Pride and Wine

San Francisco, you've been added to the list of favorite cities!

First, we must give a giant thanks to Bethany, Anna, and Hans for letting us take over their home for a couple of days and for showing us around their great city. We enjoyed hanging out with you!!

We arrived at night. The fog was SO thick we could not see. We just hoped we were on the right road. Any road really. Summer in the Bay Area Bethany said. Welcome to San Fran. She hadn't seen the sun in days. The joys of Northern California. We are happy to report we brought the sun to San Fran. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the days warmed up. You're welcome, everyone. 

Our weekend was packed with adventure. This city is full of fun! For starters, getting anywhere is like riding a roller coaster. The hills are crazy! You people running and biking them...our hats go off to you! Because the hills are incredible, there are views to be had all over the city. We climbed the mosaic stairs...beautiful and a workout. Grand city view number one. 

This was the first set. We kept going. 

After that we ventured to the top of Coit Tower. By elevator this time :) Grand view number two. 

Lombard Street prides itself on being the crookedest street. Before last week you could drive down it. That's not allowed anymore but you can walk. We twisted and turned all the way down! 

When in San Francisco you eat Ghiradelli chocolate and sourdough bread. So lunch and dessert were no brainers. We headed to Boudin for lunch and had a sea salt caramel sundae for dessert. Both yummy!!

We played on cable cars, visited Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, pretended we were in the opening scene of Full House, visited the iconic Golden Gate, watched the sunset on the beach, visited some redwoods, ate some other yummy food and hung out at a dive bar. A great weekend had by all! 

We arrived in San Francisco just in time for the 44th annual pride festival. The sport of people watching reached an all time high! To those who woke up and decided to leave the house wearing less than your underwear, we admire your self confidence. We saw it all and then some. But really we saw a city come together to show support to people who are not always supported. One doesn't have to love the lifestyle of someone to love the person (because I can think of a number of lifestyles I don't love). At the end of the day we are all human and searching for the same thing...to love and be loved. So thank you San Francisco for loving all people!

Hop in the car for a quick drive and you find yourself in wine country. Surrounded by vines heavy with grapes, the scenery is beautiful. We ventured to Raymond for a tasting. We chose this winery because we had a two for one coupon. :) Napa is known for reds so us white drinkers don't quickly find a favorite. But we still have a great time!! Raymond had a couple good whites and some reds that were politely poured out. Our next stop was Mumm. Home to the bubbly. This was recommended by a few people and didn't disappoint. We took the tour with our tastings and learned so much about the art of wine making. Lunch was a sourdough round brought from SF and some fancy cheese. Perfect with the wine!  We're thinking a girls trip back to the valley is in order...with some spa time included. 

We end this with a super big thank you to Sergio. We don't know you but you left a key to your apartment under the mat for us. We hope you're home when we return for another visit so we can actually meet! And if you're ever in Lexington you have a place to stay. 

(Don't worry Shirley and Sue...Sergio is a friend of a friend. We are positive he's a great guy.)

Beauty Abounds

In Australia there is a stretch of highway referred to as 'The Great Ocean Road'.  It's a spectacular drive. A new cliff or rock formation around every corner. You don't have to get to Australia to see such beauty, though. You can put yourself on the California Highway 1. This is truly one of America's scenic byways. With mountains on one side and ocean on the other you won't be disappointed. And if your lucky, you'll see a baby mountain lion scampering along the side of the road. :)

We found these guys along the way. Take the seals from La Jolla beach and plump them up a lot! Elephant seals are huge but just as fun to watch. There's a lot of blubber on this beach! Holla at those seals :)

As we were driving north, a west coast friend was sending a list of things to do. As we are reading the list we look up and see the exit for one of his suggestions. A quick right turn and ten minutes later we are relaxing in a natural mineral hot spring. Thanks for the suggestion, Joe! We smelled like a lovely mix of sulfur and other minerals for the rest of the day! (We were so enjoying our time in the natural hot tub that we forgot to take a picture) 

Our drive north took us to Monterey. Welcomed by barking sea lions, we quickly realized why this place is loved by so many. Thanks to Kristin and suggestions from Dakota, we had a full day planned. Our walk around Fisherman's Wharf had a soundtrack of barking sea lions and squawking sea birds. Both entertaining to watch. And don't worry, the seals were basking in the sun here as well! 

Kristin said eat at The Fish Hopper. Dakota said eat at The Fisherman's Grotto. Turns out they are owned by the same people and famous for their clam chowder. A free appetizer card led us to The Fish Hopper. Delicious and a great view! Mindi decided to be brave. She ordered the chowder and ate it!! For those of you that don't know her well, this is a big deal! She did not eat the calamari we got for free, however. We ended lunch at Rosine's for a slice of giant cheesecake. Amazing!!

17 Mile Drive was next on the agenda. It was fabulous despite the cloud of fog that was sitting right over it. Many scenic stops along the way, wildlife to view, and golf courses to explore. 

Kristin sent us to Sand City next. Our job was to climb to the top of a particular sand dune and write something in seaweed. It took a few turn arounds and a short walk, but we found it. We climbed and left our mark! When you head north on CA 1, you can now see a M on the dune as you drive by!

This last stop was for you, Kristin!! Maybe we'll have to see if they have any speech, teaching, or library positions open! 

Monterey and Carmel, you are top notch. Classy with lots to offer. There was so much we wanted to do but didn't have time. That only means we will have to return. We will see you again!

Magic and the 90210

Disneyland. The happiest place on earth. In comparison to Disneyworld, it's smaller yet just as magical. There are the same rides, just not as many. They have two rides Florida does not...this makes standing in line so much better! There is nothing more exhilarating than riding a thrill ride for the first time. The unknown and anticipation is great! Unnecessary screaming is a must. There are many reasons to love a day at Disney. For starters it's a great place to people watch. Mainly kid watch.  One can't help but smile when they see the look on a little face when Mickey waves to them or the real Cinderella blows them a kiss. Their joy is contagious. It's also great because it shows the true sacrifice of a parent. Nothing wins you dad of the year more than standing in line for hours wearing mouse ears so your daughter can meet Elsa. Hats off to these parents. That line was long. But the real reason Disney is great is because it's good for the soul. When you are in your thirties and you spin with joyous abandon in a tea cup or fly through the air on an elephant named Dumbo, you become five again. And for a fleeting moment your world is magical and your heart carefree. 

After a day of fun, we headed to the LA area. At the start of the trip we fell into a driving pattern. We simply take turns for a day. The drive in LA fell on my day. Joy. For the most part it was okay. You have to be aggressive and quick on your feet to make it though. We were only honked at twice and only used the sorry from Virginia line a few times. However, we will never complain about Nicholasville Road again. 

The first order of business was the Hollywood sign. We wanted to get a good picture. A fairly close one. Having been there before I knew we could make this happen. But of course we arrive and the trail is closed to hikers. After some inquiring we are told to make a simple left and drive to the top. We will find a park there and it's a good spot for the pic. There is nothing simple about this. We zig zag through the Hollywood Hills neighboorhood and this is a difficult task. How these people get around up there is beyond me! Pauley was stressed out and nearly sideswiped multiple things. We finally made it and learned there is a simple way to get there. A more normal road. Maybe next time...

The main reason LA was on the list was so Mindi could find Ellen's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She's at the complete opposite end of where we started but...Success!!

I found Dr. Seuss :)

And of course we had lunch like a Californian. 

One can't visit the area without paying a visit to the 90210. Before we meandered the streets of Beverly Hills we traded our flip flops for strappy sandals and the camera bag I've been using as a purse for something a bit trendier. We didn't want to have a repeat of the classic Pretty Woman scene on our hands. 

 

As a huge fan of the mindless Real Housewives television show, we had to head to Kyle's store first. This led us by the Villa Blanca restaurant. Unfortunately no housewives were spotted. I did almost buy a pair of flip flops from the store but they didn't have my size. 

From here we perused a few more stores. We learned that body suits are coming back...oh dear. And we did a little suvenir shopping at lulu lemon. 

Pauley, who is covered in dirt, felt a bit out of place next to this guy!  

The Santa Monica Pier brought fun Ferris wheel rides and the end of Route 66. 

We ended the day camping in Malibu and a morning trip to the beach. It's was cold and overcast and we didn't see any of the rich and famous. Moving on up the coast now!

Here are the LA reviews:

Mindy: For me LA had a check next to it and I didn't need to make it two. Now it has two checks next to it and I don't know that I need to make it three. 

Mindi:  The movie Pretty Woman pretty much sums up what LA looks like. I prefer the Beverly Hills area. It's not a place I would choose to come back to...unless Ellen invites me to her show!