Winter Break Ideas: So Cal

As much as I love Northern California, unless I'm thinking about skiing, I don't want to head there in February. Since I live in New York, in an ideal world (read, fantasy), I would want to go somewhere that is 70 degrees and upwards, and has a pool that is nicely heated. Here are some spots that I wouldn't say no to...

The Ace Hotel, Palm Springs
We got married here 14 years ago, and haven't ever been back with Clara. I think it's time. And the place we stayed way back when, L'Horizon, doesn't take kids, so I can dispense with nostalgia, and head straight to the Ace, which I think looks like the perfect spot for us.

Venice Beach Eco Cottages
I haven't stayed here, but I sure would love to stay in walking distance of Abbot Kinney where two of my favorite restaurants, Gjelina and Shima, and two of my favorite stores, A+R and Tortoise, are.

Hotel del Coronado, San Diego
This just looks like a great family resort, that has all of the old-school-ness that I love.

Our Idea of Heaven: Tartine Bakery SF

Doesn't that look like it might be the world's best almond croissant? Well, it is. But I think anything at Tartine is probably the best in the world. This is a necessary stop whenever we go to San Francisco.

p.s. if you're a regular reader, you will know i am in london, and you're probably wondering "why is she writing about sf?" ...well, it turns out i forgot my cable to transfer my pictures from my camera to the laptop, and oh, i forgot my laptop too (clearly i didn't follow my own travel organization instructions). and now, we may end up being delayed in coming home because of the ash cloud that is hovering over parts of england. long explanation for why i am putting up a post i had scheduled for later next week...

More on LA

My husband is going to Nashville next week, and I just saw on his computer screen that he was reading a post that GOOP did on Nashville. I sometimes forget to look at GOOP, but when I do, I'm always interested in everything she writes about. So I scrolled down, and saw she had done a big post on where to eat in LA, and I think it's a good one to know about, because the selections are great.  There's everything from the best Korean taco truck, to old school Italian place in Bev Hills, to the great organic sushi place on Abbot Kinney, Shima.  I'm going to go get out my Moleskin LA notebook right now, and write down every one of her suggestions.

Farmers Market LA

I'm not talking about 'a' farmers market....I'm talking about the Original Farmers Market...the one that's been around since 1934, and is completely caught in time, provided you cover your eyes when you pass the outdoor mall (The Grove) that's right next to it.  I love this place.  I hadn't been in a while, but I brought Clara here on our trip a couple of weeks ago, and I could just go there for the signage. We had a really mediocre breakfast at DuPar's, which has their pancake accolades front and center on their menu, which worked, because we thought we had to order them, and they were really not so great.  Unsatisfied, we needed to try something else. Since it was too early to get tacos at the place my friend recommended, we just kept going on the breakfast sweet theme, and went to Bob's Donuts.  Delicious glazed donut. This place is a must stop on any LA itinerary.

(the mediocre breakfast as mentioned above)

(satisfaction!)

(Loteria is supposed to have great tacos)

We Love The Getty Museum in LA

Last week when we were out in LA, we made our way to The Getty Museum , one of my favorite museums ever.  I love it because even if your kid ends up completely bored looking at art, you've got great fountains to walk around, amazing gardens, and a great family area, and don't forget the tram ride to and from the parking lot. This time, we did a Family Art Stop , which was a half hour with a guide (free!), who brought us to a painting, and taught us how to study it and have fun doing so. 

Bring Back From Carpinteria: Robitaille's

Carpinteria is a sweet little surfer town, home to what they call the World's Safest Beach , and also, to a great old-school candy shop, called Robitaille's . They make all their candy by hand, and they are known for their white chocolate mint candy, which was chosen to the official candy of the 50th Presidential Inauguration, so now they are called Inaugural Mints.  They are delicious, and the packaging is great. A small box is $3.95, and a large box is $6.95, and they make a great gift.

Malibu Lumber Yard

We took the Pacific Coast Highway from LA up to our friends' house up near Santa Barbara, and on our way, our friend said we should pull over and check out the Malibu Lumber Yard. It was a nice stop--it's an open air shopping 'center', with a courtyard that has lots of couches for lounging, and even a ping-pong table. And tropical fish tanks. The only store we really stopped into was Crewcuts, where we picked up some of those Bensimon slip-ons for Clara. I swear she hasn't taken them off since we bought them.  

For the Rental Files: Stinson Beach, CA

(6 Alameda Patio) 

I love this part of the California coast. It's so close to San Francisco, so it's easy to get to, and the food is just so good in that area. I haven't stayed in Stinson yet, but I want to rent one of these houses for a week sometime soon.  

I think this house looks promising.  It sleeps four, and it's two blocks from the beach, in the village of Stinson. It's $2200 for the week.

This house is one that we just wish would go on the market, because it's exactly what we'd want to buy and fix up, just a little bit...not too much. It's $1600 a week and it's right on the beach, although the decor isn't exactly inspiring (sorry--the pics on their site are so small).

This one is really just for a couple, but it's worth saving in the files for that much needed parents getaway. I think the styling on this one is pretty great for a rental. It's $1500 for the week.

Lemonade Stand, Santa Barbara Style

We've just been visiting our great friends who live in Carpinteria, which is a sleepy surfer town above Ventura, and below Santa Barbara. We took a walk on the beach, and found this awesome 'shell stand'.

Channel Islands--Who Knew?

I was just talking to my friend Steve Orr, who has a fantastic blog, and mentioned to him that we were supposed to be in Santa Barbara last week, but had to reschedule due to some schedule conflicts with the friends we were visiting. He said that when we go back, we absolutely have to go to the Channel Islands.  Read his blog post, and check out his beautiful pictures.