Top 10 Things to See in Chicago

Now that I live in Chicago - a city so many people love to visit - I’m asked often what I recommend to do and see while here. So I decided I would just put my list right here on my blog so when asked I can just send out the link! Of course this is all my opinion - but I do know quite a bit about Chicago. Let me state right now I am NOT a foodie. So this is not a list of the best restaurants to be sure and visit. Plenty of resources available to find that out like Yelp. So the extent of my food advice is to be sure and try deep dish pizza. Chicago invented it so there are many great places to try it with multiple locations - so pick one closest to you like the one you just walked by😂 Also try an Italian beef sandwich - also quite famous in Chicago and not to be confused with a Philly cheese steak - totally different! A number of great places to get one - but make sure it’s a place that just does beef sandwiches - not a restaurant that happens to have Italian beef on the menu. Don’t ask for cheese. Your only decision is should they add peppers and if you want it extra juicy ask them to dip it. Your life will forever be changed🤗

Now for my list:

• The Architectural Boat Tour. Chicago is considered to be the most architecturally significant city in the US - thanks to the Chicago Fire of 1871. The whole city burned down and so new Architects and ideas were welcomed with open arms. DO THE BOAT TOUR! I think the best one is done by the Chicago Architectural Center located right on the southeast corner of Michigan Ave. and E. Wacker Dr. That is where the Chicago River crosses Michigan Ave. It’s a bit pricey but worth it. 90 minutes with people that really know their information and are excited to share it with you. And there is no better way to see the buildings than from the water. Look for the blue awning at 112 E Wacker. For an additional $5 you can visit the Chicago Architectural Center right across the street and your ticket to visit is good 7 days before or after your boat tour so you can return and do it a different day. You won’t regret it. I have recommended it to so many people and 100% say it was their favorite thing. And if you don’t really care about architecture it’s still a great boat ride! The boats are very busy during the summer so it’s wise to book your ticket online in advance. The website is architecture.org

• Visit Millennium Park. Take a picture holding up what everyone calls the bean. The actual name is Cloud Gate and the artist is Anish Kapoor. So much more to see than just the bean so take some time and walk around. It’s a great place to get some food and sit on a bench and people watch. If you have kids let them play in the fountains. Totally free. Enjoy!

• Visit the Cultural Center which is right across the street from Millennium Park. A gorgeous building that opened in 1897 as Chicago’s first central library and often referred to as the People’s Palace. A spectacular building that has the largest Tiffany Dome in the world. I’ve been to the Taj Mahal and on the inside that’s what it reminds me of. The mosaic is incredible. The top floor which used to be the reading room usually has some kind of cool exhibit. It’s all free and open from 10-5 seven days a week. If you like seeing large Tiffany installations walk over to Macy’s (used to be Marshall Fields) on State St between Washington and Randolph and see the largest Tiffany Vault in the world right above the cosmetics department. (And you can still buy Frango Mints there too!)

• Visit a museum. Or two. Or three. We have so many great ones. A few of the most popular are the Art Institute, the Field Museum, the Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Planetarium. And most of those are really in close proximity. They are world class museums and there are so many smaller ones that are fantastic as well. One of my new favorites is the Driehaus Museum which is located just a few blocks west of Michigan Ave on E Erie St. This was the home of a very wealthy banker built in 1883 and has been meticulously restored and is an explosion of art, architectural and design of the late 19th-century with a focus on the Gilded Age. Check the website for hours it is open.

• Walk up and down Michigan Ave. Do some window shopping or actual shopping. There are many high end stores but also affordable cool places to buy yourself a nice souvenir of your trip. At the north end you will see the only two buildings left standing post Chicago Fire. One is the Water Tower and it’s very cool. Just north of it is the Water Tower high rise shopping center. Even if you don’t like coffee consider a stop at the Starbucks Roastery on the SW corner of Michigan Ave and E Erie St. It’s the largest Starbucks in the world and has great food, cocktails and really excellent coffee with a huge roastery right in the center. But if there is a big line to get in which is not unusual on a weekend in the summer I would skip it.

• Weather permitting take a walk up or down the lake. Don’t miss the Clarence F. Buckingham Fountain - one of the largest fountains in the world. Installed in 1927 it operates from early May until mid October. On the hour there is a 20 minute major water display and at dusk it is accompanied by lights and music. The lakefront is beautiful and you can walk for miles. In the warm weather tons of boats out and if that’s your thing you can rent boats and join the fun.

• Navy Pier is also worth a stop. Tons of restaurants and one of the best views of the skyline you could hope to see. There is a huge Ferris wheel that also gives you a bird’s eye view of the city. I’m not a huge fan of heights but the cars are large and enclosed so even I felt comfortable. During the summer months they do a wonderful fireworks show one or sometimes two nights a week. Check their website for details.

• Chicago has a fantastic array of theaters, Broadway Shows, concerts and live music in any genre you prefer. Also Second City which is a very famous Improv Theater located in Old Town that started the careers of many comedians that ended up on Saturday Night Live. Check out their website and get ready for a fun night of laughter. You will be laughing at the comedians and there is a chance they might be laughing at you! If sports is your thing than all kinds of professional teams to get tickets to see too.

• If you’re feeling the need to get away from the skyscrapers and enjoy nature head north of North Ave to Lincoln Park. A large and beautiful park that has a free zoo and lagoons, places for picnics and great views of the skyline.

• Last but not least more architecture! If you prefer to be on land and not water the Chicago Architectural Center offers a multitude of walking tours with very knowledgeable guides. Quite a number of them right in the downtown area with different themes typically starting right at the center located on Michigan Ave and E Wacker Dr.

Bonus Suggestion: Take the Green Line (the elevated train - known as the L) out to Oak Park and tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Wright is considered to be the most important American architect from the late 19th to the mid 20th century and his home and studio - where it all began - is open 7 days a week from 9AM till 5PM for tours. Oak Park has the largest number of Wright homes of anywhere in the world and while you can only get inside the home and studio you can see the others from the outside. So if that’s of interest it’s an easy and fast trip to get out there.

And now for pics of some of the things I suggested. Just because it’s fun to see pictures🤗

I hope you find this information helpful if you’re planning to come visit the beautiful amazing city of Chicago. Is there crime here? Well yes there is just as pretty much every city in the US. But in my experience it’s a bit blown out of proportion by the press. That being said use good judgement. Wear a crossbody small bag in front of you with just your essentials and don’t wear your biggest most expensive jewelry. Always be aware of your surroundings. Just common sense. Happy travels!

Final Week - Santa Barbara❤️

My first time in Santa Barbara and I loved it! So beautiful sandwiched in between the ocean and the mountains. In one day you can do both - and we did! I estimate it is about a three and a half hour drive from Newport Beach - a two hour drive north of LA depending on traffic. Deidre and I had rented an AirBNB there, but couldn’t check in till 3PM so decided to stop for lunch in Ventura on the way. It was a pretty sunny day so we had lunch right on the wharf at a local restaurant recommended to us called Brophy Bros. We had great clam chowder and salads and then decided to walk out to the beach. Have you heard of the Channel Islands? I had not, so was blown away by what I learned post lunch. There are eight islands off the coast of Southern California and they are part of our National Park system. Four are quite close to Ventura and Santa Barbara and the other 4 further south. We stumbled into the information building right off the Ventura wharf and saw an awesome 25 minute movie about them narrated by Kevin Costner. You can watch it from their website and it’s fascinating. Uninhabited now, but considered to be the US version of the Galápagos Islands as far as animals and plants. You can take a boat out and visit for the day or even take camping gear and spend the night, but all need reservations made in advance. Once there you can hike and even rent kayaks and explore caves. I have added this to my list of things to definitely do on my next trip to the area.

We made it to our AirBNB and it was definitely high up in the mountains. An awesome view but quite the windy road to get there. Poor Deidre in the passenger seat! The hotels in Santa Barbara are quite pricey even in this what is considered off season - and there are restrictions on AirBNB’s closer to downtown and the water so we knew we would be about a 10 to 15 minute drive from downtown. It was great as it was super quiet and quite a view at sunrise of the ocean.

The day was perfect until we got into Santa Barbara and then it got overcast and started to sprinkle. What to do that first night in the rain? Go see a play! The University of CA Santa Barbara has a great theater department and Deidre found a play called She Wolf that had just opened. We called to get tickets but they said they were sold out but if we came early they would try to get us in. So we did…and they did! We got to see a bit of the campus as we drove around trying to figure out where to park and it looked like a great place to go to school. The play was very interesting. A modern twist on Queen Margaret. Who says I can’t be spontaneous?😂

We had three full days in SB so our plan was to spend the first day in the downtown area seeing all the history and gorgeous architecture, trying some of the famous area wine and getting some delicious food. We accomplished all our goals. You can take what is called the Red Tile Walking Tour (self guided) by either down loading it or picking up a map in the Tourist Office in the Court House where the tour originates, or down closer to the wharf at the TI in the Funk Zone. We picked up a paper copy at the Court House, and if you only see one thing in SB it should be the Court House. Spectacular! We spent at least an hour there as there is so much to see. And you can go up in the tower and see the area in all four directions. They have free guided tours twice a day but we missed the 10AM one so just explored on our own.

Another great thing about the walking tour is that it takes you through the whole downtown so whenever you’re hungry there are plenty of places to eat. Bakeries always call my name loudly so when we walked by Andersen Restaurant and Bakery I just had to stop. We got chicken vegetable soup and shared a veggie sandwich so that we would have room for dessert. So many delicious options! Such a cute place and the people working there were lovely. In fact they gave us a dessert to share! That’s a pic of me so happy because I’m eating something sweet!

We took our time on the tour stopping at various cute shops that looked interesting or fun in between seeing the historic buildings. The SB Historical Museum was worth a good look and it’s free so we enjoyed seeing the various exhibits giving us some great information about the early years and the people that were integral to Santa Barbara becoming the beautiful town it is.

Now what about all that wine we’ve been hearing so much about? Head to the Funk Zone! That’s just one of the areas downtown where you have many choices to taste the local wines. We decided the SB Wine Collective looked good so decided to each try a wine flight. I like whites and Deidre likes reds. We were helped by a very knowledgeable bartender and each got to try 4 wines. Then we discussed which ones we liked best and even which labels and names were our favorites. Very fun.

Now for dinner. We had read about a place called The Lark so gave it a try. Wonderful! Definitely so memorable. Everything is meant to share which was perfect for us. A friend of Deidre’s was meeting us so we ordered a few things knowing if we needed more food we could just order more. I did a terrible job of snapping food pics - actually didn’t take any so you’ll just have to trust me that it was great. A kale salad, brussel sprouts, pimento toast and Italian doughnuts for dessert. They were way fancier than my humble description but all so delicious. Inside they have big community tables so great for a group. We sat outside and it was a lovely patio with flowers and lots of heat lamps and fire pits. Number one on my list when I return. We didn’t have a reservation but got there fairly early and they seated us but during a busier time I would recommend a reservation for sure.

Day Two. The plan was to head out and drive through the wine country and stop at a few of the darling towns just 45 minutes from Santa Barbara. First stop was Solvang which if you woke up there you might think you had been transported while you slept to Denmark. So adorable and so many amazing bakeries! They even have a windmill. I twisted Deidre’s arm to make a stop for coffee and a pastry. The pastries were big so we shared one. I wish I had one right now!

We decided to head to Los Olivos which was just 5 miles away and seemed from our research to be great also. We were not disappointed. Totally different than Solvang - quite a bit smaller and more artsy and has 30 wine tasting spots! 30! It was hard to decide since they all looked great so we basically just finally stopped and said this one. Ended up with wine from Larner and split a sandwich from Panini next door. Done!

We found Deidre’s favorite wine AND label from the wine flight the night before so here she is pointing to it.

Things we didn’t know. Michael Jackson’s Neverland Castle is just 5 miles from Los Olivos. I guess I just assumed it was closer to LA. A woman in a store in Solvang told us we should go there so we thought since we are so close why not? Well we went so you don’t have to. All you can see is the gate and there is a guard so they don’t let you park in the drive. But he was nice and said we could park on the road and take pictures. I assume someone else owns it now. So here you go! The gate to Neverland. People write on the stones and leave messages for Michael. We did not. RIP MJ💙I did like his music.

Is that enough for one day? Not even close! We headed back to Santa Barbara to visit the Art Museum. It’s open from 5-8PM on Thursday nights and it’s free. On the first Thursday of the month it’s really special and they have live music and entertainment. It pays to do some research. So we headed there and while it’s not a large museum it has some interesting pieces and a decent European collection for a small museum. And the live music was wonderful.

For dinner we decided to try La Super-Rica Taqueria. Reason being in the 7 travel books I read to get ideas for SB every single book recommended this restaurant. How could they all be wrong? And Deidre’s friend mentioned it as well as a legendary spot to be sure and try. So we did. First of all bring cash. They don’t take credit cards, and it’s not fancy. In fact I’m pretty sure it’s exactly the same as it was decades ago. Order at the window and they will call your number for pickup when it’s ready. Not a huge place to sit and eat and most people getting it to go. We deliberated over what to order and ended up ordering a beef taco, a marinated pork taco, a chicken breast with cheese on a tortilla and a side of rice and took it home and shared it all. The entire bill with tip was $17. It was very good. Not Lark good but still worth a stop. You don’t want to be the person who goes to Santa Barbara and doesn’t eat there right?

Now that was Day Two - on to Day Three. On our agenda - hiking, and everything else we hadn’t had a chance to do. You might have heard there was a lot of rain in CA in January. Emphasis on A LOT! We definitely could see evidence of many of the mudslides as we drove up to our place on the mountain, so many hiking trails are technically closed. The rule is kind of if there are no other cars parked at the trailhead you shouldn’t hike but if there are cars then go ahead and try it. The worst is that it will be muddy and you might have to turn around. We wanted to hike at Rattlesnake Canyon and the hiking sites said it was closed but when we got there we saw lots of cars so decided to give it a try. It was challenging but we took our time crossing the streams and getting through some mud on the climbs. Some really amazing views if you remember to look up frequently and enjoy where you are! We got really close to the end where you can either pull out the gear you brought to rock climb - or turn around and go back down. The majority of people we saw hiking had their gear with them and we definitely did not so when we got really close to the end and our choice was leap like a gazelle across the stones at the top of the waterfall to cross it and continue or turn around and go back we decided to use our heads and retreat. I have no regrets and I lived to write about it. Winning!

We hadn’t made it out to Stearns Wharf yet - so drove back downtown, parked and walked out on it. It’s a cool wharf and quite historic built originally in 1872 and the longest deep-water wharf between San Francisco and San Pedro. It is the oldest working wood wharf in California, and has a couple of restaurants, tourist shops, and a marine museum. We almost made a big mistake and ate on the wharf - but when we sat down at a restaurant that shall remain nameless the good samaritans sitting next to us said leave while you can - the food is terrible here! We looked around and noticed quite a bit of food left on tables almost untouched so we discreetly left and walked off the wharf and headed back into town. I’m sure not all the restaurants are bad, we just probably picked the wrong day for this place. We were craving one last meal of fish tacos and saw a cute place called Finney’s Crafthouse and Kitchen and decided to give it a try. It was great! Really delicious fish tacos and a chicken quesadilla that we shared.

We spent our last couple of daylight hours driving down the Main Street in Montecito, which is really part of Santa Barbara so very close, and walking down Butterfly Beach which is right across from the Biltmore Hotel and definitely is the nicest beach in Santa Barbara. I had read it was the best beach sunset in the area so that’s what we were hoping. Here you go!

Last meal was at a cute little wine bar back in downtown SB called Appertivo close to the Funk Zone. Just a nice glass of wine each and we shared a salad and pasta - perfect! Very tiny place but really great people.

We had an excellent time in Santa Barbara. Still lots of things to go back to do, see and eat. Thanks for being a great travel partner Deidre! I will be back!

Week 3 - Newport Beach!

Time to wrap up my time in Pacific Beach and head to Newport Beach for a few days with some great fun friends. Cheryl had arrived for the last few days to hang out with me in Pacific Beach at my AirBNB and it was fun to take her to all the fun spots I had discovered. The BEST fish tacos, ice cream, brunch and places to visit the seals and sea lions.

We picked up the rental car and decided to stop on the way to Newport to check out a donut shop I had read about that was supposedly legendary in Cardiff By The Sea. Is 30 miles too far to go for a donut? Nope! And it definitely did not disappoint. It was a Saturday and appeared that every human within a 15 mile radius was there in spite of the rain. Packed! But clearly not a first for the staff and they very efficiently kept the line moving. But what to get? We picked a cinnamon roll, a few donuts and some gorgeous cookies to share with the friends we were picking up in Newport. It is a beautiful town right on the coast but sadly due to the torrential rain we headed to Newport after the stop.

We stayed at the beautiful Marriott Newport Coast Villas and they were great. We had a two bedroom villa with a living room and full kitchen so plenty of room to spread out. It was chillier than normal but all the pools were heated to a very comfortable temperature and plenty of hot tubs which we managed to enjoy.

Sunday was a beautiful day so we wanted to make the most of it and did just that. Started out at Wilma’s Patio on Balboa Island for a delicious brunch. You might call those drinks Bloody Mary’s but we prefer to think of them as salads 😂

Then a walk all around Balboa Island. The homes are so cute and really sandwiched into every possible space and a beautiful harbor. Lots of cute shops and amazing landscaping.

After Balboa Island we headed to Inspiration Point. A beautiful spot in Corona Del Mar. A gorgeous point overlooking Newport Harbor and the beach. A great place to look at tide pools and dodge the waves. Oops one of the waves got Cheryl and the water was COLD! Love these ladies! We always have a great time when we are together💕

We had a fabulous dinner at Gulfstream in Corona Del Mar. Awesome fire-pits outside to have a nice glass of wine while waiting for your table. I love this picture of Harriett (second from left). She has the best laugh and it comes from her soul. She always says no one has it better than we do and she is right! I didn’t do a great job of taking pictures of our food. It’s a lovely restaurant but the lighting wasn’t conducive to great pictures - or more likely I’m just not a professional photographer so trust me the food was excellent. If you eat there I highly recommend the biscuits on the appetizer menu. Order twice as many as you think you can eat and you will finish them. And the roasted artichoke. Best ever! Everything we had was delicious and we each had a bite of the lemon meringue pie for dessert. One bite was all we had room for. Yumm!

We ended a great day in the hot tub! The next morning sadly it was raining again - but it didn’t deter us from our reservation at The Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. I have never visited this area without making sure to have breakfast there. So much history! There is an enclave of 46 vintage cottages that date back to the 1930’s that are being renovated by the California State Parks and the Crystal Cove Conservancy many of which you can rent out. The food is great at this little spot but reservations essential. Beignet appetizer to start! Why not?

Profile pics for everyone on this cool beach right in the tide pools. Clockwise starting top left: Cheryl, Deidre, me, Harriett. I have such great friends!

For our last night together we picked another awesome restaurant I have been to before - The Bungalow again in Corona Del Mar. We went for happy hour and ended up just making it our dinner place too. Shared a good bottle of Champagne and some yummy appetizers and sandwich specials and finished by sharing a dessert that was called butter cake - but was like a St Louis Gooey Butter Cake made better with ice cream and whipped cream. Yes even better!

That was it for our time together in Newport Beach. But my time in California was not over yet. We took Cheryl and Harriett to the airport and then Deidre and I headed up the coast to Santa Barbara. Girls Gone Wild Part Two! Well not really but check back soon as we did a lot there and had another great time!

San Diego Week Two

I’m starting to feel like a local! Another fun week here in Southern California. I have walked a ton of miles! It’s a reminder to me everyday of how fortunate I am to be in good health. I don’t take it lightly. There will come a day when I am not able - but today is not that day! So here are the highlights of places I have been this week.

I spent most of a day at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. It is located right next to the famous golf course but doesn’t overlap. It is almost 2000 acres and named after our nation’s rarest pine tree. Beautiful hiking trails with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, sandstone cliffs, natural vegetation and beach access. Some of the trails are fairly flat and easy to navigate but there are significant stairs and an uphill climb for others. Totally worth the time. I love this view of the trail to the beach.

That’s me standing on Flat Rock which is at the very southern end of the reserve. Not as easy as you might think to get up on it! Bottom left is the Torrey Pine tree.

From Flat Rock I headed south walking down the beach, and was a bit nervous that everyone else was heading back north. First thing I saw was a sign that said “Unstable Cliffs Stay Back”. Well my option was walk by the unstable cliffs or stay really close to the water and hope I didn’t get hit by a big wave. I had thankfully checked on the tide before concocting this plan and was assured it was low tide until later in the afternoon. At high tide there is no beach at all. My plan was to end up at the Cliff Hanger Cafe about a mile and a half down the beach and get a bite to eat while watching people much braver than I paragliding. So while I was definitely the only person on the beach I continued my trek. This is not an idol threat as just last week on the news in this exact area there was an area of cliff that crumbled onto the beach. Here is a picture of the unstable cliff I was walking by.

My next concern as I walked along under these cliffs was once I hopefully made it to the cafe up on the bluff, what if there is no way to get up the cliff? Well I could start to see the gliders in the sky above me so I knew I was close. I was looking intently to try and find a way up and finally spotted what appeared to be a set of stairs. The worst set of stairs ever! There was a sign at the stairs that said “Unstable Stay Back”. My question was is that the cliff or the stairs? Or both? But I had no choice so started to ascend. They were patched together with old tires, railroad stakes, broken slabs of concrete, and a very steep climb. I exhaled when I finally got to the top safely and lo and behold was exactly where I wanted to be at the cafe. Success! I had soup and a sandwich and it was fine but the food is really irrelevant. Sitting there watching people strap into what are basically kites and ascend is amazing. You can pay for a tandem ride and someone will take you up, but a lot of the people doing it had their own equipment and clearly knew what they were doing. Not something I aspire to do but very cool to see it up close. The Cliff Hanger Cafe is right behind the University of CA San Diego campus right above the ocean.

I spent another good part of a day at the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Considered to be the birth of San Diego the park contains restored and reconstructed buildings that are now museums, shops and restaurants that illustrate the community between 1821 and 1872. I specifically planned to go on a day when a free one hour walking tour was offered and really found that to be a huge contribution to my enjoyment of the park. The dates the tours are offered are listed on the website and the other benefit is that typically on those days areas that aren’t always open are available. For instance the Blacksmith Shop was open and had demonstrations happening all day. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting and we got to go into buildings that aren’t open if you’re there on your own. Only 18 people allowed on the tour so get there before as you need to sign up for it. Tour is at 11AM so arrive by 10:30 as a number of people after that were turned away.

I wandered into a number of the cute shops many of which had beautiful pottery from Mexico, candles, clothing, sweets, jewelry etc. There were a number of restaurants and so I decided to go with Casa De Reyes which my Uber driver had recommended. Not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had but it was fine - just soup and a side of beans and rice - but an outside space that was lovely and the staff couldn’t have been nicer.

After lunch I walked around the area and just happened upon Heritage County Park. As someone who loves architecture and historic homes I felt like I had hit a jackpot. San Diego County purchased the land in 1970 after concerned citizens realized that downtown’s rapid growth threatened the many fine Victorian homes with destruction. Private and public funds were used to acquire, move and restore these endangered Victorian structures. There are 7 structures in this park - 6 homes and Temple Beth Israel. In reading about each home I was struck by the dates of construction coinciding with the dates of the start of the career of Frank Lloyd Wright - an architect near and dear to my heart. It confirmed again how Wright was such a ground breaking architect and had such an impact on the evolution of an American style of architecture.

It’s not really a Patti Part Two adventure if there isn’t at least one stop at an art museum - so that was next on my list. I spent a couple of hours at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, and it vastly exceeded my expectations. I’m not an art of any kind expert, and even less so of contemporary art - but this is a really beautiful museum. It is a fabulous building that overlooks the Pacific Ocean right above the La Jolla Cove so that alone is worth a visit. The rooms overlooking the ocean have windows with breathtaking views so you see amazing art and then nature at its finest. It was so much larger than I expected and when talking to one of the employees and expressing how impressed I was she told me the museum had just reopened after a very large expansion making it five times larger than before. So if you have visited in the past it’s definitely worth another stop.

Now for some food I enjoyed this week. In my quest for the best fish tacos I think I found them. At the Fish Shop. Three locations in the San Diego area. The BEST! (Survey of one😬) Usually when you order fish tacos you don’t get to pick what kind of fish. Not here. They have 11 different kinds of fish always and sometimes even more. You can get your fish in a taco, salad, sandwich or on a plate. Don’t come looking for a burger here. You pick your fish, marinade, and then how you want it. Need a side with your fish? They have some great choices. Halibut in a taco with Fish Shop Seasoning in a flour tortilla please! Delicious! Going back again soon!

You say you want to eat breakfast at the beach? Try Woody’s! You can’t get any closer to the beach, and I’ve walked by it 20 times and it’s always busy. Breakfast or burger - that’s your choice. No inside dining. Boardwalk or roof. I went with Popeye’s Scramble. Eggs with spinach (duh!) mushrooms, onions and peppers. Delicious rosemary potatoes and an English muffin. Their slogan is “eat some breakfast, then change the world”. Well ok! A great place to people and surfer watch.

Another awesome place I ate at was Sugar and Scribe. A bakery and restaurant in downtown La Jolla. Open for breakfast and lunch and on a Sunday morning was a mob scene. One of the benefits of being a party of one is that sometimes they can squeeze you in asap if you’re willing to sit at a counter. And I was so got seated immediately for brunch. So many great things to choose from. Also an amazing coffee bar and the bakery items were gorgeous. I got another type of scrambled eggs with a side salad and incredible Irish toast that came with made from scratch blackberry jam. Also a delicious latte. Another spot I want to return to again. A number of their menu items were Irish but the decor was really more French to me. So pretty and a great outdoor space too.

Another cute bakery - The Olive Baking Company located just off the boardwalk in Pacific Beach. Touts their cinnamon rolls which were delicious but I also got a blueberry muffin that I liked even better. A large selection of sweet and savory kolaches as well.

The açaí bowl of the week was from Vili’s Health Bar. Equally as delicious as the one from the Ocean Cafe last week so not necessarily worth the extra $5 it cost. But I do love all their yellow decor. So cheerful.

Now just a few random pics. Walking down the street I noticed my first every tsunami sign. Unclear as to which way to run but I’m guessing away from the ocean?🤔

The view from one of the windows at the art museum overlooking La Jolla Cove. Spectacular!

The most adorable house ever in La Jolla that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Zoom in to see the pink hose hanging from the spigot and a glass gazebo filled with flowers on the inside. If I ever win the lottery (which first I would need to start buying tickets) I am going to buy this house. Magic💕

Sunset is even pretty on a cloudy day if it’s over the ocean. Thanks for coming along on my trip!

Solo San Diego

I totally love where I live 10 months of the year. Post holidays can be a long string of gray cold sometimes snowy days, so a change of scenery can help a lot. So I found what I hoped was a cute AirBNB in the San Diego area and headed out for some warmer weather and sunshine. The first couple of weeks I will be here by myself, and then later in the month I have friends coming out to share the fun. I was very pleased to get to my place and find it exactly as pictured - which is always a relief. Since I’m not renting a car till my friends arrive location was key. I’m just about a 10 minute walk to the beach and tons of cute restaurants and coffee shops close by in addition to at least 4 grocery stores. So far my feet have held up nicely and I have walked lots of miles. I frequently make the mistake of forgetting to turn around because there is always something right around the corner that I would hate to miss. Then I realize I have to walk back too! But if you have a cell phone Uber or Lyft is just a click away. I haven’t had to resort to that….yet!

Since I’m here for a number of weeks I don’t feel compelled to squeeze everything that I want to do into a short amount of time. So I’m having a good mix of activities and relaxation. Definitely taking a long walk along the beach everyday, and I’ve already eaten my share of fish tacos. So just going to post some pics of things I have done so far and some of the food I’ve eaten.

I spent a good chunk of a day at Balboa Park. It’s where the quite famous San Diego Zoo is located, but there is a whole additional area full of museums and gardens. Built in 1915 for the Panama-California Expo the architecture is Spanish Colonial Revival. Originally meant to be taken down after the event, but people loved it so much they reinforced many of the buildings and it stands to this day.

I visited the zoo many years ago, and since I’m not really a zoo person decided to focus on the gardens and museums. There is also a beautiful theater there called the Old Globe that is modeled after the Old Globe in London. I purchased a ticket a few weeks ago for the performance of “The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci” that is running now, so planned the day around that event. It was a beautiful day so I walked all over that area of the park and enjoyed the different gardens and some of the museums. The play was very interesting. All dialogue actually excerpts from the notebooks of a genius and artist. Different vignettes of topics Da Vinci wrote about. The set and actors were all incredible so I was glad I had made the effort to see it.

There is also a wonderful restaurant there called Prado. So pretty inside and the food was excellent. Fish tacos of course for me😂

Lots of beautiful gardens but this tree was amazing to me so just going to post one picture. The Japanese Garden was really cool too.

Another fun thing I did was take a kayaking guided tour of the La Jolla area. I love to kayak and also learn so this accomplished both goals. There were about 20 people in our group with two knowledgeable guides. We were on the water for about two hours so admittedly I was a bit sore the next day. My upper body is not used to paddling for that amount of time against the ocean waves, but the good news is that I didn’t capsize. I also didn’t bring my phone to take pics for fear of doing exactly that so you’ll just have to believe me that I did it. There are a number of different companies you can do this with and they were all similarly priced so I just picked this one. I did need to make a reservation and was glad I did because at least the time slot I picked was sold out. The water was pretty rough so we didn’t get to go into the cave. That was fine with me because crashing into a rocky cliff wasn’t on my bucket list and there was plenty to see outside the cave. This was the group that went out before us so just pretend I’m standing here with a life jacket and helmet on too.

Now for some fun food. I tend to like to eat out at lunch and just have something lighter for dinner which has worked out great here. So many cute places to try. More fish tacos. These are from the Pacific Beach Ale House. A cute place really close to the ocean with a nice rooftop deck. They were delicious. They came with a fantastic corn and black bean dish of wonderful.

Is it a trip to California without a few stops at IN-N-OUT? Not for me it’s not! One of the few places I enjoy a burger and fries. Ok and I did have a chocolate shake that day too. Treat yourself Tuesday! (Not sure it was Tuesday🤷🏼‍♀️)

Before the kayaking I headed to Scripps Beach and a place I had read about called Caroline’s Cafe. Overlooking the beach I had a fantastic tuna sandwich and salad. Eating and looking at the ocean never gets old.

A cute place in downtown La Jolla called The Cottage spoke to me so I had lunch there one day while browsing the cute stores in that area. Another beautiful day to eat outside.

Breakfast for lunch and a delicious scone to enjoy later.

If you know me at all then you know few things make me happier food wise than a good bakery or even better coffee shop/ bakery. The Wayfarer did not disappoint and I tried a ham and cheese croissant. Going back again soon to try the almond croissant.

In Hawaii I became obsessed with Açaí bowls so I’m on a quest here to see how the California ones stack up. First up the Ocean Cafe. Nothing fancy just the traditional açaí, granola, fruit and honey. This one was as good as the ones in Hawaii minus the sweet flower they put on it there.

On one or two of my walks I spent some time at the tide pools. Fascinating! Snails, anemones, tiny fish and who knows what else!

Lots of birds and animals we don’t routinely see in the Midwest. Like Pelicans!

Seals laying on the beach in La Jolla at the Children’s Pool. Actually was made for human children but the seals have taken over as a place to nurture their babies so humans can only observe from above now. That’s fair.

And Sea Lions! So many Sea Lions! Literally hundreds and they can make quite a racket. Seeing them get themselves out of the water and up on those rocks makes absolutely no sense. Their bodies are big and they have tiny flippers by contrast. They must be so strong and agile to accomplish it. Luckily the wind was blowing out to sea or might have been less pleasant to observe them.

So many beautiful beach and cove and wave pictures to choose from. I pick this one!

Someone with so much more patience and imagination made this cool sand labyrinth.

My best EVER sunset picture. No filter. Just in the right place at the right time. Feels exactly like my life right now. That’s week one. Hopefully I’ll do a few fun things this week too! Make it a great week for yourself💕 (Also today is Super Bowl Sunday. Eat some barbecue. GO CHIEFS❤️💛❤️)