FIELD TRIP!!! Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory Tour and a Ride??

[bikerz]

What's the route? (I, embarrassingly enough, have no idea where the SB factory is!) How long of a ride and all that jazz?

I'd love to come. I know the kids will be back to school that week, so I will have to talk to Blaine and see if he's willing to spare me. Will this be a whole-day affair?

Hey Slinke - the factory in in Berkeley just off 80 between Ashby and University. The ride is TBD... (I made a humble suggestion above.)

[Tiffanie]

Oh yum. Dh and I will be in San Francisco and near Sonoma mid-August. Looks like they have a factor in SF, too?

I think I'll need to stop in there.

[SadieKate]

BZ - are you stepping up to the post of Humble Ride Leader? Sounds good to me. I have no idea what the parking is like at the Factory so I don't know if they'd be thrilled with our cars there while we ride. And, I certainly don't know ride routes in the area. Thanks, ma'am.

Spazz, the tour is only one hour and you can hang out with friends. You can learn all about the cacao bean and amaze your friends.

BZ, can we ride, have a late lunch and then tour? Will that work with your ride idea?

[Pedal Wench]

I might have to move to California just for this ride!

[SadieKate]

Any one seen Miss Kim? When she abdicated the role of Exective Decider she seems to have flown the coop. Do we need to put out a search for aka_kim?

[bikerz]

Hmm - H.R.L. - a new title - I like it!

Yes - a ride on the Bay Trail and lunch and then the tour would work fine. It will be totally flat (except for one small hill), and quite possibly breezy! But beautiful views...

The primary logistics question is one of parking. Any idea how many cars we are talking about? With a rough count, I can call the factory and ask how they feel about the parking issue - that would be the easiest solution!
There is plenty of public parking at the Emeryville end of the trail, and I'm almost 100% sure that there is public parking at the Richmond end too - I will confirm.

At the Richmond end of the trail is a nice little grocery store/cafe where they make good (and inexpensive) sandwiches. We could then ride out to the very end of the Richmond Marina and eat our lunches watching the boats come and go, if it's not too windy, or go to one of the more sheltered picnic areas (and the cafe has some sheltered outdoor seating too) if it is windy. The benefit here is that our bikes would all be in our presence at all times...

If we wanted to eat at a restaurant, there is a Chevy's in Emeryville (the south end of the trail) which has a waterfront view and plenty of space to accommodate a large group, and the pro (or con, depending on how you feel about Chevy's!) of being consistently Chevy's. I'm not sure what we would do with our bikes while we ate, though.

Any Berkeley TE folk have other/better suggestions? Of course there are a gazillion other places to eat off the trail in Berkeley, but I'm not sure how well they would accommodate a group of cyclists (and their bikes).

[SadieKate]

We'll probably need to maintain 2 lists. One for the tour and one for the ride.

Count Bill and me in for the ride.

Everyone else?

[bikerz]

OK - here's the ride list:

SadieKate and Bubba
BikerZ
RSquare
AdventureGirl (maybe)



who else?????

[Adventure Girl]

OK - here's the ride list:

SadieKate and Bubba
BikerZ

Please list me as a "maybe" for the tour, lunch and ride. I'd love to do all three. I will be either a yes or no for the trifecta but I won't know until early August.

Chocolate.... Yum.... Scharffen Berger... Yummmmmmmm!

[maillotpois]

We're in for lunch, but not for the ride.

[cindysue]

The primary logistics question is one of parking.

you can also park at the berkeley marina. lots to eat on 4th street and university -- just up from the marina.

* Bette's Oceanview Diner, 1807 4th
* Café Rouge, 1782 4th
* Celia's Mexican Restaurant, 2040 4th
* Eccolo Restaurant & Bar, 1820 4th
* O Chamé, 1830 4th
* Spenger's, 1919 4th
* Sugar Bowl Bakery & Café, 1799 4th "F"
* Tacubaya, 1788 4th
* Tomate Cafe, 2265 5th
* Viks Chaat Corner, 726 Allston
* Pasta Shop, 1786 4th
* Grocery Outlet, 2001 4th
* Manhattan Bagel, 1789 4th
* Peet's Coffee, 1776 4th
* Sketch Ice Cream, 1809 A 4th
* Stonehouse California Olive Oil
* Sugar Bowl Bakery & Café, 1799 4th "F"
* Vino!, 1786 4th

for links to these: http://shopinberkeley.com/neighborho...estaurants.php

p.s. i should be around. no ride, but a tour with friends would be nice.

[bikerz]

Cindy - are you in for the lunch as well as the tour???

I guess the other logistics issue is what to do with all the bikes while we eat, which is why the cafe on the trail itself was appealing, but Cindy, your list looks great - I'm totally open to suggestions. Vic's Chaat Corner is amazing, if you like South Indian food (yumm - dosas!)

Lunch list as of 7/19:
SadieKate and Bubba
BikerZ
RSQuare
Maillotpois and the PetitePois

Maybes:
AdventureGirl
SlinkeDog

[snapdragen]

Bikerz - I'm in for lunch too; still undecided about riding.

[SadieKate]

Nice that we had this little tour planned for all of our friends who can't ride for a while . . . .

Tour list as of 7/19/06
SadieKate
Bubba
Maillotpois
PetitePois
Jobob
Leebob
Dachsund
Snapdragen
BikerZ
Adventure Girl (maybe)
Slinkedog (maybe)
RSQuare
CindySue

[cindysue]

Cindy - are you in for the lunch as well as the tour???

lunch? of course!