Wildberries Marketplace + taxidermy @ the McKinleyville Barbershop

We needed to buy a few items for our lunch for today. As always, we had a lot of driving ("we" as in Bert).

(yes, fireworks are legal here!)

TC was happy because she got to ride in the front seat.  Near Northtown Coffee was this health food/grocery store, Wildberries Marketplace...

On our way up to Arcata + Northtown Coffee

It was other early morning for us...

Last night was our only night in Eureka as we headed northward to our eventual destination of Crescent City. However, along the way...

we decided to stop by the college town of Arcata...

Et Voila! French Bistro + food gifts from Japan!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with my good friend Kirbie...

For a change of pace, we did brunch at a newly opened French bistro called Et Voila! (the exlamation mark is part of their name)

Wild Willow Farm

Last month we accompanied TC to a volunteer opportunity...

It was in the South Bay...

at Wild Willow Farms, which is a small farm near the larger Suzie's Farm. We were interested in this particular opportunity because it involved cooking...

La Bonne Table + Kir Royales with cheese!

Last Friday Mr. TJ, La Ley and I went to the prom...

but before making a late appearance, we had dinner first at a French restaurant in Hillcrest recommended by Mr. TJ...

Belated birthday breakfast @ Sam Woo + Desir Bakery (Ranch 99)

Earlier today, I met up with Cathy of mmm-yoso, along with her husband (aka The Mister)...

Breakfast would be at the restaurant inside Ranch 99,

one that I've always walked by or peered into but never ate at, until today...

Salud Tacos + return to Por Vida

Last weekend I met up with the Prof, whom I hadn't been out with for years.

(mural on the La Bodega Gallery Studios near the Sampson St. bridge, Barrio Logan)

Although we see each other at community events, we hadn't had a chance to sit down one on one and catch up on things...

She let me choose the venue, so Salud Tacos it was...

Drinks 'n tapas @ Romesco's revisited

My friends and I went here after Senior Awards night a few days ago...

We needed to unwind with the impending end of the school year...

Return to Tom's Farms

Taking the 15 down to San Diego, I knew we would be passing by Corona...

which has Tom's Farms, a good stop for a quick stretch and also a looksee for snacks or a bite to eat...

Return to Copenhagen Pastry

[Update: Copenhagen Pastry closed as of late September 2017]

We had to go here again...

It's been a year since we were last at Cophenhagen, a bakery serving real Danish pastries...

they should win an award for their stylish storefront. It was still early in the morning with many fresh pastries to choose from...

Mango Mango revisits

Recently I revisited a healthy eatery with my friends...

We wanted to change things up a bit and have something healthier...

Jameson Brown Coffee

This a rather truncated weekend trip...

We left early Pasadena early that morning so that TC and her friends would be able to make it to the concert later that afternoon...

Before heading down to San Diego, we made a short top at a local coffee place...

Cameron's Seafood

Even though we could have walked here from our hotel,

we ended up driving. I'm not a fan of walking around an unfamiliar area at night, as safe as it could seem.  It was the beginning of the Lenten season and we chose this place for their seafood offering...

Bayshore Bikeway, Imperial Beach

A couple of months ago, Bert and I wanted to kill some time and explore this park we always pass by every week...

It's in IB right next to the bay and has a 20+ mile bike path that starts near downtown San Diego and ends in Coronado.  Above, you can see an Osprey Nest platform.

And here is the future Bikeway Village...We found some parking in the neighborhood during the "Golden Hour"...

Phuong Trang revisits + Angels & Hearts with the sis

I guess this is the week of resurrecting old posts in the queu and having them see the light of day...

Sometime last year, TC and I were in the area and decided to stop by Phuong Trang...

Return to Jones Coffee Roasters & Pooh Bah Records

Since I didn't really care for my drink from Civil Coffee...

I wanted to "make up for it" by having another coffee drink from this place...

Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe

It didn't take too much longer to get to Eureka from Ferndale.

The sky was starting to turn grey and wasn't as warm as earlier...

Lunch @ Sea 180 Coastal Tavern

Yesterday we had an off campus planning meeting for our department...

Lunch was here, at Pier South in Imperial Beach...

Passing through Scotia and Ferndale

After enjoying the beauty and majesty of the redwood forests in the Avenue of the Giants...

we made plans to drive through the small town of Scotia...

known as a "company" town built to house families who work(ed) at the local lumber mills...

Gerlach's Grille

We were pretty hungry by this time and wanted to have our lunch at this beloved hole in the wall spot in Pasadena.

Since it was one of the earlier Seafood Fridays this year, I made sure to choose a seafood place...

which was located right next to a liquor store...

The Chandelier Drive Thru Tree, Leggett

I mentioned a few posts ago that there were three drive-thru trees...

This was the second of such trees that we visited...

Vietnamese duo - Pho Convoy in CV + return to Pho Hung Calli

This was one of those Fridays where I didn't want to cook...

or drive far, thus the closest VN place to us...

Eaton Canyon Nature Center

The Norton Simon museum wasn't open yet so to kill time...

so to kill time, we thought we'd check out a nearby nature center...

which is near the foothills of the imposing San Gabriel Mountains...

The Eaton Canyon Nature center is also a free place to visit which is a plus in my book..

Avenue of the Giants, Founders Grove

The sun was starting to peek out and warm up the day...

(sorry for the glare on the windshield)

We traveled up the road known as The Avenue of Giants which used to be the old Highway 101; it parallels the new 101and is a very picturesque drive...

Make sure to stop by this sign to get your bearings and maybe take a photo of the map...

Confusion Hill

Our Northern California trip continues...

As we made our way up the Avenue of the Giants, we passed through the small town of Piercy...

which is noted for a rather famous tourist trap, much like the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz...

Great Scott! It's the Gamble House!

As we drove by this palatial home, I wondered why it looked familiar...

Then I realized it was the Rose Parade Tournament House (also known as the Wrigley mansion, as in Wrigley gum folks).

Below, another familiar sigh if you watch the Rose Parade...

Neither were our destinations but the particular house we wanted to see was nearby...

Shine Drive Thru Tree

Trees, trees. and more trees...

Especially this particular tree that you could drive your car through....

Civil Coffee

Located in the same neighborhood of Highland Park was a fairly new coffee place..

From what I've read, the neighborhood is in the process of gentrification.

But rather than get into a political debate of its merits or downfalls, I'll just focus on the coffee...

Communal Coffee

I'm not sure what was here before...

but the southwestern corner lot on University and Texas is now a hybrid coffee and florist...

I was curious to come here since they recently opened five days ago...

Olympic Cafe 3x

Earlier this morning...

we enjoyed a family breakfast here.  We were killing three birds with one stone...

Donut Friend

It's back to the Presidents' Weekend posts..

We left off at Cream Pan and THH in Tustin. Our next stop was over in Highland Park, a neighborhood close to Pasadena (our eventual destination)...

The Woodman Bridge renamed as the Itliong Veracruz Memorial Bridge

Last week was the week for awesome storm clouds...

This was what we saw as we headed east on the 54 from the 5...

I know I had this photo in a previous post, but I'm putting it in again...

Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge

Not that far from the coffee shop was a historic bridge...

that straddled a now dry Pudding Creek...

Headlands Coffee House

Our caffeine jolt before making our way northward would be here...

at Headlands Coffee House...

Cucina Verona

I wish we had seen Fort Bragg in a "sunnier" light.  It was pretty much gray the entire day...

As mentioned in my previous post, dinner was on the "fly" with Bert making the last minute decision for us to try this Italian place.

It would end up being next to the coffee place we'd visit the following morning before seeing the giant redwoods...