a key west experience

So, this isn't exactly my first Key West experience, but the place keeps serving up new things making it feel surprisingly fresh every time.  Fortunately, they didn't get hit too particularly hard by the hurricanes this year, but I know they're always happy for more visitors - entertainment!

This here below is what it's all about.  My parents made an important friendship with Beverly at Sloppy Joe's.  She knows what's important - especially at a busy tourist bar in the fat of Duval Street.  Non-obnoxious regulars = stiff drink.  This also leads to a bell ringin good tip on the bill.  Throw a few peel and eat shrimp up there and some conch fritters and I'm a very very happy clam.  It's my favorite way to welcome myself back to the island.  Even, I dare say, sets the tone for the whole trip.

This particular trip was a bit light on the photos, but here's a cute dog we met while taking too many tequila shots at The Schooner Wharf Bar (which we seem to just call Schooner Bar....).  Another favorite spot, day or night.  Also, excellent conch fritters and stiff cocktails.  Though, when I end up in a place where they proudly serve Yuengling, I just can't help myself.  Nostalgia takes over and I invariably drink too many and then think that tequila shots with the bartender is a good idea.  Full day of hangover....

My parents take their annual visit toward the end of April coincidentally during The Conch Republic Festival - "We Seceded Where Others Failed".  During the festival, there are various events including the Naval Parade & Great Battle where they reenact their fight for independence.  This involves boats dousing each other with water balloons and hoses and planes dumping toilet paper out the door during flyovers.  All in all, a moderately entertaining thing to do during one of their beautiful sunsets before you head off to dinner elsewhere.  We usually skip over to Santiago's Bodega for tapas and sangria and NEVER NEVER regret it.

This year we FINally made the trip over to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.  This is apparently where I felt most compelled to take photos - it was actually quite breathtaking in places.  Totally recommend it, but be aware, the boat ride is not for the weak stomached....We found no problem with it, but there were a solid amount of folks that couldn't hold on to their lunches...

It's an all day trip of exploring, swimming, and sweating.  There's so much cool stuff to poke through along with such an interesting history.  I can't really do this place justice, so definitely do some research.  It has quite a checkered past.

These here below, are bird watchers.  Just an FYI, if you know, you're into that sort of thing....Brian is a birdwatcher-in-training....something to look forward to.....

And THIS, this is their resident crocodile that apparently ended up down here after a hurricane.  Now he terrifies the guests by just slowly s-curving his way around the fort.  Pro Tip:  leave him alone.....really.

Crazy that this thing is just sitting out here - WAAAAAY out here.

Then, we came home and had Screaming Shrimp and Dirty Grits for dinner and passed out.  It was a magical adventure and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to go this year.  Not sure I need to make the trip again for a while, but I definitely enjoyed my visit.

And this is when we had to drive back to Orlando to catch our flight home.  I had a fair amount of anxiety about making it in time for our flight.  Leaving on a Sunday seemed risky.  And, thankfully, it was fine.  We left after breakfast and made the casual trip over the water in pretty good time.

We even had a reasonable amount of time to hit up Versailles for a Cuban sandwich and a few Cortaditos.  Brian wasn't enthused about the wait to be seated, but this place is a well oiled machine.  We were in and out of there in less than 45 mins.  I guess I wouldn't suggest going right after church gets out, but definitely go otherwise.  I'm sure there were more interesting things to order, but we were quite satisfied and felt that the trip was worthwhile.

**if you've made it this far!**

A Good Key West Trip in a Nutshell:

Schooner Warf Bar to listen to Michael McCloud complain/sing and hang out with some chickens while drinking a stiff beverage.

The White Tarpon for a Key Lime Martini.

Hemingway House to check out the 6+ toed cats and creep through all his stuff and admire his pool.

The Key West Lighthouse for a nice breeze when it gets hot on the island and an even nicer view.

Half Shell Raw Bar to stuff your face with stone crab claws, peel & eat shrimp, grouper sandwiches, and Yuengling.  Just get the oyster shooter too (comes with a souvenir shot glass to commemorate whatever happens afterward)

Sloppy Joe's for some tunes, a stiff cocktail, and some conch fritters.

Santiago's Bodega to eat the best meal you'll have on the island.  Tapas so you can try everything.

Louie's Backyard for bowls of conch chowder.  DO NOT forget to add the Bird Chile Sherry Vinegar.  Go for lunch - less mosquitos.

Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe for Key Lime ice cream and to grab a huge bag of Key Lime Cooler Cookies to bring home.....no seriously.

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville for a freaking Margarita.  **Tourist Alert** but, come ON - this is a "When in Rome" situation people.

There's so much more, but this is a pretty good start.  NEVER underestimate the value of a good "sit at a bar and people watch".  There is an unlimited supply of interesting people to observe in Key West. 

I only recommend driving down to the island and back ONCE in your life.  I'm going to avoid that at all costs from now on.  No need for driving while on vacation.  Period.

So get down there already!

found objects

sifting through the memories.  these boxes add up over the years.

Surprise trip to San Francisco for Josh's Birthday 2017

Same.  One of my first boarding passes as a Hoover.

All tickets to and from Copenhagen.  Came home on Christmas Eve and went straight to the Francis' annual Italian Christmas Party.

Flight home from Chicago after Hayley's wedding in Madison, WI.

Visiting Hayley in New York.

When we got engaged in Hawaii after Roya's wedding.

1st annual spring camping spectacular

So in March, on a whim, we decided to go camping.  It had been raining here in Southern California A LOT.  Everyone was freaking out about the desert flowers, so we figured if the forecast looked good, we'd be able to nail down a campsite closer to the coast.  And we sort of did.  Enter, Lake Cachuma.

Frank and I made the base plans.  He'd get meat, I'd bring the fixins (fixthinsth).  We'd leave Saturday morning and meet at the campsite in the afternoon.  Plan change - meet in Los Olivos for some wine tasting.  Sold.  Above is the flag pole we were to meet at.....turns out there are many MANY flag poles in Los Olivos....this was the wrong one....

We finally crossed paths at the Nielson by Byron Tasting Room.  We tasted several wines - one particularly funky - nothing struck our fancy so we kept on our merry way.  Also, I had no idea how dog friendly this little town was.  One of our friends had a dog in tow, and he was welcomed in, no questions asked.  

We tasted a few more wines across the street at Zinke Wine Co.  This place made me want to come back.  Not necessarily for the wine, but for their outdoor set up.  They had bocce ball, corn hole, fire pits, and several loungey couch areas.  As we doddled our way back to our cars, a band was starting up and there were a few food carts on the street.  Looked like a pretty quaint little place to spend a weekend.  It went on the list for a longer visit in the future.  But, for now, it was pretty great because Los Olivos is only about 20 minutes max from Lake Cachuma.  Quite conveniently located, if I do say so myself.  And if you haven't had enough wine tasting, there are tons of little tasting rooms just out of town.

And!  Here's what we were met with!  GREEN!!!  I've been to Lake Cachuma a handful of times before this and it has always been dusty, windy, cold, and blisteringly hot at times.  But THIS!  It was an incredible surprise.

An incredible surprise that warranted a celebratory shotgun.  While the sun was still shining, we meandered around the grass and annoyed the dog and pounded a few more beers.

So a fair warning, it does get windy here.  We actually swapped campsites to be a touch further away from the edge of the water.  This helped a lot during the cooking process, but still ended up being pretty dang cold later in the evening. 

Here we fought against the elements making a wall for our gigantic steaks.  Otherwise, our meal was relatively low maintenance:

Brontosaurus sized steaks, roasted potatoes, veggies (tomatoes, artichoke hearts), corn

Everything pretty much went in foil packets along with butter and spices.  Simple and painless.

It started to get really cold, and most folks tucked in to bed pretty early - but that's actually one of my favorite parts about camping.  I never really feel that guilty about going to bed early.  Not before a few lazy S'mores though (chocolate chip cookies + roasted marshmallow = genius) and a pretty solid serving of wine....

Blurry mornings, easy breakfasts made with eggs and leftovers and a chill day around the lake slowly packing up our crap.  We only stayed one night but PRO TIP: reserve the site for two nights even if you're only staying for one so you can stay as long as you want the second day.  It was totally worth it all.  

We swung by Solvang on the way home for some cookies and coffee, which were both needed.  Made it home Sunday evening quite satisfied.

MPH rating of Lake Cachuma in Spring: 5/5

san francisco in may

The reason for visiting San Francisco in May was a surprise.  For a birthday.  For a dear dear friend.  And he wasn't even surprised.  I was more surprised when we saw him....

Brian and I agreed that we'd pack light to be ultra mobile for this trip.  Meaning backpacks only.  We were only staying for two nights so it seemed possible.  And thankfully it was!  We left Long Beach early Friday morning to SFO.  And apparently we were the only ones that got the cocktail memo on this flight....I felt judged....

We buzzed into the city on BART straight down to The Ferry Building for some wholesome tourist activities:  coffee at Blue Bottle, cheese of course at Cowgirl Creamery, perusing the wine selections, buying other delicious snacks, and lunch at The Slanted Door.  I've been to The Slanted Door three times now.  This place is a zoo.  My favorite way to work it there is to go a little on the early end for lunch and sit at the bar.  The bartenders are always nice, the raw bar is right there in front of you, and you get to watch them cut ice into cubes BY HAND.  Eat:  Crispy Imperial Rolls and the Green Papaya Salad, though everything looks so. freaking. good.

We decided to carry on as the tourists do and swing by Fisherman's Warf.  But, not to hob nob with the rest of the looky-loos....I wanted to go to the Eagle Cafe.  I know there are probably better places out there, but the view is not too shabby - and damn, that was a pretty gorgeous weekend.  Right?!  Definitely ask to sit outside.  Definitely.  We got TWO cocktails each and a cup of clam chowder.

Then, with a pretty solid buzz on, we decided to hit up the Musee Mecanique which we both agreed to only spend 5 bucks at....we could have spent much much more.  There was so much weird/creepy stuff in there, man.  I got the idea, it was cool, and I'm pretty sure I don't need to go back.  I recommend it!  Also, we may or may not, have broken at least three games during our stay....

We finally decided to check into our AirBnB that was in Outer Richmond near the Sutro Baths and Lands End.  I definitely recommend this particular spot.  It was nice to feel as if there was more space.  The ocean over there is just incredible.  We unwrapped our treasures from The Ferry Building and dug in before we met up with friends for Part One of the birthday surprise.

We met at Pittsburgh's Pub.  Sketch from the front, sketch from the inside, cash only, solid solid place - would go back again.  And this photo below was post surprise....

We stayed up so late, but woke up relatively early with hangovers to little footsteps upstairs (understatement).  Seemed like a good enough time to head over to The Cliff House, since it was just so close.  We thought it might be interesting to walk through Sutro Heights Park to get over there.....misleading Google Maps bugged us out - at any moment I felt like I was going to stumble upon a hobo abode that really deserved privacy.  So we bailed and just walked up the hill next to the beach.  The Cliff House was cool - cause it's old mostly.  We didn't feel like waiting for breakfast, so we sat at the bar which was cool - cause it's old mostly.  Apparently they have these famous Bloody Marys, I mean they bottle their own mix and everything.  So, I figured it seemed like a good choice....it was meh.  But, you know what was good:  THE POPOVERS.  No really, just go there for the popovers.  Really.

Later we visited my cousin near Pacific Heights.  Below is the view from their place.....not too shabby!  I'm glad the quick visit was possible: 1. because we got to see family, of course and 2. this location dropped us right next to one of our best dining experiences of the entire weekend.  As we left my cousin's house, we wandered down to Chestnut Street and was pretty much just going to pop in wherever something looked interesting.  Everywhere was packed and we were hungry.  It was late lunch, tail end I'd say (just before 2:30 actually), and we were running out of options.  THEN, A 16 showed itself.  They had mercy on us and let us in just before they closed up to prep for dinner service.  WOW.  Really.  It's a little Italian place that features Pizza Napolitana - we did not know what we had stumbled upon.  They boast many many accolades.  Eat:  the beet salad (I know it's overdone, but this one is freaking good), the margherita pizza (they give you a pair of scissors to cut it with), and the braised pork meatballs (get some extra bread) - this meal was SO good I wanted to cry.  

I guess we planned a little poorly because we ended up having Italian for dinner, but this was a completely different experience.  This time we went to The Gold Mirror to keep Josh out of the house so his other friends could set up his surprise birthday party.  This place was classic Italian and will not leave you hungry.  

We stayed up way too late again and found ourselves with more hangovers in the morning.  We snacked on the rest of our picnic spread and packed up our modest pile of belongings.  Brian was NOT on board with the next activity, but he was a champ and I think we both sweated out the alcohol that really needed to leave our bodies.  We "hiked" through Lands End.  And it was uncharacteristically HOT.  We had to stop many times up the stairs like an old married couple...we just pretended to be admiring the view.....

Anyway, we made it and decided we deserved a beer.  That makes sense right?  Also, it was Bay to Breakers that particular day, so getting an Uber or Lyft was QUITE expensive.  Walking was our main mode of transportation.  So we ended up at the Tee Off Bar & Grill.  And it was perfection.  Go there.  I guess Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives as been there....not sure how that makes me feel, but it was exactly what we needed in exactly the right place.  

Then we hopped on a Muni bus and made the long journey down toward a BART station.  We walked around and made it to SFMOMA, but were too tired to actually walk through the place so we just sat inside in the AC for a half an hour and grabbed a dinner snack at The Grove Yerba Buena.  It's a casual spot where you order at the counter and find a seat sort of place, but the interior was interestingly decorated. It was just right and we finally got on BART to go back to SFO to sit and wait there for our double delayed flight....Kind of a crappy end to a really excellent weekend.  Hopefully, eventually I'll forget that part.

the honeymoon pt 3

On the last leg of our journey we were really going for the ultimate high-brow/low-brow experience.  Camping in the Redwoods and a night at The Fairmont in San Francisco.  

We left Timber Cove (sadly) and hashed out our Thanksgiving shopping list.  We were on our way to Samuel P. Taylor Campground, just a touch southeast from Timber Cove.  We stopped at the market in Guerneville and successfully cobbled together a camping feast.  The menu included: roasted chicken, acorn squash, instant mashed potatoes, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (obviously), instant gravy, Flowers Pinot Noir, and a pretty solid collection of cheese.  5 star meal, if I do say so myself.

Honestly, I was really nervous about trying to cook an entire chicken over a campfire.  BUT, when you slather anything with butter - can you go wrong?  As we waited for dinner, we chugged a bunch of beer while playing a bit of cards.  I was trying to pretend it wasn't as cold as it was, but it was and I piled on the layers.  And, finally, dinner was done!

Samuel P. Taylor State Park  There was a very quaint babbling brook right next to our campsite (Site # 17) along with magical towering redwoods.  PRO TIP:  the campground had firewood available for purchase and had reasonably clean bathrooms.  Not sure of the shower situation seeing as we only stayed one night (but really, I kind of never shower while camping...fyi).

MPH rating:  5/5!!

After a pretty restful sleep, we slowly packed up.  We had leftovers and roasted marshmallows for breakfast and I downed another package of TheraFlu (savior).  Our next quick little journey over to The Fairmont in The City was well deserved.

We arrived at The Fairmont (fancy!) in our camping clothes smelling of campfire...etc.  And unfortunately had to wait in the bar/lobby for almost two hours for our room.  We were tired and our trip was coming to a close.  All I wanted to do was lay down.  But no!  The Universe had a few things planned before I was allowed to crawl into bed.  I was primed for an unfortunately timed blackout....

We knew we had to visit the Tonga Room (when in Rome, right?).  I had no idea what a scene this place was!  I mean, it was the Friday after Thanksgiving, we were bound to encounter a few crowds.  I called down to the restaurant before just to get the low down, and she suggested getting down there to wait in line at 4:30 - the place opened at 5pm.  So nuts!  To preface this whole thing: we hadn't really eaten much all day, I had some form of a cold, and we were TIRED - Ok - So!  We poured ourselves a little wine into some paper cups and made our way down to the Tonga Room.  There was already a line about 80 feet long out the door.  We had this sinking feeling that it was like Disneyland - where you wait in line to get into a different area to wait in line some more...However!  We made it into the bar area where you kind of have to hustle for a drink and then cross your fingers to find a seat or even a little table to set your fruity beverage.  It was crowded and we were only allowed in the bar area.  They had a buffet spread of fried tropical snacks available for $12 (not sure if this was because of the holiday...), but we weren't particularly excited about balancing a plate atop our cocktails.  But it did rain, which was cheesy and exciting!  At this point nothing else was really keeping us there, so we drained our beverages (the 1944 Mai Tai & The Jungle Bird, fyi) and decided to go to back to The Fairmont's bar/lounge area.  The Tonga Room cocktails had not yet stricken us....

And there you have it.  We drank tequila, met some really nice people at the bar, and still ate no food.  I'm pretty sure Brian herded me back to the room and I demanded Fettuccini Alfredo and then passed out.  The room service arrived and Brian proceeded to eat a fair amount of both dinners.  We even ordered champagne (cause you know we needed THAT), which thankfully was still frosty and full of bubbles in the morning....and so was I.  My stomach was not excited about what I had done the night before, but we forged ahead.

Before check out we took a walk down to Union Square to see the Christmas Tree and maybe shop a little (dumb idea the Saturday after Thanksgiving).  We were starting to get grouchy and I was finally ready to eat.  We stumbled upon Sears Fine Food (A San Francisco Institution) and I finally got my Fettuccini Alfredo.  This place was pretty great and we found out later that Brian's parents had gone there for something years ago.

The Fairmont  Despite the blackout situation, our stay at the fairmont was just ok.  I'm sure they were overloaded with holiday crowds which lead to a bit of a bummer in the customer service department.  But really, can you go wrong with a classic room with a view at an iconic place lice this?

MPH rating: 3.9999/5

At this point we were wiped and decided to just drive to Monterey to stay the night at Brian's parents' house.  It also happened to be his sister's birthday so we did some celebrating and I'm pretty sure I wen't narcoleptic sitting upright on the couch.

We did a quick pack-up, had breakfast burritos from Papa Chevo's, and went on our merry way.  The drive was leisurely and we planned to stop in Santa Barbara for a bite.  The Palace Grille is one of our favorite places to visit on our way home from Monterey.  It never fails us, if we can get in!  I like to get the cup of Gumbo Ya Ya and if I'm not driving, the Cajun Martini (jalapeno infused vodka "a touch of vermouth, served in a mason jar, over ice, with a martini glass and cherry peppers").  Which brought us to the end of our epic honeymoon adventure!  We're looking forward to spending a little more time in each of the places we visited, maybe for future anniversaries - our honeymoon felt a little like an epic scouting mission!

the honeymoon pt 2

After two nights down, it felt as though our honeymoon was just racing by.  We were already almost half way through our trip.  Our next stay was Timber Cove up in Jenner.  We had a beast of a drive ahead of us, and a lot of things I wanted to see along the way.  

We got the car all packed up at Costanoa and got on our way relatively early - the drive was a little over an hour to our next stop.  My first pick, was Shanghai Dumpling King in Outer Richmond.  I had seen the blog posts and instagram photos and my interest was piqued.  This place looks quite dodgy, not just from the outside.  We got there a little before the lunch rush and they squeezed us into this table next to a door/window.  I think my butt grazed our neighbor's head as I got to my seat....then I googled what the hell we should order at this place, we made our choices and waited impatiently.  We were NOT disappointed.  Everything was SO good!!  I can't even remember what we ordered, but the reviews on yelp didn't let us down.  And it was quick.  We were out of there in about 30 mins.  

We took a short detour to take in some views at the Muir Beach Overlook.  Pretty breathtaking, obviously!  We got tailgated up the windy road by a couple in a VERY nice car.  They whipped around us and sped past - we ended up at the same place...roughly the same time.....also, PRO TIP: the bathrooms are a bit terrifying (ie stainless steel hole in the ground)....but usable #wheretowee.

Next stop was Nick's Cove.  It was about an hour and a half from Shanghai Dumpling King.  We were driving through oyster country and it seemed like a wasted opportunity if we didn't stop!  We sat inside because we were informed of a bit of a bee problem on the deck.  We got sort of a sampler platter of oysters, had a beer and went on our merry way.  This place actually looked pretty cool and might even be an interesting place to stay for the night some day in the future.  They have these little cottages on the water that look pretty quaint. 

Finally, we were on our way to the last stop of the day: the dreamy Timber Cove.  This spot was about another hour and a half away from Nick's Cove, but just ALL windy road and sheer cliff.  We were trying to make it to the hotel before sunset, but didn't quite hit the mark.  Instead we got the sunset while on the windy roads north.  I have to say, it was a breathtaking drive for several reasons.  Bless Brian for driving!

We finally made it to Timber Cove and checked into the Ocean Suite.  The Suite was a one bedroom number complete with a Smeg fridge, record player, and full length deck.  AMAZING.  There was champagne and cheese in our room upon arrival.  We didn't hesitate to pop the top on the champagne before even sitting down on the couch next to the mini fireplace/stove heater.  They had a small collection of records in our room, but there was a much larger selection downstairs that I wasn't afraid to rifle through (heaven!).  We ate our cheese plate on the deck in the twilight with blankets wrapped around our shoulders.  You could hear the waves ravaging the shore below.  After the cheese we, of course, needed more food.  So, we went down to the bar in the main area and posted up for dinner.  We each had an aperitif and decided on which things to order (everything sounded amazing).  Flowers Vinyards & Winery was featured at the time and we sprung for a bottle that we brought up to our room after dinner.  We spent the rest of the evening on the deck watching the stars and getting drunk.

The next day was Thanksgiving!  Brian slept in, I took the longest bath and spent the rest of the morning in a robe watching the Macy's Day Parade.  We ordered room service breakfast which was equally as good as dinner.  I think I ate my weight in Eggs Benedict on this trip....

Timber Cove Resort  I really didn't want to leave.  I could have spent our entire honeymoon here.  It was every bit of what they promise.  The location is spectacular, the food delicious, and the staff was just over the top nice.  It was tough knowing we had to leave this place to go camping the next night!

MPH rating:  5/5

the honeymoon pt 1

So in lieu of an overly expensive tropical honeymoon in November that, honestly, still sounded pretty nice, we decided to take a road trip up the coast of California.  Planning a week long exotic vacation was pretty much the lowest thing on the priority list - the honeymoon road trip fit the bill:  little to no advanced planning, no airports, freedom to stop wherever, low odds of actually interacting with any other humans except each other.  Perfection.

We camped and drove and stayed in hotels (pretty swanky ones) and ate and drank and slept.  It was magical.

The day after our wedding in San Diego, we headed up to my parents' house for a very casual brunch, packed up some remaining items, and drove back home to Long Beach.  I remember getting home and having that shell-shocked feeling like "did that just happen?!".  And then the next morning we packed up the car with all of our camping stuff and odds & endsWe didn't actually end up leaving until 1pm, which was fine - great even.  We magically packed the car in record time (with little to no disagreements) and casually exited Los Angeles.  The drive at this point was unremarkable - durr.  We stopped for Funyuns, sandwiches, camera batteries, and film in San Luis Obispo and popped over to Sycamore Hot Springs for the night.  It was dark once we arrived and I think we only have one photo to show for our one night stay.  Our room had a private hot tub with the untreated hot springs water (read: stinky).  It was excellent and VERY relaxing.  We drank, ate a cheese platter, wore robes, and passed out while watching TV.  Pretty perfect if I do say so myself.  

Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs Resort  We would definitely recommend a stay at this place.  Some parts of this place are a little worse for the wear, but having a private tub was pretty great (book the older rooms).  We only stayed one night, so how could anything really go wrong!?

MPH rating:  3.5/5

After taking a morning dip in our private spa, we checked out and hopped in the car in search of a worthy breakfast for our drive up the coast.  We decided on Custom House in Avila Beach.  They boasted a "famous" Eggs Benedict, and you know what, they weren't wrong.  We sat outside, people watched, dodged a few seagulls, and then decided we needed to mail in our marriage license to make it official.  Thankfully, the local post office was open and willing to take our precious package.

On our way north, we decided to give Nepenthe a shot.  I had never been and have heard it's always busy, so I didn't get my hopes up.  BUT!  We managed to squeak into a tiny parking spot and slid right into a few seats at the bar.  It was a gorgeous day with high wispy clouds and just a gentle breeze.  We had a few beers and shared a few apps that were quite delicious.  I'd say this place is always worth a shot and sitting at the bar is a great option for a small group (meaning two people…).

Our next stop was camping at Costanoa, a lodge and KOA just north of Santa Cruz.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), we had a few pit stops to make before we could arrive at our final destination.  Meanwhile, there was a gigantic storm brewing off the coast of Santa Cruz, just waiting for us to arrive at the campsite.  So, we stopped in Monterey, spent most of our REI giftcards, grocery shopped, and said a quick hello to Brian's parents.  As the sun began to set, a few drops of rain began to fall.  But thankfully, the storm held off after we found our campsite and pitched our tent in record time.  We had bacon cheeseburgers and rum drinks for dinner and tucked into our tent as fast as we could before getting drenched.  Still trying to kick a cold, I took my ritual TheraFlu before bed and knocked out, hard.  We awoke refreshed (because of our beloved noisy clouds) to a misty morning and the sun shining through the tent.  I mean come. on.  We peeled ourselves out of the tent and slowly packed up a few things.  Then we made some hot beverages and decided to explore the place at least a little.  We had considered this spot for our wedding at one point, but decided on something a bit simpler.  But, I could see how it could be really beautiful.  

Costanoa Lodge  They have a lodge with some really nice rooms along with a very nice camping area that accommodates both tents and RVs.  They even have tent cabins that seem like a great option if you don't want to lug all that stuff with you.  Their shower area was pretty great as well, equipped with a sauna and an outdoor fireplace.  I would definitely come back, probably for more than one night!  Seems like it could be a fun place to bring a group of people for a long weekend.

MPH rating:  4/5