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A Visit to Pasadena is Especially Exciting This Time of Year

February 29, 2016December 7, 2015

A Visit to Pasadena in December

The month of December is a perfect time of year to share a few itinerary ideas for visiting one of my favorite places, Pasadena, California. The Rose Bowl, The Tournament of Roses New Year’s Day Parade and perfect weather, draw thousands of people to the city every December. When you watch the parade on television you can clearly see the majestic San Gabriel Mountains that are just north of the city and so beautiful. Blue skies and bright sunshine are especially enticing to those that are experiencing a harsh winter.

A little personal back story…

I was fortunate to grow up in Arcadia, a small community which was about ten minutes east of Pasadena. Pasadena is a much larger city and became very important to me when I was a teenager. When I was seventeen, I became part of something quite extraordinary that changed my life forever.

Over 900 happy, yet nervous, high school seniors from Pasadena and three other neighboring cities participated in a series of interviews. Our hope was to be chosen one of seven members of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court. Lucky me, I was chosen to be one of them.

Rose Court 1979 — That’s me, far left – 1979

The experience was one of a kind and the thrill of meeting so many different kinds of people (mostly adults) and representing such an important organization like the Tournament, was a dream come true. We made personal appearances throughout Southern California, spoke to philanthropy groups, Rotary Clubs, hosted Rose Bowl events for the visiting colleges and even drove the Goodyear blimp! For a 17 year old high school senior, it was quite mind-blowing. We were on the Bob Hope Christmas Special, danced with Lawrence Welk on his television show and featured on magazine covers.

The grand prize was to ride on a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, waving to the crowds, where a million people line the curbs of Colorado Blvd and 100 million more watched it on TV.

Attention Photographers: Send me your holiday vacation photos!

December 4, 2015

Just yesterday I published a post on whether traveling at the holidays was on your wish list. Many of you have traveled this time of year. Where have you been? Would you like to email me a photo? I would like to create a collaborative post with your photos. Please send me a photo of …

Traveling at the Holidays – Is it on your list this year?

December 3, 2015

Traveling at the holidays : Macy's Christmas tree at night — Macy’s Christmas tree at night in San Francisco

Traveling at the holidays – Do you love it? Is it a hassle? Would you rather hunker down and stay close to home?

I believe I never really considered traveling at the holidays until the kids were grown or at least until the nest was almost empty and they were in their teens. Wearing heavy coats, worrying about potential lost gloves, bigger crowds all seemed too much to deal with when the kids were young.

All of our immediately family lived within in driving distance so we never had to fly out of necessity. Now that we primarily travel as a couple, I look forward to the extra excitement of going somewhere at Christmas.

I am a big fan of lights and festive decorations. I love how the city, any city, seems to sparkle this time of year. Even the strip malls and grocery stores look so much better with those clear lights stretched across the roof.

Our holiday trip this year~

Traveling to San Francisco from Southern California is an easy, quick flight and with no potential snow to add any extra discomfort. When you live in an area where the temperature is rarely below 60, frosty wind and lots of rain can dampen your spirit, however, part of the fun of traveling in December is that it is so different. Changes in the weather and different clothing requirements make it a novelty. I relish the opportunity to wear fun boots, colorful scarves and the warm winter coat I wear only a couple of times a year in Southern California.

We have plans to go back to San Francisco next week to enjoy the holiday celebration and to visit our son Nick who just moved there for his first job after graduating from UCLA. He is looking forward to showing us “his” San Francisco. Craig and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to see the city through Nick’s eyes.

We plan to take him to a couple of our favorite spots and he will take us to his new hangouts. At 22, he enjoys such different activities than we do, that this will be an entirely new way to enjoy this beautiful city!

If you do have the opportunity to plan a trip to San Francisco this month, here is what you could see and do!

The Magic of Christmas in San Francisco~

The true meaning of Christmas we carry in our hearts, but the magic of Christmas in San Francisco is a wonderful sight to behold! This spectacular coastal California city manages to capture the splendor of the holidays and we are fortunate to live just an hour plane ride away. Craig and I try to get away for a few days each year in the month of December to soak up the holiday cheer and exquisite architecture of San Francisco.

Small neighborhood shops, large department stores, fancy hotels and trendy restaurants go all out to decorate and celebrate for the holiday season. Twinkle lights, gorgeous window displays and several gingerbread mansions are displayed for visiting guests to enjoy as well as the lucky residents.

Union Square – Daytime

Union Square is the heart of the city and the best place to begin and spend your free time. It is surrounded by busy stores, large and small, lined with glorious hotels and is definitely where most of the shopping activity can be found!

Traveling at the holidays - Union Square Christmas Tree — The gigantic “Macy’s Believe” Christmas Tree in Union Square

Mama’s Fish House ~ The perfect spot to eat in Maui

December 29, 2015November 29, 2015

Our recent anniversary trip to the enchanting island of Maui was filled with new adventures. Hoping to expand our Hawaiian foodie education, we really wanted to immerse ourselves into the amazing local Maui food scene. In my recent post about Maui, I shared how in addition to staying in luxury hotels, we love to eat great food and …

25 Reasons to Be Thankful For Time

November 25, 2015

When I sat down to contemplate and write about what I am thankful for, the same message kept whirling around in my brain. TIME. I am thankful for time. Do we put enough value on time? Do we spend it in the right places, with the right people? I hope so. I certainly appreciate …

My Favorite Afternoon in Maui ~ It included goats & vodka!

December 29, 2015November 23, 2015

The island of Maui is one of those spectacular travel destinations that whatever you choose to do or see, it will never disappoint you! Sit back, relax and do nothing or fill your day with activities, you will be happy! Everywhere you look is breathtakingly beautiful, the weather is near perfect year round, the local tropical …

Empty Nest Renovation Update, Marriage & Midlife

March 24, 2020November 19, 2015

I just wanted to give you an update to the downsize and Empty Nest Renovation adventure! We so appreciate all of your support and good vibes sent our way! We are just about halfway through…if you stick with the 6 months estimate for the renovation. We moved to Seattle, still travel a great deal, …

Seville Spain :: So Many Centuries, So Little Time

November 17, 2015

Kim Tackett who writes the blog Tour of No Regrets, traveled to Spain with her husband Steve. Kim always has something clever to say and tells a fantastic story. Her photos are fabulous too! Thanks, Kim!

Introduction from Kim~

We’ve traveled much of Europe, but never Spain. The stars aligned for this trip…it was Steve’s 60th birthday, our best friends were traveling in France and could meet us for a week so the guys could cycle in the Pyrenees, and Steve and I would still have time to wander on our own. In fact, this was the first trip in years where we weren’t hosting or visiting our daughters. They’re awesome, but traveling with two is pretty sweet! Our trip started in Barcelona, where we met up with our friends, then to San Sebastian (bike riding for the guys, cooking lessons for the gals) and then we were back on our own again. We went to Madrid, Granada and Seville, where this story picks up.

Seville Spain

We knew we were pushing it, and the back end of our trip wouldn’t be enough. Or it would be too much. As we planned, we understood this was the point where we would need a cafe in a small village, and time to do nothing but sit, read, write, draw and visit the local markets (you know, nothing). But we only had a few more days and couldn’t miss Seville or Granada. We knew 1 day, 2 nights in each wasn’t right, but we kept comparing it to Yosemite. What if you had one chance to see California and missed Yosemite? Would one day be better than nothing? We compared Seville and Granada, and especially the Alcazar and Alhambra, as Yosemite, and added the last two stops.

In Seville, we stayed a little out of town, at a charming Moroccan inspired hotel, the Alcoba del Rey. They had an incense menu. And a rooftop patio, perfect for kissing under the stars, if one (or two) were so inclined. We skipped the incense, and visited the patio instead. We knew this was where we should be taking things slower—using local buses, leaving the guidebooks behind. But we didn’t have time for that, we had stuff to do, and took advantage of the taxi stand outside our door. (Sidenote: Every taxi driver wants to talk about gun control and Donald Trump. Also, even if they don’t speak English, they all seem to listen to American country radio. Steve thinks they understand the passion. I think they think we like it. Either way, it’s confusing.)

A Memorable Farm to Table Meal by Outstanding in the Field

November 9, 2015November 9, 2015

Outstanding in the Field

Isn’t it exhilarating when you stumble upon something fabulous that you didn’t know exist? My friend Jen sent me a link and video a couple of years ago about this unique dinner in a field on a farm. Fast forward to our busy, crazy life and we just did not pursue this opportunity… shame on us. But a couple of months ago another foodie and longtime friend Denise, asked me if I was attending an Outstanding in the Field dinner in Temecula, which was only about 90 minutes from my house. No! I wasn’t! Of course it was sold out, so I got busy looking at their upcoming schedule to finally find a date and location we could attend!

Combining our love for delicious, inspiring dishes and adventure, attending an incredible outdoor feast with Outstanding in the Field, would be the perfect food adventure for us! These innovative entrepreneurs of this new dinner idea knew that other people shared their love for authentic, fresh-picked, organic farm fresh food too. How much fun would it be to actually eat this food right there in the fields of the farms? Finding such an interesting, new foodie concept is like receiving an unexpected present! We were so thrilled to attend.

Our dinner location

A working community farm nestled in the middle of Hollywood? Yes, it really does exist. This charming site is called Wattles Farm and it has been a community garden since 1975. We found it so surprising that such a wonderful oasis of farmland was smack in the middle of Hollywood of all places!

The land on which the community garden is now located was once part of the grounds of an elegant forty-nine acre estate. “Jualita,” as it was then known, was the winter home of Gurdon Wattles, a businessman and banker from Omaha, Nebraska.

The current garden still contains the original citrus and avocado groves that were planted for the mansion in 1907. Through an initiative of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s community gardening program, the lower 4.2 acres were transformed into this wonderful, organic, community garden.

The Spectacular Presidential Suite ~Hyatt Regency Maui

March 24, 2020November 6, 2015

Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Maui — The colorful living room with lots of comfortable seating!

We seem to be on a roll for upgrades… Thank you to Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa for the extra special attention during our anniversary vacation in Maui. The enchanting island of Maui is our personal favorite of the Hawaiian Islands and staying at a luxury resort is part of the overall experience, however, staying in the Presidential Suite for the night is taking luxury to a new stratosphere!