Labor Day Weekend '13: Up the Northern Cali Coast

Webb and are quite familiar with California Highway 1, having lived right near both it's LA and San Fran portions and spending last year's 4th of July vacation meandering down the "PCH" between the 2 cities.  However, neither of us have ventured far north of San Francisco, and Labor Day Weekend was the perfect opportunity to explore this new region.

Our plan was to take the 101 up for a bit, head over the the 1, then back to 101 where it's called the "Redwood Highway", and ending in Eureka (the largest city between San Francisco and Portland).

We left Saturday for Healdsburg, a wine country town in northern Sonoma County. Be-yoo-tee-ful.  Our first stop was Mutt Lynch Winery, which was supposed be this dog-tastic winery but was sort of a dud.  Yummy wine though, and we walked away with a bottle with the cutest label.  Christopher Creek, across the street, saved the day with friendly servers, gorgeous views, and a rousing Country-Style-Bob-Marley. I know, it's weird, but didn't you think bacon and figs would be weird together before you tried it? (if you haven't tried, I recommend you do.  Put on some Rob Marley while you're at it)

At the Healdsburg farmers market

Picnicking in cute downtown Healdsburg (art fair in the background)

Christopher Creek Winery with kids playing in the pool

Beautiful northern Sonoma County

That afternoon was a pretty ride to Ukiah, CA.  We ate at the kitschy Be-Bop Diner next to our motel and hit up a few local spots where Webb beat me twice in darts (but I whooped him in California Speed the next time - more on that later, bahaha)

That little pup in pooped!

I like to think I'm tough...

Be-bop won my heart

The next day had us driving again amongst the gargantuan Redwoods to the little town of Willits for a breakfast stop, then it was on to Mendocino and Fort Bragg.

Mendocino is on the coast and is as cute as can be.  I kept telling Webb that if I decided to hole up and write a novel, this is where I would go.  This town is filled with quaint art galleries, jewelry shops and cafes, all tucked in the rugged coastline.  We arrived as the thick morning fog still covered the town, but when we were heading out the, sky was bright blue.

Pretty chapel, pretty sky

So delish

Can you get more quaint than "jam tasting"?!

Ernie LOVED the beach!

Me and my buddy in the morning fog

We found little caves

Point Cabrillo Light Station

We continued our drive up Highway 1 through Fort Bragg and along the Redwood Highway until we got to Eureka.  We had made a camping reservation just outside of Eureka for our stay Sunday night, and thought the spot was so fun we just stayed there the rest of the evening and saved the city for Monday.

Hours of this. So pretty.

Our campground was a KOA, which isn't REAL camping (we had a pizza delivered to our site...) but was perfect for us since we didn't want to bring a ton of gear on the road trip.  It's definitely aimed at families, but we really love anything outside of the norm and had fun playing basketball, making smores, playing with Ernie at the dog playground, and sharing a pancake breakfast in the morning.

So proud.

Not gonna lie - I'm pretty great at California Speed (taught by the best!)

Enjoying a group bonfire

Eureka is the biggest city between San Francisco and Portland.  It's also home to two beautiful Victorian houses, both of which are prominently featured in Eureka's advertising.  When you arrive to Eureka, you don't exactly expect those to be the only beautiful houses, but you soon discover that Eureka has seen better days.... Still, we enjoyed reading about the history of this coastal seaport town and enjoyed walks through the historic downtown.  The highlight for me was probably going to Lost Coast brewery, the maker of a popular beer and one of my faves, Tangerine Wheat.  Their popular location was a block from Humboldt County's state prison (also not in the brochure).

We spent the rest of Labor Day meandering back down the Redwood Highway, still marveling at the majesty of those trees, and passed a few funny stops such as the "world famous log cabin house" and the Bigfoot Museum. One crazy attraction was worth a stop to us, and it was the Drive Through Tree!  How many times can you say you've driven through a tree?! It was pretty crazy stuff. Word of advice: turn your mirrors in if you ever go.

Now THAT is a tree.

Ready to go!

Our last stop on the trip was in the cute town Santa Rosa, back in Sonoma county.  We had lunch with one of Webb's high school friends and enjoyed some British food which reminded me of my semester in London (oh fish and chips with vinegar, I just adore). It turns out Santa Rosa is the hometown of Charles Schulz.  How great is this statue?  I think the real life Charlie & Snoopy guys are pretty cute too!

In case you're wondering, Ernie is Snoopy and Webb is Charlie ;)

We made it back in time for the comforts of our couch and some DVR's Sunday night TV.  There's no place like home :)

Puerto Vallarta part 1!

Mexico! I've been wanting to write about the trip for a while, but was overwhelmed by all the amazing memories that I didn't know where to even start.  Puerto Vallarta is so rich in culture, that I could write an entire post on just the city itself - which, coincidentally enough, is just what I'll do!  The next post will be about our beachy adventures, but for now, take a walk with me down the Malecon to Old Town in the little "Port Town" known as Puerto Vallarta.

On the roof of our hotel overlooking the city

Even though we found a great deal at a resort, we wanted to get a little culture in and decided to spend our first night downtown.  Now, usually when I think of "downtown" I picture paved streets and tall buildings.  Not PV.  The streets were narrow and covered in cobble stones.  Local vendors were everywhere you looked, and even the hotel desk person struggled with his English.  It was, as I so eloquently put it to Webb, "straight up Mexico".  I loved it.  We were offered refreshing Aqua de Jamaica  before being taken to our room in the beautiful boutique hotel.  By the way, offering drinks must really be a thing down there - we were even given margaritas and tequila as we stepped off the plane!  Our hotel that evening was the perfect amount of comfort and authentic Mexican culture.  

Her name was Maria...

So excited to have found our hotel!

Webb chillin with Frida in the lobby

Our beautiful boutique hotel before heading out for the night

After settling in, we took a walk down the Malecon, which is essentially a long promenade along the ocean dotted with restaurants, bars, statues and street performers.  

Traditional dancers

On the Malcon with Banderas Bay behind us

Webb had picked out a restaurant previously, so we made our way over to see if we could get a table.   It must have been fate, because there was a table open on a private balcony, exactly how I had pictured our first Mexican meal!  Views of the sunset, the characters of the Malecon, our generous server and a beautiful Mariachi serenade made for a perfect dinner.

So happy right now

The Mariachi band made me weepy! Such pretty music

We spent the rest of the night hopping around and at one point ended up at a Karaoke bar with not a single American in sight.  Everyone was singing Mexican song after Mexican song, and we decided to bring a classic American tune to the table (Black Eyed Peas…what, you don't put them up there in the ranks of Elvis and Whitney Houston?).  We figured it could go 2 ways: 1) they would boo us and kick us out or 2) they would love it.  Well, the outcome was thankfully 2!  They made us get on the stage and I was in awe of Webb's awesome stage presence and dance moves ;) Lesson learned:  Puerto Vallartans are a fun loving and arm wide opened bunch.

The rest of the night we tried to keep up with the locals, but ended up going back to the hotel "early" at almost 2AM.  How anyone can stay out til the sun's coming up is beyond me.  I ain't no spring chicken anymore.  

The Cathedral

The next morning, we went to our resort for beach time, so fast forward to our last day when we went back to the city to explore Old Town.

Old Town

At this point in the trip, we felt like we were PV pros, so our adventurous selves took the BUS!  Yes, the crowded, clanky, hot bus.  Such urbanites we are.  After the…"cultural" trip, we hopped off in Old Town and wandered the beautiful neighborhood.  There is a beautiful, spiral-y pier that overlooks the local fishermen, and the shoreline is spotted with bars and restaurants.  For our last Mexican meal, we sat at a table where we could sink our toes in the sand.  Freshly made guacamole and nachos made up our lunch - sometimes the simplest things do the trick!

Walking out onto the pier

Great last meal on the beach

The best lifeguard stands!

One downside to dining on the beach is you get harassed by vendors.  Street vendors selling everything under the sun are super common in Puerto Vallarta.  Saying "no gracias" quickly becomes automatic.  Webb and I even became pros at saying it in unison!  We did decide, though, to leave with something and on our last day purchased a beautiful hand painted bowl we hope to use to serve many of our friends in the future!

I'm so glad we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta.  Even though we spent most of the trip relaxing, we were able to easily experience the culture of the old world Mexican town.  I'll never understand the concept of vacationing at a resort and never leaving it.  I love learning about the area and the people.  Puerto Vallartans (is that the word?) are wonderfully friendly, fun people and it was great to spend a little time in their city!

Cape May

As you know, I simply adore the Jersey Shore.  Ever since I've had a Cali boy in my life, I've been telling him how he just needs to go to the beaches of New Jersey to understand!  Granted November isn't the best month to go, but I finally did get my wish and we spent 24 hours in one of my favorite towns, Cape May.

If you're going to go to a northeastern beach in the winter, Cape May is definitely the place to go.  It's cozy bed & breakfasts remain occupied by mostly couples looking for a getaway. The usually bustling shopping & restaurant district is eerily quiet, but still open.  The combination of the unoccupied streets, crashing waves and cold air made us feel like we were in a Stephen King novel!  But in the best cozy, relaxing, quaint way.

Our bed & breakfast was the adorable Angel of the Sea.  Oprah stayed there!  Obviously, that gives it a gold star in my book.  

We're just like Oprah!

The B&B was stocked with games, books, coffee and tea so it would be tempting to just hang out there for a few days.  They also offer wine, appetizers, a huge breakfast, and bike rentals.  

So many teas!  Not pictured: the cookies and cakes :)

The biggest appeal to the tea & wine times is the chance to chat with the other people staying there.  Webb and I chatted some interesting characters, including a guy who works at a high security prison - he had some pretty crazy stories for us (which only added to the whole Stephen King thing).

For dinner, we shared a delicious lobster bisque and seafood risotto (had to do seafood!) and a few nightcaps at the Ugly Mug, a lunch favorite for my family.  

Pretty crowded on a Monday night in November

The next morning included a big ol' breakfast with our fellow bed & breakfast-ers and a bike ride down the beach and around Cape May's beautiful Victorian homes.

Our view in the morning

Picture with the bell: Required.

Another fun quick trip with my favorite travel buddy :)

How delightful!

Road Trip USA

My route for the big LA move

As I mentioned in my previous post, my dad and I spent over 3,000 miles in a car together driving from NJ to LA.  We either had to be crazy, or love road trips.  I'm a little of the former, but a whole lot of the latter - I LOVE road trips!  Imagine my joy when my boyfriend got a Prius.  Super low gas mileage and a roomy trunk?  Fill that tank and put on Bon Jovi, Deanna's gonna hit the road!  

Together, Webb and I have road tripped to Palm Springs, down the California coast, and a few times from LA to his hometown, and I've gone from Boston to Oklahoma - a total 24 hours each way.  After many hours on the road and games of Cracker Barrel checkers, I've come up with a few traveler's tips - and lucky you gets to read them below :)

Pack Snacks & Water

• So you're trying to save room in the car by not packing snacks? Skip the cooler and stuff non refrigerated snacks in the glove compartment.   Don't start your journey with an empty car because you'll regret it when you end up at a rest stop with only a dusty vending machine.  EW.  I learned not every rest stop is as glorious as the ones along the Garden State Parkway (#jerseyshoutout)  Some ideas here! 

Print directions

• Guess what happens in the California desert?  Cell reception says "Adios, amigos" and you're stuck with asking for directions at a gas station 37 miles ahead.  The laminated binder of alternate routes and points of interest I once created may have been extreme - but you get the idea.

Be spontaneous

• Preparation is key, but a sense of adventure is what makes the trip.  When my dad and I were driving through Arizona, we saw a sign for the London Bridge 17 miles off the road.  At that point, we were eager just to get to California, but our curiosity got the better of us.  I excepted a dinky bridge surrounded by desert, but what we discovered was a beautiful oasis town.  Awesome discovery, and worth the detour!

The actual London Bridge right in the Arizona desert.

An unplanned detour to "Metropolis, IL" led us to this amazing Superman statue - my dad feels like his 8 year old self here!

No Drive Thrus!

• You have two beautiful limbs that like to move.  They get cranky when they are curled up for hours on end.  Get out of the car!  Drive thrus can be tempting since they're so quick, but use the stop as an excuse to stretch, get some fresh air, and find some fun local food.

When driving through NorCal, Casa de Fruta is a MUST!  Here, Webb is checking out some of their jams.

Playlist

• Sing-a-longs are key!  I'm lucky Webb happens to be an amazing car DJ.  My favorite road trip memories with him are singing at the top of our lungs and dancing like fools.  90's pop rock, 80's power ballads, raps that you know every word to.  Nobody puts baby in the corner!

Ernie is trying to escape our rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Small Towns

• I had more fun in Lompoc, CA (where?!) than I've had in a lot of big cities.  There is just something about painting a small town red.  Accommodations are usually cheaper, plus you get a real sense of the region versus a more gentrified big city. Nashville's awesome, but nothing felt more Tennessee than the random road stop town with a store devoted to confederate china.  Yes - that was a real thing.  Oh, America.

Local Groupons

• Before your trip, check out that town's local Groupon or Living Social site.  Webb and I did this before Palm Springs, and ended up with a great deal on dinner in a fun part of town we wouldn't have thought to go to otherwise.

Visit Friends

• The best part about a super long trip is seeing friends along the way!  It breaks up the drive, and locals know the best places to go.  My network of friends and family across the country helped outline my route.  A few hours of snoozing on their 5 star couch - and I was ready to hit the road again!

My aunt and I in Rehobeth Beach, DE

Kelly and I in Nashville, TN

Michelle and I in Missouri

Johanna, Meg and I in Stafford, Virginia

Onward, travelers!  Take pictures and enjoy the great American roadways :)