Catch Up

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Now that we have posted our pictures, let's give you some details to go with them!

We spent the day touring around the Los Angeles area on Monday. We began by driving through the curves of Beverly Hills on Sunset Boulevard to try and get a glimpse of some outrageous properties; however, privacy is critical in these parts and they have large stone walls and shrubbery to ensure it!

Then, after Sunset ended, we turned on Pacific Coast Highway (The PCH if you're local!) and continued south a short way to the famous Santa Monica Pier. With some inclement weather looming overhead, much of the beach and Pier operations were shutdown; it was actually refreshing to see things in this way though. So often the hotspots and tourist destinations are swarming with visitors, so it was nice to walk along the Pier uncrowded. The beachside parks in the area are also fantastic!

After a short time, we hopped back in the car and headed east again. Next we made our way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which appeared to go on forever in different directions. It was fun to see how many names we recognized from Film, Music, and Directing. There are A LOT of important people in Hollywood's History apparently! We attempted to check out Graumann's Chinese Theatre but ran out of time at our metered spot; this would come later...
We then headed out to The Grove - A trendy urban outdoor Mall and Eatery. We're told this is where the big stars go to shop. It's known for a few things: a weekly Farmer's Market & an awesome outdoor food court of eclectic and unique eateries. Being so close to the Holiday it was quite packed but Traci enjoyed a fantastic Mexican enchilada dish (authentic; no Taco Bells here!) and I treated myself to some fantastic and
fresh Sushi.
After a big of shopping and strolling, we departed. Traci was feeling the exhaustion from the changes in Time Zones, so we returned to Eric's Apartment so she could take a break. I took the opportunity to pay a visit to Super AutoBacs. This is an Automotive parts & service store that specializes in rare, hard to find Japanese import items. And they also carry a wide variety of cool Japanese and Asian market car products. I got some hard to find tail light bulbs, a Broadway rear view mirror, and an "Autobacs" decal for my car. For those that know me well enough, this is exciting for me!
Traci's friend Megan came into LA to visit with us, so she arrived shortly before my return from Autobacs. Gotta love that LA traffic! We went to dinner at a great Vegan joint called Native Foods. DELICIOUS! In addition to being delicious, they were super active in raising the environmental conscience of the area- love it.
After eating, Megan played tour guide as we drove down Rodeo Drive and looked at all of the "schmancy" stores. We then parked on Sunset to take a closer look at the Graumann's Chinese Theater and find out which star's hands best suit our own. Come to find out, Nick and John Travolta have the same disco-fever handshake! I found my first match with Meryl Streep, but was much more excited about my perfect fit with Hermione Granger (i.e. Emma Watson) of Harry Potter. 😊

Fast forward to Tuesday morning, and we found ourselves heading down to beautiful San Diego. This was a very low-key trip with us spending most of the day in the great outdoor arena of Balboa Park. For those of you who may not know, this park is laced with museums, cafes, playgrounds, running trails, and much more! My favorite part was the Artisan's Guild. It was set up like a Spanish Marketplace, housing different artists with unique talents within it's villas. The colors were vibrant and the space was glowing! We also visited the Japanese Friendship Garden, which offered an ambience that was calming and restorative in it's own right. Overall, Nick and I both felt confident that this park was a special place that we could spend substantial time in.
We then made our way to the Gas Lamp District of San Diego, which is basically a few blocks of cafes, bars, and shops. We strolled along the route stopping in a few stores to poke and prod (and perhaps made a purchase or two) and indulged in some delicious Gelato from the ever-so-clever "Chocolat". I write "ever-so-clever" because they had a Smart Car parked across the street decked out in "Chocolat"-style- painted chocolate brown and covered with skinny-cows. It was SWEET. While Nick and I enjoyed our time in this district, we felt it may be a better location to visit at night when the live music advertisements come to life in each bar.
After battling some fierce traffic to get back into LA, we ate at another superb vegan restaurant called "California Vegan" and sampled some of their delectable Thai-style soy offerings.

All in all- good times were had in Southern California! 😊 Coming soon: Taking on wine country....

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