Cali- North Park

I didn't really have much planned for the Friday of our trip. In the event one of the other days got off track or didn't go as planned, I was going to use Friday as a "make up day". But every other day went perfectly so Friday ended up being completely open. The weather was also looking kind of unpredictable so we weren't really sure what to do. I thought about going to one of the art museums at Balboa Park but wanted to save some money (James' Plant Power addiction is hard to keep up with). So we decided to just go walk around the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. 

I like getting to know different parts of the city and areas tourists possibly don't visit. As the name indicates, North Park is on the north side of Balboa Park. There are a lot of boutiques, restaurants, and other small businesses in this neighborhood. It's also home to a historic theatre and music venue (I would like to go to a show here sometime in the future). It seems to be a hip part of town (although I'm sure we brought the cool factor down). Research tells me it is #13 on Forbes list of "Best Hipster Neighborhoods" (I looked this up just now while writing this post). The fact that Forbes has a list of top hipster neighborhoods is possibly the most anti-hipster thing I have ever heard of. Or maybe the hipsters would embrace the irony of it. 

What I like most about pretty much any neighborhood I've come across in San Diego is the abundance of really cool street art and murals. I love alleys covered in paint and random small pieces of art on sidewalks. So mostly that is what we looked for in North Park and we found plenty of it. We also went in some really cool shops, particularly one called Pigment. If I lived here, I would have no paycheck because I'd spend it all here. It's like the ultimate home decor/stationery/party supply store. I'm pretty sure they may have been the original inspiration for both Pinterest and Instagram because everything there is beautiful and perfect and dripping with succulents. I actually didn't buy anything because there was too much beautiful stuff to choose from. 

It actually rained while we were walking around so we ducked into a great cafe called Sipz which serves vegan Asian inspired cuisine. It was delightful and just what we needed on a rainy California afternoon. We got some amazing Vietnamese coffee and vegan sushi and chilled out for a while before heading out. 

The rest of the day we spent packing up and cleaning the apartment (remember, leave no trace!) and then we walked up the street to another shop I had been wanting to check out, Often Wander at Noon. I don't really buy souvenirs when we travel, at least not the tacky magnet type of souvenir. The past few trips I've bought jewelry because I can wear it every day and remind myself of happy memories (plus, who doesn't like jewelry). But again, trying to reign in the spending, so I bought some cute cactus art prints and a cactus dishtowel. 

In the evening, we walked around the corner to a lovely Indian restaurant called Sundara. It's a little hole in the wall and easy to pass by despite being on a main road in Ocean Beach. A Google search brings up a stunningly bad review of the place, so bad I thought it was a satire on the snobbery of food critics. The chief complaints were bad service, a table set for 4 even though only two guests were seated at it, and using chicken breast in the curry. Well, we received great service throughout our visit from different employees, the table setting was lovely, and I'm vegan so I couldn't care less what kind of chicken they use (although I'd prefer no chicken at all). The waitstaff were very attentive to our dietary needs and food allergies. We ordered samosas, Saag curry (James) and Channa Masala (me) and it was ALL DELICIOUS. We had plenty left over and considered it one of the best meals we had during this trip. It really was the perfect way to wrap up our time in Ocean Beach.

Cali- Cabrillo National Monument

Despite Cabrillo National Monument being just a short drive from Ocean Beach, we didn't come here the last time we were in town. When we first arrived, we were a little caught off guard because it looks like you are driving into a Navy base but the gate is open and a little ways down the road you stop at the pay station for Cabrillo. As of this writing, it cost $15 to enter Cabrillo by car and this gives you a pass you can use again as much as you want during the next 6 days.

We initially parked near the tide pools area, although it was hide tide and we couldn't access the tide pools. Do yourself a favor, go online and look at the tide schedule (just google San Diego area tide schedule) before you go to the beach in the event you want to look at the tide pools. Also check online (either with a weather app or the park website) about any alerts; there was a rough surf advisory almost every day we were there, which means if you are walking on rocks during high tide, you may get splashed!

There is a nice trail along the cliffs and rocks that is about a mile total, so we started out walking along here. We saw some really cool rock and cliff formations. The thing about the San Diego coastline is, every section of beach is different. The rocks and cliffs at Cabrillo are different than La Jolla, which are different than the Sunset Cliffs, and so on and so on. And of course, everything looks different as the tide changes!

After walking along the trail, we drove up to the visitor's center and parked there. Outside of the visitor's center, we saw great views of the bay, Coronado, downtown San Diego, and even Mexico, although it was a little hazy the morning we were there. There is also a trail near the visitor's center called the Bayside trail (which goes along the bay naturally) but we didn't walk this one. It looked really pretty though! After walking through the visitor's center and looking at the exhibits there, we briefly looked at the actual Cabrillo Monument and then headed to the Old Point Loma lighthouse. 

I have a thing for lighthouses. I just love them! When I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to be either a lighthouse keeper or a fire tower watcher (weird, I know). This lighthouse is seriously one I could live in. It's very small but seriously has the perfect amount of space for me, James and the dogs. It has a an adorable little spiral staircase leading upstairs to the tower, which is actually not accessible to the public but you can look into it. The rooms of the lighthouse are also secured behind glass, but they are furnished and decorated with period pieces and overall it just looks like a place I could live. I loved the simplicity and stature of this lighthouse! Throughout the grounds near the lighthouse, there are also displays about military history and relics of WW2, which James found interesting. Although I am not so much into military history, the San Diego area is obviously a must visit area for those who are. 

After walking around Cabrillo, we went to the grocery store and did some other mundane things. We needed to get snacks and non-perishable food to take on our trip to Joshua Tree (I didn't feel like bringing a cooler and ice so we stuck with sandwiches and "hiker food"). In the evening, we walked to a restaurant down the street called Hugo's Cocina. We noticed the night before it had a line out the door, so we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Fortunately, they have a great variety of vegan options so we made a good choice! It's family style Mexican restaurant with your typical assortment of tacos, enchiladas, and combo options. I ordered a vegan quesadilla. It was HUGE so I had plenty leftover, which I ate the next morning for breakfast. 

It was an early night because we had to get a good night's rest before our big adventure in Joshua Tree!

Cali- Garnet Peak and Julian

Since the weather was much cooler than our previous visit, I wanted to really get out and hike on this trip. Ultimately, we spent probably 80% of our trip outside and I am completely fine with that! Other than trying to figure out what to wear (it's 60 degrees out- is that shorts weather or pants weather? Answer- shorts if in the sun, pants if in the shade, boots and down jacket if you are a California resident), I loved being outside the whole week. The weather looked like it would be nicest early in the week, so I planned the bulk of our "must do" outdoor activities for Sun- Weds. 

The weather on Monday morning was cool, crisp, and really clear so it was the perfect day to head to the mountains just east of San Diego. I had it in my head to hike some small section of the Pacific Crest Trail, just to say that I had set foot on it, and found a easy sounding (hey, we were on vacation after all) hike to Garnet Peak. I have to say, I think the effort vs. payoff ratio of this hike is best of any hike I've ever taken (in other words, it's not hard and the view was stunning). First of all, it's a very easy, barely an hour drive from San Diego. You hop on I-8, go east, exit onto Sunrise Highway, drive through some very scenic mountain curves, and you're there. No back roads, no 4-wheel drive needed, no worries about GPS going out of service because it's so simple to get there. 

Then there's the hike itself. We started at the Penny Pines trail head, which is about 5 miles round trip, but there are other shorter and longer options nearby. Easiest 5 miles I have ever hiked. About 3/4 of the hike is flat-ish but shows amazing scenery of nearby mountains and valleys. The last section is uphill but short as you climb the summit of Garnet Peak. I will say, I was a little scared on the summit because it's very rocky and I am clumsy. After being so used to big, flat, "balds" of the Georgia mountains, a narrow, rocky mountain top is intimidating. The view was amazing though and so worth it! From the summit, you can see the Anza-Borrego desert, the Salton Sea, and snow capped peaks off in the distance. Quite the variety of geographic features!

Since we were there so early we only saw a handful of other hikers and had plenty of peace and quiet to ourselves. The hike took us about 2 hours total and that was with a lot of stopping to take pictures along the way. We finished earlier than we anticipated, so we decided to drive about 20 minutes north into Julian. I had heard of "Julian Pies" and we figured there was no harm in seeing what it was all about. 

I suppose Julian is like the Ellijay of southern California. They've got mountains and apples and mining and a historic town strip. Julian also seems to have a lot of town pride as everything is called "Julian This" or "Julian That". We went in a few general store type places and yes, found a bakery that sells vegan apple pies. James wanted to go big or go home, so we bought a whole apple pie and then spent the rest of the week trying to eat it. But that's ok because we earned our right to eat whole pies with the amount of hiking/walking we did. 

In the evening, we met our other SD friend for dinner and went to an amazing vegan restaurant/bar called Kindred, which is located in the South Park neighborhood. Not sure who put this place together, but it's an awesome blend of cats, heavy metal, seriously upscale decor, crafty cocktails, and aforementioned vegan cuisine. Truly intriguing. I ordered a BBQ jackfruit sandwich which was leaps and bounds better than the BBQ jackfruit I make at home and I tried Kombucha for the first time. The food prices were very affordable ($10 sandwich w/chips) but the vibe so trendy, this would make a great first date kind of place. 

Only in California can you go from down home apple pie to upscale vegan cuisine in under an hour!

California Trip- Balboa Park

So finally on the third day of our trip, the sun decided to come out. It was a stunningly beautiful day so we decided to walk around Balboa Park. We got a pretty early start so there were not too many people around. We parked in the 6th Street and Upas Street parking lot and had no trouble finding parking. We pretty much just followed the trails and visited many of the various garden areas. My favorite part by far was the rose garden. I have never seen so many varieties of roses in my life. I also enjoyed the botanical building. The desert garden was a little lackluster. I would have much rather just visited the desert (but not a good idea in August!).

It was my goal to not pay for very many attractions but we did end up visiting the Museum of Man. It was OK; probably a good choice for people with kids because it's not very extensive and you can move through the exhibits fairly quickly. Overall I am more of an art museum person and I wish we had done that instead. We also opted to not pay the extra admission fee to visit the Japanese garden, although it looked very pretty. We barely scratched the surface and definitely could have spent another day there. I've never been anywhere like Balboa Park before. 

After walking around for 5+ hours, we were feeling rather peckish so we went further into downtown San Diego and ate at an epic Mexican restaurant called Pokez. The vegan options were endless and the prices were amazing, not to mention the vibe which definitely had a artistic flair. I got an indescribably large taco salad (seriously, I don't know how they made the taco shell bowl it was in) that I had a hard time finishing. 

In the evening, we met up with our (formerly) Arizona friend Chris who ended up moving to San Diego after we already planned to be visit. That's serendipity! We went to a bar in Ocean Beach, the name of which I did not catch, and just sat and talked for hours. It was a very peaceful, beautiful evening- exactly what I imagined a Friday night in California would be like. 

California Trip- La Jolla

Our second day in California, I was stunned to walk outside and see it had rained the night before and it was so foggy it looked like we were in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the gloomy weather, we decided to go to La Jolla Cove and look for the famous seals and sea lions. This was, all in all, not the worst decision because there were fewer people there due to the weather. We saw about a dozen sea mammals and quite a few other sea creatures in the tide pools. La Jolla is very beautiful and no wonder it tops a lot of "must see" lists for San Diego. We walked around for a few hours and then left to get lunch.

For lunch we upped our vegan game and went to a restaurant in Little Italy called Cafe Gratitude. James really embraced the California lifestyle by ordering a watermelon infused water that cost $9.50. This is a man who typically will not even drink free water, let alone pay for it. Joking aside, it really was a fantastic restaurant. I ordered a Mexican style bowl and James got a raw "lasagna" made with squash ribbon noodles. Both our dishes were great and kept us full for the rest of the day, which ended up making the meal economical. We walked around Little Italy for a bit and then napped before walking down to the Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. 

This is no ordinary pier. It has adorable little vacation cottages on it. I was a little weirded out by the fact you can drive onto the pier to access the cottages (if you're staying there). I couldn't help but wonder how the pier holds up with all the cottages, vehicles, and rough surf over the years. But it's been there for nearly 100 years, so I guess none of this is an issue. 

We didn't get a stunning sunset but still enjoyed the view from the legendary Pacific Beach Shore Club. Seriously the people watching is second to none at the beach and the Shore Club has a big upstairs area overlooking the beach. Unfortunately we did witness a fight and probably a drug deal (unrelated to each other) but overall I felt really safe walking around Pacific Beach. We wended our way through these charming alleys to get back to the rental and saw the cutest houses and yards. If only I was a millionaire...

California Trip- Ocean Beach Dog Park

So as described in my previous post, much of day one was spent traveling (getting to the Atlanta airport is no walk in the park either). We arrived to our Air BnB in Pacific Beach around 5 pm and James was literally about to eat his hand. Hunger combined with no air conditioning is a bad mix for a man (strangely, though, he claims "hangry" is not a legit feeling). So I pulled up the handy list of vegan/vegetarian options I found online and found the closest one, which was a "fast food" place in nearby Ocean Beach called Plant Power. Well, nearby in rush hour meant another 25 minute drive BUT it was so worth it. By the end of our trip, James became a walking billboard for Plant Power and spent enough money to probably keep the place in business through the end of the year. 

After eating $50 worth of probably not the healthiest vegan food ever, we felt the need to get some exercise, so the next logical stop was the Ocean Beach dog park. Because it's not at all creepy to go to a dog beach without your own dogs and fawn over other peoples' dogs. We walked around the dog beach and were quickly refreshed by all the pups and people enjoying the evening. I dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever and we caught the most stunning sunset. Even locals said it was unusually beautiful. The pictures really didn't adequately capture it. 

After the beach, we went to Trader Joe's to get coffee and essentials for the morning and quickly learned another lesson- you have to pay for grocery bags in California. I don't have a problem with this; just wasn't expecting it. James declined to pay .25 cents for a bag so we ended up carrying all our stuff out and have it roll around the back of the car. We are such noobs. 

Weekend- Phoenix and Scottsdale

We discovered two great vegan restaurants side by side in Central Phoenix- Green and Nami.  We ate at Green for dinner when we got back from Sedona and then went to Nami for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This is definitely not health food but after running around for the past few days, we burned a lot of calories and felt we deserved it.

After breakfast each day we walked up and down the streets surrounding the restaurant, which are all historic neighborhoods full of gorgeous homes on tree lined streets. One side of the street is awesome southwestern influenced Bungalows and the other side is more stately Tudors. We also saw wild lovebirds! At first we didn't believe it, but I looked it up and sure enough certain neighborhoods in Phoenix have flocks of wild lovebirds. This area of Phoenix seems to be the up and coming "hip"(ster) part of town. It reminded me a lot of certain parts of Tampa (i.e. I felt very at home).

We also went to a nifty old diner called MacAlpine’s, which is also home to a huge vintage market. There is an old fashioned soda fountain and a large selection of milkshakes and other retro treats (not vegan, so we didn't try anything). I did buy a vintage turquoise ring from the antique store and the manager there was incredibly knowledgeable and spent a lot of time explaining vintage jewelry to me.

We spent both Saturday and Sunday afternoons in Old Town Scottsdale. I always thought Scottsdale was just a boring suburb of Phoenix, but it is a truly cool town. The old town area is huge, full of art galleries and very upscale. Hardly like the Atlanta suburbs (at least, not the one we live in). The weather was beautiful and perfect for strolling around enjoying the sculptures and landscape. I could seriously see myself living in Scottsdale.

More about our night out in Scottsdale in my next post!

Day 3- Sedona

Fri 2/10/17

Initially, we planned to do a driving tour called the Apache Trail on Friday, but ended up changing plans because our AirBnB hostess mentioned it is a really rough drive and I did not want to chance messing up our rental car. Plenty of websites say it is fine to do in a sedan but our hostess said it’s a very narrow road and people do not drive courteously. The weather was also forecast (at that time) to be bad on the weekend, when we initially planned to go to Sedona, and we felt Sedona was something we did not want to pass up. So we went to Sedona on Friday instead.

We left Phoenix around 8 am and got to Sedona a little before 10 am. It was a very nice drive and hardly felt like 2 hrs.The scenery changes rapidly as you drive north of Phoenix and in no time, amazing desert formations appear. There are intriguing signs along the highway indicating ghost towns (I wanted to stop; James said that's how horror movies start). We also saw some hot air balloons!

I found a basic driving tour online that seemed to hit most of the highlights of Sedona so we roughly followed it. We did skip some sections based on time and/or confusion about what exactly we were looking for.I only referenced the map, not the CD the website mentions.The areas on the tour are:

1 - Bell Rock
2 - Cathedral Rock
3 - Chapel of the Holy Cross
4 - Schnebly Hill Road- skipped (it appeared to be a dirt road and no dirt roads for the rental car)
5 - Airport Vortex
6 - Airport Mesa
7 - West Sedona- skipped (could not really figure what exactly we were looking for)
8 - Boynton Canyon
9 - Upper Red Rock Loop- skipped (in interest of time, wish we hadn't skipped it)
10 - Red Rock Crossing- skipped (in interest of time, wish we hadn't skipped it)
11 - Uptown Sedona
12 - Midgley Bridge
13 - Indian Gardens- skipped (could not find exact location)
14 - Slide Rock- skipped (state park with a $10 fee. We didn't have enough time to truly explore)
15 - West Fork
16 - Upper Oak Creek Vista and Canyon

A lot of the tour areas do require a parking fee and some had very small parking lots.

We at lunch at a lovely café- ChocolaTree- total hippie vibe, raw, vegan, etc. It’s a little outside the main drag of Sedona but was perfectly situated on our tour. It's located between the Airport Vortex and Boynton Canyon.

We saw the bare minimum on our whirlwind tour, but the tour really does take you from the desert to the mountains and I felt like we traveled so much more than we actually did. I would definitely like to return to Sedona and spend time visiting the northern part of Arizona.

Day 3 observations- in AZ, you can go from the desert to snow in a~30 min drive, there is nothing a crystal or vortex can't heal, spring water tastes drastically better than Phoenix city water.

Sedona pics to follow in their own post!