Sonoma

A few weekends ago, we took a quick road trip to Sonoma, California. As someone who doesn't drink, I was a bit anxious about whether I would have fun. But the weekend completely surprised me - I had so much fun and the entire region is beautiful. 

The first day we visited Healdsburg, a small town that is one of the newer popular attractions. We first had brunch at the Healdsburg Shed, a market and cafe that serves food grown within ten miles of the Shed. I had a delicious lemon ricotta pancake and my husband had a great salad and glass of wine. We then explored the downtown, including a stop for ice cream at Noble Fork, tea at Taste of Tea, and a wine tasting at Portalupi Wine.  It is a small downtown, but made for a great afternoon of adventures. On our way back to the house, we also visited Castello di Amorosa and Imagery Winery, and then had dinner at a friends' house.

On Sunday, we visited Sonoma on our way back to the peninsula. I liked Sonoma even more, it is a more historic town with barracks that were once used by the Mexican Military, so has a more historic and downtown feel. Our first stop was the Sonoma Cheese Factory. It sells gourmet groceries and sandwiches, and has at least ten flavors of cheese available to be sampled. We didn't buy any because we were getting back into the car, but I would recommend picking up some cheese and crackers for your afternoon. After cheese and wandering, we had lunch outdoors at the B&V Whiskey Bar, and then had ice cream from the Chocolate Cow.

The weekend flew by, and there is so much more to do. Next time I want to go to the Armstrong Woods and the Jelly Belly Factory.

Life in the age of Trump

I had a great weekend in Sonoma, but it feels very inappropriate to be sharing photos of vineyards in the light of this weekend. 

Growing up, I had a probably unhealthy fascination with World War II. I was so horrified by the hate of the Nazis, and so angry at all of the bystanders who didn't do anything. I hoped that if I had grown up at that time I would have stood up and protected people. And I was so grateful that I had grown up in the 2000s, when this era of hate was over. 

But here we are in 2017, and Nazis are protesting in the streets and the era of hate is here. I have always lived in liberal cities, so haven't seen much of this and have always felt protected, but it's here. 

I want to do something, but am unsure what to do or where to start, and am sure that I'm not the only one. There are demonstrations that one can go to in liberal cities, but does that really make a difference? How can I use my privilege to defend those under attack? 

We always say never again, but what do we do when it seems like again is about to happen or is happening? How do you get involved without pushing your own agenda or making things worse? 

16th Ave Tiled Steps

When I first came to San Francisco for job interviews, I had a jam packed week and needed to schedule an hour to unwind. After some Pinterest browsing, I came across the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps and added it to my itinerary. 

The 16th Avenue steps were built in 2005 by Irish ceramist Aileen Barr and mosaic artist Colette Crutcher, and were paid for by 220 residents. There are a total of 163 separate mosaic panels created, one for each step riser, made of over 2,000 handmade tiles and 75,000 fragments of tile, mirror and stained glass.

If you climb to the top of the stairs and then go up two other stair cases, you come to Grandview Park, with 360 degree views of the city. You can see the Pacific Ocean, Golden Gate Park, the Financial District, and, if you it's a very clear day, can even see the Golden Gate Bridge. 

IMG_2489.JPG
IMG_2490.JPG
IMG_2491.JPG
IMG_2492.JPG

Color Factory

Last weekend, I went to what is now my favorite attraction in California, Color Factory. For an hour, we walked through rooms decorated with the different colors of the rainbow, and I felt like a kid again. 

Conceived by Jordan Ferney of the Oh Happy Day! blog, the exhibit opened on August 1 and is already almost sold out for all of September. Along with many opportunities to take photos with your own phone/ computer, there are also photo booth stations with timers, and the photos are emailed to you when you leave.

As much as the photos capture the excitement of the rooms, there are also things to eat (macarons! black lemonade! frozen yogurt!), things to smell (a scratch and sniff wall!), and things to touch (giant markers to color with! the famous ball pit!). 

If you are in town, buy tickets before they sell out for good. Otherwise keep an eye on Jordan Ferney, and next on my list is the Museum of Ice Cream!

IMG_3113.JPG
IMG_3106.JPG
IMG_3084.JPG
IMG_3107.JPG
IMG_3086.JPG
IMG_3088.JPG
IMG_3109.JPG
IMG_3091.JPG
IMG_3111.JPG
IMG_3116.JPG
IMG_3117.JPG

Public Open Spaces

I don't spend enough time outside during the week.  I get to work, sit at my desk, and there are days that I don't step back outside until I walk to the train at 5 pm. In order to combat this, I found a list of rooftops that are open to the public  and have been gradually working through them on sunny days.

My first rooftop was 150 California Avenue. If you take the back elevator to the 6th Floor, you are transported to a tranquil rooftop. You are greeted with beautiful flowers and a large metal arch. It is usually not crowded, so is the perfect place to have a quiet lunch or take time to reflect.

What are your favorite secret spots?

IMG_2867.JPG
IMG_2861.JPG
IMG_2862.JPG

Cafe Borrone

One of the first restaurants that I visited when I moved to the peninsula was Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, thanks to the suggestion of my friend Holly. They serve Frozen Mochas, which are similar but even more delicious than Frappuccinos from Starbucks, with amazing whipped cream. They are next to Kepler's Books, which makes a perfect afternoon of buying a book and having a snack.

IMG_3027.JPG

101 in 1001

My birthday was earlier this week, and I was inspired by Mackenzie Horan's 101 in 1001 list. It is amazing to me how much my life has changed in the past 3 years, so I'm excited to see where my life is three years from now. Here's to hoping this list helps me be successful!

 

101 goals in 1001 days
Start: July 17, 2017
End: April 13, 2020

Italics = done

 

Health
1. Drink 8 glasses of water per day for 1 month
2. Work out 4x/week 3 months
3. Get a Personal trainer
4. Do a Color Run
5. Sign up for a 5k (+) in California
6. Don’t eat any animal products 1 week
7. Doctor, dentist, optometrist appointments
8. Build an emergency preparedness kit
9. Soul Cycle class
10. Yoga teacher training
11. Meditate every day 1 month
12. Go on a Silent retreat
13. Tech free 1 day
14. No sugar 1 week

Friendships
15. 50 handwritten notes
16. Join a book club
17. Create a California photo album
18. Send 20 birthday cards
19. 2 friend dates per week for rest of 2017

Learn
20. Learn to eat with chopsticks
21. Take a cooking class
22. Read 20 books

23. Find out blood type
24. To tie a tie
25. Take an excel class
26. Dance lessons
27. Keep plant alive 1 year
28. Always have fresh flowers in the house for 1 month

29. Learn Tennis
30. Change a tire
31. Drive manual
32. Sign language
33. Make homemade pasta
34. Take a class
35. Communications class
36. Glass blowing
37. Master a family recipe

Travels
38. Visit all 50 states
39. Visit 5 countries I haven’t been to before
40. 20 blog entries on CA bucket list
41. Go back to Iceland
42. Go camping
43. Visit Jackson Hole
44. South America
45. South Africa
46. Travel by myself
47. Travel with MBA friends
48. 3 national parks
49. 1 UNESCO world heritage site
50. Grand Ole Opry
51. Niagra Falls

Experiences
52. Outdoor movie/ drive in
53. Horse race/ polo match
54. Volunteer
55. 3 concerts

56. See a TED talk live
57. Leave 100% tip
58. Pottery class
59. Have dinner alone
60. Outdoor yoga

61. See the sun rise over nature
62. See the sun set over nature
63. Music festival
64. Yoga retreat
65. Ballet
66. Opera
67. Buy coffee for a stranger
68. SUP Yoga
69. Bar trivia night
70. Go horseback riding

71. See Hamilton
72. Become involved in local politics
73. Row in California
74. Go camping
75. Go bungee jumping
76. Ride in a hot air balloon
77. Grill a pizza

Professional
78. Publish an e-book
79. Speak in front of 1,000 people
80. Attend a Blogging conference
81. Get a promotion
82. Be a guest on a podcast
83. Make a bad day file
84. Attend a CSR networking event

85. Join nonprofit board
86. Book 3 speaking gigs
87. 1000 Instagram followers
88. 1000 Twitter followers
89. Launch coaching business
90. 1 networking event per month in 2018

Purchases
91. Bicycle
92. Puppy
93. Home
94. Hammock
95. 1 month without shopping
96. Pack lunch every day for 1 month

Finances
97. Consolidate retirement accounts
98. Upgrade credit card

99. Pay off car
100. Save emergency fund
 

101.  $10 savings for every goal

Golden Gate Bridge

Last weekend we did one of the most California tourist activities- we walked over the Golden Gate Bridge! We parked at Fort Point under the bridge, which is the ideal spot to park if you can get a parking spot. We just walked up a set of steps, and then was about three miles back and forth. It was very foggy, so I would like to return on a clearer day. 

IMG_2978.JPG
IMG_2973.JPG
IMG_2961.JPG

Pulgas Water Temple


One of the first "attractions" that I visited when I moved to California was the Pulgas Water Temple, because it is not far from my apartment and a friend recommended it. It took several tries to finally be able to visit (the gates are only open 9-4 on weekdays). Once we figured out that we could park nearby and walk, I was glad to have visited.

The water temple was built in 1934 to commemorate the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which pumps water from Yosemite to San Francisco. It consists of fluted Corinthian columns arranged in a circle, with the engraving, "I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people " [from Isaiah 43:20]. Water no longer actually flows through the temple - since 2004, water is pumped nearby and purified.

The field isn't very large, but there are some interesting signs about the history of water transportation and it is a nice place to visit for an afternoon. The space is available for rentals for weddings and special events as well.

One note: the only road to access the temple is Cañada Road, which is closed to cars on Sundays.

IMG_2807.JPG
IMG_2809.JPG
IMG_2810.JPG

California Bucket List

 

Today marks one month that I have officially lived in California. After a year of planning and months of job interviews, it's amazing that this has been my new home for a month already. When I first left Boston, I was so sad to be leaving my friends and family, but was determined to make this into an adventure.  

We've had to do lots of IKEA shopping and settling in, but now that I'm here I've done a bit of exploring but am ready to start my Bucket List! My list of California adventures are below- what others should I add? 

Italics = done

Festivals

To Do in San Francisco:

To Do Peninsula

  • Winchester Mystery House

  • Hoover Tower

  • Big Basin

  • San Mateo Museum

  • Rodin Sculpture Garden

  • Pulgas Water Temple

  • San Pedro Square, San Jose

  • Half Moon Bay (still need to hike it)

To Eat:

Road Trips:

 

What else do I need to add to the list?

IMG_2801.JPG

The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

After a long day at work today, I decided to stop for dinner instead of cooking. I found my way to The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen off of 2nd Street, and decided that a grilled cheese was exactly what the doctor ordered. Once I walked in, the menu exceeded my expectations - there were great drink selections and more types of grilled cheese than I could have even imagined. It also was reasonably priced (especially for downtown San Francisco).

I ordered a mac and cheese grilled cheese with bacon. Within one bite, my long day was a distant memory and I was smiling again. It even was served with two strawberries, which were perfectly ripe and provided a bit of sweet as a "dessert" after all of the dairy. The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is now on my radar for an indulgent but quick dinner, and it's not far from the Caltrain!

What is your go-to meal after a long day?

On moving

A few weeks ago, I moved from the safety of my hometown and friends in Boston. I got a new job, a new apartment, and my husband and I are creating a whole new life in the Bay Area. Everything is new, and I'm documenting the process of making California our new home.