A few more photos from our little road trip last week:
1. The Pacific Ocean, as seen from outside our hotel, shortly after arriving in San Simeon.
2 & 3. The same beach near our hotel, during a stroll the following morning.
4. A bird of prey, but no idea which kind. Amazing to see its impressive wingspan, regardless.
5, 6 & 7. On our way back to L.A. we decided to detour a little inland into the heart of Santa Barbara County, and had a short break to stretch our legs in a town called Solvang. This town is famous for its large Danish settlement and community, so it's a popular weekend destination for those wanting to experience a bit of a Northern European vibe. We didn't stay too long because we didn't want to hit any nasty traffic on the way back home but from what I saw, it really did feel like walking around a part of Europe. Unfortunately, that traffic snarl still got us in the end, and the 2.5 hour leg between Santa Barbara turned into a five-hour leg. I wish I was exaggerating. It was a bit of a killer to end what had been a great little family getaway, but lesson learned - avoid the southbound 101 freeway through Santa Barbara from 4pm onwards during weekends and holiday periods!
Too often, I find my weekends passing by in a blur - not because we've been incredibly busy, but because we've been relaxing - only to realise on Sunday afternoon that we should have actually done something more worthwhile with our time. There is so much to see and do in California, that even if we were to just focus on places within a few hours' drive of home, we'd be busy for a long time to come.
My obsession with Pinterest peaked some time ago, but one board that's had me pinning regularly is the one I have to remind me of places we want to see within California (and L.A.). Yesterday I printed the compilation out, stuck it in a cheap IKEA frame that's been sitting around, and hung it near the kitchen so that next time we find ourselves twiddling our thumbs, or with a little money aside for a night's accommodation, the inspiration will be be right under our noses.
Whether it's somewhere nearby - just for an afternoon - or a little further out for a couple of days, here's a sample of what's on my list:
Last week, we spent four days in a beachside town, on the northern outskirts of San Diego. The town was called Encinitas, and was just what we needed to recharge our batteries.
Time slowed right down. Although we were still on the northern side of the US-Mexican border, there was much that reminded me of our time in Mexico, eleven years ago. I loved the proliferation of taquerias that dotted the coastal highway near our hotel. Those places are the real deal, along with small Mexican-run grocery stores, where tortillas are sold by the weight. Best of all, no one was in a hurry. When we were in Mexico, we joked about how laid back everyone was. It didn't matter what the situation was, no one hurried, and we'd say "Mañana, mañana" (tomorrow, tomorrow). It felt similar in Encinitas.
Our accommodation - arranged at the last minute due to unforeseen events - was a basic roadside hotel. The kind where you park your car just outside your room. It was fun, though. I was worried about all four of us in one room (hadn't done that since first moving to LA when Miss Pie was eleven weeks old... at eighteen months, she's a different sleeper) but the girls were fantastic. Our room was pretty much just a place to sleep, anyway.
Day time was for hanging out at nearby Moonlight Beach:
Day time was also for visiting San Diego Zoo - somewhere I've wanted to go for many years. We ended up getting a years' membership, so that we have an excuse to head down south again. It was actually better value, and it meant we didn't stress about rushing around and trying to see everything on one day. Knowing we'd be back one weekend made it much more relaxing.
We had close friends also staying in Encinitas. They had organised a house swap from where they live in Oregon, so late afternoons and evenings were spent at the lovely house they were staying in. Our kids all played together like they'd only been apart a few weeks, and we got to eat (and drink) up a storm, heading back to our hotel each night at an ungodly hour.
It was perfect.
Now it's back to real life, and the ho-hum of domestics. Outside, it's hot, and without the cooling ocean breeze that we had in Encinitas. We didn't get to run off to Las Vegas, for reasons I won't bore with. Let's just say not all the necessary conditions were in place. I'm disappointed, but we had such a brilliant time last week that I'm (kind of) okay about it. We had a local date night, so it wasn't a sad ending.
I do want to close my eyes, though. Open them, and be back in our little Encinitas hotel room. Everything was simpler for a few days (well, except the part about trying to do everything around a toddler's need for a midday sleep).
Sun, warmth, fun, great company, tipsy late-night conversations, kids dancing... must do it again.
PS - How adorable is Miss Pie, and how spunky is the Faery? She got her first case of sunburn (oops) but she now has the most golden-coloured skin to die for.
- It felt strangely familiar, like I'd been there before. I guess that's from all the movies and TV shows I've seen over the years. Google Street View may or may not have had something to do with this, too.
- It's like a weird (but good) hybrid of places I've been. Not quite the Pacific Northwest vibe, but not SoCal either. The beautiful old buildings, and the way that turning every corner revealed something new and pretty to see... in a way, it's like the Paris of the US. That's a compliment, by the way.
- San Francisco has more culture in one little finger than L.A. has in her entire body. Bohemian and erudite. Beauty and brains. Love it.
- Fog is funny. It was constantly on the move, no matter what time of day, and as a result, it felt like the city was shapeshifting. It made for some interesting views.
- I was prepared for hills, and lots of them. I've lived and spent time in some damn hilly places over the years. Sydney has its fair share, as does Brighton in the UK. However, I was naive. Nothing could have prepared me for five or six hours at a time, on foot, traversing those hills. I would also like to point out that the terrain feature on Google Maps really did not adequately indicate the level of steepness. My legs are jelly, and today I am hobbling about like a person twice my age (which, as of last Friday, would be seventy).
- I now know that I need to start going to the gym again. Telegraph Hill just about killed me with all the steps. On the bright side, I'm fairly certain that I walked off a few kilos over the weekend. That's possible, right?
- Bums, panhandlers, hobos, beggars... I'm not sure what the politically correct term even is these days. Do I care? Not really. But in The Haight, they dwell on every block. Not really surprising, seeing as there is a massive park only a few blocks north called Panhandle Park. I learned that I needed to be discrete with my camera - quite a task, as SLRs aren't really a discrete sort of camera. I was asked countless times if I wanted to take a photo of them. Annoying. However, one of them at least had a sense of humour. He asked me, "Do you want to hear a joke? Or take a picture of a joke?" and smilingly pointed at himself. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I had to laugh.
- Sequoias. Beautiful trees, and I just love the word. I love how it sounds in my head. I don't even know if I pronounce it correctly, but I still love how it sounds.
- The BART ticket machines (at the train stations) made me feel like I'd had a lobotomy. Ridiculously illogical, and had me scratching my head. I've used public transport in a lot of cities, but the BART machines win the prize for most stupidly unhelpful. Do you select your destination on the machine? No. You need to look it up on a table that is taped to the machine. This table tells you the fare. The first option the machine gives you is to insert your fare - cash or card. Then, you need to enter the amount for the fare. Is there a numbered key pad for this? No. First, you put in either the correct amount of cash, or more if you don't have the right change. Are you with me? This is where it gets silly. Say I need to pay $3.80 but only have a $5 note. I insert the note, then press the button that says "Subtract $1". Then, I press the button that says "Subtract 5c", four times (to subtract 20c)... then the machine prompts you to confirm the amount, prints the ticket, and spits out the change. Yeah, far more complicated than it needs to be. Shtoopid.
- I had fun confusing people. When asked how long I was staying in San Francisco, my answer each time was, "Just the weekend". That was when people would pick up on my accent, and assume I'd flown fourteen hours from Sydney (or Germany, as one misguided soul thought - bless him), just for one night in San Francisco. I could see it on their faces, and the relief when I'd tell them that I live in LA was palpable.
- Another comparison between LA and San Francisco: it appears that one group of underclass has simply been traded for another. In LA, most of the gardeners and manual labourers seen are of Mexican background. Any dirty job that a person doesn't want to do, is done by these hardworking immigrants. In San Francisco, I wasn't aware so much of a Hispanic presence, but noticed a lot of the lowly-paid jobs appeared to be filled by African Americans, or older Chinese immigrants.
- Am I glad I went alone? YES. Of course, I missed my little people (and my man, too). It goes without saying. But it was so nice to have a break from wiping snot, changing nappies, thinking of ways to keep them entertained, listening to irritating cartoon voices on the idiot box, picking up toys for the umpteenth time in a day... you get the picture.
- San Francisco now has a little piece of my heart.
Stay tuned for photos. But first, some words on this city from one of my all time favourite comedians:
...oh wait, I am in California. The leaves are brown, the sky is grey, and here I am - in L.A.
It's now Day 4 of being couped up out of the rain, and cabin fever is rapidly approaching. The car broke down last week and is currently at the mechanic's... wonderful timing, especially in the week before Christmas. It's out of my hands, though, so I'm not here to complain.
Peering out my back door...
Anyhow, there is nothing like wet weather to make me want to curl up with a good read - if the Faery and Miss Pie allow me. I have a couple of bases covered. Firstly, a nice new copy of Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood, which has been calling me for a while. Then, should my brain decide to lower gears and read something less cerebral, I have the latest People magazine - my secret vice and best enjoyed with copious amounts of something sweet.
Being new to this blogging caper, I'm also in the mood to read some great blogs that are out there... but I need recommendations. So, if anyone out there is reading this, and knows of a great blog or two, I'm all ears. And eyes.
But first, I need to put on a kids DVD - on play repeat...
, which has been calling me for a while. Then, should my brain decide to lower gears and read something less cerebral, I have the latest People magazine - my secret vice and best enjoyed with copious amounts of something sweet.