We flew into San Francisco for four days, picked up a rental car on the last day and then made our way to Monterey for two days. From Monterey we drove almost all day (with several stops in-between) to arrive in San Miguel, about 25 minutes from Paso Robles. We stayed in San Miguel for two days and then drove almost all day (with a few stops and a lunch visit on the way) to arrive in San Diego. We spent two full days in San Diego and then flew home.
I tried to be laidback like a Californian so instead of planning out everything we would do day to day, I printed out a bunch of information/suggestions and left it up to fate.
Our Itinerary (October 1-11, 2011)
Saturday, October 1
My aunt S and uncle E very kindly picked us up from the airport in San Francisco. We got in very early so we had the whole day ahead of us. They drove us around the downtown area and got us oriented. We made a quick stop at Lombard Street and took a picture with 20-30 other tourists.
We stopped at my uncle and aunt's apartment in Russian Hill for some refreshments and then we took off walking. Our first stop was Ghiardelli Square. We got some free samples of the famous chocolates - milk chocolate with pumpkin spice caramel. Yummy!
Then we continued our walk to Fisherman's Wharf, which was teeming with people. We stopped for lunch at Bistro Boudin. They're famous for their sourdough bread bowls. I got chili in a bread bowl instead of the more typical clam chowder. It was delicious but very filling. They also give patrons and passersby the opportunity to observe their bakers rolling, kneading, and shaping the dough through several big windows.
We made our way to Pier 39, which is famous for its resident sea lions. There weren't too many on display but fortunately, we were able to see many more later in our trip.
At this point, it was later in the afternoon and my aunt S and uncle E dropped us off at our hotel to relax before dinner. We stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel in Union Square, a big shopping district. This is hands-down one of the best hotels/bed and breakfast inns I've ever stayed in. First of all, the location is spectacular. As I mentioned, it's in Union Square, but it's also just a couple of blocks from Chinatown, which for me, was one of the highlights of our San Francisco leg of the trip.
The hotel itself, is exceedingly charming. It's very European in the sense that it's small but also very cozy. The breakfasts consisted of fresh croissants, muffins, coffee, tea, and orange juice. It's pretty simplistic but I was fine with that. Our room was clean and nice and the service was incredible. We must have encountered four different concierges during our stay and every individual was nicer than the next. It truly couldn't have been a more pleasant experience. I wouldn't even bother researching for something better. The next time we're in San Francisco we're staying at the Golden Gate Hotel again.
On a sidenote, we also really liked that the hotel had a resident cat - Pip. The owner also brought her golden retriever, Cookie, on occasion. Here's Pip giving E the death stare because he won't share his croissant:
We had dinner at a fabulous Vietnamese place on Polk Street called Aux Delices. Then we went to a Swenson's, which has been around since my aunt S was a child (she's a native San Franciscan). We ended the evening fairly early so we could rest up for another full day of sights.
Sunday, October 2
We had the first half of the day to ourselves so we decided to do things within walking distance to our hotel. We took a quick stroll through Union Square - lots of high-end shopping like Nordstrom's, Saks, Prada, etc. We also observed a Verizon commercial being filmed.
Next up we started our exploration of Chinatown. We used Frommer's Walking Tour 1 as a guide. We already knew from my aunt and uncle and one of the hotel concierges that Grant Avenue is where the tourists shop and Stockton Street is where the Chinese shop. The walk starts on Grant and ends on Stockton, moving from less authentic to more authentic.
For Evan this was a first-time glimpse into Asia and for me, it was a step back into my past. I found it to be kind of invigorating. I think Evan was a little more cautious. Haha.
We stopped at Washington Bakery & Restaurant and I ordered the snow red beans with ice cream (beverage). It was entirely too sweet. I could only have a few sips before I threw it out. Haha.
We snuck down Ross Alley and visited the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. It was an extremely small area with two workers on the assembly line. We figured it was worth the $.50 to take a picture.
Shortly after we stopped at the Great China Herb Co. It cost $1 to a take a picture inside. Too bad the camera couldn't pick up the smells because that was the highlight of the visit.
We paid a brief visit to the Tin How Temple at Waverly Place and as a result, I'm a little concerned with my karma. There are signs inside and outside the temple that specifically say that photography is FORBIDDEN. Isn't that a scary word? Anyway, Evan asked the woman manning the donations desk if we could take pictures (despite the ominous warnings not to) and she said it was fine. So, I took a couple of pictures. I don't know if it really was fine or if she was inwardly laughing about my major faux pas that's going to send me straight to hell!
We ended our Chinatown tour with lunch at R&G Lounge - another Frommer's recommendation. We split a plate of R&G Special Beef - well-spiced/flavored - and some steaming white rice. I'd second Frommer's recommendation and I'd go there for an authentic Chinese meal again.
After lunch we started our exploration of the North Beach/Little Italy neighborhood. We very loosely followed Frommer's Walking Tour 2. One of my favorite stops was at the City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. Here are some cool quotes that were in the adjacent alley:
We also stopped at Caffe Trieste where Evan got a coffee and I got a chocolate chip cookie. North Beach has a really relaxed, community feel to it. I have a feeling that if we lived in the area it's the neighborhood we'd frequent the most.
We ended our walk in Washington Square Park where we met up with my uncle. The church in the background is the same church where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were married.
We continued our walk with my uncle E up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower. It was quite the hike. Be prepared!
Some views from on top of the hill:
We walked back down the hill and saw some parts of North Beach we missed on our earlier walk. We also retraced some of our steps in Chinatown where we met up with my aunt S. We stopped in a market so that my uncle could buy some bananas. Evan was utterly disgusted to see one of the workers blatantly sneeze on some bok choy and then put it on display for purchase. Haha.
My aunt made sure we saw the live market. There were trapped fish, snails, turtles, frogs, ducks, chickens, etc. waiting to be bought, slaughtered, and cooked up for dinner. :/
I saw this amazing mural on our way out of Chinatown:
My aunt and uncle walked us through Union Square and then dropped us off at our hotel.
I researched a lot of really good food recommendations prior to the trip and frankly, four days just wasn't enough to fit them all in. We decided that we couldn't leave San Francisco without having dim sum, which translates to "little dumplings". So that night, with the help of our concierge, we hopped on the 5-Fulton and rode it into the Richmond District.
We ate at Ton Kiang, which is famous for its dim sum. It was a really interesting experience. You can order 9 different types of dumplings for 2 or 12 for 3. Let me tell you, the 9 different types of dumplings are plenty for 3 or 4 people. We barely tasted each course. The volume was overwhelming. And while we enjoyed a lot of the different flavors/options, I'm not sure it's my thing or that I'd do it again. We ended up taking our leftovers with us and then giving them to a homeless man not far from our hotel. I hope he enjoyed it!
Monday, October 3
Today we were completely on our own. We had pre-bought tickets for an Alcatraz cruise/tour for 2:20pm so we didn't want to do anything too time-consuming during the early part of the day.
We grabbed some croissants to go and then hopped on the 5-Fulton (again) to pay a visit to Golden Gate Park. We didn't have the time (obviously) to see the entire Park so we focused our attention on the museum-concentrated section. We didn't end up visiting any of the museums but we took a few outside pictures and then made our way to the Japanese Tea Garden.
I was able to snap a quick picture of people doing tai chi before I was scolded:
Admission to the Japanese Tea Garden was free (!). It just so happened that we could have joined a free tour through the Garden but we decided to do our own self-guided one. It was small but lovely and relaxing.
We also stopped at the Tea House where we had some green tea and chocolate Pocky. :)
We decided we'd rather have more time at Fisherman's Wharf for lunch and relaxing before we had to catch our cruise, so we caught the 5-Fulton to Market Street where we picked up the F Train to Fisherman's Wharf. On a side note, we were really impressed with the efficiency of the public transportation and the reasonable cost. The cable cars really are for tourists but they're also ridiculously expensive at $6 a head.
When we got to Fisherman's Wharf we paid a visit to Ripley's Believe It or Not. This was a somewhat sentimental journey for me because I remember thinking it was the coolest thing when I was 7. They must have re-vamped the museum in the past 21 years and unfortunately, it's not half as cool as it used to be. It was also a complete rip-off. Pun intended.
We stopped for lunch at the Eagle Cafe on Pier 39. It was a pretty decent lunch. I got a burger and Evan got a grilled chicken sandwich. I should probably mention that it was raining off and on pretty much the whole day. The weather didn't improve for our visit to Alcatraz.
The cruise over was pretty uneventful and lasted about 15 minutes. When we got to the Rock we followed the herd to the main building where we were given headphones and an audio guide. It lasted about 45 minutes. It was an interesting commentary on what it was like to work and live on the Rock and also, of course, what it was like to be a prisoner. It's weird to think that some of the wardens were comfortable bringing their wives and children on the island to live.
The weather seemed to get worse with the day so we weren't in the mood to venture out too far for dinner. We ended up eating at Uncle Vito's, on the other side of the street from our hotel. I had a fantastic pesto chicken fettucine dish.
Tuesday, October 5
For our last day in San Francisco, we spent most of our time outside the city. My aunt S and uncle E picked us up relatively early and took us on a little driving tour before we went to Muir Woods. They took us to see the Marina, which included a quick stop at the Palace of Fine Arts. I recognized the structure from TV shows and movies.
Then we got this nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Presidio.
A vista point on the other side of the bridge on the way to Muir Woods:
And then we were off to Muir Woods! We did a very basic hike, if you can even call it that. Fortunately, the weather was much nicer today. It started out a little gloomy but there wasn't any rain. While I found the trees to be impressive I didn't necessarily need to do a prolonged walk about. I mean, at the risk of sounding uninspired by nature, they really do all look the same...haha.
After Muir Woods we headed to Sausalito for lunch. Sausalito is a really lovely seaside town with upscale shops, restaurants, hotels, and spas. We had lunch at The Bridgeway Cafe not far from the water. I had a scrumptious eggs benedict - one of my all-time fave savory breakfasts. They did not disappoint!
Here are some pictures I took while walking about:
A view of San Francisco from Sausalito:
When we left Sausalito my aunt and uncle took us to another famous vista of the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked maybe a third of the Bridge but to be honest, the traffic noise was really getting to me! And it was quite windy.
A view of San Francisco from the Bridge:
Our tour guides then proceeded to take us on a drive through Sea Cliff where I took a picture of the old baths:
The wind was starting to pick up and it was getting chilly so we spent the rest of the time in the car exploring the length of the Golden Gate Park and the following neighborhoods: Richmond, Haight-Ashbury (seedy), Castro (warm and vibrant), Noe Valley (yuppy - my aunt's description), and the Mission (Latino). We also drove by the Painted Ladies - the colorful Victorian homes made partially famous by Full House.
By then it was late afternoon/early evening and my aunt S and uncle E dropped us off at our hotel. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for their wonderful hospitality!
We had dinner just a couple of blocks down from our hotel at Sears Fine Food - my uncle's recommendation. It's a San Francisco staple, apparently. They've been around since the late 30s. I had the blue plate special - braised pork, which was amazing - and we split a bread pudding for dessert. It was an excellent suggestion!
All in all, we had a fabulous time in San Francisco. The hills just about killed me but I think I had an even harder time with the constant fluctuations in temperature. I got a scalp and overall body sunburn on our first two days; on our last two days, I took my jacket on and off at least 50 times to adjust to the alternating cool and warm temps. San Francisco weather is very fickle! All that said, we'd absolutely go back and spend more time in the neighborhoods, soaking up the local culture. I'd also like to see some museums.
Wednesday, October 5
When we arrived at our B&B - Martine Inn - it was too early to check-in so we parked the car in the adjacent lot and walked into town for lunch. The Martine Inn has an amazing view of the Bay in fact, the only thing separating it from the water's edge is a small road and beach. I'm a little scared to say this because apparently, Don Martine, the owner of Martine Inn is somewhat of a legend among B&B management (this according to our San Diego B&B hostess) but aside from the view, we weren't all that impressed with the Inn. It certainly had its appeal. The breakfasts were well-made, though they weren't to my liking. The grounds were lovely and while many of the furnishings and higher-end rooms were truly breath-taking, I found our lower-end room to be a bit on the dingy side. I give them credit for providing a complimentary bottle of champagne in celebration of our anniversary but I wouldn't stay there again.
We walked about ten blocks into the Old Town area, which is truly charming. There's an old movie theatre, zany shops, and mom-and-pop restaurants. We chose Peppers Mexicali Cafe because E was anxious to have Mexican food. I had one of the specials - Chicken La Paz - and E had a quesadilla. The food was fresh and delicious and very filling!
After lunch we did some window-shopping and then saw a storefront for Animal Friends Rescue Project and had to take a peak inside. We had a great time visiting with the many friendly felines. They had dogs, too! If you're looking to adopt and you're in the Pacific Grove area, please look into AFRP. They're a no-kill rescue operation.
A shot of Old Town:
Just a few steps away from our B&B:
We continued our walk and noticed a crowd of people around a specific stretch of beach. Of course, we went over to have a look. Apparently, some Monterey Bay Aquarium employees had rescued a wayward sea turle (we didn't actually see it) but equally as exciting, there were a bunch of seals sunning themselves on the sand.
We made our way to Cannery Row, which is the commercial/tourist center. That's where the Monterey Bay Aquarium and most shops and restaurants are located. While there, we decided to rent a small "surrey", and ride to Fisherman's Wharf. We had a blast! Along the way, we saw all kinds of wildlife - otters, pelicans, etc.
When we made it back to our B&B, we decided to hop in our car and take the famous 17 Mile Drive before the sunset. The 17 Mile Drive runs through a very exclusive golf community called Pebble Beach. Any non-residents, I assume, have to pay to do the drive. In retrospect, I'm not sure it was worth the money but we got some nice pictures out of it and again, we got to see some wildlife.
When we got back to the B&B, it was dark. We had no TV in our room and we were pretty worn out from the day so made it an early night. We didn't even have dinner. Peppers really filled us up!
Thursday, October 6
Unfortunately, our actual anniversary started with some very inclement weather. It wasn't just misting or drizzling, it was pretty much pouring. The one bright spot over breakfast was that we could see dolphins frolicking in the distance.
Despite the rain, we decided to hop in the car and head to Carmel. We were hopeful but doubtful that the weather would be nicer 12 miles away. Ha! We drove through the downtown area, which was very charming but there wasn't much sense in getting out and walking so we headed to the Carmel Mission. If you didn't know, missions are where the European Catholics set up shop so they could convert the native populace of the Americas. I don't know why we paid to enter the Mission except that we were hoping to get out of the rain. Silly us - you have to walk outside to get to the major buildings. It was a complete bore. Haha. Later in the trip, I would hang the camera outside the car window when we encountered missions. Sometimes a picture is all you need!
Since the weather was still miserable when we left the Mission we returned to Monterey and set out for the Aquarium - an indoor activity. The Aquarium was a really special experience. While we were there we saw a 15 minute movie about great white sharks (they also had a young great white on exhibit) and they talked about how they were pushing to pass a ban on shark fins. We were so happy to read when we got home that they were successful! Shark fins are no longer allowed to be sold in California. It's a really cruel operation. The shark fin hunters literally cut it off the shark and then leave them in the ocean to die - they can't swim/function without it. It just seems so needlessly wasteful and inhumane. I hope other states and countries follow suit.
It was a very educational experience. I liked that the Aquarium was very adult-friendly in addition to having child-specific exhibits. They do a lot of great things in the world of conservation and preservation.
The weather had cleared up considerably so we got back in the car and returned to Carmel for lunch. We ate at Merlot! Bistro, which was very good. I had the beef stroganoff while Evan had the pork tenderloin and potatoes. Afterwards, we did some window-shopping and got some sweets. Carmel is very cute but it's also kind of exclusive. I didn't necessarily like the vibe.
When got back to Monterey we went to Lover's Point (how appropriate, right?) and spied some gophers and surfers.
We capped off the early evening with a walk to San Carlos Beach. If you're a fan of sea lions and you're in the area - YOU MUST GO HERE! There is a colony of sea lions that gather on the rocks just off the pier. You can get thisclose to them but obviously, you wouldn't want to stick your hands through the fence. They're wild animals after all. This was seriously, the best anniversary present I could've asked for. If you hadn't noticed (you're an idiot) I'm an animal lover.
It was pretty amazing. They were "barking" and burping and all sorts of other stuff. Haha. It was fun and funny and I could have stayed out there for hours just watching. As the sun went down we headed into town to make our dinner reservations at Le Normandie (now closed).
Le Normandie was the perfect choice for our anniversary dinner. The food was French country cooking and the atmosphere was nice but not formal. It just so happened that we were there on their "Jazz Night". I don't really like jazz but I did enjoy the background music. It was surprisingly pleasant and not overbearing or loud at all. The food is cooked fresh and to order everyday. The menu was handwritten as though it was decided that morning.
We each started with tomato soup, which was heavenly. I don't usually like tomato soup but I chose it as the lesser of two evils (onion soup was the other option). It was full of flavor and I practically licked my bowl clean. For my entree, I got a leg of lamb. The meat was so succulent, I wondered why I didn't eat lamb more often. To top it off, we split a chocolate ganache cake. It was a little rich for my taste but I still managed to eat my half. If there was any disappointment on our parts it's that we had hoped for creme brulee. C'est la vie! All in all, it was the perfect meal. The hostess/owner is a very charming (and French) lady. I'd absolutely recommend her establishment and I'd go again if I was ever in the area.
Friday, October 7
Today we drove through the most famous section of the Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur. The scenery was beautiful and we stopped many times to get out and take pictures. That being said, I have a confession to make: the Great Ocean Road REALLY spoiled us. I couldn't help but make comparisons and in many ways, the Great Ocean Road vistas are far more dramatic and memorable. You can refer to my Australia post to see for yourself!
We couldn't really get out and "hike" because we had an early afternoon appointment to make at the Hearst Castle (!) but we did stop for a quick bite at Ragged Point. I got a turkey melt, which was actually quite good.
We were able to make one more scheduled stop at Piedras Blancas before we hit the Hearst Castle. Like seeing the sea lions in Monterey, this was an absolute joy and highlight for me. This time we got to see a bunch of seals and a few elephant seals! It's easy to differentiate the elephant seals from the regular seals because their noses are longer and bigger. They were much quieter than the sea lions. I couldn't tell if that's because they actually are quieter than sea lions or if they were subdued because they were in nap mode. It was also fun to watch them fling sand on their backs I assume, to cool themselves off.
The guided tour was very enjoyable. I went into it thinking that William Randolph Hearst was this pompous, jerky-kind of guy but it seems like he really knew how to throw a party. The guide said he loved socializing. He invited guests over constantly. You didn't have to be rich or famous but you had to be able to hold a conversation. Cary Grant, for instance, was invited over 40 times. Calvin Coolidge, however, was only invited once.
I absolutely LOVED visiting the Hearst Castle. It's an opulent and breath-takingly beautiful estate - very European. E kept asking all the guides we ran into how much the property was worth today. Nobody could answer because it's almost impossible to know. The property has a wealth of ancient artifacts, which are practically priceless.
You're allowed to take as many personal pictures as you want but you're supposed to ask permission to publish. Since nobody reads this blog anyway, I don't think the State of California will mind...
When we finished our guided and self-guided tours of the Hearst Castle it was already 4:00pm. We were kind of tired from stopping and starting all day so we decided it was time to head to our B&B. We still had a bit of a trek ahead of us.
Our B&B, Vineyard Gourmet Carriage House (now closed), was literally, in the middle of nowhere. It was pretty shocking! We passed through the "big" town, Paso Robles, about 30 minutes before we even arrived at our B&B. The closer we got to the B&B, the farther away we got from civilization. Haha. It was a little disconcerting. Eventually, we got to a dirt road, which led to our final destination. Lo and behold, I saw a tarantula on the road. A TARANTULA! I shrieked and Evan almost crashed the car. Later, when we mentioned it to our B&B hostess, she was very nonchalant in telling us that she and her family just ignore them.
The B&B itself, was really lovely. It was our first time staying at a B&B that catered to one couple at a time. There's one room above the garage, which doesn't sound fancy, but it was really amazing. It was more like an apartment than a room. There was a sitting "room", a dining table, a cushy bed, and a gigantic bathroom. Our hostess is a personal chef so we had the best tasting and most filling breakfasts of our trip here. While we had a great time and the food was hard to beat, I probably wouldn't stay here again just because of the remote location.
Our hostess recommended a fabulous Italian restaurant - Il Cortilo - for dinner in Paso Robles that night. I believe she's friends with the chef. The food was amazing! It was more pricey than we were expecting but we definitely got what we paid for. I got the osso bucco (pork shank) and parmesan risotto. For dessert, we split profiteroles drizzled with chocolate sauce and torta di ricotta (Italian cheesecake). It was one of the best meals of the trip next to our anniversary dinner at Le Normandie.
Saturday, October 8
Here's a glimpse of the main house and the environs of our lodgings:
We drove away from the wilderness today. We started out in Pismo Beach, which was recommended to us by a friend of Evan's. It was a beautiful day and the beach was PACKED. We didn't even bother to get out of the car.
Then we went to San Luis Obispo. This time we found a metered parking spot and got out to walk around. It had a very charming/hip/artsy vibe to it. There were a lot of middle-of-the-road as well as high-end shops. We considered having lunch here but decided to put it off until our next stop. On the way out of town I had a pseudo-celebrity sighting. I spied Ryan Park, one of last season's Bachelorette rejects, riding a bike with a blonde female companion. Evan had no idea who it was but I'm awesome at facial recognition. It was totally him!
Our next and last stop before we returned to our home base, was Morro Bay. Morro Bay had what I think Pismo Beach lacked - small-town appeal. There were people out and about but it wasn't crawling with crowds. It was actually quite peaceful and pleasant. And despite it being a sunny day, it was pretty breezy and cool by the water's edge.
I was reluctant to eat lunch at The Flying Dutchman but I'm so glad I ignored my pre-judgements. You really can't judge a book by its cover. I had the most delicious tuna melt and what made it even better is that it was locally caught and canned tuna.
After lunch and some very mediocre ice cream at a different place, we headed back "home". We parked the car and took a walk around downtown Paso Robles. It's a lovely area. We considered doing some wine-tasting but then we remembered we had a complimentary bottle of red wine in our room. We didn't want to go all the way back to the B&B and then have to drive out again for dinner so we went to the grocery store and got bread, cheese, and meat for a stay-at-home meal.
Some beautiful scenery we passed on our way back to the wilderness:
Sunday, October 9
We had a looong drive ahead of us today and we got kind of a late start. We had to get all the way to San Diego (a 6+ hour journey) and we had to stop in L.A. to meet Evan's friend, K, and his girlfriend, H, for lunch (as it would turn out, a very late lunch).
Still, we couldn't drive by Solvang without stopping for a look-see. Solvang is kind of a little Denmark and if you read my blog (doubtful), then you know we've been there and we absolutely loved it. I really wish we could have spent more time here, maybe even overnight. It's the cutest little place and I'm sure we would have had some great food. This is on my list as a place we'll have to visit again.
We continued our drive toward L.A., driving through Santa Barbara. It definitely gave off a hoity toity vibe. I don't regret not having quality time there.
By the time we got to Santa Monica, our meeting point, it was well after 3:00pm. Our lunch sort of turned into an early dinner. Santa Monica was teeming with people. And the traffic was very stereotypical of the area. We parked in a multi-tiered garage that was almost filled to the max, with cars coming in and out constantly. It was very chaotic.
Where we ate was equally chaotic. I could barely hear myself think and I strained to hear Evan, K, and H. We randomly picked an Italian restaurant on the main thoroughfare where there were street performers, window-shoppers, people-watchers, dog-walkers, etc. CRAZINESS. It was South Beach on steroids. The meal was pretty forgettable but the company was wonderful.
After lunch/dinner we walked down to the Pier and got some ice cream. We continued our walk to the beach where the guys and the girls broke off into separate camps to chat. Their company was the only reason I regretted that we didn't have more time in the area. Still, I know there's a lot to do in L.A. and we only saw/experienced a tiny piece of it.
We parted ways around 7:00pm and then we drove non-stop to San Diego. Fortunately, our B&B hostess was kind enough to leave our keys and other orientation material in the mailbox so our late check-in wasn't a problem. When we did arrive at Hillcrest House Bed and Breakfast around 9:45pm, we pretty much went right to bed. Like our hotel in San Francisco, we would absolutely return to Hillcrest House in the future. Our hostess was extremely kind and helpful, the house was clean and homey, the breakfasts were simple but good, and the location was excellent. We stayed in the Hillcrest area, which is known for being gay-friendly and having some of the best restaurants in the city.
Monday, October 10
Our B&B hostess recommended the Old Town Trolley Tour as a great way to see and get to San Diego's highlights. It's a hop-on, hop-off trolley, which is great in the sense that you pay once for the whole day and go all over the city. The drawback is that the trolley picks up every 30 minutes at all stops and well, if you get to the stop at the wrong time you could end up waiting a while. This happened to us a couple of times and it was frustrating to feel like we squandered time waiting when we could have come and gone as we pleased with our rental car. I can't say for sure which is the better option because we probably would've had problems parking with the rental car.
We didn't get off at all the stops. In fact, I think we only got off at three before we returned to the point of origin. Our first stop was in the Gaslamp District, which is known for having Victorian architecture and a very vibrant nightlife. Unfortunately, it's pretty dead during the day! We tried to follow Frommer's Walking Tour 1 but we only found a couple of their highlighted landmarks. Then we were ready to get back on the trolley.
Our next stop was Coronado, which is where the Hotel Del Coronado is located and where the film Some Like it Hot was filmed. I've loved that movie since I was a kid. Evan refuses to watch black & white films. *rolls eyes* Anyway, it was neat to be there and be a part of the movie magic. Haha.
When we picked up the trolley again we got off in Little Italy. I was a little disappointed with the layout of the neighborhood. It just felt like this really long line of restaurants and shops (not all Italian-themed) as opposed to an actual neighborhood. It had an inauthentic feel to it. I much preferred the feel of North Beach in San Francisco. That being said, we had an excellent and authentically-prepared meal at Buon Appetito.
After lunch we returned to the pick-up point of origin - Old Town. We decided to take a quick walk around on our own and found the area to be extremely touristy. I believe that only one of the "old" buildings was original. Everything else had been rebuilt. We started to follow Frommer's Walking Tour 3 but lost interest rather quickly when we found that the Old Town didn't offer much of an authentic experience.
Inside a beautiful Catholic Church nearby:
Afterward, we hopped back in the car and drove to Balboa Park. We very loosely followed Frommer's Walking Tour 4 but mostly did our own thing. I loved the Spanish-influenced architecture.
After the Park, we returned to our neighborhood - Hillcrest - and walked around. We had seen an Ethiopian restaurant on the drive into town the night before and it had piqued our interest. Evan really wanted Mexican but I thought it would be cool to try something new. Neither of us had ever had Ethiopian before. Luckily, Evan was game!
We ate at Bayu's and ordered the "Taste of Bayu's" dish, which combines a lot of the most popular/common Ethiopian dishes. If you didn't know, there are no utensils. You pick up the food with this roll-up, almost pancake-like, spongey bread. It was very interesting! I liked some of the milder dishes but in an attempt to be adventurous I ate a little too much of the spicey dishes and could not put out the fire in my mouth. It was a little too intense for me. I'm really glad we tried it but I'm not sure when/if we'll have Ethiopian again.
Tuesday, October 11
We went to the San Diego Zoo today. Originally, I wanted to go their safari park, which is 30-40 minutes outside of San Diego but in order to really enjoy it you have to spend a ridiculous amount of money. The Zoo isn't cheap either but it's more manageable.
We took the 40-minute bus ride (included in the general admission ticket price) around to the main highlights of the Zoo. And then we got off and walked around to the specific exhibits we wanted to see. The Zoo is so big you'd really have to spend all day there to see everything. We didn't have the energy or the desire to do that and we wanted to eat lunch outside the Zoo.
I can understand why it's a world-famous zoo and I enjoyed our time there, but I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be. I told my grandmother my thoughts and she made a good point. She said something like, nowadays most zoos are trying to be more progressive so they're catching up to the pioneers like the San Diego Zoo. She could be right! I did like their conservation/preservation efforts and also, that they grow a lot of the vegetation used for food right there on the grounds.
After a couple of hours in the Zoo we were starving. We headed back to Old Town, which is supposed to have the best Mexican food in the city. We settled on Miguel's Cocina. It's part of a chain, which would normally have me crinkling my nose but the food was so scrumptious. It was one of those times where the food was so good that I forced myself to continue eating after I was full. Haha.
To work off a little bit of our lunch we did some walking and window-shopping. Then we took a little jaunt to the San Diego Mission. As I mentioned earlier, we learned our lesson and didn't bother getting out of the car.
The rest of the day was pretty low-key. I got my hair did at Hair for all Seasons and realized what I've been missing my whole life - a gay hairdresser. He was wonderful! I wish I could've brought him back home with me.
We should have had dinner in Hillcrest but we felt that our California trip would be lacking if we didn't try In N' Out Burger at least once. And wow, were we disappointed! I feel sorry for west coasters if they think In N' Out has a great burger because then they've never truly HAD a great burger. The patty was so thin, when I bit into the burger I got more lettuce and tomato than meat. It occurred to me that maybe it's a health thing but come on! If you're going to have a burger, go whole cow! In N' Out has nothing on Five Guys. And they don't have to expand east. We have the real deal already!
All in all, the trip was fantastic. I'd return to almost every place we visited. I'd certainly go back to San Francisco to visit my family and explore more. I loved the beauty and serenity of Monterey. I'd probably not go to Paso Robles again because my feeling is, been there, done that. I'm not thrilled by the idea of L.A. but maybe next time we can go for longer and have Evan's friend change our minds. I was a little disappointed with San Diego but it could just be that it was the end of a somewhat long trip and I was ready to go home. I'm sure there's a lot more to see/do/eat.
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