sonoma (a.k.a. heaven)

Sonoma County is just an hour and a half away from me, and I go there fairly often, but I never get sick of it… or sick of taking photos of it. It’s like I think the next photo will be the best or most representative, which it never is but I can’t stop. On that note, here are several photos from several day and weekend trips to Sonoma over the past four months.

From top left: Medlock Ames winery; vineyards at Medlock Ames; Dry Creek General Store (a fave place to grab a beer and have lunch); the laid-back Preston Winery and all its cute touches (four photos); alfresco dining; homemade bruschetta with some local produce; Alpine Lake, which we stumbled upon while taking a windy non-shortcut from Highway 101 to the coast; the dam at Alpine Lake; overlooking the Pacific; Bolinas Beach (ok, this is actually in Marin County, not Sonoma, but it was part of a Sonoma trip); Bolinas; Bolinas main street; Saturday morning entertainment at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market; great perch for wine tasting at Iron Horse Vineyards; views from Iron Horse; Red Car tasting room in Graton.

vancouver + victoria: a pacific northwest weekend

Back in June, Seb and I flew up to British Columbia for a quick trip to see some old friends (well, Seb’s old friends, my new-ish friends). We spend two nights in Vancouver, visiting the Granville Island Public Market, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver Aquarium and downtown waterfront area. It was cloudy and chilly and drizzly, but we tried to ignore it and enjoy what we could. We succeeded for the most part and had a good time discovering the city’s modern features and cute neighborhoods set against the super green, lush background of the Pacific coastal mountains.

Then it was on to Victoria by seaplane, a truly awesome experience. Take-off was smooth, and flying low over the Strait of Georgia, we had fabulous aerial views of the Gulf Islands. However, the skies became darker and stormier as we neared Victoria, and landing was most definitely not smooth. Nerve-wracking, more like it. But, all was well as we disembarked and stepped back onto solid ground, getting our first glimpse of the historical city of Victoria, vastly different from Vancouver. Where Vancouver is bustling, Victoria is more relaxed; where Vancouver is contemporary, Victoria is steeped in British charm – and architecture. We spent just about 24 hours in the British Columbian capital city, but it was full of scenic walks and fantastic eating (it’s a bit of a foodie paradise!).

The next day, we boarded the Victoria Clipper, a high-speed ferry, for the trip to Seattle. Zooming across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Puget Sound, we arrived in Seattle in just three hours, and had a few hours to walk around before heading to the airport. We explored Pike Place Market, of course, as well as the trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood. Another great weekend in the West!

A few photo highlights below; click here for a full photo gallery

misty mendocino

Back in late March, we drove about 3.5 hours north of San Francisco to spend a long weekend in the seaside town of Mendocino. Perched on some very dramatic cliffs, the Mendocino area is a Hollywood favorite; several movies and TV shows have been filmed here, from Dying Young and Overboard to Murder She Wrote (we even saw Angela Lansbury’s ‘house’).

The town couldn’t be a more perfect spot. The Victorian architecture, walkable streets, delicious restaurants and cute inns combine with the often-gray, moody, rainy weather to create a British-like village atmosphere. It’s also super green and lush, and wineries and redwoods are only a short drive away.

We stayed at the fabulous MacCallum House Inn (thank you Travelzoo for the deal), whose cozy, slightly old-fashioned rooms are comfy and inviting. The best part, though, is the inn’s amazing breakfast, which is included with a room.

On the way back to SF, we took the long way, down Highway 1 along the Pacific Coast. As we moved further south, the clouds broke away a bit to offer a glimpse of precious sunshine.



Photos, starting from top: MacCallum House Inn; view of the currently gloomy bay from our attic suite; interior of our attic suite; tiny stove for heat!; cute, Victorian-style details on the nightstand; gorgeous, lush landscaping on the inn’s grounds; Victorian homes (Angela Lansbury’s character’s ‘house’ is on the right); the prettiest post office I’ve ever seen; the town’s dramatic headlands, where the waves come crashing in; a little bit of blue sky, right before it’s time to leave; the drive south along Highway 1; two cows inexplicably hanging out right on the side of the very busy highway; hot chocolate break at Cafe Aquatica in Jenner; the sun finally comes out along the coast 

santa cruz

Seb and I spent last weekend in Santa Cruz, a college town (home to UC Santa Cruz) on the coast about two hours south of San Francisco. Together with the seaside village of Capitola, immediately south of Santa Cruz, the area is an awesome place to hang out. There’s a big surf culture (the main reason we were there) and a nice downtown with outdoor cafés (such as Café Delmarette, where we had a lunch of roasted red pepper and fennel soup and sausage-and-cheese scones) and pretty old houses that have been turned into restaurants (such as Caffe Pergolessi, where we had beers, and Red Restaurant and Bar, where we had a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and a cheeseburger and fries – classic favorites done well). Much of the area is set up on the coastal cliffs, which made for beautiful runs along the ocean, even with the rain clouds. 

On the way down, we stopped at a fantastic BBQ place in a very modest location – on the side of Highway 1 in Pacifica in an old train car. It’s called Gorilla BBQ, and it’s pretty good, even when you have to sit down on a curb in the parking lot to eat it while fending off the wind coming off the ocean. On the way back to San Francisco, we made a stop at Swanton Berry Farm in Davenport, where we had chocolate-covered strawberries and a rhubarb turnover. The cute, general store-like farm stand offered everything from homemade soup to coffee for $1 to all the berry products you can imagine. What makes it even more charming is the honor system way of paying for your goods and the picnic tables and Adirondack chairs set up in the front yard so you can enjoy your treats with an ocean view.


Driving down Highway 1 (top left); Gorilla BBQ on the side the highway in Pacifica (top right); walking along East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz (above); surfers in the water between Santa Cruz and Capitola (below left); view of the Capitola pier and Monterey Bay from the cliff-top road (below right).

Cute Capitola buildings along the water (above right); Capitola beachfront (above middle); Capitola village (above left); view of Capitola and the pier from the cliff-top road (below).

Cute Capitola houses lining the canal (above left); view of Capitola out to the ocean from behind the old railroad tracks (above right); beautiful mural on the road in Capitola (below).

A path made in front of some very nice ocean-view houses in Capitola (above); enjoying the sunshine at Swanton Berry Farm (below left); Swanton Berry Farm farm stand (below right).