Garlic Festival in Gilroy

I have wanted to check out the Garlic Festival in the garlic world capital since I saw ads for it a few years ago. Enticing garlic ice cream? Check! Odd garlic beer? Check! Missed out on garlic wine this time, but not big deal, there is always next time.

Garlic festival in Gilroy is an annual event that happens at the end of July. This was my first time attending it. About 2 hours drive from Fresno, Gilroy is a small town that you recognize by garlic scent, even if you don't have any sense of smell. I remember it always being overcast in the few times I passed through, but this weekend the sun was shining and it was really hot. The event was pretty well organized. Signs for parking lead all the way to the field parking lot where lots (and I mean LOTS) of people wearing bright shirts guide you with flags (as if you can't see them otherwise...) to the parking spot. Shuttle buses then transfer you to the actual event. The ride to the festival was short and air conditioned, something we got to appreciate on the way back after baking in the sun for several hours. At the entrance, security check purses and have a metal detector, a measure I learned to appreciate after living in Fresno. Maps were given out to direct people where to go.

At the festival, the selection of food was what you would expect from a garlic event - garlic fries, garlic calamari, free garlic ice cream, garlic (and not only...) beer, wine tasting, BBQ, some dessert, music, and cooking competitions. Because of the heat, we did not stay too long. I got to enjoy garlic calamari, overpriced, but delicious, and I was the only one who could taste garlic in garlic ice cream. I have strange friends, I guess :) We had to wait for a shuttle for quite a bit, but were given water as we entered the line - nice touch!

On the way back, we stopped at a local winery (Kirigin Cellars) and had a free tasting. Such a lovely and peaceful place, will certainly be back.

San Jose Getaway

My friend and I decided to finally get away for the weekend. She has never been to San Jose, so we wanted to do some exploration there. A few meetups lined up, several days of planning, AirBnb and Rover reservations successfully placed and off we went to the Bay area.

The trip started out wonderfully. We left around 11 AM and got to SJ just in time for lunch. The original sushi place I wanted to go, Mizu Sushi Bar & Grill, was about to close ("Last call is in 10 minutes, will be closing in 40...", was the nasty response we got from the annoyed hostess who probably wanted lunch herself, when we asked for a table there). We opted to choose another restaurant where people is not in so much of a rush. TGI's Sushi was a small restaurant, hardly presentable from the outside, yet pretty cozy inside. The reviews on Yelp were pretty good, so we stopped by and tried their Shiitake and Philly rolls. A bit bland with a thick layer of rice, both rolls were average, but fish rather fresh. Lunch filled us up enough to barely drag our butts from the restaurant, a good beginning to the weekend!

We checked in our AirBnb room and went to check out Santana Row aka "Silicon Valley's premiere destination for shopping, dining, living, and more." It did not disappoint. Shops, restaurants with outdoor seating, live music on the main square created "city-ish" ambiance that both of us miss so much living in Fresno.

I got coffee and some pastries from Yeganeh Bakery & Kafe Unik, a neat place with fresh pastries and good coffee, and then headed to dinner in Mountain View. Vaso Azzurro Ristorante is one of the many restaurants on Castro Street aka the central street in Mountain View where things happen. We were seated outside on the patio (under a heater, to my relief!). Both of us ordered pasta and a drink, something you can't go wrong with. Our waiter was amazing! In the limited time he was selling us some specials, he somehow ended up mentioning that in the past few years he lost 40 lbs and feels great. No relation to our gluten-filled fatty macaroni with cheese with plenty of saturated fat and a glass of sugary alcohol... The manager later came out to compliment my friend on her outfit, take multiple pictures of us and continue doing this throughout the dinner. Odd? Just a bit... What's even odder is that we didn't get a discount on our bill for the photoshoot...

We later met up with a few people at a bar and had a lovely time. Well, except when I found out that my cat sitter brought a strange man to my house... After kicking them both out (virtually, of course), I had to drive at night to make sure Kitty was ok. Since I was determined that this weekend was not to be ruined, I got back to SJ by 9 AM, just in time for breakfast. Exhausted, I felt a bit of a relief that nobody was "cat sitting", but was working through some options for Night 2. Luckily, two of my awesome friends were able to take care of Kitty in my absence. My luck with pet sitters is just overwhelming...

Our breakfast at The Breakfast Club was quite good, although waiting 30 min for a table was a bit of an annoyance. Their coffee was disgusting...

Blueberry Pancakes, I think...

Classic Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns

On the agenda, we had Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. If I were more awake this morning, I probably would have taken more pictures and videos, but since none of my equipment and motivation were there, I only took a few. Here is my favorite, yes, of a couch...

Yes, I took a picture of a couch. So comfy and cozy... #IneedaNap

And a few others...

Real mummy, pretty amazing to see a dead human being in this context...

Impressive both from outside and outside, the museum is also surrounded by gardens. We enjoyed the outside area so much that I wanted to take a nap on the bench. My friend said no...

After a failed nap, we went to a day party (does that even exist?), which turned out to be quite boring. We made the best of it, hitting the dance floor.

Because we match :)

Our dinner at Vino Vino (more of a late lunch, since we got the heck out of that party less than two hours into it) was another highlight of the trip. Who knew that panini could be so delicious?

Finally, the last day of our trip was spent eating and drinking coffee at one of the best coffee shops I have been...

...hanging out at the gardens near Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum...

...thrift shopping (without the shopping part)...

...and visiting Google!

Can I tell you something about this chair? It is fabulous! Different modes can stretch you, massage you and squeeze you. This was a tough break up for me, but our relationship is not over. I will be back...

Alta Peak Trail

"Alta Peak Trail: 4,000 ft elevation gain, 15 miles... Can I do it? Not sure, but I am gonna try..."

This was the most difficult hike I have done so far. Almost 8 hours of hiking, 7 mosquito bites, sunburned calves (not the animals, in this case) and my legs are killing me. But... the views, the feeling of being so high up (11,500 ft) and a fun ending to the hike were worth it.

The trail starts out pretty flat, fooling you that it's no big deal. In your mind, however, the thought lingers that somewhere and somehow we have to gain those 4K ft elevation. The fist 5 miles are not bad, gradual elevation and shade.

The last 2 miles are the killer. The trail is completely exposed to the sun, and while the temperatures are not so bad (mid 60s), the incline is significant. Interestingly, mosquitoes do not cease to bite you even at the high elevation. With a splitting headache, it took me 4.5 hours to get to the top. Altitude sickness is not a joke.

At the top, the views really open up, and you literally feel like you are on top of the world.

The way down was much easier, but the sun was really strong and with my sunburn (even after applying sunscreen) I just had to wear a jacket.

As I was approaching the end of the trail, all of a sudden a huge bear (yes, BEAR!) ran in front of the couple walking right before me. We yelled (and I sang...) and the bear was nowhere to be seen, I only got a blurry picture of him. But seriously, what a great ending!!! I have seen bears in the past from the car, but never while hiking.

The rest is in the video below:

Paso Robles and Lavender Festival

Lavender... I love lavender... But really, who are we kidding here, the main reason to visit Paso Robles is not for their Lavender festival, although this was a nice excuse!

This is my second time visiting Paso in the past 2 years. I love how down to earth this place is compared to Napa. Specializing mostly on red wines, Paso Robles has dozens of wineries, some featuring unique experiences such as wine tasting paired with spices and cave tours.

But first, the Lavender fest... Well, it was small and very hot - at 11 AM the temperatures were hitting 90s, so we were not too eager to stay outside for too long. I was a bit disappointed about limited numbers of booths with lavender infused creams/lotions and anything that you can slather on the skin, and only a few places had some sort of food.

Within half an hour we headed to our fist winery located only 10 min walking distance from the festival.

Herman Story Wines is a small winery with big personality because of their staff. We were greeted and served promptly and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. Their wines were really good too varying from lighter whites to full-bodied reds. After a few purchases, we were ready for lunch.

Red Scooter Deli did not disappoint. Casual, yet rich in selection, the deli had a nice variety of sandwiches and salads, including a few vegan choices. My Natural sandwich had fresh rye bread and what seemed to be freshly cut vegetables - a perfect addition to our next winery, one that I visited last time in Paso and loved so much.

LXV winery was rated the 7th Best Tasting Experience in America, and I can understand why. Their combination of wine tasting with spices is unique and together with its hippie atmosphere and welcoming service is definitely worth the $25. Some of the spice mixes contained up to 27 different spices combined by the owners in a secret recipe. We did not even try to guess...

Our final stop was Paso Underground that combined 4 wineries in one. Each tasting is $10, but I only tried one winery, which was just ok. Whether it's the cold ambiance of the place or maybe the "I don't care whether you do the tasting or not" attitude, I did not like it as much as other places.

We then stopped at Angela's bakery to get some dessert and headed to some sort of clothing store, don't really remember the name of it. One of us bought an amazing cowboy hat, while we browsed.

Another great day in Paso! Next time I would love to come here when it's not so darn hot!

Point Reyes National Seashore: Tomales Point Trail - Day 2

I am an early riser, unlike many other people. By 6 AM, I am ready to go (with an appropriate-sized cup of coffee, of course). My day started with a cup at The Coffee Roastery.

Read Christy W.'s review of The San Anselmo Coffee Roastery on Yelp

The weather was a bit different than the day before - more cloudy and chilly.

Wearing the appropriate attire this time (long pants and a hoodie), I was well equipped for this hike to Tomales Point. I was hoping that the fog/clouds would dissipate by the time I arrived at the trailhead, but no such luck. At the same time, it created this mellow and yet thoughtful mood throughout the hike that seemed appropriate for this weather.

With only 1,200 ft elevation gain, this 9 mile trail offers a variety of landscape in combination with wildlife (no mountain lion was seen, so don't get excited).

After the hike, I grabbed a smoothie at the same coffee shop and headed back home. With little traffic, I got home around 6.30 PM. 22 miles total sounds like a great weekend to me :)

Point Reyes National Seashore: Mt. Wittenberg & Sculptured Beach - Day 1

This is the first weekend away from home in a while. A few months ago, I was all set to hike Point Reyes again, but it did not really work out. Attempt #2...

The first day the plan was to hike Mt. Wittenberg and Sculptured Beach trails. Organized by one of the Meetup groups, the hike was supposed to be relatively strenuous, but not enough to scare anyone away - 39 people showed up! With different levels of fitness, the group spread out a bit, but was consistently maintained as a whole by skilled organizers. The landscape changed from forest...

...to tall grass (with hundreds of ticks, probably!)...

...to open mountainside trails...

Photo credit: HJ

...and, finally, the beach.

With a few breaks along the way, all made it to the destination. The views did not disappoint. Somewhat isolated, the beach was peaceful and yet alive, filled with the sound of birds...

...brief appearances of weird crawling creatures (a shrimp?)...

...and the consistency of beautiful waves.

After a quick lunch and a whole bunch of pictures, we headed back. Most of the trail is shaded and relatively cool. The exposed spots are mostly near the ocean, hence wind coming from it cools you down pretty well. Along the way, I was able to capture amazing sights of mushrooms...

...spiders...

...and plants.

I tried to capture the whole beauty and diversity of the hike in the video.

The hike was finished around 5.30 PM, and after dinner in a small eatery in Fairfax, I checked in my AirBnb and checked out (=fell asleep). That, of course, was after I checked on Kitty...