Beyond the Creek

Things to Do – Tilden Park Steam Trains in Orinda

June 29, 2012 11:30 am

When you think of Tilden Park, Berkeley is probably where you think it is, but part of it is actually located in Orinda, including one of the coolest attractions, the steam trains AKA Redwood Valley Railway.

This is their summer schedule:

Weekends (Year Around)

Open From 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Or Dusk)

Weather Permitting

Holidays

Open from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Or Dusk)

Upcoming Holidays include:

January 1st

January 17th

February 20th

May 28th

Summer 2012

Open weekdays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Starting June 11th

Labor Day Weekend

If you have kids this is a must-see!

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Plaque of the Day

June 29, 2012 8:30 am

Spotted at the California Closets store on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in downtown Walnut Creek.

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In the Fold – Recycled Paper Art Quick Class at Heather Farms June 30th

June 28, 2012 4:30 pm

Photo by Flickr user Urban Woodswalker

From the Heather Farms website:

Ever wonder what to do with all those magazines and greeting cards we all have hanging around? This is the class for you. This is a FUN family class for all ages learning different folds. We will take recycled greeting cards and magazine pages and create boxes and mobiles. It’s a fun way to reuse items we all have in our houses to create unique and one-of-a-kind gifts. Make a gift for yourself or someone else. You will always have a gift box on hand to give away or fill with your own treasures. We will also be folding pages from magazines to make into ‘leaf’ mobiles or to decorate the tops
of your boxes.

Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Cost: $15 adult/$5 child over 10

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Rare Homicide in Orinda – Man Turns Self In

June 28, 2012 11:30 am

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KTVU recently reported on the murder of a woman by a man living with her for over ten years:

Their records show officers had been called to this house in the past. Jennings said that the killing is Orinda’s first homicide since 2002.

The murder that took place in 2002 was the infamous Susan Polk case in which she murdered her husband at their Orinda home. I found out about this when their house came up for sale at a steep discount sometime later. I remember thinking the pricing to be quite low, and sure enough, that’s what happens when a murder happens on a property. I imagine the same will happen with this house in the future.

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As Seen on TV Opens in Broadway Plaza

June 28, 2012 8:30 am

As Seen on TV a new store focusing on TV infomercial products, has recently opened in Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. They are located on the backside of the plaza, near Macy’s. As I am loyal Tivo user, I haven’t seen an infomercial in many years. Anything worthwhile checking out?

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Art & Jazz in the (Ruth Bancroft) Garden – June 29th

June 27, 2012 4:30 pm

From the Ruth Bancroft website:

Musical guest: The Cedricke Dennis Trio

Stroll the pathways and view artists at their easels as they interpret and celebrate the beauty of the plants and scenery. A perfect match for fine wine and Cedricke’s smooth music. Food and drink will include Tapas, Pasta, Red Wine, Port and more.

$15; food and drinks sold separately

Click here to purchase tickets

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Broadway Plaza Ironic Sign of the Day

June 27, 2012 11:30 am

The reasonable sign says:

We’re Doing our Part
Make a difference and
Conserve energy today!
Please keep the doors closed
& the green in
Make everyday Earth Day

However, note the image towards the bottom. It’s a picture of a green dollar bill holding up a “Thank You” message. So the question is, is the “green” referring to the environment, or is it referring to the increased profit Broadway Plaza retailers stand to make by lowering their electricity bill?

PS Bonus points to anyone who can point out the grammatical error in the sign.

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Progress on Anthropologie in Downtown Walnut Creek

June 27, 2012 8:30 am

Way back last December I noted that Anthropologie was “coming soon” to downtown Walnut Creek but since then progress on the construction was going at a snail’s pace for some reason. Now finally construction has picked up significantly with a new sign and framing being done. Hopefully this means it will be finished in time for a fall opening,

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Tues. Afternoon Rental Option – Walnut Creek

June 26, 2012 4:30 pm

This rental house (3 br/2 ba) is located between John Muir hospital and Northgate High School in Walnut Creek.

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Check out the kitchen:

From the Craigslist ad:

This home is conveniently located near downtown Walnut Creek, including a variety of restaurants (e.g., Indian, Italian, Cuban), shops (e.g., Nordstrom, Target, Apple, and Tiffany & Co.), and Walnut Creek BART. Just blocks from a community pool, Heather Farm swim/sports complex, and Fresh & Easy grocery store. Home is located in Mt. Diablo Unified, one of the top rated school districts (ranked 10 out of 10). The nearest schools are Walnut Acres Elementary School, Foothill Middle School and Northgate High School, plus Berean Christian High School is just a few blocks away.

The house will be available in August for $3295/month with a $4000 deposit. The place looks very nice although I imagine the traffic on Ygnacio might be tough to deal with if you need to go to work during rush hour. Does this sound like a good deal?

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GRATiAE Skin Care Opening Soon in Broadway Plaza

June 26, 2012 11:30 am

GRATiAE, an organic skin care company from Israel is opening soon in Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek. From their website:

The genius of GRATiAE comes from successfully combining Gratiae thermal spring mineral water with Sea of Galilee native flora and organic plants. These ingredients, orchestrated by top leading biotechnology engineers, create a superior skin care line that promotes healthy, young, radiant and beautiful skin.

Check out a preview of the inside below:

GRATiAE is located at 1272 Broadway Plaza near Macy’s.

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