California — pleasure in simple things

Tag: California

park hyatt aviara

March

It’s no secret that I am enamored with the state of California and It is always exciting for me to get the opportunity to stay in a hotel in there – especially when it is one that I have never experienced.

Recently, I had this opportunity during a work trip. The hotel I visited rivaled any hotel located right on the coast (my usually faves).

The hotel was the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad (about 30 miles outside San Diego). Even though I was busy working while there, the aesthetics of this hotel were hard to miss!

It is magical – from it’s foggy early mornings…

…to it’s late night “campfires.”

The food at the hotel is fabulous – with many healthful choices. I so enjoyed the assorted varieties of chia seed puddings at breakfast as well as the ‘chef’s choice’ of fresh juice each day. One morning this was a mix of orange, mango and banana. So yummy!

And, for cocktails, there are some fun choices from the “Mixologist’s Lab” – like my favorite: a Yuzu Jalapeno Popsicle – a cocktail containing a popsicle with a jalapeno frozen inside!

Unfortunately, because I was working, I did not have the opportunity to enjoy all the hotel has to offer. This includes a golf course, spa, and a Richard Blais restaurant called Ember & Rye (check my Instagram stories for some photos of this fabulous restaurant – overlooking a golf course and owned by one of my culinary heros).

I hope you enjoyed a little peek at this great resort in California!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

2 comments » | travel

prayers for big basin

August

Today I am posting a little tribute to California’s oldest state park.

A raging wildfire has inflicted serious damage to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Sending prayers for the well-being of this magnificent park and to all in California suffering from the devastation of the fires.

Click here to see more of the park.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a fabulous weekend.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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alcatraz

August

One of the places I did not expect to go when I started thinking in advance about my recent California trip was a tour of Alcatraz! However, my son set up a tour and I was enthusiastic to check it out!

One and a quarter miles offshore from San Francisco, this small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum-security federal penitentiary (closed in 1963). It is also the site of the first lighthouse on the West Coast.

Alcatraz Island is a designated national historic landmark and the National Park Service does an excellent job of preserving the island. It also provides tourists a very well organized ferry ride out to the island with a great self-guided tour once on the island.

I have never seen any prison in my lifetime so it was a little creepy to tour a vacated federal penitentiary, but so very interesting!

I spoke with a guard who was working on the island at the time the penitentiary closed and he told me his family never even locked the doors of their home while living on the island! Learning that the island housed prisoners who continually caused trouble at other federal prisons (including the notorious Al Capone), I think I would locked my door if I was an island resident!

What a great historic tour!

This was the library – I wish the books were still there!

I hope you enjoy seeing some of the photos I took while on Alcatraz Island today on Friday field trip!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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an ocean view

July

I can’t imagine enjoying any drive more than the one I took on the Pacific Coast Highway on my recent California trip!

In a previous post, I showed you one of my favorite scenic spots. Today, for Friday field trip, I am sharing a few random views during a drive on the coast of Northern California just so you can see how breathtaking it is!

If you have not yet had the pleasure to cruise the PCH, you definitely need to put it on your to do or bucket list…particularly if you are a beach lover!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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first trip to napa

July

With more than 400 wineries, each with its own unique style, setting and history, no trip to Northern California would be complete without visiting a vineyard in Napa Valley!

By staying in a Napa resort and visiting 3 different wineries, I was able to enjoy unforgettable wine tastings, stunning views, and behind-the-scenes tours of wine cellars and caves.

Being a wine connoisseur is definitely not a requirement to have a blast visiting vineyards! I am the perfect example! I barely drink alcohol at all, but I had a wonderful time sampling the wines of Napa! With the gorgeous views and interesting tours, I think I would have enjoyed my time at the vineyards if I drank nothing at all! Although I am glad I did – what a fabulous experience sampling a wide variety of tasty wines created at vineyards I actually toured!

One of the vineyards we visited was featured on the movie Wine Country with Amy Poehler. It is easy to understand why – with the scenic views spanning a 280-acre distinct property!

Wine is not the only enjoyment when visiting the vineyards of Napa. Most of the wineries serve food accompaniments. It was so interesting (and tasty) to discover the pairings created! It was also a wonderful way to identify some new cheeses! My favorite was one hand-rubbed with lavender buds and coffee called Barely Buzzed. When I got back home, I was thrilled to find out I could order it by mail from the Beehive Cheese Company!

My first trip to Napa Valley was definitely an unforgettable one!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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first glimpse golden gate bridge

July

I guess no visit to Northern California would be complete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. I was interested in seeing it while in San Francisco, but really had no expectations.

The walk up to the bridge, and walking on the bridge itself, ended up one of my favorite visits on my most recent trip to California. There are so many awesome overlooks along the walk up to the bridge, it is a major sensory overload! And, the walk across the 1.7-mile expanse provides beautiful (though breezy) ocean views!

It is amazing to think that when opened in 1937 – over 75 years ago – the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world!

It is easy to see why the Golden Gate Bridge is in the top ten of most visited landmarks in the United States.

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of my very first views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pigeon point lighthouse

July

I love a lighthouse visit! I guess growing up around boats and living along the Connecticut coast has given me an appreciation for all things related to the sea. There were a lot of Sundays growing up when I would spend time by the lighthouse near where I lived when I would join my dad on his visits to the club.

For me, it is always a treat to find a new lighthouse to visit when traveling.

I was able to visit a great one while in Northern California! At 115 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States!

Located just a few miles north of Santa Cruz, Pigeon Point is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California.

Because of current repairs in progress, it is not possible to enter the lighthouse, but the picturesque views from the grounds are awesome!

I hope you enjoy sharing the beauty of Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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cruisin’ the pch

July

Cruising the Pacific Coast Highway is a must for any beach lover! We covered a nice long stretch of the PCH when I visited Northern California recently and every single mile brought enjoyment!

One of my favorite viewing spots was Shark Fin Cove – just south of the city of Davenport, California.

I am sharing a few photos of this picturesque spot with you for today’s Friday field trip.

You can see by the photos why I love the spot so much!

The fin definitely looks the best (most fin-like) from a distance.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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barking up a storm

July

Something we do not see in East Coast waters are sea lions. So, spotting them while in Northern California was something of a novelty for me.

California sea lions are “eared seals” native to the West Coast of North America. They live in coastal waters and on beaches, docks, buoys, and jetties. On my trip, the place I saw the most sea lions was when I walked the Santa Cruz Wharf – they were everywhere!

These guys weigh 240 to 700 lbs. and live to be 20 to 30 years old. They are easily trained and intelligent which is why they are commonly seen in zoos and aquariums. They are also very vocal – they sound like barking dogs! Click on the link below to see some in action!

Video of sea lions in Santa Cruz

They are definitely a blast to watch!

We wondered if these guys made a mess in the boat they jumped into!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my West Coast pets! ;)

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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discovering hoover tower

July

One of my favorite visits to my recent trip to Northern California was Stanford University. The visit makes me ask myself “Why did I not apply to any schools on the West Coast?!”

The highlight of the campus is definitely the Hoover Tower. Built as part of Stanford’s 50^th anniversary, back in 1941, the first nine floors of the tower are library stacks and the next three floors are used for offices, but visitors are allowed to go up to the top of the tower.

It is super cool to see the tower’s bells up close and to hear a volunteer talk about how the bells are played occasionally on a whim by a music professor or one of his students. The configuration of the mechanism that plays the bells (similar to a piano) is replicated in the professor’s classroom so he can effectively teach others his skill during class!