod to the method of creation: It’s a blended spirit crafted from barrels “pilfered” from distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Head distiller Dave Smith blends their bourbon and rye whiskeys with St. G’s own California malt whiskey. The result is a smooth, toffee-tinged sipper. $40 at Bay Area bottle shops and the Alameda distillery; www.stgeorgespirits.com

The Wobblies — in crowler form Calicraft Brewing Company’s The Wobblies is a new wet-hop IPA from Walnut Creek’s brewing pride and joy. Packed with 100 pounds of Northern California wet Cluster hops, this easy-drinking IPA features notes of citrus, melon and fresh-cut grass. Get it as a 32-ounce aluminum crowler ($13), and it’ll slip easily into your boo’s stocking. Available at the taproom, 2700 Mitchell Drive; www. calicraft.com.

Clockwise from bottom left, Dandelion hot chocolate mix, Amaro Angeleno, Verve coffee, Hario hand grinder, Vineyards book, San Francisco map coaster, B&E American whiskey, Verve coffee tumbler and a beer crowler. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

San Francisco map coasters

Elaborate city maps — San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago and beyond — are etched into these sleek wooden coasters ($26 for four) made by O3 Design Studio. Just think, you can showcase local pride and protect your coffee table at the same time. www.amazon.com

Dandelion Hot Chocolate Mix

San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate serves this decadent sip at its Bloom salon in the city’s Mission district. Now they’re offering the ultimate gift for chocoholics, the award-winning, single-origin chocolate base ($18) packaged in oh-so-giftable corked bottles made in Japan. https://store. dandelionchocolate.com — Jessica Yadegaran and Jackie Burrell

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Sweet! One gingerbread brick at a time builds massively impressive holiday houses BY ANGELA HILL

ansels and Gretels everywhere, be advised: Forest witches have nothing on the pastry chefs at some of California’s grand hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, who lure you in with the stuff of gingerbread wishes and lemon-drop dreams. And you won’t even try to escape. These feats of engineering, baking ingenuity and ﬂat-out holiday fun range from impressive structures like the famed two-story, walk-in gingerbread mansion set up in the lobby of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel and the royal-icing-clad replica of the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort, to the smaller-scale but incredibly intricate versions of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose or the historic Sutro Baths, lovingly

The Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco builds fantastical gingerbread displays each year, including sugar castles with gingerbread elements. WESTIN ST. FRANCIS

re-created in gingerbread at San Francisco’s Waterbar restaurant. “This is the best time of the year for us. We get to do all these fun things with creative freedom,” says Gianna Valone, executive pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. Valone and her team of six will be building a gingerbread campsite scene in the lobby this holiday season, complete with gingerbread Airstream trailer and fluffy gingerbread bears sleeping inside. “When else do we get a chance to make a campfire out of chocolate logs?” This is not mere frivolity. These delectable edible dwellings take weeks and even months of planning and design. Huge quantities of flour, sugar and candies must be ordered and delivered — and the baking, construction and decoration takes days upon days. Most of the bigger structures have a wooden framework to

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provide structural integrity. Last year, Valone’s team built a gingerbread gondola, complete with skis, snowboards and ﬂuffy “snow.” They plan to use the same wooden form as a base for this year’s Airstream trailer, covering it with about 1,200 3-inch square gingerbread bricks and royal icing mortar. “We’re probably doing at least 300 pounds of gingerbread just for the Airstream. Probably around 300 pounds of icing,” Valone says. “It’s big enough for two people to stand inside, but the bears will be there instead. We’ll have some deer outside. Have you heard of Tahoe Tessie? She’s the Tahoe version of the Loch Ness Monster. So we’ll have a little bit of a lake scene off to the side with Tessie, plus a campﬁre and some edible tree stumps to sit on.” The team starts on the project well before Halloween, baking, cutting shapes and getting things ready to go for a display that’s up from Thanksgiving to the end of the year. “At least two people a day are working on it for about two months,” Valone says. “We’re like little elves.” At the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill, a full team of culinary elves spends months on the annual — and huge — holiday gingerbread complex. At 25 feet tall, the magical gingerbread house is typically built with 7,500 gingerbread bricks, hundreds of pounds of candy and more than a ton of royal icing. You can walk through the middle of it, soaking up the scent of a Swedish grandma’s kitchen and peeking through the interior windows into little gingerbread rooms. And you can even book a private dining room inside! That’s not all. It’s surrounded by a snowy village with a giant nutcracker and a train circling through. In the past, there’s even been a kids’ area called the North Pole Nook, complete with a gingerbread doghouse. Over at Waterbar restaurant on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, the pastry chefs always create a gingerbread version of one of the city’s iconic landmarks. Last year, executive pastry chef Erica Land and her team built a replica of the row of Victorian houses known as the Painted Ladies. This time, she had to do some historical digging to re-create the 34

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Sutro Baths, the glittering glass buildings that housed public saltwater swimming pools in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, they’re merely concrete ruins. “I decided on Sutro Baths when my little brother came out for his ﬁrst trip to California, and we did some touristy things,

ending up by the Cliff House and walking through the ruins of the old baths,” Land says. “I Googled it later – I hadn’t realized it was such an amazing structure. All the glasswork on the outside. I thought it would be a fun technical challenge to re-create that, with all the poured-sugar

A gingerbread house replica of the Winchester Mystery House awaits visitors to the San Jose attraction. PHOTO BY JIM GENSHEIMER

windows.” So Land, who recently appeared on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay,” scoured all the aerial photos she could ﬁnd of the inside and outside of the baths. Then she “architected it out,” she says, building a mock-up out of foam board on a large piece of ply-

The gingerbread mansion in the lobby of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel is 25 feet high, with doorways large enough to enter. LAURA ODA/STAFF

wood for the roughly 4-by-4-foot structure. “I literally build a model from bottom to top to get the thickness for the cookie dough,” she says. “That way I know it’s structurally sound.” She then uses those same foam boards as templates for the building, tracing the shapes onto

the cookie dough to get an exact ﬁt. There’s no underlying structure here. It’s all gingerbread, except for a few points at joints where extra support is needed. For that, she uses Rice Krispie treats or thick chocolate. The creation is usually built in one of the restau-

The Fairmont Hotel display offers plenty of kid appeal with whimsical touches, like a gingerbread dog house. LAURA ODA/STAFF

rant’s private dining rooms, then moved to the front entrance — a feat in itself. “It took six guys to move (the Painted Ladies) last year,” she says. “I was videotaping it the whole way in case it went crashing down.” The Sutro Baths display will

be illuminated from within, so the sugar-glass windows glow. “There’s a whole glass atrium in the original building, which is absolutely gorgeous. That kind of detail is super important,” she says. “For the pools themselves, I’m going to build a Rice Krispie foundation to make a hollow space under the poured-sugar surface — a cavity that I can slide some lights into to give it some depth. It’ll be really neat.” While home gingerbread-house bakers may not plan to tackle such elaborate structures, they can certainly incorporate some pro tips into their own creations. “The shapes have to be super, super accurate to ﬁt together properly,” Land says. “The gingerbread dough has to be rolled out to a super even thickness. You might try using those little rubber rings you can buy to put on your rolling pin to make everything even. Then I like to trace the patterns to be sure they’re really accurate.” Bake the cookies at a very low temperature “so they don’t poof too much,” she says. And when they come out of the oven, take the template to them again and trim if need be. “If the cookies are too soft, put them back in and slowly, slowly toast them some more,” Land says. “You want it to be really dry. The harder the cookie, the more stable it will be. You want it to be a hockey puck.” To that end, avoid delicious gingerbread cookie recipes that have butter in them; butter makes the cookies spread too much. For building, pastry chefs typically use recipes calling for Crisco instead. “It still has all the spices and molasses — you want it to give off that delicious essence. But while this is cookie dough you can eat, it’s not cookie dough I would serve as a gingerbread man,” Land says. For Valone, the key is the consistency of the icing. “It’s the glue,” she says. “It can’t be too runny or too stiff. It has to be right in the center. If your icing is off, it collapses.” Still, have fun with it, no matter what, Valone says: “Most of the time, we have an idea in our heads of what it’s all gonna look like, and nine times out of 10, it doesn’t go that way. So just go with it. It’s the holidays, so it’s all about having fun.” BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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Six stops on a gingerbread house tour Nothing says holidays quite like a gingerbread house. And some of the most magical, mouth-watering, monumental versions can be found in many of California’s elegant hotels, restaurants and more. Here are just a few of the festive confectionery creations for 2019, all open to the public: The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco Enter a life-size, two-story gingerbread house at the Fairmont. Yes, you can actually walk into this thing — and it’s even bigger this year than ever, at 25 feet tall, 35 feet wide and 10.5-feet deep. Built in the hotel’s opulent grand lobby, the house features more than 6,000 gingerbread bricks, 1,650 pounds of candy and 3,300 pounds of royal icing. And you can even dine inside – there’s a private space you can book for up to 10 guests. Opens Nov. 30 and runs through the holidays; www.fairmont.com/san-francisco. Westin St. Francis, San Francisco Amid the Old-World grandeur of the historic St. Francis and its forest of black marble columns, you’ll come across a whimsical wonderland of turrets, tiny elves and gift boxes topped with ribbon-candy. Executive pastry chef Jean-Francois Houdré and his staff are installing two spectacular confectionery castles, including a 12-foot Medieval Sugar Castle, a tradition since 2005. New this year: a second train circling an expanded village with a snowy ski resort, a pond, snowcapped trees and a souvenir shop. The whole display is accompanied by a Sweet Boutique where you 36

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Above: It’s all in the icing. Meringuebased royal icing serves as mortar and garnish for the Fairmont’s 6,000-brick gingerbread house. LAURA ODA/STAFF

Last year, the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe pastry chefs created a gingerbread ski gondola in the hotel lobby. RITZ-CARLTON LAKE TAHOE

Left: A scale model of the Grand Californian Hotel, constructed of spicy gingerbread, awaits visitors at the Disney Resort hotel. JOSHUA SUDOCK/ DISNEY RESORT

can purchase freshly baked cookies, orangescented shortbread, gingerbread men and Parisian macarons. The castles will be on view from Nov. 27 to Jan. 2; www.westinstfrancis. com.

Bake the perfect gingerbread man

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe The Ritz-Carlton’s going woodsy this year with a snowy campsite theme, complete with gingerbread Airstream trailer, bears and campfire, created by executive pastry chef Gianna Valone and her pastry staff. Kitchen “elves” will sneak out in the wee hours of Thanksgiving Eve to set up the display, which will be on view through the holiday season; www.ritzcarlton.com. GETTY IMAGES

The Grand Californian, Disneyland Resort, Anaheim There’s a Grand Californian in the lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – a gingerbread version of itself, standing 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The structure is created from more than 600 pounds of gingerbread, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 250 pounds of fondant and 1 pound of “pixie dust” glitter. And it features 25 hidden Mickeys! Pick up sweet treats, such as Mickey snowflake cookies, from the lobby’s holiday cart; www.disneyland. disney.go.com/hotels/grand-californian-hotel/ Waterbar, San Francisco This bayside restaurant on San Francisco’s Embarcadero creates an elaborate gingerbread house every year, inspired by an iconic city landmark, such as the Ferry Building, the Palace of Fine Arts or the Painted Ladies. This year, pastry chef Erica Land will re-create the long-gone Sutro Baths, an amazing structure from the late 1800s that once encompassed public swimming pools. The gingerbread version will be stationed near the reception desk for all to see from late November through the holidays; www.waterbarsf.com. The Winchester (Gingerbread) Mystery House, San Jose Yes, the usually spooky, mysterious San Jose mansion does get dolled up for the holidays, and this year there’s an incredibly detailed gingerbread replica of the rambling estate, created by Christine McConnell of Netflix’s “Curious Creations of Christine McConnell.” She built this beauty originally for the mansion’s Halloween festivities, but it will be “Christmased up” and on display now through the holiday season. It’s in the gift shop, which is open to the public daily — no tour purchase necessary; www.winchestermysteryhouse.com. — Angela Hill

Peek through a cut-away in the Winchester Mystery House gingerbread display and you can see a seance-ready room, crystal ball and all. PHOTO BY JIM GENSHEIMER

By Jessica Yadegaran Executive pastry chef Erica Land of San Francisco’s Waterbar knows her gingerbread. Every year during the holidays, she bakes sheets upon sheets of the spicy cookies, fashioning them into displays of iconic San Francisco structures, like the famed Painted Ladies. But cookies for building and cookies for eating are two different things. Here, Land shares her recipe for delectably edible gingerbread cookies, which fill the kitchen with the scents of cinnamon and cardamom. Twice-chilling the dough will help yield the perfect texture — so you get baked little men with set edges and “soft tummies” every single time.

Waterbar’s Perfect Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup molasses 2 eggs ¼ cup cornstarch 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons ginger 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cardamom 1/8 teaspoon ground clove 4½ cups all-purpose flour Directions: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand-up electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on low setting until smooth. Do not overmix. Add molasses and mix to combine until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix. Sift dry ingredients and add to bowl all at once. Mix slowly on low speed, increasing the speed to medium as the dough comes together, and continue mixing until batter no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Place the dough on top and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Roll out dough between the two sheets until the dough is about 3/8-inch thick. Chill dough in the refrigerator until firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from fridge and peel off parchment paper. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place a fresh sheet of parchment paper on a clean baking sheet. Place cookies on the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator for another 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet from the fridge to a 350-degree oven and bake for 10 to 14 minutes – rotate the pan front-to-back halfway through for even baking – until the cookie sides and corners are set and dry, but the middle is slightly squishy to the touch. Cool completely, then decorate with icing. — COURTESY OF ERICA LAND, EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF, WATERBAR, SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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F O O D I E LOV E R G I F T G U I D E

gifts for Bay Area foodies, cooks and BBQ lovers

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite foodie, home cook or backyard barbecuer? We’ve got you covered with seven California-centric — and utterly delicious — gift ideas.

La Cocina Cookbook and Best Gift Ever Box

Palo Alto Firefighters hot sauces

One of the year’s top cookbooks, “We Are La Cocina: Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream” (Chronicle Books, $30) features more than 75 recipes by 40-plus thriving alums of the San Francisco kitchen incubator — chefs like Nyum Bai’s Nite Yun and Reem Assil of Reem’s California. Pair it with La Cocina’s Best Gift Ever ($50), a box of sweet and savory goodies made in San Francisco by the women entrepreneurs of La Cocina, and your foodie will swoon. https://lacocinasf.org

Palo Alto firefighter Lee Taylor has been growing peppers in the fire station backyard since 1994 and making his zesty pepper sauce available at spots around town. Now, the complex XX Habanero and new, fiery XXX Ghost are available in 8.5-ounce bottles ($6.50) at Whole Foods and https:// paloaltofirefighters.com

Boudin’s Dungeness crab sourdough What’s more iconic than San Francisco sourdough? How about a Dungeness crabshaped loaf ($25) from the city’s historic Boudin Bakery, which has been turning out sourdough since the Gold Rush? They do other shapes, too, including cable cars, teddy bears, Santa and a peace sign–- inspired by San Francisco’s “flour children,” of course. https:// store.boudinbakery.com

“Eat. Cook. LA.” cookbook

Aleksandra Crapanzano’s ode to the City of Angels is a delicious affair, a cookbook ($30, Ten Speed Press) with 100 recipes from Los Angeles bistros and food trucks. Think Roast Chicken with Aji Verde from Otium’s Timothy Hollingsworth and Tomato Salad with Crispy Potatoes and Whipped Feta from Sqirl’s Jessica Koslow.

Journeyman Meat Co. charcuterie

Clockwise from bottom left, cookbooks, Oaktown Spice dry rubs, CIA “Needs Salt” T-shirt, Journeyman salumi, Firefighters hot sauce and a Dungeness crabshaped Boudin sourdough loaf. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

charcuterie obsession a gift to us. His salumeria in Healdsburg offers a quintet of handcrafted salumi ($76 for the set), including soppressata, chorizo and our fave, a Finnochiona made with fennel and fennel pollen. https://journeymanmeat.com/shop/

Oaktown Spice Shop’s Rollicking Rubs

These cool shops in Albany and Oakland stock every spice conceivable -– and a few that we’d never even imagined exist. Create your own themed gift set or choose one of theirs, like this rollicking dry rub set ($32), which includes jars of Grand Lake Shake and St. Basil’s BBQ Chop and Rib Rub. https:// oaktownspiceshop.com

CIA at Copia’s “Needs Salt” T-shirt This 100-percent cotton T-shirt just about says it all. Perfect for the home cook who’s always adding an extra dash of salt, this classic black tee ($22) comes in sizes small through XXL. https://shop.ciaatcopia.com — Jessica Yadegaran and Jackie Burrell

Consider winemaker Pete Seghesio’s BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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Solitude stirs new splendors in

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Off-season turns on the glow that bathes the park in winter S TO RY BY E L L I OT T A L M O N D

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PHOTOS BY L AUR A A . ODA

n the budding days of the environmental movement many decades past, I dutifully completed a government questionnaire about the future of Yosemite National Park. Alarmed by swelling crowds in the early 1970s, I elected the most restrictive choices among the 600-plus multiple-choice options to encourage rangers to restore Yosemite to a less commercial state. Little good my answers did. These days, parades of vehicles crawl along the narrow Valley roads during the warm spring and summer months, forcing me to seek refuge in the rugged backcountry. Agonizingly long entrance waits, maddening traffic snarls and limited parking have a way of choking the grandeur out of the glacially sculpted topography to frustrate even the most ardent nature lover. Then autumn arrives like a human-sucking vacuum cleaner. “The most amazing thing is that there is such an abrupt and in-your-face kind of change,” says Groveland photographer Robb Hirsch, author of “The Nature of Yosemite: A Visual Journey” (Yosemite Conservancy).

Sunset casts a rosy alpenglow over Half Dome, one of the most iconic sights at Yosemite National Park.

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Fall is the denouement of a bustling summer, when long shadows bathe the stone cathedrals in amber hues to celebrate the hushing of humanity. Yosemite’s tourist footprint does not disappear until the golden, red and orange leaves of maple, dogwood and black oak have wilted on the Valley floor. Nature’s orchestrated hibernation usually is timed for the passing of All Hallows Eve into noiseless November. Pacific storms that sucker-punch the Sierra have the final say as to when the transformation is complete. But when it is, the sudden U-turn allows the sweeping landscape to retreat into itself with a certain gravitas and beckons me to one of the most spiritually appealing places on the planet. Just as the Valley nods off into its annual slumber, my heart awakens to the soulful solitude. “The low light is what the place is all about,” says retired national park ranger John J. Reynolds, team captain of Yosemite’s first General Management Plan. “It seems to seep into me.” Twinkling light dances across meadows covered with Indian hemp, giving the grassland its autumnal rusty coat. My senses are flooded by late afternoon sunbeams that illuminate the discolored scars on sheer granite, where Upper Yosemite Falls descended with crowd-pleasing gusto in spring and summer. The panoramic cascade now tickles the cliff walls with drips of water as I gaze, without having to jostle selfie-driven visitors hogging the view.

Yosemite Valley unfurls before visitors who stop at the famous Tunnel View pullout to take in the spectacular views.

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The wintry morning sun begins to warm the Upper Yosemite Falls and its icy fringe, which park staff call its “mustache.” Wildlife wanders the serene, snowy meadows near the park’s majestic Ahwahnee Hotel.

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ne recent day, the pattering of rain tapped my autumn-colored tent like a reverie. It was time to go. I encountered minimal foot traffic — few other offseason sojourners ventured out on such trails as Snow Creek. Adonia Ripple of the Yosemite Conservancy says the tromp into Tenaya Canyon is one of the premier autumn ascents because of the stellar views of Half Dome after only a dozen switchbacks into the 9½-mile trek. I wholeheartedly agree. But the higher one climbs, the more magical it becomes. So, I keep going. Another day, I bounded into the High Country just as Tioga Road received a light ﬂeece of snow. It was not enough to discourage scaling granite domes to capture the breathtaking vistas under the cloud-shifting sky — although it would be my year’s ﬁnal foray along a road that closes for more than six months every year, as heavy snow buries the smooth slopes under its milky white blanket.

The oldest structure in the park, the Yosemite Chapel has held nondenominational services for 130 years.

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For now, sunlight dimmed as a chilled fall evening fell upon the rock spires. I shivered slightly in the coming nightfall and decided against another serving of overcooked camp fare. Instead, I stepped into the glamorous dining room of the Ahwahnee Hotel, as candlelight tangoed with dark shadows beyond the cathedral windows. The entrance had been secured only after finding appropriate attire, as I had nothing but what I wore for the rock ramble. “We’re used to that,” the young woman at the reservation window said. She ordered a waitress to guide me into a storage room to select a button-down shirt that proprietors keep for the underdressed. The cavernous dining room was filled with warmth and seemingly melted into the natural surroundings just beyond the picture windows. Outside, an evening wind swirled this way and that, sending fallen leaves into manic cartwheels. The first stars hid behind the clouds hovering overhead. Temperatures plummeted deep into a solemn, refrigerated night. I did not want this moment to end.

The morning sun illuminates the mountains and snow-dusted trees of Yosemite Valley, as the Merced River rushes by.

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O U T D O O R LOV E R S G I F T G U I D E

great gifts for hikers, campers, picnickers

Got a hiker, an outdoors enthusiast or happy camper on your gift list? Here are suggestions, from a gorgeous Yosemite coffee table book to hiking inspiration and a twist on campfire s’mores. “Hiking the San Francisco Bay Area”

Ayin Turkish beach towel/ blanket

Linda Hamilton’s guide to hiking adventures (Falcon Guides, $25) offers 40 day-tripping treks to every corner of the Bay Area, from Point Reyes to Mount Tam, the Santa Cruz Mountains and beyond. Pair it with a book on hiking the Sierra, Yosemite or Sequoia National Park, and your giftee will be set for adventures near and far. Falcon.com

Whether you take this softly draping linen ($26) to the beach or wrap it round your shoulders by the campfire, these 100-percent Turkish Aegean cotton blankets are fab. The year-old Ayin company is the brainchild of two Google alums, who wanted a sustainable, organic, creative outlet in the midst of all that tech. Find them at www.ayintowels.com.

Clockwise from bottom left, Turkish beach towel, Bay Area hikes book, Yosemite coffee table book, Speculoos S’mores kit and an inflatable Luci solar lantern. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

“The Nature of Yosemite: A Visual Journey” The Yosemite Conservancy’s new coffee table book ($35) is a nature lover’s dream. Its 144 pages are filled with spectacular images by Groveland-based photographer Robb Hirsch and essays by 13 experts, including National Park rangers, artists and naturalists. www. yosemiteconservancystore.com — Jackie Burrell

Speculoos S’mores Kits

Elevate your s’mores with this genius gift box ($21) from Benicia’s Little Belgians baker, which combines handmade marshmallows and speculoos cookies. The gingery Belgian cookies are typically imprinted with windmills — and during the holidays with images of Saint Nick, much to the delight of Oprah Winfrey, who put these cookies on her Favorite Things list last year. The cookies for the s’mores kit are printed — adorably — with little campfires. https://littlebelgians.com

Luci solarpowered lights

These light-weight inflatable lanterns ($20) are solar-powered and collapsible. Blow one up, set it in direct sunlight to charge, and this cool littlte lantern will illuminate your tent — or patio — for up to a day. https://mpowerd.com.

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Beatdazzled Disneyland for the holidays

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BY MARLA JO FISHER

t’s hard to believe, but the winter holidays were once the slow season at Disneyland, back when people spent their weekends shopping instead of heading to a theme park. Those days are long gone, thanks to the resort’s over-the-top holiday decorations and entertainment. With a holiday season that extends from early November through Jan. 6, the decked-out Disneyland and California Adventure have become must-see destinations for families. If you’re headed for the land of the mouse, there are 11 unforgettable holiday experiences to explore. But ﬁrst, a few tips: Aim for weekdays, when the crowds are less dense. Make a dining reservation now if you want to eat in a sit-down restaurant. And get to the parks early to enjoy the foods and indoor attractions, such as It’s a Small World and Haunted Mansion Holiday. Then steel yourself for the onslaught as the crowds arrive later to see the lighted decorations.

Above: Even the Toy Story aliens get in the holiday spirit at Disneyland. Left: Some 126,000 twinkling LED lights illuminate Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle at Disneyland each holiday season, casting a spell on visitors and merrymakers. DISNEYLAND RESORT PHOTOS

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Disneyland The Christmas tree: The first thing you see when you walk through the tunnels into the park is the 60-foot-high artificial Christmas tree on Main Street decorated with 1,500 Victorian-themed ornaments and 100 electric candles. Many people stop to take selfies, but if the line is long, consider doing it on the way out instead. “Believe … in Holiday Magic” Fireworks: In the evening, this fireworks spectacular and its “snowfall” feel magical, even though we adults know it’s really “snoap” – soap flakes that simulate the cold, wet stuff. Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle: With its 126,000 twinkling LED lights, icicle-designed illumination and “snow” on the turrets, this enchanted castle may tempt you to start taking pictures as soon as you see it, but wait until you get closer for better photos. The castle just got a new paint job, complete with gold highlights, and a $300,000 roof, so it should be looking its best. “A Christmas Fantasy” parade: Disneyland brings back its illuminated holiday parade with Mickey, Minnie, Disney princesses and Santa with floats, music and marching “tin soldiers.” Look for Anna, Elsa and Olaf on their “Frozen” float. It’s a Small World Holiday: Even if you’ve been before, you really need to see the charming holiday version of this iconic ride with its 50,000 lights, dolls celebrating international holiday traditions and special music. Go first thing, though, or get fast passes, because everyone else has the same idea. Haunted Mansion Holiday: Each year, this popular ride gets a decor re-do based on Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The seasonal overlay lasts from early September until Jan. 6. Look for villain Oogie Boogie, Sally and, of course, Jack Skellington. While you’re there, check out the massive gingerbread house. This year’s creation is a nearly 10-foot-high Haunted Mansion Holiday, a replica in honor of the mansion’s 50th anniversary. Building it took a team of six people 13 days – and 30 pounds of gingerbread, 120 pounds of frosting, 75 pounds of powdered sugar and 140 pounds of fondant. 50

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Folklorico dancers star in Disney’s ¡Viva Navidad! street party at California Adventure. DISNEYLAND RESORT

Disneyland’s It’s a Small World glows in the winter darkness. DISNEYLAND RESORT

Disney California Adventure “World of Color — Season of Light:” The holiday-themed production of this nighttime spectacular includes synchronized music, lights, lasers, water, fire and some 1,200 fountains bringing animation to life. Dining packages, which can be booked at Disneyland. com, include reserved viewing. Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party: The Three Caballeros host this popular celebration, featuring folklórico and Latin dancers, live musicians and Mickey and Minnie in their fiesta best. This lively event can be seen best between Jumpin’ Jellyfish and Bayside Brews.

Inside Small World, festive decorations celebrate holiday traditions around the globe. DISNEYLAND RESORT

Special holiday food and drink: Bring your appetite (and wallet) to the Festive Foods Marketplace, where the food and drinks – including holiday cocktails – reflect holiday traditions from different cultures. Kiosks are set up along walkways selling specialty items. And the Disney Festival of Holidays offers musical performances and food, including Christmas/Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day. Visit St. Nick: Find Santa Claus, his sleigh and elves at Santa’s Holiday Visit at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Cars Land makeover: Two rides are transformed for holidays: Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl and Mater’s Jingle Jamboree. Look for the “Snowcar” on the road to Radiator Springs and decked-out “Cars” characters.

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It’s a jolly holiday at NorCal’s decked-out theme parks

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Gilroy Gardens’ celebrations include nightly performances of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Lace up your skates for WinterFest at California’s Great America, left, where the giant carousel twinkles brightly by the rink. GILROY GARDENS, CALIFORNIA’S GREAT AMERICA

B Y J I M H A R R I N G TO N CALIFORNIA’S GREAT AMERICA

GILROY GARDENS

WinterFest returns to the popular Santa Clara theme park Nov. 29-Dec. 31, bringing with it a winter wonderland’s worth of seasonal attractions and holiday cheer. Lace up your skates and glide across the large ice rink near the double-decker carousel. Explore the festively decorated grounds, take in a live holiday show, visit Santa’s workshop or – our favorite – decorate cookies at Mrs. Claus’ kitchen.

Geared for families with younger children, this Gilroy theme park will host its annual holiday celebration Nov. 29-Dec. 31, with sparkling light displays through the manicured, tree-studded park. Chat with Santa, enjoy holiday themed food items and ice skate at the open-air rink. Fans of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang will want to check out “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” performed nightly at the park’s Lakeside Amphitheater.

Details: 5-10 p.m. select nights Nov. 29-Dec. 30 (6-10 p.m. on Dec. 15), until midnight Dec. 31; www.cagreatamerica.com/play/winterfest

There are holiday feasts, as well, with roast turkey, baked ham and all the trimmings every night except Dec. 31. Extended hours that night let you count down to 2020 while enjoying fireworks.

SIX FLAGS DISCOVERY KINGDOM The 12th annual Holiday in the Park celebration lights up this Vallejo theme park with seasonal cheer and zillions of twinkling lights Nov. 29-Jan. 5. Visitors can enjoy holiday-themed sections – Candy Cane Lane, Toy Land and Christmas Tree Forest – as well as seasonal treats, such as peppermint and mocha fudge and festive funnel cakes. Holiday-themed entertainment throughout the park includes the nightly lighting of the huge Christmas tree, the synchronized Six Flags Dazzle light show and appearances by Santa. Details: Hours vary, Nov. 29-Jan. 5; www. sixflags.com/discoverykingdom/specialevents

Details: 4-9 p.m. weekends Nov. 29-Dec. 30, until midnight Dec. 31; www.gilroygardens. org/holiday SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK There’s nothing like ice skating on the Boardwalk while you enjoy postcard-worthy views of the Pacific. Santa Cruz’s Boardwalk Holiday Ice runs from Nov. 16 to Jan. 5. Other attractions include holiday lights, festive treats, children’s crafts, mini golf and more. Details: Hours vary, Nov. 16-Jan. 5; https:// beachboardwalk.com/Boardwalk-Holiday-Ice

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K I D S A N D FA M I L I E S G I F T G U I D E

creative gifts for Bay Area kids of all ages

Contrary to what the kiddos say, it’s not all about Minecraft and Pokemon. These five gifts will delight your child while boosting creativity and inspiring the palate, mind and more.

Dinosaur chopsticks

Standard wood chopsticks tend to be long and splintery for little fingers, but these green and white Dinosaur Chopsticks will make your kiddo roar with fine-motor satisfaction. Approximately 7-by-2 inches in size and made from food-safe ABS plastic, the dinosaur’s mouth opens and closes as the chopsticks are used. $7. https://shop.ciaatcopia.com

CIA Baby Chef Coat

Your budding foodie will look all kinds of adorable in this crisp, white chef’s coat, emblazoned with a yellow duck on the breast (rubber to them, confit to us, of course). Comes in sizes 12 months and 24 months. Great as a holiday gift and fantastic for baby showers, too. Handmade by Cayson Designs in San Francisco. $60. https://shop.ciaatcopia. com

Clockwise from bottom, children’s books, Unicorn Reading puzzle and a Fog City journal. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

“What John Marco Saw”

Fog City journal

The newest picture book (Chronicle Books, $18) from Annie Barrows, author of the bestselling “Ivy and Bean” kids series, celebrates the importance of slowing down and noticing wondrous things. With illustrations by Nancy Lemon, it’s a charmer. Available at chroniclebooks.com, Amazon and independent bookstores.

NorCal artist Anne Bentley’s vibrant, whimsical San Francisco neighborhood designs are especially awesome in this Demask cover journal ($13) emblazoned with a Mission burrito, the Painted Ladies and Karl the Fog himself. Available at bookstores, including Walnut Creek’s Flashlight Books, and on Amazon.

Unicorn Reading puzzle

Chronicle Books’ sister company Mudpuppy specializes in toys inspired by illustrations and modern art. Their 20-by-20 inch unicorn bookworm puzzle reminds us that these mythical creatures are more than a Starbucks trend. Here, the beautiful white beast lies in a forest poring over works by Tolkien and Rowling. With 500 pieces, it’s sure to delight kids 8 and older. $14. Amazon

Bay Area author Gennifer Choldenko’s bestselling series follows 12-year-old Moose, who moves to Alcatraz in 1935 for his dad’s job and starts a correspondence with one of its famous residents. Newbery Honor Book “Al Capone Does My Shirts” (Puffin Books, $8) is the first in the series for grades 5 and up. The fourth, “Al Capone Throws Me a Curve,” came out this spring. Available at Amazon and other bookstores.

“Tales of Alcatraz” book series

— Jessica Yadegaran

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8 P L AY

sublime winter hikes & après-hike pairings S TO RY B Y M A R T H A R O S S MAP BY NINA KULICK

hat’s a top reason we choose to live in the Bay Area? It’s very, very pretty. And the combination of mild Mediterranean weather and beautiful parks — national, state, regional and county — lets us enjoy our stunning natural surroundings year-round. Late fall and winter are especially inviting times to get outside for a hike or stroll. The fog lifts along the coast, and rain storms leave skies crystal clear, the hills green, and creeks and waterfalls ﬂowing. Of course, exercise presents a perfect excuse to enjoy another Bay Area treasure: the food. So here are eight beautiful hikes — paired with eight favorite eateries, classic and new, for après-hike bites.

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Lands End Trail, San Francisco Visitors come from all over the world to take in the views from this corner of San Francisco. The often wild and windy Lands End Trail starts at the Sutro Bath ruins and follows the rocky cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, with tempting detours to beaches and the Legion of Honor museum. Jaw-dropping views of the ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands come at almost every turn. Find trail details at www.nps.gov/goga. Après-hike: The Cliff House, where else? The nearly 160-year-old dining institution was once a destination for Gilded Age high society. Today’s Cliff House — rebuilt in 1909 after the second of two devastating fires — remains a classic spot for Sunday brunch, sunset cocktails and romantic dinners. Administered by the National Parks Service, the Cliff House has two restaurants, Sutro’s and the Bistro, which both serve bloody marys, cioppino and a Cliff House Louis with Dungeness crab. Open daily at 1090 Point Lobos Ave., San Francisco; https://cliffhouse.com.

King’s Canyon Loop Trail to Upper San Leandro Reservoir, Moraga Nestled in the East Bay hills south of Moraga, this forestfringed, serpentine body of water recalls the scenery that inspired England’s romantic poets. A 6.4mile loop winds through pleasant woods along the reservoir’s shore, down into gullies and up into grasslands with views of the surrounding hills. Start the hike from Moraga’s Rancho Laguna Park or at the Valle Vista staging area. This is East Bay Municipal Utility District watershed land, so you’ll need to purchase and print out a permit online ($10 per year at ebmud.com) before you go. Find trail details at www.redwoodhikes.com. Après-hike: The new — but already incredibly popular — Canyon Club Brewery in downtown Moraga pairs beers and gastropub fare, including a Carolina pulled-pork sandwich and crispy fried chicken sammie. Opens at 11 a.m. Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday at 1558 Canyon Road, Moraga; www.canyonclub. works

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Above and left, the trails at Crockett Hills Regional Park offer soaring views of rolling hills and the Sacramento River far below. JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/ STAFF

Waddell Beach to Berry Creek Falls, Big Basin State Park, Boulder Creek This strenuous 14-mile hike in Big Basin State Park leads to an enchanting 60-foot waterfall in the middle of the Santa Cruz mountains, but the journey also offers many other rewards. It starts at Waddell Beach, famous for kitesurfing, and takes hikers through a varied terrain of coastal marsh, oak woodland and redwood forest, crossing picturesque bridges over Waddell and Berry creeks along the way. Find details at www.parks.ca.gov and www.alltrails.com. Après-hike: Ten minutes south of Waddell Beach is Davenport, a small town founded in the 1860s by Capt. John Davenport, an East Coast whaler. The Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily — including wood-fired, thin crust pizzas, New England clam chowder, and Fisherman’s Stew. Open daily at 1 Davenport Ave., Davenport; www.davenportroadhouse.com.

Angel Island has more than 12 miles of trails and roadways that can be used by bikers and hikers. STAFF ARCHIVE

Mount Livermore, Angel Island There’s no better way to see the greatest hits of San Francisco Bay than to hop the ferry to Angel Island. The perimeter trail is a 5.5-mile loop around the island, with gorgeous sights unfolding with each passing turn: San Francisco’s skyline, the Golden Gate and Bay bridges, Alcatraz Island, Mount Tamalpais and the Oakland hills. Ascend to the top of 788foot Mount Livermore on a more strenuous 6-mile loop for panoramic views. Find trail details at https://angelisland.com. Après-hike: Back at the mainland, unwind at Tiburon’s classic Sam’s Anchor Cafe, known for its outdoor deck, Ramos gin fizzes, lobster rolls, fresh oysters and beer-battered fish and chips. Lilikoi margaritas, vodka lemonade and Aperol Spritzers are served in shareable bowls. Open daily at 27 Main St., Tiburon; https:// samscafe.com.

Left, Oakland resident Kira Pascoe and her friend Nancy MacLeod take the pups, Theo and Frodo, for a walk on the King’s Canyon Loop Trail in the hills just south of Moraga. JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO/ STAFF

Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve’s StonewallPanoramic Trail, Oakland This short but sweet — and very steep — 1.7-mile hike may not be the best choice for anyone with Jimmy Stewart’s “Vertigo” affliction. But anyone else looking for a good cardio work-out while surrounded by incredible bay views will not be disappointed. The climb starts at a trailhead just behind the Claremont Hotel and Spa and goes up, up, up. Find trail details at www.ebparks.org. Après-hike: The landmark hotel’s Limewood Bar and Restaurant allows more bay-gazing while enjoying brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks. Open daily at 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley; www. limewoodrestaurant.com.

Bear Valley Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore This out-and-back trail to the Pacific Ocean is more than eight miles, but it’s a moderate and popular option for novice hikers and families pushing strollers. Much of it passes through a lush forest of ferns and Douglas fir that shelters it from the sun, wind and coastal fog. The approximate midpoint is picturesque Divide Meadow, with the trail ending at coastal bluffs near Arch Rock. Find trail details at www.nps.gov/pore. Après-hike: The Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station, a former railroad town built by Italian immigrants, specializes in comfort food: eggs benedict, burgers, mac and cheese, and fresh seafood, including oysters on the half shell or scrambled into a Hometown Fry. Open daily, except Wednesdays, at 11180 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station; https:// stationhousecafe.com.

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Sky and Kestrel trails, Crockett Hills Regional Park, Crockett The park’s nearly 2,000 acres of rolling hills and wooded ravines offer expansive views of San Pablo Bay, the Carquinez Strait, Mount Tamalpais and Mount Diablo. A nearly 6-mile loop starts at a staging area near downtown Crockett, passes beneath the Cummings Skyway and emerges onto an open ridge and the aptly named Sky Trail. Find trail details at www.redwoodhikes.com/ EastBay/Crockett.

Claudia Rojas takes in the views of Northern elephant seals sleepily basking in the sunshine at Ano Nuevo State Park in Pescadero. ARIC CRABB/STAFF

Après-hike: Head over to quirky Port Costa, whose Warehouse Cafe retains its divebar charms with kitschy memorabilia and entertaining bartenders. Located in a former granary, the cafe offers 250 beers from around the world, specialty whiskey and hearty bar food, including burgers, sandwiches, and fish and chips. On sunny days, patrons clamor for spots outside on rickety chairs overlooking the Carquinez Strait. Open daily at 5 Canyon Lake Drive, Port Costa; http://www. warehousecafeportcosta.com.

Año Nuevo Point Trail, Año Nuevo State Park A three- to four-mile trail around the south end of Año Nuevo State Park offers coastal sights that echo the descriptions of Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino in 1603: pristine, wild and in the winter months, populated by thousands of elephant seals and other marine mammals that come to rest, mate and give birth. During breeding season — from Dec. 15 to March 31 — visitors must join guided tours. The rest of the year, you can wander on your own, as long as you stay on the trail as it passes through coastal prairie and over sand dunes. Find details at http://www.parks. ca.gov/anonuevo. Après-hike: Round out a lovely day trip by heading 15 minutes north to Pescadero, where fourth-generation Duarte’s Tavern serves Portuguese-inspired comfort food. It’s known for its artichoke soup, crab cioppino and fish sandwiches served on sourdough. Open daily, except Tuesdays, at 202 Stage Road, Pescadero; http://duartestavern.com.

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gifts to cozy up this Bay Area winter

C OZ Y G I F T G U I D E

The weather outside may be frightful, but here inside, it’s all about warm coziness: soft blankets, a crackling fire and all things hygge, including these cozy gift ideas. Tea Towels, Glass Infuser and Casablanca Teas Nothing says winter like the perfectly brewed spot of tea. Los Gatos’ Tea on the Avenue offers everything to make yours memorable, including these watercolorlike California Wildflower Flour Sack Tea Towels ($15), designed in Santa Cruz by Andrea Garvey; and a Libre Durable Glass Infuser ($27), which keeps your tea hot or cold. Use it to brew the shop’s exclusive line of loose leaf Casablanca Teas, including Milk Oolong, sourced from small, multigenerational farms. www. teaontheavenue.com; www.andreagarvey.com

Oaktown mulling spices

Whether you’re making hot cider, mulled wine or glögg, this mixture of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom and cloves adds just the right notes. And the 4-ounce bottle ($6.50) from Oaktown Spice Shop fits so perfectly in any holiday stocking. https:// oaktownspiceshop.com

Ode lavender lotion

Sonoma County’s McEvoy Ranch has long been known for its extra-virgin olive oil and acres of olive groves. Their Ode beauty and skincare product line is made with olive oil, too, from the lip balm to the bath products. This luxurious lavender lotion ($30) pampers with olive, jojoba and grapeseed oils, plus aloe vera and botanicals. And it smells divine. www. mcevoyranch.com

Clockwise from bottom left, mulling spices, spiced pear liqueur, tea towels, tea infuser and a Bonnin mug. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur Unstopper the bottle of this golden elixir ($35 for 750ml, $12 for 200ml) made by Alameda’s St. George Distillery and take a deep breath. The fragrance of ripe Bartlett pears, cloves and cinnamon smells exactly like Christmas. It’s the perfect spirit to mix into cocktails or sip neat by the fire – or while waiting for Santa. www.stgeorgespirits.com — Jackie Burrell and Jessica Yadegaran

Glazed Bonnin mugs

Pour that hot cocoa or steamy tea into one of these glazed, handcrafted mugs made by French-born ceramicist Eric Bonnin. Between the saturated hues – teal or “weather-green” – and not-too-big size, these mugs ($38 each) are made for getting cozy. We obsessed over them when Healdsburg’s Shed still had its storefront in wine country. Now, you can get them online. https://shop.healdsburgshed. com. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

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Let there be light! Illuminated spectacles add sparkle to winter’s chill BY MARTHA ROSS

An illuminated 400-foot long dragon glows above the crowds at the Lantern Light Festival. This year’s festival will be held in Vallejo. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

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very year, Bay Area homeowners like Frank Rehm — and fellow illumination engineers in the 14 other neighborhoods and popular destinations listed below — go to wonderfully over-the-top lengths to mount dazzling displays of holiday lights around their homes, gardens, parks and other outdoor spaces. For such displays, we can thank the British royals and an engineer from Thomas Edison’s shop for amplifying a centuries-old German tradition. Yes, according to Smithsonian magazine’s short history of why we love holiday lights, medieval Germans started placing candles on the Tannenbaum, or Christmas tree, to light the dark winter months. Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria, brought this tradition with him to England. When an engraving was published in 1848 showing Victoria, Albert and their children decorating a candlelit evergreen, the Christmas tree became an instant mainstay of middle-class households on both sides of the Atlantic. Of course, flickering candle flames were always a safety hazard, so Edison colleague Edward Hibberd Johnson invented a string of 80 electrified red, white and blue glass bulbs that he wrapped around a tree. Johnson followed up that brilliant idea by showing his tree to a reporter. “One can hardly imagine anything prettier,” wrote W.A. Croffut, a writer for the Detroit Post and Tribune. Some 135 years later, tens of millions of Americans routinely wrap strings of lights around their trees, homes and businesses for the holidays. Among them: Rehm, his wife and three adult sons, who will decorate their Antioch home and property with about 70,000 mostly red-and-white lights. For Rehm, creating “Candy Cane Lane” is a family and community tradition going back to the late 1990s. “We have kids in their 20s stopping by who don’t remember a Christmas without coming here,” Rehm said. “It’s neat to have this tradition going on.” Some Bay Area light displays are the work of entire neighborhoods, while others come courtesy of places like Woodside’s Filoli estate, the Oakland Zoo and the Santa Clara County Parks Department — and even a cemetery in Oakland. Here are some of the best holiday light shows in the Bay Area, some of which also offer visits with Santa and performances by local school choirs. Unless otherwise indicated, you can visit most of these nightly, after sundown and at no cost.

The Christmas display at Deacon Dave’s House of the Dove in Livermore blazes to life with more than 610,000 lights. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

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Candy Cane Lane Frank Rehm’s extravaganza is not the only reason to visit Camby Road in Antioch this holiday season. His neighbor Richard Confetti also decks his house with thousands of LED lights and provides a radio station playing music that people can tune into as they pass the light show. Rehm, a professional photographer, also takes photos of families with Santa for $10. Where and when: 2921 Camby Road, Antioch. Dusk to 10 p.m. weekdays and to 11 p.m. weekends Dec. 2 to Jan. 8. Rehm will take photos with Santa, Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15 and on Dec. 20, 21, 22 and 23. http:// californiachristmaslights.com.

Mattos Orchard Lights Like Rehm, J.R. Mattos is another in that rare class of passionate holiday-lights hobbyists, who go all out for the holidays. Every year, he and his family transform their San Jose apricot orchard into a North Pole-themed winter wonderland. Mattos promises that this year’s display will offer a big new surprise — which he won’t divulge until the switch is flipped. Where and when: 1545 Stone Creek Dr., San Jose, 5 to 10 p.m., Thanksgiving through Jan. 4.

Historic estate lights in Woodside The century-old Filoli estate in Woodside does the holidays in grand fashion, with elegantly decorated Christmas trees and other decorations filling the ballroom and other main rooms of the stately mansion. But what’s especially magical are the 15 miles of lights arrayed around Filoli’s worldrenowned, English country-inspired gardens. You can also take a break from strolling the extensive gardens with a visit to the holiday wine bar, located on the mansion’s terrace. Special holiday teas also are offered on select Tuesdays and Sundays. Where and when: 86 Cañada Road, Woodside. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, with additional evening hours, 4-8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, Nov. 23 to Dec. 30. Filoli will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. $10-$35, https:// filoli.org.

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Deacon Dave’s world-famous display Last year’s light show at Dave Rezendes’ Hillcrest Drive home in Livermore featured 610,000 lights, which is one reason that Casa del Pomba, or “House of the Dove,” has been showcased on cable and international TV. HGTV once ranked it among the biggest home displays in the United States. Every year, Renendez, a deacon for St. Michael Catholic Church, introduces a new theme, which he will announce this year on opening night, Nov. 30. This 37th annual display opens at 6:30 p.m with a colorful procession through surrounding streets that ends at Casa del Pomba. Where and when: 352 Hillcrest Drive, Livermore. Gates close at 9 p.m. but lights stay on until midnight. www.casadelpomba. com.

Christmas Tree Lane, Alameda Alameda’s Christmas Tree Lane is a co-operative effort put on by more than 50 homes. Local school bands and entertainers will perform on different nights throughout the season. Santa also will stop by on some nights. Where and when: 3200 block Thomson Avenue, between High Street and Fernside Boulevard, Alameda, Dec. 1 through New Year’s Eve. Santa will visit nightly from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 8 to Dec. 23. www.facebook.com/ christmastreelane

San Jose’s Christmas in the Park Once again, San Jose’s two-acre Plaza de Cesar Chavez will be transformed into a land of lights and holiday displays. Christmas in the Park also features visits with Santa and special events, including an opening night celebration and parade on Nov. 29. Where and when: Plaza de Cesar Chavez, daily, Nov. 29 through Jan. 5; www. christmasinthepark.com.

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Antioch’s Colonial Court is just one of many Bay Area neighborhoods that go all out with holiday displays and elaborate lighting. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

ZooLights at the Oakland Zoo Hundreds of thousands of lights and laser light shows brighten trees and buildings around the zoo. Watch them while riding on the Outback Express Train or sailing over the zoo in a gondola up to the Landing Cafe, where you can warm up with hot cocoa. Santa also will be hanging out in his workshop most nights. Where and when: 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland. 5:30-9 p.m., Dec. 6 through Jan. 5, closed Dec. 24 and 25. Admission $11-$12, www.oaklandzoo.org.

Los Gatos’ Fantasy of Lights Enjoy a 1.5-mile drive through a “fantasy land” of lights, animated figures and a 90-foot twinkling tree at Vasona Lake County Park. You can also walk through the park on Dec. 7 and 8, using 3-D glasses to enhance the visual experience. Where and when: The route starts at 333 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos; nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. The walk-thru is 4-9 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8, and tickets cost $5 for children, $10 for adults. The drive-thru runs from 6-10 p.m. Dec. 10 through Dec. 30, except on Christmas day, and costs $20 per car. You must purchase tickets in advance at the Santa Clara County Parks Department website. www. parkhere.org.

Merry-Go-Round The famous Tilden Park carousel becomes a winter wonderland during the holidays, with trees festooned with lights and Santa handing out candy canes. Special events include breakfasts with Santa and a ScoobyDoo Happy New Year Dinner Celebration for kids from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31. Where and when: Tilden Regional Park, at the intersection of Central Park Drive and Lake Anza Road, Berkeley. Holiday celebrations begin Nov. 18 and continue through Jan. 6. Closed Dec. 24 and 25. From Dec. 2 to 23, the Merry-Go-Round is open 4-8:30 p.m. weekdays and noon-8:30 p.m. weekends. From Dec. 26 to Jan. 6, the Merry-Go-Round is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www. tildenparkmerrygoround.org.

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Lights for the departed Visiting a graveyard at night might sound like a thing you’d only do for Halloween, but Oakland’s Mountain View Cemetery is noted for how it celebrates Christmas. Its creative light displays are shaped into skaters, snowmen, a toy train and a reindeer sleigh, as well as arrayed around buildings, arches and the cemetery’s front fountain. Where and when: Mountain View Cemetery, 5000 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; 5-9 p.m., Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. www.mountainviewcemetery. org.

11 & 12

California Christmas Lights must-sees The California Christmas Lights website (formerly known as Lights of the Valley) is the place to go to find homeowners in your Bay Area town who are getting into the holiday spirit. Some select homes on the site have earned the designation “must see” over the years. That means their owners are known for getting into the spirit big-time. http:// californiachristmaslights.com Where and when: Two particularly enchanting displays are at 3671 Chelsea Court, Pleasanton (aka “Widmer World”), 6-9 p.m., Dec. 1 to 31 http://widmer-world.com; and 467 Knottingham Circle, Livermore, Nov. 30 to Dec. 31.

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BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

Marybeth Ginley, of Pleasanton, savors the sights of the Lantern Light Festival with her granddaughter Reagan Williams as illuminated silk and steel lanterns glow in the darkness. DOUG DURAN/STAFF

13 & 14 15 Lights of the city Lace up your skates and enjoy turns around the ice rinks at San Francisco’s Union Square and Embarcadero Center — under the lights of grand hotels, skyscrapers, giant twinkling Christmas trees and, in the case of Justin Herman Plaza, the historic Ferry Building. These are signature San Francisco holiday events, and a great way to end a day of shopping and gazing at window displays.

Where and when: Union Square ice rink, 333 Post Street, 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 20, $13-$18, including skate rental; http://unionsquareicerink.com. Justin Herman Plaza, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; $7-$12 plus $5 for skate rentals; http:// embarcaderocenter.com.

Lantern Light Festival Last year’s Chinese lantern light spectacle at the Alameda County Fairgrounds has moved to Vallejo this winter for a six-week stretch that showcases massive illuminated silk dragons, towers, arches and other colorful shapes, some as much as 30 feet high and 300 feet long. The festival offers carnival rides, live entertainment and food booths, too. Where and when: Solano County Fairgrounds, Vallejo. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 28-Jan. 26. $18-$40. https://lanternlightfestival.com

The first snow of the season blankets Mount Hamilton as the winter season sets in. STAFF ARCHIVE

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