Summer of Haiiiiip!

Thanks to a friend who organized the whole thing, 14 of my closest friends and I shared a beach house in Pismo Beach this weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it's hard not to have a good time with great company. Of note, though, is the fact that cars are allowed on the beach. From Ford F-150s to Toyota Camrys, cars were lined up and down by the water while families sunbathed next to them. Running to the water required looking both ways for traffic, which makes for a pretty weird experience. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the beach, so until someone sends me a picture, I'll leave you with the delicious steak we had Saturday night.

Mission San Miguel Arcangel

For those of you that grew up in California, you may remember learning about the California Missions as part of your 4th grade curriculum. Or, you may remember having to make models of them out of sugar cubes. I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to give 9 year olds free access to sugar, but it was definitely a fun project (and tasty, too).

A few years ago, I discovered that each of the 21 missions has a statue of Father Junipero Serra, and I've since stopped and taken a picture at each stop. I do this for no particular reason, other than the fact that it makes road trips a little more interesting.

On the drive down to San Luis Obispo, there were signs for at least 4 missions, but since I wasn't driving, I didn't feel right about asking for the detour. But after my friend asked about the El Camino Real bells that dot the 101, we happened to pass a sign for Mission San Miguel, and we made a quick stop to take some pictures. This is probably one of the oldest looking Missions I've visited so far, as a lot of them have been restored. One of these days I'll have to make the road trip down the 101 and hit up the ones I missed!

Good Night Seattle, We Love You!

When I first visited Seattle 7 months ago for business, the weather was cold, but thankfully dry. Regardless, I had a lot of fun exploring the city, and have been waiting to go back. This past weekend, the weather was absolutely gorgeous - beautiful and warm sunshine, cloudless blue sky, slight ocean breeze...you'd be a greedy bastard to ask for more! If there's a time to visit the Pacific Northwest, it is now.

A few of my friends are actually trying to visit all the MLB ballparks, and Safeco Park is the first out-of-state designation. While I'm not an avid baseball fan, I love Ichiro, so I tagged along. Great weather, great company, Ichiro homerun, and great food make the perfect weekend getaway. Haaaiiip!!!

Food mentions:
Cafe Campagne - The quiche was delicious, but the real winner was the poached eggs on garlic croutons soaked in foie gras.

Monorail Espresso - Mmmm...maple latte! I've been craving this since December, and it did not disappoint!

Union Restaurant - I know someone didn't like the lamb sausage, but I enjoyed my food!

Beecher's Handmade Cheese - Mac 'n Cheese = delicious!