Day Trip - Bodega Bay

One of our favorite places to go when we are craving a cooler beach day is the West Marin-Sonoma Coast.  Breezy and foggy most of the time, this stunningly beautiful area is wonderful for long beach walks followed by cozy cups of hot tea.  There are many adorable little towns along the coast, but we especially love going to Bodega Bay, right on the county lines, and the location of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.  We definitely bundle up more than Tippi Hedren's character Melanie Daniels did, and always have a much more pleasant visit.

Ansel Adams was also a fan of Bodega Bay, and famously shot its little white church.

Terrapin Creek is a great lunch spot, or you could always just stop in to the local for a grilled cheese 

There's no better way to end the day than by watching the sun set over the dunes.  Hopefully it will clear up for you!

Day Trip: Goop's Guide to West Marin

This week's issue of Gwyneth Paltrow's goop mag goes to our home county of Marin, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.  Goop herself is apparently a big shellfish fan, and recommends oyster hopping around Tomales Bay in West Marin.  The online magazine's editors visited some of our favorite spots: Nick's Cove, Hog Island, Marshall Store, and Tomales Bay Oyster Company to get their fix.  Of course, they also threw in a hike, additional restaurant recommendations, a hotel, and some shopping options.  Being Marin Natives, we knew all of these spots, but they're always worth a reminder and another visit - we will be posting more of our favorites soon!

Check out goop's recommendations here.

Day Trip: Balboa Park

San Diego's Balboa Park has so many things to do and see, from the International Cottages, to the Museum of Man, to the Japanese Friendship Garden, to the San Diego Zoo.  It is also a beautiful place just to stroll through and admire the architecture and plants.  A city as easy going as San Diego may not need such an incredible respite, but it's still a very welcome one, and well worth a day trip - or longer...

Day Trip: The Huntington Library

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens are located in San Marino, a picturesque town adjacent to Pasadena in LA County.  The grounds are breathtakingly beautiful, featuring everything from a desert garden to a jungle garden, as well as Japanese and Chinese style gardens, among others, alongside stunning buildings that showcase European master and American modern art.  You could easily focus only on the galleries or the gardens, but try to give yourself enough time to take in both - either way, you will want to go back again soon!

Desert Garden

Desert Garden

Lily Pond

Statue of Poseidon

The galleries

Japanese Garden

Chinese Statue

The Grounds

We Recommend: Big Sur Bakery

Whether your destination is Big Sur, or you're just passing through, we recommend stopping at the Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant. It's right off of Highway 1, and is a delicious spot to get a pastry and coffee or tea. There's also a gas station right in front in case you need to refuel.

 The bakery counter - so many different tea options!

We recommend getting a sampling of items to find your favorite. We tried iced coffee, passion fruit iced tea, a croissant, cupcake and blueberry strudel. While all are amazing, the strudel was the winner.
Located at 47540 California Highway 1.

Day Trip - The Getty Villa

The Getty Villa was commissioned by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in the early 1970s, to house his collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan statues and objects.  Its design was based off of a first century Roman house, and much of the details are authentic to that period, even down to most of the landscaping.  The buildings and grounds were renovated in 1997, giving them a more modern, but still decidedly Mediterranean feel.  The location in Pacific Palisades is right across the Pacific Coast Highway from the beach, and there are few more stunning places to spend an afternoon, or a day.

Day Trip: Carmel by the Sea

About 2.5 hours down the coast from San Francisco is Carmel by the Sea, a cute beach town with a lot of galleries, shops, and restaurants. It's also very close to Monterrey so you can stop by the aquarium.