California Week: Up the Coast

From Cayucos we took Highway 1 north, planning our next stop to check out the elephant seals. If we'd had time, we would definitely have stopped at Hearst Castle, but we had to make it to Half Moon Bay (an ambitious drive to say the least--it's just 30 miles south of SF) by dark. The elephant seals are easy to spot--there is signage telling you where they are. Sometimes they aren't around, but they were this time. They are amazing to watch, even if just for 5 minutes.

Next stop was the Big Sur Bakery. We didn't make it in time for lunch, but the cappuccino was fantastic.They also sell local jams and marmalades from Happy Girl, which are so good, and worth bringing home.

My favorite beach ever is the China Cove Beach (below) which is within Point Lobos State Preserve. I grew up going there, and its emerald water and white sand are breathtaking. Bonus, there's hardly ever anyone there. No, it isn't the kind of beach you swim at--it's freezing--but it's great to bring a picnic to. It's about a 10 minute drive to its parking lot off of Highway 1, and then a 10 minute walk to the beach.

Mar Vista, CA

I've written about Mar Vista before in a roundup of spring break ideas, but I found some pictures that I didn't post before, and I love this place so much, that I have to post about it again. It's a couple of hours north of SF, is on the Pacific Ocean, and is a grouping of cottages with an organic garden that you can pick from. Perfect.

For the Napa Files

My friend Kate (from the Napa area) just turned me on to this blog, written by Alexis Swanson , a mother of two, total tastemaker, and someone who spends alot of time in the Napa Valley. It's definitely worth clicking onto if you have any plans to be in that area.

Old School Amusement Parks: Fairyland

I always gravitate to pretty much anything that has been operated since the 1940s. It can be a hot dog joint that sells crappy dogs that I would normally turn my nose up to, but if it's been in the family for a couple of generations, or has great signage, I lose all of my organic uptightness. This week I'm in Binghamton, NY, where Grandma lives, and I'll be posting about what we discover all week (and continuing my Vacation Idea World Series next week, when I'm back with my big computer with all of my pictures). On Friday we're going to the Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, which Grandma remembers going to as a teenager, so it must be cool. Here's one of our favorite old school amusement parks we've been to, Fairyland, which is in Oakland, and is so off the beaten path, that many of my SF mom friends didn't even know about it.

("old school" in practice--no parents allowed in this ferris wheel occupied by two 3 year olds.)

Now one of the things you have to bear in mind with 'old school', is that it isn't the padded playground that we've become accustomed to. Clara was three when we went there, and when she saw this little merry-go-round, that was probably the tallest one I've ever seen, for how small it was, she just had to go on it. However, the attendant wouldn't let me hold her, and it had no harness/belt. She kept saying she could do it and would hold on, so I decided it was better to trust her, even though it was concrete below. She was completely fine, although I think I am still a little traumatized by it. 

Lastly, if you do go and check out Fairyland, here are some food suggestions, so you can make a day trip out of it. Restaurant suggestions come courtesy of Mike Sterba, a family friend, who lives in the area and has two kids, and good taste in food.  

Fenton's Creamery: 1.5 miles from Fairyland, and how the heck did I not know about this place?! An ice cream joint that's been around for 115 years!

Arizmendi Bakery : a worker-owned cooperative bakery that has amazing looking pizzas using organic and local ingredients, plus pastries and pies (and about a half a mile from Fairyland).

Bakesale Betty : a former Chez Panisse alumn who has a fantastic bakery. Also a half mile from Fairyland.