Sunset Over San Jose

Last night Shrek and I discovered a new place to perch and watch the sunset without having to drive all the way to Santa Cruz. And it's on Santana Row, of all places! What's great is that it's open air, offers a full bar, and live music drifts up from the courtyard 7 stories below. They'll also let you smoke cigars, which Shrek informs me is rare even for an open air restaurant. The seating itself is comfty and cozy and the fire pits get going once the sun sets. I love that even though it's part of a popular drinking destination, this little place is still obscure and not as crowded. It really quiets down around 9 pm, too, which is rare because on Santana Row things usually just get going around this time.

Washington Hospitality 101

I've been receiving quite a few requests of late for recommendations regarding places to go and what to do when visiting the Pacific Northwest - specifically, the San Juan Islands. If you happen to take my suggestion and hop on Allegiant Airlines from Oakland CA to Bellingham WA for a little weekend excursion, these are some of my favorite haunts and where you can probably find me when I'm visiting "home" -- or what was my home for 16 years. Hard to believe I've been living in the Bay Area now for 7 years! In no particular order (though I tried to group them by locale)...

*Deception Pass: I usually park on the Fidalgo Island side and take visitors for a stroll across the bridge before hiking down to the beach pictured on the Whidbey Island side. Even with all the traffic rushing by as you walk over the bridge, I swear this is some of the freshest air you will ever breathe. For more info like directions, visit here.

*Mount Erie: For me, Mount Erie offers some of the most spectacular views of the area where I grew up. You can drive, run (it's a really good hill workout!), hike, or rock climb your way to the top depending on your motivation or lack thereof. I think it's open something like dawn to dusk. Mount Erie is located at 1399 Erie Mountain Dr, Anacortes, WA 98221. Get directions

*Washington Park: Albeit tempting to simply walk, run, or drive Loop Road which meanders through the park creating a 2-mile loop, make sure to trek off-road. The little hikes and beaches are worth exploring! For more info like park hours and directions, visit here.

*Washington State Ferry From Anacortes to Friday Harbor: I used to take these to "Away" basketball tournaments hosted by middle schools on the various islands. I have fond memories of playing "Sardines" and many heads of hair being braided on these voyages. Today, take 3 hours out of your day to catch the 11 am express ferry (no stops!) to ride one hour out to Friday Harbor, grab a beer, and return back to Anacortes on the same boat. Parking's $10, the tickets are $13 pp if you're walking on (cars and bikes are a bit more) and the view's stunning as you cruise through the islands. Sit outside in the front for the full salt-water-wind-in-your-face effect. Click here for the ferry schedule.

*LaConner Brewery: Outside of my mom's kitchen, this is one of my favorite places to eat whenever I visit. Shrek and I ate here just last week and lunched on crab cakes, clam chowder, Mediterranean Plate and Neopolitan pizza. Next time I'm going to skip the crab cakes as they use too many bread crumbs and not enough crab for my taste. I also wasn't a fan of the sauce it came with. It is reminiscent of the dipping sauces served with fried spring rolls at the Thai restaurants I frequent down here in the Bay Area. Other than that, the food is fresh, hearty and soo soo good! Visit their website here for photos, menus, hours, and location. 

*Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: If you happen to visit in April (although I would recommend visiting in late July - early September due to the weather), you MUST check out the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival! Click here for more info.

*Sakuma Bros Market: For the freshest strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, tayberries, and veggies, you must visit pay a visit to Sakuma Brothers Market near the Cook Road Exit off I-5. Bonus, I worked as a cashier and also made strawberry shortcake treats one summer! Visit their website here for berries, produce, contact info, hours, and location.

*Taylor Shellfish: From Sakuma Brother's Market, make your way West on Cook Road before turning right onto Chuckanut Drive. Eventually you will make your way to Taylor Shellfish on Chuckanut Mountain. Did you catch Mike Rowe doing a Dirty Job at Taylor's?! At Taylor Shellfish, they harvest and sell their own clams, oysters, crabs, and mussels. They also ship their shellfish overnight. Visit their website here for details, hours, and directions.

*Larrabee State Park: Continue Northwest up Chuckanut Drive (make sure to take advantage of the vistas along the way!) to Larrabee State Park. It'll be on your left. Whether you love scrambling along rocks to find starfish or just perching serenely atop a boulder to look out over the water, you will fall in love with the natural beauty of this place. If you cross Chuckanut Drive they've also got some hiking trails up to Fragrance Lake, etc. Intrigued? Visit here for more info on Larrabee State Park.

*Fairhaven: Chuckanut Drive pretty much drops you off in Fairhaven, a little boutique neighborhood of Bellingham. I was first acquainted with this area as a toddler when my parents would drive me all the way here (a good 45 minute drive from my home) to get my hair cut. Later, I would frequent Fairhaven Runners for shoes and other great gear. Now, I enjoy the art of window shopping. Afavorite is Mud in Your Eye (pottery). No website but they're at 911 Harris Street. An oddity, but I always stock up on their homemade chapsticks each visit. I also recommend indulging in Sirena Gelato after brunching at Skylark's Hidden Cafe. Skylark's whips up a superb lox and cream cheese omelette! Don't forget to order a mimosa. Finally, if you're in the mood for standup comedy, the Fairhaven Pub and Martini Bar has live standup comedy most Sundays. 

*The Chrysallis Inn & Spa: Should've maybe started with this one, but this is my pick for where to stay, especially if you are flying into Bellingham. The Inn and most rooms overlook Bellingham Bay and hotel itself is situated at a popular trailhead which runs along the water. You can also walk to Fairhaven from here. One of my favorite features is the soaking tub with shoji screens that open the bathroom into the bedroom. (Err, probably not the best place to stay if you get "stage fight" but definitely a romantic and cozy place to relax and get away.) Visit the hotel website here.

*Anthony's Restaurant at Squalicum Harbor: My pick for dinner is Anthony's. Though it is a chain of 19 restaurants originating in Kirkland, WA (am not especially fond of recommending chains to dine at when going away someplace) they know how to do waterfront dining and seafood! Their views of the harbor coupled with their dee-lish seafood makes for a memorable meal. Visit their restaurant website here.

Form Bellingham, Vancouver, BC, lies 1 hour north. Continue onto Whistler (another 2 hours) from there. (Next time I'm in Whistler I really really want to do this!) Seattle, Washington lies about 1 and a half hours south of Bellingham, but I'll save those for another time!

Let's Go!

Roundtrip flights to Rome for $519?! Dublin for $309?! And from the West Coast! (It's even cheaper from the East.) I know, I know, I just got back from a 10 day vacation and I'm already daydreaming of jetting off to someplace tropical or European.... Hey, I'm only human! :)

Lately I've been receiving promo emails from the Travel Team in Seattle who helped put together my trip "Down Under" three years ago which featured me frolicking in Tahiti, Cairns, and Sydney for two weeks!

Camille with the Travel Team did a fantastic job securing solid rates on flights and hotels and ensuring that every last detail -- including ferrying from Papeete to Moorea in Tahiti and hotel picks ups to and from all airports -- was tended to before departure. All I had to deal with was the fun stuff: what to do and eat! (If you haven't already noticed, I'm a bit of a food fanatic.)

Their team consists of individuals who have spent extensive amounts of time traveling or even living in the lands in which they specialize. Therefore, they are the perfect resource for helping to decide where and 

what length to stay and what to do. I absolutely love that they tailor vacations to your individual preferences. For instance, I knew that if I visited Australia I wanted to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. However, I had no idea which city I needed to stay in to do that. (Turns out it's Cairns up on the Gold Coast. And, Camille immediately informed me that the Aussies pronounce it "Cans - like cans of soup.") Anyways, when I called I gave them the dates I wanted to depart and return and what I wanted to see and do and they came up with a tentative itinerary for me to approve. (Check closely. A goof that actually comes to mind now is that Camille didn't account for gaining a day when we crossed the International Dateline flying back to the states which I caught and she immediately fixed.)

**The only thing I wish they would've recommended which I will suggest here is that if you're going to take advantage of the free stopover in Tahiti, do it on the way back. Tahiti, or at least where I stayed on the island of Moorea, has no nightlife outside of their incredible luaus. That, coupled with the fact that they're on Hawaiian time (only 3 hours behind my time), makes it an ideal place to luxuriously adjust back to our time after becoming accustomed to Australian time. 

Since, realistically, I don't have the days or immediate funds available, please, if you decide to take advantage of one of the Travel Team's offers, let me live vicariously through you and let me know how it goes!

SF City Staycation

I'm quite fortunate to be living in such a central location to popular vacation destinations. 45 mins north lies San Francisco, a little bit past that is Napa Wine Country and the Redwoods; head east and "Hello Lake Tahoe!" and Yosemite. 30 mins south lies Santa Cruz and if you keep going you hit Monterrey, Carmel, 17 Mile Drive, Big Sur, LA, San Diego...  You get the picture. 

Way back in February five of my friends all happened to be turning 25 around the same time and decked out an art studio in SF for their "Platinum Birthday Party" extravaganza. Knowing neither Shrek nor I would want to drive home (or, rather, would be in any condition to drive home), we splurged on an overnight "CA Staycation" package at the Intercontinental Hotel in SF.  The decision was based mostly on the hotel's convenient location to the party (only a 6-block hike in heels!) but also loosely on my associating the Intercontinental name as a luxury accommodation.  (When I was working with a travel agent on where to stay in Tahiti, Cairns, and Sydney, there were three tiers for accommodations in each city from which to choose and an Intercontinental was always the "luxury" hotel option.)

After an overnight stay, here are my reasons for recommending this hotel (and for taking advantage of their Staycation Package if you are a fellow Californian):

-Awesome city views

-Delish room service at 3:30 am? Yes, please! Although, they were terribly slow. I think I first attempted to order at 2 am but I guess so did everyone else in the hotel. I couldn't get through! I finally got food at 330 which is FOREVER when you're drunk and hankering for eggs and hash browns. The guy delivering explained he was the only one on duty. Since Shrek was already snoozin' (i.e. passed out) by this time, I wheeled my food down the hall (it came on a classy cart with a flower in the vase!) to where one of the birthday girls was staying.)

-Did I mention the hotel's situated just 3 blocks from downtown SF shopping?! 

-Overnight valet parking, usually $50, was included in our package. (As was a $10 gas card. Although, they didn't have one on hand so they just applied -$10 to our room. Score!)

-A continental breakfast buffet for two is also included as part of the package. More scrambled eggs and potatoes (among other delicious options)? Yes, please! 

-Our room was quiet (aside from Shrek's snoring), good for sleeping in after a night out on the town

I'm in the process of putting something together for Shrek's 30th which is coming up shortly, and if we stay in the city we've already decided that we'll stay at the Intercontinental and take advantage of their Staycation Package again.

(Visit their website here for hotel and package details.)

Insalata Caprese - With A Twist

One of my favorite summertime lunches is a crunchy and flavorful twist on Insalata Caprese.  I only wish I'd taken a photo before I devoured most it just now :(

Ingredients:

1 Roma Tomato 

1 Cucumber

1 Mozzarella Ball

1 Red Onion

Fresh Basil Leaves

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Slice your tomato (I usually get about 4-6 slices depending on the thickness), cucumber, and mozzarella. The onion I usually cut as thinly as possible which turns out to be more like red onion shavings.

The original recipe (which if I recall correctly I tore out of a salad dressing ad in Sunset Magazine) says to stack slices in this order: tomato, mozzarella, onion, cucumber, tomato then top with a basil LEAF and the salad dressing they were advertising. 

However, I recommend: cucumber slice on the bottom (to give it a solid base) followed by a slice of mozzarella, red onion shavings, and then the tomato. I top with shredded basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste before drizzling olive oil and balsamic vinegar atop everything. In my opinion, putting the tomato on top and shredding the basil leaves allows the oil and vinegar to seep into the dish. With the full basil leaf on top, the oil and vinegar was just running off down the sides.

For lunch I enjoy this dish with a baguette and salami. This dish alone also makes a great appetizer to any Italian dinner and can easily be adjusted to accommodate any number of dinner guests. Buon Appetito!

Now Boarding: Flights for $15

Check it out: I paid less for my most recent flight from the Bay Area to Bellingham WA than I did for the taxi to the airport, and I only live 10 minutes away. Well, that is if you count that seats only were "$15 each way" via Allegiant Airlines.

Granted, if you'd like to reserve a seat, check a bag (carry on is free), or, you know, book online, they charge for each of those services. I think after booking online and checking a bag both ways + taxes + fees my flight was $70 total roundtrip. I still consider it a great deal since I usually fly via Southwest into SeaTac ($200+ roundtrip) and have to take a shuttle up to the Bellingham area anyways (another $50 round trip or something like that).

My Allegiant flight was on time and clean, the service was friendly.... The only drawback is their scheduling. They fly primarily into obscure airports (like Bellingham) and only on specific days of the week and at sporadic times. Other than that, I would definitely recommend them for a little weekend trip to visit the San Juan Islands or the Bay Area. (I also noticed flights from Bellingham to Vegas were $15 each way!)

Scenic Route, Here I Come!

I was the fortunate recipient of a 1989 Nissan Maxima when I turned 16 (in 2000) and a 1999 Honda Accord when I graduated from college (in 2006).  A few months ago, however, after pouring I-don't-even-want-to-know-how-much money into maintaining the Honda just so that it wouldn't break down (which it did a few times near the end - each time in moving traffic!), I took the plunge and purchased my first car. 

If you're in the market for a used Infiniti, Lexus, BMW or the like, I would definitely check in with James at Axiom Auto Group where I purchased my car - a 2007 pearly-white Infiniti G35 Journey Edition! He's in a bit of an obscure location off 101 but has a beautiful collection which he buys at auction. Most importantly, he's got THE BEST prices I could find around for these cars. Check out his current inventory here.

Initially, my dad, with whom I consult on practically every major "investment," had a few reservations when I announced I'd "found my car!" at a "used car place." Me, too, actually. It just seemed too good 

to be true. It only had something like 34,000 miles on it, a clean Car 

Fax, was diligently maintained according to service records, and remains under factory warranty until December 2010. Not only did it come with everything I was looking for - quick acceleration, leather seats, bluetooth, a 6-cd changer (in my last car the tape deck didn't even work!) African rosewood instead of a metal finish, keyless everything - but the best part? Shrek and I have our own keys which the car is programmed to recognize. Shrek is about 6'3 and I'm 5'6. When Shrek walks up to the driver's side of the car with his key in his pocket, the car automatically adjusts everything - mirrors, seat, temps - to his settings. Same thing when I walk up to the driver's side after Shrek's been driving.  

From what I gathered, James' selling point is simply to retail his cars for just about the lowest he's willing to part with them. It saves time and haggling over the final cost, which I appreciate. He does accept trade-ins and gave me what I thought was fair (per KBB) for my Honda. It also happened to be a great deal more than what Steven's Creek Infiniti was willing to give me, and their cars were priced a good $5000 above James'... for the same vehicles! I'm incredibly happy with this purchase, especially considering that I managed to close this deal just before CA's state sales tax and vehicle registration increased. 

James at Axiom Auto Group helped to make my first car-buying experience very pleasant and I am only happy to send business his way.