La Super Rica
We’re back from an overnighter to Santa Barbara. D extended his Memorial Day Weekend by one day so we just went from Mon.-Tues. On Monday we drove up in the morning, making a stop at the Camarillo outlets. D found some deals at Brooks Brothers while I found a couple of pairs of shoes at Nine West. It is usually very difficult for me to find shoes, so I was happy.
When we arrived in Santa Barbara, it was lunch time so our first stop was La Super Rica. This place became famous because of Julia Child’s recommendation. The atmosphere is pretty nondescript, but the prices are still very reasonable, so that’s nice. We ordered chicken and a “La Super Rica Especial”, which had pork and roasted chiles. Yes, there was too much cheese on the special for our taste, but I liked the smokiness of the chiles. We should have just ordered one of these plates and one order of tacos, because there was too much food and we couldn’t finish it. We also had a hibiscus agua fresca, which was pretty sweet. When we were half way done, D had the brilliant idea of adding water to dilute it. It tasted even better! Too bad that I put our now almost full cup in n’s stroller cup holder and forgot it was there while trying to navigate the stroller down the stair while holding the door open. The bright red juice splashed all over the door and on the stroller, but luckily not on n or myself. This wasn’t the last big mess of the trip, but you’ll have to stay tuned for that story!
Carmel
Saturday was our shopping day. First we went to Macy’s so D could pick out some work clothes as a belated birthday present from his parents. For some reason, k kept on insisting that she was a baby and crawling on the floor. Hopefully this is a short phase, and not a sign of what is to come once the baby is here. The mall was completely empty. Then we ate lunch at Bahama Billy’s at the Barnyard shopping center. That place was pretty empty too. Where was everyone? Turns out they were all in the “downtown” area of Carmel, where we went afterward. There were tons of babies and dogs being strolled/walked by all of the chic shops.
This dog was attracting a lot attention. It was huge, although this picture does not convey its size. k could have sat on it like a horse.
That night we had leftovers and stayed in, mostly so D could watch the Oregon football game. Oh, I also wanted to mention that D went running every morning we were there at 6:30 a.m., as soon as the sun came up, when it was still freezing outside. I call him crazy, but I guess you could also say he is dedicated.
We left early the next morning. k was so good in the car both ways. Seems like she’s getting used to these trips up and down California. Of course it helps now that she can be appeased by snacks!
Cannery Row & Pebble Beach
After our trip to the aquarium we had lunch at Amarin, a Thai restaurant right across the street. (We had eaten there once before). Then we walked around Cannery Row. I barely remembered the area. There is a new hotel that looked quite nice:
We also passed by Bubba Gump’s. I know it’s touristy, but I feel like I have to try it at least once. Maybe next time, when my non-pregnant self will be free to eat all of the seafood I want.
k was intrigued by the Bubba Gump mascot, but didn’t want to get too close. I don’t blame her.
The Monterey location is right on the water.
After indulging in Ghiradelli sundaes (D liked the mint one he chose here better than the one we had in San Diego), we went home to rest. Later in the afternoon we went to the Lodge at Pebble Beach and the Resort at Spanish Bay to walk around and take in the atmosphere.
The Lodge: Old School Money
Sunset @ Spanish Bay. There was quite a marked difference between PB and SB. Spanish Bay, for some reason, was teeming with kids that day. They were playing in the sand trap of the 18th hole like it was a sandbox. At Pebble Beach, the green was roped off with a sign telling non-players to stay off. When we were waiting in the lobby at Spanish Bay, a waitress came by and asked if we had ordered eight kids’ hot chocolates. Um, no, that would not be us. Spanish Bay also has a fully decked-out bag-pipist that walks along the ocean playing music during sunset. Nice touch.
We ate dinner at Roy’s at Spanish Bay. D decided to go “light” and only ordered a sushi roll, the Sunrise at Haleakala, but it actually turned out to be quite substantial. Plus, D had generous samples of all of our dishes as well, so he ended up being full. k enjoyed the free edamame and my short ribs. I wish I could have had the fish, but no complaints here.
Monterey Aquarium
Friday morning we went to the Monterey Aquarium with D’s parents. It has been a while since we were last there, and it seemed even bigger than I remembered. k enjoyed it in the beginning, but she tired out pretty quickly. I think these types of places will be a lot of fun once k grows a little older. It was pretty crowded…I guess it was the place to go if you were in the area for Thanksgiving.
The Thanksgiving Feast
This year Grandpa Lim made the turkey (a 14 pounder from Trader Joe’s). It was nice and moist, but way too big for the 5 of us (k just had a few small pieces with gravy). We also had rolls, rice (for k), asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a stuffing made of taro and Chinese roast pork. There was also pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. After dinner, k entertained all of us with her dancing and antics. k seemed comfortable right away on this trip, especially compared to her clinginess during our July 4th visit.
Thanksgiving in Pebble Beach
This year we spent Thanksgiving with D’s family (we alternate every year). We visited D’s parents in Pebble Beach and D’s sister also made the drive down. Our drive went smoothly, thanks in large part to the CX-9 that our BIL hooked us up with. There was plenty of space for all of our cargo, plus it had navigation, Sirius, built-in DVD player and Bose surround sound. All of those features really made a difference in our 6+ hour car ride.
We watched the Jonah Veggie Tales movie, My Best Friend’s Wedding and Elf. I guess we need to buy more DVDs for k. We also listened to a lot of 90’s hits and ESPN on Sirius.
On our way up the I-5 we saw this rainbow. D said it was the brightest he has ever seen. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen brighter, but it was pretty nonetheless. 
We burned some calories in preparation for out Thanksgiving feast by taking a walk along Pebble Beach. The scenery was beautiful, of course. 
Ocean Beach
On our way home from San Diego we took a slight detour to go to Ocean Beach. And why, you may ask, did we stop there? To go to Hodad’s for lunch. We first heard about this place on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (one of my favorite shows on the Food Network). We arrived before they opened so we took a walk down to the beach which was just down the street. It was pretty cold and overcast. The main drag reminded us of Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley (the people and shops).
It’s a funky joint, with license plates adorning the walls and loud rock music. I was wondering whether they noticed any significant change in their clientele once the “Triple D” episode aired. Anyway, we each ordered a single hamburger (D ordered his with cheese) and we shared a side of frings and a strawberry shake. The single hamburgers were plenty big, and the frings (1/2 fries, 1/2 onion rings) were way too huge. D actually asked for a to-go bag and we finally finished them yesterday. k liked the fries the best (she loves dipping things in ketchup, and ranch, we found out). The shake was also really big and was a nice contrast to the saltiness of everything else. 
After lunch we continued up the I-5 and stopped in at the Rainbow Sandal outlet in San Clemente. D bought a pair, despite his affinity for Tevas. I guess he is turning O.C.!
Saying Goodbye to SD
Our last night in San Diego we went to Little Italy for dinner. 
We ate at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. I wanted to avoid the crowds, but I thought eating at 4:15 was a bit early, even for us. We walked around Little Italy a bit and then decided to get in line. Good thing, because the line (which goes through a deli/store in front of the restaurant) was already to the front door. Fortunately, k was fast asleep in her stroller so the wait wasn’t too bad. 
We ordered a small antipasto salad and a pizza. The pizza was pretty good, but I would not wait in line for an hour like some people do. The crust was a bit too doughy, (and I usually like thicker crusts). Also, the cheese tended to glop up in the middle instead of being evenly spread out. 
On the way out I picked up some Italian cookies from the storefrount. We ate some back at the hotel at night, and some for breakfast the next morning!
On Monday we took our time getting ready since we weren’t in a rush. (D actually ran on the treadmill on both Sun. and Mon., early in the morning, dedicated runner that he is). We drove to Seaport Village to walk around. 
I always like to stop in at the Upstart Crow Bookstore and the Christmas store to look at the ornaments. I didn’t buy an ornament this time, but we did buy a wooden whale tootbrush holder from a toystore that k really liked. She didn’t want to leave!
San Diego Zoo
Sunday morning we headed to the San Diego Zoo. D and I had never been there together, and we thought it would be a low-key place to take k (as opposed to Sea World or Legoland). It was nice to go in the “off-season” since it never felt too crowded.
We started out by taking the bus tour around the park. I couldn’t believe how big the grounds are! It wasn’t easy to navigate, what with the hills and k sometimes wanting to ride in the stroller, sometimes wanting to walk, and sometimes wanting to be carried. She also decided she wanted to push the stroller, and ended up falling and biting her lip (nothing too serious). After the tour we took the sky tram to the back of the park and slowly made our way back to the front.
Skyfari–k enjoyed being high above the trees. It was good to do this in the beginning of the day since the line was kind of long by the end.
I loved watching k’s amazement at all of the different animals. It was her first time seeing many of the animals, including giraffes, elephants, pandas and rhinos. When she saw the elephants she kept saying “Whoa” and she started to flap her ears and make hand motions for the trunk. We also enjoyed watching the giraffes, including the baby that was born not too long ago. They are such unique-looking creatures! Our souvenir of choice for k was a stuffed baby giraffe. (She was sleeping at the time so she didn’t have a say in the matter).
We ate lunch at the Treetop Cafe since there is a 10% discount for AAA members. D had the enchiladas and I had chili in a bread bowl. k shared with us, of course. It was nice to dine above the treetops and the food was pretty good. 
We also managed to watch the Zoo’s two shows, one featuring various wild animals and the second featuring sea lions. 
k managed to sneak in a nap here and there. We stayed from 9-4, so it was a long day.
D looks tired too!
San Diego Weekend Getaway
We are back from a quick trip to San Diego this past weekend (Sat.-Mon.) As always, it was nice to take a break from the normal routine.
We left on Saturday morning and made a stop at the Original Pancake House in Aliso Viejo. We tried the famed apple pancake and a puffy omelet. The apple pancake actually tasted good with the side of pancakes that came with the omelet. No, we couldn’t finish it, which always makes me sad when we can’t take the leftovers home.
Our next stop was La Jolla. The last time we were there was in January 2003, when we got engaged. Ah, the memories! We were trying to imagine how those UCSD students get anything done with such beautiful surroundings.
We also visited the Children’s Pool, but there were a lot less seals than last time. I guess it’s not the “season”. 
Conflicting signage:
We stopped in at the Cheeseshop for a light lunch. D had 1/2 of a roast pork sandwich and I had 1/2 of a turkey, avocado and jack sandwich. We also shared a fresh squeezed lemonade and a flourless oatmeal cookie. (This was a Yelp find). The atmosphere was Berkeley-esque, in a good way. We took the food to a nearby beach with a grassy area.
Then we checked into the Marriott @ Gaslamp. We booked it through Priceline for $95, which was a good deal. The trick with Priceline is to wait until just a couple of weeks before your trip. We had booked a Ramada Inn room as a backup way beforehand, and just cancelled when we got the Marriott.
k loves hotel beds. I can’t believe how much roommier a king feels than a queen. We thought that k would be able to sleep with us–bad idea. The second night we requested a crib and that was much better.
After taking a rest we ventured out of our hotel. Petco Park was really close by.
There were a lot of families taking advantage of the open park and nice weather. (It was actually a bit too warm for our comfort).
We went to Horton Plaza and realized that we don’t really like it. Just the same ol’ shops, and not very stroller-friendly. The restaurant I picked out way before to go to ended up being too far to walk, so we just tried to find something in the Gaslamp that was close by. We ended up at Sushi Itto which was very mediocre. To assuage our disappointment we went to Ghiradelli for dessert. 
Yes, there is ice cream under all of that whipped cream. Initially, I was disappointed with this too, because it seemed like just ice cream with whipped cream on top. It wasn’t until we were about half way through that we realized all of the hot fudge sauce was pooled at the bottom. Live and learn–haha.
It was still light out when we turned in for the night. Apparently there’s a happening rooftop lounge at the top of the hotel on weekends, but we didn’t check it out since k was with us! This was our view, from the 16th floor:
k liked this chair in our hotel room.
k imitating my dad (“Doin’ the Baba”).