I spent the last week in Northern California and it was perfect. I still had 2.5 days of vacation to use up by the end of January, so I decided to take a last-minute trip to California. I told myself if I could find a cheap flight out there that I would go. I hadn't seen my friends since they visited in May, so a visit was long overdue. I was able to spend quality time with each of my girls, both one-on-one and together. Eleven cities over seven days - it was busy, but so fun. Read all about it below!
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY NIGHT
San Francisco was hit with a major storm Wednesday night, so my connecting flight was delayed three hours. I was supposed to arrive before midnight and didn't land until almost 3 AM. Rather than drive to Sacramento (which was my plan), I ended up getting a hotel in Half Moon Bay. I crawled into bed at 4:45 AM - talk about a long day!
DAY 2: THURSDAY
I opted for a late check-out so that I could sleep in (much needed!), so didn't leave the hotel until 1 PM. I called into a meeting and then went and explored Half Moon Bay. I had read about Devil's Slide Bunker, so decided to take a drive to Pacifica. It was magical. I had forgotten how amazing it was to be on the water. From there, I drove to Sacramento to spend the night with Clara, her girlfriend, Jamie, and their pup, Riley.
DAY 3: FRIDAY
Friday was a work-from-home kind of day. Clara and I camped out at her kitchen table and worked for the first half of the day. When my work was complete, I stopped into my alma mater, UC Davis, and had a quick drive around. Man do I love my campus! Clara and I then met Emma and Marie in Richmond, where we went to dinner at Little Star Pizza.
DAY 4: SATURDAY
Clara, Marie, and I headed to Novato, where Marie's parents live, to stay with them for the weekend. We had breakfast, relaxed at home, and then went bowling! For our second game, we came up with unique ways to roll the ball, including backwards, using the kiddie-dinosaur, and standing on one foot. We had a blast! After bowling, we went into downtown Petaluma for ice cream at Lala's Creamery and some window shopping. Our day ended with dinner at HopMonk Tavern to celebrate Clara's and my birthdays.
DAY 5: SUNDAY
This was the day we chose to relax. Marie and I hung out at her parents' for most of the morning and then went for massages. From there, we did some shopping before dinner, ending our day with a puzzle and Crazy Rich Asians.
DAY 6: MONDAY
Monday was Clara's official birthday, so we all met at Mimi's Cafe for a birthday breakfast. It was a gorgeous day outside, so Marie and I wanted to make sure we enjoyed the weather. We decided on a Muir Woods hike, only to find out you need reservations. Instead, we did a mini hike up Cascade Falls to see the waterfall. On our way to dinner, we stopped into Mill Valley Lumber Yard, where I bought a gorgeous artisan ring and enjoyed a vanilla latte. We were able to meet one of our college best friends for dinner in Mill Valley that night. I hadn't seen Izzy in years, so it was so nice to catch up over some Mexican food.
DAY 7: TUESDAY
Tuesday I was able to work out of our San Francisco office and get same face-time with my manager. After work, I went into Daly City to get my nails done before heading back to San Francisco for my last night in California.
I'm back in Northern California in April and I can't wait!
I'm back in Northern California in April and I can't wait!
Add your comment