Mother’s Day: Because Moms Deserve the Very Best By Kathy Chin Leong On Sunday, the eighth of May, all life comes to a screeching halt to pay homage to the female nurturer, chauffeur, soccer parent and head chef. What will your family do for Mom? If Dad and kids are in a quandry, drop some hints by tearing out this page and circling some of these novel ideas. Free Events If you are tight on your pocketbook, consider the following complimentary events that will bring a smile to Mom’s face on her special Sunday. Pier 39 May Music Mix, San Francisco . Every weekend throughout May, Pier 39 hosts a variety of musicians who will entertain the public throughout the day. Be sure to come down to stroll along the waterfront and watch the boisterous California sea lions. Beach St. and Embarcadero, www.pier39.com , 415/705-5500. Annual Mother’s Day Kite Festival, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito. Celebrate Mom and Grandma at this special free event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Families can bring their own or make and decorate their own kites and fly them over beautiful Fort Baker. 557 McReynolds Road, www.baykidsmuseum.org or call 415/339-3900. Cool hikes Angel Island, Tiburon. Take the Angel Island ferry across the bay and bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy at historic Angel Island. There’s plenty of hiking and biking to be had. The sunshine and great weather will make you glad you live in the Bay Area. Call 415/435-1915, www.angelisland.org . Sawyer Camp Trail, Burlingame. This 7-mile walking trail is a favorite among moms for its shade and picturesque views. No dogs are permitted. Considered very easy with a few gentle hills. Pick up trail on Skyline Blvd near Back Mountain Rd. Find out more on www.bahiker.com . Audobon Canyon Ranch, Stinson Beach . The great herons and egrets nest here, and you’ll never appreciate their grandeur and size until you see them in this protected forest. 4900 Highway One, www.egret.org , 415/868-9244. Dunsmuir House, Oakland . This 37-room Neoclassical mansion on 50 lush green acres is open every Wednesday and the first Sunday of every month for docent-led tours. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the grounds. 2960 Peralta Oaks Ct., www.dunsmuir.org , 510/615-5555. Great outdoor shopping venues Fourth Street, Berkeley. Chocoholics, listen up! Nearby Sharffenberger Chocolates offers free tours daily, so book in advance. Moms love the Scrapbooking store as well as the Crate and Barrel outlet, April Cornell clothing store, and Cody’s Books. See www.fourthstreetshop.com , 510/843-6685. University Avenue, Palo Alto . Restaurant-ville, every type of cuisine along the main drag and every side street. Check out the Palo Alto Toy Store with a fab swim section, Bead store, and upscale chain outfits such as Chico’s, Restoration Hardware, and Border’s Books. See www.cityofpaloalto.org . Stuff to make Pottery Painting Studios. Every town now has its paint-your-own pottery place where you can reserve space to be a Picasso or Monet for a day. You and your loved ones can come here and make a memory in your honor. A few studios include: Petroglyphs, Los Gatos, 408/395-6278; Terra Mia, San Francisco, 415/642-9911; and All Fired Up, Burlingame, 650/342-1755. Knitting class. How about a gift certificate to learn how to knit? You can purchase them at popular knitting stores. ArtFibers, San Francisco, 888/326-1112; Knitter’s Studio, Menlo Park, 650/322-9200; Knitting Arts, Saratoga, 408/869-5010. Bead store to make a necklace for mom or with mom. Spend time together for a day or get mom a gift certificate to make a bead necklace. Kiowa Rose, Fremont, 510/304-3323; The Bead Shop, Palo Alto, 650/328-7925; Beadissimo, San Francisco, 415/282-2323. Food Glorious Food Besos Foods, San Francisco. It would be sacriligious for Mom to be in the kitchen on Mother’s Day. Besos Foods provides organic meals in a box, designed for delivery and takeout and cooking at home. Ingridients are cleaned, chopped and portioned while starches and sauces have already been prepared. Cost? Between $30 to $40 per dinner for two. Sample menus include organic chicken breast, glazed wild salmon, and natural pan seared steak, and organic barley risotto. Visit www.besosfoods.com or call 415/495-5460. Cliff House Restaurant Brunch, San Francisco. The fully restored 1909 icon reopened last September, and Moms can enjoy the ocean views in the Terrace room. 1090 Point Lobos, www.cliffhouse.com , 415/386-3330. Mother's Day Brunch, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., costs $45 per adult.  Children’s rates for ages 12 and under are half price. Cetrella Bistro, Half Moon Bay. Voted by America On-Line City Guide as the best brunch for 2005, Cetrella has a tony, Mediterranean feel with a killer brunch menu of wood oven baked eggs ($11.50), bioche french toast with berries ($10) and a yellowfin fillet ($16). Come see what all the commotion is about. The Mother’s Day menu will feature a fixed price menu of $50 for adults and kids 12 and under at $15. 845 Main St., www.cetrella.com . Make reservations at least 3 weeks ahead of time at 650/726-4090. Tyme for Tea, Fremont. Located in the quaint Niles Canyon section of town, Moms will love this tea establishment filled with antiques and a bathtub of fun, frilly hats to borrow and wear. The Mother’s Day Tea will be held May 7 and 8 and cost $30 per adult and $24 for kids 8 and under. Address: 37501 Niles Blvd., www.tymefortea.com . For reservations, call 510/790-0944. Pampering time TRUSpa, San Francisco. For moms with little to no time to spare, this is the spa for you. Opened in 2002 to rave reviews, TruSpa is an ultra-modern, in-and-out day spa with emphasis on quality treatments, rather than a lounging ambiance. No fireplaces here! It’s sleek architecture with eco-friendly products, clean lines, color light therapy rooms, and bamboo flooring is a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter spas. Manicures start at $25, facials at $90. Worth checking out. 750 Kearny St., www.truspa.com , 415/399-9700. Nob Hill Spa, San Francisco. For a day of pampering, moms can choose their face, hand, and body treatments at $60 and up. Inside the Huntington Hotel, this calming 11,000 square-foot Asian-inspired spa, features a gorgeous indoor infinity pool with water overlapping the edges, sauna, and exercise room. The $95 champagne & pedicure is its signature treatment, and you are treated to bubbly right on the balcony. Afterwards, you can lounge near the pool or on the balcony, and have food services brought to you as well. 1075 California St., www.huntingtonhotel.com , 415/474-5400. Spa Claremont, Berkeley. Located inside the Claremont Resort and Spa, the best thing about this 30,000-square-foot, high-end, mega-spa is the fact you get three hours of free babysitting (up to three hours) during the week, Monday through Thursday. Book a massage, facial, or any spa treatment, and you can drop off your children as young as nine months. Be sure to book your treatment and daycare well in advance. Manicures start at $39 for a 30 minute treatment. New to the salon is an extra hour at the spa/exercise facilities when you book a salon appointment. 41 Tunnel Road, www.claremontresort.com , 800/5517266. Dr. Wilkinson's, Calistoga . This rustic 53-year-old spa is offering a special "Mother and Daughter" package, featuring complimentary flowers for each mom, and a 10% discount for both off the cost of "The Works," a complete pampering experience that includes a luxurious mudbath with lavender facemask, aromatic mineral whirlpool bath, steam room, blanket wrap and massage. Prices range from $75 to $149 retail. Call 707/942-4102 or log onto www.drwilkinson.com . Outdoor guided experiences Ballooning in Sonoma and Napa. Go high above the sky on the wind’s highway, have breakfast, and enjoy the day above the clouds together. Rates start at $200 and up. Napa Valley Aloft, 1/800-944-4408, and Above the Wine Country Ballooning, 707/538-7359. Horseback riding. On a beautiful day like this, take mom to Carmel or Half Moon Bay to soak in the outdoor rays via horseback. For reservations call Carmel Valley Trail Rides, 831/625-2140 or in Half Moon Bay, Sea Horse Ranch at 650/726-2362. Rates begin at Sea Horse at $30 for one hour. Whale watching. The Monterey coast is home to humpbacks, gray and blue whales, and that’s exactly what you’ll see on the Monterey Whale Watch 4-hour boating excursion. For $41 per adult and $33 per child (ages 4-12), families will have an opportunity to see these great mammals in their natural habitat. 84 Fisherman’s Wharf, www.montereybaywhalewatch.com , 831/375-4658. Over-the-top overnighters Ventana Inn Photography Safari, Big Sur. The delights of the breathtaking Big Sur coastline can be yours with a two-night stay at the Ventana Inn, bundled with a photography experience for two. Called the "Create Your Own Big Sur Photo Masterpiece," this $1598 weekend includes a two-hour excursion with a photographer, dinner, two spa treatments, breakfast, wine recpeiton, yoga sessions, and a 16 x 24-inch archival fine art print of an image captured during the session. Highway One, www.ventanainn.com , 800/628-6500. Mercedes-Benz Luxury Weekend at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. This $550 package at the Ritz-Carlton resort includes a one-night stay, plus unlimited mileage and a full tank of gas for a new Mercedes-Benz. Drive this sportscar for the duration of your stay, and enjoy the glories of the California coast. One Miramontes Pt., www.ritzcarlton.com , 650/712-7000. Hotel Vitale Kayaking Package, San Francisco . Get outside and paddle! The newest hotel in the city features a two-night package featuring a four-hour kayaking excursion for two, plus two baseball caps starting at $299 per night and up. The hotel also features other Vitality Weekends- special packages for spa weekends, gourmet cooking, and walking tours of San Francisco. 8 Mission St., www.hotelvitale.com , 415/278-3700. Carneros Inn & Spa, Napa. Sandwiched between Sonoma and Napa, the newest hotel member to the Napa Valley is actually a series of metal-roofed bungalows. Coming here is like retreating to the farmland, but don’t let the outside of these dorm-like cottages fool you. The interiors of plasma mounted TVs, modern bedding and multiple-head showers make this place a luxurious getaway. Set amid vineyards, the site also features an outdoor infinity pool, its own spa and exclusive restaurant for inn guests only. Rates begin at $350. 4048 Sonoma Highway, www.thecarnerosinn.com , 707/299-4900. You won’t be bored this Mother’s Day if you tackle even one of these excursions! **** Kathy Chin Leong is editor of BAFT and has many ideas on how she wants to celebrate. [Return to Top]   [Return to Index]