I teased about this post ages ago and then I took a hiatus and never got to it. Thank goodness this horrendous heat wave has got me thinking about the hot and humid day I spent in an open field. Internal thought: there needs to be a word like hangry for the feeling heat and humid invokes inside me. Back in the beginning of August I took a mini trip out to the glorious McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area and frolicked through the many sunflower fields. If your in the DC, VA, MD area anytime from late July through mid August this is a must visit. Be prepared you'll probably have to park along a narrow dirt road and there will be some idiot who decided to bring their moderately expensive car. They also probably thought too much of themselves to park partially in the ditch on the side and so they have made it nearly impossible for any car larger then a Build-A-Bear sneaker, more commonly called a Smart Car, to pass by. Obviously that didn't annoy me at all. Anyways, I totally recommend a visit along with some shoes you don't mind getting dirty and you can walk a few miles in. Some sunblock might be good as well. Check out all the photos of my visit below, I am 100% wearing my favorite Marc by Marc Jacobs lipstick in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Also, a huge shout-out to my summer photographer, Marcia (sorority sister and partner in crime) Fair warning these picture all have different filters on them. The color palette was just so fun to play around with
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Clearly I've been taking my own sweet time blogging about my Family Vacation to California. It's now over a month since I got back so I have decided to compile the rest of my trip into a Photo Journal. I hope you enjoy! P.S. I'll be posting outfit details...probably in about a week. Monterey Bay AquariumWe stopped at Lalla Oceanside Grill for a bite to eat before hitting the road. I got this delicious Ahi Ceviche which was served on a Himalayan salt block. Pebble Beach 17-mile DriveMy favorite Lilly tunic was perfect for this day. I was kept warm and protected from those invisible UV rays. You'd be surprised (or maybe not) but I have turned lobster red on a completely overcast day before. Details on this top can be found here. SLO CountyElephant Seals!!We also did a mini wine tour as we drove through SLO on our way to Newport Beach. We hit up Tolosa Winery (highly recommend their Pinot Noir and Syrah), Cutruzzola Vineyards (really good Riesling), and Claiborne & Churchill (loved their Pinot Gris). Warner bROS. tOURThey also have a great exhibit where you can ride a broom and the Batpod in front of a green screen. It's totally a gimmick to get you to buy their pictures but its fun just to do too!
The rest of vacation I pretty much spent by the pool reading and soaking up as much sun as my pale skin can take. It was an absolutely amazing trip and I cannot thank my parents enough for including my sister and I on their anniversary celebration. Fair Warning this is a Longer Post BreakfastWe started off the day at Hollywood Cafe. After perusing the menu while waiting in line (they do not take reservations) I settled on the asparagus eggs benedict. I would say this was your run of the mill benedict, except the asparagus was grilled perfectly... and it was thick asparagus. Now I would never claim to be some great chef but I know how to cook my vegetables and I always stay away from the asparagus bundles with thicker pieces. I'm basically trying to get across how impressed I was with their grilling to perfection. In addition to my delectable veggies, I was incredibly happy to see that they make their hash browns on a flat top; so much crispiness to enjoy! ghirardelli SquareAfter breakfast we walked down to Ghirardelli square for some window shopping and to satisfy our sweet -tooth. For those of who don't know, Ghirardelli square doesn't actually house a factory but it does have a store and at the store there is literally chocolate flowing from faucets. Unfortunately, I was too distracted by all of the chocolate to get a picture but my sister Leslie and I did get a pick in front of this neat sign that I'm assuming lights up in the evenings. The square is located just off the water on a hill so the light sweater I choose to wear was perfect; check out my #ootd for details. lombard streetAfter walking around for a bit we went back to the hotel, packed up the car, and made our way over to Lombard Street. I know, way to be cliché, but its exciting! Anyways, the line we had to wait in to drive down the road was so long that I just got out and started walking up the hill. Both directions down were pretty stunning but the winding layout of the hairpin turn section kind of made things move in slow motion; dramatic effect is how I would best categorize it. Muir WoodsAfter traversing the San Francisco hills we made our way across the Golden Gate Bridge and over to the Muir Woods. This part of the trip was a complete surprise and reflecting on it brought out so many feelings on my relationship with my father that I made it into a separate post. Check out this special experience and photos here. Golden Gate BridgeWhen we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge it was immersed in a spectacular, creepy fog. One of the most beautiful sights I saw throughout my entire week in California was the fog rolling over the hills and the bridge. I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves. DinnerAfter our visit to the Muir Woods we started to make our way down to Monterey Bay. Since we apparently skipped lunch (did not realize that until I sat down to write this) a stop for dinner was a necessity. After a lot of light bickering, some of my family members stating that they "did not want Mediterranean", and me reading off the menu items from a restaurant that I conveniently did not tell them was Mediterranean we settled on Laili in Santa Cruz.
It was late and I was ready to stuff my face with pure goodness! I started with one of the specials, a ginger and carrot soup. I was like "hold the phone...this is the greatest soup I have ever had" and it truly was. The carrot flavor was the most prominent and it was compliment by a hint of ginger and a light tanginess from the yogurt. I finished off my meal with the Chicken kabob for my entree. The meat was incredibly juicy and perfectly seasoned with a few herbs. The vegetables were a fresh and perfect compliment for the dish. The kabob was served with a trio of chutneys: a jalapeno base, an apricot base, and I think a yogurt base (I honestly can't remember). The others were good but I was all about the apricot one. If you are ever in the Santa Cruz area this is a "must stop at" location. THE START OF THE CALIFORNIA ADVENTUREMy family and I flew from Boston to San Francisco and after a quick change out of our plane clothes we began exploring. Situated just down the road from the famous Fisherman's Wharf, our hotel was the perfect home base. You can find details about the outfit I wore for the warm day here. We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf in search of some eats; all my sister wanted was a lobster roll. Now I found this a little funny since we are from what could be characterized as the lobster (pronounced lobstah) roll capital but I didn't question her choices. We landed at the historic Sabella & LaTorre Restaurant. I personally don't eat shell fish so I got the Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich. This was actually the 3rd meal of the day; the time difference really threw me off and "forced" me to consume two lunches that day. The tomato sauce on this sandwich can only be described as absolute HEAVEN!! After lunch part 2, we walked down to Pier 39 where we saw quite the collection of sea lions. They were basking out in the sun and barking up a storm (Sea dogs??). As we moved further along the Pier we found the kitschy shops where I proceeded to purchase way too much salt water taffy and picked up a sourdough turtle from the famous Boudin Bakery & Cafe. I feel slightly ridiculous but let's be honest did you even go to San Fran if you don't pick up a sourdough something? We rounded out the day by celebrating my Parent's 30th Wedding anniversary. The friend that introduced the two of them lives in San Francisco and we took him out for dinner. We are a family of garlic lovers so The Stinking Rose was a must. If you ever go there, absolutely get the Garlic Soaking in a Hot Tub. It was a roasted garlic wonderland. I was so busy eating that I forgot to take pictures of my food so here is one of the ceiling (lol). I'll be posting about the rest of my vacation (really my Parent's vacation that I got invited on) over the next week or so; keep an eye out for more adventure excitement.
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