Summer Catch Up

Wait - it's already AUGUST?!

I get it. Summers are supposed to fly by.  But there's something about needed Uggs, a sweatsuit, and a brave face to walk my dog that's making this summer seem nonexistent.  I love you, SF, but you were not kidding when you warned me about your chilly June & July ways.  

Thankfully, I have been lucky to have gone on many a fun adventure, and despite being the palest I've ever been on August 2nd, I've had a fantastic summer so far.  Two places I frequent often - my workplace and Webb's hometown - both lay out of the San Francisco fog cloud, so I have gotten a few rays.  Even the city itself has it's ups (albeit with a light jacket). I'm looking forward to when it warms up in the fall, but til then I'll just bundle up and keep enjoying my new colorful, cultural city.  

Here are some highlights from my summer thus far!

Puerto Vallarta

 

I previously wrote about the urban adventures in PV, but my favorite was lounging in the sun with an ever-refreshed paloma.  Our resort seamlessly blended from pool to ocean and we took every opportunity to r-e-l-a-x (you know, in between the jet ski, snorkeling, kayaking, dancing, karaokeing…) For reals though: it was a great trip with quite a few romantical moments by sunset with Mariachi.  Everyone- go to Mexico!

Hiking

Point Reyes Coast

Mt. Tam with friends & pups

I LOVE hiking around the Bay Area.  LOVE it, especially up in Marin County.  High up in mountains, it feels like you are above the clouds because the ground below is covered in fog.  Meadows, coastline, forest - I've literally been on hikes here where I've been through all of those terrain in one day.  

Urban Hiking

Golden Gate Park

Public Garden in Corona Heights

One in San Francisco need not even leave the city to get their hike on.  With all the hills and nooks & crannies here, a walking adventure through different neighborhoods is a hike in and of itself.  Webb and I have found our street becomes gnarly elevated the further south you go, and pops down into the Castro valley where secret gardens are there for the discovering.  We're also really close to the enormous Golden Gate Park, which goes all the way to the beach.

Seafood

Amazing food and view in Half Moon Bay

Summer to me means fresh seafood!  San Francisco is known for it's clam chowder (yeah, Boston, you're not the only ones) and oysters, amongst other tasty treats from the sea.  I HIGHLY recommend Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay.  With it's vast outdoor seating area and soft live music, it makes for a great summer afternoon. A few bits of shrimp cocktail and I felt like I was back at my favorite place on earth (aka the Jersey Shore).

SF Theater

A love of theater runs through my blood, and lucky me landed a guy who admits to enjoying a show here and there, so I've been making a more conscious effort to get more into the SF theater scene.  With the holiday crowds far away, and the weather less than stellar, now is actually a great time to see shows in San Francisco.  By joining a few discount mailing lists, I've been able to do it on the cheap too.  We recently caught God of Carnage in an intimate space called the Shelton Theater and really enjoyed it.

Free SF Fun

Indiana Jones at Dolores Park

Matt Costa at the Cultivate festival in Golden Gate

What's even cheaper than discounted? Free.  Oh yeah.  Outdoor movies in the park, free concerts, walking along the beach, and finally getting a library card are a few of the fun free things I've partaken in this summer.

Summer TV

Dexter, Orange is the New Black, The Newsroom, Breaking Bad in a couple weeks… need I say more?!  Webb & Deanna: Self-declared couch potatoes and connoisseur of fine television.

Work trip in Anaheim

Mason, Brittany and I in the happiest place on earth!

Worky work

I was able to see almost 6 months of planning come to fruition at a conference in Anaheim earlier this month.  I organized a lot of events and folks from my company, and it felt great to see everything go so smoothly.  Bonus points?  The conference was right by Disneyland and I got to bring a couple friends to join in on the fun.

Webb's Birthday

Nicely sums up a great couple days - lots of good food & people!

Birthday Baklava :)

Last, but CERTAINLY not least, summer means Webb's birthday!  To celebrate this marvelous individual, a bunch of friends went camping down by the beach a little south of Santa Cruz.  We played games, strummed a guitar, made smores, and ran around the beach.  I've seriously caught the camping bug, and I hope this is the first of many NorCal tented adventures.  On Webb's actual birthday, we ordered Indian and hung out at home (perfect) and a few days before that, we went out to dinner with his great parents and a couple friends.  

So, there's my summer update so far.  Looking forward to what August has in store!

xo

Dee