Trip to Portland: Weekend in San Francisco

Saturday

After a night of dancing Chels Dogg and I didn't wake up until 12. Well, I didn't wake up til 12, her and Knife Fight Ruby woke up a bit earlier. After putsing around and talking for a good long bit Chels and I started our Saturday at All You Knead. I wanted to go here for brunch (well, it was more like a late lunch considering we didn't get there til 2...). I was so stoked for their veggie buscuits and gravy I about died. So good. After our food I took some time walking around The Haight while Chels met up with a friend from the past. 

yum yum entrance

Chels

I went into my favorite bookstore, The Booksmith, there and found some gorgeous cover art. I was so in love I HAD to buy one. Jane Eyre welcome to my book collection! (As I was typing this my sister text me saying her english teacher chose the same book for her to read!)

pretty Wuthering Heights covers, I really want the one on the left

my new book

After The Booksmith I walked around some more, stopped in the Bettie Page store to drool over gorgeous dresses, looked in Cheap Thrills for little knick knacks and perused the merch at Giant Robot. Surprisingly I couldn't find anything I really wanted anywhere but The Booksmith which was good (for me). I had way less than normal to talk myself out of.

liberty

art store yarn

chess mural on high school

I finally made my way to the cafe Chels was at with our friend from high school and chatted with them for a bit. After Chels and I went home to bake a cake (well she baked it, man that was good) for her roommate's birthday party. Alas I have no more pictures of that night but I will say it was a great party filled with craft talk and possible suggestions for my future! Absolutely lovely. After everyone left I tucked myself into bed and finished Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions. Wooo, book #1 for February! 

Sunday

I had big plans for Sunday which started with a George's Zoo sandwich (so frickin delicious, I HAVE to have George's Zoo every time I'm in SF. No joke.) and a drive to San Jose. I had decided on my way up to San Francisco that I wanted to see the Winchester Mystery House and was pleased to learn that it was only an hour south of where I was staying. So I devoured my lunch and made a quick stop at a shop Chels had mentioned the night before.

oh my fav

Daiso is a glorious store. It's similar to a dollar store but almost everything is $1.50. I wandered the rows looking at so many different things that were so cute (and some really gaudy). 

wonders abound

cute boxes

love

I was so very happy to happen upon a section filled with stationary that I have been looking for. Tons and tons of cute cute stuff with sayings that don't really make much sense at all. I stocked up so I would have super cute things to send my pen pals!

After I tore myself away from Daiso I sped toward Winchester to make the 3pm tour. I made it, and found out there was also a 3:30 tour that did the same thing... oh well. 

The Winchester Mystery house wasn't what I expected. At all. In fact, I was a tad disappointed. I was really glad I did the estate tour with the "behind the scenes" addition because that definitely added a lot more. 

When they started the tour they said something that made me pout for the whole first leg, "no pictures are allowed in the house."

WHAT?! I paid $35 and am not allowed to take pictures?! Hearst let me take pictures and they charged $27. AND Hearst is bigger! Sigh. 

While the Mystery House was a big mysterious and strange it wasn't as creepy as I expected it to be. On the second tour I was able to get some outside shots which calmed my pout to a half pout.

one of the only pictures I took inside

Beginning of second tour

Sign

weather vane

what is that small hole to the side for?

gardens

the front

another lady statue

All in all I would say it's worth it to see if you are at all curious but I did wish they had more information on the house and everything about it. It has a great partial story but I wanted more. The only book I could find was tiny. Oh well. The positive was: I was curious and not bored. It was beautiful and had lots of detail I loved and wished I could take pictures of. It was a strange house, so while I wasn't creeped out I was definitely intrigued. If you're in the area go see it, but definitely get the full estate tour with the behind the scenes addition. You'll leave feeling let down if you only do the first part.

The night ended with Chels and I getting greek food and watching an episode of Bones. So great. We went to sleep semi early because I knew I had an 11+ hour drive ahead of me and she had work the next day. 

Every time I visit San Francisco I fall in love again. This time though I did realize some things that would make it hard for me personally to live there. I love it but I'm not sure I could call it my home. It made me feel even better about my decision to relocate to Portland. 

xoxo

Trip to Portland: LA to San Francisco

The morning started off at dear old starbucks. I have a gift card so I had free breakfast. Sweet. I had a bagel, posted a blog :) and started on my journey toward Hearst Castle about 4 hours away.

mmmm breakfast

oh yay a tunnel!

I made a pit stop at Pismo Beach to stretch my legs and take some pictures. I don't know why I often feel compelled to stop here on my way up to Portland, but this is the second time I've done it. 

Pier

underneath it all

Rad hotel

The thinker

A rad sign for a lame store

After my ever so brief stop in Pismo Beach I continued on my way to Hearst. I think I took a long cut and went on Highway 1 waaaay before I should have but oh well, it was a pretty view. Right before I came to the entrance of my destination I pulled over at a view point to take some more pictures.

 part of your wooooorld

So windy

Not going to lie, I froze with those pictures. The wind coming off the ocean was quite chilly to say the least. I guess I was getting ready for colder climates stop by stop. 

I got back in my car and headed toward the castle parking lot.

The next tour didn't start for an hour an a half so I ate some semi edible pizza (maybe I'll choose macaroni next time) and read my book Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. Then the tour was getting ready to start so off I went to wait in my line. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the tour:

enter

I wish for a castle like this

the drive up the mountain

The beginning

Roman pool

Favorite little detail, this was in between stone steps outside.

The library.

Favorite Painting

yuuum yum, plastic cake

you are here

I took way more pictures than that but I didn't think fitting 100+ pictures of the castle on here would be worth anybodies time. 

Right before our bus took us back down the mountain my camera gave me a low battery warning which didn't surprise me. 

I quickly left the castle and started the second leg of my long drive. I stopped once to take a picture of the view from a spot on the highway that was incredible. I wish this picture did it justice but alas the view points weren't the prime spots. The places that were prime viewing spots would have caused accidents however so I took what I could get.

I guess there are some green parts of California.

I then drove the rest of the way to San Francisco to meet with C-dogg and Knife Fight Ruby so we could dance the night away. And let me just tell you, that is exactly what we did.

xoxo

The Trip to Portland: San Diego to Los Angeles

So as not to overwhelm with pictures and stories I will be documenting my trip (that I completed last night) day by day on here. I started last Thursday, all happy (and sad) and a little out of sorts. Isn't that normal when you're playing tetris with your things trying to fit them all in your car? I sure think so!

 The cute home I lived at for 3 months

I started out the day playing tetris like previously mentioned, then headed north to say goodbye at the office and get lunch with the sis, Miss T (I'm going to call her Misty from now on haha!) 

yum yum rico's

Oh Rico's is so delicious. One last bean & cheese with sour cream, guac and french fries burrito (yes I know, not vegan, I'll get to that plan in the next week or so) before heading to Grandma and Grandpa's to say goodbye.

What many Southern Californians refer to as the Dolly Parton

Made my first stop at the Irvine spectrum to cross #11 off of the 25 before 25 list! I was the only one on the ferris wheel until my time was up, then a girl and her dad got on which was oh so cute and a little more normal than a lone soldier with a camera (or 5).

View from above

Ready for adventure!

They put me in the C cart, meant to be!

Then I walked around more, took some pictures of the Merry Go Round, hit up Urban Outfitter and ALMOST splurged on a Holga 120 because they had the color film for it but restrained myself like a really responsible girl and moved my show along. I did break down and buy Artful Blogger and one cheap journal from Barnes and Noble while I was there (oh yeah and Nylon). I've already started using the journal and a new goal of mine is to one fine fine day be featured in artful blogger! Forget dream big, dream HUGE!

Round and Round

I then found myself a late lunch at the amazingly delicious Veggie Grill. Oh so wonderful and scrumptious. Their chicken sandwich is sooooo good and I knew there was no way of not getting one before I left Southern California. I know Portland has so many great veggie and vegan eateries but I had to support one down south before I left.

yes please

not wanting to get caught taking my own picture

Then I said goodbye to the Spectrum and headed straight into 3 1/2 hours of traffic to go somewhere that should have taken me 2 hours. But that's L.A. for you. Guess I couldn't leave without experiencing that. 

that one thing at the front

traffic made it so i could take some pictures

blurry hollywood

I finally made it to Synthony's, bum numb to the max and we went to get some chinese veggie food. She had some fake chicken but since I had my fill for the day I just went with veggies and tofu. It wasn't bad, no Portland, but still good.

late dinner

Lastly we hit up Target and I saw the cover of this book and almost bought it. One because the design, I swear that has Jessica Hische written all over it (or it should) and two because I've been meaning to read Great Expectations for a long time now. I resisted because I needed a pillow and bananas more than another book in my car. I have it in my "someday" list though.

very pretty

All in all a good first day. Didn't cover much ground but did some things I've been meaning to. 

Next post, day two consists of my trip to Hearst Castle!!! I do love that place so.

xoxo