California

California. How to describe one of the best trips in my life? When my friends ask me how my vacation was, I frequently respond, "Amazing! Awesome!", when really, I want to scream, "OMFG it was beauuuutiful! I want to move there." There were so many unforgetable moments shared with my travel companion (who is also my bestie), we were sad to leave. We were there for 11 days, hung out in San Francisco for a few days, Napa for a night, down to LA for for three days before driving back to San Francisco for our last night. Here are some of my favourite things of the trip:

Driving down Highway 1 in a Mustang convertible. I had seen pictures of Big Sur and the Pacific coast, but I had never expected it to be even more beautiful in 'real life'. The mountains, the azure sky, the clouds hovering over the mountains, the blue ocean and the waves crashing onto the rugged shore, it was like a painting come to life. These photos don't do it justice. Hayley and I were giddy with excitement once we passed Carmel and finally saw the glistening water. While we were doing research for our trip, we knew we wanted a convertible, because what better way to drive through California than showing off in a car with the wind blowing through (making a mess) in our hair? (By the way, we stopped by Big Sur Redhouse for lunch, I had amazzzing kale salad)

Exploring San Francisco. I've been to California before when I was younger with my parents and though there's nothing bad about travelling with my family, it's nice to have more flexibility when traveling with a friend. We woke up whenever we wanted, ate whatever we wanted. With my parents, my dad usually decides on our schedule. 

Hayley and I rolled out of bed when our circadian rhythm said so, and walked everywhere: Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, Lombard Street, the Mission, Ghirardelli Square, Golden Gate Park, the Marina, Ferry Building, Crissy Field. On our first Friday night, we had dinner at The House, picked up cheap wine at a convenience store, went dancing in SoMa, and drank some more at Terrior. The following night we went to a drag show at Aunt Charlie's, both nights were equally memorable for years to come.

The beaches. We went to three beaches in LA: Venice beach is a nice to chill and people-watch, Santa Monica is in a beautiful area, we walked along the pier and did some shopping. Huntington was our favourite though. We stayed with a friend and after a long night of partying, we were tired and quite frankly, hungover. Sunbathing at the beach makes for a good cure. I felt refreshed after a brief nap and jumped into the cold ocean for a swim. We were blessed with good weather, it was chilly in the morning and at night, but it was otherwise, gorgeous everyday. 

Save for a few meals, we ate very well too. We treated ourselves to a fancy schmancy meal at Angele in Napa. We also had a lovely brunch at Sweet Maple in SF and shared the the popular Millionare's Bacon. We had decent fish tacos at Calle Taco in Hollywood and some of the most delicious sushi at Long Beach. I brought back dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, white pineapple balasmic vinegar and traditional balasmic vinegar from Lucero in Napa (both were thick and syrupy, I can't wait to try them drizzled on vanilla ice cream).

Now all I can think about is my next big trip. What do you think of Spain, Portugal, and France next year? I'd love to watch the French Open at Roland Garros, that's always been a dream of mine. Besides, Paris is always a good idea. More pictures here.

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Recipe here!