b and i loving spending an afternoon in the park.
we try to go at least once a week. it is a great place to enjoy the weather and beauty that is all around us. i love reading, lounging, picnicking and flying kites in the park. we even hosted b’s birthday in the park a couple months ago where we set up a picnic and croquet court. when you don’t have a ton of room in your apartment, a park is the next best economical option to host any type of gathering.
emily and i decided to showcase our favorite parks for this #cityweekly. be sure to check out her blog for the best parks in the dc area. and do take advantage of these next couple months in the park because winter and cool temperatures could be here before you know it!
golden gate park(san francisco) – did you know golden gate park is actually larger than central park? i had no idea there were so many sub areas until b took me on a segway tour of the park. sure, we looked like complete nerds with our vests and helmets but, it was a great way to see the entire park and learn the history all within 3 hours. my favorite areas were shakespeare’s garden, stowe lake where you can rent boats or feed the ducks and hippie hill. golden gate park is so vast and diverse. whether you are looking to lounge in the sun with jazz music echoing through the tunnels, partake in traditional japanese tea , dine with a view of the bay or broaden your horizons by attending the de young museum or academy of sciences. there really is something for everyone. golden gate park can be a little overwhelming because there is no way you can truly get a feel of the whole park in one day but, that is part of the reason i love it. i love that we find something new or learn something new every time we visit. don’t forget to grab a soft-serve cone from twirl and dip while you are there!
willow street frank bramhall park (willow glen, san jose) – the trees in this park are unreal. i have never seen so many different types in one place. there are cork oak, cedar, redwoods and red maple to name a few. the trees paired with the rolling hills (that they make into an amphitheater for various festivals) make this park a stunner. willow street frank bramhall also provides tennis courts, basketball courts, a baseball diamond and onsite bathrooms. do note it is fairly busy and parking may be hard to come by on a sunny afternoon.
cooper park(mountain view): cooper park may be our favorite close to home park. it is located in a lovely neighborhood on the border of mountain view and los altos. cooper park is spacious and offers plenty of room to spread out, a playground, tennis courts, many trees and a baseball diamond. we especially love this park because it is quiet and tucked away. b and i stumbled upon the park accidentally when we saw some beautiful homes from the main road and wanted to further investigate the neighborhood. often times b and i will walk around a ritzy neighborhood and fawn over each house. we imagine what life might be like for the current residents. this activity usually leads us to amazing parks!
washington park(burlingame) – any park with a rose garden will be at the top of my list. washington park is a lovely space with easy to reserve picnic areas (i hate having to go through the city to reserve), two separate play grounds depending on age, a bocce ball court and large trees lining the perimeter. it is quite dreamy and only a couple blocks from the train station and downtown area. i only wish it were a little bit bigger.
cornelis bol park(palo alto) – this is another lush and beautiful park tucked away from the buzzing streets of el camino street in palo alto. i love this park for the walking trail around the perimeter. it is a great way to unwind and clear your thoughts. one thing that makes this park unique is there are donkeys to feed and pet near the fence. it’s like your own free petting zoo! don’t worry it is still very clean and fresh smelling;)
what do you think makes a great park? what are your favorite parks in your area?
check here and here for more silicon valley and dc gems!
on saturday, b and i decided to venture up north to spend the day exploring berkley and attend the golden gate fields horse races. b and i had never been to any sort of horse race before so we were quite excited and intrigued to see how we would fare.
golden gate fields is located fairly close to the downtown area of berkley. it is right on the water with some gorgeous views of the bay. the first race began at 1:45pm and we arrived just in time to catch a glimpse of the horses and make our bets. my strategy was based purely on the name and attractiveness of the horse. with names like majestic moment and over achiever why wouldn’t you pick them?
let me tell you a secret… never base it on those two attributes alone.. you will not win. sadly.
b decided to focus on probabilities and how rambunctious the horse was. if the horse was going against their trainers’ orders he knew it would be a good pick. this strategy helped him win three races in a row. i couldn’t believe it.
one time his horse was clearly in third place but at the last second snuck ahead of the other two competitors and took the title by a nose. a nose! my horse’s nose!
can you believe that? we did come out on top with no help of me of course.
it was a lovely afternoon and a great learning experience. i would love to go again with a big group and dress in our southern best. b on the other hand has vowed we can never go again because he needs to keep his perfect score. we will see…
golden gate fields is expansive and not that many people were there for it being the second racing weekend of the season. but not to worry that only meant better seats for us.
sadly, i did not see extravagant hats. guess that means we need to head to kentucky for the real horse racing experience! b is sure to keep his winning streak there.
admission is $5/person with $5 for parking.
or you can go on a sunday and pay $1/person with $1/parking. sounds like a pretty great deal to me!
this weekend b and i headed north to berkley to explore a little bit of the city and attend the golden gate field horse races.
felt like i was in carb heaven stepping in acme bread company. we picked up a baguette and a loaf of cholla for saturday and sunday’s dinner. i have only ever eaten cholla when made by my sister and was excited to see they offered the authentic jewish bread.
browsed through mignonne’s vintage revivals. they have quite the collection. now if only we had more space in our apartment…
found a delightful and authentic mexican cantina in berkley. check back later in the week for a full review!
nothing better than sundays reading and lounging at the park.
the park we went to had the most charming homes across the street. it made me fall more in love with palo alto.
b loves pizza. like if calories weren’t an issue eat it 3 times a week love it. along with french fries.
i am a fan as well but i prefer homemade styled pizzas with fresh and diverse toppings. something a little edgier than your typical pepperoni pizza.
one of the problems with pizza is it always seems to take a little longer to cook. sure you can pick up a slice at costco for a couple dollars with relatively no wait time, but most other pizzerias (including chains like domino’s or papa johns) seem to take 15+ minutes. which is usually okay but when i am hungry, i get HANGRY. and b wants me fed as soon as possible.
we were driving back from an afternoon in oakland and i was getting HANGRY. b decided we needed to get off the freeway and find something quick! side note.. i am a picky eater so that combined with HANGRY is no bueno. we ended up exiting the freeway in fremont where we stumbled upon blaze fast fire’d pizza.
hearing “fast” in the name and it not looking like fast food instantly drew us in.
blaze fast fire’d pizza is a chipotle style assemble line but with pizza. you can either customize your pizza completely or pick from their menu and add additional toppings at no charge! b and i decided to try their bbq chicken pizza and art lover. both were created by the staff right in front of our eyes and fire’d up in their wood burning oven as we paid. the pizza was ready to eat 5 min later.
i loved everything about each pizza. their crust is perfectly thin and flavorful. the cheeses were creamy and fresh. sauce to cheese ratio was ideal. all vegetables were crisp and ripened.
and guess what the best part is? blaze fire’d up pizza has locations all across the united states. so whether you live in florida, new york, ohio, california or kentucky there may be a blaze near you!
sometimes you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
sometimes you learn exactly what it means to endure.
sometimes your heart is heavy and there seems to be no remedy.
sometimes someone you love is experiencing a battle and you can’t help but cry because there is really nothing you can do to take the pain/sorrow/disappointment away.
it’s times like these where i rely heavily on the words of those wiser than me. these quotes give me inspiration and peace.
i also try to write a list of all my blessings. this helps me to realize that i am not alone like i sometimes have thought. my heavenly father is blessing me. my heavenly father knows my name and the desire of my heart. my timing and his timing are not necessarily in sync, but he is watching and guiding me.
palm springs is the most perfect desert town located two hours south east of la. its’ mid century modern architecture makes my heart swoon. there are a great variety of upscale and cheap eateries as well as many hikes for you to explore the mountains. i have loved this city since i was little. we visited it every summer for about 5 years and always right around my birthday. i can vividly remember the water slides, unlimited root beer (to stay hydrated of course) and cool ac when you first step into your hotel room. we used to stay at the westin (primarily for the kid friendly water slide and day camp), but this year decided on the marriott (both are located in palm desert, which is a short 15 min drive from the heart of palm springs). palm springs will always hold a special place in my heart.
DAY 1
7:00pm dinner at trio (downtown palm springs) – trio’s diverse menu and trendy atmosphere left me knowing i had picked the perfect place for my birthday dinner (two birthday groups and a bachelorette party surrounding us also knew it was the place to celebrate). their slogan is “where palm springs eats” and i can completely see why. the water misters surrounding the building and posh decor even made eating in 100 degree sound desirable. trio even decorated our table with confetti in honor of my birthday. that combined with bread upon arrival instantly won them a couple extra brownie points. although trio may not seem like the most kid friendly place, the wait staff would tell you otherwise. our waiter was sure to keep the bread coming and brought my nephew’s entree with the starter salads. my sister was very thankful and impressed with how attentive he was to kids’ needs.
we ordered coconut shrimp, beet salad, tomato salad, lamb shank, seared ahi and red snapper. every entree was superb. my family could not stop complimenting each of their dishes. we were very full and thought about skipping dessert but, just as we were about to tell our waiter, he brought out a giant strawberry cupcake. it was a great ending to a divine meal.
8:30pm walk around downtown (downtown palm springs) – this is the best time of day in palm springs, when the sun is setting and temperatures lower to the 80s. It is a delight to roam s. palm canyon drive with the warm breeze in your hair. trio is located about half a mile north of the downtown area so you may want to drive down to the center and explore from there. there are many furniture stores, galleries (including palm springs art museum), restaurants, souvenir and dessert shops to peruse. It is a quaint street and not much is offered once you stray a block off of palm canyon drive. do take a gander at the plaza theater where the fabulous follies’ show used to take place. it is a everlasting piece of history in palm springs.
9:30pm grab a shake at great shakes- now that you have walked off a little of your dinner you must try a shake at great shakes. their shop is located in the heart of s.palm canyon dr. i love the variety and richness of the shakes. great shakes uses homemade ice-cream, mini donuts, fudge, whipped cream and marshmallows when constructing each respective shake. i had to try the s’more shake. look at those perfectly browned marshmallows! yummmmm
DAY 2
9:30am shopping at just fabulous (palm springs) – head to north palm canyon dr. for fabulous shopping at just fabulous. it is a charming shop with books, cards, calendars, stationary, music and art work. it would be easy to lose your self for hours in the unique treasures just fabulous has in stock.
10:30am brunch at norma’s (parker palm springs) – oh my goodness, words cannot even begin to describe how fabulous brunch is at norma’s, but i will try! norma’s is located inside the iconic parker palm springs (you know the hotel that was designed by jonathon adler?). from the moment i stepped through the large orange doors i knew why this hotel was so beloved (by celebrities and locals alike — the pool security told me richard gere comes to stay often). norma’s is located in the back corner of the lobby. its’ bright colors and mod decor made my hear skip a beat. then came the menu. oh that menu was so expansive. every item made my mouth water. we decided to try the donuts, very berry brioche french toast, waz-za, artychocked benedict and a custom omelette. everything was cooked to perfection. i especially loved the lemon curd that topped the donut holes and artychocked benedict. norma’s serves a classic benedict in the heart of the artichoke. how smart is that? you may remember my obsession with perfectly poached eggs and norma’s didn’t disappoint.
12:00pm walk the grounds of parker palm springs – you must walk the grounds of the parker palm springs while you are there. their lemonade stand, bocce ball courts and croquet set up is delightful. we walked around the hotel with my sister and parents who couldn’t get enough of the architecture and colors. we all plan to stay there the next time we are in palm springs. every corner you turn has another picturesque scene.
1:00pm relax by the pool – and now it is time to bask in the pool during the hottest portion of the day. there is really no other way to enjoy the city at this time. we brought floaties and good books and plopped down at the pool for a couple hours. this is the perfect way to digest the heavy brunch and prepare your pallet for what is to come. side note… i am now halfway through a hundred summers and it is hard to put it down. it is a light story about love, friendship and life decisions. i can’t wait to give you a review once i finish!
3:30pm juice break at fresh juice bar - maybe my vacations revolve too much around food but, i can’t help it. i feel like a big part of experiencing a new city is indulging in the food ( as well as the sights). but around this point in the afternoon when i am completely exhausted from the heat, i need a little pick me up. fresh juice bar was the perfect place. it is located in the downtown area of palm desert (many shops such as kate spade and jcrew were located nearby if you are in the shopping mood. cabazon outlets are another great place to shop, which are about 30 min from palm desert). fresh juice bar puts a lot of emphasis on pitaya instead of acai in their bowls. supposedly it has a lot more health benefits. i tried the pitaya tropical bowl and was a little disappointed. i felt like it is was less flavorful than the acai bowls i am used to. next time i will stick to what i know and love. my parents tried their juices — zinger and immunity rocket. both were quite tasty and fresh. it was the perfect boost to get us through the second half of the day.
8:00pm dinner at fresh agave mexican bar & grill – b actually picked out this place and i think my whole family was praising his choice by the end of the meal. sometimes the heart (and the stomach) just want some good old fashioned mexican food. we called two minutes before leaving the hotel to tell them that we had a big party with two high chairs. to our surprise, the table was already set upon our arrival. the service just kept getting better from there. chips and salsa were immediately brought to the table, which was hard not to devour. upon request (and an added fee) your server will make homemade guacamole right in front of you. that is how you know you are in a great mexican restaurant. the menu was extensive with authentic and americanized mexican cuisine. i chose a beef tostada and b decided on flautas de pollo. the portions were large and all entrees were served with rice and beans. some of the best beans i have had might i add. we held off on dessert this time around ( i know a rarity) because we still had more mississippi mud cake back at the hotel. and nothing can beat that.
DAY 3
9:30am palm springs aerial tramway- confession… we did not head to the tramway this time because we were there for so short and we had two kids with us that don’t love the car. it is about 40 min each way from palm desert. i do hear it is spectacular though and hope we are able to experience it the next time we are in the area. for those of you who don’t know what this is, people board a tram for steep 10 minute ride to take in the views of chino canyon. you are at an elevation of 8,516 ft by the end of the ride and are able to take in some pretty spectacular views. there are some great hikes at the top as well as camping grounds near by. the first tram ride begins at 10am and costs about $24/person. i also hear it is a must see/do because you escape the heat for a little while. have any of you guys ever ridden the tram? is it worth it?
12:00pm grab a date shake for the road at hadley’s orchard - our last stop in palm springs was hadley’s orchard. hadley’s is famous for their date shakes. i have had about 3 date shakes in my life but trust me when i say it is famous for a reason. the chunks of dates that come slurping through my straw were perfect. it is a very sweet and refershing date shake. i loved having a little piece of palm springs with me for part of the drive home (very long drive so i needed some relief).
there were a few places i did not have a chance to check out (mainly because they were on summer break) that i hope to experience next time: cheeky’s(downtown palm springs) – for brunch las casuelas terraza (palm springs) – for lunch, try to sit outside crave(downtown palm springs) – dessert bar that offers happy hour.. need i say more? copley’s(palm springs) – this was my first choice for my birthday dinner, but glad we ended up with trio workshop kitchen + bar- would be a fun dinner spot (didn’t look kid friendly)
and if you are chomping at the bit to go to palm springs now, don’t forget to check out my packing guide for more palm springs advice!
what are you favorite things to do, eat and see in palm springs?
okay, i know i promised a city guide to palm springs this week but, i feel like i blinked and the week was already over. my day job has been taking it out of me these past couple of days. don’t you worry though, you will receive a much anticipated city guide next week, i swear.
on a brighter note, tgif.
i know i had a shorter work week but man am i glad it is friday. b and i plan to take it easy. maybe a little exploring berkley here and a farmers market there. i am ready to have b all to myself. the past 3 weekends i have had to share him with all our lovely visitors and i have loved it, but sometimes you just need some alone time. you know?
do you remember when there used to be a segment on abc called tgif? where new episodes of family matters, step by step and boy meets world were premiered? those were the nights. b and i really love tv shows (far more than movies) so we thought why not make our own tgif for this date night?
we air popped some popcorn (the way popcorn should be made in my opinion), threw some kale in the oven for kale chips and settled down into our cozy couch to enjoy some of our favorite tv shows that we are currently obsessed with. this got me thinking. what would we classify as the top 10 best tv series of all time? b and i have been going through tv series since we were dating so we have a good variety to choose from.
when b and i were dating long distance, we used to watch one episode of prison break a week and then talk about it on our skype dates. i loved it. it was almost as good as watching it together.
after much deliberation, we nailed down the top 9 tv series of all time. it was hard to pick a tenth. i wanted to leave it open in case a new mind blowing series were to come along.
what is your favorite tv series? what should b and i dive into next?
we are currently watching the second season of hannibal, which truth be told is a little too dark but b finds it intriguing.
as you may already know, my birthday is a double edge sword.
on the flip side, i love everyone else’s birthday. b’s birthday might be my favorite day of the year. i love planning for weeks to make sure his day is extra special. i love the small details of organizing a party with loved ones and friends. i love showering b with extra love so he knows how special he is to me and how grateful i am that he was born. this weekend i now remember where this love of others’ birthdays came from. my darling mother.
this little lady surprised me with homemade ice cream pie and flower balloons the night before my birthday. she hugged me tight and told me how she vividly remembers my day of birth 24 years ago. she made me feel excited for the following day.
the 10th day of august began with eggs and toast cooked with love by my b. the afternoon brought lunch and lounging by the pool. you better believe i basked in the sun on the swan. i came back from the pool to find the hotel room completely decorated with streamers, party hats, flamingo center pieces and straws. my heart was beaming. this is the way birthdays should always be celebrated. completely over the TOP!
i haven’t spent my birthday with my mom and dad for about 5 years so this was such a treat. yes, b makes an incredible effort to make my birthday special but, there is nothing like a mother to make you feel like the most loved person in the world.
my mom and sister, m, spent 4 hours baking that cake up there. yes, 4 hours!
m lovingly bakes a treat for everyone’s birthday. she called me a couple weeks ago to see what i was lusting after this year. i found a recipe on martha stewart for mississippi mud cake and knew i had to try it. baking a mississippi mud cake is not complex but, is comprised of four layers so it is very time consuming.
she assured me she was up for the challenge.
i have never tasted a better cake. it had everything i have ever wanted.
first layer is oreo cookie crust.
second layer is flourless chocolate cake.
third layer is dark chocolate pudding.
cake is topped with whip cream.
i may have to have this cake every year…
the night ended with everyone going around the room and stating why they loved me. this is a tradition in b’s family and i love how we have extended it to my family. i hope to keep the tradition in our own family someday. it is a great reminder of what other people see in you and that you may not think about.
i think 24 may be the best year yet (crossing my fingers).
this weekend we traveled south to spend 4 days in palm springs with my wonderful family. i couldn’t have asked for a better birthday weekend. 24 is looking bright. be sure to check back later this week for more birthday details and a 36 hour guide to palm springs!
what did you do this weekend?
oh and sorry there will be no #cityweekly post this week due to my much needed long weekend. we will resume in two weeks!
