Yamagata City: Hanagasa Dance; photo by Matt Sayles/Invision for Rising Tohoku Food Fair/AP Images)

From August 20 through August 23, visitors can enjoy presentations of delicious foods, traditional craft activities, colorful pageantry, and mesmerizing dances from the Japanese region of Tohoku. The hilly and mountainous Tohoku region, the northeastern segment of the largest island in Japan, was heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Yet a massive rebuilding effort has brought a robust recovery to the region, which is now re-introducing its diverse food and culture to a global audience.

“We are so pleased that the Rising Tohoku Food Fair hosted by Mitsuwa Marketplace helps draw the world’s attention to the seriousness of the Japanese earthquake and brings awareness to the ongoing recovery of the culturally rich Tohoku region, which has so much to offer in terms of flavorful and refined cuisine, beautiful crafts, and goodwill,” said Hiroshi Kamata, chairman of the Federation of Six Tohoku Prefecture Chambers of Commerce and Industry (chairman of the Sendai Chamber of Commerce) and spokesperson for the Rising Tohoku Food Fair. “We want visitors to our live event to experience this wonderful and abundant Tohoku region as if they were really there.”

Children and adults alike can enjoy activities such as making origami Samurai armor helmets; writing wishes on tanzaku paper to be hung at the Tanabata Festival in Sendai next year; and taking photo opportunities with local Tohoku city mascots.

The huggable mascots include Miyagi City’s iconic Musubi-maru, who wears a samurai costume and resembles onigiri (a rice ball); Fukushima City’s Momorin rabbit who represents Fukushima momo (peaches) and ringo (apples); Hanagata Beni-Chan who wears a cherry-patterned kimono and hanagata flower hat; and Nebutan, a pig dressed in the haneto costume worn at Aomori prefecture’s world-renowned Nebuta festival.

Sendai City: Suzume Dance; photo by Matt Sayles/Invision for Rising Tohoku Food Fair/AP Images)

Other attractions include a Da-te Busho-tai (samurai) performance; Aomori City’s Nebuta orchestra, dances from Sendai City (Suzume), Yamagata City (Hanagasa) and Morioka City (Sansa).

Over in the food section you’ll find an amazing selection of regional specialties, including Wagyu beef from Sendai, Seiken apple juice from Aomori, Odate Kiritanpo (mashed rice) skewers from Akita, fruit juices from Yamagata, and specialty dried fruits from Fukushima. A special Maguro Bowl (tuna sashimi) with an ohba leaf is $8.50, and a Kuroge Wagyu Bento. a sukiyaki and yakiniku (BBQ) combination bento is $18.50.

One food highlight that we especially enjoyed was the karinto manju, a Tohoku delicacy kind of like a donut filled with sweet bean curd. The dough is made with black sugar and the exterior is crispy, sweet, and addicting.

Wash it down with some peach juice from Yamagata, and you’ve got the perfect snack.

Ready to go? The schedule for the weekend’s events is as follows:

Food Fair (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11 am – 6 pm

Dance Performances (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11:30 am – 1 pm; 4 pm – 5:30 pm

Craft Workshops (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 11 am – 11:30 am; 1:30 pm – 2 pm;  3 pm– 4:00 pm; 5:30 pm – 6 pm

Photo Session with Mascots (open to public): August 20-23, 2015, 1 pm – 1:15 pm; 5:30 – 5:45 pm

The Mitsuwa Marketplace is located at 21515 S. Western Ave., Torrance, CA. Phone: 310-782-0335.

On the Voyage to the Iron Reef, guests become deep sea navigators by climbing aboard submarine-inspired ride vehicles and embarking on a four-minute gaming adventure into the Iron Reef. Equipped with an interactive freeze ray, riders defend Knott’s from the Kraken Queen and her aquatic army, blasting iron-clad 3-D sea creatures as they attempt to save the park from a watery doom. Through underwater forests, ocean current tunnels, and mechanical wreckage, high definition 3-D animation surrounds riders at every turn. Along the way, the submarines navigate 600 feet of track and 11 scenes featuring hundreds of media-based creatures and live action special effects.

Fun facts about Voyage to the Iron Reef: 1) The network cable that powers the screens is long enough to wrap around the Hollywood sign 85 times; 2) Riders can blast hidden medallions throughout the ride to score higher points; and 3) Easter eggs of various iconic treasures from Knott’s past are hidden throughout the ride and interact with the blast of a freeze ray (Hint: Look for the famous Roaring 20s sign!).

You’re also going to have to make plenty of time for everything else that’s new this summer:

Blockbuster Beagle!…on Ice at the Charles M. Schulz Theatre: Snoopy and his Peanuts buddies “go Hollywood” bringing Walk of Fame glamour, dazzling movie lot escapades and California excitement to a brand new ice show adventure. Performing June 13 through August 23, with no shows on Wednesdays.

Vertical Impact & Vertical Impact Geared Up Show: Vertical Impact, and the nighttime show, Vertical Impact Geared Up, is the ultimate blend of extreme stunts with high-flying acrobats. This high-energy show is set to the most popular songs of today, combining trampoline stunts, BMX bikes, skaters, dancers, and aerialists. “DJ Nytemadness” will keep the party going after each show while the cast joins the guests of all ages for a dance party. Performing June 13 – August 23, with no shows on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Charlie Brown’s Happy Campers at Camp Snoopy Theatre: Join Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the world’s most popular beagle, Snoopy in a show that’s sure to make an outdoorsman out of anybody! Performing June 14 through September 1.

Big Band Swingin’ Sundays: Jump, jive, and swing to the sounds of Orange County’s best local big bands. Performing Sunday evenings from June 14 through August 30.

Boardwalk Dance Party at the Boardwalk Circle Stage: Dance ‘til you drop and wave your hands in the air until you just don’t care with DJ Howly, one of Orange County’s most requested “mixers & spinners.” Appearing Monday and Tuesday evenings from June 15 through August 25, plus September 7.

Ghost Town Streetmosphere: Ghost Town will be alive with townsfolk who will put you smack-dab in the middle of the Wild West. New residents who have put down stakes include Clem Culpepper, the ever hopeful gold miner; Ma & Pa Shine, our resident moonshiners; and Nathan Quickly, the Pony Express Agent. Performing daily from June 13 through September 7.

Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies at Birdcage Theatre: Things get krazy when Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies perform their toe tappin’, knee-slappin’, side splittin’ country comedy show. Performing Fridays through Mondays, June 13 through August 23. (No performances June 19, August 6, and August 29.)

Salsa Bands at the Fiesta Plaza Stage: Nothing says a party at the Fiesta Plaza stage better than the energy created by some of Orange County’s most popular salsa bands. Performing Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings, June 13 through August 23. Additional performances August 29, 30 and September 5, 6, & 7

 The Ghost Town Miners at Spurs Stage: For a “Yeehaw” of a good time you won’t want to miss the Ghost Town Miners sing and play some of the best bluegrass this side of the Rio Grande! Performing Tuesdays through Thursdays, June 16 through August 20.

The Marshal Purdy Show at Birdcage Theatre: Come on in for some old fashioned, homespun fun that’s sure to tickle your fancy and bust your gut. Performing Tuesdays and Wednesdays, June 17 through August 21.

The Big Fat Steve Band at Boardwalk Circle Stage:  Back by popular demand, The Big Fat Steve Band-The Kings of Kool is a fun, exciting dance band with rockabilly, swing and classic sounds. Peforming Wednesdays through Saturdays, June 13 through August 29. (Additional performances September 5 and 6.)

Calico Saloon Cancan Show at Calico Saloon: The Calico Saloon Show offers good old-fashioned bar room fun with dancin’ girls and plenty of sarsparilla. Performances daily, June 13 through September 30. (Additional performances September 5 – 7.)

Got all that? Basically, any day you go there will be something special going on… So don’t miss your chance this summer to defeat the Kraken and then party the day away!

Knott’s Berry Farm is located at 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA 90620. Click for the full schedule of park hours.

Blogger disclosure: The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them.  I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I create original editorial content.

The ride, set to open to the general public on Friday, May 15, puts riders on submarine-like cars and gives everyone a freeze-blaster, allowing riders to compete against each other for high score bragging rights. Through the four-minute ride, more than 40 high definition projectors on screens up to 69 feet long bring the steampunk-inspired world of the Iron Reef to life.

We had a chance to preview the ride this week with our young tween and it was genuinely a thrill a minute. Each time we went through (five, but who’s counting?) we had a slightly different experience with just as much fun. The ride is not scary in the sense of roller-coaster thrills, but the animation is dramatic and feels very realistic.

As you progress through the ride, you’ll find enchanting underwater forests, disorienting ocean current tunnels, and mysterious mechanical wreckage. All told, your submarine will navigate 600 feet of track and 11 scenes featuring hundreds of 3-D animation-based creatures and live action special effects.

Voyage to the Iron Reef is a creative partnership between Knott’s and Triotech, the Montreal-based multisensory interactive attraction company that recently won two top industry awards for their work on Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada’s Wonderland. It promises to be a major attraction for Knott’s as it heads into the busy summer months.

Also new this summer is an all-new retail shop, Nautilus (formerly Ride Warriors) adjacent to Voyage to the Iron Reef, with a wide selection of steampunk- and underwater-themed merchandise; and the all-new Boardwalk Arcade, located directly beneath Voyage to the Iron Reef, with a fresh selection of popular video, redemption, and merchandise games, and a new reloadable game card system. Additionally, the laser tag compound inside Boardwalk Arcade will return later this summer with all-new twists, turns and new architectural features inspired by Voyage to the Iron Reef.

Knott’s Berry Farm is located at 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA 90620. Click for the full schedule of park hours.

Blogger disclosure: I was given the opportunity to do an early preview of the ride. I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Swimming and waterslide: The 5,000-square-foot pool gives you plenty to do but it’s the waterslide that really sets the Terranea pool apart from other hotel or resort pools. The 140-foot Peninsula Plunge, a slippery and twisting downward spiral, is guaranteed to keep the kids occupied for hours.

Bocce ball: The resort’s competition-style bocce ball court is fun in the daytime and spectacular at night with glow-in-the-dark bocce balls. Never played bocce ball before? It’s easy, and the kids can pick it up in an instant.

Cove and Tide Pools: All it takes is a hike down to the cove at low tide, and the splendor of the ocean is right at your feet. You’ll see sea anemones, sea slugs, starfish, shellfish, and plenty of rocks and crystals for your budding marine biologists and geologists to admire.

Birding: On weekend mornings at 11:00 a.m., join Joe the falconer for a free talk right outside the adventure center on the birds of prey that keep Terranea seagull-free. You can even get an up-close meeting with a peregrine falcon, a hawk, or Owlbert, the Eurasian eagle owl. If you want a more in-depth birding experience, you can sign up for a private session at Pointe Discovery.

Hiking: Discovery Trail runs all along the length of the property parallel with the coastline, so naturally the views are spectacular. But informational signs along the way offer new perspectives on the native plants and indigenous wildlife. Plus, if your kids are tickled by a good ghost story, they may want to learn more about “The Lady of the Light,” a ghostly presence seen at the nearby Point Vicente Lighthouse.

Kids’ Club: The kids’ club itself is a fun room with all sorts of toys and games. But what goes on at Kids’ Club is so much more than that. Each day, the activities may include an “I Spy” scavenger hunt around the resort; a treasure hunt; a talent show; and glow-in-the-dark activities for nighttime.

Fire pits: Want to get cozy once the sun goes down? Stop by one of Terranea’s 228 fire pits or fireplaces to roast some marshmallows, sing a few songs, or just cuddle up and watch the flames dance while the ocean crashes in the distance.

Biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, horseback riding, painting, photography…: If you and your kids have these or any other outdoor-themed interests, you can arrange to have a guided tour or lesson. Stop by Pointe Discovery to learn more about availability.

Do your kids have favorite activities they like to do at Terranea? Let us know!

On the first day of Christmas, Knott’s Merry Farm gave to me…A Snoopy in a Christmas tree!

…On the 12th day of Christmas, Knott’s Merry Farm gave to me… 12 skaters skating, 11 artisans crafting, ten carolers caroling, nine storytellers spinning, eight miners mining, seven rides a-spinning, six kids a-laughing… five boysenberry piiiiiiiies…four maple lollipops, three jolly snowmen, two chicken dinners and a Snoopy in a Christmas tree!

Are you ready for Knott’s Merry Farm? Because we’re so ready we’ve even started singing about it! Now in its 29th year, Knott’s Merry Farm is a seasonal celebration at Knott’s Berry Farm that brings all the warmth of old-time holiday traditions into a fun adventure for the family. The event, which runs from Nov. 22 through Jan. 4, includes park-wide lavish decorations, live entertainment, festive food, and a shopping wonderland filled with local artisans. Visiting Knott’s Merry Farm always gets our family in the holiday spirit – and in fact it’s is one of our family’s favorite days of the year!

This year’s celebration includes live entertainment such as the live ice spectacular “Merry Christmas, Snoopy,” along with Snoopy’s Merriest Tree Lighting, Engine 41 storytellers, local artisans and crafters in Christmas Craft Village, the Calico Carolers, and the Ghost Town Miners bluegrass quartet.

Of course Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a visit from Santa Claus, which is why the Wilderness Dance Hall in Ghost Town is transformed into Santa’s Christmas Cabin for the holiday season. Guests can take photos with Santa as well as enjoy Santa’s homemade cookies, a hot fudge sundae bar, hot chocolate topped with hand carved chocolate shavings, and winter wine and craft beer tastings paired with fresh fruit and cheese.

Other seasonal treats around the park include fresh made-to-order Maple Lollipops, churros from the Churro Factory, cakes, cookies, muffins and gingerbread men in the Farm Bakery, as well as the legendary cooking at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant.

All in all, it’s a great way to spend a day with the family. For admissions information, park hours, and directions, visit www.knotts.com.

Terranea’s bees were the main focus at a recent “Sweet as Honey” dinner (part of the resort’s Chef’s Cooking Series) highlighting the contributions of bees to fine cuisine as well as the perpetuation of gardens and crops. The dinner fit in with Terranea’s ongoing focus on farm-to-table dining by incorporating produce from its own crops at Catalina View Gardens, as well as local ingredients such as figs from Rolling Hills and pink peppercorns from Ranchos Palos Verdes. Proceeds from the dinner benefited the California State Beekeepers Association.

“The Chef’s Cooking Series is a unique opportunity for us here at Terranea to highlight what we do well in terms of supporting the local community, but also bringing in the learning element and enabling us to grow together and learn new techniques – both the internal culinary team and the guests who attend the event,” says Gaye Vancans, Terranea’s community relations manager.

Ahi belly tartare served over hearts of palm “linguine”

The dinner menu began with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Elie Chow: slow-roasted garden beets with Rancho Palos Verdes pink peppercorn aioli and organic honey; squash blossom fritters with olive tapenade and crispy bee pollen; ahi belly tartare with heart of palm “linguini” and honey-mustard dressing; and jicama-wrapped ishibashi avocado mash with sea salt honey based pancetta lardons. Chef Alessandro Serni then served an appetizer of grilled and smoked local octopus with squid ink aioli, piperade, and peppered honeycomb.

Chef Charles Olalia prepares an organic duck breast

The main course, prepared by Chef Charles Olalia, was a caramelized organic duck breast with Rolling Hills figs in bigarade sauce. Chef Pierino Jermonti wrapped up the meal with a honey-goat cheese lavender mousse with a walnut crisp and poached pears.

Diners enjoy a warm night under the stars on the patio at Terranea

Tempted by the amazing food as well as the setting? We are too! The next cooking series event at Terranea will be an Autumn Coastal Harvest, benefiting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, on November 7.

On August 30, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., the first 500 people visiting Seaside Lagoon will receive FREE admission at the Portofino Way Turnabout (look for the Noosa flag!). In addition, everyone entering Seaside Lagoon will receive free samples of Noosa’s two new tropical flavors – Coconut and Noosa Pineapple yoghurt – along with classic summer swag such as frisbees, sunglasses, suntan lotion.

If you haven’t tried Noosa yet, you’re in for a treat. Noosa is made with whole milk — the freshest you can get – sourced from cows raised and fed (without growth hormones) on family-owned farms in the Colorado foothills. Noosa adds just a touch of honey to give its yoghurt that luscious, tangy taste; and its fruit purees are made from real fruit – no fake stuff in there! Noosa yoghurt is available at Target and other retailers.

Head down and tell them South Bay Sparkle sent you!

Waiting to board the Coast Starlight

Looking for an adventure out of Los Angeles that’s scenic, educational, and relaxing? Why not skip the traffic jams and try a train trip? Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train heads right up the California coast and then through Oregon and Washington, ending in Seattle. This easy 34-hour journey is spread out over two days and one night, and even by the end of the second day our kids weren’t quite ready to leave the train. As we told more friends about the trip, we discovered that very few of them had ever done it…and they had lots and lots of questions about it, so we thought we’d answer a few of the most frequently asked questions.

Dining room in the Parlour Car

1) How was the food? Loved it! When you book a room in a sleeper car, all of the meals on your journey are included. For each meal, you get to choose whether you want to dine in the Pacific Parlour car or the dining car. You book a reservation time, head on over at your appointed time, and then you can order from among several choices on the menu.

Breakfast to order on the dining car: Grits, veggie omelet, sausage, and biscuit

Our meals were hot, fresh, healthy, and pleasing to both kids and adults. There are several “specials” for every meal, but just to give you an idea, here’s the dining car menu (remember that meals are included if you’re in a sleeper car so you don’t have to worry about the price of each item), the northbound Pacific Parlour menu and the southbound Pacific Parlour menu.  Extra dining car bonus: You get to watch the scenery going by while you eat – it’s better than TV.

2) How was the sleeping? Surprisingly comfortable. Our family sleeping room was designed to sleep four – two adults plus two kids; which means there was an upper and lower adult-sized bunk, and an upper and lower kid-sized bunk. Our group only had one adult and two kids so the older kid (age 10) slept on the upper adult bunk to give him a little more leg room. Had we been a group of four, it might have been a tight squeeze – the kids’ bunks are very compact – but with three people we felt we had more than enough room. In the daytime, we had plenty of room for each kid to sit comfortably by his own window, while an adult could lie down and read a book between them. If you’re looking to stay in a sleeper car, there are several sleeper car room types available depending on the size of your party, including special bedroom suites that have their own bathrooms.

3) How were the bathrooms? The bathrooms are pretty similar to airplane bathrooms – They’re tiny and you may get bounced up and down a little bit while you’re sitting in there. But overall they were clean and well-kept. On our sleeper car there were three separate toilet rooms, plus one shower room, and we never had to wait for the bathrooms.

4) What did you do the whole time? We spent a lot of time either looking at scenery, reading, playing cards, or playing on iPads. At least three of our waking hours each day were spent in the dining car.

Movie theater in the Parlour Car

Plus, in the Pacific Parlour car there were movies showing each day (a 3:00 pm kids’ movie and an 8:00 pm adult movie). The observation car also featured a National Park Service docent who gave a talk about the scenery through the Trails and Rails program. The kids had a great time moving from car to car and checking out all of the activities.

5.) Who is available to help you once you’re on the train? Each sleeper car has its own porter, kind of like your own flight attendant, who helps you get oriented and who helps you convert your seats into beds at night. As soon as we got on the train, our friendly porter brought us fresh water and fruit. There’s also an attendant call button in each sleeping compartment if you need assistance. Also, the dining car personnel travel around the train to assist people with breakfast, lunch, and dinner reservations.

A small farm in San Ardo, California, as seen from the Amtrak Coast Starlight train

6.) What scenery did you see? In the first part of the trip, we enjoyed a lovely view of the Southern California and Central California coastline. Then the train took a “right hand turn” and headed inland through farm country. We reached Oakland at about 10:00 pm when we were going to sleep, so we didn’t see any scenery between the Bay Area and the California-Oregon border. But at breakfast the second morning, we got a chance to see fabulous waterside scenery through Oregon, and the views continued all the way through Washington.

Oregon marshland and mountains, as seen from the Amtrak Coast Starlight train

7.) Do you stop and get out during the trip? No, the trip is designed so that you stay on the train the entire time (approximately 10:00 am the first morning, until 8:30 pm the next day). If you need to get out for a quick break (such as a smoke break) you can do that at the bigger stations where there’s a longer stop, but it’s only about 5 to 10 minutes. Ideally, you can just rest and relax and let Amtrak do all of the driving.