Austin and I just returned from a whirlwind weekend up the California coast with my Dad (Austin's Papa Steve). In years previous, my Mom and Dad would take this same route every year, the ultimate destination being a party given by a long time friend of my parents, Norm, at his house in Sonoma. Last year, my Dad escorted Karen and Emma on this same trip. This year, Austin and I had the privilege of accompanying him.
We left Thursday afternoon and headed up to Solvang for a little shopping (most stores were closed by the time we got there, however)! We then had dinner at AJ Spurs, which I can honestly say has the BEST beef ribs I have ever tasted! YUM! We then drove another hour or so to our hotel in Arroyo Grande, just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo.
Early the next morning we headed up to Monterey for a visit to the famous and extensive Monterey Bay Aquarium. We all enjoyed perusing the fish, otters, and various sea life. The otter exhibits are amazing! I could have stood there watching their antics for hours. Our visit was paused in the middle for a delicious lunch at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company (Run, Forrest, Run)! We enjoyed garlic peel and eat shrimp, artichoke dip, and fried calamari. Perfect! Back to the aquarium to finish up, and then we were off to San Francisco.
We arrived around dinnertime, checked in to our hotel, and promptly made our way over by foot to the Rainforest Cafe. This must have been "frog heaven" for Austin, as it was a highly decorated theme restaurant centered around their mascot, Cha Cha the frog. Good grief, what a sight! Waterfalls, animatronic jungle animals, stars, fish tanks...What more could a kid ask for? Ok, some mini hot dogs. There. Now it's complete!
The next day brought many activities in the charming city of San Francisco. Austin and I rode the cable car, and then we all took off on a cruise to Alcatraz. This fascinated Austin, as I can remember it doing for me as a child. We took the audio tour, then browsed the gift shop, where Austin was intrigued by a "rock", which my Dad bought for him along with a historical book of the island. This "rock" is an actual piece of the island that results from the recent renovation they are doing on the island. The proceeds from the sale of these rocks will continue to fund the restoration process. Apparently, this rock is extremely valuable- at least to Austin- he insisted on locking it up in the safe at the hotel for "safe" keeping. No pun intended. We ended our day at the famous Scoma's restaurant, where, after an hour long wait, Dad and I feasted upon the well-worth-the-longest-wait-imaginable: Cioppino. To die for!!!! And the sourdough bread: A masterpiece in itself. A little shopping at Pier 39, along with a lemon dessert crepe, and we were good to go. Not bad for a day's work.
The next morning we awoke and made our way over to a very quaint little local restaurant, the Balboa Cafe for breakfast. Dad insisted this was the BEST breakfast he ever had. He enjoyed corned beef hash, while Austin had the most delicious french toast I have ever laid my eyes on (not to mention my mouth). I had chorizo and eggs scrambled with bell peppers. YUM!
We were then on our way to Sonoma, but before we crossed the beautiful Golden Gate bridge, we stopped for some postcard perfect pictures. We checked in at the Sonoma Valley Inn, and then off to Norm's party. It was a wonderful party, and Austin had an absolute ball. There was swimming, casino tables (where Austin learned to play Blackjack using chips of no real value), a bounce house, cotton candy, popcorn, a pinata, Mexican buffet for dinner, ping pong, etc. etc. We all had a wonderful time. We ended the evening with a lovely soak in the hot tub back at the hotel. Oh, and Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron even came out from Vegas to the party. It was lovely chatting with them and seeing them.
The following morning, it was already time to leave. We had breakfast with Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron at the local cafe, where I had the most superior biscuits and gravy on the entire PLANET. No, I was not lacking in good food this entire weekend. I don't think I tasted one thing that wasn't worthy of an A+ rating. We made our way down the coast in six hours flat and back to reality. My Dad was very sweet, very generous, and really enjoyed himself, as did Austin and I as well. This will be a trip we will not soon forget. Thanks for everything, Dad (and Papa Steve). We enjoyed our time with you.
We left Thursday afternoon and headed up to Solvang for a little shopping (most stores were closed by the time we got there, however)! We then had dinner at AJ Spurs, which I can honestly say has the BEST beef ribs I have ever tasted! YUM! We then drove another hour or so to our hotel in Arroyo Grande, just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo.
Early the next morning we headed up to Monterey for a visit to the famous and extensive Monterey Bay Aquarium. We all enjoyed perusing the fish, otters, and various sea life. The otter exhibits are amazing! I could have stood there watching their antics for hours. Our visit was paused in the middle for a delicious lunch at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company (Run, Forrest, Run)! We enjoyed garlic peel and eat shrimp, artichoke dip, and fried calamari. Perfect! Back to the aquarium to finish up, and then we were off to San Francisco.
We arrived around dinnertime, checked in to our hotel, and promptly made our way over by foot to the Rainforest Cafe. This must have been "frog heaven" for Austin, as it was a highly decorated theme restaurant centered around their mascot, Cha Cha the frog. Good grief, what a sight! Waterfalls, animatronic jungle animals, stars, fish tanks...What more could a kid ask for? Ok, some mini hot dogs. There. Now it's complete!
The next day brought many activities in the charming city of San Francisco. Austin and I rode the cable car, and then we all took off on a cruise to Alcatraz. This fascinated Austin, as I can remember it doing for me as a child. We took the audio tour, then browsed the gift shop, where Austin was intrigued by a "rock", which my Dad bought for him along with a historical book of the island. This "rock" is an actual piece of the island that results from the recent renovation they are doing on the island. The proceeds from the sale of these rocks will continue to fund the restoration process. Apparently, this rock is extremely valuable- at least to Austin- he insisted on locking it up in the safe at the hotel for "safe" keeping. No pun intended. We ended our day at the famous Scoma's restaurant, where, after an hour long wait, Dad and I feasted upon the well-worth-the-longest-wait-imaginable: Cioppino. To die for!!!! And the sourdough bread: A masterpiece in itself. A little shopping at Pier 39, along with a lemon dessert crepe, and we were good to go. Not bad for a day's work.
The next morning we awoke and made our way over to a very quaint little local restaurant, the Balboa Cafe for breakfast. Dad insisted this was the BEST breakfast he ever had. He enjoyed corned beef hash, while Austin had the most delicious french toast I have ever laid my eyes on (not to mention my mouth). I had chorizo and eggs scrambled with bell peppers. YUM!
We were then on our way to Sonoma, but before we crossed the beautiful Golden Gate bridge, we stopped for some postcard perfect pictures. We checked in at the Sonoma Valley Inn, and then off to Norm's party. It was a wonderful party, and Austin had an absolute ball. There was swimming, casino tables (where Austin learned to play Blackjack using chips of no real value), a bounce house, cotton candy, popcorn, a pinata, Mexican buffet for dinner, ping pong, etc. etc. We all had a wonderful time. We ended the evening with a lovely soak in the hot tub back at the hotel. Oh, and Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron even came out from Vegas to the party. It was lovely chatting with them and seeing them.
The following morning, it was already time to leave. We had breakfast with Aunt Jan and Uncle Ron at the local cafe, where I had the most superior biscuits and gravy on the entire PLANET. No, I was not lacking in good food this entire weekend. I don't think I tasted one thing that wasn't worthy of an A+ rating. We made our way down the coast in six hours flat and back to reality. My Dad was very sweet, very generous, and really enjoyed himself, as did Austin and I as well. This will be a trip we will not soon forget. Thanks for everything, Dad (and Papa Steve). We enjoyed our time with you.
1 comment:
Hi Suzanne! Sonoma is only about 45 minutes from my house! Wow, you were in my neighborhood!
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