vacation: Santa Cruz

while in California, my mom and I got to visit with my 1 cousin, Jesse and his wife Margot. They live up in the mountains along side the beach outside Santa Cruz. Their little cabin in the woods is amazing, and they also have a wonderful little yurt.

1. long afternoons at wonderful little bookstores (that serve you local wines)

2. Capitola (beach town by Santa Cruz, cousin went to surf there...too cold)

3. Mom and Jesse in Capitola

4. eating at Jesse's cabin (about all we did :)

5. Sweet little cabin in the woods

6. cooking in the cabin

7. found a wonderful vegan indian place in santa cruz :)

trying to round up the last of my photos to move on my from my trip....

san francisco: pt. 2

i love all of the little nooks of san francisco.

coffee shops, bakeries, patisaries, clubs, bars, theaters...so glorious.

[adorable little condiment bar at a french bakery]

[sign for the condiments]

on our first day we also walked to

Fisherman's Wharf.

we indulged in some freshly baked sourdough bread, and yummy soup.

this was a wonderful reminder of my time here a few years ago with my whole family.

oh goodness.

[sourdough bread animals]

[baking sourdough bread at the Boudin bakery at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco]

[sourdough bread on the wharf]

[dinner one: Kuleto's]

[ricotta stuffed eggplant]

[mom and I indulging in some fine italian and wine]

one of my favorite things to do in this vast city is shop.

this is a view from sacks 5th, onto the off-set ice skating rink, in the middle of union square.

one of my favorite things to do in this vast city is shop.

[macaroon sighting number one]

vacation pt 3:san francisco part 1.

after being in the freezing cold states of colorado and kansas, I was happy to be flying to San Francisco: warm, sunny, and full of delicious food.

I hit almost every pastry shop, bakery and macaroon niche.

We ate endless meals while in San Francisco. We realized, 1/2 way through the trip that we hadn't actually eaten a whole meal at one location.

A glass of wine here, a bruschetta there, a salad here, and a desert plate there. It was so wonderful!

first stop after getting of the bart in sunny California: our "not-in-the-city" french boutique hotel.

This place felt like it should have been in the countryside of france, but alas, it was right in union square, San Francisco.

Petit Auberge

[amazing little nooks in the room]

[sweet fireplace in the room]

[breakfast nooks as well as the wine&cheese reception place]

[breakfast: sun-dried tomato quiche, oatmeal, apple crisp, good local coffee!]

[french boutique bathroom]

[fireplace]

[walked and walked and walked... through chinatown]

[little italy]

[little italy]

over all the 1/3 of the trip was amazing.

can't wait to post the rest of the pictures!