Califoregon Living

Our road trip took us from Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara for a wedding. We got to connect with friends and enjoy a neat town.  The drive down was rough due to Hwy 1 being closed down and everyone had to detour.  Santa Barbara has terrific beachside shopping boutiques, restaurants, and we stayed at a cure property just across from the beach. Hotel Milo. It’s located where the original Sambo’s restaurant is located. We were too busy to eat there, but maybe next time. I remember eating at the restaurant in Bellevue, WA.
We got to see John and Ann, and Jeff and Connie. John and Ann’s son, Brian, got married. It was a sweet and unique wedding. Cosy is a children’s pastor and it was a morning ceremony to accommodate all her kids. A pancake brunch, bouncy house, a pet miniature horse, a photo booth, and a piñata, were the fun activities for the reception.  Then, later that evening, the adults re-gathered for dancing, drinks, and a taco/churros food truck. So fun!

We were there over Mother’s Day.  David stayed back at the room with the pups and the boys and I went out for shopping and pizza. I also got a mani/pedi while there.

Coastal cliff hike with my love and our two pups. Weather was fantastic, and the views amazing. This is a cliff walk over Mavericks Beach and within walking distance to where we stayed.

The movie poster is of the movie “Chasing Mavericks”, filmed at this location.

While David stayed back with the dogs, I took the boys to HMB’s Main St. A couple blocks of cute stores. Many were closed while off season, but we managed to get a few hours in. The boys tolerated it. “Mom Shops” is what they call these stores.

The boys being silly, in front of the Feed Store…Ryan named the blonde cutout…Jessie….

The “Chicks”…
 

Lunch at Sushi Main Street, a beautiful restaurant. I had three delicious vegan rolls, Ryan had gyoza and beef skewers, and Alex had gyoza and uni sushi, one with a raw quail egg on it. His first time with uni. He loved it.

After lunch, we walked into a barber shop for Alex to get his hair cut for the first time by a barber. The barber had been there since 1971. He was watching Lawrence Welk! I was smitten. He told us that he regularly plays accordion at the senior center dances.

The locals are happy to share their favorite tips and places. While walking the dogs on the beach, I met up with two men sitting in chairs. One of the men had a dog with them. She cannot use her back legs. He brings her to the beach in a wheelbarrow and places her on the sand. She lets the other dogs play around her. They shared with me three tips, two of which we have done at time of posting. The day was Tuesday, and they said that Sam’s Chowderhouse has $1 oysters during happy hour. Alex and I have a tradition of eating raw oysters together. I could not let this opportunity pass us by. I took him to the restaurant and we each slurped a dozen oysters, then a soft shell crab salad, and finished of by sharing homemade soft serve ice cream topped with olive oil and sea salt. I prayed my stomach would survive, since I pretty much just eat plant based now. It turned out to be a sweet night with my boy and all was good.

Night fell. A fog rolled in. The ending of a great day.

From Eureka, we drove down to Half Moon Bay. We rented a VRBO property that is located right on one of the beaches. We did not realize that we are also located within walking distance to where the set of waves known as the “Mavericks” is located. If we were here in November, this place would be full of some of the best surfers in the world. There is an incredible movie called “Chasing Mavericks.”  If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching.

Getting ready to cross the Golden Gate Bridge in to San Francisco…Half Moon Bay is a little south.

Other lodging ideas for future reference (more off grid):

Pescadero Creek Inn

Costanoa

When my mom passed away, I inherited quite a few of her personal possessions. Many of them I was able to donate, but there were some that were to personal to let go of. One was this doll that she used to have as a child. She has sat in a closet for many years, and, truth be told, she’s a little creepy. I brought her out to decide what to do with her. Something sitting in a closet doesn’t do anyone any good. But, I can’t just put her in a charity pile. I decided to put her up on our mantel and see how long it would take to see if anyone noticed.  Alex freaked out when he saw her. Ryan thought she was adorable.  David did not notice her until we brought it to his attention.

I jokingly decided to call her Annabelle, which freaked Alex out even more.  Apparently there’s a horror film that has a haunted doll named Annabelle…

I placed her in an armoire with the intention of coming back to her in a little while. I did not realize that was where Alex was storing his shoes. It gave him a good scare. Then, I decided to have a little fun and early one morning I placed her on the pillow in his bed, next to him. (See the poor picture below…) He awoke with her next to him. Fortunately, he’s a good sport about it. I told him I’d pay for therapy if he needed it.

Now, she’s a part of our home and we can’t possibly get rid of her. Everyone takes turns placing her in unexpected places.