December started off on a horrible foot thanks to a nasty head cold that took over my life. I was all kinds of congested, scratchy throat and couldn’t shake it. But eventually December proved itself to be a fun month starting off with a trip to California. I haven’t been to California in ages and it wasn’t my radar but I had a free flight to burn thanks to some frequent flier miles plus a dear friend I haven’t seen in while and that was the perfect recipe for a fun weekend trip!
The first stop was La Mar Cebicheria in San Francisco. Just walking up to the restaurant (on a rainy night because supposedly the only time it rains in California is when I’m there), I could smell the water and seafood of what was about to come. I love Denver more than any other place I’ve ever lived but we’re landlocked and the seafood quality could be better. Going back to either coast excites me because I know the quality is going to be bar none and La Mar did not disappoint. We started with a round of causas.
Don’t know what causes are? No worries, I had no idea what they were either but it turns out that it’s one of the loves of my life that I never knew about. They’re little stuffed potato cake topped with whipped meat and other kinds of yummies. There was Dungeness crab, chicken, tuna and beet, all were flavorful except the beet, whig was just beat and the tuna was the winner with the little kick of spice it had. Next was the ceviche sample which was perfect because it gave you a nice variety to try like halibut, ahi tuna, yellow tail and octopus (my fave) and shrimp and scallops. This was enough for two of us and we left happy and full, glowing after a healthy meal!
And that’s the weekend right there–eating, drinking and having fun–it was exactly what I needed! I feel like I’ve been in a little rut lately, working my ass off, going to the gym, getting used to living with the boy and everything else in between. Every day seems the same and I needed something to look forward to and a vacation is always something to look forward to! I haven’t seen my friend since I lived in Charlotte so it was great to catch up with her and get some quality time in with her pup, Loki.
The resemblance between him and Lincoln is a bit startling! Yay for chihuahua mixes. One thing that I love about the people in my life is that they all have an appetite for life and for food and my friend Kristie is no different. She is all about living a healthy lifestyle but likes to enjoy food and drink as well, something that I’m all about since life is about balance. We started off the day at Barefoot Coffee for some caffeination because I can’t do anything without coffee.
I adore going to independent coffee shops and this place was an absolute delight thanks to their menu of unique drinks. I got the voodoo mocha which was a mocha chock full of espresso and mocha made with coconut milk. If I could dink these every day I would be a happy gal!
The rest of the day was non-stop full of tourist activities, food and drink starting at the Winchester Mystery House ($33 for a tour? PASS!), not so stellar pad thai and beer.
$6 for a flight of beer including a nice mix of IPA’s at Hermitage Brewing Company , it was wonderful! And what better to follow beer with than cupcakes? Ok besides bar and gas station food. But cupcakes are always welcome in my life and the fact that they were gorgeous and mini didn’t make me feel too guilty.
Apparently that wasn’t sweet enough for us because a few hours after the mini cupcakes we made our way not harder stuff, like Psycho Donuts as part of our dinner (I mentioned that both of us lead healthy lifestyles right? Good).
The plan was to walk to a local sushi restaurant but after an action packed day and the temperature dropping down to 20 degrees, I didn’t want to do anything outside. She asked if it would be ok if we hung out in comfy clothes and have snacks for dinner and my response was “Heck yeah?” Comfy clothes and snacks for dinner are my idea of heaven. Yeah, I should have been out gallivanting around town and seeing the area but we saw a lot in one day. The next day we went for a different kind of sweet….like all the sweet sculptures at the Google campus.
Why does Google have candy sculptures all over the place? No idea but it was fun to get out of the car and check them out (if they have these outside I can only imagine what was inside but unfortunately you need to have a Google employee with you to go inside). As if candy sculptures weren’t enough, Google also has a ton of G-bikes on campus. We saw a few people riding these around and there was no sign saying we couldn’t ride them soooooo…..when in Rome…..ride a G-bike!
Then the weekend came to a close with my last day in California which was spent in San Francisco since that’s where I flew out of. We woke up early and made our way to the Bay and we were busting a move since we had bought tickets to see Alcatraz which were non-refundable. You all know I’m not going to waste $35 so we sped up there, found parking and ran to the gate to catch the boat on time. Having a horrible cold and running is not an ideal combination so once we got to the gate I had to catch my breathe and thank our lucky stars we got there in time. The ferry was packed on that was on a Monday morning in the fall so I can only imagine what it’s like during tourist season! I thought the ferry ride was going to take a long time but to my surprise it was only 15 minutes. We got to the island and then the fun started.
Alcatraz was awesome and worth the money and time. I love that you can stay for as long as you like and move at your own pace. They have a few gift shops but nothing ridiculous or over the top and it’s run by the National Park Service–I never knew that! I couldn’t have asked for a better day to go see the landmark! The last meal of the weekend was at Boudin Bakery. My friend told me they’re known for their sour dough bread and hot soup in a fresh bread bowl on a cold day sounded absolutely fantastic after a day of walking around in the cold and taking in the sights.
And just like that, I was back in Denver. The trip was great and I was looking forward to it for such a long time and it did not disappoint. Ever since bf and I have been dating, we always travel together so it seemed a bit weird for him not to be there. As much as I love being around him, I’m a firm believer in doing your own thing and having time to yourself. I guess in a way I can say that distance makes the heart grow fonder because when I got home late Monday night, I got to snuggle with him and Lincoln and I was in heaven.
