Localize Your Holiday Shopping Experience

AirBnB
I'm thrilled to announce we're launching our new Dogpatch Unleashed! Meet the Makers "Experience" in the Dogpatch, one of SF’s most vibrant under-the-radar neighborhoods on December 7th. AirBnB has asked us to develop a very intimate “Experience” they can offer to people connecting visitors with locals who share the same interests. The goal is for guests to discover the real Bay Area, not just the traditional tourist destinations and for locals to create a new income stream. I will personally host up to 8 people twice a month through March on a Maker's Tour. This is a terrific way to support the creative small businesses that are flourishing in our community and a wonderful opportunity for BAGT to have more visibility around the world. With their support we can offer a regular Public walking tour which has always been a challenge. (I also suggested to add a local Makers tour of Oakland and Berkeley).

Our BAGT discounted dress rehearsal is set for December 7th and is limited to just eight lucky guests! You’ll have the opportunity to unleash your own unimagined skills and creativity and perhaps purchase and/or make your own unique holiday gifts. Please join me for a discounted $90 six hour "Experience" which includes materials and a workshop. (In January will be offered on the AirBnB website at $120.)

I know that AirBnB has created a platform where greedy opportunists buy properties, displace people and warehouse apartments with the intention to rent out them out on AirBnB. This deplorable practice is not the fault of the AirBnB although I believe it is their responsibility to oversee these injustices. I have had the opportunity to benefit from staying at a wonderful AirBnB and have many friends who have rented their house or a room and were able to travel for the first time or send their kid to college. It's also a great way for locals to help defray the high cost of living in the Bay Area.

Cuba
I missed the opportunity to visit Cuba 17 years ago when I turned down an invitation because I was "too busy" raising a family. This time I won't let the opportunity pass me by! The island will be changing now that the trade embargo has been lifted, we will have a new administration and Fidel Castro has passed. Now is the time join me on my first trip to Cuba this February to witness first hand what happens when the environment, organic farming and the arts are a national policy priority. Cuba knows the value of phrase reduce, reuse, recycle not just from an environmental perspective but out of necessity and we will meet artists and farmers implementing these principles.

Warmest wishes in this season of gratitude,
Marissa
www.bayareagreentours.org

P.S. In this season of giving please don’t forget Giving Tuesday November 29, 2016, a global day dedicated to giving. We need the support of the community we serve. Our work is a labor of love where in order to stay abreast of the newest developments in local issues and models of sustainable practices we need to constantly research, connect and reinvent ourselves to keep current. Please support our mission by making a donation no matter how small this Tuesday. Another way you could also support our work is to volunteer or refer folks to us join our EcoColab office of stellar non-profit leaders and creatives. (See below)

Then it’s your turn to be the artist/designer! Workshop Residence engages the worlds of craft, art and design. They collaborate with artists and designers from all over the world, manufacturing onsite and enlisting local fabricators to make functional objects for everyday living. They’ll guide you through a customized one-hour workshop where you can grab a mallet and design and make your own punched tin lantern or embossed tin ornaments as a gift for the holidays.
No experience required.

Strolling down the street, we may stop for artisan chocolates or coffee before visiting Rickshaw Bags where they make colorful urban messenger bags and backpacks in one of the few remaining sewing factories in SF. We'll meet the owner and tour the factory. If you like, you can even choose your own fabrics from their extensive selection for a customized bag of your own.

Getaways, Retreats, Family Reunions

We don’t just offer tours! We also rent beautiful Sabor Mexicano Farm in Sonoma County owned by 3rd generation Mexican, seed saving, Jorge Saldana who owns Cancun Restaurant in Berkeley! During your visit we can organize an apple pressing nearby, a walk with a local naturalist, a tour to local farms or organic wineries... tour or you might be able to get Jorge to cook for you right on the property!
The historic Armstrong home is nestled between Armstrong Redwoods Park in Guerneville, 2 miles from the Russian River and only 20 minutes from Jenner-by- the- Sea.
More Information: HERE

Your stay helps support our nonprofit work.