The Golden State

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All of this driving has become a typical itinerary for our vacationing. We like to fly into one spot, rent a car, and have free range to do what we wish. I always intend to share our itineraries with you, but sometimes it just doesn't happen! I feel pretty confident about our upcoming trip (which I have to say, J. planned most of it), so here it is (albeit, there may be some slight changes)!

• Day 1 (Friday): Arrive in San Jose around 7:30pm; Drive to San Francisco

• Day 2 (Saturday): Spend day in San Francisco 

• Day 3 (Sunday): Drive to Napa via John Muir National Monument and Point Reyes National Seashore; Spend day touring wineries 

• Day 4 (Monday): Drive to Yosemite National Park 

• Day 5 (Tuesday): Yosemite NP 

• Day 6 (Wednesday): Drive to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks 

• Day 7 (Thursday): Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP

• Day 8 (Friday): Drive to Big Sur (Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP, Pfeiffer Big Sur SP); Drive up Coast; Arrive at Big Basin Redwoods SP 

• Day 9 (Saturday): Explore Big Basin Redwoods SP; Drive back to San Francisco 

• Day 10 (Sunday): Leave San Jose around 1:00pm 

As you can see, we have a full schedule on our hands! Itineraries do change, sometimes before the trip, and sometimes as we are driving around.  It's helpful to have a plan, though, and know where we'd like to rest our heads at night.  Speaking of, we still need inflatable pillows...

How do you plan your vacations?

Weekly Yums | 27 August - 2 September 2012

Monday
Moe's Monday

Tuesday
Stouffer's Frozen Chicken/Vegetable/Rice Casserole

Wednesday
Homemade BBQ/Onion/Feta Pizza with Garlic Knots

Thursday
Black Bean & Corn Burritos with Tortilla Salad

Friday
Tony's Pizza Napoletana

Saturday
Mama's on Washington Square (brunch)
Las Margaritas (dinner)

Sunday
Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ


So as you can tell by our weekend plans, we will be out of town again! Our last big trip of the year, we're trying to make the most of it (but to be honest, we're still recovering from the Alaska trip, and technically I should be making plans for CA instead of writing this blog post). It's just a little sad when you know Yosemite Falls are already dried up (seriously!) and there thousands of wineries to choose from in Napa Valley. Sigh. So, with the upcoming trip, we tried hard to use our perishable items from the fridge. As I have posted before, there is nothing more frustrating than throwing a bunch of produce out! Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.

Travel: Wedding Adventures

To kick off our grand Alaskan Adventure, we started in Seattle so we could see two of our friends marry in Kerry Park, with the infamous skyline and mountain as a background. It was beautiful, and I loved our (too short of time) in the city. Seattle, you have my heart.

G. & L. actually used the very same photographer, Christina Gilchrist, that we used for our wedding (she's based out of the Portland area). She just shared the wedding photographs, and it was fun looking through them, reliving the entire evening. I thought I would share photos of J. and me -- of both the sweet and silly variety.

The best part about this photobooth picture is that right after it was taken, a woman accidentally walked in the room, and her first reaction to seeing me was backing away suddenly with a scared look on her face -- the mustache literally caught her by surprise!




We have been quite busy ever since returning from Alaska -- my brother moved out, a dear friend visited, we got a puppy, and J.'s sister visited with us for a week. Whew! I am just exhausted thinking about it. On top of that, we are leaving for California next Friday.. I know, I know! We're hoping to settle into a routine of sorts (hey, we played racquetball tonight!) and get on top of sharing some of our travel photos with you (instead of stealing Christina's :D).

Weekly Yums | 20-26 August 2012

Monday
Moe's Monday

Tuesday
Tuesday Night Group, hosted by D. & J.

Wednesday
Cheese & Bell Pepper Quesadillas with Corn/Black Bean Salad

Thursday
leftover Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Corn/Black Bean Salad

Friday
Married Life Live at Shandon Baptist Church (dinner provided)

Saturday
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Green Apple Salad

Sunday
Crispy Gnocchi Pesto with Tomatoes & Goat Cheese (husband asked for it again!) with Strawberry Salad

Meet Jasper!

Meet our new Aussie pup, Jasper Bubs! We picked him up last week and have since been (very) slowly learning how to raise a puppy. He's fun, he's whiny, he's playful, he's affectionate, and he's a biter. We have a ways to go, but he is already so loved. On one of my days off, I slept in and the animals curled around me -- Gilly spooning me on my bottom half, Jasper on top of my shoulders. It was too sweet. (:

Some of his favorite things to do are:

• chew on your toes while you are walking; 
• have his belly rubbed; 
• have his butt scratched;
• follow you around the house;
• whine when you don't pay enough attention to him;
• meet new friends (humans & animals alike!)

So far, Hope and Sadie are his best dog buds. Anyone want to have a doggie playdate?

Weekly Yums | 13-19 August 2012

Monday
Moe's Monday  

Tuesday
Tuesday Night Group, hosted by us!
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Hot Corn & Cheese Dip; Salted Espresso Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert  

Wednesday
Zucchini-Pepper-Goat Cheese Pizza
   

Thursday
Jazz Night @ Hunter-Gatherer Brewery & Ale House  
J: burger and hashbrowns
K: goat cheese pizza 
A: mac & cheese, salad 
E: burger and hashbrowns


Friday
Crispy Gnocchi Pesto with Tomatoes (with homemade pesto this time) and Strawberry/Dried Cranberry Spinach Salad  

Saturday
Summer Music Festival at Finlay Park
turkey/avocado/gouda wraps, fruit & heavy appetizers  

Sunday
Red Bowl Asian Bistro


We have a visitor this week -- my sis-in-law, K.! We have had such a great time together, and more than anything, it's made me appreciate our city even more. While we don't want to make a habit of going out so much, it has been really delightful being around live music, friends, and yummy food.  Another bonus with having visitors is that it encourages me to cook more meals! K. and I have had our share of picnic breakfasts and lunches this week (on top of our picnic dinners on Wednesday and Saturday!).  On Tuesday, I finally caught up on some food blogs, which inspired me to make three new dishes that night.  Cooking is always a learning process, but it's fun to create and fun to share food! What about cooking is special for you?