Nikki "Noodle" M.'s Profile

I've had the hardest time putting it into words, but this is the Spring Break of rafting trips. People are douchebags, everyone is wasted, really well-meaning guides and bus drivers do their best to corral everyone and teach safety, and no matter how much fun is had someone goes to the hospital. I'm gonna break it down nice and simple....

You should know:
This is a booze trip. Everyone is drunk. Booze and rapids don't mix is an ignored warning.

Everyone thinks it's awesome to bring water guns. I don't see it.

Even though it's fun to go with 4 other people, those boats aren't self-bailing and if you're drunk and not avoiding rocks right you'll be bailing out your heavy boat every few feet. I would opt for the smaller canoe
rafts which are self-bailing...one friend got one of those when her raft was destroyed and they had no trouble at all the whole rest of the ride.

THE PLAN is to bus to a river location, raft all day the first day. Camp at a place where your stuff has been bussed to meet you, eat lots, have a rave in the woods, and raft back down to the car on the way out. When the water is low like it was for us, you do the same route twice. For some reason we also did not get the rave, that was never explained. The people with glowsticks were very sad.

"The Mother" is serious business. How I managed to stay in, i do not know.
My friend has an infected hematoma from hitting her side on a rock when she fell out on "The Mother." It has now been drained twice and she's on pain meds. We have named it Rumsey because it is the size of a town. She is only alive because a life guard jumped in to save her. Just saying. You've been warned.

They take your picture and sell it at the end like Splash Mountain.

Some friends of ours never fell out the whole time, so staying sober is important when the water is so low and the boat is so full.

THE CROWD: Girls gone wild meets a frat house. I mean yikes. I can give some examples...late night conversations revolve around "getting laid" and how friend A scored with slutty girl B...incessant use of the word "faggot..." Man had tattoo that said 100% me. Other tribal tattooes were abundant... Other man took a piss in his shorts during the safety speech...said man did not remove his shorts, nor move away from people before just peeing in his pants and laughing.

That said, if you got with awesome friends, you'll still have a good time. They feed you like crazy, and the actual rafting part is super fun, and a great bargain. Plus it's comforting to know a lifeguard was there to rescue my friend so props for that.

Booked during DAT and despite it being a Thursday we found it pretty crowded by the time we left (had an early dinner at 6pm). Still when we had to add more people to our party, they were totally accommodating. Some ordered off the DAT menu, though some of us did not. For some reason my husband has an inability to do stick to that menu...no matter how many times we try to attend somewhere solely for DAT.

The Mushroom Ravioli was well-sauced, flavorful and delicious. My chicken was cooked perfectly with the crispiest of skin, and reminded me of the coq au vin I had in Paris... and the warm chocolate fondant was a delight.

Off the DAT menu... two of my companions had the steak which was well-enjoyed. The Foie Gras was amazing and the scallops were super tasty (and cooked very well...which for me is a big deal, since I cannot stomach a rubbery underdone scallop).

The waitstaff was very friendly and attentive and earned bonus points for allowing me to practice my French.

I think, while smaller and more charming, I enjoyed the atmosphere at Chez Papa Resto a bit more.

Three Cheers for Road Trip Bar and Grill, and I totally echo what Gabby says even though I totally didn't know she'd been here.

We stopped off before a whitewater rafting adventure on Cache Creek and found ourselves in a clean, high-ceiling, fancy sort of diner. This was the PERFECT place to stop because they had everything I would have wanted for breakfast for cheap PLUS a full-bar. The Biscuits and gravy was delicious and my eggs/hashbrowns/toast/and a zillion pieces of bacon was only $6.99! That's better than Denny's!

Service was a bit on the slllllooooooow side, and the place was virtually empty, but we enjoyed the few townsfolk who were there, and the biker theme they have going on.

Patio outside was amazing, will for sure be back before my next whitewater adventure.

A bunch of us decided to be a little athletic in our weekend binge-drinking and decided to bike across the Golden Gate. I reserved my bike online and they got us in and out pretty fast and with pleasant attitudes. Sure the bikes weren't fancy, but I was perfectly fine with not lugging my bike down three flights of stairs, and across the city so I didn't mind.

Biked the golden gate, through Sausalito, and over to Tiburon. Sitting in the sun at Sam's Anchor Cafe sipping bloody marys was quite lovely and it was totally worth the journey. We all took the ferry back with the other cyclists and it was a quick trip to return the bikes.

All and all a good day brought to you by blazing saddles.

I have a serious aversion to Costco having been dragged through the aisles of Costco all my life. First my mom, then my husband's family always giving us college shopping trips/tires, and now my husband. Plus, if you've seen Idiocracy you know why it's so scary.

The thing is, for some things it just can't be beat, and my husband and i have a a bit of a science down of what we want and how to get in and get out.

Still, the crowd of meanderers makes me really agro so I allow myself plenty of time on the zipcar, avoid all the sample people and pushy folks, and allow myself some time after to decompress afterward. I also allow myself a $1.50 hotdog/soda combo.

Missing my venus razorblade refills and only selling the handles: minus one star...

Costco, 4 stars for the following:

GIANT Kettle One
Large Cazadores
Beer for camping at a great price
flat of smart water
flat of dumb water
CRAB LEGS CRAB LEGS CRAB LEGS
batteries for the xbox controllers (we heart rockband)
Prepackaged chicken breasts in packs of two
Neiman Ranch bacon-wrapped pork chops
Discount US Weekly
Rotisserie Chicken
Large and affordable cereal
24 hour fitness membership ($12 month)

Definitely the first place we hit for a party, or a camping trip.

Delicious, but Tiny!

Came here on a random Thursday and as usual the line was crazy long. The hostess was really helpful and let us go to Luna Park for cocktails, taking our phone number while we were gone. We headed back and a spot still hadn't opened up, but she knew what she was doing! She came to our group and told us who we were waiting on and where they were in their meal. We worked with her and decided to take a small table and just cram in. works for us!

Wings were delicious, waitstaff friendly, mashed yams amazing, and fish tasty tasty!

Pickle spears were forgotten and comped when we reminded them, they were awesome, totally a must.

I really wanted to love Destino because I love Pisco Latin Lounge next door. Our waiter even remembered us from frequenting the bar, so it was good seeing him, they had a good drink selection, like the lounge which was nice.

The ceviche was pretty good, probably the best thing we ordered. I wouldn't say it rivals Limon's though. The empanadas were just as another yelper described, not quite cooked enough and too doughy. The duck was pretty tasty. For an entree we shared the quinoa risotto and it was really bland. It needed meat, or mushrooms, or something flavorful.

Afterward a series of flies gathered at our table, and we swatted for a while waiting for the bill. I think I'll be sticking to Pisco from now on.

A friend and I went here the other day for a mani pedi at lunch. I think a lot of the reviewers who didn't like this place haven't been here in a bit because it seems like they've had a facelift...new coat of paint, new chairs, reasonably clean, yet not fancy.

I liked the polish selection (OPI) and they did a good job with my manicure and pedicure (they have spa chair pedicure, but the basin is just the regular plastic bin that they place on a wood platform), still it is clean and covered in plastic so it felt quite hygienic.

Bonus: all the current US Weekly's for a great workday break.

I would have given 4 stars if it weren't for it being a bit on the pricey side, also I noticed the same dryers used for hands and feet with no distinction which was for which. I think i just put my hands in a dryer that may have held someones feet, that creeps me out, clean or not.

I like Mezzanine a lot as far as concert venues go and i've seen some amazing acts here: LCD Soundsystem, Yelle, Passion Pit, Ghostland Observatory, Lovemakers...

It's easy to get to the front if you need, but I like to hang toward the back. Bonus points for having lots of bathroom stalls for the ladies, a photobooth, and several bars throughout. Bartender upstairs last Friday night was kinda horrible in remembering where she was in the line of thirsty folks. We waited about 20 minutes for a drink (at the front of the crowd), but no problems downstairs so i'd stick to that. I also usually like the bar in the little nook but that seemed to be VIP/selling fruit (?).

Since last I went, the top section of the club is now table/bottle service which is actually kind of a cool idea if you're there for the night. Never actually been there when a band isn't playing.

Biggest bonus: They were really strict about grabbing the smokers of all substances and asking them to go outside (patio). I don't mind people getting their buzz on, but this was really great when you've got lung problems and just wanna dance and sing to the music.

This Memorial Day some friends and I headed out to Caswell for some river and sun. We found just what we were looking for. Leaving behind a foggy and cold city we enjoyed 80-90 degree temps here at the park. Warm enough to go all the way down the river (though we chickened out after a while since we didn't know where the river led)! Definitely not a spot to go with couples like Star B. said, but perfect for groups.

They've got a lot of camp sites here and the friendly ranger let us know that a coveted river access spot was available. He gave us the inside track on how to secure the spot/make sure it is free before heading back to the front gate to confirm we'd take it. Hosts Al and Rhonda were pleasant as well in selling us our firewood.

It's got pros and cons compared to my favorite China Camp

Pros: The river, the beach, more campsites (i think), lots of dumpsters, no lugging all your gear up the hill to your site, perfect for groups, hot water in the sink outside the bathrooms, our friends could come visit for the day because you get two parking spots!

Cons: Only saw one set of bathrooms nearby and it was always full and pretty gross (but it was a holiday) so we used the woods, Cars are parked at the campsites themselves which means car alarms, often.

Other notes:
I saw 0 mosquitoes and a gazillion pincher bugs!
cookies on the bbq are amazing