Road Trips – Page 25

DESTINATIONS, DFW Metroplex, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL

Finding Footwear for the San Antonio Stroll

June 10, 2015March 16, 2021 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: HEADED TO SAN ANTONIO TX

Finally, it was time to go!

I love the planning part of a trip, uncovering all the possibilities and making geographic sense of them. Who’s open when, how much does it cost and how long will it take?

What to Pack?

Once I’d mapped out the days of the trip I began to wonder what the heck I was going to wear. Everything above the ankles was easy – mostly sundresses and one day a knit pantsuit that’s as comfy and cool as pj’s. The problem was from the ankle down. One of the reasons I named this trip the San Antonio Stroll was that there was going to be a lot of walking. (Another reason is that I like alliteration and Tanya Tucker’s song.)

I have a lot of shoes, but for hours of walking most of them won’t do. They’re just for looks, but do they ever look good! I made a special trip to the closet to check out my options and quickly discovered I didn’t have any. See, I call those kind of shoes “fun shoes” and my fun shoe factor was in sad shape – holes in the sole in my favorite sneakers, sandals falling apart, straps broken. Even sadder was the fact that I’d worn all of them for so long and so hard that the cobbler wasn’t an option. That meant DSW. I threw away the dead soldiers and planned my shopping trip.

DSW Emergency!

Now my usual gig at DSW is to go to the clearance department and discover the gems – those interesting selections that have gotten to the 50% and more off. I don’t go with a shopping list, I’m just looking for bargains. When I pay a tiny price for fab footwear, I’m over the moon. It was immediately obvious that I wasn’t going to make that sort of score on this trip. If their clearance inventory had included fun shoes, someone else beat me to them. So I grabbed a bag, wandered the store looking for likely suspects and then sat down to try them on.

This one was too ugly, that one too heavy, another one hit me at the wrong place on my foot. I narrowed it down to a sandal, an espadrille and well, I did find one bargain I couldn’t leave behind. The bargain pair wouldn’t be going to San Antonio, but I’ll look marvelous when they do step out. The bargain and the espadrille were thrifty, the sandal was not. Have to take care of those dogs though, so I made my way to the check out counter. Now I was ready to pack.

The Old Red Suitcase and My “Hairable” Mistake

After dragging the old red suitcase down from the attic (the wonderful walk-in attic in my new house) I pulled together all the stuff I wanted to take. As Deb pointed out on this trip, the clothes took up one small corner of the suitcase, while the makeup and electronics needed to have their own bellhop. It didn’t take long for me to get it all stowed away.

Then I had to decide what to do with my hair. I’ve been letting it grow and most of the time I’m not quite sure what to do with it. My mom liked my hair to be short and she had a way of getting what she wanted. Now that she’s gone I’ve been having a little late-life rebellion and so far the hair is down to my shoulders. We’ll see if it goes any longer. Anyway, it sort of has a mind of its own, so trying to get it to do what I want is like trying to control a force of nature.

Rather than wrestle with it on the morning we were going to leave, I decided to wash it in the laundry room sink. That would be easier – right? Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever washed my hair in a sink when it was this long. You’ve never seen a mess like the one I made. I was so wet that I looked like I’d washed the dog’s hair, not mine. I think I should have just stepped in the shower. Then about the time I got it washed and towel-dried, I went outside to talk to Bill about something. I do live next to a pond, so I exposed my hair to the damp night air. Then I decided to see what it would do if I didn’t use any product in it. Remember, Diana Ross’s huge ‘fro from her solo years. Yep, that’s what my hair looked like when I woke up.

Come back next week and we’ll load the car and then head out on the San Antonio Stroll.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Le Pain Quotidien and the Venice Canals

March 4, 2015September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

Le Pain Quotidien, Los Angeles CA — **Le Pain Quotidien**

TRAVEL THERE: LAST DAY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

It was our last day in LA. The family had arrived in waves, and now Bill and I would be the first departing wave. There were only a few hours left. At 1:18 AM, my nephew texted me the location where we’d meet at 10 AM for brunch. At 4:13 AM he texted me to let me know it would actually be 11. The nieces and nephews were keeping different hours than Auntie Jane.

Brunch at Le Pain Quotidien

Before Steven married and moved up to San Francisco, he and Bassem were a pair of young studs enjoying the single life in LA. I can imagine them landing at Le Pain Quotidien to break their fast after a wild night on the town or even for a quiet Sunday morning reading the LA Times.

However, with thirteen people ranging in age from toddler to retired teacher, perhaps we should have gone to IHOP. The little ones couldn’t find anything they wanted to eat and for that matter, neither could I. It was all very healthy, fresh and chic, but I’d been awake since 4:13 AM and I was seriously hungry. Also, we were spread out over several tables in a corner of the cafe and I’m sure our chatter was disruptive to everyone else.

Next Stop

When brunch was over everyone turned to me for our next adventure. I was honored that I hadn’t been disbarred from the family after the Huntington Garden fiasco, but maybe Bill’s telephoned assurance that there actually were amazing things behind the tall hedges saved face for me. Problem was, I’d seen everything I’d put on my wish list except one and I was afraid the Venice Canals might not be appropriate for this huge crowd of people.

I confessed that my bag was empty except for the Canals, but suddenly I had a groundswell of support. Steven and Shannon had courted nearby and Bassem thought the area was amazing. Bill, too, was anxious to see the canals. So we loaded up and headed out.

The Venice Canals

Saturday afternoon with a caravan of cars is not the optimal time to see the canals – still I’m awfully glad they were included at the last minute.

You can’t see much from the car, so the entire caravan had to find places to park. I think that privilege came with a price tag of twenty-something dollars per vehicle. I thought that was outrageous, but everyone else took it in stride.

The Venice Canals is a neighborhood built on a series of man-made canals just a few blocks from Venice Beach. The cute bungalows were affordable back in the day. Now if you’ve got two or three extra mil laying around, you too can live there.

Except for the parking, it actually turned into a great outing for our large group. In ever-changing groups of three or four folks, we strung out all along the canals with everyone strolling along at their own pace.

Venice Canals, Venice Beach CA — Auntie Jane at the Venice Canals

The canals were a real boon to me. I don’t see my grandniece and grandnephew often enough for them to remember me. So, I was about to leave, but they’d finally decided to let me into their special circle. I pushed their stroller around the canals. We made up a silly game to play as we went over the bridges. We laughed, giggled and sang nonsense songs. I’m sure the residents hated it, but I was in heaven.

Farewell to the Golden State.

Finally, we couldn’t put it off any longer. There was a episode of fruit basket turnover as we re-arranged everyone to accommodate Bassem driving us to the airport. We were going to have to return the Maserati to him. I would miss it. My real car is a Nissan.

I’ll share a few more shots of the picturesque canals, but come back next week. Who knows what I’ll have up my sleeve!

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Orange Hill Restaurant

February 25, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ORANGE HILL RESTAURANT IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

This vacation is almost over, but there’s one more treat I want to share with you, Orange Hill Restaurant. It’s one of my favorite places to go and on this trip I enjoyed my meal with one of my favorite people – the one who introduced me to Orange Hill in the first place.

Friends Tell Friends About the Best Places

My buddy Lizbet and I met in Dallas while working for the same company. She’s an extraordinary person, a great friend and a lot of fun. After I moved to California, she made the move a few years later. She settled in another part of the state and she plans on staying.

The first time I drove down to her part of California for a visit, she took me to Orange Hill Restaurant. She tried to tell me how cool it was ahead of time but I guess I didn’t pay any attention. Now I’m going to tell you, but you’ll probably doubt me, too.

The View’s the Thing

Orange Hill Restaurant is actually up on Orange Hill. Most of Orange County is a flat plain, but right there just past the corner of Chapman Road and Canyon View is a small road with a sign pointing up a hill that promises Orange Hill Restaurant. Even though the address is on Chapman Road, follow the sign. You still have a way to go. Just wait until you’re up the hill to enjoy the view. Orange Hill Restaurant has a great patio and there won’t be any on-coming cars.

At the top of the drive you’ll arrive at a porte-cochères where a valet will park your car. Don’t fall into the koi pond as you admire the unique masonry of natural stone. Inside there’s an elegantly appointed dining room, but you won’t see it. You’ll be bowled over by the view. Spread beneath you like a carpet is all of Orange County.

Sunset, Orange Hill Restaurant, Orange CA — Sunset from Orange Hill Restaurant

But the Meal’s Pretty Good

There’s nothing extraordinary about the menu at Orange Hill Restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with it either. Steak, seafood and for the health nuts – Vegetarian Pasta Primavera. The prices will set you back a bit, but they’re not unreasonable. We ordered a table-ful of food and it was all delicious – but with a view like that, who cares?

Lizbet and I hadn’t seen one another in a long time, so we had a lot of catching up to do. I’m sure our waitress hated us. We camped out for hours. As we sat there in our window seat, the sun disappeared from view and the plain below us lit up. It was quite a sight. I guarantee you, the patio was at maximum capacity.

All This and Fireworks, Too

Here’s one thing I failed to mention – the fireworks. You know how Disneyland has fireworks most evenings right at closing time. Well, guess what! You can see them from Orange Hill. That’s right. Give yourself a pat on the back. If Disneyland has fireworks on any given night, then you can see them from Orange Hill Restaurant.

That’s why, with all of LA and Orange County to choose from, I drove from San Marino to Orange Hill and back to Studio City. Lizbet would have met me anywhere I suggested. Like Moonstone Beach and the Getty Villa, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to share one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people.

All that’s left on this trip is a couple of loose ends. Join me next week for a great brunch spot. Then I’ll have to think of someplace else to go.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Libraries, Museums, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Huntington Library and Gardens

February 18, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Huntington Library & Gardens, San Marino CA — The Sadeks at the Huntington

TRAVEL THERE: THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY AND GARDENS IN SAN MARINO, CALIFORNA

Until I started planning this trip I hadn’t heard of the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino. I was just looking for a museum to visit, since the Getty Villa would be closed the day I wanted to go. As it turned out, I got to see both the Getty Villa and the Huntington. Let me tell you – you’ve got to go to the Huntington.

THE HUNTING WHAT?

Even now that I’ve been there, I don’t quite know how to describe the Huntington – which might be part of the problem. The official name of the place is The Huntington Library. Quite frankly, though I’m very grateful our nation is blessed with wonderful libraries, I don’t consider them as tourist destinations. Also, it’s in San Marino, not LA, so maybe that’s why I’d never heard of it. Call it what you will, it’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been and very little of it is actually a library.

THE HUNTINGTON GALLERY

As I researched LA, some clue hinted at an art museum inside the grounds of the Huntington Library. Following my nose I found The Huntington’s website and investigated their collection. I about had a heart attack. Staring right at me from the webpage was Blue Boy – yes, Gainsborough’s Blue Boy. And do you want to know who is looking at Blue Boy from across the room? You’re not going to believe it!! Pinkie! Thomas Lawrence’s painting of a young girl in pink and white. (Go ahead and click over there, I’ll wait.)You’ll be amazed You’ve seen prints of the two displayed together a million times. Well, at the Huntington, the real things are in the same room…looking at one another. It was almost too much for me to bear.

The Huntington has a whole slew of gorgeous European paintings that you will devour, but even if they didn’t have a single painting, I’d still tell you to go. I’ve been to a lot of luxurious, ornate, beautiful historic homes in my life, but I have never ever seen anything like the Huntington Art Gallery. Well, maybe “never ever” is stretching it a bit. King Ludwig’s Linderhof in Bavaria was on par. (Probably Versailles is too, but I’m still mad a Jimmy Carter for being there when I went to Paris.) Bottom line – go get your socks knocked off.

THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

If you go during the week, it will cost you $20 per person ($23 on weekends). It doesn’t open until noon (10:30 on weekends) and they shoo you out at 4:30. It ought to be illegal. Not the price, it’s worth every penny, even if all you see is the Art Gallery, but how are you supposed to see any of it in just four and a half hours. I could have spent four and a half hours in the Art Gallery alone. I call a foul. They should open up at the crack of dawn and stay until very late. Charge me by the hour. I don’t care. Just give me more access.

THE HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS

With only a few hours to see everything and an entourage to manage, I made a tactical error. I thought the prudent thing to do would be to stroll along the paved road that leads through the gardens. Sure enough, you get a peek at the edge of the gardens, but not much more. The gardens are designed for you to enjoy them on the foot paths within the various settings, not zipping by on the paved road.

Huntington Gardens, San Marino CA — Follow me. I’m not sure where I’m going, but eventually you’ll love it – really!

Needless to say, my entourage soon tired of almost seeing things. Just about the time I figured out the drill, the entourage was through. I tried to encourage them deeper into the garden, but their visit was over. A lot of the conversation happened in Arabic, but I knew they thought I was nuts. Besides, I don’t think they had prints of Blue Boy and Pinkie for sale at the five and dime in Egypt. They just didn’t get any of my rapture.

Too bad. They departed and Bill reluctantly followed me into the Japanese Garden. Moments later he was calling the kids and begging them to come back, but it was too late.

The Japanese Garden, which was unbelievably beautiful, gave way to a Chinese Garden which was even better. I realize that I’ve run out of superlatives, but if you’ve been there you understand. Get this! There are fifteen gardens, each one more amazing than the last one. How are you supposed to see fifteen gardens in four and a half hours?

AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

As if being able to enjoy the Huntington Art Gallery in the gorgeous palace housing the remarkable collection wasn’t enough, there are two other galleries. One is home to American art and the other hosts special exhibitions. I’d pay twenty dollars to see either of them!

Oh, and why is it called a library? Because they have a huge building with 420,ooo rare books and 7,000,000 manuscripts. Yes – SEVEN MILLION manuscripts. Now the general public is not allowed to get their grubby hands on all of that, but they can see highlights of the library in an exhibit hall.

I didn’t even get near to any of this. I’m ready to go back, right now.

A GIFT SHOP TO BEAT ALL GIFT SHOPS

The Huntington Gift Shop is not the largest gift shop I’ve ever been to. Oh you can get a T-shirt, but why would you bother when there are gorgeous scarves, amazing jewelry and stunning decor items. Go ahead – do a little browsing. See if you won’t want one of everything.

So, now you know. The Huntington is more than an art museum, more than a library and more than a garden. It’s shangri-la, the garden of eden and utopia all rolled into one. Go! It’s wonderful!

But my day wasn’t over! I was meeting one of my besties at one of my favorite places for dinner. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Santa Monica Pier and More

February 11, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica CA — Santa Monica Pier

TRAVEL THERE: FAMILY FUN IN SANTA MONICA, CA

After several hours exploring the Getty Villa in Malibu, I had a hungry group of relatives on my hands, so finding something to eat was the next order of business.

THE TOURIST WERE HUNGRY

One thing I’ve learned from my husband is that Egyptians are a little more leisurely about their travels that I am. Truth be told, almost anyone is more leisurely about traveling than I am, but I have so much that I want to see that when I do go somewhere I’m driven to rush.

Poor Bill usually gets dragged along at my pace whether he wants to be or not. However, I knew better than to attempt that sort of thing when he had reinforcements with him. On my own, I would have spent more time at the Getty Villa enjoying their multi-media Gallery Guide and taking in as many of the tours as I could have squeezed in. My visit to the Santa Monica Pier would have been a quick stroll up and down the pier, and I would have eaten a hot dog while I was at it. Then on to forty-seven other things.

SLOWING IT DOWN

Instead our two car caravan found parking places at the pier and then headed inland to find food. The tykes needed some space to run about in and the adults needed some down time. So we headed up to street level and found a shopping mall called Santa Monica Place. The top floor was a food court and had a patio overlooking the Pier.

Then we relaxed and everyone else enjoyed themselves. The food was good for food court food and the view was outstanding. I did enjoy visiting with everyone, but I was in sight-seeing mode and I really had to rein myself in.

Eventually, everyone had been fed and alcoholic beverages were consumed by the adults. My waiting paid off, we headed to the pier.

THE SANTA MONICA PIER

The truth of the matter is, a stroll while eating a hot dog is probably all the of your time that the Santa Monica Pier deserves. The kids enjoyed this taxi, but for the most part, the pier was entirely too crowded and loud for their tastes. I agreed with them. I admit. I’m the one that had dragged everyone to the place, but you don’t know until you check it out.

Perhaps if you’re a little older than the grands and a little younger than their moms, you might enjoy what the Pier had to offer, but it looked a lot more interesting than it actually was.

The next day we visited Huntington Gardens. I loved it and you will, too. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Getty Villa, Malibu CA

February 4, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

IN LOS ANGELES GETTY IS THE THING

Museum Girl has one word for you in LA: Getty. One word and two locations. Getty Center is a big art museum on a hill in Los Angeles . Getty Villa in Malibu is something else entirely.

THE GETTY CENTER

If you’ve never been to The Getty Center, you have to go there first. The location alone is reason enough. Even if you don’t like art, you really need to see this place to believe it. The view is outstanding and the architecture is amazing. What’s more, there are gardens and fountains that also think they’re the main attraction. Seriously, you have to go.

If you do like art, then this is a feast you will enjoy. All day is not enough. I’ve been several times and it still hasn’t been enough. There are multiple huge buildings. The museum’s holdings are encyclopedic and they get first dibs on the best exhibitions in the US or visiting the US.

What’s more – it’s free! You heard me – free. Not on certain days or after a certain hour, but all the time. Now you have to reserve and pay for parking, but this is LA where you even pay to park in front of your house.

THE GETTY VILLA

When I moved to California, Malibu Getty was being renovated. It was ready the final year I lived there, but it was impossible to get in. On my visits since I moved away from California, I never could work the museum into my schedule for a variety of reasons, which included things which were both my fault and theirs.

Just like I was determined to have an overnight stay on Moonstone Beach, I wasn’t missing the Malibu Getty on this trip. My nieces and nephews are not into museums in a big way, but I warned everyone that with or without them, I was going to the Getty.

INVASION BY SADEK

Two carloads of Sadeks arrived at the Getty Malibu promptly at 10:30 with free timed passes in hand. What an entourage! Toddlers, teenagers, Baby Boomers and more! Just getting everyone to the entrance was quite interesting.

Once inside we showed our timed passes and a volunteer invited us to see the intro video. He also suggested we have a look around the galleries in the immediate area, since there wasn’t anyone waiting to see it. While we were looking around, along came a busload of folks who got in line ahead of us. Helpful hint number one: Ignore the volunteer. Get in line and wait for your turn.

Do watch the video though. It’s very good and helps you understand the villa and the art.

CAN YOU SAY AWESOME?

Remember your world history textbooks? And remember the head shots of statues which stood in for Caesar, Caligula and Cato. Ever wonder where those statues are? They’re at the Getty Malibu!

Perhaps I’ve spent more time than other folks staring at art, history and art history books, but what impressed me most about the Getty Malibu was that all those pictures I’d been staring at were front and center. One right after the other. I couldn’t get over it. I can’t say that the entire entourage felt that way, but I was overwhelmed.

My husband adored the architecture. One grandnephew loved an activity room where you created rubbings off faux pottery shards. One niece was spellbound by a peek of the ocean from a terrace. My grandniece just wanted to run in the gardens.

In other words, there was something for everyone. Truth be told, I wanted to stay a little bit longer and almost everyone else thought we stayed a little too long, but we all had a good time. Some day, when I return for a visit, I’m going to go by myself and stay all day. It’s going to be great.

From the Getty Villa we went to Santa Monica. Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

The Sportsman’s Lodge – Studio City CA

January 28, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Maserati, Venice Beach, CA — **And yes, that is a Maserati we’re driving!**

WHERE TO STAY IN LA

Now we’re on our way to LA, the last stop in our 2014 California Adventure. Our accommodations were quite unique. Let me tell you about them.

THE MASERATI

Have I mentioned that we have the coolest nephews in the world? I know I told you all about the one in San Fran – you know Jack’s dad. Well, I have another nephew. Bassem lives in LA, across the street from Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center. At least he did until a few weeks ago. And that Maserati? Well, it’s Bassem’s.

One of the primary reasons we were in LA was because several members of Bill’s family were going to be visiting, including a niece and grand-nephew from Egypt. Usually, we’d just bunk with Bassem, but he already had a houseful. Since he couldn’t offer us a place to stay, he insisted on giving us his car to drive while we were in town. That would be kind under any circumstances – when the car in question is a Maserati, well, it’s more than kind.

BUT WHERE TO STAY?

With Bassem’s home full to capacity, we needed to find a place to stay. Some other family members chose The Standard, but it just wasn’t what we were looking for. Even though we wanted to be close to everyone, we really didn’t want to be in Hollywood. And besides, there was just something about a hotel with an upside down sign that irritated my OCD tendencies.

THE SHORT LIST

You have two choices when it comes to hotels around Hollywood – expensive and bedbug bait. I spent two days on Trip Advisor and other sites trying to come up with realistic options. The Sportsman’s Lodge was very high on my list for several reasons, but I was afraid Bill would think I was nuts. So, I included it on the short list and waited for Bill to give me his favorites.

He came back to me and asked for more information about The Sportsman Lodge, so I knew I hadn’t been crazy at all. It was both geographically and financially desirable, with just enough edge to be interesting. I booked a room and looked forward to our stay.

COOL AND FUNKY

The reason I thought Bill might assume I’d lost my mind, if I suggested this hotel, was that it had (shall we say) unique decor. Sort the Jetsons meet John Wayne. The lobby had odd things like a rack of antlers (painted white BTW) juxtaposed with chrome stools upholstered in orange and glass tables with lime green accessories. We’re usually more into French antiques. The whole thing was sort of upscale meets resale. The parking lot was definitely upscale and our Maserati fit right in.

Everything in LA costs a whole lot more than it should – and The Sportsman’s Lodge is no exception, but once you get past the sticker shock, you can really enjoy yourself. The rooms are sparsely furnished in a minimalistic way, but you have everything you need. The bed was comfortable, but the view was the parking lot. There were rooms which overlooked the pool, but since it was crowded 24/7, I think I was very satisfied with the parking lot vista. And speaking of the pool, I wish I’d gotten brave enough to spend some time there, but everyone seemed so cool that I was a little intimidated.

Still, if I were to need another hotel room near my nephew’s place, I’d probably just return to The Sportsman’s Lodge – and who knows, I might get brave enough to hang out at the pool.

I had a great time with our family in LA, beginning with a trip to the Getty Malibu. Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Upper Crust in San Luis Obispo

January 14, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: THE UPPER CRUST TRATTORIA IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

No, I’m not talking about the Central Coast‘s social elite. The Upper Crust is a great little Italian Restaurant on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo.

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

One thing led to another. After I moved to the San Luis Obispo area I researched churches and discovered Grace Church in SLO. At Grace Church, I met Marilyn, who invited me to Bible Study. After Bible Study we went to the Upper Crust. All three of these were pivotal events. Grace Church and Marilyn were foundational to my life in SLO and Upper Crust was my go-to restaurant.

When we wanted pasta, we’d go to Upper Crust. When we wanted a pizza, we’d go to Upper Crust. If we wanted a a salad, a quick bite, a romantic meal, a glass of wine, to entertain clients, to entertain guests… The bottom line was, we went there a lot. Since this was beach country, we went to seafood restaurants quite often too, but for everything else, it was Upper Crust.

THREE WORDS – RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE SALAD

The pizza was good. Their pasta was great. The Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad – to die for. Fresh greens, candied walnuts, out of this world dressing, add chicken if you need protein – OMG. If a had a nickel for every time I ate it, I would at least have enough to buy several more.

I heartily recommend anything on the menu. You can’t go wrong. However, if you leave without someone at the table ordering a Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad, you’ve made a huge mistake. My friend Marilyn always maintained that another place had a better Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad, but she was wrong. In all other things, I thought Marilyn was one of the smartest people I ever had the opportunity to befriend, but she didn’t know her Raspberry Vinaigrette Salads.

CENTRALLY LOCATED

Wherever you live or visit in San Luis Obispo County, no one outside SLO county residents will recognize the name of it. Mention Heart Castle or Cal Poly and some people might say, “Oh yeah” – or you might have to resort to explaining it’s halfway between LA and San Fran. The whole county doesn’t have as many people in it as Garland, a suburb of Dallas.

When I lived there, I sold real estate all over the county and Highway One was the main thoroughfare. The Upper Crust is right off Highway One on Los Osos Valley Road. That was an intersection I passed almost daily for one reason or another, so that made eating there or meeting there that much easier. It also means that wherever you go in the area, you won’t have any trouble including the restaurant in your itinerary.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Do not miss The Upper Crust! If you’re driving between LA and San Fran, it is just about halfway and it is worth the stop.

From SLO we drove on to LA. I’ll tell you about that next week.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Montana de Oro

January 7, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

MONTANA DE ORO STATE PARK IN LOS OSOS, CALIFORNIA

Though few people actually know it exists, no trip to the Central Coast of California would be complete without a visit to Montana de Oro.

WHY HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF MONTANA DE ORO?

This is a question I ask a lot. Sure, I love Moonstone Beach and it’s just around the corner from Hearst Castle, but Montana de Oro is only about an hour away. So, why aren’t the tour buses going there? In many ways, Montana de Oro is much more spectacular. It doesn’t have the B&B’s or restaurants, but that’s part of what makes it so marvelous.

I think California is trying to hide it from the rest of the world. Google Montana de Oro and check out the California State Parks Website. You get a picture of a few people on horseback. If I was trying to decide if the park was somewhere I wanted to visit, the page wouldn’t get me there. With a little persistence I found a brochure on the site which made the place a little more desirable, but nothing they show or tell you says, “HELLO! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS ON EARTH!”

So I’m telling you – THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS ON EARTH!

EXCUSE THE BORROWED PHOTOGRAPH

I have gorgeous pictures of Montana de Oro, but they are all pre-digital and they are all packed away. Please go Wikipedia and enjoy the rest of what they have to say about this gorgeous stretch of the California Central Coast. I’ll leave the history of the park to them and just tell you about my love affair with Montana de Oro.

HOW WE GOT THERE

The way in which we decided we wanted to live in San Luis Obispo County is a very long story that includes a visit to the Red Lobster at LBJ and Greenville Avenue in Dallas. On our maiden trip to the Central Coast we somehow hooked up with a Morro Bay real estate agent who I can’t even find on the internet now. They took us to see a couple of available houses out in Los Osos and then said we should see Montana de Oro. They loved the park so much, they actually drove us out there themselves.

That trip to the Central Coast was actually just an exploratory visit, but once Bill saw Montana de Oro, the exploration was over. We started looking, in earnest, for a lot to build on. We found the lot and made the offer on our way out of town. We set a moving date without even having a place to live.

Back in Dallas, with an accepted offer in hand, we needed a place to live while the house was being built. It was a no-brainer. Since we didn’t buy the lot in Cabrillo Estates, we decided we’d enjoy living there while the house was built. We rented a house sight unseen.

I very vividly remember walking into that rental house. We unlocked the front door and the view was so gorgeous my knees almost buckled. I sat down on a step into the den in utter amazement. You could see all the way from Montana de Oro to the Morro Rock. My amazement continued for the next three years. Yes, I said three years. That’s how long it took us to build that house in Pismo Beach.

As astounding as my first sight of that view was, it was only the beginning. Imagine the same view with about fifteen deer grazing in the backyard or with a family of quail strutting from one side of the yard to the other. I can sincerely say that living with that view is one of my favorite things about my life so far – even if it was in California.

DAILY VISITS?

We didn’t actually make daily visits to Montana de Oro while we lived in Los Osos, but we were there a lot. We’d pass the entrance sign and roll down the windows to smell the eucalyptus trees. Seems as if there was some good reason they’d transplanted the trees to the area, but I’ve forgotten it. I just know they smelled great.

We’d drive directly to Spooner’s Cove for the picturesque view. Then we’d walk around the Bluff Trail and let the awe roll in with the crashing waves.

Montana de Oro is pretty well known with Californians who hike and ride horses, but other than that, it’s truly a hidden gem. I never hiked to the peak or rode a horse there, but it’s still one of my favorite places on earth and maybe I’m glad that no one really knows about it – that is except for you and me.

From Montana de Oro we drove into San Luis Obispo to have lunch with some friends at one of our favorite eateries. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about The Upper Crust Trattoria.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Revisiting Los Osos

December 31, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

A NOSTALGIC VISIT TO LOS OSOS, CALIFORNIA

Happy New Year! I hope 2015 holds much happiness for you and yours, as well as lots of travel!

Now onto our journey to the West Coast. We called Los Osos home while our house was built in Pismo Beach. In fact, we almost bought a lot in Los Osos rather than Pismo. I wonder what turn our life together would have taken if we’d gambled on that steep outcropping rather than the more sedate hilltop in Pismo.

Sally and The Great Skin Company

One of the first things I did when I moved to Los Osos was join South Bay Women’s Network. I loved that group of women and had the honor of serving in several offices for them – from Historian to President. It’s through SBWN that I met the lovely Sally Brooks and made my way to The Great Skin Company. In Sally I found a wonderful friend and at her salon I enjoyed some of the best facials I’ve ever had. Should you happen to go to the Central Coast, book something at The Great Skin Company and tell Sally I sent you.

On this particular morning, I didn’t have an appointment for a facial, but Sally had arranged for several of my friends from SBWN to drop by for coffee. I loved that the group is still doing great things for the South Bay area. I have to confess that I was proud that my presidential year still holds some record accomplishments, but I was lucky, I was working with an amazing group of women.

Cabrillo Estates

I hugged a lot of necks and loved catching up at Sally’s, but the road was calling. We had lunch plans in San Luis Obispo and things we wanted to see before that.

First we stopped in Cabrillo Estates, a subdivision of homes at the edge of Los Osos. That’s where we hung our hat for a few years. We particularly liked Cabrillo Estates because the streets were all named after heroes of the Alamo. Not sure of the reason, but when we lived there our house was on Bowie Drive.

When we were looking for lots, there was one we loved in Cabrillo Estates, but we ended up choosing a lot in Pismo Beach. The lot in Cabrillo Estates had the most dramatic view by far, but Los Osos is a sleepy little bedroom community, while Pismo was a happening beach town. We chose the beach town, but lived in Los Osos while the house was built.

Looking back, I was much happier in the Los Osos rental house than I was in the luxurious home we built in Pismo Beach. There are many things which contributed to my season of discontent, but I can’t help but wonder how life would have been different if we’d built in Los Osos instead.

The lot in Los Osos was intimidating – virtually a sheer wall cliff to hang a house on. Some one did eventually build a very contemporary home virtually made of glass and it had nearly a three million dollar price tag. Crazy for a house with less than 2000 square feet, but the view, as you can see, is out of this world.

The top of the hill was also for sale when we were looking for lots, but it was an acreage we knew we couldn’t afford. Here’s what they built up there.

From Cabrillo Estates we went to an old favorite, Montana de Oro State Park. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

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