california, let's have a party!

i thought it would be fun to share our itinerary for california. it's our first time visiting cali, and there are billions of things that we want to do... it's a beautiful state with heaps of places to view, eat, and explore!

1) we are flying into san jose. the third largest city in california, 45 miles SE of san fransisco. cool things about san jose include: a state of the art light-rail transportation system, a substantial arts scene, and the former agricultural mecca is now known as one of the safest and sunniest cities in the nation. a falafel drive-in? yes, please! pinkberry? yes, please!

(san jose)

2) we will be spending a bulk of our time at a beach house in santa cruz. 72 miles south of san francisco, this laid-back beach town has a famous beach boardwalk, whale-watching, hiking, biking, farmers markets, oh, and hippies. here, we will be taking a canopy tour of the redwoods via mount hermon, and spending time relaxing at the beach.

(santa cruz)

3) heading north to san fransisco, home of the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, fisherman's wharf...need i continue? here we will be biking the golden gate bridge into sausalito, visiting the california academy of sciences, touring alcatraz island, and taking some cable car adventures. another thing i will be insisting we see: the 'full house' house! ahh!

(golden gate bridge)

4) next we are headed to sonoma/napa valley. staying at the el dorado hotel, dining at the el dorado kitchen, and touring a local winery that was reviewed by the NYT and the Wine Spectator as being their "favorite winery visit".

(sonoma vines)

i have already warned my husband that at the end of this trip i will certainly consider moving to california.

i will post photos of the trip & reviews of the places that we traveled when we return!

journey

each year growing up, my parents took us on a "family vacation". mostly visiting family & friends in various places across the united states. there was generally a theme. the "east coast" vacation to cape cod via pennsylvania's amish country; the "capital" vacation to washington d.c. and new york city, ellis island, statue of liberty; the "southern" vacation to arkansas via kentucky, tennessee, missouri; the "western" trip to estes park, denver, and then north to the dakotas to see the corn palace. a "florida" vacation to relax during spring break, and the ultimate finale while i was in college: a christmas cruise that included touring the mayan ruins in mexico, rafting a river in jamaica, and swimming with stingrays. if anything, my parents wanted to show us that the world is so much bigger than it feels.

even though i complained about everything..."we're not flying, we're going to drive?!?!", "i don't want to eat lobster in maine, i hate lobster", "if i have to listen to garrison keiller one more time...", there was this excitement about visiting a new place, seeing different parts of the country, wondering if i'd want to live there someday. it was thrilling. it sparked a desire in me to want to experience life in different places.

during college i visited australia: swam in the great barrier reef, froze in the outback, and discovered the slower pace of life. in africa: saw poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth. in central america: tried to surf for the first (and only) time in my life, ate mangoes, and toured the panama canal.

the smells & sounds & sights are further away now. sometimes i forget to remember them.