Brews and Views

     Food and activities just GO together!  Whether it's surfing and breakfast, rock climbing and espresso, yoga and sushi, or even hiking and…beer tasting! Many of us  like to eat or drink a special something following some physical exertion.  For example, after an early morning surf with my dad, I love to get breakfast and a hot cup of tea. My brother-in-law owns two bouldering gyms which geniusly supply excellent  espresso to the die-hard climbers (they say they’re addicted to ‘rock climbing’…) And this weekend we found out that beer tasting goes perfectly well with hiking! 

     We planned on visiting Stone Brewery for my mother-law's birthday, an establishment just as famous for their gardens and family friendly atmosphere as for their strong IPA’s. While we were in the area (Escondido) we also wanted to hike around Lake Hodges, which I had never been to before. The plan was to stop by Stone and get passes to their brewery tour (which fill up quickly), then head out for a hike, returning later to take the tour and taste the beers.

     However, a trip to Stone cannot be taken lightly, especially on a weekend. After barely getting a parking space, we walked into the large and impressively architectured building with rock, stone and wood components in every aspect. But we didn't let the huge beams of wood, concrete countertops or lulling garden loops seduce us - we were there only to pick up our passes! As it turned out, getting a brewery tour on a Saturday is next to impossible - it's first come first serve and requires waiting in line for a very long time! We decided on a change of plans** - enjoy the sun and the last open table, forget the brewery tour, and hike afterwards. 

Jordi's mom & sis on the patio 

So that being settled, the five of us (me, husband, his parents and sister) snagged a sunny table, and our extremely friendly and knowledgeable waiter brought us our beers - ranging from light to dark, crispy to hoppy. Did you know that light colored beer does not mean light tasting? Coloring and taste depend on the way they roast the barley and hops. Anyways, we ordered appetizers which were fantastic although definitely expensive. Going to Stone, with families and strollers, young and old couples, groups of girls or guys, is truly something you can do with anyone. There are lots of paths and garden areas for kids to play, and plenty of outside and inside seating. It's the closest thing we have here to a garden pub we would have gone to in Cambidge, England - a place to come eat, drink and relax outside for the entire afternoon with all your friends or family! (Only the waiters here are way more cheerful...)

As the sun started to get low we headed out to the lake for an evening hike. It's about a 10 or 15 minute drive from the brewery to the trailhead at Lake Hodges. Lake Hodges is a reservoir, created in 1918 and supplying water to most of North County San Diego. Since it used to be a river, it's now a pretty long and windy lake. You aren't allowed to swim in it, although boating and fishing is allowed, and there are abundant trails and loops around the lake.
We parked at a trailhead at the corner of the parking lot and immediately started a little climb uphill. If you want something different, there are also flat trails along the edge of the lake, single track mountain biking trails or hiking trails in the hills. We did a little loop that went up a hill, along the ridge and down near the waters edge, before dumping us back in the parking lot. There are definitely more trails to explore and I would love to go back again! (Click here to see a map from the brewery to the lake,

Do rattlesnakes like port-o-potties? 

 where we parked, and the loop we hiked.
Either follow our path or be a trailblazer! )
Open spaces in Southern California are hard to come by, and compared to our hikes in San Clemente, we felt like we were in the wilderness. After being around so many people, it was relaxing to be out on the quiet hills by ourselves.   
 Lake Hodges gets hot in the summertime, so now is the time to go! But even if you do get sweaty while hiking, there's always Stone, a stone's throw away, to get cooled off...

**Flexibility is a key ingredient to successful wandering! 

Taste of the Central Coast

Driving from Cambria to Paso Robles, with a view of Morro Rock and Central Coast hills

     I'm beginning to feel like Groupon is the great Chess Master, determining the fate of Jordi and I. (If you've never heard of Groupon, it's basically a daily deal sent to your email.) Most of the time, Groupon determines where we go out to eat, where we see a movie, or what gifts I buy people. It even determined this last little adventure - a two night stay in Cambria on the Central Coast, which I bought months ago knowing that we always love an excuse to visit the area.
     The excuse came last week - my husband's flexible work as a contractor is great sometimes, but he hadn't had any work in a couple weeks and we were both a bit stir crazy. I had a few days off work and decided that instead of barely putting up with each other, we should enjoy the time that we both unexpectedly had together - and get out of the house to do it! Although zipping off to a motel by the beach when neither of us were working feels like splurging in a time of need, I didn't doubt he would eventually get more jobs and we would be too busy to go later.
     So as soon as I got off work Wednesday afternoon, we threw our suitcases in the car and squeezed through LA before rush hour traffic (this could never work on a Friday), pulling up to the Cambria Palms Motel several hours later. After unpacking, we went for a walk around the quiet town. It was FREEZING - we had to hurry back because I was afraid my face might fall off - that's how cold it felt. Luckily our room boasted a heater, which we took full advantage of, and although the shower wasn't fancy, it was hot.

Biking along the beach in Cambria

     The next morning we used the complementary beach cruisers to go for a fun roll through town and down to Moonstone Beach, which was beautiful. From there we rode the frontage road up the coast for a ways. A nice boardwalk also parallels the ocean, but is for pedestrians only. We parked our bikes in a little parking lot with picnic benches at the end of the road and went for a short but scenic walk along the bluffs.

Walking along the bluffs in Cambria

After biking back to the motel, we quickly changed and headed out for some wine tasting in Paso Robles. We've both been to Paso numerous times, but haven't been back in years. Luckily we had some good tips on where to go from Jordi's uncle and wine connoisseur. We headed out through the hills, Ryan Adams blaring (The Hardest Part - classic wine-tasting song from college. I have absolutely no idea why.) The views from Highway 46 heading east are absolutely gorgeous. For much of the way you can see to the ocean, and at some spots you can even get glimpses of Morro Rock. It was one of the most beautiful drives I've been on, and a fantastic way to be whisked into wine country.

Cork Tree

Vineyards in the wintertime

   
 


         

   
     Our first stop was at a vineyard called L'Aventure, owned by a Frenchman who only recently became aware of the American custom to casually wine taste (Lucky for us!) He brought over his Rhone blends from back home and successfully grows the varietals in Paso, which apparently is primo property for grapes hailing from the Rhone region in France. A very knowledgeable attendant, not much older than us, kept us rapt for at least an hour explaining all kinds of history and methods. But of course the most fun part was actually tasting these wines, which were explosions of color and taste in every sniff and sip - if you've ever seen Ratatouille, you know what I mean. This is NOT your average Trader Joe's wine. I love that although we would never be able to spend that much on a bottle, we had the opportunity to taste and talk for quite some time - all by ourselves! (Better than Temecula? oh maybe...)

Although some vineyards weren't open (we were there on a Thursday and the biggest days are Friday -Sunday) we were able to get to Terry Hoage Vineyard, organically grown yet completely delicious wines, where we once again had the place to ourselves and another friendly attendant informatively chatted with us for a while. We also visited Opolo, and Tablas Creek - more great wines and pleasant pourers.

Santa Rosa Creek Road

      Returning to Cambria, we drove the back way on Santa Rosa Creek Road, another gorgeous drive where we didn't meet a single car the whole time! We cruised by the beautiful beaches and headed into town to find a restaurant that wasn't closed. We got a window seat at Black Cat, and although the food wasn't astounding, it was a cozy atmosphere and a nice night out.
We headed back to the motel to watch the first round of American Idol (this is the most entertaining round) but had to pick up some dessert-to-go first. We stopped by Linn's, famous for their Ollalaberry pies, which we should have bought instead of the so-so cookies.

     The next morning was rainy and drizzly. Jordi braved the cold and brought us back some coffee. We then both went for a walk through town and up to a really old cemetary, which was interesting and serenely pretty.

     We came back and hopped in the car to go see the Elephant Seals about a half hour north in San Simeon. By the time we got there the drizzle had become rain, but the baby seals were loud and they were all fun to watch! Seeing the 700 pound lugs on the beach gave me some assurance that a shark would be so much happier to eat one of those than us bony surfers.

     With that in mind, we went to go find some surf - the storm that was bringing the rain was also causing some good swell.

Elephant seals lying about on the drizzly beach.

  We went back to Cambria and packed up - the surf there looked pretty stormy, so we checked out of Cambria Palms and went to Cayucos. It didn't look very good there either, but we had packed a lunch which we ate on the pier and OF COURSE got some Brown Butter Cookies - my absolute favorite!!

     It started raining in Cayucos, so we raced to Shell Beach, just south of San Luis Obispo.Meeting up with an old friend, we finally found surf that looked fun. We paddled out in the gray rain, and had it to ourselves for a while.

     Once we were sufficiently cold, we got out and said goodbye to our amigo. We headed south to Santa Barbara for a quick dinner, and with no traffic, we were home before 10. We had beat the storm!

There's a saying in Spanish called "Llena y contenta" meaning full and satisfied. Waking up in my own bed the next morning listening to the sound of rain, with memories of wine country, empty surf, and beautiful bike rides, I felt very llena y contenta - at least until the next adventure! 

We stopped to check out Harmony on the way to Cayucos.
With a population of 18, this is literally all there is...

View of Cayucos, coming from the North.

Across the Border

Our balcony at Las Gaviotas

Our living room area 

Walkway to the beach

Puros Burros, near La Mision

Carne Asada Taco

 

Surf spot we weren't allowed to surf. A place here runs around
$400/month - no electricity.

     When is the last time you went to Mexico? Living in Southern California, going to Mexico is like playing in your backyard: Less rules, more adventure, exciting but still safe. However, a backyard becomes less inviting when passports are demanded for entrance and exit , police officers become notorious for pulling tourists over for bribes, and there is a drug war of unknown proportions going on somewhere down there. All that, coupled with our many family changes in the past few years has made for the sad fact that we haven't visited our downstairs neighbors in nearly five years!

But I thought it was high time to get down there - to take advantage of the great rates, get out of California, and see for myself how it is. Besides, we were pretty partied out from Christmas, and escaping to Mexico for a relaxing New Years sounded really nice.
My parents and little sister were pumped on the plan and decided to come with us - an impromptu small family vacay, not unlike the many family vacations we took in the past to our favorite little spot south of Rosarito - Las Gaviotas.
Las Gaviotas is a gated community built in the 70's located on a surf break and even boasting it's own little private beach. It's guarded 24/7 and many of the helpful guards are associated with the Rosarito Police. The houses are mostly built in the Spanish style, with lots of tile and color. My family has always loved Las Gaviotas because there is something for everyone - surf, beach, tide-pools, lap pool, jacuzzi, tennis courts and enough cobblestone streets to go for a morning run. Across the street is a mercado - perfect for firewood, flats of Tecate or some peñafiel (mexican fruit flavored soda) and enough pottery shops to entertain the shoppers. 

So with Las G on our mind, we cleaned out the car, packed our bags, gathered our passports and OH, guess what? My passport was recently expired! I couldn't believe the irony of me putting together this whole entire trip to find that my passport, which apparently you now need to get in and out of Mexico, was four months expired.
I raced to the post office to gather information, but was only handed a stack of papers to fill out. I called the National Passport Information Center, who gave me the number for the Border Patrol. The most I could deduce from all this was that Mexico would probably let me in because they want tourists, and you're supposed to have a valid passport to get back. I figured if I could slide in, I'd worry about getting home later. The getting home part was much more vague. No one seemed to know what would happen if I showed up at the border with an expired passport, but what else are they going to do with me if I'm an American citizen?
"I'll take my birth certificate and Social Security Card, just to be extra safe," I declared to my husband, Jordi. When I got out my birth certificate, written in Spanish and stating my Guatemalan birth, Jordi replied, "Yeah, that'll help."
Hmmm. Finally I called my dad to explain the situation and he advised me to contact the man who we were renting the house from in Las Gaviotas, both to give him a heads up and to get his input.
So I called our knowledgeable half-expat rentor, told him my passport was expired, and asked what he thought I should do. "Oh, you're fine!" he assured me. "Heck, you would probably be fine with just a license, but an expired passport works just as well, I do it all the time."
So I happily took his unworried advice, and continued packing up the car - relieved I would not have to try and expedite a passport in 24 hours.
In true family vacation style, we had to wait two hours for my dad to figure out how to put racks on his car. So unsurprisingly behind schedule, we caravanned down the freeway on our way south.
It's a quick drive with no traffic; before we knew it we had to pull off the 805 at the E exit to buy insurance at MexInsure (affordable and a good idea), and get some Diet Coke at Carl's Jr. next door.
As I slurped my soda I realized we were on the other side of the giant border wall. WHAT! That's it? No stopping, no guards, no one caring about my expired passport, as we flew into Baja.
I like how different Mexico looks from San Diego. It's more interesting to look out the window, maybe just because it's not what I normally see every day. The scenery is beautiful - and lets us imagine what California would look like before it sold its soul to developers.
We pulled into our old stomping grounds of Las Gaviotas, but it is definitely not a secret spot - the place was pretty crowded with Californians who came down for the New Years weekend. We walked around for a bit and surfed before it got dark. Although we had fun, it was weirdly like surfing at home. Every single person in the water and staying at this little place was speaking English and lived in California. Welcome to T-Street, Mexico.
So the next morning we decided to drive out and find our own waves - or at least less crowded ones - after all, the rest of Baja was outside our front door.
A huge swell had rolled in making the point break at Las Gaviotas really fun, but the whomping beach breaks up and down the unprotected coast were unsurfable.
We watched the massive waves at a few different spots, and even found one point break that looked fun - but you can only surf there if you live in the little clifside community.
My dad had mentioned a little taco shop that he knew someone who was the cousin of the owner (or something like that), so we found the place near the highway and stopped for some undeserved delicious lunch. (Or as my brother-in-law would say, 'pre-workout reward' - we were going to surf later...) Abel and his wife took our orders and cooked us up some of the best food ever - the fish and carne asada tacos were amazing, but the carnitas torta might blow your socks off!
We went back to the cold house, with the fire in the fireplace our only source of heat. Although it was sunny and warm when we were packing for the trip, it ended up being extremely overcast and cold the whole time we were there (except the hour before we had to leave, of course) We spent the rest of the day surfing with the crowd, playing tennis, going for a swim or squeezing into the crowded jacuzzi for some pointless "So, where are you from?" chatter through the steam.
My parents made an amazing meal of homemade pasta and our family spent the evening playing games and sipping champagne or Martinelli's, with the distant sound of waves in the background. How much more relaxing can New Years get?
After jogs and surfs, breakfasts and packing, we went up on the deck to enjoy the bit of sunshine finally peeking out before heading back home.
Smooth sailing back up the coast turned into a cauldron of confusion as we approached the border. We went around in loops for at least 20 minutes, following conflicting signs through the barrios of Tijuana before finally finding the back of the line to cross the border (they want to KEEP you in Mexico!)
Once securely stopped in traffic, I hopped out and crossed the highway to the sidewalk looking for a bathroom in the shops, but as luck would have it everything was closed for the holiday, and we were out of luck until San Diego - I really hoped I wasn't detained for questioning!

Border Crossing:
Guard - Hello.
Us - Hi!
How are you?
Great!
So where did you come from?
A little surf trip Las Gaviotas! (Jordi and I stare at each other - we forgot to coordinate who would do the talking)
Where?
A little surf trip.
Las Gaviotas.
     We hand him our passports. He looks at them and asks me to take off my sunglasses (DUH! How did I forget to do that in the first place?)
He hands back our passports and says,
Thank you!


EEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I got back to the States with no questions about my passport!* I KNEW they weren't going to care! We stopped at the nearest restroom, and were back in San Clemente before you could say Bob's Your Uncle. "Gosh, the border took us less time than driving through LA," I commented. We'll hafta drive South more often....


*Disclaimer: This is only my experience. I'm not sure what they will do if YOU go down with an expired passport or only a license.

Behind the Skate Park

San Clemente Skate Park, overlooking Camp Pendleton

Path along the ridge. Ocean (and houses) on one side. Mountains and Camp Pendleton on the other.

Old cattle troughs overlooking Pendleton and the ocean.

Sorry Native Americans, Spanish,

 Mexicans and finally cows -

make way for our tract homes!

     Situated in the back hills east of the freeway, the San Clemente Skate Park is a cement haven free of charge for anyone from girls on scooters to old men with knee pads and circa 70's skateboards. My husband Jordi falls somewhere in this spectrum and loves to skate around on quiet mornings with no surf. Not liking to be left behind, I often times tag along on his trips to the skate park, since it's in a beautiful location, and next to a park overlooking the hills of Camp Pendleton. On one of these trips, I wandered behind the bathrooms and found a path that went almost vertically up a hill, and then divided. Since then, I had always gone right for a view of the ocean and short walk along the ridge. Then one day I decided to go left. I had always thought the left turn would just loop around and connect to the way I had been going, but was I in for a surprise! I ended up walking for almost an hour along the ridge and back, leaving Jordi sweating and skating for longer than he bargained for!
     The next time, I convinced Jordi to leave his skating early and come with me up the hill. We walked all the way to the end of the trail, which ended in a water reservoir and neighborhoods. The main path is paved and gently sloping among the hills. Other small dirt trails criss cross all over the hills, perfect for mountain bikers.
     We walked along the path, with expansive views of Camp Pendleton and the coastline - from Dana Point and past the power plant. It's a beautiful and enjoyable walk that I would recommend for an early morning (not much shade) or a clear day (Catalina!). Stumbling upon an old printout map somewhere in my desk area called "San Clemente Trail and Bike Ways Map", I found out that there are many more such walks in San Clemente that I have yet to try out. The path I had found is called Rancho San Clemente Trail. It starts and ends in neighborhoods, but meanders through the hills for 3.5 miles in between housing developments, and also has an access trail behind the skate park.
     We are blessed to live in such a beautiful town with hiking just minutes from our house.  Living for years on the Central Coast has spoiled me bit though, since I'm always a little bit disappointed to see so many big houses everywhere, or hike to the music of buzzing power lines. But I'm thankful for Camp Pendleton as a neighbor and the opportunity to find a hike while my hubby shows those teenage skaters who's boss. ;)

Happy Camper

Trail to the beach at El Capitan 

Luxury cabin

View from the hill behind our campsite!

Luxury Yurt

Market and Coffee shop/cafe

Complimentary bicycles - if you stay in cabin
or yurt...

Usually, campers are put away on dusty campsites while 5-star guests expensively enjoy ocean views, champagne and jacuzzi's.  However, as we traveled through Santa Barbara this weekend looking for an outdoor getaway, we happily stumbled upon a privately owned bastion of egalitarianism, where luxury cabins intermingled with yurts, RV's and tents. Yes my friends, Ocean Mesa at El Capitan is a breath of fresh non-government-owned air where a camper can relax in the jacuzzi and a resorter can go for a long, dusty hike.

It all started with a gorgeous weekend forecast and work off for Thanksgiving - we had to go somewhere! Santa Barbara seemed like the perfect place for a short camping trip, so off we went. Unfortunately a spur of the moment decision for us happened to a be well thought out plan for far too many Californians - all the campgrounds along the coast where we wanted to stay were booked up for the night.

As we dejectedly left the beautiful and full El Capitan State Campground, we aimlessly drove along the frontage road next to the freeway where we noticed signs for camping. We pulled into a driveway and saw tents, so we kept driving into what looked like a really nice campground. The attendants at the charming front office/grocery mart told us that this privately owned campground had plenty of spots for camping. Although tent camping costs $50 a night instead of $35 at state parks, you get hot showers, clean private bathrooms, laundry facilities, wi-fi, a pool, jacuzzi, market and restaurant, as well as horseshoe courts and a playground. It's an easy walk under the bridge to El Capitan and the ocean, and lots of hiking right behind our tent.

Needless to say, we were very excited to have found this little surprise campground. Paying $15 more was worth it to not have to continue driving or sleep in our car - and we got to use the jacuzzi!
We ended up staying for two nights, and although we didn't take full advantage of the luxury camping facilities - such as showers, laundry or wi-fi, we did go in the pool after surfing one day, and we got coffee and breakfast at the cute restaurant on our last morning. But mostly it was nice to have a quiet campground next to the hills when so many campgrounds were too full.
Spending $50 for a campsite might seem like too much, but it's cheaper than a hotel and offers a lot of perks. Although we didn't necessarily need all the amenities, it's ideal for families or groups who are camping for more than just a weekend.
Santa Barbara is an absolutely gorgeous place to camp - either make reservations at state grounds or live it up at Ocean Mesa!

To visit campground website: http://www.oceanmesa.com/
To visit cabin website: http://www.elcapitancanyon.com/

Local Bookstore

Owners Richard and Karen Palmer, with Harry the cat

Over 70,000 books in here to choose from!

Tuesday afternoon

Village Books on Avenida Serra

Harry watching over the Bookstore

   
   
     What do I and the French ambassador to Finland have in common? Well, for starters we both have an exquisite taste in where to buy our books, that being the Village Book Exchange in downtown San Clemente.

     Although Monsieur Ambassador bought his books from Village Book Exchange online (through AbeBooks.com), I'm lucky enough to live just blocks away from this little gem!
     On routine walks to Del Mar, the main street of downtown San Clemente, I've often passed this small bookstore, tucked down a quiet street, with green awnings and a quaint sign as a welcoming invitation to peek inside. Stepping up to the door, a sign reads, "Please do not let the cat out! Thank you." Once through the screen door, you are engulfed in one of life's best little pleasures - a well-stocked, cozy bookshop.

     A few decades ago, the aptly named Paperback Exchange was located on Del Mar with 10,000 used paperback books. Owners Mary and Jim Schroeder retired, selling the shop to a long time costumer, Karen Palmer, and her husband Richard. The store grew to also offer hardback and new books as well as paperbacks, began selling books online, and changed their name to Village Book Exchange. Recently, a combination of factors forced them to move off the main drag to a quieter street two blocks North. Although they don't get all the foot traffic they used to, loyal costumers keep this Mom and Pop shop busy and vibrant.

     The perfect mix of convenience and ambiance make a delightful neighborhood bookshop. One of the best things about Village Book Exchange is their Trading System. All those old books sitting on the shelf you don't need or read can be exchanged for something "new" and exciting. The store also stocks high school literature, popular new novels, and middle school book club reading for the community's convenience. Village Books is cozy and comfy, with chairs and carpets scattered throughout for the peace and comfort of Perusers. I appreciate their thoughtfulness since it can be frustrating to be deeply entrenched in the important business of skimming a book, with no place to sit and flip. Quiet corners in the back and bright sunshine streaming through the windows toward the front create a pleasant atmosphere. Not to mention a big, soft cat named Harry (if you can find him), and delightfully helpful owners and staff.
I asked a lady in the store with her son what she liked about coming to this bookstore. Well, it's local, her son is always needing new books for school or fun, and well, "Why go anywhere else?"

     Why, indeed? Amazon doesn't have well-worn chairs, Borders doesn't have a Trading System, and Kindle doesn't come with a cat. Besides, maybe you'll get lucky and bump into an erudite diplomat! So bring your coffee and find/visit your local bookstore :) 

Painting Pottery

   

Fall is fantastic - cool weather, glassy ocean, pumpkin pies, tourists gone and kids in school. But fall can also be cold and gloomy, the days are shorter with darkness creeping around earlier and earlier, and at our house we're already penny-pinching in preparation for Christmas. (Whoever decided it would be a good idea to give gifts to everyone you know on the same day??)
Longer nights and colder weather mean there are not the myriad of free outdoor activities as during the summer. But with picnic season over, I decided to hunt for other budget friendly ways to spend our evenings. I saw on our refrigerator an old yellowed coupon to paint pottery at a place near downtown San Clemente called Fired Up. I wasn't sure what we would be getting ourselves into, but we decided to try it out on a chilly day this last weekend.
Although I had walked by numerous times, I'd never been into Fired Up, and Jordi had never painted pottery at all. I was pleasantly surprised by the homey nature of the place - in fact the charming Spanish-style bungalow actually used to be a house, which just adds to the warm ambiance. With rooms full of pottery and tables, Fired Up welcomes groups of kids painting away an afternoon, couples with their pumpkin latte's busy picking colors for their new mugs, or groups of ladies with their glasses of wine, creating the perfect soap dish. You can spend $5 - $40, depending on what you choose to paint. But once you have paid that fee, you are free to paint for as long, and however many times  you want. Jordi and I decided to paint a $25 vase, he painted one side, I painted the other. We aren't quite done though, so we'll go back this weekend to continue painting, extending our affordable date into a free one :)
Whether low key or high class, painting in the cute house-turned-studio is relaxing and fun, and a perfect  thing to do on a cold day or night!