cali trip: day 1
Last Friday, we got on a plane bound for California with high hopes for sunshine, warm weather, rest, and a little adventure. We got a little of everything, even though the temps turned out to be a little lower than we expected. It wasn’t quite the escape from winter I’d wanted, but I guess that’s what we get for traveling in February. At the end of the day, David and I desperately needed a few days of vacation, and it was glorious to trade Nebraska and our everyday routines in for palm trees and sightseeing for a while.
Remember the goal I set to take lots of amazing pictures, and to find a way to be in more of them on this trip? I definitely did a better job of embracing my giant camera, taking it everywhere with me, and getting it out, despite the way it pegged me instantly as a tourist. I hate that feeling a lot – the one I get when I think the locals are staring at me and deriding me in their minds for looking like a fish out of water in my comfy midwesterner duds – but I hate missing out on great shots even more, and the latter desire won out in the end. Between David and I, we took around 300 pics. Yikes. I’ve been going over them, trying to decide the best way to break them up for the blog showcase, and finally decided on three separate posts for the three full days of our trip. So here we go. Come pretend you went on vacation with me.
Let’s start off, as I wish every day did, with a HUGE breakfast. We went to a total hole in the wall called The Griddle on Sunset Blvd. Apparently it’s popular, because we had to wait 45 minutes outside before we could get seated. I think I gained about six pounds just reading through the pancake descriptions alone. I ordered one that didn’t sound quite so much like a dessert for twelve to share…and out came three-of-em covered in struessel. They were larger than the plate (causing potential for a syrup disaster) and I definitely thought I would only be getting one. I ate about a three inch square hole in the middle and was full til’ dinnertime. So yummy though. Even better? The coffee. Goodness. I would walk back to Cali for another cup of that joe. That good. (This photo is not that good. Dark room + point-n-shoot + no room to stand up = graaaaiiiny).
Enough about the food. Next up on our itinerary: The Getty Center. A beautiful, new, fully-stocked museum with more than enough art for David and me. The best part about this museum is its location. It’s strategically positioned and architecturally designed around beautiful views of the city, the surrounding mountains, ocean, and valleys. So it’s great art…great view…great art…great view. And so on. See?
(This tram takes you from the parking lot through the windy hills up to the museum.)
We meandered until we were full of pensive notions about beauty and the meaning of art (or maybe just until we got bored and tired of walking). Then it was time for David’s favorite part of vacations: scenic drives. The man loves a good view. I think he was tempted to let me drive the rental car so that he could just look out the window and enjoy it. But alas, I am two months out from the big Two Five, and he is not a rule-breaker, even for the sake of that darn good view. The drive of choice for Day 1 was Mulholland Drive. If you’ve never driven it, it’s a windy road that runs along the ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains. There are valleys full of fancy pants houses on either side of the road, as well as pretty views of the mountains in the distance. We did lots of oohing, ahhing, and “Holy crap! Look at the size of that house!”-ing.
Next stop: the San Antonio Winery in downtown L.A. Reason for visiting? Mostly the complimentary three wines you get to taste. And the tour’s not bad either.
This concludes Day 1 of our Cali Adventure. Get ready, folks. Day 2 is a real winner. Here’s a preview:
