The few times I visited the Monterey Peninsula in California in the past, I went for work or with adult relatives. I thought Monterey was a little dull and Carmel a symbol of tourism gone awry. This time, I went with my kids and found a wonderland.
After Marsha’s post from Tuesday, I got to thinking about our celebrities up north, here in the Bay Area. Pat kindly provided me a list of Hollywood-ish celebrities in San Francisco, including Robin Williams, Clint Eastwood, Linda Ronstadt, George Lucas, Stephan Jenkins (lead singer of the homegrown rock group Third Eye Blind), all the members of Green Day, Chris Isaak, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis and the News, and Nicolas Cage (for a while anyway). But (IMHO, the geeky side of me) the real celebrities are in Silicon Valley, home of Google, the iPhone, and Sand Hill Road venture capitalists. And if I were planning a visit to the Bay Area and wanted to get in some celebrity watching, I would definitely start on the Peninsula….
From guest blogger, Marsha Takeda-Morrison, of Sweatpantsmom.
Did you watch the Academy Awards? Did you enjoy hanging out with all the winners at the Governors Ball afterwards? Yeah, my invitation got lost in the mail, too.
But there are other ways of brushing elbows with the A-listers, without having to lie your way into the Oscars by telling the guard that you’re Nicole Kidman’s obstetrician there to administer an ultrasound. (Which totally would have worked, by the way, if Keith Urban hadn’t noticed that I was flashing my library card and not a medical ID.) Here in L.A. the celebs are everywhere - buying sweaters, having coffee, eating lunch - just like you and me! Except with more money and better hair.
Are you suffering from “Spring Fever”? Ready for a little early taste of what summer has to bring? If you said yes, then it’s time to visit Lake Buchanan.
Whether you like to rough it or spend your leisure time in the lap of luxury, you can find it here with resorts, RV spaces, cabins for rent, campgrounds, and lake rental houses. All are available along the shore of Lake Buchanan. You can even rent houseboats, which we did and loved!
There is a nice granite gravel shore around some of Lake Buchanan, providing an ideal beach for swimming, wading, and sun bathing. If you prefer the water then there is plenty to do for boaters, fishermen, campers, and swimmers as well. Plus, Lake Buchanan is large enough that you can always find a quiet spot to escape to and you won’t feel crowded.
Fall Creek Winery is on the west side of the lake where you can stop in for a little wine tasting and buy a bottle or two of Texas wine. Lake Buchanan also offers a variety of dining choices from elegant to home-cooking. And before you leave, I recommend you try Big John’s Bar-B-Que & Steak Barn (Hwy 29 at the Buchanan Dam).
All in all Lake Buchanan is one of my favorite places in Texas. My friends from “up north” (which in Texas refers to . . . well, everybody who isn’t from Texas) love to come down in late March, early April. They’re suffering from spring fever and from being trapped indoors all winter and that magical first taste of warm weather they get from visiting Lake Buchanan is just enough to tide them over!
Have you ever visited Lake Buchanan? Do you have a different “winter escape” place in Texas that you’d like to mention? Let me know . . . I’m always looking for that next, best thing!
Until next time . . .
Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas
Since our school is closed this week, we decided it was time for a quick trip south to San Diego. Our son is almost at the age when Legoland will not longer be interesting, and both my husband and I went to college at the University of California, San Diego. That, and the generally good weather in San Diego year-round, helped us decide on this quick family vacation.
We drove down from the Bay Area (a wonderful 9 hour trip in the car with two small kids!) and stayed at the Pacific Terrace Inn in Pacific Beach, and visited Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Both places are excellent for families, and the American Automobile Association (AAA) is even running a special for Sea World! My kids loved Sea World, my daughter commenting to me that she was surprised that Shamu could jump so high.
After a day of visiting Sea World, and another day spent on the beach (we could see the Pacific Ocean from our hotel room), we drove north, visiting UCSD on our way to Legoland. U.S. News and World Report ranks UCSD as the 7th best public university in the nation, and 32nd among the nation’s top 50 universities. Clearly, this all happened after I graduated, but I still looked forward to visiting the place where participation in the Overseas Travel Program in my junior year helped me discover my desire to explore the world through travel.
Following our morning visit, we headed up to Legoland in Carlsbad. Our friends have told us great things about this park, and my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter certainly found much to entertain them. My daughter loved the fact that she was tall enough to ride any ride she wanted. My son, of course, wanted to spend all his time on the Knights Joust. However, both kids were slightly disappointed in Legoland, after our action packed Disneyland experiences. Legoland is great for a first-time amusement park visit and is also perfect for the toddler set, as many areas of the park are specifically designed for the experience of little kids. That night, we stayed at the West Inn & Suites, which offers a double king room and complimentary breakfast, great for our family of four. And, they provided complimentary shuttle service to the park!
After a second half day at Legoland, we headed back home, taking an easy drive up the coast. All in all, a pleasant trip to San Diego for our family!
From guest blogger, Marsha Takeda-Morrison, of Sweatpantsmom.
When Kango asked me to make this week’s post about wintertime in Los Angeles, I thought about it for a moment, as I sat outside in my tank top and capris sipping an iced tea. What do Angelenos know about winter anyways? Even a drop of rain has the weatherman on the local news drooling with excitement. Speaking for myself, any day where it drops below 65° is reason to bundle up in a ski parka and thermal underwear.
But there are places where us sun worshippers can get a little taste of what the rest of the country experiences during these winter months. We may point and laugh when we see you on TV, digging out your cars and putting on boots just to get your newspaper, but we secretly want a little of the cold weather - just as long as we can still drive home in our shorts.
I live in a flat, arid area of Texas so one of my joys is visiting the lush, hilly, historic section of Texas known as the Hill Country. One of my favorite places to visit is Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg combines a rich German heritage with a healthy dose of Texas hospitality and offers something for everyone in every age range.
For those of us who love to shop there are over 150 boutiques, along with some of the best antique shopping in the state at the antique emporiums. You won’t find chain or franchise stores here. The majority of the shops are locally owned. Do not pass up a chance to indulge your sweet tooth while you are here – take time to visit the Rather Sweet Bakery & Café, I promise you’ll thank me for it! With such a heavenly assortment of pastries, you are sure to be delighted. But don’t worry, you’ll walk off all of those calories while you’re window shopping!
If you’ve never been before you should definitely take the family to visit Enchanted Rock (AKA Crying Rock) located about 15 miles north of Fredericksburg. It looks like a giant pink pebble stretching up to the sky. It has a history going back 11,000 years and is the second largest batholith (an underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in North America. The kids will love the legend of the ghost fires flickering near the top and the ghostly groaning and creaking noises that occur during the day.
Another must-see with the family is the Butterfly Haus. The Butterfly Haus boasts 3,000 square feet inhabited by hundreds of butterflies native to Texas. I can’t even begin to describe how peaceful it is to sit down and have butterflies landing right on your hand (or head as the case may be). It took a while for my son to calm down enough to sit still but the reward was almost instantaneous and he was soon happily talking to the butterfly on his leg!
Fredericksburg is a place that you just have to visit at least once, and will likely find yourself wanting to see again. In addition to the few activities listed here you will find art galleries, herb and wildflower farms, museums, wineries, spas, golf, some of the best bed and breakfast places in Texas, and so much more.
Do you have a favorite spot, activity, or story about Fredericksburg? Feel free to share! I’ve been several times and still haven’t seen all there is to see or do in this tiny town.
Until next time . . .
Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas
Monterey Peninsula: Baby, it’s cold outside, but kids don’t care