Summer Trips: Highlights

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or at least 250 of 'em. To share how great my trips were this summer, here are some of my favorite photographs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

One of the highlights of going to San Francisco this time was having lunch at the the famed Cliff House restaurant. The atmosphere was classy, the crab sandwich was delicious and the view of the Pacific Ocean from the dining room was awe-inspiring.

With its grape vines and sunshine, Sonoma County is one of my happy places and this return trip did not disappoint!

We also attended the Sonoma-Marin Counties Fair where I saw plenty of fowl at the Poultry Palace, the porkers run in the Pig Races and the Beach Boys perform (minus Brian Wilson) "Help Me Rhonda". All for $15--it was money well spent! After seeing the Pig Races I wondered how had I reached this point in my life without ever having seen a Pig Race?! I highly recommend this fair and Pig Races!

We spent some time on San Francisco Bay in a boat. I appreciated the simplicity of boat living. Fewer rooms to care for and fix up, quiet neighbors. But I sure would miss my garden and I bet Harold would miss me. Okay, maybe he wouldn't but that's still okay.

Sequoia National Park is so majestic with its massive Sequoia trees. Walking among the giants put things into perspective for me. Basically: The trees are huge and I am small but I still need to protect them.

We also visited Moro Rock which has a trail going up its spine for a splendid view of the valley far, far, FAR below. In the photo below, the "bumps" on the rock behind us are people (!). It is simultaneously the most exhilarating and scariest hike in a National Park. Hands down.

I even became a tourist in my home city of Los Angeles when I visited the La Brea Tar Pits again. The museum has added an excellent CG movie illustrating life 11,000 years ago in Hollywood for Saber Tooth Tigers, Dire Wolves and Woolly Mammoths. This site remains an active archaeological site and is the world's largest archeological dig site in a large metropolitan area. Who knew?

I also met the skull of a Saber Tooth Tiger up close and personal.

Mr. Wonderful and I had great trips this summer and feel refreshed to start work again on the house. Although... maybe we'll stretch summer out and start the DIY work AFTER Labor Day.

Happy summer to you! What did you do? Where did you go? Tell me where in the comments!