BB Blog: California, 2012-2013

California

2012-2013

I arrived Thursday, December 20th, in the afternoon. It was a beautiful, sunny, quintessential CA day. Of course in short order, Mamama put me to work ;)

We took a walk around town, and went to the local art gallery. They had some interesting collage-style pieces up.

I think this one was in the gift shop.

I think it was Friday (the next day) that we went to the Pacific Art museum. They had a lovely garden, with coi, that we checked out before it got dark.

Then we went on to see the museum--lots of lovely and interesting pieces, in a fairly sparse set-up that made it easier to attend to them individually. There was also an interesting exhibit on the role of ancestors in Pacific Asian cultures that included pictures of the museum staff members' ancestors and a book where visitors wrote about their own ancestors. I asked Mamama about hers, and she told me a story about her grandfather who came from Norway and homesteaded so successfully that he retired in his 40s. He always carried a dictionary to keep up with his English. I wrote an entry for Mamama, and wrote one for myself about grandpa (peter).

The gift shop was also really sweet, and full of some gems, including scarves that Mamama and I purchased, and these creative bracelets:

We left the museum and had a quick dinner, before heading over to "Snow White," a play adapted from the pantomime style popular in Britain. Apparently around Christmas time people often perform fairy tales in a child-friendly, interactive way (audiences booing and cheering characters, etc), using contemporary songs to keep it current and engaging. This play was no exception--there was "Gangnam Style" and Katy Perry, along with some very impressive dancing, including by some very cute kids. Adding to the family-friendly ambiance, there were games and crafts beforehand, and (fake) snow afterward (quite the site for Californians!).

Saturday we had a relaxed time, taking a fairly long walk down to a park that had an available swing set. We sat there for some time. Unfortunately, I also left the car keys, but I ran back and fortunately they were still there.

Sunday mom joined us, and that night we had a cruise around Long Beach to see the elaborate (some award-winning) light displays on the harbor.

The next day was Christmas Eve, and we headed over to Sandy and Sandi's for Christmas Eve. There were lots of delicious hors d'oeveres, lasagna and pizza (that Mamama ate most of ;) ), and a really impressive house in a style we would never see in Boston--with a second mini house and a yard built for year-round use.

After dinner we played some party games, including one where we had to throw marshmellows into a series of bowls. It was a lot harder than it looked, but we all got involved. I was second to last--and I won!!

Of course we opened our presents on Christmas morning. There seemed to be a tendency toward the edible...

Arlene's famous cookies.

Cinnamon for mom, all the way from Cambridge, MA.

Then we drove up to the mountains for Christmas dinner. Before we ate, Mamama and I snuck out for a walk in the woods.

I also had a chance to jump on the trampoline!

Meanwhile, Mom had won a honey baked ham at a dance raffle, and we used it to get, well, a honey baked ham. And then we used the ham bone to make soup!

A few days after Christmas, mom and I started our drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. On day one, we stopped by Santa Barbara to see the mission.

Would the friar approve of housing wine?

The nativity scenes had real animals!

The views on the drive up were breathtaking as promised.


I'm not sure I had ever seen kite surfing before.

We stayed overnight in Cambria (I think?), a lovely seaport that we checked out the next morning.

On the way up we saw stopped to see sea lions, and saw a TON of them. They were piled up on the shore like sardines!

The rest of the drive up contained more breathtaking views.

We drove through Big Sur, and stopped to check out some redwoods before the sunset. With limited time, we took several short but popular big bang for your buck trails.

Then all there was to do was drive into the sunset.

We had dinner at a lovely seafood restaurant in (I think it was) Monterey. They really made a show of dessert!

The next morning, we got up and headed to see my lab mate Gus and his girlfriend, who were farther up the coast in Santa Cruz, stopping at a farmer's market first.

We were eating those almonds in the car for the rest of the trip.

Gus's girlfriend's parents live in a beautiful house in a halcyon neighborhood. They even chop their own wood with an axe; I, of course, took a swing at it, and managed to add a little to the pile.

We went for a walk on the beach, which was lovely.

Gus's girlfriend Erica, who is a psychology PhD student at Yale.

Gus, my lab mate, who had recently gotten into photography.

After the beach, mom and I headed over to the more redwoods. A cross section from a fallen tree revealed the age of a lot of the trees in the area.

This might have been the one I stepped inside.

Here you can see why they call them redwoods.

After the redwoods, we drove into San Fancisco, settled into the hostel, had some dinner, and got ready to tour the city the next day!

We began our first day in San Francisco by having brunch with my high school friend Jay, who now lives in San Fransisco. We checked out a market area, and then settled on a nearby restaurant with an incredible view of the ocean.

Our view from the restaurant window!

After breakfast, Jay drove us down the famous crooked section of Lombard Street.

He dropped us off to do some site seeing on foot. We started at the Wharf, headed over to the Ghiradelli shop, and then walked along the water all the way to the Marina.

We made it to the Palais des Beaux Arts, a museum with an incredible park outside.

We then made our way back down through the center of San Francisco.

One of the upsides of a city made of hills is the view.

This is part of Japantown, where there is a mall full of Japanese shops and restaurants.

We took it easy that night, having dinner and retiring to the hotel. The next day was New Year's Eve Day. I was still excited about mole, so we had an elegant lunch at a restaurant that specialized in it.

Next went to see the famous "painted ladies," a series of Victorian houses that are all different colors.

The park also has a nice view of the city.

We walked over to Haight-Ashbury, once infamous hippie hangout, now Bethany-friendly shopping paradise, full of vintage stores (e.g. 50s, 70s, Victorian) and the best Good Will I've ever seen, where I got a formal polka dot dress for $15.

The groovy times live on.

For dinner we went to an Indian restaurant my friend Jay had recommended. Since it was New Year's Eve they were doing free henna!

On New Year's Day we left San Francisco--by the Golden Gate Bridge, of course!

On the way out we saw redwoods one more time, and the popular Muir Woods.

After the woods we went to visit a former labmate of mine and his fiance (who was also in my department). They are both post-doctorates at Berkley, and live in a charming house on a hill with an incredible view from the rooftop.

Look at this stove!

The sunset from their roof deck.

That evening we drove all the way back down to Whittier through the more expedient central route. It was a long but nice drive.

Speaking of sunsets, the next day was my birthday, and I filled it with things that are special to me. I did some work, memorized (and recited, before it was memorized) my favorite poem, the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, danced with two other generations of my family's women, tinkered a little at the piano, ate mole, and, of course, swam in the Pacific Ocean at sunset.