Mission San Juan Capistrano

So previously I hinted at where I took Mr. Same Same the weekend before last - it was the Mission San Juan Capistrano! (The photo above is from the train station.)

That weekend, Saturday turned out to be a bust since I was in bed all day with a horrific migraine. But I rallied on Sunday and was able to take him out on our adventure as planned!

I managed to keep it all a surprise until we arrived, thanks to a very sweet ticket seller at the Fullerton train station. :)

I decided we should take the train (not the typical choice here in SoCal) for a couple reasons:

1. The station in San Juan Capistrano is less than half a mile from the Mission.
2. The station is in the historic district and a really lovely part of town.
3. It took less time than driving.
4. We got to snuggle and chat the whole way.
5. No dealing with parking.
6. It's romantic. :)

Luckily it turned out to be the perfect choice! Even though we talk/text/email regularly during the week, it was lovely to sit and just talk, without interruptions, y'know? And I have to say the Pacific Surfliner was easy to navigate, super clean and every employee was so nice!

To make matters even better, it hovered around 80 degrees with a light breeze all afternoon...we couldn't have asked for better weather! (Winter? What winter?)

So, on to the photos...I really tried to edit these down, but it was just so lovely and I can't help it when I'm presented with beautifully aged and weathered structures. I just can't! If you want, you can see the full set by going here.

Lucky for me he's a willing model...

They had a special exhibit geared towards kids about Lewis and Clark, and we knew we had to check it out after seeing this ad:

Really? Wheel of Misery?

Anyone need a pretend bench?

The original church was destroyed in an earthquake, which makes it all EVEN COOLER.

The famous bells.

Hey Mr. Same Same - I win! :)

We spent some time in the chapel, which has been renovated in the last few years to show the walls and ceilings in their original technicolor glory - so many beautiful paintings! I'm so glad they can still find patrons to help fund these kinds of projects.

Just in case you can't figure out how to get there, a sign to help(?) you find it.

The giant koi pond in the middle of the main courtyard is lovely, and we were just starting to get into the golden hour...

Oh, hello, and who are you going home with?

That's right, me. Yesssss....

So it turns out there really WAS a Wheel of Misery at the end of the exhibit! We and some parents were cracking up about it and couldn't help but give it a spin.

I think I got the dislocated shoulder - I'ma blame that one on Mr. Same Same. ;)

No one can resist awesomely bad cutouts!

Some of the original bells...

Do you like Mr. Same Same's bag? I have to admit I'm on of those girlfriends who got him a messenger bag for Christmas - but luckily it's turned out to be perfect for him. Especially so because the front says "Suddenly all wars stopped / Bullets turned to film / The people were recorded rather than ruined". Very apropos for a filmmaker, right? :)

By then it was time to head back to the train station to catch our ride home - after a quick stop for some caffeine.

We got home around 5:30 and had dinner before starting the Golden Globes - perfect timing, because that way we were able to fast forward through speeches we didn't want to hear and all the commercials! ;)

So despite my awful Saturday, the amazing Sunday more than made up for it. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! If you live in SoCal and haven't been to the Mission yet, get yer butt down there. It truly has something for everyone.

xo

Viva Las Vegas!

Had to pop in and share how much fun we had in Vegas - although with amazing friends like mine, its really hard not to have a good time!

Mr. Same Same and I drove up late Friday night and pretty much hit the hay once we checked in at the Golden Nugget. Their shark tank (which the waterslide goes through) looks pretty awesome at night, don't you think?

(Sorry, the iPhone camera doesn't do so well in low light.)

Saturday morning we got up and met up with Nikki and Matt for brunch (they had been there since Thursday, but I'm not jealous). Nikki and I decided to take the Vegas newbies to Hash House a Go Go, because it's easily one of the best places in the whole city.

While we were waiting for a table, it was time for a Word Scramble challenge! Unfortunately Nikki wipes the floor clean with all of us, every time. And yet I still try to win - glutton for punishment? (Thanks to Mr. Same Same for getting photos of me - the hand shot is a WIN!)

And then this happened:

The pork tenderloin was bigger than Matt's head! He tried valiantly, but in the end was no match for the gigantor serving. As Mr. Same Same noted, "Its dishes like these that make the world hate America." And while I agree, the food is so damn good I have only one response: "Om nom nom nom zzzzzz...."

After brunch it was back to the hotel where we did a bit of gambling (have you guys tried the Wizard of Oz slot machine? It's awesome!) and Katie and Colby joined us. I decided to go off with them to see the Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor while the other three stayed to try their hand at the blackjack tables.

The exhibit was absolutely amazing, it's not cheap but it's totally worth it. They've done an amazing job at really making it an interactive experience, and it's very powerful. I couldn't stop thinking about it after we left.

That night I didn't take too many photos, but have to report we had a lovely dinner at Binion's Ranch Steak House, which was a total surprise to us. You take an elevator that's glass on three sides up to their top floor which only houses the restaurant. I only freaked out at the height a gigantictiny bit.

Great service, great drinks, and everything was delicious except our main courses. Would we go there again? Probably not, unless we really don't want to leave downtown (it was a five minute walk across the way from the Golden Nugget). From there we took cabs over to Frankie's Tiki Room, an awesome themed bar that had great decor and drinks if you like that style. :)

The next morning Mr. Same Same and I packed up and grabbed much-needed greasy fast food before heading home to beat traffic. Really a fantastic trip! So thankful we were able to swing it this year.

xo

Mammoth

I think this past weekend has to rank up there as one of the best in my life, period. As previously mentioned, Mr. Same Same generously made a weekend getaway my birthday present, and I was feeling the need for some mountain-y weather so we headed up to Mammoth Lakes. It's kind of a long drive for just an overnight (about five hours, give or take potty and food breaks), but half the fun for us is the scenery flying by and the conversation.

Oh, the conversation. We didn't even put music on at all, we were talking so much. Future plans, how we feel about this or that issue, friendly debating, past experiences. Basically all of it. Not that we don't regularly have good talks, but being in a car for five hours (and only getting a cell signal at the beginning and end) really gives you the chance for deep, uninterrupted gab sessions. It was wonderful.

On the way up, we stopped in Lone Pine for lunch, which is a super cute town. The place was kind of like a restaurant you'd open out of your own kitchen, but it was full of locals and their hobo soup (anyone ever heard of that before?) was delicious...although not much else was.

We stopped at the Mammoth visitor's center first, to get a feel for things, and they had this random cabin all preserved (although you couldn't go in, boo).

The mister decided he wanted to do a series of "hat on the...." photos. Don't ask me why, I just like to keep him happy. Otherwise I get faces like this:

Hat on the pinecone...

Smokey the Bear says only YOU can prevent cold ears!

I don't even know what this is.

Sure, why not a rock too? :)

Finally made it up to our B&B, The Cinnamon Bear Inn, about three. Turned out we got upgraded to a larger suite since there was a wedding group staying there. Free upgrade FTW! Plus it was a steal to begin with (Mammoth isn't exactly cheap - even the Motel 6 is over $60/night!), so extra score. Would definitely stay there again!

Our room suite was lovely, but I didn't get any photos since it was too dark that afternoon and too messy in the morning. ;) It had a full kitchen/dining/TV/sitting area plus a separate bedroom, which had a fantastic view of the woods!

That night for dinner we wound up at an Italian place that was a minute across the parking lot, and then headed back to the hotel to watch Angels in America (Which Mr. Same Same has never seen! Oh, the horror!) while snuggling in front of the fireplace. Perfection.

The boy also gave me an extra present - a print of this photo Dave took of us when we were in Muir Woods. It's already on my wall. :)

Next morning we decided we didn't come all this way not to see the infamous Mammoth Lakes, so we headed up to do a trail Mindy recommended by Horseshoe Lake. I wish I could say we did the whole trail and it was fantastic and we saw the lake at the end of it, but no...

Let's just say we're not active hikers to begin with, coupled with the high altitude weighing on our lungs and the fact it was all uphill, and we made it about 30 minutes before we decided to turn around and head back. Totally not ashamed. :) We still got to play with snow, so I was happy!

Totally not gasping for air...

At least we got some pretty photos, look at them and be distracted from our epic fail!

Then we headed to Lake Mary,and on the way I got proof I was really there. :)

*love*

Lake Mary is just down the road from Horseshoe Lake, and it was just screaming for more photos. I was left wishing I had a longer zoom lens!

Only hardcore fisherman were out on the lake this late in the year...

Super cute little tackle/boat rental booth:

Attached to this cute dock:

This one is by far my fave shot. Perfect. Day.

From there we reluctantly headed back down the mountain. After a quick supply stop in Bishop, we headed home and made great time thanks to minimal traffic. It flew by with the continuation of our fantastic conversation.

So thank you, love, it was amazing and the best present EVAR! :)

xo

P.S. For even more photos, as if you don't have enough to do already, click here.

A 24-Hour Getaway

Earlier last week, I got a text from Mr. Same Same, asking if we had any plans this weekend that we couldn't get out of? Turns out, we didn't, and we're both sooo glad. He really needed a weekend away from everything, and I had to agree it was about time. Just a quick trip, all by ourselves, no real plans and no obligations. Perfect. Plus, it was a sweet, understated way to celebrate our six month anniversary. :)

We decided to head out to Palm Springs, since it's only about an hour drive. The main attraction for the weekend was Joshua Tree National Park, which is not too far from where we were staying and a great way for a California newbie to get to know the desert. :)

Before going into the park lands proper, we stopped at the awesome Crossroads Cafe in the town of Joshua Tree (such a cute town, I'd love to go back and explore the vintage shops and unique architecture more). I had their house salad with balsamic vinaigrette and added grilled shrimp, which was possibly the best decision of the whole weekend.

Soooo yummy, I had to fight the boy off after giving him a taste!

We finally entered the park mid afternoon and it turned out it was free to get in since it was National Public Lands Day! Score!

First place we decided to stop was Skull Rock, which only looks sort of like a skull from this perspective (aka the side of the road):

The best part about stopping was when we got out, it was so incredibly quiet that our ears were ringing. So amazing. We just stood there, enjoying the feeling of the sun beating down and the sound of the breeze quietly whistling. It really reaffirmed that the trip was exactly what we needed. You forget how you're constantly surrounded by noise when you live in OC/LA.

The bonus part of such a huge national park and so few people in it is the empty roads:

We headed over to Barker Dam, since it seemed interesting and is only a one-mile trail. The heat may have been just barely bearable, but that's when you're not moving and in an air-conditioned car. :) 

It turned out to be a lovely trail! The only downside is it's not the part of the park with actual Joshua trees, so I didn't get any photos of them. {Later we stopped so the boy could do so - hopefully I'll get him to send me his shots so I can share.}

The dam turned out to be a pretty small one built by cattle ranchers way back when, but it was still cool to see this hidden spot of water amidst the bone-dry desert.

I thought I'd get smart and use the ingenious combo of a self timer and a big rock as a tripod...unfortunately the auto-focus gods weren't with me that day.

The dam (ooooOOOoooo):

Loved seeing these cave drawings. I'm sure they've been embellished by more recent generations, but still cool. :)

A sighting of the rare red-bearded Newton! Luckily he was sleeping so I could get close without risking being caught:

After that excursion, we mostly stayed in the car all the way to the hotel, where we checked in, freshened up and headed out for a nice quiet dinner before coming back and watching "Angels in America" on his laptop. Just perfect.

Next morning we just checked out and headed home to take shelter in the a/c for the afternoon with my family. It's funny, after only a day, but we both felt so amazing and recharged. Couldn't ask for more.

I'm really looking forward to the next trip - coming sooner than expected! We're heading off to Mammoth for my birthday in less than two weeks. Can't wait! :)

xo

My Summer Vacation, Part II

And now, for the rest of the trip. You can find Part I here.

Day three found us sleeping in a bit after spending all day driving the day before. Dave and Karen went off to meet up with some of her friends to watch the World Cup, while Mr. Same Same and I stayed behind to nom on amazing breakfast burritos before getting ready to go and meet Caroline for our photo swap.

We got to Treasure Island super early, so we met up with a friend of the boy's who actually lives on the island and drove around getting some photos of the city and the bay.

The boy's friend took us up a back road to the top of Yerba Buena, where we had a fantastic view of the city and the Bay Bridge. I just wish I had a longer zoom lens!

Then it was time to meet up with Caroline, and I'll come back and share those shots in a blog post all to itself. :)

Afterwards we brought Caroline along with us to dinner with Dave, Karen and some of their friends in Alameda. It was a great way to cap off a lovely day!

Day four found the boy, Dave and I heading up to Muir Woods (unfortunately Karen had to go to work, boo!). Not only is it an amazing redwood forest, but it's also the set for Endor in Return of the Jedi.

{Sidenote: guess what the native people there are called? Miwoks. Yeah. Way to go on originality, Lucas.}

So, being good Fanboys and Fangirls, we decided to spend our last day there instead of in the city. :)

We weren't disappointed. It. Was. Stunning. The only complaint we had is the parking - absolutely terrible, and on a Monday too!

But we finally found a spot 27 miles away, and enjoyed ourselves exploring the gorgeous forest. Big thanks to Dave for taking my camera half the time (I was playing with the old film Nikon for a good part of the day)!

Dave has such an expressive, soulful face.

Great shot Dave got of these stones that had been rounded and worn down by the creek waters:

I'm not sure if Dave or the boy got this, but I kinda love it.

Just a gorgeous, calming place. Anyone want to go? Let me know and I'm there!

Day five was spent traveling - after taking Dave to the airport so he could head to NYC for some research, Mr. Same Same and I drove back to LA, only to find that a heat wave had struck. But I could hardly feel it, I was so relaxed and happy after such a great trip!

xo