Santa Cruz to San Diego: the slow way
Jul 16th, 2012, 09:28 PM
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Santa Cruz to San Diego: the slow way
My husband, 9 y.o. daughter and I are taking almost two weeks to drive down to San Diego and back, visiting friends and family along the way. I hopefully won't have much to say about hotels since we plan to stay with friends. This leaves more money for other excursions however.
First stop: Paso Robles.
We arrived in town just in time for two events. The first was the Lavender Festival which was in the city's main park. After a serving of lavender sorbet and purchasing a clever bow and quiver set made mostly of PVC pipes for my daughter, we headed out towards Templeton. Not before seeing a guy dressed as batman on top of the movie theater across the street. Random. Ok. Off to Olea Farm.
Olea had a number of different vendors at their place on Saturday. There was another olive oil farm, grass fed beef ranchers serving very yummy sliders, salsa tasting, two wineries (Calcarious and ...shoot. Rooster?) But the Olea olive oil was the star of the show. We bought a big bottle of the Crescendo. They have a nice little store there and the farm is open on the weekends although I doubt it's usually the party it was on this Saturday.
First stop: Paso Robles.
We arrived in town just in time for two events. The first was the Lavender Festival which was in the city's main park. After a serving of lavender sorbet and purchasing a clever bow and quiver set made mostly of PVC pipes for my daughter, we headed out towards Templeton. Not before seeing a guy dressed as batman on top of the movie theater across the street. Random. Ok. Off to Olea Farm.
Olea had a number of different vendors at their place on Saturday. There was another olive oil farm, grass fed beef ranchers serving very yummy sliders, salsa tasting, two wineries (Calcarious and ...shoot. Rooster?) But the Olea olive oil was the star of the show. We bought a big bottle of the Crescendo. They have a nice little store there and the farm is open on the weekends although I doubt it's usually the party it was on this Saturday.
Jul 16th, 2012, 09:47 PM
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Today was mostly spent at Cayucos Beach and Avila. It started out pretty foggy and cool but soon burned off. At Cayucos we had fun watching the junior guards run around like a flock of birds. After a spell on the beach, we had lunch at the Smokehouse. Wow. So good. There's almost no where to sit, so we took our food back across the street to the beach. Then we walked around the corner to the Candy Counter. The ice cream rocks. And the expensive caramel corn is totally worth it.
Next was our sailing trip at Avila. I had really been looking forward to this sail and I wasn't disappointed. Central Coast Charters. They take out small groups so each sail can be somewhat customized. The captain for us focused about half on the wildlife and half on giving us an exciting sailing experience. He said Avila has a little bit of everything. If we had wanted a calmer sail that would have been no problem too. The boat was much nicer than I expected, with wine and bites to eat. The bathroom was flush and clean, which certainly hasn't been my experience whale watching. We all got a turn at the helm. This was the highlight so far. Afterwards I was only good for a soak in the hottub and an early bedtime. Tomorrow I am being forced to go to Zumba.
Next was our sailing trip at Avila. I had really been looking forward to this sail and I wasn't disappointed. Central Coast Charters. They take out small groups so each sail can be somewhat customized. The captain for us focused about half on the wildlife and half on giving us an exciting sailing experience. He said Avila has a little bit of everything. If we had wanted a calmer sail that would have been no problem too. The boat was much nicer than I expected, with wine and bites to eat. The bathroom was flush and clean, which certainly hasn't been my experience whale watching. We all got a turn at the helm. This was the highlight so far. Afterwards I was only good for a soak in the hottub and an early bedtime. Tomorrow I am being forced to go to Zumba.
Jul 17th, 2012, 08:28 PM
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Zumba made me move things I didn't know I had. At $5 a class, it might be the cheapest Zumba in California.
Cayucos was our next stop for boogie boarding. It was foggy but kinda muggy. Most of the people on the beach looked like locals. We stopped at the smokehouse again...and the candy counter for ice cream again. Fyi, down from the candy counter, you can rent wetsuits and boards.
Downtown San Luis Obispo was next for dinner. Goshi's is a very good sushi place. I was surprised how traditional they were. Interesting selection of seafood including geoduck clams. Father got to show daughter Gum Alley. She rightfully thought it was gross, which is besides the point.
Tomorrow we leave early and head for San Diego.
Cayucos was our next stop for boogie boarding. It was foggy but kinda muggy. Most of the people on the beach looked like locals. We stopped at the smokehouse again...and the candy counter for ice cream again. Fyi, down from the candy counter, you can rent wetsuits and boards.
Downtown San Luis Obispo was next for dinner. Goshi's is a very good sushi place. I was surprised how traditional they were. Interesting selection of seafood including geoduck clams. Father got to show daughter Gum Alley. She rightfully thought it was gross, which is besides the point.
Tomorrow we leave early and head for San Diego.
Jul 20th, 2012, 11:13 AM
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No kidding, Tracy. We left about 9am and met a cousin in Ventura for lunch at a place called Anacapa Brewery. We could sit outside on the patio with out dog and enjoy their very good almost gastro pub grub. Beer was good too. Gelato place a few doors down finishes the food coma.
We made it to Encinitas about 4pm, dumped off our stuff at our friend's and went straight to the beach. Husband surfed the puny waves for 2 hours because the water was so warm.
With our friend leading the way up N Coast Hwy, we ate dinner at Pandora's Pizza. They have traditional pizzas, but part of the menu is titled "out of the box." From that we ordered the Athena (eggplant and arugula) and Poseidon (shrimp and pesto). Had my doubts about the Athena but both were excellent.
We spent yesterday at Cardiffs boogie boarding while daddy surfed. Daughter saw a stingray within 2 seconds of being in the water, which was a good reminder to drag our toes. Water wasn't as warm as yesterday but we didn't need any wetsuits.
Afterwards went to Swamis for breakfast. They were busy and confused. Orders came out haphazardly and our order took forever. But our banana pancakes and California scramble were as good as we remembered.
Next husband wanted to fondle some surfboards next door at Hansens. I bought some board shorts and a rash guard since no amount of sunscreen is enough for my back.
We spent the next few hours shopping on the main drag in Encinitas. Lots of vintage cars were parked along the street too. Husband went surfing AGAIN while we waited for our friend to come home from work. I'm loving the warm weather.
Today will be similar to yesterday so I'll spare you the details. Breakfast was at Honeys on the main drag. I had machaca tacos and husband had banana pancakes again, but this time they had the tart taste of buttermilk. Both were delish.
Tomorrow we may head back down the coast to our next stop, Laguna Beach. I'm wishing we could stay longer.
We made it to Encinitas about 4pm, dumped off our stuff at our friend's and went straight to the beach. Husband surfed the puny waves for 2 hours because the water was so warm.
With our friend leading the way up N Coast Hwy, we ate dinner at Pandora's Pizza. They have traditional pizzas, but part of the menu is titled "out of the box." From that we ordered the Athena (eggplant and arugula) and Poseidon (shrimp and pesto). Had my doubts about the Athena but both were excellent.
We spent yesterday at Cardiffs boogie boarding while daddy surfed. Daughter saw a stingray within 2 seconds of being in the water, which was a good reminder to drag our toes. Water wasn't as warm as yesterday but we didn't need any wetsuits.
Afterwards went to Swamis for breakfast. They were busy and confused. Orders came out haphazardly and our order took forever. But our banana pancakes and California scramble were as good as we remembered.
Next husband wanted to fondle some surfboards next door at Hansens. I bought some board shorts and a rash guard since no amount of sunscreen is enough for my back.
We spent the next few hours shopping on the main drag in Encinitas. Lots of vintage cars were parked along the street too. Husband went surfing AGAIN while we waited for our friend to come home from work. I'm loving the warm weather.
Today will be similar to yesterday so I'll spare you the details. Breakfast was at Honeys on the main drag. I had machaca tacos and husband had banana pancakes again, but this time they had the tart taste of buttermilk. Both were delish.
Tomorrow we may head back down the coast to our next stop, Laguna Beach. I'm wishing we could stay longer.
Jul 21st, 2012, 10:01 PM
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Felt sad leaving Encinitas. We usually stay longer, but I told a friend I'd stay at her moms house in laguna to pick up mail, water plants and give advice on it as a rental. So we had a last breakfast out t the 101 Diner which was really good ( chili omelet - delish!); went to a couple last surf shops and hit the road.
Laguna is only about an hour north. As we kept driving and the houses got nicer we started to wonder where the house was exactly. Across the street from the beach was not what we expected! Holy mother of beach goddess we hit the jackpot. The house is ridiculously nice... And big. My daughter said, "I could actually get lost in here." The living room and master bedroom have big views of the ocean. Public beach access is literally right across the street. We spent the next several hours boogie boarding (not the best beach for this) and tide pooling. We decided to walk downtown for dinner; we also happened to know that there's a playground right on the beach. Tide was low so we walked along the sand instead of the street. That made the mile and a half a lot shorter.
We had dinner at Aldolfos mostly because one of the outside tables gave us their table because they liked our hometown brewery on Husband's t-shirt. It was ok for cheap Mexican food. We tried to take the free summer trolley back but we had our mellow little poodle with us and no dogs are allowed. So we walked all the way back and realized that didnt seem like a big walk anyway.
Tomorrow: more of the same plus new restaurants. We got the ok to stay here Tuesday night too.
Laguna is only about an hour north. As we kept driving and the houses got nicer we started to wonder where the house was exactly. Across the street from the beach was not what we expected! Holy mother of beach goddess we hit the jackpot. The house is ridiculously nice... And big. My daughter said, "I could actually get lost in here." The living room and master bedroom have big views of the ocean. Public beach access is literally right across the street. We spent the next several hours boogie boarding (not the best beach for this) and tide pooling. We decided to walk downtown for dinner; we also happened to know that there's a playground right on the beach. Tide was low so we walked along the sand instead of the street. That made the mile and a half a lot shorter.
We had dinner at Aldolfos mostly because one of the outside tables gave us their table because they liked our hometown brewery on Husband's t-shirt. It was ok for cheap Mexican food. We tried to take the free summer trolley back but we had our mellow little poodle with us and no dogs are allowed. So we walked all the way back and realized that didnt seem like a big walk anyway.
Tomorrow: more of the same plus new restaurants. We got the ok to stay here Tuesday night too.
Jul 22nd, 2012, 08:49 PM
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My much loved dog went missing this afternoon at the house where we are staying. We were home at the time. We don't know how he got out of the fenced yard, or how he disappeared so quickly. It's unlikely someone could come in the yard. We are here until Wednesday. I hope we find him by then. He's got my cell phone on his tags and is microchipped. Vacation is over.
Jul 30th, 2012, 06:46 AM
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Holy cow. We found him! A lady picked him up at the beach right after he got out. We were still about an hour behind him. She didn't speak much English and didn't know what to do, so she took him to Fontana - about 60 miles away! Because of the language gap, it took a week to figure out she had him. We're all home now. And, wow, have I walked around Laguna Beach. More details later.
Jul 31st, 2012, 01:38 PM
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First, Laguna Beach has the nicest people I have met anywhere. Strangers actually hugged me when I was handing out flyers for my dog. When I was rude enough to hand out flyers in front of Whole Foods without asking, the staff gently guided me to more appropriate places to post, taking great care not to upset me! At Ralphs I (appropriately) asked, and the manager not only let me give out flyers, she let me post on the sliding doors and then gave me the number of her dog walker (she was one of the huggers too). Over and over, I was blown away by the kindness.
Next: we still had to eat.
Next: we still had to eat.
Jul 31st, 2012, 02:27 PM
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Husband, daughter & I got home Thursday night. On Friday, I went back to Laguna with my sister to continue the search for my dog. Only got two hours into the trip I got a speeding ticket on 101 near Paso Robles. I'm no speed demon and haven't had a ticket in years. I couldn't believe it.
On Saturday I drove to the Orange County Animal Shelter to make sure he wasn't there. In my deranged state I ADOPTED ANOTHER DOG! I called and told my husband and all he said was, "I thought you might do that." Really? Because to me it was the most insane thing I've done in a long time.
On Saturday I drove to the Orange County Animal Shelter to make sure he wasn't there. In my deranged state I ADOPTED ANOTHER DOG! I called and told my husband and all he said was, "I thought you might do that." Really? Because to me it was the most insane thing I've done in a long time.
Jul 31st, 2012, 03:33 PM
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The Laguna Beach free summer trolley is so easy to use, and covers so much area. They have an app for it that will actually track where the trolleys are.
Disclaimer: I did not choose my eats carefully. Either I had a dog and had to choose a place that would accept a dog, or I was looking frantically for a dog and had to eat quickly or conveniently. I also went twice to Laguna Beach, first with husband and daughter, and quickly back with my sister to continue to look for the dog.
Breakfast at both Koffee Klatch and Penguin Cafe was just ok. The latter is considered iconic in Laguna, and owned by locals who have a son suffering from an illness. Both of these are on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, sometimes called North Coast Highway or South Coast Highway) a little south of downtown.
Cafe Heidelberg had a tasty breakfast and nice indoor and outdoor seating. You order at the counter, seat yourself and they bring the food. I had poached eggs on top of smoked salmon and 9 seed toast. Husband had waffles. Daughter had penne pasta! Everything was done well, and the place is charming. The second visit I made, animal control pulled over and staff brought out a box with an injured pigeon in it. It made me like the place even more. The coffee is Illy (yum).
A friend prefers Zinc Cafe. I didn't eat there, but I'll give it a plug. It looked good, was very busy, and full of locals.
Early dinner at White House was easy but underwhelming. Service was fine, and I guess I got my money's worth ordering off the $12.95 menu. We wanted a quick bite, and it was that.
A different friend said her favorite dinner places here were Splashes at Surf & Sand Resort (south of downtown) and Las Brisas (just north of Main Beach).
She also mentioned Sapphire Laguna, which we did manage to visit. Dogs are accepted on the patio. They have a community table outside for small groups of people who walk in without reservations. We shared a table for eight with one other couple. Sister and I shared three appetizers: squash blossoms filled with goat cheese and lightly battered, chicken tikka masala, and shrimp spring rolls. The cocktails were intriguing and ours were well made. Dessert was sublime. Caramel gelato, creme brulee... All dishes were attractively plated, and service was casual, friendly and efficient. A little pricey. Our total came to $98 for two cocktails, three apps and two desserts. Reservations are recommended.
Shopping: Aero had an interesting selection of gifts. Much of it fits a quirky beach/natural aesthetic. I really enjoyed this store. There's a consignment shop on Ocean Avenue next door to Anastasia Cafe that has a great selection of furniture/home accessories and jewelry. Prices are hit and miss because of the consignment feature. Um. Laguna Digital Labs on PCH is a godsend if you happen to need 200 flyers. On main beach is a store that will supply your beach needs such as sunscreen, umbrellas, beach toys, boogie boards for only a small markup.
Sister, new dog, and I left Laguna 8am on a Sunday and made a lot of progress north. We had a friend call a lady who spoke mostly Spanish and only enough English to tell me, “I see your dog” on Wednesday night, the third night the dog was missing. Friend calls back and says, “She HAS your dog!” We made a u-turn in Summerland (a town I really want to stop at again more at leisure!) and made our way east to San Bernardino county. Along the way we made jokes like, "I see your dog...on my couch," and "I see your dog...in my car." Got the dog (I think she found him on the beach and took him, then had a change of heart either because his finicky eating habits, realizing the guy will need a groomer, or her other dog hated him) and started heading back west and north. The two dogs had to get acquainted with each other on my lap.
In San Luis Obispo we stopped at Madonna Inn for a quick dinner. Sister had never been and she showed no interest in sneaking a peek at the men's lavatory for the famous rock wall urinal. We sat at the bar and ordered Monte Cristos and coffee. I wouldn't bother with Madonna Inn for the entrees, but their sandwiches are pretty good. I love their champagne cake since I grew up getting it from my hometown bakery. We went back to the car to find the dogs had turned on my hazard lights.
After starting the trip that day at 8am, we finally got home at 9:30pm for what should have been a 6 or 7 hour trip. I’m still tired. The new dog is fitting in with the family great. The End.
I still get calls from people in Laguna about my lost dog flyers, with them suggesting other searching strategies I could try. Nicest. People. Ever. Sorry about all the flyers.
Disclaimer: I did not choose my eats carefully. Either I had a dog and had to choose a place that would accept a dog, or I was looking frantically for a dog and had to eat quickly or conveniently. I also went twice to Laguna Beach, first with husband and daughter, and quickly back with my sister to continue to look for the dog.
Breakfast at both Koffee Klatch and Penguin Cafe was just ok. The latter is considered iconic in Laguna, and owned by locals who have a son suffering from an illness. Both of these are on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, sometimes called North Coast Highway or South Coast Highway) a little south of downtown.
Cafe Heidelberg had a tasty breakfast and nice indoor and outdoor seating. You order at the counter, seat yourself and they bring the food. I had poached eggs on top of smoked salmon and 9 seed toast. Husband had waffles. Daughter had penne pasta! Everything was done well, and the place is charming. The second visit I made, animal control pulled over and staff brought out a box with an injured pigeon in it. It made me like the place even more. The coffee is Illy (yum).
A friend prefers Zinc Cafe. I didn't eat there, but I'll give it a plug. It looked good, was very busy, and full of locals.
Early dinner at White House was easy but underwhelming. Service was fine, and I guess I got my money's worth ordering off the $12.95 menu. We wanted a quick bite, and it was that.
A different friend said her favorite dinner places here were Splashes at Surf & Sand Resort (south of downtown) and Las Brisas (just north of Main Beach).
She also mentioned Sapphire Laguna, which we did manage to visit. Dogs are accepted on the patio. They have a community table outside for small groups of people who walk in without reservations. We shared a table for eight with one other couple. Sister and I shared three appetizers: squash blossoms filled with goat cheese and lightly battered, chicken tikka masala, and shrimp spring rolls. The cocktails were intriguing and ours were well made. Dessert was sublime. Caramel gelato, creme brulee... All dishes were attractively plated, and service was casual, friendly and efficient. A little pricey. Our total came to $98 for two cocktails, three apps and two desserts. Reservations are recommended.
Shopping: Aero had an interesting selection of gifts. Much of it fits a quirky beach/natural aesthetic. I really enjoyed this store. There's a consignment shop on Ocean Avenue next door to Anastasia Cafe that has a great selection of furniture/home accessories and jewelry. Prices are hit and miss because of the consignment feature. Um. Laguna Digital Labs on PCH is a godsend if you happen to need 200 flyers. On main beach is a store that will supply your beach needs such as sunscreen, umbrellas, beach toys, boogie boards for only a small markup.
Sister, new dog, and I left Laguna 8am on a Sunday and made a lot of progress north. We had a friend call a lady who spoke mostly Spanish and only enough English to tell me, “I see your dog” on Wednesday night, the third night the dog was missing. Friend calls back and says, “She HAS your dog!” We made a u-turn in Summerland (a town I really want to stop at again more at leisure!) and made our way east to San Bernardino county. Along the way we made jokes like, "I see your dog...on my couch," and "I see your dog...in my car." Got the dog (I think she found him on the beach and took him, then had a change of heart either because his finicky eating habits, realizing the guy will need a groomer, or her other dog hated him) and started heading back west and north. The two dogs had to get acquainted with each other on my lap.
In San Luis Obispo we stopped at Madonna Inn for a quick dinner. Sister had never been and she showed no interest in sneaking a peek at the men's lavatory for the famous rock wall urinal. We sat at the bar and ordered Monte Cristos and coffee. I wouldn't bother with Madonna Inn for the entrees, but their sandwiches are pretty good. I love their champagne cake since I grew up getting it from my hometown bakery. We went back to the car to find the dogs had turned on my hazard lights.
After starting the trip that day at 8am, we finally got home at 9:30pm for what should have been a 6 or 7 hour trip. I’m still tired. The new dog is fitting in with the family great. The End.
I still get calls from people in Laguna about my lost dog flyers, with them suggesting other searching strategies I could try. Nicest. People. Ever. Sorry about all the flyers.
