About a year and a half ago Marget and Seth moved to California, which was terrible in pretty much every way for us (because they are far away now!!), but seemingly a good choice for them :) The silver lining? This year, we got to spend Christmas in California! Here are a few photos and what we did, if you’d like to see…

John, June, and I flew out at 7am on Christmas morning. We were NOT about to spend $600+ dollars for a plane ticket for our not-yet-two-year-old, but were VERY thankful to score an empty seat in our row on not just one but both of our flights! Hallelujah and thank you, Delta!!! June decided she did NOT enjoy the cool headphones we’d gotten her in preparation, but was content to simply watch the TV screen on the seatback and push all the buttons repeatedly for the duration of our five-hour flight :)

Marget and Seth live in a beach town near LA, and the first afternoon, we walked to the beach at sunset! It was the perfect wide-open arena for J’s current favorite game, run and chase.

For Christmas dinner we had ragu and papparadelle, a newish Thomas family tradition! We opened gifts a little bit at a time over our entire visit. June doesn’t seem to have totally grasped presents – she was just kind of happy to be included :) This, however, was clearly her favorite toy she received!

The next day we went for a hike at Forrestal Preserve and had lunch at Malibu Eatery (yummy grilled chicken tacos!). I was so proud of our little hiker – she walked at least half of the steep uphill climb!

We also visited the tide pools across the street, beneath the Trump National Golf Course.

In the evening, we walked the canals of Venice to look at the Christmas lights (such a crazy place!!), then had a delicious dinner at Rose Cafe. On a return trip I would love to do some shopping on Abbot Kinney – so many cute shops!

The next morning we took the walking path that runs through Marget and Seth’s neighborhood to their favorite playground, where we ate a mixed-up breakfast of bagel sandwiches from Noah’s and acai bowls from Paradise Bowls. My first time eating the latter – SO good and so California :)

As you can see, Uncle Seth was the fan favorite all week :)

Pretty soon it was time to head to LA for an al fresco lunch at The Paley and a matinee performance of Hamilton!!! Yes!

Needless to say, it exceeded all expectations. And the theater was so beautiful! I feel so lucky that we got to see this spectacular show – what a treat.

On our last full day we had breakfast at Uncle Bill’s, a pancake hole-in-the-wall, then spent a few hours back at the beach. There was much digging, and Marget and I played Chicken Foot.

Our flight home was uneventful, and now as I sit here writing a few days later, it is SNOWING! So different from warm Cali, although to be fair, snow is rather unusual for North Carolina.

Hoping you all had wonderful holidays breaks, as well!!

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When I thought about recording our California adventure on EFM, I considered beginning with the San Francisco portion, even though it was our last stop. Since it was probably our least favorite leg of the trip, I didn’t want to end with a downer, but in looking back at it, there’s so much good, too. There were also some valuable lessons learned, so here we go!

When last we left off we were driving west from the wild beauty of Yosemite. The drive to San Francisco took about four hours, and we arrived in the city just in time for lunch.

In our pre-trip research, we had unearthed a pile of places we were interested in eating, thanks to Oh Happy Day, Black*Eiffel, Pinterest, and our friend Sam. They included: Cotogna, Pizzeria Delfina, Bi-Rite, Tartine, the Ferry Building, Boulette’s Larder, Mama’s, Quince, Slanted Door, State Bird Provisions, and Dynamo Donuts. We knew, of course, that we wouldn’t have time to visit them all in two days, but at that point in our trip planning we were tired of making decisions and so decided to “play it by ear” in San Fran, food-wise.

One of John’s priorities while in SF was really good Chinese food. After some Googling in the car on our drive, we turned up Mission Chinese Food, in the Mission. Our lunch was delicious, and the menu was interesting and inventive. As an aside, though, Jordan makes the Mission seem really trendy and cute (which parts of it are), but if you, like me, already don’t love cities, it can read more as grimy and decrepit – just FYI.

After our late lunch we were a bit at loose ends. Like I said, we had brainstormed a list of things we were interested in doing or seeing in San Francisco, but, unlike the other legs of our trip, we hadn’t planned out exactly what we were going to do when. While that was fine for Yosemite, it didn’t work so well in San Francisco. We frequently got frustrated because we felt like we were taking up lots of time driving back and forth to different destinations, and only spending a few minutes at each. It felt very inefficient and a bit futile, especially compared to the wide open spaces of the rest of our road trip. Can you tell we’re not city people? :)

After a frustrating stint in rush hour traffic trying to visit the Cuyana show room only to get there but not find anywhere to park, we retreated to the Ferry Building to assuage our grumpiness with some delicious treats. Happily, the Ferry Building did not disappoint! I expected it to be larger and more overwhelming than it was, but it was really delightful.

We walked up and down the row a few times looking at the vendors and sampling things, then settled on treats from Miette – two macarons to split, a chocolate pot de creme (in the cutest little glass jar!) for me, and an ice cream sandwich for John.

Fortified by sugar, we decided to brave the roads again to pay a visit to Coit Tower in the Telegraph neighborhood. We chose not to pay $7 each to ride an elevator to the top, but the views were still good from the bottom. It was SO windy up on the hill, and in the low 60’s! We didn’t stick around too long.

Our last stop before dinner was the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District. It is startlingly monumental, situated as it is in an otherwise upscale but normal neighborhood! (If you’re curious about the background, it was built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific Exposition, inspired by Greek and Roman architecture.) We enjoyed looking around, but again, it was pretty windy and chilly.

That’s me in the mint pants!

We met up with my sister, who is in San Francisco for the summer, for dinner at Pizzeria Delfina (back in the Mission). We had been told horror stories about the wait, but we were seated immediately! The pizza was delicious, and the company, better :) We did not skip ice cream at Bi-Rite post-dinner across the street, even though we were shivering as we ate it. Not to be missed.

On Friday night we were lucky enough to stay with my mom’s best friend from college in Tiburon, which was a delightful change after all of our hotel stays from the past week! It was great to catch up with them briefly. We started our morning on Saturday with a hike in their neighborhood (Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve).

Photo for the parents!

After cleaning up, we drove back into the city with Kim for lunch at Greens, near Fort Mason, right on the water. We met up with one of my good friends from college, and had the loveliest time! Greens was her pick, and I’d highly recommend it – everything was delicious, and vegetarian.

After lunch we drove back to the Ferry Building for another treat from Miette – Kim hadn’t tried it yet. This time we ate our sweets on the pier, with a lovely view of the Oakland Bay Bridge.

Our next destination was the Seward Street Slides! I had read about this hidden gem on (you guessed it) Oh Happy Day, and did a little more reconnaisance on Yelp. They are tucked away in a neighborhood, but there are signs that point the way:

A word of warning: they are serious about the 5pm closing time! We only got to go halfway down because a worker was there locking bars onto the midway point and bottom.

Our last stop before parting ways with Kim was Golden Gate Park. We scooted around to a few different spots, including the buffalos, but I think my favorite was this little stream that ran along beside the road. For some reason it completely captivated me – I pictured kids (okay, me) spending hours floating boats down it.

By far our favorite part of our stay in San Francisco, aside from seeing loved ones, was our last night. We stayed at Hotel Drisco, an independent, historic hotel nestled in the charming Pacific Heights neighborhood, on top of one of SF’s famous hills.

We checked in around 6pm, a little bedraggled, cold, and ready for dinner – except we didn’t have a reservation, and the places we called were all booked. We perked up when we were told that our room had been upgraded – hooray! In fact, the concierge was so nice that even though we had never used one’s services before, we asked if she might be able to help us with dinner. A few minutes later she had made provisional reservations at six restaurants within walking distance, and sent the menus to our rooms via bellhop to peruse. We called her with know our choice, and she canceled the others. I know I might sound a bit provincial, but it was amazing!!

Our choice was Baker Street Bistro, and it was perfect. To get to it, we walked down a few blocks of ridiculously steep steps past some of the most gorgeous houses I’ve ever seen (a.k.a. my personal brand of bliss). The bistro was tiny, cozy, and adorable. I’ve never been to France, but it seemed very authentic (French accents on the waiters!), and our hearty meals were perfect for the chilly weather outside. We stayed for several hours, then braved the steep walk back up the hill to Hotel Drisco (we took it a bit more slowly than the trip down).

Our suite was also perfectly cozy and charming. We loved all of the original period details, and all of the included amenities like a pillow menu, warm face towel at check-in, turn down treats, and more.

A true Continental breakfast is also included, and we enjoyed it on our last morning to the fullest! Scones with lemon curd and clotted cream, twelve types of breads, croissants and muffins, hot oatmeal, fruit, cereals and granola, yogurt, meats and cheeses, and smoked salmon and brie — all served in a charming, sunny dining room! Charming was the operative word here.

As we drove out of town to the airport the next morning, we had one last chance to admire all of the beautiful houses. Definitely a great way to remember San Francisco!

We chose to fly out of San Jose because it was cheaper, and the one hour drive to the airport was a snap. Though we tried on the flight home to choose favorites from the trip, it was nearly impossible – each stop was so good and special in its own way. I am SO glad we got to have this experience, and would highly encourage everyone to take a similar trip!! Thanks for following along!

Our California road trip:
Day one: Malibu, Ojai, Montecito
Day two: Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Cayucos
Day three: Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur
Day four: Monterey and Carmel
Days five and six: Yosemite

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Our itinerary for day five looked like this:

— drive to Yosemite (about 3.5 hours)
— explore Yosemite
— stay overnight in Yosemite

As you can see, things for this portion of our trip weren’t planned out as intensely as other legs! John visited Yosemite in high school, so we figured we’d rely on his experience and play our days by ear, especially since activities in the great outdoors don’t require reservations.

Our first stop once we reached the park was Mariposa Grove, which is just inside the park boundaries. Mariposa Grove contains about 500 mature giant sequoias, thought to be the largest living things on Earth. The oldest may exceed 3,000 years in age!!

Since we arrived later in the day, we decided to do a shorter hike of just the lower grove, past the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor & Three Graces, Faithful Couple, Clothespin, Tunnel Tree, and the Grizzly Giant. They were all very impressive, and we had fun amusing ourselves :)

After we completed the circuit, we hopped back into the car and drove about an hour and a half into the park proper. (I was surprised it took so long, but obviously Yosemite is massive!) Of course we stopped at Tunnel View to take in the awe-inspiring look at the valley floor:

Since we flew to California, we opted to stay in the tent cabins at Curry Village instead of camping in our own tent. Tent cabins consist of a wooden frame, floor, and door with canvas sides and roof. Ours had two cot-style beds that came with sheets, wool blankets, pillows, and towels. Each tent has a light, but no electrical outlets, telephones, televisions, or plumbing (there are five common bathrooms). Needless to stay, Camp Curry was not as luxurious as some of our other stops along the way, but we were prepared and ready to rough it! Besides, the natural grandeur of Half Dome and Glacier Point looming directly over the camp are luxury enough.

The dining options in Camp Curry are pretty basic – we chose pizza the first night. It was chilly on the valley floor, and we both had a tough time sleeping because we were so cold. Apparently we weren’t the only ones, because when we tried to buy hand warmers the next day, they were sold out! The bathrooms were heated and the water was warm, so I may have stayed a bit longer than necessary in the shower :)

We did make it through the night, though, and woke up bright and early for a day of exploring! First, we took the free shuttle to the base of the Mist Trail, one of Yosemite’s signature hikes. The Mist Trail consists of a few segments. Many folks hike up to the bridge below Vernal Falls – about 1.5 miles – and then turn around. Others choose to hike to the top of Vernal Falls, which adds another mile. Finally, some choose to hike to the top of Nevada Falls, which adds another 3 miles, plus 5 miles back down via the John Muir Trail. When John previously visited with his family, he hiked to the top of Vernal but not Nevada, and so he was really hoping to complete the whole loop. I was a bit nervous, so we decided to play it by ear.

Happily, the views are spectacular no matter how far up you go!

We made it to the base of Vernal Falls without too much difficulty, so then it was on to the section of the Mist Trail that gives it its name. You really do get soaked, and the trail is pretty slippery and precarious at times! No hand rails for most of it.

We still felt good after we reached the top of Vernal, so we decided to go all the way! The last three miles up to the top of Nevada actually were pleasantly doable – the trail dips in and out of the sun, so we didn’t get too hot, and we took lots of water and scenery-viewing breaks along the way. It was definitely worth it.

This guy. Trying to give me a heart attack.

This is as close as I wanted to get to the edge – and only flat on my stomach. I was still whimpering. In fact, just looking at this photo makes my palms sweaty.

After a snack break, it was back down to the parking lot via the John Muir Trail, which afforded beautiful views of Nevada Falls looking back.

Our hike back down was otherwise pretty uneventful. After a quick lunch at Curry Village we headed back out to take a peek at Mirror Lake.

Sick of camp food, we opted for dinner in the bar at the Ahwahanee, the luxury hotel in the park. On the drive over from camp, we saw one of the sweetest and most beautiful sights – deer bedding down for the night in an open, grassy field. All we could see was their little heads poking up above the tall grass!

We then drove the hour up to Glacier Point to catch the sunset. It might sound kind of silly to drive an hour just for a view, but trust me, this one was worth it. I’ve never seen such a majestic panorama. Our world is such a beautiful place! Pictures absolutely cannot do it justice.

After a warmer second’s night sleep, our last view on the drive out of the park was the beautiful Yosemite Falls. Someone commented on my instagram that it was “such an American view,” and I completely agree. Visiting Yosemite made me even more proud of our amazing country!

With that, we were on to our last stop: San Francisco!

Day one: Malibu, Ojai, Montecito
Day two: Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Cayucos
Day three: Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur
Day four: Carmel and Monterey

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Feels good to be back in California! :) When last we left off, John and I were in the quiet and beautifully green woods of Big Sur. We woke up in our little cabin in the woods and set off for an early morning hike at Pfeiffer Falls.

The two-mile hike lead to a valley view first, then down to a pretty waterfall. I was so glad we were there in the morning – the towering redwoods made it feel a bit like we were in an enchanted forest.

Rounding a corner in the trail on our way back up, I found myself face to face with a baby deer!! She didn’t seem at all concerned at the sight of me, and continued her leisurely walk down the trail. Once she was about six feet from me, though, she decided that it might be unwise to walk directly past me, so she cut through the switchback instead. We watched her continue down the trail to the waterfall at a stately pace, open-mouthed. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to a deer!

We grabbed a yogurt and granola parfait to go from the state park lodge and brought it back to eat by the Big Sur River at Glen Oaks before getting back on the road.

Our next destination, Carmel, was only about 45 minutes north of Big Sur. We stopped at several turn-outs along the way, including the famous Bixby Bridge (to the left in the photo below!). As you can see, it was another beautiful day, but windy on the Pacific Coast Highway!

We arrived in Carmel with time to walk its shaded and lovely streets before sitting down to lunch. To us, Carmel felt European, classic, and sedate. The feel is definitely more “old money” than “hip” – lots of cute fairytale-looking houses with names. We stopped briefly by the Carmel Mission, but chose not to go inside (there is an entrance fee).

After lunch, we left Carmel briefly to head next door to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! We had heard great things about it. While it was neat and the location can’t be beat (perched on a tide pool!), we agreed that we wish we had spent our time elsewhere, if only because we had seen otters and seals in the wild so recently and impressively!

If we hadn’t spent the time and money at the aquarium, it might have been neat to kayak in Monterey, but honestly, once we reached our destination for the night, we realized we would have been thrilled to spend even more time there! From the minute we drove onto Carmel Valley Ranch’s property, we knew it was special. (The frolicking deer and wild turkeys that accompanied our drive up the hill might have been a giveaway.)

Carmel Valley Ranch was without a doubt a splurge, but we had some Jetsetter credits squirreled away from birthdays and holidays that made it more palatable. However, John would want me to add that he thinks it’s a bargain at almost any price (and I would agree). That was at least in part due to the size of our suite’s bathroom:

After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we headed out to the Huff ‘n Puff Trail, one of several routes on their 500-acre property. We were captivated and delighted from the first step!

We were, indeed, huffing a bit as we made our way up several hundred feet through trees draped with trailing lace lichen. I tried out some poses as we caught our breath on the yoga platform at the top of the property.

I was incredibly delighted to see that CVR offered their weekly hilltop class at the civilized hour of 10am, instead of the ridiculous crack of dawn time-slot usually reserved for yoga. Much appreciated by people like me, who love their sleep! I would have LOVED to take a class, but they’re only offered on Saturdays, and we were there on a Wednesday.

We followed various trails through the rest of the main property, including the vineyard, the lavender fields, and the vegetable garden. They even have chickens!

There are several tree swings throughout the property, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

On our way back to our room, we had another wildlife encounter! We saw a herd of deer mix with a herd of wild turkeys, and surprisingly, the turkeys came out on top.

After our hike we changed and got ready for dinner. Our suite was within walking distance of the main complex, which included the Lodge restaurant and the main pool. I loved the design of the restaurant – it was the perfect balance of rustic cabin and modern openness, with a giant bar and fireplace anchoring the space. I couldn’t find a great photo, but here’s a peek:

Our dinner was leisurely and absolutely delicious all around – one of our favorites on the trip. Like many California restaurants, the Lodge uses as many local and in-season ingredients as possible (many from their own property!), and you could taste how fresh everything was. We finished our evening with s’mores around a fire pit, then a dip under the stars in the infinity hot tub, open 24 hours a day!

Spoiler alert: our time at Carmel Valley Ranch was over much too soon! But we were on to great things, so we couldn’t be too sad. Yosemite is up next!

Day one: Malibu, Ojai, Montecito
Day two: Santa Barbara, Montana de Oro, Cayucos
Day three: Cambria, San Simeon, Big Sur

All photos personal except restaurant and infinity tub photos!

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