holiday road trip.

So, I wanted to tell you a little about the road trip I took over Christmas. My sister and her husband and daughter recently relocated to San Jose from Providence, and I've been looking forward to taking languorous road trips up the 1 highway with my dog, stopping at as many places as I can. This was to be the inaugural trip.

Of course, it did not go as planned.

After a late start, our first stop was Malibu. I had to try out the Breakfast Burrito at Lily's that I've heard so much about. Afterwards, Isabel and I hit our tried-and-true favorite spot--Lechuza Beach.

The tide was the highest I've ever seen it, covering every inch of beach. We walked south a little ways and found a pocket of sand. I set down my bag and turned to find my Isabel had made friends with a sea lion (or is it a sea otter?)! It was quite a sight--they both seemed happy to meet each other.

We played for a little bit, the neighborhood yellow lab Luke came down to say hi, and then we were back on the road.

Unfortunately, the PCH was shut down at the Ventura County line, so we had to turn back and cut across the mountains to the 101. That, combined with lots of traffic into Santa Barbara, slowed us down.

We stopped for lunch, a walk and coffee in Santa Barbara. I happened to spot a lovely taco joint, Taqueria Pastorcito. They did not serve chips, but they did have an amazing salsa bar which included Tlatonile, a lightly burning sesame seed concoction (like a Mexican tahini), and a wonderful veggie burrito.

Two burritos down, and we still had dinner to go.

Since it was already 3 p.m., by the time we left Santa Barbara and we only had a couple hours of daylight left, I decided to take the most direct route to San Jose and Wazed it. It veered me off the 101 and on the 154 through the westernmost tip of the Los Padres Forest--which is gigantic. An unexpected and breathtaking detour that once again reminded me that most of California is rural and gorgeous.

The rest of drive was dark and mostly uneventful--San Luis Obispo was sweet, and I'd like to explore it more in the future. I wish I had taken some pics.

I finally made it to San Jose by 8 p.m., and we had a lovely Christmas.

Despite the fact that it was in the 30s at night, the citrus trees still bloomed.

West San Jose featured many lit up houses, and it was fun to walk the dogs and check them all out.

 
My sister's cinnamon rolls--sugar, butter, eggs (and cinnamon) literally melted in my mouth. 

We spend the day after Christmas on the beach in Santa Cruz. It was lots of fun.

 
On the way home, I considered taking Highway 1 again and going through Big Sur, but I opted for the quicker route down the 5. Again, I was reminded how vast and rural most of California is. The ride was calm and uneventful, except for two highlights:

1. The San Luis Reservoir, which was breathtaking.

And 2. Just outside of Bakersfield, there's a rest stop area with an Indian restaurant featuring many vegan options and mostly Indians eating there. I kid you not. It's a godsend out in a middle-of-nowhere sea of fast food, gas stations and motels. I highly recommend it.

To recap: my drive didn't go as planned, the holiday was lovely, and I'm looking forward to more road trips up to the Bay Area an exploring this astoundingly beautiful state.

interlude: malibu.

So, next Tuesday I am going in for my first major surgery and will be recuperating for six weeks. I really wanted to make it out to the beach before my convalescence, so my friend and I packed our dogs into the car and headed out to Malibu for the day.

Lechuza Beach has to be my new favorite place in the Los Angeles area. I know I've written about it before, but I don't care. I'm talking about it again. I'm a rebel like that.

Lechuza is a small enclave of Broad Beach, just down a lovely wooden staircase hidden on Sea Level Drive. It's a public beach that looks private, and although the welcoming sign says "No Dogs," I counted at least six dogs on the beach besides ours. I've noticed that about many places in Malibu--for the record, they are "No Dogs," but most everyone seems to turn a blind eye.

This small stretch of beach is so clean and peaceful. My dog Isabel now recognizes the place when we arrive and makes all kinds of crazy, delightful noises. She's officially a beach dog--I guess the next step is to get her out on a surf board.

It's funny, because I feel myself becoming a beach dog, too. I've always been such gritty, urban kind of girl, but these days, I could see myself living out here. In heaven.

Maybe.

After a quick lunch, we were off to Point Dume.

Point Dume is not only a gorgeous beach, but a nature preserve and state park. Here we heeded the "No Dogs" sign, as they can upset the fragile environment of the preserve.

I would have loved to have hiked up to the top peak, but I have to take it easy before surgery, so we walked down to the beach and waded along the beautiful tidal pools.

The times we spend in the 'bu are always so restorative. I remember my what my grandma used to say about those chilly, Minnesota winter days--how they were both calming and invigorating. I feel the same way about Malibu.

That's all for now. But I'll be back soon.

weekend.

Hello, hello. It was a great weekend--even though it was so damn hot. And although it's a bit of a trek, I made it my mission to get to the beach.

On the way, I stopped for water, fruit and poop bags. Was excited to see all of this on display.

Boo! Kidding. Just saying "hey."

Up past Malibu to Point Mugu. Since it was already crowded by 11, we went a little farther north, and came upon this little cove.



We played in the water for a bit, and then drove back south, where we found another of the "Coastal Access" signs that dot the PCH, and another cove. A few other people seemed to have the same idea, but mostly we had the beach to ourselves. So, I let Isabel off the leash, and she went completely bananas.

A private beach--such luxury!

Here she comes!

There she goes!

She always comes back.

Also, this past week, I was reading about a so-called "hidden beach" in Malibu called Lechuza Beach. I had to find it. I did.

Unbelievable. So beautiful and perfect, a public beach off a private road surrounded by chic Malibu beach houses and barely anyone on it, while just a few hundreds yards to the south, Zuma was swarming.

SPOILER ALERT: Here's a little-known fact--and a very useful one if you're ever in Malibu: there are no private beaches in California. They are all public property. The residents of Malibu will go to great length to make you believe otherwise (and I actually like them for this), but if you see a PRIVATE sign on a beach, just stomp right past it. The world is your oyster.

Shhhhhh.

 The only bummer about Lechuza Beach? No dogs allowed. Boo.

We drove back home to the sizzling Valley through Topanga Canyon--always an interesting place, a kind of hippie holdover nestled in the hills. There was this guy selling hot sauce out of the back of his truck by the side of the road. He had set up all kinds of signs leading up to it, which made me laugh. It's all very Topanga. Also--I really like hot sauce, so I stopped and bought some.

Habaneros, ghost peppers, jalapenos AND serranos. No joke.

I go to the Farmer's Market every Sunday. But this was the first time I shopped at Sur La Table and Marcel Marceau. I discovered that I like fancy food and cooking stores.

Shopping. Like a boss. A foodie-type boss.

Lately, I've really been into making homemade soda, and I needed some serious supplies.

Grapefruit Rosemary and Watermelon Ginger sodas. 

My other obsession this summer? Actually every summer--gazpacho. I can't get enough of it. I've tried it with watermelon, radishes and in the version you see below--pineapple.

Pineapple gazpacho at Sage Vegan Bistro.

My current version is my favorite. My secret weapons? Tomatillos and serrano chiles.

Both Saturday and Sunday ended with beautiful sunsets in the Hollywood Hills.

Sigh. It was a good weekend. See you soon!