Tag Archives: road trip

trip to Monterey

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We drove to Monterey. First on the list however was to visit the Clover Bakery on our way south. Also part of this pilgrimage involved going to the Mitsuwa Marketplace where Kinokuniya books also resides. It is great fun!

Many unexpected things happened on day one including having AAA come out and jump start the rental car’s battery and then getting a new rental car. Next discovering our hotel reservation was not what we reserved and then finding a new hotel in Pacific Grove. We laughed about it being April Fool’s Day but were ultimately thankful for the location of our new hotel. We had an excellent dinner of ahi tuna and found this alligator in a shop window. 🙂

After breakfast we walked by the coast and saw the deer and harbor seals that hang out in this fenced off area. We remembered them from last time and was happy to watch a young seal navigate the shallow waters.

This is the coast by our hotel in Pacific Grove. It is so beautiful and Emma could not wait to get to the shore to look for rocks and tide pools. The weather was cool but the 20 mph winds made it freezing. I was a happy popsicle.

Our days largely consisted of eating and then going back to the breathtaking ocean that was always near with some rest stops at the hotel. I think that the water is so beautiful in Monterey but the added bonus is watching the sea otters in the waves. They are so cute.

It was never not cold and we quickly dismissed the idea of kayaking in Moss Landing or even riding in the pedal boats at the park. We were happier getting warm drinks and eating yummy food and limiting our outside activities to walks to and from the coast or looking in boutique shops. Our last dinner was a great little taqueria we would love to return to. All in all we had great food and it was very pretty scenery.

reflections on my holiday trip

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We went to Oceanside and L.A. for the the holidays again this year but spent a much shorter time away from home which was lovely. We also chose to drive rather than fly because LAX is hectic and road trips are infinitely more fun than waiting in line. Overall it was really fun and maiki is an awesome traveling companion.

First we stayed with Alaina and Victoria and that was really cool. I enjoyed taking lots of pictures of the ferrets. They are so funny to watch. Next we visited my family and that was hectic but enjoyable. I only wanted to stay a few days with my family this trip because the holidays are particularly intense, and I much prefer to spend time with them one-on-one rather than the large group all at once like at Christmas time. It seemed quick but I could not have lasted another day away from my Berkeley home.

The day after Christmas we went to Little Tokyo before the drive home and went to the Japanese American National Museum to see the Giant Robot exhibit. I loved it and was surprised that I actually knew of all the artists that were being presented. maiki and I did some shopping and I got to eat lots of melon pan—which is one of my most favorite treats.

When we returned to Berkeley I was so filled with happiness to be home. I was back with those that I feel understand me the most. It is where I can be comfortable with friends, or not, and there is no expectation. It is also a place that has clean air and organic food and that is a beautiful thing.