Santa Cruzin'

Visits to Santa Cruz are always so nostalgic for me. As a young girl, I spent weekend after weekend fishing with my dad and spending time with family. Although many things have changed over the last few years, many things remain the same.

Marini's still exist! The best spot for all of your candy cravings (plus ice cream, chocolate covered fruits, hot cocoa and novelty items). Everyone can find something to satisfy their tastebuds here. I was a bit upset when we walked pass Carniglias (to-go) only to find out that they don't sell their amazing calamari & chips (fish, clams, etc.) any longer. So, of course, with empty stomachs we we wasted no time and headed over to The Dolphin at the end of the wharf, home to a few sea lions, and ordered a feast. For lunch, we dined on calamari & chips, clam chowder in a bread bowl and crab cocktail. Our meal was great, except for the fact that we had to fend off seagulls every 5 minutes :(

After The Dolphin, we made our way to the Boardwalk which was surprisingly packed with people. I could've sworn a little birdie told me they were going bankrupt. Perhaps the crowd was due to the holiday weekend. We didn't go on any rides (ticket lines were long), however, we managed to play games and win prizes.

Overall, we had a great time just eating and people watching.

Cinco de Mayo!

Who: Me, Caroline and my new friends Hannah, Justin, Dustin and Jay
Why: Cinco de Mayo Happy Hour!
Where: Tres Agaves on 2nd & Townsend in SF - SOMA

I was planning on going straight home after work today, but I couldn't refuse an invitation to a Cinco de Mayo happy hour. So, I made my way over after work and met up with the masses that packed into the beer & margarita garden at Tres Agaves. I don't know how this place is on a normal night, but yesterday it was a blast.

They served great food, drinks and they even had a mariachi band and dj. The only downside would probably be that they had no drink specials! However, I did hear that they have a great happy hour on Giants game days from first pitch to last. Check it out - it's also a great place to go to before or after a game since it's right next to the ballpark.

Unfortunately - none of us had a camera.

SF Bay Museum Mission: de Young

[February 2009]

Who: Craig & I

Where: de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park

Why: Never been and wanted to check out the YSL & Warhol exhibits

Price: about $10 a person for regular admission, but $16 each (if you have your college id card) and want entrance into the special exhibits - your ticket is also good for same day admission into the Legion of Honor

When we first arrived, we weren't happy about the crowds. We also had to wait in line in the pouring rain just to get indoors and go through security check. We had to wait again once we got inside just to pay for admission. Then, once we paid for admission, they made us wait in line yet again because they don't allow people to walk around holding an umbrella so we had to check it in.

Once we got pass the waiting, we strolled through the Andy Warhol exhibit and loved it. I've always been so amazed with his life so it was very interesting to finally see his real works of art, video footage and pictures of the infamous factory. The YSL exhibit was sooooo crowded I couldn't find it in me to walk through the entire thing, but I did learn something new about how he revolutionized the fashion world. He helped liberate women by introducing more masculine articles of clothing and making it okay to go from dresses to pant suits/ tuxedo jackets.

If you want to check out either of these, Warhol just started on the 14th and YSL has been going on since sometime during Fall 08 and should be ending fairly soon. There was also another interesting display of artwork as seen below. This is just one of the few that showed the artist's views on religion. You're looking at a mausoleum made with guns and bullets. The artist believed that religion has hurt more people than it has helped people. Such powerful statements these made.

The de Young also has an observation tower that gives you a 360 view of the city/ Golden Gate Park. Unfortunately, there was an overcast when we went so the view didn't impress me much.

SF Bay Sightseeing Mission: Cable Car

[February 2009]





Who: Craig & I
Where: From Embarcadero to Van Ness & California
Why: I've never taken a ride on an SF cable car (the only moving monument)
Price: $5 for a one-way ride



I can't believe how excited I was to ride on this thing. Since I've never rode on a cable car and we needed to be at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse for a reserv ation (the trolley stops right in front of this place) we thought it'd be the most convenient was for us to get form point A to point B. Although the price of $5 is a bit steep for a one-way ride, it was worth the convenience and experience. The ride from Embarcadero takes you down California while passing by sights like Chinatown and the Nob Hill area. Whether you're new to the city or revisiting tourist attractions (like me!), this is one of the best ways to check out San Francisco.

SF Museum Mission: Cal Academy of Sciences

Who: Me, Kristi, Matt, Ethan & Sofia
What: Cal Academy of Sciences
When: Sunday, September 21, 2008
Why: They became members and had the opportunity to preview the museum before it's grand opening date and they let me tag along :)
Where: Accross from the De Young at @ Golden Gate Park
Cost: Thanks to my sister it was FREE, but normal price is $24.95 and $19.95 for students (yes, the price went up!)

CAS is the only place in the world with a planetarium, aquarium and natural history museum all under one roof. In addition, this place also has a 3-story rainforest exhibit, penguins and a rooftop garden or "Living Roof." I appreciated the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit. I imagine this place to get packed for the next few months since it's grand opening is this weekend, but if you can go during a weekday I recommend it. I'll definitely be back to get the full experience of the planetarium.

Check it out:

SF BAY Sightseeing Mission: SF Maritime National Historic Park

[September 2008]

Who: w/ Caroline & Justin R.
What: SF Maritime NHP
When: Saturday, September 13
Where: Hyde Street Pier (accross from the cable car pickup on Bay)Why: because it's free (except to go on the vessels) & it was too nice of a day to be indoors


"Stand on the stern of Balclutha, face west to feel the fresh wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. Located in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history." I've been living in the BAY forever and this was my first visit. It's weird that I never even knew this place existed until recently. It's near Pier 39 and with all the tourists/street acts it's easy to miss. It's such a nice quiet area. We grabbed coffee and took a stroll through the park and I have to admit, though I don't really have an interest in 19th century ships it's still a cool place to check out.

Tip: it's free entry, you pay around $5 for a tix to be able to walk on all of the ships, go on a sunny day, parking is limited and go with someone who appreciates doing random things.

SF Bay Sightseeing Mission: Muir Woods

[August 2008]

What: Muir Woods National Monument
Who: Me, Kristi, Matt, Joseah, Nasri, Ariel, Caroline R., Ethan
Where: Marin County
Cost: $3 shuttle ride, $5 entrance fee

Sunday morning I was able to drag Caroline and Ariel with us to the Muir Woods. That morning, none of us knew what we were in for so unfortunately, we were a bit unprepared with our designer jeans on and non-hiking shoes.

Shortly after our arrival, we discovered what we were in for: 554 acres of forested area populated by Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), one of the last remaining stands in the immediate SF Bay.

"One hundred fifty million years ago ancestors of redwood and sequoia trees grew throughout the United States. Today, the Sequoia Sempervirens can be found only in a narrow, cool coastal belt from Monterey to Oregon."

Here are a few photographed highlights - you must check out the Muir Woods for yourself. We're already planning our 2nd trek. This time, we'll be more prepared.

SF Museum Mission: MOMA, Museum of Modern Art

[August 2008]

What: SF MOMA
Who: Me & Caroline E.
Where: 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard Streets)Cost: $12.50 General Admission, $7 Student (good thing I still have my ID), $5 for Frida Kahlo exhibit

Yesterday I started off my SF museum mission with the MOMA. Why a museum mission? Well, I've been living/working in the SF Bay Area for years and realized that I've only been to a few museums here and MUST see them all. I'm also on this whole educating myself, becoming more worldy, taking in my surroundings, experiencing every bit of SF, not being lazy tip.

So, that brings me back to the MOMA. The featured exhibits were Frida Kahlo, Lee Miller and Contemporary Chinese Art from the Logan Collection. My favorite of the 3 was Frida Kahlo. I knew little about her (I've never experienced a book nor did I see the movie) prior to this visit, but I walked away with a wealth of information and the enthusiasm to learn more about her.

In Frida's lifetime (47 years) she became one of the most influential Mexican painters. The majority of the exhibit included her self portraits and in addition to the paintings were actual photographs of her life and marriage to Diego Rivera.My favorite piece in the exhibit is The Two Fridas. This was done during the time of her first divorce (yes, there was more than 1) to Diego Rivera.

The painting shows two different Fridas. To the right is the Frida that her husband loved and married. She holds a locket with him pictured inside as a young boy. Her heart is still whole. The Frida to the left has a damaged heart and she cuts the line connecting both hearts with a pair of scissors.

If you care to see this exhibit, it will be there til the end of September, I believe. I think I'll netflix Frida now.

SoCal

We waited in line for 45 minutes just to get hotdogs at Pinks. They were yummy, but 45 minutes??!!?? I'll come back someday, but definitely not on a weekend.

I had the Chili Bacon dog and Craig had the Mulholland Dr. dog.

Always a good time at Disneyland

Highway 1

[August 2008]

Highway 1 is truly a scenic route down the California coast. Although this route almost doubles your travel time to Southern California, the picturesque views are well worth it. Here are a few photos to tickle your fancy - We took the route from the northern coast and ended in the south:

Off the coast near Big Sur

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

Morro Bay Rock

Santa Monica

Jamaican Me Crazy Mon!

[July 2008]

What: Jamaica vacation
Who: Me, Craig and his Mom's side of the fam
When: July 10 - 15Where: Montego Bay, Jamaica - Rose Hall Resort
Why: R&R plus Cheryl & Dean's Wedding

Jamaica is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could've stayed longer!!! I always thought I loved visiting cities where I can explore ruins, architecture, museums moreso than relaxing beachy vacations since love being on the go. Not to say that I don't like beachy vacays cause I loooove the beach - but this trip was a blast. We were able to get adventure and relaxation in one trip. I really needed it and feel so much more refreshed now that I'm back. Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure: