Another Cali Adventure

You probably know where this is going with the title ... I went on another vacation to California for the fifth time! You’d think at this point I’d be sick of it, but truly I am not. Cali is one of my favorite places in the world to visit. Of course, I’m determined to travel around the world and discover as many countries and cities as possible before I kick the bucket, but I’m still always down for another adventure in the Golden State!

My dad had to go over to Newport Beach for Shamrock, a company that he works with, to do some business. My mom and I were invited to go with him once again. My sister also managed to take a week off from work and the four of us flew over to have our family vacation. It was extra special because Lauren is getting married next summer, so it was our last vacation with just the four of us! We spent four days in Newport, one day in Anaheim, and the last two days in Santa Barbara after my dad was done with work.

It’s been almost a week since we came back from California. Now that I’m back and busy with my internship and blogging part-time, I could really use a margarita and an influential book sitting the poolside in noncloudy sunshine! But I’d be more than happy to reflect our amazing trip with y’all.

We stayed at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa for the first few nights while in Newport. It was perfect because it was right next to Fashion Island, a beautiful outlet mall where we mostly walked around, got coffee and shopped. We spent our time in Newport by doing that, walking around Balboa Island, and relaxing at the Marriott’s pool. That gave me the opportunity to wind down after a so far super busy summer and drink an uptown margarita, sit in the hot tub (if the wind got too breezy), and read Ainsley Earhardt’s "The Light Within Me".

Unfortunately, my chest became roasted red. So bad that it was painful to take showers afterward, it felt like I was bathing in lava. But I don’t regret relaxing in sunny paradise!

Two of my favorite things to do in Newport Beach: walk around/shop at Fashion Island and get frozen bananas at Balboa Island!

Y’all, these banana treats are THE BOMB. I was honestly not expecting to like them that much, but I was so pleasantly surprised. The chocolate covered ones with all the toppings on the menu on it were a hit. Definitely worth blogging about it! 

Dont be too fooled though, it may sound more healthy with the banana 😂 My family and I kept joking about that. But hey, it’s still a perfect splurge to treat yo self! 

What’s great about Newport is that it’s only a ten minute drive to Laguna Beach, one of my favorite places to go in Southern Cali. We spent an afternoon and evening there, mostly just dining, exploring the beach and checking out the (overly expensive) shops. The beach is obviously the best and most iconic part. A perfect place to relax and have fun photoshoots!

Laguna Beach

The beach is my happy place!

On Day 4, my dad had to work all day so the three of us ladies got to spend a girls’ day at the happiest place on earth: Disneyland!! 

It was indeed a very magical day. It could not have been any better. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to park hop to Disney’s California Adventure, but it was still a full day well spent at the Magic Kingdom! The whole day at the park cost around $500; $381 for our three tickets to the park, $100 on food and $30 on parking. Not too shabby, especially for how expensive Disney is!

Being a roller coaster/adrenaline junkie myself, we got to go on plenty of thrilling rides that I love including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (my favorite), Space Mountain (my second favorite), Splash Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. You can't go wrong with any of those rides, they're worth it even when the lines are almost two hours long!

(P.S. I highly recommend downloading the Disneyland app to check wait times for rides or shows, and don’t forget to buy some FASTPASS tickets!) 

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Other than either riding rides or waiting in line for rides, we got to watch some fun shows in honor of the Pixar Festival including  the Pixar Play Parade and Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Sepctacular, which is still going on until September. 

I love Pixar movies, both old and new. So the fest definitely brought back both old and recent memories!

The Toy Story float during the Pixar Play Parade on Main Street USA

We also ate some super delicious food, obviously! From churros to Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream sandwiches, we were living the experience up to the fullest potential. Popular opinion: all kinds of food taste way better at Disneyland!

It’s impossible to not smile while at Disneyland, whether you’re a Disney fan or not. I was in all smiles throughout the entire day. I felt like a college blogger turned princess! 

After one last full day arm Newport Beach spent with two of our college friends (who live and work in LA), we drove three hours through LA and made it to our next destination: Santa Barbara. It was such a beautiful city full of missions churches and cute small town shopping areas. One of the highlights was going wine tasting at SAARLOOS AND SONS in Los Olivos. It was so relaxing and perfect for a sunny day outdoors. And for a bonus, we got to eat cupcakes with the wine!  

On our last full day in Cali (sigh), one of my dad’s Santa Barbara native friends took us out on his boat into the Pacific Ocean. The areas we drove around were supposed to be areas invested with great white sharks, but we didn’t see any – which was unfortunate but also relieving. We did see a few harbor seals pop their little heads out of the water, and they looked so adorable I wanted to pet them! Our friend also showed us all the houses along the beach shore owned by either celebrities or successful business workers, including Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and Steven Spielberg. They all had to be at least over $30 million (not too expensive, right?). The best part about the boat ride; however, was driving back when the wind picked up big time and the waves coming toward us were super choppy. Our friend increased the speed of the boat and we went flying over a ton of waves. Sometimes me and my sister were in midair! It was so fun, like being on a roller coaster. My sister, my mom, our friend, and I loved every second of it! My dad, on the other hand, not so much.

To top off the night, we explored the tangerine and lemon gardens of Montecito before having dinner at our friend and his wife’s house. It was indeed a beautiful and adventurous day, the perfect way to end an amazing vacation! Now I realize it's time for me to go to bed as I type this.

Have you ever vacationed in California? Comment and share your experience down below, I’d love to read about it!

Napa, California

I think Napa is my new favorite city in California. What's not to love about it? Great wine, beautiful scenery, great weather, it's a dream come to life. My parents and I had a blessing to be able to visit for a few days after our time in San Francisco. I loved Napa so much, it was like The Parent Trap but without Dennis Quaid! 

We got to Napa at an early time and the temperature change was drastic. SF was so foggy and in the high fifties that morning, but Napa was super sunny and in the high eighties. Talk about an escalation! But of course, the beautiful scenery was even harder to ignore. 

Downtown Napa

My dad had to golf for his business trip once again, so my mom and I went out to explore the valley. Our first stop was the famous Castello di Amorosa which was celebrating its 10th anniversary. It had great wine tasting (with a cute French guy who served us!), a little farm with goats and poultry, so much exquisite beauty in one building. It was just absolutely cool to explore a medieval-like castle. I kind of got Romeo and Juliet vibes while walking through! Thankfully, no one died. 

A goat just casually resting inside a big rock bowl and minding his own damn business.

After the castle, we took a ride on a gondola to Sterling Vineyards for a few more wine tastings. Personally, I thought going up and down the gondola was more enjoyable than trying different varietals of wine! The winery is close to Calistoga, a shopping plaza, which we went to afterwards to walk around. I thought it was cool, it's something I would recommend if you haven't had too much wine before. Not that I went overboard with the tastings, I just felt a tad but tipsy ... 

It's a good thing my dad wasn't with us on the gondola, he probably would have freaked out!

The rest of the day wasn't too much on our schedule. My mom and I freshened up at the hotel to go out to dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant called Tarla in Downtown Napa. After that, we got a cupcake to share from the Oxbow Public Market before returning to our hotel and calling it a night. We didn't want to stay up too late because the next morning we had to get up early for a wine trolley ride through the valley! 

The trolley arrived around 9:30 AM at the Meritage (our hotel) and we were the very first guests, so we talked to our tour guide/driver Leif as he drove to pick up the other guests. 

The trolley looked exactly like a San Francsisco cable car, except for the fact that it wasn't attached to the street at an point and drove freely!  

We met some very nice people who toured multiple wineries with us, which included Mario Andretti's, Concentino, Raymond, etc. We tried a variety of wine from Cabernat to Moscato, both reds and whites. I was most fascinated by the amount of vineyards covered in grapes used to make fresh wine, all together it could make more than a million wine bottles! And of course, consuming a reasonable amount of wine while observing never hurts.

Cute little tabby cat just chilling at the Raymond Winery!

The front entrance to Mario Andretti's Winery.

Of course after a perfect day full of a great variety of different wine tastings, we bought some of our favorites that we tried to take home, at least four bottles. We're still surprised that our suitcase managed to not break them on the flight back to Ohio!  

My mom and I were "wined out" for the day, so we decided to cut out any boozy drink for fresh water at dinner instead, even if it involved Italian food. We went to a restaurant in Oak Knoll called Bistro Don Giovanni where I had a delicious spinach cheese ravioli dish. Trust me, I'm half Italian and I thought it was so good. 

It was unfortunate that we couldn't stay for another twenty-four hours, but my dad's business trip had come to an end and it was time to come home to take care of the dogs. Plus, the Fourth of July weekend was coming up and my sister was coming home from Chicago, so we had to be in time after our landing at the Cleveland Hopkins International Aiport to take her home. That we had to look forward too, as well as the U2 concert at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday! 

S/O to my amazing and hardworking parents for allowing me to explore the world through my own eyes, especially with the company of loving family and friends. California was as always a wonderful experience and I cannot wait for the next family trip!

Maybe Europe possibly next time around? Just a random suggestion ... 

San Francisco, California

If you are adventurous and creative like me, San Francisco may be the perfect vacation destination for you. Apart from giant red bridges and haunting old prisons, the city is a wondrous beauty full of many sites to see and things to do. What's also cool is that there are so many different personalities all over, no one is exactly the same at all. I can also tell those personalities apart just by looking at everyone's fashion sense, it really says a lot! Of course, I am not one to judge right away. 

Despite the loss of the Cleveland Cavaliers against Golden State a few weeks ago, I was still willing to visit SF and have a much-needed vacation. Also my dad had to go for a fundraiser which his business was supporting, so we really didn't have a choice. I love California and I was ready to explore a new city. Plus, the Full House series takes place in SF which is another reason to want to visit!

My dad got two tickets upgraded to first class, so he let my mom and I have those seats while he sat in the section behind ours to watch a few movies and do work. It wasn't my first time experiencing first class, but it definitely has so far been the best one. Now that I'm 21, I got to order some white wine while watching The LEGO Batman Movie and Beauty and the Beast, as well as reading Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spotto.  

What's funny is that there are times when people think I'm older and don't ID me at all or there's people who ID because they think I'm fifteen-years old. During this trip, especially getting onto airplanes, many people thought I was still a teen. Well, the Neutrogena must be working very well!

Watching The LEGO Batman Movie while drinking a delightful glass of white wine in first class.

We arrived in SF around 10 PM (West Coast time), and we took an Uber to our the Fairmount we were staying at. It was kind of weird to be the city with the basketball team that beat us during the NBA Finals, but thankfully no one recognized us and booed us for being from Cleveland.

Skyline of San Francisco from the airplane!

I was amazed at how fancy and big the Fairmount was, by far the fanciest and prettiest hotel I ever stayed at! It kind of looks extra, don't you think? 

What also fascinated me about the hotel, besides a huge breakfast buffet and a relaxing bath tub for nighttime baths, was the amount of history that was held inside. There were so many portraits of famous people, both dead and alive, who have paid a visit. It also showed a picture from 1906 after the huge earthquake, which was one of the few buildings of San Francisco that survived. How incredible is that! As a history lover, my mom was so obsessed with the hotel's beauty and treasures, as I'm sure many guests are. 

To my surprise, San Francisco is actually very chilly for most of the year, even during the summer. I could only pack one pair of shorts, and then I had to pack jeans and leggings. I wish it wasn't so cold, but I was more excited to explore the city than to worry about the weather.

After breakfast at the Buena Vista, most famous for their Irish coffee (which I probably would have enjoyed if it weren't for the whiskey, but I guess it's a traditional thing), we took a walk around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. I was really hoping to see all the sea lions resting on the docks, but there were only a few because most of the them were out north in the Pacific Ocean for breeding season. On the bright note, we got to see a few! 

We also walked the plaza of the pier which greatly resembled Santa Monica Pier in LA, but more clean and less sketchy. The food stands and flowers add a very pleasurable touch. 

If I had to choose what my absolute part of my trip was, I would definitely have to say it was touring the Walt Disney Family Museum. My family and I have always been Disney fans and I've always thought of Walt Disney himself as one of my role models, so visiting his museum was a must on our to-do list. 

I still curious though, why is Walt Disney's museum located in SF and not in LA or even Orlando? Did Walt Disney and his family enjoy visiting the Bay Area or was it just a random spot that his succeeders decided to use? I'm currently trying to figure out the true answer, and you can comment if you happen to know it! 

Each floor was very educational and brought back many fun memories from my childhood. I loved learning more about Walt's life, from when he grew up in Missouri with a passion for drawing to when he made Disneyland a reality in 1955 (which you can see an amazing model of down in the picture below). Not only did he bring happiness and imagination to the world, but he was also a family man who put his loved ones first. I truly admire him for everything that he worked hard for. 

I want to say thank you to Mr. Disney for the legacy he left. I hope he's smiling while looking down and from heaven at what has become of his company! 

One of the most popular exhibits at the moment was "Awakening Beauty", a special tribute to Eyvind Earle who was the art director for Sleeping Beauty. It showed all of his beautiful and colorful paintings, prior to working with Walt Disney Studios. My favorite thing about Sleeping Beauty is the scenery and colors, so I was so happy to see the original artwork in person. 

And of course, it's impossible to go to San Francisco without riding a cable car! To clarify, the car was not actually moving in the picture below. This specific one is always parked on a street near Buena Vista so that tourists can hop on it and snap some pictures, which is what I exactly did. And of course, we eventually had to ride a moving one to get the true experience.

Another favorite site of mine to see in the Bay City, obviously, is the Golden Gate Bridge aka one of the most iconic architectures in the world. Thankfully, we got to go on a perfectly sunny day which is very rare in SF, no fog in the sky! I wasn't even nervous at all walking over the bridge, except for when my mom took pictures with her phone and I was worried about her dropping it. Oh, the things millennials stress about ... 

One of the best things about traveling is the feeling of sensation and gratitude. I felt those exact two feelings when seeing the Golden Gate Bridge up close in person. It was so beautiful and breathtaking, I couldn't even believe it with my own eyes. It just reminded me of how truly blessed I am to have amazing opportunities like this, and how I should be thankful for the ones I have had as well as the ones that are to come. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take a tour at Alcatraz, which my mom and I really wanted to do. On a bright note, we at least got to see it from a far which was enough. Besides, I'm not very fond of the tours that involve a headpiece and listening to an old guy go on about every historical fact in detail ... 

We also got to look around Chinatown, which apparently is one of the biggest ones in the country. Things got a little exhausting; however, when my mom and some of her friends deciding to walk from the pier back to the hotel, which meant we had to walk up and down the extremely steep street hills of the city. I didn't choose very good shoes to walk in, so I blame myself for that (but hey, style triumphs pain, am I right?) So to distract myself from exhaustion and my weary feet, I took some time to take some cool pictures of cool street signs which I am a sucker for. 

View of Alcatraz from a dock.

Did I even mention that we visited Saucilito for a few hours? It was a very nice city, it kind of reminded me of Laguna Beach. We actually walked along the highway just to get there. Talk about rebellious! It was totally worth it when we got a bite to eat, refreshing drinks, and an incredible view of the bay.  

For our last night in SF, my dad and his company had a special dinner party at a country club hosted by the City of Hope, an organization for cancer treatment. My dad, mom, our friends, and I all went to the ceremony together at the beautiful country club for a lovely dinner, friendly conversations, inspiring speeches from hard-working employees, and an auction that raised a ton of money! 

San Francisco did not disappoint me one bit, and I already can't wait to go back there again someday. Hopefully the next time we return will be after Cleveland wins another championship and beats the Warriors in another round of the NBA Finals ... 

Next stop, Napa! 

Southern California

Hey, y'all! 

I apologize for the long delay, I just came back from my summer traveling adventure in Southern California and Chicago. I'm bummed while writing this because it makes me wish I was back in either one of those places! On the bright side, there is still half a summer vacation left with much more adventure and blissful moments to come. And now first, I can share with you my Californian adventure!

Our first stop in the Golden State was Los Angeles. We left from Cleveland at about seven in the morning and landed at about noon, which was nine in the morning in Cali. My mom and I picked up our rental car and drove right to In-N-Out Burger in Culver City because we were starving as heck! It was worth the wait to eat, nothing satisfies my stomach like a juicy double-double. 

After lunch, we drove to Venice Beach and walked to the Santa Monica Pier. We walked into a few shops, took some pictures, and watched the surfers at the beach below catch some big waves. It was really cool not only to embrace the Californian atmosphere but to see the famous pier for the first time! 

After the pier, my mom and I drove to my favorite spot in LA, the Grove. I absolutely love visiting there, it has the majority of my favorite stores (Anthropologie, J. Crew, Zara, Madewell, Barnes & Noble, etc.), it has many cool Hollywood events throughout the year, and it's the great place to spot celebrities! Unfortunately, there was no sight of Ellen DeGeneres or Jennifer Aniston. Though on the bright side, we got to stroll through the original Farmer's Market!

My family and I love all Farmer's Market, especially this one because it's more wide-open and has more options for purchases to buy. Plus, they have much more food options, such as bakeries, juice bars, sandwich shops, pizza parlors, because a various amount of fresh foods that make an enjoyable lunch. 

After a successful hour in the Grove, we drove for an hour and a half to Mission Viejo to stay two nights with our good friends. We had a pleasant dinner at a Mexican restaurant near the lake, and then we treated ourselves with ice cream at Creamistry. What's so cool was that it was made freshly just by using liquid nitrogen and cream, how cool is that?! And the ice cream was so creamy and delicious, I wish there was a Creamistry located in Northeast Ohio!

The next morning we took a trip to Laguna Beach and ate a wonderful breakfast at the Rooftop, which was literally a rooftop restaurant! Nothing makes a morning better with a view of the beach and warm cup of a warm coffee with lots of vanilla. 

After breakfast, we could not resist a walk on the beach shore and a stroll throughout the small town nearby. 

We drove back to our friends' house and decided to have a small pool party with dinner included. I was super excited because I finally got to use my new donut float! It was so fun and relaxing to float around in the nice pool, I still DONUT wish that paradise had to end! 

The next morning, we joined one of our friends for a sweaty workout at a boot camp called Mission Viejo. It was a very tough workout, but it was so worth it. If you're looking for a good gym to find your motivation, WrightWay Fitness is the place to go! 

If you want to learn more about WrightWay Fitness, go check it out at http://www.wrightwayfit.com, I guarantee you won't regret it! 

We packed up our belongings and drove straight to our next destination, San Diego. My dad had a business conference to attend for the week, so we made reservations at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.  

That night we spent walking around downtown Coronado and checking out some of the area's coolest sights, including the famous Hotel Del Coronado. The resort is full of super sweet restaurants and shops, it's like a hotel and mall combined! It kind of felt like walking around the Titanic.

Fun fact, it's the same place where Marlyin Monroe's Some Like It Hot was filmed!

My mom and I's original plan on our first full day in San Diego was to visit SeaWorld, but instead we were inspired to take a trolley tour around the city. We toured downtown, Little Italy, Balboa Park, and stopped in Old Town. We walked around the historic area and admired the old-fashioned architecture and buildings. And lucky for us, it was Taco Tuesday!  

The next day, we took our inner daredevils to a whole new level ... paragliding. As much as it was terrifying, it was such a surreal and amazing experience. The thought of jumping off a cliff and soaring through the sky, no boat or car attached, never came across me. Once I got into the air, however, I felt like I was flying like Peter Pan! 

Even though one of my worst fears is heights, I can guarantee that it is an experience that you will never forget for the rest of your life. If you're like my dad and get motion sickness, however, it may not be a super good choice. 

One of my favorite beaches in California is La Jolla. The love the way the rocks are formed along the shoreline with grottos in between. The color of the ocean was a sapphire blue, and the best part was watching sea lions swim near the beach! 

The dock pier was the perfect place to catch a better glimpse of the seals and beautiful ocean, despite getting hit by a few big cold waves. 

Our final day was a more history-based day. My parents and I drove to USS Midway Aircraft Carrier. Not only is it a Navy Pier museum consisting of many aircrafts used during big wars, most of which were built in Southern California.

We got to take a tour throughout the never-ending corridors of the ship, including some of the biggest control rooms I have ever seen. It was mostly the history behind everything that fascinated me. To think of all the men and women who fought, both in air and on land, is incredible. Walking through the each room and up every stair made me feel like I was a part of all those historical events.  

Before our last Californian dinner, we walked around the beautiful Balboa Park and checked out the landscape and stunning art collections. The lush gardens were the coolest attractions of the park. The bushes and trees were very-well trimmed, and flowers blossomed practically everywhere. Walking through a lovely garden resort is a great way to sum up the final adventures in the beautiful state.  

I was sad to leave, and I am still sad that I left. But I know I'll be back again many more times in the future. Hopefully one day I will be able to attend the Oscars and get the opportunity to explore new areas in the Southern state as well as visit old favorites. 

Next stop, Chicago!