Rio del Mar Beach Bungalow

You might wonder why a weekend getaway to the Santa Cruz area would appear in a blog entitled, "This is Why Merced", but one of the very cool things about Merced's location for us Minnesota natives unfamiliar with California is its proximity to so many great places to visit. It's been said that Merced is in the middle of nowhere, but a 2-hour drive from everywhere, and that adage seems to hold true. In just over two hours on a recent Friday morning, Sean and the huskies and I made it to the coast for a 4-day beach getaway to celebrate Sean's 40th birthday. We rented The Surf House from some wonderful people who welcomed us and the dogs into their beautiful rental near a dog-friendly beach. They thought of all the details, including a well-stocked kitchen, plenty of beach towels, chairs, and umbrellas, and a comfy, clean restored house that felt like home for 4 days.
 

The view from the front window of our rental. Rio del Mar State Beach was right across the street and down a few steps.

Kodi got a little tired walking in the sand so he got a lift from Sean back up the hill to The Surf House.

Friday's weather was a little cloudy, but still quite nice. There were some fantastic sandwiches to be found right around the corner from our rental home at the Pixie Deli and we almost had the place to ourselves because it was a Friday afternoon. With our bellies full, we checked out the beach with Ili (including the SS Palo Alto), grabbed some snacks at the grocery store in Aptos, relaxed with books, and ate a delicious seafood dinner just steps from our rental at Cafe Rio, which was recommended by a colleague who used to work at UC Santa Cruz.

The old cement ship, SS Palo Alto.

Saturday was gorgeous and sunny and we started the day with strawberry/Nutella crepes at Sweet Pea's Cafe in Capitola. Then we walked down to the water to check out the surfers. Afterward we headed back to the house to pack up the huskies and supplies for a morning at the beach.

Waiting for the right wave.

Our beach set-up for the morning. Umbrella shade for the huskies.

Great waves!

The life of a California pup.

The boys, napping at the beach.

After the beach we let the huskies rest at home while we headed to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and hiked the Redwood Grove loop. These trees are not quite as big at the sequoias in Yosemite, but they were impressive nonetheless.  After the park we drove through UC Santa Cruz's beautiful campus and headed downtown for some delicious homemade ginger pear ice cream at the Penny Ice Creamery. Dinner brought us to Cafe Cruz in Soquel, where the food was good and the atmosphere was even better as we were seated outside on the patio next to the fireplace. It was so refreshing to be chilly out of doors after so many months of high temperatures in the 90s!

Giant redwood tree

On Sunday we tried Belgian waffles at The Hole in the Wall Cafe in Aptos (not so great) and enjoyed more time at the beach with my friend Anna and her family. Anna has a similar job to mine at UC Santa Cruz so we work together on UC-wide projects. She and her husband are originally from Siberia, so she's one of the only people I have met since moving to California who, when hearing I'm from Minnesota, didn't say, "Oh, I heard it's really cold there." The three year old twins had a great time searching the beach for treasures, including the carcass of a duck.

Sean helping Kodi walk on the beach, and Daniel and Nina helping each other.

Party at the beach!

We couldn't resist another great California club sandwich at Pixie's for lunch. Afterward our friends headed home for 2:00 nap time and Sean and I headed to the Santa Cruz wharf.

Sea lions resting below the wharf restaurants. Viewing platforms are provided for human gawkers.

We headed back to the beach house in plenty of time to bring the huskies to the beach to view our final sunset. The house and Rio del Mar beach are perfectly positioned to view the sunset over Capitola and each night was a different, beautiful show. The first night was cloudy and very pink. The second night was clear and bright. The final night was the most beautiful of all with shades of pink and orange and lavender off in the distance.

Pointed west and waiting for the show to begin.

Ili's dramatic sunset pose.

Best show in town!

But the show kept getting better.

Monday morning brought us back to Sweet Pea's in Capitola for those delicious crepes with a stop at Whole Foods for some seafood and other goodies to take home to the valley. The fog rolled in, so we decided it was time for us to roll out. What a fabulous visit to the coast!

Foggy view from The Surf House on Monday morning.

Placerville and Apple Hill

I really shouldn't complain about the sunny weather around here, but as a child of the Midwest there are certain things I miss. I miss a good thunderstorm, weather extremes, and I really miss autumn. Leaves around here just shrivel up and fall off eventually after they can't stand the dryness anymore, so I'm not expecting any sort of lovely fall foliage, but I did find out about an apple growing area near where gold was originally discovered in 1849, bringing a rush of 49ers to California. Placerville, CA and the Apple Hill area provide a semblance of autumn due to the prevalence of apple and pear orchards situated in the Sierra foothills. We decided to take a couple of days and explore the area.

After driving north on 99 to Sacramento and heading east on 50 toward Lake Tahoe, our first stop when we got to Placerville was the historic downtown. There were cute shops, tacky shops, and people dressed in period gold rush costumes (which led to a discussion of whether they just dress like that in general and hang out in downtown Placerville so as not to appear too strange or whether they are some sort of volunteer or paid re-enactors.) It was much too hot to leave the huskies in the car, though, so we headed to Carson Road, the start of the Apple Hill area.

The first Apple Hill merchant we visited was Boeger Winery which offered lovely, shaded picnic tables and welcomed dogs. Sean and the huskies hung out in the shade and I acted as runner, bringing each of the 6 tastings Sean and I sampled, as well as a complimentary snack for the pups. We particularly enjoyed their Pinot Gris and Tempranillo. I also sampled some figs right off the tree.

Munching the free doggie treat from the winery staff.

Sampling the Pinot Gris in the shade.

 

Next stop was Abel's Apple Orchard, but it was basically a disappointment. Stalls of crafts and too sweet apple crisp along with the saddest turkey sandwich Sean has ever seen (but which the huskies rather enjoyed - they're not picky). Instead of sticking around we decided to try another winery, since they rarely disappoint. On to Lava Cap, where we enjoyed the Muscat Canelli and they welcomed the dogs for a walk up and down between the vines.

Sniffing around and watching out for prickers in the paws!

Lovely views in the Sierra foothills.

Grapes ready for harvest.

Finally we headed to Dedrick's Cheese in downtown Placerville which was even better than expected from a pre-trip visit to their website. We tasted cheeses and salami and walked out with a bag full of delicious goodies. Back at the hotel we opened a bottle from Lava Cap, chilled in the ice bucket, and dined on yummy cheeses, La Brea Bakery bread, olives, Marcona almonds, and lime cookies for dessert. The only sad thing about the feast was that it left us too full for dinner out, as I had been looking forward to trying a restaurant in town. 

Day two began with a hike on the Fleming Trail System in El Dorado National Forest. There is a lovely lake and nice trail system that we shared with mountain bikers and horses. The huskies were pretty excited to meet the horses. Kodi marched down the trail as if he had no idea he's approaching 14 and just finished 6 months of chemotherapy. It was lovely, but dusty!

Thirsty hikers!

Satisfied Kodi.

Dusty sneakers!

Since we had a cooler full of ice only partially filled with cheese and salami, we decided to make two more stops in Apple Hill on our way home. The first was Willow Pond Organic Farm where we met some nice folks and bought delicious plums, pears, and eggs. Then we stopped at Smokey Ridge Farm and Charcuterie for homemade sausages (both apple and jerk chicken varieties) and some delicious apples. It's still early in the season for many varieties, but I purchased a bag of Winter Banana apples, which I had never tasted before. They were a pleasant, sweet surprise and I will enjoy snacking on them in my lunch all week as a reminder of our fun weekend in Placerville and Apple Hill.

Cesar Chavez Holiday Weekend in Carmel and Big Sur

The State of California kindly gave me an extra day off to honor the important work of Cesar Chavez.  The continued abuse of farm workers was always present as we drove through the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys on our way to the coast.  While we did enjoy our holiday, we also renewed our commitment to sustainable farming - for the land and the workers.

A trip to the Monterey Peninsula wouldn't be complete without a stop at Casa de Fruta for a snack and leg stretch.  While I headed inside for drinks, Sean walked the dogs near the peacocks. They were enthralled.

Once in Carmel we headed straight for the dog-friendly beach at the end of Ocean Avenue to smell the sea and let the dogs feel the sand under their paws.  It was sunny and lovely.

That is Kodi's happy face

Sean napped with the dogs while I shopped the fabulous shops of Carmel.  Everyone got presents - Sean from Tommy Bahama and the huskies from Diggidy Dog.  Our hotel, the Carmel Mission Inn, welcomed dogs and had an awesome undersea mural with blue lights that shone on it above the bed.  The huskies were welcome at our lunch stop for burgers, but not our seafood dinner.  Carmel loves its dogs.

Fire on the patio at Carmel Mission Inn

Saturday threatened rain, but we had a hearty breakfast at Em Le's Cafe, including their "secret" syrup, and headed down Highway 1 to Big Sur.  The trees were lovely, but the rain prevented us seeing much of the coast.

Too rainy

We made it as far as Coast Gallery, where I picked up a cool photo of otters for my new office, and then headed back to Carmel for some rainy day wine tasting.  First we picked up some baguette, olives, and cheeses at the Carmel Cheese Shop, including our favorite from the last trip: Piedmont.  Tastings at Wrath and Cima Collina left us with a 4-pack and case, respectively.  The rain appeared to be letting up, so we headed back to change into sneakers and walk the huskies on the trail by the mission, but it once again began to rain, so instead we had an impromptu cheese and wine late lunch in the hotel room. Late dinner at Rio Grill deliciously ended a great day on the coast.

Sunday dawned clear and sunny so we made a quick stop at Crepes of Brittany at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey and then headed down Highway 1 to see the sights.  Saturday's storm meant high surf warnings and the waves were spectacular!

Sunny day at Big Sur

Our trusty book, Dog-friendly Hikes in Central California, pointed us to Pfeiffer Beach where we had a blast soaking in the ocean sights, sounds, and smells.

This is Sean's happy face

The waves threatened to soak the trio, but Ili stood her ground

Can you spot the husky in this photo?

So many sniffs to sniff!

Sandy paws meant we found beach "souvenirs" in the travel kennels for the next week

What a great way to celebrate the end of Ili's radiation treatment and the almost end of Kodi's chemotherapy.  It was a glorious weekend on the coast!

Monterey and Carmel

It is amazing how many great places are within a 2-3 hour drive of Merced.  This weekend we escaped the heat of the Valley by heading to Monterey and Carmel.  We started off Saturday morning with a stop at the Merced Farmers Market for grapes to snack on in the car.  Of course we had to stop at La Super Michoacana for breakfast smoothies. 

We drove for a little over 2 hours, through Los Banos, San Juan Bautista, and Castroville, where there are artichokes growing as far as the eye can see.  We entered the coastal summer fog and high temperatures in the mid-60s which were a welcome change from the 105 expected in Merced.  We checked into the Victorian Inn, our hotel within walking distance of Cannery Row and headed to lunch outside at the Trailside Cafe where they welcome pets with water and treats and have heaters hanging from the arbors.  Then it was off to introduce Kodi and Ili to the Pacific Ocean (well, Monterey Bay, anyway). 

A stop at the Ghirardelli shop brought hot chocolate and 3 bags of delicious chocolate squares.  Pierce Ranch Vineyards has a tasting room in Monterey, so we stopped in for a liesurely tasting of their wines made from Argentinian grapes.  So delicious that we bought a mixed case.  We had a terrific dinner at the Duck Club Grill with a lovely view of the water from our table.  Sunday brought breakfast at The Monterey Crepe Company followed by a 4 mile walk on the trail along the coast from Monterey, past Pacific Grove.  We saw beautiful views, seals, and sea otters and the huskies smelled more smells than they have in a very long time.

Sunday evening we enjoyed a good dinner and great drinks at Hula's Island Grill and Tiki Room.  Sean was so happy to see Painkillers on the menu, not just because he has been experiencing back pain, but because he first tried them in the US Virgin Islands and they became his favorite drink.  Monday we were up early for a breakfast of hot chocolate, yogurt with fruit & granola, and beignets at the Trailside Cafe with the dogs.  Then we headed a few miles south to Carmel-by-the-Sea, most commonly known as Carmel.  We took a walk along a beautiful trail in the Mission Trail Nature Preserve near the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo which was founded in 1771.

There were lovely shops all over downtown Carmel, but we focused on tasting and selecting some delicious cheeses, bread and olives at The Cheese Shop.  Then we headed to Carmel Beach for one last look at the ocean before heading back to the San Joaquin Valley.  We even let the huskies dip their feet in the Pacific.

On the way home we stopped at the Casa de Fruta in Santa Clara County.  It is a pretty tacky place, with a miniature train for rides through the grounds, but they had some delicious local fruits and nuts that paired nicely with our bread and cheese from Carmel.  It was a tasty picnic lunch and a good end to our trip.