Sensing Sunday: June 26, 2011

My little weekend project....

Hearing: 'Feels Like Home'-Chantal Kreviazuk

Seeing: 'Marley and Me' on the television behind me. I read the book on our honeymoon cruise and made the mistake of reading the last few chapters while lounging on a deck chair in the middle of hundreds of strangers. I ended up trying to hide the sobbing behind a pair of over-sized sunglasses. At least I was among strangers and never had to face those confused people again.

Smelling: The collection of candles I have lit on the mantle.

Tasting: Ice cold water. I feel completely dehydrated this weekend and this water is really the only cure.

Feeling: Kinda sluggish. After the marathon baking session on Friday night/ Saturday morning; weekend yard selling; Saturday afternoon cocktails poolside (that went into the wee hours of Sunday morning), and walking the dogs with dad a handful of hours later, I laid down for what turned into a six hour nap. Now I am awake when I should be winding down for bed. Instead I am up trying not to think of the insane work week in front of me.
Hope everyone had a very happy weekend!

Lazy Saturday Blogging

This morning (because I didn't have a cake order to fret about) I was able to sit down, relax with a cup of my favorite coffee from the Blue Bottle Coffee Co., and tool around the internet catching up on some of my favorite blogs.
Here's the recap....
From A Cup of Joe

(Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water ala LEGO)

(Sandcastle Popscicle Molds)

(Transparent Kayak)

From Our Best Bites:

(Brown Paper Bag Popcorn)

(Strawberry Sauce)

(Carrot Cake)

...and from Martha Stewart

(DIY Wedding Centerpieces)

(More Centerpieces)

(Book Themed Baby Shower)

How NOT to waste a day in the Valley....

(Pretty much...)

Friday night, the Mr. convinced me to unwind by throwing back what was only supposed to be 'a couple of cocktails'. Needless to say, the stress of work last week took complete advantage of me and because I thought that Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum had an adorable design on the front of the bottle (completely disregarding the fact that it was a very potent alcohol at 92 proof, in comparison to Captain Morgan only being 70 proof) I was paying the price the next morning.
I like to unwind a bit but the older I get the more I find that I no longer look forward to the weekend as a time of getting 'wasted on white zin' as I made a habitual practice of in my early 20s. Everyone has the same wistful story. The 'when-I-was-young-I-could-drink-all-night-pass-out-at-3-AM-and-be-fine-to-work-a-couple-hours-later' story. You know, the time in your young life when all you needed was a venti of whatever with an extra shot of espresso and a couple of aspirins to be right as rain? Oh get off your pedestal...you know EXACTLY what I am talking about.
Saturday morning, I couldn't force myself to get out of bed and  get dressed until noon...and that wasn't even a terrible hangover. Sheesh.
At this point in my life, I hate hangovers. Not necessarily because of how miserable they physically make me feel (just you body's way of paying you back for treating it like sh*t), I hate hangovers because they make me useless for the next 12-24 hours. I absolutely hate wasting a day off.
When I was finally feeling as if I could face the day, behind a dark pair of sunglasses of course, my mind wandered on what I could do to not feel as if I missed a day of my weekend. I settled on a little trip to my local used bookstore, Yesterday's Books.
Yesterday's Books is somewhat of an institution in my hometown. It was been in business since 1980 (a year younger than myself, if you are counting...don't try too hard to figure out the math) and has outlived many of its neighbors on the most popular strip in town. I have a feeling its in part to the ever changing, thought provoking quotes posted on the large wall on the side of the building. A favorite of mine from last month? 'A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit' (Richard Bach). I love getting lost in the aisles, always finding something unintentional. I found one of my most prized possessions there, a first edition reading copy of Fitzgerald's 'The Last Tycoon'. I always find something that I never knew I wanted but soon realize that I never could have done without.
Saturday I went in, thinking I would find obscure books on local history (which I did) but left with a handful of classics. 'The Bell Jar' (Plath), 'Death in the Afternoon'(Hemingway), 'The Dangerous Summer' (another Hemingway) and 'Philosophy in the Boudoir' (Marquis de Sade) made its way into my shopping bag for the bargain price of around $20. That's about as much as I spend on one brand new book.
After meandering around the bookstore for a couple of hours, I made my way to Old Plantation Coffee. Again, this is another long standing local business that has ten times more the charm than those cookie cutter coffee houses. I walked up to the counter and ordered an iced mocha. I was fully expecting to pay the already reasonable full price when I was gently informed that it was 'Happy Hour' and that my order would  be half price. Awesomesauce! I reached in and pulled out the ol' plastic swipe card but, because of the great 'Happy Hour' deal, wasn't spending enough to use it. 'No problem, I will take that delicious looking chocolate croissant you have in the case'. (By another sure to be a fast favorite, Pure Love Baking)
I sat down with my pastry in front of me, my mocha in one hand, the Marquis de Sade in my other and caught quick glances of the Giants easing their way to another win against Chicago on the television above.
I am so glad that I didn't waste my precious day off.

Date Night: Bowling and Wings

(Uh oh...doesn't look good...)

When I got home from work on Wednesday I was fully prepared to slip into my fuzzy pajamas and hunker down to watch a the latest from Redbox (tonight's selection, Due Date). I walked in the door and the Mr. had other plans.
Every Tuesday night, the Mr. and four of his friends, play in a bowling league. At first he was doing fantastic. He would come home afterwards and brag about his score and each week he seemed to be besting his score from the week prior. Lately though, it has been like pulling teeth to solicit more than a grunt from him after he bowls. His game was obviously not going all that great.
Wednesday night, he thought it would be a good idea to get some practice in and off to the bowling alley we went.
I am not particularly fond of bowling so he compromised and took me out to dinner first. For Christmas, we had been given a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings and decided to try it out. It was the first time we had been to that restaurant and I have to say...it wasn't the greatest of experiences. The waitress ignored us half the night, they didn't have the Boca burger I ordered (that was offered on the menu) and replaced it with a bean burger that I wasn't too fond of, and the fire alarm was pulled in the middle of our dinner by some mischievous patrons. The Mr. liked the food alright (he especially liked the hot sauce for the wings), but overall wasn't impressed either. I will give them this...they had bar trivia on the television and had these super cool interactive devices to play with. As we walked out of the restaurant  I strutted  by the big television that projected my name as the big winner that round. I was beaming. I supposed it wasn't all that bad....
After 9:00 on Wednesdays at McHenry Bowl, shoe rental is only a dollar and each game is only $1.50. The Mr. talked me into four games. It took a little bit to get warmed up (the Stella, or two, helped things along) and by the end of the second game I had mercilessly beaten my dear husband.
Read em and weep....

(ending with a score of; The Mrs., 100, The Mr., 87)

He tells me that he was only practicing certain tricks this round and wasn't trying for a big score. I hate to admit it, but I fully believe him. But shhhhh...don't you dare let him know. 

Not all that romantic (you better believe he owes me big time), but still lots of fun for a random weeknight.
Oh, and don't ruin Due Date for me...I still haven't had the chance to sit down to watch it.

Sensing Sunday: March 13, 2011

(Ski Day at Bear Valley Mountain) 

What I am:
Hearing: I am absolutely in LOVE with Adele's new album '21'. Her song 'Someone Like You' gives me chills and I have had it on repeat all week long.

Seeing: The pictures that 'Camo' took today of our ski day.

Smelling: The faintest whiff of Clean: Shower Fresh. I spritzed my hairbrush with it and ran it through my hair this morning. I like to wear perfume this way because I love to wear perfume but try not to make it overwhelming to others who are sensitive to it.

Tasting: My biggest indulgences today, Cadbury Mini Eggs and Fat Tire Amber Ale. Just not at the same time.

Feeling: Tired but not nearly as exhausted as I thought I would be. This weekend has been go go go since the moment I left work. First the nine hour marathon cake making session that produced this:

(oh yeah, I TOTALLY made this...jealous?)

Then onto the domestic duties of cleaning the house and doing the laundry. I attempted my long run at the gym  on Saturday but only made it about a third of the way through before I felt a huge wave of nausea (my body forcing me to take it down a notch I suppose). Onto today where I spent the day dominating the intermediate runs at Bear Vally Mountain. I had so much fun today and it made me realize two things. 

1. I am not nearly as exhausted or sore as I thought I would be and I attribute that directly to my training for the half marathon. 

2. I miss skiing. Before today I hadn't been in about 8 years and was fearful to make my way back to the mountain. So glad I did. I miss skiing with better skiers than myself...they always pushed me to go harder and  do better. If I go back, I am going to need that push. 

Sensing Sunday: March 6, 2010

(Paris Breakfast by Carol Gillott)

What I am:

Hearing: 'New Slang'-The Shins. Has been stuck in my head for two days and I don't remember hearing it lately. When I found this video of it over Garden State, it started to make sense to me.

Seeing: Getting ready to start my lil French movie marathon. Marie Antoinette, Moulin Rouge and Chocolat. Thinking of watching them in chronological order. Or maybe in reverse chronological order?

Smelling: My French Cassis candle from Cost Plus World Market.

Tasting: Nothing, yet. Thinking of making some madeleines and a pot of Cafe Du Monde coffee to go with my flicks. I am saving making the beignets for Tuesday.

Feeling: I have been somewhat out of it lately (hence my Garden State reference). It has been a very stressful week and I haven't felt at all like myself. I am forcing myself to enjoy the time off of work that I have and doing things that make me happy. Today I am escaping to Paris via French movies and French food.

Picture This: Day 23

Day 23:

A picture of your favorite book.
This is one of the hardest entries for me because I am an avid reader, will read everything that is put in front of me and I have been affected by so much literature that I normally wouldn't have considered reading if it had not been recommended to me first.
My first 'grown up' book that I read completely for pleasure was probably 'This Side of Paradise' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. To me, Fitzgerald has a way of evoking a feeling about the space that he writes in. I know that probably sounded disgustingly pretentious but that really is the only way I could put it. While reading his books, you feel as if you are in those rooms with his characters and sneaking peeks at their lives. From that book forward he became my favorite author and I have since read everything that he has written (that I am aware of). One of my greatest finds was a first edition reading copy of 'The Last Tycoon' (another favorite) that I covet.
Whenever I want to be whisked away to another time, another place, I pick up one of his books or short stories and I am on my way there.

Picture This: Day 12

Day 12:
A picture of something you absolutely love.
This was a tough call. I love too many things. I love spending time with my little family. One of the things I cherish, and this will sound pretty cheesy, is the relaxing time I get to spend with the Mr. During the summer we fish and he lets me read while I wait for something to hit on my pole. Even better is when we take the boat out with the wind whipping through the Pup's ears. I love the moments that allow me the chance to just breathe and take in the little things in life that make the biggest impacts.

Go Fetch!

Don't hate me but that is the only picture I was able to get of the wonderful time I had at the 3rd Annual Modesto Disc Dogg Competition.

I decided that I was leaving town too much in the past couple of months on my days off and really needed to stay closer to home so that I could tend to things more domestic on my weekends (laundry, dishes, dusting, vacuuming, et all) and the Mr. really needed to tend to the yard work. He is outside mowing the lawns as we speak while I am updating the blog (he is a much better person than I am today).
Just because I was planning on staying close to home didn't mean that I had to let myself stay cooped up in the house all day. I had been catching up on all my favorite design and DIY blogs and was bit by the 'before and after' bug. My plan today was to scour Craigslist with a budget of about $25 dollars and see what I could find to re-purpose for my own home. I am in dire need of a new entertainment unit for the television in the front room but still haven't found anything that I feel would be the best fit. I moved on to the local newspaper hoping to find something in the events calendar for this weekend. I know many people that live (or have lived  for that matter) in my community that constantly complain that there is nothing to do in this po-dunk town of almost 250,000 people. To them I say, 'You just aren't trying hard enough.' This weekend I found the perfect way to say 'I told you so'. After finding it on the events calendar, the Mr. and I headed out to the 3rd Annual Modesto Disc Dogg Competition. It was held at John Muir Park. I grew up in this town and had never been to this park. It is tucked away on High Street which is close to the downtown area and by the cemetery. It is an older neighborhood in town and I always believed it to be somewhat rundown that I never thought to venture further down the street. Big mistake on my part because at the end of the street is a picture perfect little park nestled in the middle of quaint, nostalgic houses. It was in this setting that the Mr., the Pup and I sat under ancient oak trees, in mild weather (finally) and watched other pups make amazing (and not so amazing) jumps and frisbee catches to score points to see who would be top dog that day. We headed out and I was able to get two pictures on the way there and one picture once we arrived...and that was it. Dummy Jen forgot to charge the camera and I couldn't coax anymore photos out of it. I was so disappointed and I know you are too.
These are the potential photo ops that were missed out on:
Baby crawling on all fours at the same level as some of the more well behaved pups.
Cute older couple that showed up to watch on their beach cruiser bicycles. (I love cute, older couples).
Dogs catching some serious air reaching for the frisbees.
Sammy Davis Jr, a dautsund that, for me, stole the show. That dog was hustling!
Eli. I wasn't sure what kind of dog he was but he was beautiful. He was brown with a white streak over his forehead that made him look a little like Pepe Le Pew.
A dog named Zip...only because he had the coolest name that day.
While there, the Mr and I had an opportunity to meet Jill. She walked over to introduce herself and to let us know more about the Disc Doggs. We let her know what a great time we were having but that our own pup was hopeless when it came to fetch. She gave us some tips and gave us some hope that maybe next year,  the Pup might make it to the novice competition. She let us know a trick to getting your dog to return the frisbee to you is to dab a bit of peanut butter under the lip. I said, 'Thats great to get her to go after it but how can I get her to return it to me?' Her answer was so simple, 'Have another one waiting for her and she will come back to you.' Brilliant. Like I said it gave us hope, now all we have to do is practice and maybe next year the Pup will be out there chasing frisbees and scoring points.

The Pup eagerly anticipating going to the park. Taking the Mr.'s seat while he was getting the car gassed up. 

Rare, although carefully cropped, self portrait taken today in support of two of my favorite people.

Not to brag (ok, TOTALLY to brag), the above flower was constructed of vintage fabric from my good friend (boyfriend to my best friend G) Anthony Franco. He is showing this week in LA Fashion Week and I cannot be there. G keeps giving me random updates; certain A-list celebrities are to be in attendance and at the after party, certain D-list celebrities (who are more A-list to me than the actual A-list celebrities) are promised to be there as well. I know he is doing this to entice me to make the mid-week trip but I can't and now its becoming more and more painful. I promise a full post soon after the event on Wednesday. Until then please check out Behind the Line with Anthony Franco. His show is sponsored by Cotton (Yes, THAT Cotton. The touch, the feel, the fabric of our lives...you know you know it) and they have followed him from the beginning of designing his Spring 2011 line. I will be there in spirit and will be watching a live feed at Behind the Line with Anthony Franco on Wednesday, you definitely should too. 

Riverbank Wine and Cheese Exposition 2010

Sunday we stayed close, very close, to home and went out to the Riverbank Wine and Cheese Exposition. The Mr. and I really could have walked there from our house but because we did tons of walking the day before, we decided to drive the three minutes and find a parking space. At first I felt pretty lazy but in the end I am glad that we did because we didn't stay that long. Its not that we didn't have fun, its just that we go almost every year and had seen most of it before. I was excited to find out that Cupcake Vineyards was showing this year. I hadn't tried their wine yet but of course I was intrigued because of the adorable name. When we reached the wine tasting area, the Mr. and I ultimately decided that we didn't want to pay the $35 dollars when we only wanted to try to few of the wines. I was disappointed that I didn't get to try the Cupcake wine but I think I would rather just purchase a bottle some other time. Last year we went to the free cheese tasting, but the community center (where the tasting is held) was too warm, too crowded and we ended with only a couple of morsels of cheese. This year it seemed we might face the same problem so we avoided that all together. This year the expo seemed more 'family friendly' with a carnival with games and rides for the kiddies and there seemed to be more festival fare geared towards the younger set. Because it was pretty warm, the Mr. and I headed to the beer garden. We walked the rest of the expo with refreshing beer in hand. I have to say, I am glad that we decided on beer that day instead of the wine...is that wrong?

 The tasting corral. 

Ginormous inflatable hawk advertising a local radio station. 

Celebrating fall even though it hasn't quite reached us yet. 

This was outside the community center. Downtown Riverbank has gone through a makeover in the past couple of years and the statue (along with other statues around town) is a new addition to the community center. 

This was the coolest thing for the kids that day. A mad scientist concocting 'volcanoes' made of juice and dry ice. 

Who could resist BBQ being sold by the Duke? 

 October 9th would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday. It is strange to think of him as an old man and I wonder what the world would have been like if he hadn't been senselessly gunned down. 

John watching over the Wine and Cheese. 

Headed West

No one wanted to go to the balloon festival with me. I begged the Mr. all week and was hopeful that he would go with me but he bailed at the 11th hour. I was left to go by myself. I wish that I had an earlier start because by the time I got to Color the Skies it was already 8:00 AM and most of the hot air balloons were already down for the morning.
Lowlights of my time there:
I missed most of the balloons.
I didn't stay long enough for the Patriots Jet Team
I missed my chance to go up in a hot air balloon for the bargain price of $10
I paid $5 parking and was only there about 45 minutes.
I had to go alone. I wasn't sure if dogs were allowed and when I got there I realized that I could have forced the dog to go with me. Unlike the Mr., she really has no choice in the matter.
Highlights of my time there:
All the bright colors turned up fantastically in the pictures I took.
The kite show was in full force.
I got a parking space right up front on account that someone was leaving.
The weather was gorgeous.
It wasn't too crowded.
...and the best part of my time there?
 On my way out of the parking lot I noticed the cutest older couple walking in holding hands. I had just enough time to grab the camera and snap a picture before they disappeared into the crowd.

The Festival

The Hot Air Balloons

The Happy Couple

After I left the festival I wasn't ready to go home yet. I was feeling adventurous and started to travel West. I called my brother to see if he had any time to meet up before he went to work if only for a few hours. No answer. I decided to keep driving and came up with a plan to head to Ikea. I hadn't been there in forever and a day and, although I barely had a dime to my name, thought that maybe I would just take a look. My brother returned my call when I had reached Livermore (about the halfway point from where I live to SF). I changed my plans again and headed into the city. It was a beautiful day and by the time I got there it was that grey area  between breakfast and lunch. You know, brunch. My brother and I took a walk through his neighborhood and ended up at Judy's on Chestnut. He ordered the Sourdough French Toast with Strawberries and I followed suit. We split an order of the Apple Sausage and we each had coffee and a glass of water. First up was the coffee. It was amazing. I took a sip and it stopped me in mid conversation. I can't pinpoint what it was, some earthy berry flavor...I don't know, whatever it was it gave it a very unique flavor. Next came the french toast and it was to die for and the sausage was the same. Everything was absolutely divine. For some reason, everything taste better in San Francisco. To work off our brunch and to kill time before my brother had to be at work, we walked around the Marina. As we walked by St. Francis Yacht Club (or as my brother and other 'locals' call it, St. Fancy Yacht Club on account of all the hoity toity rich patrons), I got a quick education on sailboats and a little history of the club. We walked alongside Chrissy Field and though the Palace of Fine Arts. Up a few more blocks we were back in the Presidio. I brag all the time of the sweet sweet neighborhood that my brother lives in and this time I got the pictures to prove it. We ended our trip with me dropping him off at the bookstore he works at on Chestnut and then I headed home.

This is Judy's and this is what we ate. The top was the before and don't worry, although I wasted a bit of food, I didn't finish it all. The bottom right made me laugh because every table had a 'pot of jam' and for some reason it reminded me of Six Degrees of Separation.

This is literally my brother's neighborhood. I wasn't kidding when I said he lives in a forest. The bottom right picture is what I called 'The Secret Starbucks' because during the weekend it stays pretty empty even though it has some of the best views of the entire city. Shhh...don't tell a soul.

This is from our walk around the St. Francis Yacht Club, Chrissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts. 

I wanted to show what I am openly jealous of...see that white truck in the first frame? That is where I get to park when I visit. There is always a spot waiting for me in a city that stops people from visiting because of its shortage of parking. The second frame is one street over from my brother's apartment, could you just die? The third is on the corner across the street where he lives...nothing but meadow. Not fair. 

On my way home I decided to detour and take Altamont Pass Road. Instead of going through the Altamont, I drove somewhat around it. Without wasting much time, I was given a completely different view of the pass. 

That was my Sunday...in a nutshell. 

At least I showered...

I made a pot of coffee. I did all the laundry in the house. I watched some West Wing but not the Price is Right this morning (sorry G). I cleaned out the back of the truck from the Float and Bloat. I took a shower today. That's about it. I thought about writing for a couple of hours. I thought about going to the gym this morning. I thought about taking the dog for a walk. I thought about starting my french lessons. I thought about making some lemonade but that would have meant that I would have had to go to the store to get lemons. I thought about making that peach pie with the peaches from the neighbors house so that I would have something fun to blog about. None of the things I thought about doing ever made it to the point of things that actually got done. Instead I found some fun things to share.

I write like David Foster Wallace.

All the good men ARE taken.

This guy knocks it out of the park!
(via The Only Living Boy in New York)

Every month I say I am going to do the SF Cupcake Challenge. Last month's was alcohol. Who wants to make me commit to it?

After taking Another Great Cake Class, I really want to take the French Macaron Class from Baking Arts.

I need to make it to a Pick You Own Farm before the summer is over.

Oh yeah, I need to make these caramels too...one of these days.
(via Cupcakes and Cashmere)

Float and Bloat

I live in the Central Valley of California and because of this I am lucky to live a day's trip from almost anywhere in the state. A couple hours to San Francisco, half a day to Los Angeles, a few hours to the central coast...anything is within reach for me. One of my favorite things to do is to get lost in the foothills to my east. About 15 minutes from where I live is the tiny, tiny town of Knight's Ferry. There is one main street, one bar, only a couple of little restaurants and not much else but breathtaking views. The pride and joy of the town is their historic covered bridge. Finished in 1857, the covered bridge boasts the record for the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi. Growing up close to Knight's Ferry, one of the summer rituals was to pack up a two man raft, an ice chest and some sunblock; call up a group of your best friends, and head east to 'float' down the river. From the drop off in Knight's Ferry to Oakdale it is an all day float. Along the way you will see small rapids, cows that walk up to the water, Lover's Leap, and tall hills that make you feel that you have stumbled upon a secret spot in the universe. For the more brave (or lubricated) at heart, there are cliffs that jut strait up that you can dive from (although I am sure its frowned upon). Consumption of alcohol is legal but discouraged by Sunshine Rafting, the professional rafting company that charters group trips. Because the Mr., myself and all of our friends enjoy the consumption of alcohol we pack up enough 'Stones to survive the trip. When we drink we get a little clever. That is how we came up with the name, Float and Bloat.

Palm Springs

Sorry for the delay again but this time I had a legitimate excuse. I denied myself computer access for 5 days while I rested and relaxed in beautiful Palm Springs. My best friend celebrated his 30th birthday in style and rented out an entire commune (what seemed to be anyway) for 4 days. We stayed at the Blue Belvedere in what is known as the Movie Colony. During its heyday, the Movie Colony of Palm Springs was a getaway to such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the rest of the Rat Pack. We all had the best time and the whole vacation seemed surreal. I think I lived in the saltwater pool for 3 days strait with my only worries being reapplying sunscreen and refilling my cocktails.

Second Anniversary

In May the Mr. and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. We were (and still are) a little strapped for cash but I was desperate to get out of town. After much research, I found some great deals for Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is about two and a half hours from where we live and makes a perfect place for a weekend getaway. We loaded the car, dropped the dog of at the sitters (my dad and stepmom) and headed out. One of my favorite things early in this trip was that my favorite traveling radio station came in clear for a very long time. The Greatest Hits of All Time (formally 'Oldies') 97.5 KABX out of Merced California. I remember listening to this station as a little kid and memorizing all the hits from Buddy Holly, The Monkeys, Elvis, and the Beetles to name a handful. Things have changed in the past few years. The other morning I turned to the station only to find myself listening to Hall and Oates ('Maneater'??? Really??? C'mon!). At least they still have some redeeming qualities like Breakfast with the Beetles on Sundays, recordings of The Wolfman Jack Show and repeats of Casey Casem's American Top 40.

Halfway to our destination, in Hollister, is Casa de Fruta. I have passed this fruit stand many times on my way to Santa Cruz and have never stopped before. We were in no hurry so we pulled off the freeway and took a walk around.

This is the outside...(click pic to enlarge) 

...and this is the inside. 

What really sold us was the free wine tasting. We were allowed to sample two different varietals. I think I chose a sparkling white and a Pinot Noir. I remember thinking that both were ok but nothing really to write home about. I can't remember what the Mr. chose but I know that one of them was their Pomegranate Wine. That one was really good, so good that we bought a bottle to toast with that evening. 

We arrived at the Best Western Capitola-by-the-Sea Inn and Suites. I chose this hotel because of the discounts and freebies it had to offer. By choosing this hotel we were both able to go to Roaring Camp Railroads for free. The staff was very friendly and helpful over the phone and at check in. There were even fresh baked cookies waiting for us in the lobby. During our one night stay, we took advantage of the outdoor hot tub, pool and the continental breakfast in the morning. The breakfast included fresh fruit, very good coffee, an assortment of pastries, bagels, and toast; juice (I went back several times for the guava juice...it was sooo good), milk, tea, cereals, and my husband's favorite part, there was a 'make your own' waffle station.

After dropping off our things at the hotel we drove to the Santa Cruz Pier. It wasn't quite tourist season yet so there was plenty of parking on the actual pier. We walked around and watched the fisherman. We listened to the sea lions below the pier bellow at us and flap their fins. From a second floor wine cafe we were able to people watch while we took advantage of a half price happy hour. The weather was perfect and the views were priceless. After finishing our wine we walked the pier as the sun was setting. Very romantic!

For dinner we headed back to Capitola. I won't go into how disappointed we were in the restaurant (Sorry Stockton Bridge Grill) but the view was great, the service was ok, it was getting late and we were starving. Walking along the Esplanade we spotted a dog tie up that made us miss our own Sadie very much. After dinner we went back to the hotel, called the desk to see if they had a wine opener (the did!!) and headed to the hot tub with our Pomegranate Wine poured into plastic cups. 

The next morning we got up early, took advantage of the easy checkout over the phone in our room and headed to Roaring Camp Railroads. I am glad that we took advantage of the free tickets because I don't think that the Mr. and I would have ever considered this. This stop ended up being one of my favorite things that we did that weekend. On our train was a dog named Sugar and she was very well behaved so we didn't mind. This made us miss our own pup again. The tour was guided by Conductor Kent who was very friendly and knowledgeable. It started to warm up but not for us because along the way we were protected by huge and ancient redwoods.

Next on our list was the famous Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. This is a place that I had always intended on going to but never made it a priority. The cost was very reasonable and because we went before the tourist season started, we were able to tour it in a very small group. It was just the right amount of strange for the price that we paid.

After a quick stop at the local Costco (to get discounted all day passes) we finally made it to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I remember spending lots of time here when I was a kid. Because the season hadn't properly started and it was a Tuesday (I think), hardly any of the rides were open. The Giant Dipper was and I kept my eyes closed the entire time I was on it. For some reason, roller coasters aren't as fun as they used to be. After riding the rides and lunching on garlic fries, the Mr. and I played a round of miniature golf in Neptune's Kingdom where I let him win, but only by one stroke. We had free passes for the bowling alley across the street but had no luck using them because there was a tournament and they weren't letting anyone else play. After exhausting all of our free fun, we headed home happy, tired and in love.