Ahoy,
Perhaps I'm being forward. It seems like every time I get to hang out with O & H I like them more and more, even though I thought that that wasn't possible because I liked them so much initially. They are friends I very gladly would spend every new year's with. And I'm so happy that I got to hang out with them this year to celebrate. I think I will never ever get enough time with these folks. They will get sick of me.
We scooped them up from the airport and picked up sandwiches at our corner deli to enjoy at an art museum. It was still holiday break so the tram up was super duper crowded and we opted to walk up. H says "if you've got 2 working legs and a heartbeat." Go figure that walking up is an option! We picnicked and wandered around for a little bit before driving out towards Arcadia to meet her family. We had to stop at the grocery and pick a case of mangoes and 9 coconuts, of course. When in Rome. Also, boba.
We learned that the Rose Parade is a multi-day endeavor. H's family had started setting out their spot at 7am! We joined in the evening with dinner to hang out and wait some more for the parade the following day. This is quite the extravaganza. Families were sleeping and playing out there. As a child, my parents never really let us out for parades. And they never bothered with parades. The only one that I ever knew of was Chinese New Year Parade, which was always in the dead of winter. So I had no chance of standing outside idly anywhere for any reason. It was an interesting experience to be a part of this family tradition. H's family was incredibly kind and welcoming despite my sorry state of health. It was so nice of them to invite us to join on their family tradition. It's always fun to see what other families are like, because there are just so many varieties.
There are some staples that we try to hit with these VIPs, Muji and omusubis and of course tons and tons of coffee. And we got double scoops of ice cream for $1. What a steal! The last full day with O & H had the pretense of an easy and "chill" day. I think everyone was ready for that, probably me most of all. We started with a late brunch across the street, went on a short hike, and ate some more at lemonade. We finally made it into sushi for dinner. The previous evening there was a 3 hour long wait and we tried our luck again and got a 1 hour wait. Yahtzee!
I can't wait to see O & H again. They are great friends to have.
lovingly delectable,
jt
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
home for the holidays!
Ahoy,
This was probably the first time I was in Chicago for Christmas in a handful of years. And it was the first time my dad was home ever for this holiday. After what I assume was a successful and arduous run at a pretty popular and long-standing restaurant in Chinatown, they sold it. So my dad for the first time in his life has had time to do things that he wants to do. Mostly watch old Chinese war movies. I deemed this year necessary for us to be in Chicago.
Also, we drove the car from Chicago to LA. So we went car shopping with my folks wherein they very casually purchased a subaru forrester because they did not mind the look and size. A and I made the 2000+ mile trip from Chicago departing the day after Christmas. We loaded the car with snacks and beverages and buckled in for the first stretch from Chicago straight to Denver. There is nothing to look at and no reason to stop in the Midwest, so we deemed it wise to just go the 15 hours straight to the Rockies in one leg. We left around 7:30am and made it in around 9:30pm thanks to a new time zone! Fortunately, this would be the halfway mark leaving us more time in Utah to check out some national parks.
The second day started with a 5 hour drive to Arches National Park. There were more people waiting to get in than I thought, but I'm sure less crowded than a non-winter day. We made the rounds in 3 hours despite warnings of icy roads and trails. Weather warnings be damned! We are going to see some arches! They were super cool. A told me later he was most excited for this park. We'll definitely have to come back. We scrapped the idea of checking out Canyonlands, and made a beeline for our hotel right outside Capitol Reef National Park. What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour trip ended up taking about an hour longer because we missed the initial exit and A drove like a grandma. In his inexperience of winter driving, he thought the car would stop working. We ended up on this incredibly windy, icy road for about an hour, wherein we saw one other car quickly pass us and a rabbit. The temperature dipped to -10 and A continued to drive like a grandma because he thought it was so cold that the car would just stop running or we would run off the ice. Painfully slow. We arrived to the hotel to find out all the businesses close at 8 this time of year so we could not get dinner. I was a grumpy human that night. A was happy to have made it alive to a heated hotel room.
The next day we drove through Capitol Reef in about an hour and continued our journey to Zion. We decided to scrap the trip to Bryce because A was afraid of the ice. He was over the whole winter thing. We ended up with 3 hours in Zion, which was a perfect taster also to get in a couple short hikes on icy trails. I would guess he was the most impressed with Zion. I think he had lower expectations, but immediately he mentioned regretting our decision to cancel Zion earlier that year now seeing what he missed. Zion is a gorgeous, breathtaking, incredible piece of American terrain. Also, it looks a lot like California Adventure. Ironic. We will definitely be back.
We zipped over to Vegas that evening driving through some dramatic canyons and cliffs. So much more scenic than the Midwest, it's amazing all the different landscapes there are! We decided to get dinner at a restaurant on the strip and I immediately regretted my decision. The contrast of the Vegas scene and tourist to a National Park ecology is jarring to say the least. We were so happy to just do nothing in our hotel room that night.
The following day would be a drive we were thoroughly familiar with - Vegas to LA direct. At last we were home! I can't say that I was ready to ring in the new year, but we would be rounding that corner regardless. And I know I always look forward to seeing O & H!
rarely over-looked,
jt
This was probably the first time I was in Chicago for Christmas in a handful of years. And it was the first time my dad was home ever for this holiday. After what I assume was a successful and arduous run at a pretty popular and long-standing restaurant in Chinatown, they sold it. So my dad for the first time in his life has had time to do things that he wants to do. Mostly watch old Chinese war movies. I deemed this year necessary for us to be in Chicago.
Also, we drove the car from Chicago to LA. So we went car shopping with my folks wherein they very casually purchased a subaru forrester because they did not mind the look and size. A and I made the 2000+ mile trip from Chicago departing the day after Christmas. We loaded the car with snacks and beverages and buckled in for the first stretch from Chicago straight to Denver. There is nothing to look at and no reason to stop in the Midwest, so we deemed it wise to just go the 15 hours straight to the Rockies in one leg. We left around 7:30am and made it in around 9:30pm thanks to a new time zone! Fortunately, this would be the halfway mark leaving us more time in Utah to check out some national parks.
The second day started with a 5 hour drive to Arches National Park. There were more people waiting to get in than I thought, but I'm sure less crowded than a non-winter day. We made the rounds in 3 hours despite warnings of icy roads and trails. Weather warnings be damned! We are going to see some arches! They were super cool. A told me later he was most excited for this park. We'll definitely have to come back. We scrapped the idea of checking out Canyonlands, and made a beeline for our hotel right outside Capitol Reef National Park. What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour trip ended up taking about an hour longer because we missed the initial exit and A drove like a grandma. In his inexperience of winter driving, he thought the car would stop working. We ended up on this incredibly windy, icy road for about an hour, wherein we saw one other car quickly pass us and a rabbit. The temperature dipped to -10 and A continued to drive like a grandma because he thought it was so cold that the car would just stop running or we would run off the ice. Painfully slow. We arrived to the hotel to find out all the businesses close at 8 this time of year so we could not get dinner. I was a grumpy human that night. A was happy to have made it alive to a heated hotel room.
The next day we drove through Capitol Reef in about an hour and continued our journey to Zion. We decided to scrap the trip to Bryce because A was afraid of the ice. He was over the whole winter thing. We ended up with 3 hours in Zion, which was a perfect taster also to get in a couple short hikes on icy trails. I would guess he was the most impressed with Zion. I think he had lower expectations, but immediately he mentioned regretting our decision to cancel Zion earlier that year now seeing what he missed. Zion is a gorgeous, breathtaking, incredible piece of American terrain. Also, it looks a lot like California Adventure. Ironic. We will definitely be back.
We zipped over to Vegas that evening driving through some dramatic canyons and cliffs. So much more scenic than the Midwest, it's amazing all the different landscapes there are! We decided to get dinner at a restaurant on the strip and I immediately regretted my decision. The contrast of the Vegas scene and tourist to a National Park ecology is jarring to say the least. We were so happy to just do nothing in our hotel room that night.
The following day would be a drive we were thoroughly familiar with - Vegas to LA direct. At last we were home! I can't say that I was ready to ring in the new year, but we would be rounding that corner regardless. And I know I always look forward to seeing O & H!
rarely over-looked,
jt
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
adventures from last year
Ahoy,
I think I should update this adventure log before I forget what things we did. Pictures will have to come later because this sd card reader is faulty right now.
The holiday season started off with a jump back in December. The RRS had some gift cards that was gifted to us for a stay at a b&b in Carmel. I took this opportunity to expand the trip with a stops in Morro Bay and Big Sur. We took the iconic highway 1 up the coast in his little sportscar. He loved it. We departed on a Friday afternoon and made it to Morro Bay in time for dinner at our favorite place for oysters. The hotel was run by an Indian family - likely the only "ethnic" people for a while - and the lobby smelled delightfully of Indian spices. We had parked outside this exact hotel on other day trips to this tiny town.
In the morning, we picked up a baguette and coffee before hitting the road up the PCH to Big Sur. That baguette was so good. We should have gotten 2. The day before and day after would be overcast and rainy, but it happened to be bright and clear the day of our trip. We got to ride with the top down and it was before the holiday season and winter, so there wasn't a lot of traffic to get stuck behind. He had a great time zooming along the winding roads and every corner another reveal of dramatic cliffs into a vast ocean. Lunch was a picnic with a sweeping view over the ocean from the hike to McWay Falls. One of those moments where you can't believe the beauty of nature, and the fact that you are enjoying it. What an honor to be alive, to have a heartbeat and 2 working legs. We made in to our campsite with pretty good time - enough to set up our tiny home for the evening and to go on a hike to a waterfall. A fire happened pretty easily despite everything being quite wet. It was a nice night to be among the trees.
We awoke early to a light misting. Yesterday's weather was long gone. Our trip up to Carmel continued to whisper weather at us. There's a dusting of magic to witness the wilderness in natural elements. I feel in many ways honored to feel the dampness of bark and drops of water on my bones as we swept through the once "vast, unexplored, and impenetrable" coast. By the time we got to Monterey, it was raining pitchforks. We went hog wild at a bakery and sought refuge at the aquarium. His boss also gave us passes so we spent our time seeking out the exhibits we liked because we had both been there before.
We checked in to the b&b that afternoon. It had a fireplace and was so cozy. A's boss joked with him that taking me to a b&b would ruin my taste for camping, because it was what happened with him and his wife. But I jested that that would more likely happen with A's taste because he has never cared for the cold or wet. We wandered around Carmel before tucking into some French food. French is always our go-to for when we feel fancy, which is him more often than me. We all know that he's the fancy one.
We took the 101 back down to LA the next day in one straight shot. It was delightful. To go camping in December! For all the flack I give this place... to be able to go camping in December!
greatly humbled,
jt
I think I should update this adventure log before I forget what things we did. Pictures will have to come later because this sd card reader is faulty right now.
The holiday season started off with a jump back in December. The RRS had some gift cards that was gifted to us for a stay at a b&b in Carmel. I took this opportunity to expand the trip with a stops in Morro Bay and Big Sur. We took the iconic highway 1 up the coast in his little sportscar. He loved it. We departed on a Friday afternoon and made it to Morro Bay in time for dinner at our favorite place for oysters. The hotel was run by an Indian family - likely the only "ethnic" people for a while - and the lobby smelled delightfully of Indian spices. We had parked outside this exact hotel on other day trips to this tiny town.
In the morning, we picked up a baguette and coffee before hitting the road up the PCH to Big Sur. That baguette was so good. We should have gotten 2. The day before and day after would be overcast and rainy, but it happened to be bright and clear the day of our trip. We got to ride with the top down and it was before the holiday season and winter, so there wasn't a lot of traffic to get stuck behind. He had a great time zooming along the winding roads and every corner another reveal of dramatic cliffs into a vast ocean. Lunch was a picnic with a sweeping view over the ocean from the hike to McWay Falls. One of those moments where you can't believe the beauty of nature, and the fact that you are enjoying it. What an honor to be alive, to have a heartbeat and 2 working legs. We made in to our campsite with pretty good time - enough to set up our tiny home for the evening and to go on a hike to a waterfall. A fire happened pretty easily despite everything being quite wet. It was a nice night to be among the trees.
We awoke early to a light misting. Yesterday's weather was long gone. Our trip up to Carmel continued to whisper weather at us. There's a dusting of magic to witness the wilderness in natural elements. I feel in many ways honored to feel the dampness of bark and drops of water on my bones as we swept through the once "vast, unexplored, and impenetrable" coast. By the time we got to Monterey, it was raining pitchforks. We went hog wild at a bakery and sought refuge at the aquarium. His boss also gave us passes so we spent our time seeking out the exhibits we liked because we had both been there before.
We checked in to the b&b that afternoon. It had a fireplace and was so cozy. A's boss joked with him that taking me to a b&b would ruin my taste for camping, because it was what happened with him and his wife. But I jested that that would more likely happen with A's taste because he has never cared for the cold or wet. We wandered around Carmel before tucking into some French food. French is always our go-to for when we feel fancy, which is him more often than me. We all know that he's the fancy one.
We took the 101 back down to LA the next day in one straight shot. It was delightful. To go camping in December! For all the flack I give this place... to be able to go camping in December!
greatly humbled,
jt
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