California: Day Fourteen - Traveling Home for St. Patricks Day

Since we flew overnight from the west coast to the east coast, when we arrived in NYC it was 7:00am. I managed to get an hour of sleep on the plane, but spent most of my time reading and listening to music. Originally there had been a mix-up with our tickets having us fly into one NYC airport and then leave out of another. Thankfully American Airlines was able to quickly sort this out for us and change the tickets. Having experienced NYC traffic firsthand, the absolute last thing I would want to be doing is crossing the city at rush hour to get from one airport to another!

We had an hour and a half layover, so just enough time to grab a muffin and coffee. The staff at the airport were horrendous – in the shops, in the cafes, and even at the gate. Our gate had a much later flight listed, and when we asked if this was indeed where we were supposed to be, we were yelled at. Obviously concerned we were at the wrong gate we persisted, and they actually wouldn’t even help answer our question! We double checked the board, and took a chance it was the right gate. Thankfully it was! But LaGuardia airport isn’t a place I look forward to returning to.

Our flight to Toronto was quick – less then an hour and a half, and we had great weather. Everything was working in our favor, because customs/baggage weren’t really busy so that process was also quick and easy! By 11:00am we had our bags and were jumping into my dads truck ready to go home!

One of the things I had made sure of when booking the trip was that I would be back for St. Patrick’s Day. I have a yearly tradition of seeing my grandparents and going out for green beer and it was one I refused to miss.

It all started when I was 19 – my first chance to celebrate St. Patty’s day and finally drink beer that was dyed green. It may seem like such a silly thing, but I was super excited for it. I had plans with a friend, but she bailed on me about an hour beforehand (time ended up proving this to be a character trait of hers). I happened to be at my grandparents house at the time, and noticing my disappointment Pappy grabbed some beer and food coloring. It wasn’t how I had planned to spend the night, but it was such a sweet gesture! So my first St. Patty’s day was in my grandparents living room having green beer with Nanny and Pappy!

The next year we did the same thing, and then the year that after started to go out. A few times we went to the local legion where there is always a huge celebration going on (once we got there too late, and ended up back at their house!). But recently we started going to local pubs. I am not much of a beer drinker, but there is just something special about this tradition. My mom always comes with us, and sometimes my dad/Brian will join as well.

Despite having flown overnight, dealing with a 3hr time change and functioning on an hour of sleep, this tradition was happening! Since my mom had to work at 4:00pm, the second I got home I ran upstairs to get decked out in my St. Pattys day attire and by 12:30 mom and I were meeting Nanny and Pappy at the Bear – a local pub.

I was exhausted and in my mind it was still morning, but it was worth it to spend that time with them and uphold our tradition.

It was a wonderful experience to come home to after an awesome trip! 

California: Day Thirteen - Monterey Aquarium, Santa Cruz, San Francisco Airport

There had been a bit of confusion and changes to our flight home, but ultimately we ended up on the overnight flight leaving San Francisco at 10:45pm. This worked out well, as it gave us another full day to sightsee and make our way back to the bay area.

We had breakfast at the hotel, which was delicious, and checked out by 9:30. We got to the Monteray Aquarium by 10:00, and skipped all the lines having bought our tickets through the hotel. I hadn’t been much of an Aquarium person until I met Brian. He brought me to the Baltimore Aquarium, and then the Atlanta one, both of which I enjoyed. Each time, he always talked about how Monteray was the best, and was no comparison to either. Brian had been here last when he was around 16 years old and things have definitely changed.

Brian remembers it being very informative, with amazing displays of marine life. Now, it is more along the lines of a children’s aquarium, as there are a lot of interactive areas, play areas and very basic wording and descriptions. It was still enjoyable, but Brian and I both agreed the Baltimore one is much better.

There is an option for however you want to open the door 

 This aquarium is also very concerned with social awareness – so entire areas have been redesigned to teach children about problems such as overfishing and water pollution. While I understand the need for this, I don’t think entire sections had to be shut down and replaced.

This made us giggle!

We had a fun time, and got to see a lot of interesting things, but the experience didn’t match the price in my opinion. It was almost $100.00 for both of us to go, and we zipped through all the areas within 2 hours. I also found myself bored at times, not having learned anything new unlike the other two we visited. I would recommend this attraction to people with children, but not adults by themselves.

After leaving the aquarium, Brian and I started the drive back into San Francisco. We made a few stops to space out the day and the drive. Our first one was in a small town for coffee. I took a few minutes to run into the nearby CVS where the salesclerk flirted with me in a very bizarre and inappropriate way. I then made my way over to Peets to meet Brian, where I found him being lectured on sunscreen by some random woman. The strange encounters didn’t end there, as when Brian ordered his coffee, he got another mini lecture on how fair-trade organic coffee is much better for the world. Those three experiences had us happy to leave whatever small town it was!

We stopped for a late lunch in Santa Cruz, a college town a few of Brian’s friends had moved to after High School. The downtown area seemed nice enough, but everywhere else was pretty run down. I was surprised walking along the main street at how many different people and organizations were trying to sell, beg or educate. Just along 2 blocks there were about 6 people – two musicians, 1 beggar, and 3 tents set up for various causes and initiatives.

We had lunch at this small authentic Mexican restaurant that had good reviews. We sat in this little outdoor courtyard in the back of an old hotel, and it was packed. The food was really good – and exactly what it advertised – real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. It was another spot we would have never found/gone to normally and it turned out to be awesome.

I don't know what I was saying or doing in this photo! 

Or this one… and there wasn't even a margarita involved!

Leaving Santa Cruz, we hit horrible traffic heading back into the city. We mistakenly turned off at the wrong exit, and had to backtrack almost 30 minutes. I found us a different route, which allowed us to skip a bit of it, but we were happy we left so much time to get to the airport. We did detour a bit when we passed through Cupertino, as Brian wanted to drive by the Apple Headquarters and Campus. I couldn’t believe how massive their building is! It has 6 different building entrances, and spans over the entire area of the loop that takes you around it.

After taking a few photos, we got back on the highway and proceeded directly to the airport. Returning the rental car was a breeze, but loading up all our stuff was a challenge. We ended up using two luggage carts! At this point I realized I really must work on my packing skills when it comes to future travels.

I know - this is insane!

Check in and security was simple enough, and soon we were at the gate waiting. We picked up some sandwiches and cheese platters at the Napa Farm Market to take on the plane with us since we knew they weren’t going to be serving anything. We ended up waiting at the gate much longer then planned, as the plane that arrived from NYC needed maintenance done. Our fight ended up being almost 1.5 hours delayed, but was fortunately able to make up some of that time in-air.

California: Day Twelve - Monterey and 17 Mile Drive

Saturday in Monteray was a day that we had nothing planned – and that was an awesome feeling! It was wonderful to sleep in for a bit after days of go-go-go. We left the hotel by 10:30 and our initial plan was to walk down to a crepe place on the warf. We got coffee across the road at a small café, and walked down to the Old Fishermans Warf area.

It was only a five-minute walk from the hotel, and was a really cool place. There were a bunch of shops and restaurants along the path, and then a pier like area that extended over the water. We took our time walking and taking photos, and made our way down the pier looking into various shops. There were rows of restaurants along the sides all sampling their “best in Monteray” chowders, and offering free appetizers as incentives to eat inside. Maybe for some people actions like this are helpful in choosing a restaurant, but to me it was off-putting. I was more annoyed then encouraged.

We chose a small restaurant further down – one of the few not yelling at us for attention and had lunch. It was right on the water, and the food was decent. After looking at reviews later, it seems like most places around that area are just decent and not spectacular or memorable.

We spent a few more hours at the warf, looking inside more shops and walking around the water. It was a beautiful day, so it was great to walk outside in the sun. We talked about walking the 2 miles down to Cannery Row – another famous area in Monteray, but opted to get the car and do the 17-mile drive instead.

17-mile drive, as summed up by Wikipedia is “17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees. The drive serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. Inside this community, nonresidents have to pay a toll to use the road. Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. The 17-Mile Drive is a 17-mile (27 km)-long scenic loop having four primary entrances - the main highway entrance at California State Route 1, and entrances in Carmel and Pacific Grove”.

I was a bit apprehensive about this, as it seemed silly to pay to drive, but it was incredible. The views were stunning – and there were many areas to pull of and walk along the beaches. We passed a number of golf courses, and these gorgeous homes – it was totally worth the 10.00 it cost.

The weather changed while we were driving, and parts of the drive were foggy and wet, whereas others were sunny and beautiful. It made for interesting photo opportunities! There was also one beach that was completely empty – it looked so lonely and untouched, but it was beautiful. I had wanted to put my feet in the Pacific while in California (I had been able to finally swim in the Pacific the month earlier in Mexico) so I chose this beach to run down to. I rolled up my jeans and took off my running shoes, and ran down the steps and into the freezing cold water. I only last a few seconds, but it was a fun feeling.

We looped around the drive, and ended up back in Monteray. By this time it was later afternoon, so we drove into Cannery Row, not wanting to get there too late. This area of Monteray is where all the different fish canneries set up shop through the 1800 and 1900's. I believe there is still a canning industry here, but it’s also a large tourist area. Much like the warf, various shops and restaurants line the streets.

 We walked into the main area and looked into a few shops. Many were the same usual tourist stuff, but a few were pretty cool and unique with various art or home décor items. If I didn’t have to worry about getting things on a plane the next day, I probably could have spent hours – and some money – in these places! We stopped for ice cream and coffee at the Ghirardelli Store. It was getting windy outside so the coffee (hot chocolate for me!) was to warm us up, while the ice creams were just irresistible. Our lunch had been early, and our dinner reserved for later so this was a needed afternoon snack – a very rich one!

Brian and I made our way back to the hotel where we spent almost over an hour packing. We had accumulated so much on the trip that organizing the luggage, weighing the suitcases, and carefully wrapping any breakables was a long process. I don’t think either of us realized just how much stuff we had to bring back with us until it was all packed and lined up by the door.

I had made a reservation for this recommended restaurant called Schooners Coastal Kitchen down in Cannery Row for dinner. It was our last night and we wanted something nice – a place we could dress up for and enjoy a quiet dinner. Our reservation was for 8:00 and we got there right on time. The staff basically blew us off explaining they were busy and we would have to wait. We didn’t get seated until almost 8:40! They took people ahead of us – some with no reservations – and were rude anytime we enquired about further wait times. When we were seated at a table, it was in the middle of the restaurant, beside a family with screaming kids and under the air conditioner vent. The waiter came over a few minutes later and got annoyed and snappish that we weren’t ready to order. At this point we decided there was no way we were giving them our business. 

Earlier that day we had passed another restaurant a few minutes away, and that was where we headed. We had about a 20-minute wait there, but the staff were so accommodating and friendly it didn’t matter – plus we sort of expected it being a Saturday night with no reservation! It ended up working out for the best, as this place was amazing! The food was incredible – and the atmosphere exactly what we had wanted. Our dinner went late – we left when they were starting to close – but it made for a fantastic way to spend our last night in California.