Goin Back to Cali

Eli and I went recently returned from a trip celebrating our fifth anniversary. Other than a couple of weekend trips (for funerals and weddings), we hadn't taken a vacation with just the two of us since Ellaysn was born. At one point, we talked about taking a big trip together about every five years. This was a great one to kick off our tradition.

When I was pregnant, I accompanied Eli to San Francisco for a work conference, and I immediately fell in love with the color and diversity this city had to offer. When we were planning where to go on this trip, California was at the top of our list. While both of us could picture ourselves taking a cruise or traveling to Mexico or a Caribbean island to lounge on the beach with a tropical drink in hand, we thought it would be more special (and meaningful) to take a trip to a part of the US we hadn't yet seen and to tour one of the most beautiful parts of our country ... the Northern California coast and wine country. Our decision was finalized once we came across a Living Social escape voucher offering a great deal on a two night stay at a spa resort in Little River, CA.

Before we left, I had a little time on my hands, so I created a travel itinerary for us. I did some serious research on places to stay, things to see, and must-try restaurants. I have to say, it was one of the best things I could do because the only decisions we had to make on the trip were what to order on the menu and which wine to sample. This made life a lot easier on us. Of course, we threw some unexpected things in here and there (especially after getting advice from locals) ... what fun would our trip have been if we didn't?

Here's a summary of our six days in sunny CA. Feel free to print this off and use it as your itinerary next time you are in the area!

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO

We flew into Oakland and rented a car to drive into the city. It's hard to describe the excitement I felt on that plane ride, thinking about all that we had to look forward to. The view wasn't too shabby, either ... first the mountains, and then the water.

Once we arrived in San Francisco, we checked into our hotel. A little background on this ... we booked this hotel room through one of those name-your-price websites where you choose the area you want to stay in, the hotel star rating, and the price you want to pay. Basically, you have to shoot low enough to get a good deal but not too low that your offer will be rejected (because then you can't bid again). We shot pretty low, but ended up getting approved. When we saw our hotel - The Warwick San Francisco - we were a little nervous. It was described as a "touch of Europe" in San Francisco, in the style of Louis XVI. Not exactly our cup of tea. We joked about it being the creepy/fancy hotel that we were going to be staying in. When we actually arrived at the Warwick, we were pleasantly surprised. It wasn't as creepy as expected, but actually quite cute and cozy. The mirrored wardrobe and Louis XVI bed took up the entire room, but we were cool with that. It was cheap, after all.

 Eli in the wardrobe

I had to move into the hallway to take this picture! 

After the long plane ride, we were exhausted, but decided to venture out into the city to grab some dinner. Funny story - while walking to our car, we passed a homeless lady who was hunched over, muttering something under her breath such as "white skin, walk on by, prejudice" (or something like that). I was slightly offended until Eli and I couldn't find the entrance to the parking garage and the lady kindly snapped out of her rant and told us where to go. So funny.

I had made a late reservation at an Italian restaurant in the Mission area - Delfina. This was one of those restaurants that reviewers said was a "must try" in the SF area, so we had it on our list. This place was absolutely packed at 8:30 on a Monday night. We were amazed to find a parking space nearby and were even more surprised when Lorne Michaels (creator and producer of Saturday Night Live) walked into the restaurant right behind us. What followed was an amazing Italian meal paired with our first taste of California wine since we arrived. Eli tried this one, which was unfiltered and really interesting.

Afterwards, we wanted to try some ice cream from a local creamery, but the line was out the door and around the corner. Instead, we ventured through the Castro District (gay mecca of SF) and were entertained by the all the bars and shops ... everything from "Does Your Mother Know" to "Hot Cookie" (which oddly enough, really sold warm cookies). Turns out their speciality is a penis shaped chocolate macaroon cookie on a stick. I would have done anything to catch a picture of Eli sampling one of these. He assures me that this would not have happened. Hilarious.

So, we passed on the hot cookies and instead opted for warm apple pie and a tall glass of milk Lori's Diner near our hotel. A homeless man outside told us to try this place because "Rob Lowe eats here". Well, alrighty, then!

DAY 2 - MONTEREY & CARMEL

The next morning, we got up bright and early to head over to one of our favorite breakfast spots in the city - Ella's. The last time we were in San Francisco, we came across this sweet little cafe (not knowing at the time how significant the name really was) and were blown away with the made-from-scratch meals. From the delicious orange juice (which tastes like there is someone in the back squeezing oranges into a glass) to the open faced omelettes and the fresh baked pastries, you can't go wrong at this place.

After breakfast, we headed South of San Francisco to Monterey Bay. Along the way, we passed rows and rows of berry fields. Most of the fields were full of farmers harvesting and loading them into wooden crates on a truck. I'm gonna take a minute to appreciate all their hard work next time I open up a carton of strawberries conveniently purchased at our local grocery store. I love how California constantly reminds you how important it is to know where your food comes from.

Our first destination was the well known aquarium located in Monterey. So far, my favorite aquarium is the one located where my brother lives, in Charleston, SC. This one ranks right up there, as well.

They had pools where you could reach in and touch a sting ray as it swam by. This was my first experience doing this, and I have to say it freaked me out a little. Those things are so graceful, so sleek and muscular, and so slimy. After touching the sting rays, we moved onto pools were you could touch starfish, crabs, and spiny sea urchins ... eeek.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium used to house Hovden Cannery, which was a sardine cannery that was fully operational at the heart of the sardine fishing boom in the 1940's (up until the doors were closed in 1973). They had a display that reenacted the process of squeezing these puppies onto a little tin can. Yuck.

Sea lions playing underwater ... these guys were fun to watch.

The jellyfish display was one of our favorites.

and the sea horses ... so cool. This is a leafy sea dragon, which I never knew existed until I saw it with my own eyes.

There was a cool interactive display where you could touch a picture of a microscopic organism (such as a plankton) and it would zoom in and show you features of the little critter in a 3-D rotating model.

Real pink flamingos!

Another thing we loved about this aquarium was the emphasis on environmental conservation. Did you know that San Francisco trolley cars and buses run on recycled fry grease? I thought that was so interesting, and so innovative. There were numerous facts and signs posted throughout the aquarium. This one reminded me of Ellasyn.

check out those cans! a girl standing to the left of Eli told us that we owed her $5 if she was in the picture :)

After getting a hint from a guy at the aquarium and searching far and wide, we were able to track down a teeny tiny store that sold these sardines. Picked up a can for my pops. Hope he appreciates them because these things were not easy to find!

Funny story about this pic ... I tried to show the guy who took this picture how to operate my camera and he asked me, "Are you really trying to show an Asian how to use a camera?" ... ha ha

After leaving Monterey Bay, we headed a few miles south to Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA (otherwise known as Carmel). We had reserved a room at the Best Western Townhouse Lodge, and were pleasantly surprised with this place. From the outside, it appeared to be a standard Best Western motel. But the inside ... ooh la la.

Next, we decided to tour around Carmel - a quaint little town known for it's natural beauty, artistic history, and trendy little boutiques. Every place you needed to go, from restaurants to the beach, were all within walking distance. I loved this town.

Our growling stomachs led us to Dametra Cafe, a unique little Mediterranean restaurant I had read about online. When we walked in, I was greeted with a hug from the restaurant's owner and Eli got a warm handshake and a, "welcome, my brother". After our delicious wine and food (praise be for their hummus, chicken kabobs, and Greek salad - to die for), the restaurant owner, manager, and our waitress entertained everyone with some live music. I was one of the few brave "ladies" to get up and dance (and I had only had one glass of wine).

Here's some lovely footage. This was, by far, one of the most well rounded and enjoyable experiences that we have ever had at a restaurant. The owner hugged us again on our way out and thanked us for stopping by. I couldn't stop smiling as we walked down the street.

After dinner, we headed to Carmel Beach, which turned out to be foggy and chilly, but beautiful.

the water? freakin' cold! 

oh, how I love my hubby

One thing we noticed about Carmel (and really, CA in general) is how dog friendly this place is. Everywhere you go, from hotels to shops to outdoor dining in restaurants, your pooches are welcome. Most places even provide water and treats. The beach was dog friendly as well, but for some reason didn't have any water for them. This had to do (another reminder why you don't put your mouth on drinking fountains).

We did the famous 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, one of the most famous scenic drives in the country. We hit all the interest points (although some quicker than others, for obvious reasons ... say, $400 for a round of golf).

The famous Pebble Beach Golf Course ... this was as close as we got since we are not rich nor famous

Huckleberry Hill

The Restless Sea, caused by hidden rocks under the surface of the water

Bird Rock (no explanation needed here). It would be more appropriately named Bird & Sea Lion Rock, though.

The Lone Cypress, withstanding wind and storms for 250 years. Sorry for the foggy pic ... all too common during this time of year on the CA coast

The Ghost Tree ... cypress worn white from the wind

We ended our day with drinks next to an outdoor fireplace at the Hogs Breath Inn, a place that Clint Eastwood made famous during his reign as mayor of Carmel. After they closed, we moseyed across the street from the Best Western to this cute little sports bar called Brophy's Tavern (one of the few places that stays open late in quiet little Carmel). We had a great time drinking and getting to know this friendly couple sitting next to us. They were from the area and told us all about wineries and restaurants we needed to visit on our way through Napa Valley. Come to find out that this cute couple met at Brophy's and are now the owners! They were wonderful and so much fun. Here are Brett and Erin with their sweet puggle, Sully.  

They also introduced us to this. Ugh ... Eli thought it tasted like ginseng. I myself thought it tasted like what they burn for incense in a Catholic church. Online, it's flavor is described as "black-licorice flavored Listerine". It doesn't give you a hangover and actually helps with several ailments. Not sure the taste is worth it!

DAY 3 - SONOMA & LITTLE RIVER

The next day, we checked out of our hotel and headed north through Sonoma on our way to Little River. It was amazing to see the fog over the coast from a distance ... something to do with all the heat in the valley. The extreme temperature changes make sense to me. When we were in the city or the valley, it was in the 90s and steamy hot. When we were on the coast, it was in the 50s and 60s. Good thing we packed sweaters!

On our way to Sonoma Valley, we stopped in Pacifica at Gorilla Barbeque. We saw the owner of this place, appropriately named "Gorilla", at Guy Fieri's road show in Kansas City. Guy featured Gorilla BBQ on his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. This guys has PORK RIBS tattooed on his knuckles, so you know he is serious about his bbq. 

I think this picture says it all ... this food was amazing, and the sandwiches were huge. Their potato salad is out of this world, and they top their mac n cheese with crushed goldfish crackers. Ella would have flipped out.

Our first stop near Healdsburg (Sonoma County) was Sausal Winery. A friend of mine told me about this place, and said made the best wine she had ever had. Although slightly nervous about our first real wine tasting experience, Eli and I thoroughly enjoyed sampling their delicious red wines, especially the Red Zinfandel (which was a first try for both of us).

The first thing to greet us as we walked up on the porch was this beautiful cat. Turns out he was the inspiration for their Petite Sirah.

Our next stop, not far down the road, was Preston Vineyards. This place was more than a winery ... they were also well known for being an organic farm. Aside from home grown veggies, Preston Farm sold nuts, grains, homemade whole wheat sourdough bread, fresh eggs, and delicious olives and olive oil. It was nice to be able to snack on these goodies while we sampled our wine. We walked away with a couple of bottles of their Sauvignon Blanc, which was our favorite.

had to take a picture of this ... my parents have a yard filled with black walnut trees. These things are stinky, messy, and impossible to crack. Notice the first thing the paper says.

 Love that they named all of their grass fed chickens. I bet those eggs are yummy.

good thing we didn't buy any walnuts! 

this whole wheat sourdough bread was delicious ... would have taken a few loaves home with me if I could have 

just thought this was a cool picture

Because it was late in the day, we didn't get to stop at as many vineyards as we would have liked. Our last spot was Navarro Vineyards, closer to Little River.  

There happened to be a nice girl tasting with us that wanted to play with my camera. She took these pics, and I have to say, I really like how they turned out!

We loved the white wines at Navarro ... especially the Pinot Grigios and the Rieslings. We even tried their Pinot Noir grape juice. Amazing.

After we left, we continued our shady, windy drive up the coast of California. At times, you felt like you were entering a dark, lush forest and were never coming out. We're lucky the twists and turns didn't make us puke out the window.

We arrived at the Stevenswood Spa Resort in Little River later that afternoon. Turns out they gave us an upgrade to a partial ocean view suite (which we found out later they wanted to charge us for). Our room was beautiful, and definitely had a "spa" feel.

our "partial ocean view" just beyond the llama farm ... nothing to get too excited about

memory foam mattress ... very nice

this was waiting in our room for us ... a little anniversary surprise. Although it appears that we have only been married for 4 1/2 years, it's really been 5

The restaurant at our resort was closed that evening, so we headed up the road to a cute little placed called the Little River Inn (another placed I had scoped out). We sat at the bar and had a blast with our bartender, Sue, and the couples sitting next to us. We first shared crab cakes and then Eli had fish tacos while I had the fish and chips. By far the best bar food we have ever had. The view from our seats wasn't too terrible, either.

Funny story: after we got back to our hotel room that night, we started a fire in the fireplace and I hopped in the bathtub while Eli took a snooze on the couch. As I was laying in the bath, reading a book, I kept hearing a fluttering sound, but thought nothing of it. Upon leaving the bathroom to walk to my suitcase, a large black animal flew at my head. I hit the ground so fast, I'm surprised I didn't hurt myself. I screamed and crawled over towards Eli on the couch, who had been startled awake and was completely delirious. I kept yelling, "bird! bird in our room!" before Eli spotted the thing and realized it was not a bird at all, but a large black BAT that had apparently entered through our fireplace. What took place from this point forward is almost too hard to describe. Picture me and Eli hiding in the bathroom, trying to figure out who was brave enough to go grab the phone. Eli finally sucked it up and tied a towel around his head and his hand before venturing back outside. I peeked through a cracked door to find him dodging this thing and then swatting it with a towel before falling to the floor to take cover. I thought I was going to die ... just not sure if it was from fear or from how hard I was laughing. Eli was able to catch the bat under a towel and scoot it out into the hallway. By this time, the staff member on call arrived at our room and was relieved that the bat was no longer in there (never mind that we just risked our lives trying to capture it). He told us not to worry and to "sleep well" that night. Yeah, right.

DAY 4 - LITTLE RIVER, MENDOCINO, & FORT BRAGG

After our adventure the night before, we work up the next day a little shaken. All was well after a semi-delicious breakfast at our hotel (caught our waiter pouring brewed coffee into a french press) and a walk down the street to this ...

Nothing can describe the feeling you get when you first see the rugged Northern California coast. There's something magical about the combination of beauty and danger that the coast exudes. No crowded beaches, no cheesy tourist traps ... just stunning cliffs and the restless sea.



We spent most of the day hiking, which wasn't our original plan. A few locals told us about Van Damme State Park, and said it was nice to hike through. We anticipated a short hike through this park and then another 1 mile hike or so into Russian Gulch State Park to see the natural waterfall. Turns out the Van Damme hike was probably 5-6 miles total and the waterfall was about 2.5 miles (one way) into Russian Gulch. The hikes weren't cake, either ... lots of fallen redwood trees to climb over, muddy pits to maneuver around, steep stairs to climb. After 10+ miles of this, we were slightly extremely exhausted.

followed the stream all the way through Van Damme State Park

I spy ... a banana slug

this trip was our traditional 5th anniversary "wood" gift to each other

Russian Gulch waterfall ... totally worth the hike in

The fallen tree on the right totally reminded me of Dirty Dancing ... tried to get Eli to dance on the log, but he wouldn't go for it

After our excursion through the forest, we decided to head down the road and visit Point Cabrillo Light Station in Fort Bragg. Lo and behold, we get there and find out that we have to hike a mile to see the lighthouse. Great.

  

translation: don't go anywhere near this water,  or you will DIE

Our last stop in Fort Bragg was Glass Beach. This is a beach covered entirely by sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into this area of coastline. It was pretty wild. There were lots of people there, searching for unique colors of glass beyond the abundant green, orange, and brown.

We came home and took a dip in the hot tub before cleaning up for dinner at our resort (which turned out to be much tastier than our breakfast had been that morning). We split a chicken with Pinot Noir sauce, cheesy polenta, and asparagus dinner that melted in your mouth.

We also tried some new wines ... here's a shot of me doing some sniffing and tasting. I did the swirling right before, but couldn't really get it down. The sniffing felt a little silly, too. Mmm... a little citrus... maybe some strawberry ...passion fruit ... and, oh, there's just like the faintest soupcon of like asparagus and just a flutter of a, like a, nutty Edam cheese (Sideways, 2004). To be honest, I really just wanted to drink it.

After dinner, we walked up the road to the Little River Inn to watch the sunset from the bar. Can you blame us?

We couldn't resist trying their famous olallieberry cobbler. Very tasty.

DAY 5 - NAPA VALLEY

We packed up the next morning and headed back to San Francisco by way of Napa Valley and a few more wineries.

Our first stop was a place that the couple we met in Carmel recommended to us - Sterling Vineyards. This place was unbelievable and uuber-modern (very different than the smaller, family owned vineyards we had visited a few days before). The first thing you did was hop on a gondola that took you up over Napa Valley to the winery on a hill. 

Once you got to the top, there was a table set up to sample your first wine (with a complimentary glass). From that point forward, you followed along a self-guided tour, learning all about the wine making process via videos and signs. Along the way, various stations were set up for wine tasting.

The tour ended on a beautiful deck with breathtaking views of Napa Valley.

Our second stop was Castello di Amorosa, a place that was recommended to us by a few of our friends on facebook! This place was beautiful, as well, but again ... very different than any other place we had been. That's one thing that is so wonderful about wine country. A winery around every corner, and each one is vastly different than the next. Castello di Amorosa was a Tuscan style castle built by a man who had inherited his family's wine making business. His inspiration was the medieval style architecture he had grown to love during his time in Europe. Not surprisingly, this winery specialized in Italian style wines.

The bread sticks we had been snacking on during wine tasting weren't doing it for us, so we decided to ask someone at the winery where to grab a bite to eat. They recommended a pizzeria called Tra Vigne in St. Helena. The Italian restaurant Tra Vigne is supposed to be incredible, but we heard you have to make reservations months in advance. We thought the pizzeria next door was just what we were looking for. Delicious wine and their speciality, Piadines (warm flatbread topped with pizza sauce and a salad).

Right across the parking lot from Tra Vigne, was Merryvale Winery, which was on our list. We popped in right before they closed and the man who poured our wine was very welcoming and friendly. He even let us taste wine on the house! We thoroughly enjoyed our experience in the beautiful, warm, and inviting tasting room. This was one of our favorite wineries.

We ended our day in downtown Napa, where there just happened to be a musical festival right on the river.

Tilly, the pet parrot

We walked down the street to find out what downtown Napa had to offer. We came across this amazing place ... Oxbow Public Market. This place screamed quality food, everything from a grass-fed meat market to an organic ice cream shop. All the restaurants served similar food, made from fresh, local ingredients. We only had room for dessert, but next time we are here, we are definitely going to try Kitchen Door.

 these things were so pretty, they were hard to eat (but somehow, we managed)

  

the best cup of coffee I've ever had at Ritual Coffee Roasters

We were sad to leave Napa, but knew that we would be back someday, with plans to stay longer. When we arrived again in San Francisco, we checked into the Baldwin Hotel in Union Square. You could tell this was a very old hotel, but it was clean and comfortable, complete with a crab towel on the bed.  

DAY 6 - LAST DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO

First thing in the morning, we walked to Dottie's True Blue Cafe in the Tenderloin District to meet Eli's great aunt Shirley for breakfast (click on link for a fun Food Network video). Eli went to pick her up at the Powell Street BART station while I waited in a long line to get in Dottie's. The timing was perfect. Shirley and Eli arrived just as we were about to be squeezed into this tiny little cafe. All I can say is that this food was well worth the wait ... wow. Definitely lives up to it's reputation for "the best breakfast in San Francisco". Coffee cake made fresh that morning, omelettes and fritattas made with just about anything you can think of, and homemade buttermilk dill toast. Need I say more?

We really enjoyed getting to know Aunt Shirley, who we had never met before. She told us all about her family and about her work as an accomplished writer. She also told us the places that we should avoid (tourist traps) and the unique sights to see in the city. It was nice to connect with such a wonderful member of our family.

Aunt Shirley suggested that we check out the local PRIDE festival, an annual tradition in San Francisco celebrating the rights of LGBT individuals. We had to laugh when Aunt Shirley suggested this (not something my great aunt would have been in to), but we were glad she did ... great place to watch some colorful people, and we were proud to show our support for the cause.

Our next stop was telegraph hill and Coit Tower ... just from the top of the hill, the view was incredible.

We were excited to drive down Lombard Street this time ... last time we were in SF, me and my preggo butt walked up that street

Thanks to Aunt Shirley, we discovered the Golden Gate Promenade, just below the bridge. A beautiful trail along the bay complete with a warming hut and all. There was so much life on this path ... people walking, jogging, riding bikes. On the grassy hills behind it, groups of people were having picnics and playing volleyball. Fishermen were perched on the dock and along the bridge, the skyline made a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos.

This is a great picture to wrap up this post - my new favorite place in San Francisco. I was sitting here thinking how cool this city was - with the Golden Gate Bridge to my left, the San Francisco skyline to the right, and the bay directly in front of me. I could have sat here all day. When I was there, I imagined what it would be like to live in a place like this. Maybe someday I'll get to find out.

If you read this whole post, thanks for hanging in there. This is only a sample of all the pictures we took ... the rest can be found here. I hope you were able to jot down a few places where you'd like to visit, stay, or enjoy a meal next time you are in this part of California. It will definitely be an experience you will never forget.