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Posts from the ‘Vayable Experiences’ category

A Vayable Love Story: Mike and Erica

At Vayable, we are romantics. We love bringing people together and creating friendships; maybe, if the stars align the right way, something more will come out of it! With Valentine’s day around the corner, we thought that we would share our love story of two guides. Here is a guest post jointly written by Mike and Erica. Soon you will be able to book a joint beer and wine tour they will lead!

It was 12/12/12, a cold night in the SOMA district of San Francisco. Vayable’s holiday party was jamming inside the walls of Terroir, one of the best natural wine merchants you can come by. I post up at the bar, not knowing anyone inside, and barely connected to the Vayable community. Next to me is Mike, sommelier and key-speaker of the evening, and my soon-to-be boyfriend just waiting for the questions after his talk. Our connection was undeniable. After a few hours of meeting a people, but mostly getting nerdy with one another over aroma and taste, finish and complexity, we knew something special was there.

Our romance was serendipitous - just as our love for beer and passion for wine is. Vayable brought us together and now we hope to bring what we love to the Vayable community.

Some of the greatest ideas people conjure are when they are around a table - eating food, sipping glasses of fermented goodness, and engaging with each other. Community is formed with full bellies and open hearts. We hope to bring people together through an innovative, engaged, and delicious beer, wine and food pairing collaboration. For a very long time people have commented on the beautiful relationship between wine and food, and more and more these days people are also becoming interested in the dynamics between beer and food. We hope to see how exactly each sip makes eating more vibrant, how they contrast and compliment one another, while paying attention to how they affect one’s palette.

Our vision is rooted in both of our love for things craft - so much of what we have access to today is watered-down and capitalized to the point where you forget someone is actually making what you are using, what you are eating, what you are drinking. Small breweries, vineyards, and wineries exist everywhere, with people building something from a passion, from nothing, with their bare hands. Their hard work goes unnoticed by the masses, and we hope to change that, little by little, every single day.

We thank Vayable for bringing us together, for the gift of love and passion, and for the excitement of exploring the world.

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Trip in Golden Gate Park: Hunting for Magical Mushrooms

You’d think that all the psychedelic mushrooms in Golden Gate Park would have been meticulously identified and documented by now since it’s the home of the Summer of Love and all. But alas, hippies with a predilection for psychedelics are not necessarily the most well-versed in Latin taxonomy or DNA sequencing. Alan Rockefeller, a mycologist who has spent the last ten years collecting and identifying mushrooms, has recently discovered a new type of hallucinogenic mushroom right here in San Francisco.

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This mushroom, the psilocybe alenii, is apparently one of the strongest mushrooms ever known. Denizens in the park have been consuming them for ages, but it hasn’t been properly classified or submitted for peer review in a scientific journal until now. When we got wind of his discovery, we just had to see it for ourselves and went mushroom hunting with the Psychedelic Society of San Francisco. It started off with a brief talk where he showed about 20 different types of mushrooms and taught us everything from how to read a spore print to what the laws are around picking and consumption of wild mushrooms.

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From gelatinous brain-like mushrooms to ones that looked like starfish to ones that have hallucinogenic properties, there are so many different types of mushrooms thriving in this cool, damp, and foggy fungal paradise that is Golden Gate Park. Every time we found a different kind of mushroom, we took it to Alan to identify. He looked at them and could tell immediately what type of mushroom it was, or with the help of some scratching (to inspect the layers) and tasting (much to our dismay).

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Whether you’re looking for something that has mind expanding powers or just some delicious wild mushrooms for your upcoming dinner party, Alan knows the best ways to prepare them and, more importantly, which ones not to consume. Eating the wrong type of mushroom can be deadly, so it’s best to go with an expert who knows what he’s talking about!

Alan is now offering private mushroom hunting sessions for small groups and large through Vayable. If you’re interested in learning about mushrooms, be sure to book his experience to see for yourself. Tis the season because these mushrooms are most plentiful between October and January.

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Science Meets History with the Invented in SF Walking Tour

I am intrigued by good historical tour and I love to learn about science. Robin marries the two with the Invented in SF Walking Tour. This is a history tour of San Francisco with a twist of science. Or is it a science tour with a twist of history?

Robin kicks the tour off with introductions and a fun ice breaker, by asking us “What have you invented?” I dished my secret of putting cinnamon in cream cheese frosting for carrot cake, which I am 100% to 65% sure I’m the first to do. I learned of other things our group mates invented from creative to practical to ingenious.

We explored a 2.3 mile course in the city and stopped along the way to learn the interesting stories of inventions. You may have heard that Levi’s were invented in San Francisco, well Robin has the details. She’ll also share stories of clever food and technology inventions all while exploring the beautiful scenery of San Francisco.

The highlight of tour from my perspective is learning how to shape fortune cookies. This is where I can tell Robin used to work with the Exploratorium. She is great about translating concepts to fun hands on activities. Folding a fortune cookie is not as intuitive as I’d thought. And we were using silicone! Shaping a fortune cookie out of dough is a whole other level of skill.

What I found especially interesting about this tour is my group mates weren’t all from out of town. In fact, almost everyone was a Bay Area resident. An afternoon exploring innovation in San Francisco doesn’t just appeal to travelers. Locals love to learn about our legends too.

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London Food Guides on Travel with Kate

Let’s celebrate Friday with a virtual vacation. Kate has been exploring the food scene in London with Sakhr and Matthew as her guides. These videos are a sweet treat from her adventures in noshing.

A Foodie’s Paradise in London on Travel with Kate

Hungry yet? Oh, there’s more goodness to come…

A Street Food Party in London on Travel with Kate

Kate is an on-camera host, travel expert and producer of travel media. We love her charming personality and passion for engaging with locals. Keep up with her latest journeys on her website Travel with Kate, where you’ll find enough fun videos for a marathon weekend of virtual vacationing.

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Feast Your Eyes: An Afternoon With an SF Foodie

What makes Samir’s Eat Like a Local in SF tour unique? His relationships with the people you meet along the way give you an insider’s look into the neighborhood’s food culture. It’s not about posh restaurants or fads, it’s about the simple beauty of good food locals love.

I could tell you all the places we stopped along the way, but I think I’ll tease you with photos instead. I can’t ruin the surprises! I will tell you that this is a tour of great food on 24th Street in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco.

We hit a variety of places - from taquerias, to a family coffee shop, to an under the radar restaurant. There were few detours along the way too. There was some ogling of fresh produce and an impromptu side trip to a few colorful murals.

My favorite stop was at a restaurant Samir used to work at. Here we hung out with a chef who is full on fanatic about food. He talked a mile a minute about obscure vegetables, gave me a few flowers to nibble on, made me a snack and basically blew my food-loving mind.

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Photos from a Bike Tour in San Francisco

I saw more of San Francisco in three hours than I’d seen in a month on the Bike the City in 3 Hours tour. The mobility of a bike allowed us to breeze by bus stops and traffic jams. Not to mention, the view from a bike is so relaxing. Beebe started off the tour by making sure our bikes and helmets all fit well and gave us a quick orientation about what to expect on the road. Then we were off for a crash course in the city, without the crashing part.

We visited some of San Francisco’s most iconic sites, such as the Painted Ladies, the street murals in the Mission neighborhood and San Francisco City Hall. I loved listening to interesting facts and stories at each site. I’ve impressed quite a few friends with stories I heard on this tour. Did you know Victorian houses are often colorfully painted to show of their embellishments and architectural details?

Viewing the street art in the Mission was my favorite stop. I loved weaving through the alleys to see the layers of history and art. Beebe showed us some popular artists’ work and shared a bit of the back story behind the pieces. I love looking for Bode pieces on my walks through San Francisco now.

The best part about this tour is the ability to see so many places in the city with the comfort of a bike. We didn’t have to deal with stop-and-go buses or out-of-the-way routes. We were also mobile enough to explore park trails and park our bikes at interesting stops. Without a bike, I’d stayed in the parts of the city with efficient public transportation. Now, I’ve converted. Biking is my new favorite way to explore San Francisco.

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Sailing the Bay with Captain Bob

One of our popular experiences in San Francisco is a private sail around the bay with Captain Bob. This is a relaxing and beautiful way to take in the city from the serenity of a sailboat. Captain Bob’s guests generously let me tag along to take in the sites with them.

At the start of the tour, Captain Bob initiated fun conversations with stories about sailing and Bay Area history. I loved his anecdotes about Treasure Island, Alcatraz and San Francisco landmarks. He takes great care of his guests by making sure everyone has food, drinks and a comfortable view. He even let me explore the bow to take some photos.

As we peacefully cruised around the bay, we saw typical sites in the bay such as, the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and the Ferry Building. We were also lucky enough to watch dolphins leap through the water!

Captain Bob has over 35 years of experience sailing and made us feel completely comfortable as he navigated the waters with ease.

Visitors will love this experience for the beautiful views of the city and water. Locals will love this chance to relax outside of the city for an afternoon. Mostly, this is the perfect way to spend time with the people you love or would like to know more!

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Get Shot in LA on FataLAtour

There’s the Los Angeles on the silver screen, the Los Angeles in television news, and the Los Angeles in reality TV. And then there’s real life in LA.

FataLAtour mixes reality in La La Land even more.

What’s it like to get shot? How do the body and mind react?

FataLAtour explores the process the mind and body endure when it believes it’s been shot. Whether the fatal wound was shot on the streets or the screen the episode will become part of your reality. Starting September 10, you’ll be able to book it here.

The FataLAtour App

The FataLAtour app alerts you whenever you are within a one-block radius of a real-life or fictional shooting. You can either follow the FataLAtour map to seek out destinations or keep the app on during your daily walks in the city of Los Angeles. Each alert shares information about the victim’s name, death details and location.

The FataLAtour Experience

Next time you’re in LA arrange a FataLAtour with David. You’ll strap on a FataLAtour (as seen in the videos) and begin walking around the city. When you approach the scene of a real life or fictional shooting, blood packs will burst, simulating a gunshot wound on your shirt. From there the brain takes over.

About Your Guide

David Leonard is a fourth-generation LA native and media artist. He worked in television news for eight years as a photojournalist and reporter. The FataLAtour is the product of his graduate work in Design | Media Arts at UCLA. Check out his personal site www.davidleonard.tv and follow FataLAtour on Twitter @FataLAtour.

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On Authenticity

Whenever people ask us why they should take Vayable tours, we always talk about the idea of authenticity. Wikipedia defines authenticity as “the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions.”

In the modern world “authenticity” can mean almost anything. It can mean identifying with “alternative” lifestyles and tastes; it can mean being effortlessly cool; it can mean being all natural without artificial flavors or packaging. Sometimes things trying hard to be “authentic” actually actually end up becoming laughably inauthentic. Things that mean anything actually end up meaning nothing.

To us, authenticity equates to a sense honesty - the things that people do in their daily lives, that they enjoy, when no one else is looking. Oftentimes, these are the things that are most telling, most beautiful. Take this royal cremation ceremony in Bali that our dear friend Michael was fortunate enough to participate in. From the chaotic ceremony itself to the onlookers quietly watching from the sides, you can see into the soul of the people and the culture.

We love seeing the eyes of professional tour guides light up when we explain the concept of Vayable. “You mean instead of the sights that everyone has in their list, I can show people what I like to do?” someone once said to me during a guide vouching interview. As travelers, we oftentimes don’t know what we want, and some of the best Vayable tours feature guides who do not compromise on what they show travelers because they know their city best.

When we go to a faraway place, we want to eat la comida típica, but much of the time restaurants that serve this type of food have huge placards on storefronts beckoning to tourists with their “authentic” fare. Every single time without fail, the low-key neighborhood haunt that’s been a local destination for generations will be much, much better. Explore the tapas scene in Barcelona with a local chef instead of going to some place with a flashy sign on La Rambla.

The tourism industry as a whole is really bad at figuring out what people want; take the prevalence of double-decker bus tours as evidence. So we challenge you to put your afternoon or day into the hands of someone else and trust them to show you their world. At most, you’ll have the time of your life. At the very least, you’ll gain a better understanding of the world around you.

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Experience the National Conventions!

Politicians won’t be the only big, bad cats on the block in Tampa, FL this August. The Big Cat Reserve lets visitors interact with big cats with their Keeper for a Day Tour. Does the high of a political convention make you regret forsaking your ambition to become a secret agent? You know it does. Would flying a fighter jet ease the pain of this regret? You know it would. If talking politics makes you want to rip your clothes off and run away to a nudist colony. You can try that too. Visitors to the Republican National Convention later this month can now book these experiences and many more on Vayable’s new Experience the RNC website and the Experience the DNC site, which curates unique experiences in Charlotte for the 2012 Democratic National Convention on September 3.

This year, Vayable is bringing its unique take on travel experiences to the National Conventions with the launch of ExperiencetheRNC.com and ExperiencetheDNC.com Vayable is working with local communities in Tampa and Charlotte to provide convention-goers with a deeper, richer way to engage in politics and local life.

Political engagement experiences
Charlotte visitors can connect with the environment with a Canopy zip-line tour meet with local leaders helping end homelessness, learn about a healthy lifestyle on the Preventive Obamacare Tour. In Tampa, FL visitors can release some steam on the Ladies Hog Hunting Tourand 2nd Amendment Tour or learn more about LGBTQ culture on the Gay Pride Tour.

Local life and culture experiences
Need an escape from days of political jabber? Tampa and Charlotte are rich with cultural experiences and outdoor adventure. Visitors in Charlotte, NC can expand their gastronomic horizons with one of Kristi’s fantastic food tours. Choose from the Brew and Chew Tour and the Uptown Chic Behind-the-Scenes tour or both! Kick back in gator country with Alligator Bob in Tampa. Explore the quirky, bohemian NoDa neighborhood at their monthly gallery crawl. Tour the layout and history of the Queen City with Paul, a Charlotte native and local government employee. Find inner peace with paddle boarding and yoga in Tampa. Spike adrenaline levels with an All Sport Pass to the US National Whitewater Center.

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