San Clemente Beach House April 2016

Dana Point/San Clemente 

March 31-April 3, 2016

A quick drive south on the 405 to a beautiful paradise we had never seen before. Just south of Dana Point in San Clemente is one of the only private road beach front homes in California. The houses were once small wood beach houses with plenty of bedrooms and a nice wood deck. Now they have become $9 million mega mansions.


Through a friend we were gifted 2 nights at one of the original homes tucked almost comically between 2 vast beach palaces. Small living room and kitchen but with 5 bedrooms and the pacific ocean as the backyard. Waves crashing and sun shining on the blue water with no one in sight on this very private beach. 

So we sunned and waked and sunned and toasted and walked some more. We listened to music and read and dozed and let the sun pass over and into sunset position where we stood and kissed and applauded the moment.

Dinner was wonderful at South of Nicks, I do like to put Yelp to use and with some careful criteria we are rarely disappointed and this was very good. Back to our "beach house" for a night of sleep and the Amtrak that zooms by across the street. A little incongruous with the sounds of crashing waves but it stopped around 2am and we chalked it up to the price of coastal paradise.



Friday we drove about 15 minutes north to Dana Point to hop on a whale watching tour. It didn't take 15 minutes to see our first of several whales that day along with a mom and baby heading migrating north. Back to San Clemente for lunch then picked up some Trader Joe's sunset essentials including but not limited to wine and cheese. We brought home some nice burgers and sourdough and put them on the grill later for dinner. T can always make dinner from virtually nothing, amazing. So in summary, wine cheese, sunset, bbq and farewell to another day in paradise.

Saturday was NCAA playoff day, March madness in full swing. So we greeted the early sun on the beach with a walk and then created breakfast on the grill. Mimosa's combined well with our breakfast. We laid in the sun for a few hours, to fully digest of course, then together on the sofa for NCAA and nap and NCAA all night.

Another Yelp find led us to a crowded but comfortable Salt Creek Grille. Delicious food in a warm welcoming setting it was a nice finish to a day filled with simply laying by the ocean. All day. Paradise.


Sunday morning back on the grill for sourdough and tomatoes and delicious things once again concocted by Chef T. We soaked in our last day and watched the fog roll back and forth just off the coast. Then it rolled in. And it was time to go. We cleaned the house top to bottom to leave it nice for our wonderful benefactor. (Emily's bf Dashel's Mom was renting the place)





Back in the car for a quick ride north from this amazing new beach paradise. The one with the pacific in the backyard and the train in the front yard. Now on our drive to San Diego (more on that soon since this entry is being produced 7.21.16) we point to the west and lay claim to "our beach house".

 
 

San Francisco March 2016

San Francisco 

March 5-8, 2016

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A birthday trip to our happy place and to finally see Alcatraz after cancelling on our last visit. Thanks Southwest #LUVSWA.

After arriving at the comfortable and beautiful Marriott Marquis, #MarriottRocks, we had to check our bags until the room was ready. Gold Rewards Membership has great privileges at this property. We knew the room we were waiting for would be worth it!



Down Market street to the Ferry Building Marketplace  for a stroll among the ever increasing number of new places.


But Hog Island calls and we got in line. Always a long line that moves quickly enough to allow appropriate amounts of people watching and table food delivery to increase the desire. Lunch was great and the rain came.

Reservations forced us to head straight to the Alcatraz boat without the gear we packed. Not a big deal. The more rain and more wind and rain with wind.


 First time I had an umbrella blow inside out. We followed the fascinating and a little creepy  audio tour.   And we were out of the rain, for the moment.   The march back to the boat was enough to appreciate the isolation and ferocity of this place, and we weren't even inside the gates. Inside the boat we found seat against a wall under cover and sat soaked for the ride back across the bay. And what a ride it was! The lights on the shoreline we going up past the window then down past the window when a big swell hit and knocked many passengers to the ground. People were screaming and the Titanic was only crossing a bay. Back on terra firma we appreciated the misery that must have been Alcatraz residency in a very small way.

Now we longed for our SF home at the Marquis to dry off and rest from a day of travel and adventure. We entered a spectacular suite and relaxed over a cocktail. With no desire to go back in the rain I ran across the street to Super Duper Burger for a burger split and comfort food made to order


Another first was finally buying a Clipper card. This is a must have if you plan on using the reliable and everywhere transit in SF. Growing up in LA LA land doesn't give one much transit chops and it took too long to commit to the beep and go card. Bart, Muni, buses, almost all of it.

Sunday morning we walked across the plaza outside to Mass at St. Patrick's. Then we walked and walked heading through the hoods and landing in Chinatown for lunch at House of Nanking.     We had heard a chef talk about it on one of the various cooking shows and though we would explore. Mistake. Not good. We found the fortune cookie company we had seen years ago and watched the process of machine and hands make thousands of little messaged stuffed treats. We bought some so as to not just gawk and obeyed the sign announcing $5 for photo.

Back to California street and up the hill on the cable car for the typically less crowded and pretty views on this SF landmark. We found a bar on our list of to do's called The Big Four. Classic, old school leather and brass bar dedicated to the titans of Industry who built the Central Pacific Railroad, Huntington, Crocker, Hopkins, Stanford. We enjoyed nice cocktail and table snacks while perusing the beautiful room and historic artifacts.

Frogs, Chinatown market

Back to the Marquis for a break anticipating our reservation at Zuni Cafe. It's all about the chicken. Order it, share it and well, pay a lot for it. But its a full meal to easily share so a good value of truly fantastic food.

Monday we moved hotels due to a convention to the Courtyard on 2nd. Nice welcoming place with great staff and not far from the ballpark. Another first today at the 16th Avenue tiled steps. This place combines a great workout with panoramic views of Outer Sunset and the ocean. once at the top views of the city unfold. A long walk back down the hood kept going until we reached Golden Gate Park and to an old standy Cha Cha Cha in Haight Ashbury. The sangria is good and we could catch the bus out front after lunch and head to Dolores Park. Another first visit to this SF overlook park, we walked across and caught the J train at the corner of the park around the city the other way to explore then changing to the N at the end of the line back into the city. We headed over to a favorite watering hole, Hops and Hominy. Another great day exploring the city.

Our final day we explored the new multi billion dollar transit center and massive office tower that will be a new mark on the skyline. It is like seeing the future being built. We met Bun Bun the Corgi then jumped on the F car to the wharf and walked up to Buena Vista for a world famous Irish Coffee. A "warm" way to start the day of exploring. From there to the historic Molinari Deli for a sandwich. Tightly clutching the bag of heaven we bused back to the Marquis for lunch then Bart back to OAK.

3 days filled with adventure, walking and enjoying this fantastic city. We will see you soon SF!