Coastal Christmas...

We were lucky enough this year to celebrate part of Christmas up on the central coast. Andrew flew into Santa Barbara so he would be able to spend a little more time up here before we went to down to LA to spend Christmas with the family. Andrew said he's jealous we moved here after he had already moved out :) It had been raining for what seemed like weeks, so when we had one clear day we definitely took full advantage of it. We ate at Giovanni's in Morro Bay, went wine tasting, and explored of bit of Montana de Oro.

The tide was low enough we were able to go see some of the caves! We had to cross through some water & it was FREEZING, but the caves were so amazing.

We took the scenic route home and came upon this breathtaking view! I definitely live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Smith Family Christmas Party

We survived the Smith Family Christmas Party! We went down to southern California for a little over a week to fit in all our Christmas festivities. Sunday started with grandma's birthday. The next week consisted of days & days filled with family get togethers :) The biggest Christmas event we have is the Smith Family Christmas Party. I think we figured out we've been having this party for over 50 years! Pretty impressive. The party was a huge success though. We had 55 people, my aunt won the quilt, and I walked away with some ridiculous bingo gifts... That's what I call a successful party!

Ceramics.

Last night was our last ceramics class. It felt like elementary school because we had a little party! Everyone finished off any glazing they had left & just snacked a visited. All in all it was a really great experience. Unfortunately every good thing I made broke :( I guess that's the name of the game with ceramics. Our teacher had all of his work out for us to browse/buy. He's SO GOOD with colors & glazing. My mom and I each bought a piece (we couldn't control ourselves!). My choice is the green & blue vase... Isn't it great! I think it would take a few more classes for me to be able to do that :)

New Frontiers

While the central coast is severely lacking in decent regular shopping, we're actually doing pretty well in the grocery shopping department. It just got much much better though! A New Frontiers opened in SLO! New Frontiers is very similar to Whole Foods. It's basically heaven for those with any type of food allergy! They also have a really amazing ready made food area & coffee/juice bar. They have gluten free sandwiches, pastas, cupcakes, soups, salads... It's so tasty!


One of the things I have missed the most since giving up gluten is ravioli. I finally found someone who makes really good gluten free ravioli! Is it sad to say that a grocery store is my new favorite restaurant?

Yosemite!

We had a gorgeous & snowy Thanksgiving!

I think this was my 4th National Park of the year. I really want to visit every single one now! I have all the details of our Thanksgiving on my other blog here!

Volunteering.

Yesterday was my first day volunteering at the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society. I think I'm going to really enjoy it. Before I went my mom told me under no circumstances may I bring a dog home... But let me tell you about Bear, the dog I would bring home if I could!

Our job as volunteers is basically to take dogs out of their pens and give them play time in the yard (which is an awesome job! I played with dogs for 3 hours yesterday!). It was really funny seeing all the dogs personalities when you got them in an open space. Some dogs just ran back and forth as fast as they could, some were very interested in the other dogs playing at the same time... But Bear wasn't concerned about anything but me. He actually reminded me of Henry. He just desperately wanted a belly rub! So, if your looking for a dog... : )

Monterey/Carmel by the Sea

We've been wanting to go up to Monterey since we moved up here (it's now only like 2 1/2 hours away), so we decided to make a Christmas shopping trip out of it. We left at 8 to ensure plenty of shopping time :)

We decided to stop at Bubba Gumps for an early lunch. There were not too many people there so we got a table by the window. The view was gorgeous! The food was also really good. We had eaten at that Bubba Gumps once before on a family trip, but I had never seen Forrest Gump. So, this time I appreciated the ambiance more after finally watching the movie!

After lunch we took 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach. We stopped along the way to pick up sea glass. We were able to find some great pieces!

It was a gorgeous day!

After our beautiful drive through Pebble Beach we did some shopping at Carmel by the Sea. It was a perfect day!

Val's 3rd Trip!

Val officially wins the prize of friend to visit the most! This is her 3rd trip up!

The first night she got here we decided to go to dinner at New Frontiers (kinda like Whole Foods)... That's one of the reasons I love Val so much - she's up for anything! One our way to SLO we happened to witness a beautiful sunset! We pulled off the freeway and were able to take some pictures...

After dinner we stopped at Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream! It's become a tradition when Val comes. We had Honey Almond ice cream & I might argue it's the best flavor I've had there yet!
Saturday we had a harvest day! We went to Avila Valley Barn to see the animals, pumpkins, and general cuteness of the store!
Then we headed to See Canyon for all things apples! Val got to do an apple tasting too...

Then we headed a little farther to Pirate's Cove. Yes, we found out there is indeed a nude beach in Pirate's Cove, but rest assured we stayed away... There were some absolutely beautiful views & we met some interesting people :)

We were tired and hungry after our hike so we went to Thai Talay. It was SO GOOD! I absolutely loved it, and the people who worked there were so helpful...

Sunday morning we headed to Edna Valley Vineyards (don't worry we went to church Saturday night!). I think it's hands down the most beautiful vineyard we've been to so far. It was a gorgeous day!

It was such a fun trip. I can't wait for Val to come back & explore some more!

Ostrichland!

Welcome to Ostrich Land! We accidentally discovered this place on our way home from Solvang last week. There were a tons of cars in the parking lot, and it just looked too fun to pass up. The owners of Ostrich Land are very smart people, because to even see an ostrich you have to pay a $4 entrance fee. We decided it was worth it & bought some ostrich feed too. The rules were copious, so I didn't read all of them - but they were clear that an ostrich will bite you!
I actually thought they were kind of pretty. Some of them were HUGE! They had all different age birds, so we got to see babies through full grown adults.

The best part by far was feeding them! I've seen too many episodes of America's Funniest Videos, so I fully expected to be pecked by one, but they were super friendly. You had to use some muscle to hang on to the feed bowl though, they have super strong necks! So, all in all it was a very fun adventure! I always recommend feeding any animal you get a chance to feed!

Give Thanks...

We are having a rare extended family-less Thanksgiving, so we are hitting the road! We just made reservations to go to Yosemite! I haven't been since I was 2, so I'm looking forward to a trip I can actually remember. I've ordered hiking shoes & am hoping for some chilly weather. My favorite part of this whole thing is that Henry has to come with us! We have never vacationed with him before, but I think it will be SO fun...

Here's to hoping we don't encounter any bears... If we do, Henry doesn't stand a chance!

Southern California Trip...

I've spent the last week down in Orange County! We were just supposed to be down for a long weekend, but our trip kept getting extended - which I was totally fine with because it meant I got to see more people!

Thursday night I was able to do lunch & Pedi's with Val, followed by Starbucks/Target with Sarah & Deb! I love spending time with these girls... They are so much fun!

Then I headed to San Clemente with Shell & Kenz! We had the ultimate relaxing weekend! We watched great TV, had great meals, learned how to carve pumpkins & made caramel apples! Did I mention we listened to Taylor Swift over & over!

Finally, I got to go to Disneyland with Jeanna! It was hot, but so fun! We managed to laugh the entire time & embarrass each other greatly!

I also was able to do some shopping (yay anthro!), see my cousin Greg, and have breakfast & leisure world time with aunts, uncles, great aunts, 2nd cousins, and friends! It was so refreshing & exhausting at the same time... Can't wait for my next trip!

Back to School!

Well, our first ceramics class was a success! When we arrived at the class our teacher told us that it wasn't actually a class, but more of studio time. It was kinda scary at first because I haven't worked with clay since I was in 8th grade, but then I realized that it would allow for some real creativity! We listened to 70's music and just played around with the clay for 3 hours... I destroyed most of the things I created, but I came away with a small pinch pot and my mom and I did a collaborative effort ( I'll post pics later!). Now let's talk about the other people in the class. The average age of the students is about 65... I'm getting used to being the youngest in the room by like 30 years. Most of them have been in the class for several sessions, so they are old pro's, but they were so welcoming. There were only 4 of us newbies. One of the newbies chomped her gum the WHOLE time, but the other one is my new bestie, Mary. Mary is probably about 90 years old. She can't really hear, so you have to yell when you talk to her. She is the sweetest lady in the world. Love her! I can't wait to continue to create and learn... hopefully I won't sit next to the gum chomper next week.

Heads or Tails?

We knew we needed an adventure today, but were not full of inspiration. So we flipped a coin! Heads we go north, tails we go south. It was heads, so we set out going north on the 101. We hadn't really been beyond Paso Robles, so we were curious as to what was out there. There is NOTHING. We ended up like 70 miles north of SLO, and had to turn around because we weren't finding anything. So after a long (but pretty) drive, we headed back to Paso Robles (which doesn't look cute from the freeway, but has a darling downtown). We had an amazing lunch at this place called Thomas Hill Organics (as people with food allergies, organic is a keyword we look for!). They own their own farm, so they change their menu everyday based on what is growing.

Then we explored some of the antique shops! It was HOT, so we only went through a few, but they had really fun stuff.

As we headed inland, we were driving in a cloud... Literally. It was so crazy, but an awesome end to our extremely random day.

Small Town Charm...

A few nights ago I hung out with a new friend (she's so fun!), and she showed me some awesome places in this area. We started the day off with coffee at Andreini's. It is my absolute favorite place for a beverage. I got the apple pie chai tea, and my friend got pumpkin hot chocolate (told you she was fun!).

After coffee, she said we were going to a movie at Fair Oaks theater (which meant nothing to me). It was a DARLING old school theater. The type that only shows one movie at a time and has that cute awning! I was trying to find a parking spot and could only find a gravel lot... So I parked there anyway, but asked if it was ok to park there (it seemed so wrong!). My friend started busting up and said, "Welcome to small town living!"

We saw You Again and it was pretty cute. Betty White should have been in it more, but it was a super fun chick flick. I'm loving meeting new people and finding all these places that only locals know about!

Heat Wave...

I've spent the majority of my summer wearing sweaters & jackets. We've only had 4 or 5 days over 75 degrees. Until now. Apparently October/November are the hottest months in the central coast. Unfortunately, the central coast does not believe in air conditioning... Even the brand new houses we've been looking at haven't had air in them. Everyone says they don't need the air. The McAlpine's do not feel the same way, so we headed to the movies!

We decided to see Secretariat. It was so good! I love it when movies based on true stories make you forget that you already know the outcome. I've been a horse lover my whole life, so I was well aware of the fact that Secretariat was a Triple Crown winner, but I still found myself rooting for him in every race. I definitely recommend this movie!

By the time we got out of the movies it had returned to the lovely weather we're used to :) For dinner, I just happened to make THE BEST SANDWICH EVER CREATED! Seriously... it was so good and simple. I used my Udi's whole "wheat" gluten free bread, Gopher Glen apple butter, and Brie! I just grilled it like a normal grilled cheese, but it was so fabulous! New favorite meal for sure...

Henry LOVED the sandwich too! How could you not give him a taste??? Look at that face :)

We"re Back!

We made it home safe & sound. Even more importantly, we all still like each other after being in close proximity for 15 days! I will post pictures later. Right now we are catching up on Tivo & mail. Here are a few stats for the trip though:

15 Days

9 States

3 National Parks

73 Cups of coffee consumed

And We're Off!

It's finally that time of year! Time for our fall road trip. My mom, my grandparents and I will be doing a west coast/middle America road trip this year instead of our usual east coast jaunt. We're getting ready to blast some John Denver and see America! Here is our itinerary:

Day One:
Drive from Cerritos to Flagstaff, AZ

Day Two:
Enjoying the incredible Grand Canyon

Day Three:
Drive to Santa Fe & enjoy the southwestern food

Day Four:
Explore the Plaza in Santa Fe. Drive to Colorado Springs

Day Five:
Whit's End! If I can pull myself away from Whit's End we will also go to Garden of the God's and have dinner at the Broadmoor.

Day Six:
Explore Denver. Drive to Boulder and tour Celestial Seasonings (can you tell who planned this part of the trip) and explore Rocky Mountain National Park.

Day Seven:
Drive through Cheyenne Wyoming.

Day Eight:
End up in Nebraska! Explore the Bohemian Alps & shop the "Junk Jaunt" (300 miles of treasure hunting!). Stalk Grandpa's favorite author.

Day Nine:
Lou's Legendary Marble Factory Tour. World's Largest Porch Swing. Drive to Red Cloud to tour Willa Cather's home & walk the "last of the American prairie"

Day Ten:
Head back to Golden Colorado.

Day Eleven:
Drive through the Rocky Mountains.

Day Twelve:
Drive to Utah. Go to Arches National Park.

Day Thirteen:
Head home.

As you can see, this is a very random vacation. It all started with my grandpa reading a book by a Nebraskan author. In the book, the author gives directions to his house. So we decided to see if we can find this guy. Along the way they are letting me stop in my favorite state, Colorado! It's going to be weird, but family road trips are ALWAYS fun!

See Canyon

I am continually amazed by what the central coast has to offer. We've made a really fun new discovery lately - Apple Orchards! A friend of ours from CIV told us that See Canyon had the best apples ever and they were so right! Apple season started July 31st, so we decided to explore the area a bit. See Canyon is actually on the way to Avila Beach (our fave spot), but it could not feel further away from the beach. It feels very much like the east coast. To get to the orchards you have to drive down a windy, shady, tree lined road. It's a gorgeous drive. We have made it to 2 orchards thus far: Gopher Glen, and See Canyon. There are plenty of apple products to buy, but my favorite thing is the apple tastings! They offer as many as 60 varieties of apples, so it's fun to learn about the different kinds. I love that you can be at an apple orchard and then 10 minutes later you can be at the beach. This place is growing on me.

Shelly came!

It was a whirlwind, but it was AMAZING! Since Shell's up for pretty much anything, we covered a lot of ground... We explored AG and had quite possibly the most delicious beverages known to man. I had the spiced apple chai, and Shell had something with peanut butter - chocolate & espresso! Yum! We meandered through the village, RAN over the suspension bridge, played in the creek, and shopped! We then hit Avila Valley Farm, Avila Beach, and San Luis Pier to see the sea lions. And that was just day one! We also made it to the goat farm, the luffa farm (who knew Luffa's grew on vines?), wine tastings, Jack Creek Farm, the movies, downtown SLO, and more coffee shops of course! It was an AMAZING visit. Can't wait to see you again Shell.

World's Largest...

We've been gearing up for our fall road trip. My grandpa has wanted to go to Nebraska for a while now (he grew up there, and wants to visit one of his favorite authors), so we decided to turn it into a road trip. We're hitting the Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and my favorite - Colorado! We've found some really fun stuff to do all through the trip, except when we are in Nebraska. Literally, the most exciting thing we have found thus far is the world's largest porch swing (which we will of course go see!). It got me curious about other "world's largest" things. Here are some of my favorites... I think I might have to have a life goal of visiting these.

World's Largest Yogurt Container - Dubai

World's Largest Loaf of Bread - Urbana, Ohio

World's Largest Bike - Germany

World's Largest Badger - Wisconsin

World's Largest Artichoke - Castroville, CA