The Land of Fruits and Nuts

It took me a few days to stop mourning the end of my trip before I could write a recap. I'm not even sorry for the cuteness overload that's about to ensue.

Sara and Caroline picked Laura and me up at LAX around 10 am and we headed towards Malibu for lunch. Our only request was that the restaurant have a view of the water, and Duke's certainly delivered. Driving down the PCH and having views of the water reminded me a lot of being in La Jolla, and I was more than happy to soak up the sun and the view of that gorgeous blue water.

The non-stop girl talk and chatter didn't end for the next couple of hours.

Sara's husband Jim is in the Navy, and they live on the naval base just north of Malibu. It was so fun getting to see their house for the first time! Sara had sent me a bunch of pictures when they first moved in, but it was cuter in person!

We hung out at the house for awhile and let Caroline nap before heading to the beach! And trust me on this, nothing gets a 2-year-old more excited than when you ask her if she wants to go to the beach!

The rock in the distance is Mugu Rock and is apparently a very popular place to film car commercials! We even saw a commercial over the weekend that featured this stretch of the PCH! Pretty cool that I've seen it in person now!

Shortly after we got back from the beach, Jim called and told us we should come to the hangar to watch the sunset. We loaded Caroline back in the car and raced back to the beach (less than a mile from the house, might I add) to catch the sunset.

So much happiness in these photos.

Jim had to go back to work unfortunately but the girls headed home, put Caroline to bed, and Sara made an amazing Thai curry dish that we devoured before spending the rest of the night looking through old college photo albums. We can't wait until Caroline is old enough so we can tell her incriminating stories about her mama!

Saturday we were up bright and early for gameday! We had a huge breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and mimosas of course, then headed to the farmer's market in Old Town Camarillo. We picked up lots of goodies to snack on during the Clemson game before we grilled burgers at the house.

We did switch to the Navy game once and awhile for Jim since he was outnumbered!

After we all took power naps, the girls went wine tasting while Jim took Caroline to the playground. We were lucky to catch the sunset again on the beach in Ventura, before dinner at Cafe Fiore downtown (such amazing Italian food).

Sunday was our last day, and since Laura's flight home was much earlier in the day than mine, we grabbed a quick lunch at Paradise Cove before taking her to the airport. Any restaurant with sand as its floor is an okay restuarant by me!

We spent the rest of the day frolicking around LA, visiting the Dodgers stadium (the game was sold out), seeing the Hollywood sign at the Griffith Observatory, and then taking a drive through Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive.

And just because my heart bursts every time I see pictures of my favorite little munchkin..

I'm imparting wisdom on children one selfie at a time.

I was determined to see a celebrity while I was in LA, and while I was boarding my flight back home (extremely depressed), there sat Paul Walker in first class ordering a whiskey soda. Swoon. He still looks just as good at 40 (!!!) as he did in the first Fast & Furious movie. Yum.

I'm so thankful for best friends like Sara and Laura who I've been friends with since freshman year of college (2006!) and now for little Caroline, who might be the cutest child ever.

The end.

San Francisco

Remember that time I went to San Francisco almost a month ago and forget to tell y'all about it? My bad.

I'm finally getting around to the last leg of our trip out west (see Part 1 & Part 2 here)!

We checked into our hotel, the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins and took a quick nap. This is the second time we've stayed in this hotel and I'd highly recommend it to anyone visiting SF! It's very centrally located but you're going to have to hike extremely steep hills no matter which direction you're walking when you're walking back to the hotel!

For our first night in the city, we went to a Giants game! The SF Giants were playing the Oakland A's, so the entire bay area had to pick a side for the "Battle of the Bay"! And no trip to a baseball game is complete without first stopping at a brewery, right?

My parents and I stopped into 21st Amendment Brewery for drinks and a light dinner before the game. The food wasn't anything to write home about (I honestly can't even remember what I ate), but man is their "Hell or High Watermelon" beer delicious! Unfortunately, I can't even buy it in the state of SC so if anyone feels the urge to ship some to me, it'd be much appreciated!

It was a chilly night at the stadium but we bundled up and cheered every time either team scored. I guess we just couldn't decide which team to cheer for! The A's ended up winning, though, so about half the stadium/bay area went home happy and the other half was, well, pissed.

Thursday morning, we headed to Honey Honey Cafe & Crepery for breakfast before heading to Napa for the day. One of the main things I love about the city is the endless selection of breakfast spots. While I think southerners can cook a damn good breakfast, we just haven't quite figured out how to do breakfast/brunch restaurants around here. But we're working on it and bottomless mimosas are a good place to start.

We were back in the city in time for dinner with Katie and her roommate, Alice. We had dinner at Marlowe, which was completely fantastic. All of the restaurants in SF have such cool atmospheres, and Marlowe was no different.

My favorite part about the restaurant was the outdoor windows were covered in quotes from famous actors, actresses, and foodies. I can definitely appreciate a well-written quote about my favorite thing of all time (hint: food). The baked oysters and deviled eggs were amazing for appetizers, and almost the whole table ordered the pork chop, which was easily the best I've had. This restaurant can't be missed if you're ever in the area!

We woke up to gorgeous weather on Friday so we decided to make the best of it by driving out to Crissy Field to take in the sights of the bridge. But we couldn't take off exploring without a stop at Blue Bottle Coffee first. Y'all, I know people love Starbucks and all, but Blue Bottle blows Starbucks out of the water. Yeah, I said it. I had the New Orleans style iced coffee and nothing I've had before or since can compare. It's that good.

After everyone was caffeinted and well-fed (sourdough toast for me!), we made our way across the city. It's very rare that you get to see crystal blue sky in San Francisco, but we sure lucked out.

I took about 15 pictures of the same view, but this one was my favorite!

We drove across the bridge to wander around the cute little town of Sausalito. This is another must if you're in town for more than a weekend! The views of the city across the water are gorgeous and Sausalito has plenty of little shops and cafes to wander into.

 We had lunch at Scoma's, which hit the spot for my craving for fish tacos!

Once we were back in the city, we made a stop at the Ferry Building.

Again, this is another absolute must if you're in San Francisco. I could've spent hours wandering into all the little shops and markets. Otherwise, I never would've discovered the most adorable biscuit shop, Biscuit Bender!

After we wasted away the afternoon shopping, it was time to get ready for my parent's last dinner in San Francisco. They were flying home on Saturday while I got to stay an extra day!

Before dinner, we went to the 38th floor of our hotel for cocktails at Top of the Mark, which has the best view of the city!

For dinner, my sister chose a popular Peruvian restaurant, La Mar, known for their ceviche and Pisco sours!

The food was incredibly fresh and innovative. I felt like I was eating on a tropical island with the vibe of the restaurant and the view of the water. Another great pick!

Even though we were stuffed, Katie insisted on stopping for the best ice cream in the city, from Bi-Rite Creamery. The shop was already closed but the line was wrapped around the building!

Salted caramel and honey lavender ice cream for the win!

Saturday, after we said goodbye to our parents, I made Katie escort me across the bay so I could get my hands on the greatest chicken sandwich that ever existed from Bakesale Betty in Oakland. I wish I were exaggerating, but really, I'm not. I wouldn't be surprised if I started dreaming about their perfectly crunchy chicken and jalapeno coleslaw.

After we gorged ourselves on sandwiches, it was time for a hike!

Although it was my 4th time to San Francisco, I had never managed to visit the redwood forest or Muir Woods. Katie had told me awhile back about this secret treehouse/bar in the middle of the forest that you can hike to, take a picnic, drink beer, and play board games. I was so excited to finally get to see this place for myself, and it definitely didn't disappoint!

It doesn't really get much cooler than a treehouse that has draft beer in the middle of the woods, kids.

We finally hiked our way out of the forest (which was much easier after a pitcher or two of Hefeweisen) and headed back to Emeryville. We had a pretty low-key night with dinner at Comal in Berkeley and some late night shuffleboard at Katie's local bar, the Prizefighter. And come Sunday morning, I was back on a plane to the East Coast!

I think I waited so long to do this recap so I could still pretend I'm on vacation. Oh California, you're always so good to me...

Napa Valley

I know I promised to pick up my trip recap with San Francisco, but that post is going to be a doozy to write with all the pictures I took, so I decided to skip ahead to our day trip to Napa instead! Go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy!

Even though this was my fourth time visiting Northern California, I had never been to Napa Valley (gasp)! I've made up for it though with 3 visits to Sonoma. I will preface this recap by saying that while I loved all the vineyards in Napa that we visited, I still think I prefer Sonoma. I love the cute little restaurants and shops on the square in downtown Sonoma, and the vineyards are smaller and there's a lot more interaction with the staff during the tastings. But if you're ever in the area and have to decide on where to go for a day, you really can't go wrong with either!

My mom, dad, and I headed out of the city in the morning, and since wine tasting at 11 am might seem a little alcoholic early, we did what all normal people would do and stopped for champagne first!

We stopped at Domaine Carneros, and holy cow, this vineyard was gorgeous.

Domaine Carneros is famous for its sparkling wines, but they also had a delicious selection of Pinot Noir. We soaked up the sun on the front porch and enjoyed a cheese plate and multiple glasses of bubbly goodness.

Next stop: Cakebread Cellars

I had heard about Cakebread before, but the wine is always so expensive when I find it on restaurant menus! You have to make a reservation to visit the vineyard for a tasting, but we called the morning of and they didn't have a problem squeezing us in. I really liked the grounds and the tastings are set up at stations throughout the property so you can walk around and sip your wine instead of standing at a bar while people pour you wine. The wines at Cakebread tend to be a little drier (Mom wasn't a fan), but I enjoyed our laid-back tour!

We had to get back to San Francisco since it was getting late in the afternoon, but not before we made a stop at Sterling Vineyards. This stop was my dad's choice, and it has the best views of Napa. Upon arriving, you hop in a tram that takes you up a hill so you have a view of the whole town. The tasting was a bit underwhelming, but the view more than made up for it. 

I think I'd be in serious trouble if I lived within driving distance of views like this. I believe I'd find it hard to ever go to work :)

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is simply beautiful.

The amount of pictures I took is overwhelming, but I'll try to start from the beginning!

My parents flew out to Reno Friday morning and my sister joined them for the weekend. Because I was in Columbia for a wedding, I didn't make it to Reno until Sunday night. Let's just say I had an exhausting travelling day, which involved 6 states (SC, NC, TX, CO, NV, CA), 4 airports (Charlotte, Houston, Denver, Reno), and 4 time zones. But I made it in one piece and that's all that matters!

The sun was setting when I landed and after driving an hour from the airport in Reno to our house in Tahoe City, CA, I'm pretty sure I promptly crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow.

But then I woke up to this view:

We rented a house via VRBO and it could not have been more perfect. We felt like we were in a cabin in the woods, and it's safe to say we all had a hard time driving away from the house with the most amazing view.

The house was extremely modern, with lots of light wood and contemporary furniture.

I highly recommend renting a house if you ever find yourself travelling to Tahoe. I can't imagine any hotel or ski lodges in town provided quite this view!

After breakfast, we bundled up to head to Squaw Valley. It unfortunately began to rain while we made our way to the village, but we managed to make the best of it by tucking into the cute little shops that were open.

I had already scoped out our lunch options in the village, and could not have been happier with our choice: Fireside Pizza

The pizza was amazing and they even served water in Mason jars! They have a sister restaurant, Base Camp Pizza, in South Lake Tahoe near Heavenly Ski Resort, with the same menu.

The Truckee River runs right through town

Because the rain was coming down pretty steadily at this point, we opted for dessert and coffee at Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet and headed back to the house for afternoon naps. (Fun fact: I can drink caffeine at all hours of the day and fall asleep immediately. It's actually quite annoying that caffeine has no affect on me whatsoever.)

Chocolate-dipped coconut macaron? Don't mind if I do!

Unfortunately with the end of Memorial Day weekend, so was Katie's vacation and she had to head back to the city for work the next day. We followed her to Truckee for dinner at Fifty Fifty Brewing Company.

via

I'm still dreaming about their Half Moon Bay burger - jalapenos, cream cheese, topped with wildflower honey. Yum.

The clouds were looking quite ominous on our drive back, so Dad and I wanted to hop out and take a few pictures of the lake while the storm was brewing. We found a little lookout at King's Beach, but the wind chill isn't quite what we're used to and we only lasted about 2 minutes outside!

Luckily, we woke up to much better weather on Tuesday morning, so Mom, Dad, and I headed out for a hike.

I think it's safe to say you can't make a trip to Lake Tahoe without stopping at Emerald Bay. The view is simply stunning.

The lookout provides panoramic views of the lake, along with Fannette Island (seen in the first two pictures above). I love how you can still see snow on the mountains around the lake. Although the photos don't do it justice, you can see in the second photo how emerald the lake really was in the bay, and also how blue it is everywhere else.

We drove to the next lookout to hike around Eagle Falls. This short, easy hike wound around the upper falls, and still provided views of the lake.

I just kept repeating over and over again, "I can't believe how blue the water is!" It only makes sense that the city's motto is "Keep Tahoe Blue." Well done, I'd say.

We hiked/climbed back down the rocks and had a little picnic at the base of the falls before heading back to the first lookout. I wanted to get closer to the water and see Vikingsholm Castle.

The hike down was relatively easy; we just knew what a pain it was going to be to climb back up the steep hill on the way back!

The Vikingsholm castle was built by a Scandinavian woman who was also the sole financial backer to Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic! I'd have to say she couldn't have picked a better view to build a home after coming to America!

We walked a short distance away from the house to the base of Eagle Falls and had to stop for more pictures!

And because I hadn't had quite enough of the lake just yet, I made Dad stop one last time at Inspiration Point for one last panoramic view.

I really just can't get over how gorgeous it was! The snow-covered mountains set the perfect backdrop to rushing waterfalls and the royal blue crystal-clear lake. 

All that hiking had our stomachs growling, so we decided to stop at Sunnyside for happy hour. My parents and Katie went to the restaurant on Sunday for my parents' anniversary dinner (34 years!!) and enjoyed the view, so I made them stop again so I could wander around! I've read you can capture amazing sunsets here, but we were just about 3 hours too early for that!

I think I'd opt for happy hour with this view every single day if I had the choice!

For our last dinner in Tahoe, I made reservations for us at Christy Hill, and holy amazing food, I'm so glad I did! The sunset view was stunning and the food definitely rivaled it.

The menu online is still their Fall 2012 menu, so I can't exactly remember what all we ate, but every last bite was divine. I had a goat cheese and beet ravioli (the middle photo) and was so excited when my plate was hot pink! The dessert was by far the best I've ever had: bourbon-soaked banana pudding with salted caramel ice cream. It was the perfect last dinner in Tahoe!

We had to be out of the house Wednesday morning by 10 am, and I sure hated saying goodbye to that fresh mountain air. But I have a feeling I'll definitely be back to Lake Tahoe soon!

Next stop: SAN FRANCISCO!