wish i were there

Heidi's Big Sur Recommendations

Heidi of 101 Cookbooks has a yummy-looking recipe for homemade power bars, accompanied by a bit of how-to video and some footage of her trip to Big Sur where she ate them.  She also recommends a few variations on the recipe, as well as where to stay (Treebones, a coastal "yurt hotel" I've mentioned before - she recommends #8 or #15) and where to hike (Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP, on the Ewoldsen Loop).

The Ewoldsen Loop is indeed a beautiful hike, and is just nearby of the best spots to get a look at McWay falls, a beautiful little waterfall that ends in the bright blue-green cove - the water is so clear, it feels like Hawaii or something.  There's a quick but crowded spot to check it out, starting at the east end of the Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP parking lot.

I also recommend taking Partington Cove trail, which is also in the JPB state park but has a trailhead about 2 miles north, just off of Highway 1.  It really looks like nothing - you park on a turnout just off of Partington Creek Bridge, and head through a cattle gate down a steep fire road.  It gets brushy after a bit, and the terrain keeps changing - next it's redwoods - until you pass through a  little tunnel and suddenly, you're on a rocky little landing.  When we were there, the only other poeple we saw during the entire beautiful hike were a group of local teenagers picnicing - fishing, playing the guitar, and completely ignoring our existence, even when (especially when?) we started freaking out because we saw a whale.  There's also another fork along the trail that leads to a spectacularly private cove - tons of rocks to scuttle and scramble over to get to the rocky beach with huge crashing waves.  Stunning.

check out this useful and well-photographed site, hikinginbigsur.com, for more ideas, and these previous posts from yours truly for more Big Sur planning.

NYC greenmarket

even if you come to new york from a haven of farmer's markets - like me, in southern california - where i think it is possible to go to several farmer's markets daily in lieu of ralph's if you were so inclined - you really should still go check out the legendary greenmarket in nyc's union square.  it is a special experience in such an urban setting - this is not only a destination, but a place that many people simply must pass through in their efforts to get elsewhere, so it provides for wonderful people watching and a truly new york experience.  clearly, things must keep moving in nyc at all times, as you can see from this video of alice waters explaining how she shops the greenmarket.  that other customer just cannot wait for her fruit, she must get in there! she must get her berries as quickly as possible, cameras be damned!  hustle bustle, hustle bustle.  don't be confused by the lush array of vegetable and plants -it sure is new york city, after all.

here's the print article (with recipes) in case you can't get the video to load.

high desert test sites

the annual andrea zittel-sponsored high desert test sites is coming up out in joshua tree on may 12-13...  i highly recommend it.  it's a great opportunity to be able to be a part of something sponsored by one of contemporary art's most notable artists - not just by or about the artist, but her collective vision and community.  um, can you tell that she's one of my favorites?  she makes me want to only eat out of bowls and live in one tiny room to maximize my efficency.  (ps - be sure to check out her show at moca right now, too.)  anyway, we went last spring and weren't able to see everything because we just drove out, spur of the moment, from los angeles.  some of the work we saw was quirky, some was unimpressive, some was definitely stimulating.... overall, it was a great experience.  it's supposed to be a smaller presentation this year, but we recently invested in a bunch of camping equipment for our trip to big sur so we are going to try out some desert camping and spend the night at the indian cove campsite just inside the park from 29 palms.  i have heard really good things about other campgrounds in the park, specifically ryan campground, white tank campground, and belle campground, but  indian cove is a bit closer to HDTS, and accepts reservations, so there it is.  i bought this guide to the park by james kaiser and it has been really helpful - he's very frank about his opinions.  the author also maintains a helpful website with some links to lodging; you can find it at jameskaiser.com. 

as far as hotels go, i remember hearing about a cool little place to stay in town where many of the rock climbers and joshua tree adventurers stay after a long day of adventure.  i can't remember the name, but here are some decent-seeming options i found from a google search and from the afore-mentioned site:

• 29 palms inn - unambitious (but doable) cabins and bungalows.  rates anywhere from $85 to $280.
  
• joshua tree inn - where gram parsons spent his last days, and other music legends (rolling stones, donovan, emmylou harris, the eagles) have stayed "over the years"... i'm sure it wasn't recently, but it looks like an interesting place with a good amount of history, nonetheless.  rates are $75 - $95 per night, with deals for a weekly rate
• spin and margie's desert hideaway - 4 suite hacienda-style bungalows, each with a kitchenette.  colorful, semi-crazy decor with mexican blankets and brightly painted walls.  could be better in person than it looks online...  rates are $115 - 150 per night.  i'm generally not into the b&b scene, though.
• rosebud ruby star - a small inn with 4 private bungalows.  2 night minimum.  of the four, i think i like the biltmore bunkhouse the best - $370 for 2 nights.  but again, not usually in love with b&b's...
• harmony motel - where U2 (one of my least favorite bands of all time) stayed as they worked on their joshua tree album.  recently renovated, but with not much charm - very boring cheap-looking decor, and by boring i don't mean minimalist. anyway, not at the top of the list, but very inexpensive - $70 a night.  also has one private cabin, the "jack kerouac cabin" for $80 per night.

considering the burgeoning art connection in joshua tree,  i wish there were a motel that rocks it like the thunderbird motel does in marfa, texas... there's enough style in palm springs, i guess, but it would be nice if someone did it in a more remote area.  if you don't mind not staying in the thick of joshua tree, i highly recommend hope springs out in desert hot springs, just next to palm springs.  what an gem - we stayed here last november, and i cannot recommend it highly enough.  serene, lovely, well maintained, out-of-the-way but not too disconnected, with friendly but non-intrusive hosts.

oh, and here's the wikipedia travel guide to j-tree. 

my architect...

continuing with architecture.... some serious destination inspiration came to me from the 2003 documentary my architect.  since seeing that film, i have been slightly obsessed with the idea of visiting louis i. kahn's national assembly building in dhaka, bangladesh. The building began construction in 1962 and was not completed until 1983, and was truly the pinnacle of kahn's career.  whether you enjoy the movie or not, hopefully you can see past his flaws as a human and just respect his life's work (see the imdb message boards for a little bit of comical shortsightedness).  there is an utter serentity to kahn's works - they seem strong and confident, but very much at peace, which definitely seems at odds with his personal affairs.  check out this site for some intriguing photographs of various kahn works, including the national assembly, by an architect/photo-hobbyist, as well as this book  - an incredible, in-depth exploration of the national assembly. 

the only kahn i've seen was when the husband and i were in la jolla a few months ago, and on our way to visit a friend... we passed the salk institute and couldn't help ourselves - we pulled in and walked around the exterior, peeking up into the building from the front of the fountain (it was a saturday, and the building is not open to the public except for special tours at noon every monday, wednesday, thursday, and friday, with reservations required).  we'll have to go for one of those tours next time, it definitely seems worth it.

speaking of modernists...

johnson in 1949 at glass house

budget travel online has a nice article about the recent opening to the public of philip johnson's glass house, and a great accompanying slideshow that mentions other modernist residential masterpieces that one can visit.  here's the rundown, in case the slideshow disappears:

• the glass house by philip johnson - new canaan, connecticut; tours from $25. 
• fallingwater by frank lloyd wright - mill run, western pennsylvania; tours from $16.
• villa savoye by le corbusier - poissy, france (40 min from paris); tickets €5
• maison la roche by le corbusier - paris, france; tickets around $4
  • also operated in paris by the fondation le corbusier: immeuble molitor - appartement de le corbusier.  refer to same site for information.
• schindler house by rudolph m. schindler - west hollywood, california (around the corner from me!);  admission $7.
• gropius house by walter gropius - lincoln, massachusets (about 30-45 minutes from boston); tickets $10.
• paul rudolph house by paul rudolph - new york city; only open the first friday of every month for a $20 tour - reservations required.
• rietveld schröder house by gerrit rietveld - utrecht, netherlands; tickets €16 and reservation practically required.
• farnsworth house by mies van der rohe - plano, illinois (about an hour from chicago); tickets $20.

and might i add a few recommendations of my own? 

• check out this old post about the sonneveld house in rotterdam, the netherlands; russel wright's dragon rock in upstate new york; and mies van der rohe's krefeld villas in krefeld, germany.
• for some reason (maybe it's the oppressive government, maybe it's the pollution, who can really say...) china is one of the least appealing places in the world to me.  really, i am dying to go everywhere, except there.  well, okay, i'd go, but it's maybe the very last location on my list.  my husband is all up in china's grill, though, and is dying to visit.  we'd both be happy, though, if it meant going to the great (bamboo) wall house, by kengo kuma, which is located outside beijing near the great wall.  bamboo house is part of a development which may deserve more of a post later, but for now go here to whet your appetite or check out this beautiful book about all of his work.  okay, so he's not a modernist, but whatever.

big sur bakery

a couple of popular places that we want to check out when we get to big sur....

• big sur bakery - when we get sick of camp cooking! looks like they have some great treats...
• henry miller library - to check in with the parton saint of big sur
• a hike into the julia pfeiffer burns SP - to see the only waterfall that runs into the pacific over 80 ft. granite cliffs!
• deetjen's - possibly for a meal, or at least to check out this historical little haunt.  would love to stay here on a non-camping trip sometime!
• nepenthe - for a drink on the terrace to take in the can't miss view (i hear the food, however, is definitely missable - mediocre and overpriced)
• monterey bay aquarium - maybe a side trip before we head home?  only if we've had enough of the wilderness...

big sur is on the books!

so, it took me quite a while to post, and yes, i have managed to travel a bit in the meantime....  but the next adventure on the books is my very first camping trip as an adult!  I haven't camped since girls scouts in the 5th grade, and my husband is in about the same place, so we are pretty much starting from scratch with this whole "roughing -it" thing, as you may have gleaned from previous posts.  we will be heading up to big sur at the end of april, and  will be staying in the pfeiffer big sur state park (in the redwood canyon) - not to be confused with the julia pfeiffer-burns sp (closer to the ocean).  i had some input from friends when trying to sort out where to stay in big sur, but in the end i chose the pfeiffer big sur state park since it seems like the classic.  it's also quite large and seems to have great facilities.  i managed to reserve us a site amongst a pocket of tent-only sites over in the weyland area, just off the river that runs through the park.  i hope it's lovely!  more to come as i prepare for the trip throughout the month, and any suggestions are welcome!

el dorado hotel, sonoma

i'm in love with this place - the el dorado hotel in sonoma, california.  so many wine country inns and hotels have that "quaint" grandma's house feeling - maybe i am particularly averse since my grandma's house never  felt like that, and thank goodness.  anyway, i don't like victoriana in my everyday life - why would i want to vacation in it? 

the el dorado hotel thankfully gets it right, from the looks of their website.  clean vintage-inspired lines with a touch of nor cal character, and a fabulous looking restaurant to boot.  It's located on the sonoma plaza, which is a charming little downtown-ish square.  prices are decent - ranging from $155 to $225, depending on the room and season.  i have some family (not grandma!) in sonoma, so when i make it up there - maybe this winter - i'll be sure to post a review.  have you been there?  post a comment and let me know how it was!

redwood hugging....

what is with my fascination with camping these days?  your guess is as good as mine.  it must be life in california that's turning me all outdoorsy.   a friend of mine just returned from a long weekend in big sur, and she proclaimed its glories.  i knew all that, even though i've never been. ( i have a runnning shortlist of places to stay and dine and explore... would you expect less from me?)  she gave me the lowdown on the cabin- and tent- camping end...  and she was able to recommend a few places over others, thanks to her many trips there over the years. before i lose the post-it and get confused by all the pfeiffers, here goes:

• big sur campground and cabins in pfeiffer state park (tel. +831.667.2322) the big sur campground and cabins are in the redwoods.  there are other places to stay that are located on the beach, but she highly recommends the redwoods (to start, at least).  she said this place is fairly close to the big sur lodge, which means it is located well.  she mentioned that it is a bit more spread out than some of the other campsites, which is a good thing - you don't want to be right on top of some irritating family that plays offspring on their radio all day while their bratty kids run amok, do you?  as a design-snob aside,  i loathe the faux-rustic typeface that the big sur lodge uses.  but what does that have to do with anything?  it doesn't.  oh well.
• fernwood resort and campground (tel. +831.667.2422) this is where she stayed most recently, and says she doesn't like it as much as some of the other campgrounds because the cabins are too close together (as you can see in the pictures on the website).... however, somehow she had great luck on this visit and found a secluded spot, tent cabin no. 10!  try to request that one if possible - and if not, at least something a bit more secluded and nestled away in the redwoods.  the tent cabins are adorable from the outside - funny-shaped and made of canvas - but make sure to bring sheets to cover up thse creepy vinyl mattresses.  fernwood also has a motel with 12 rooms, but i think i'd prefer to rock it cabin-style than suffer those bedspreads.  also of note is that fernwood is on a river, with little swimming holes scattered about. tent-cabin rates are $60 per night for 2 people, $10 additional per extra person with a maximum of 4 people per cabin.
• ripplewood resort (tel. +831.667.2242) is also on big sur river in the redwoods, and it seems like you would want a cabin on the riverside (which would be no's. 1-11).  there aren't any pictures of cabin interiors on their site, but there are pictures of each individual cabin shown.  i found a view on tripadvisor of one interior, though - very country-bumpkin.  i'd personally rather have bare-bones  than someone's weak attempt at cottage-chic, but oh well.  (are you thinking, why oh why can't i afford the post ranch inn?  get a hold of yourself, now... we're talking camping!)  prices range from $120 - $150, with a few cheaper cabins at $95.
• treebones resort (tel. +877.424.4787) less cabin, more yurt. by the beach and 45 minutes south of big sur town, the yurts are decorated simply, and some have gas burning fireplaces.  and let's not forget the DIY waffle breakfast!  rates range from $129 to $250 per night, depending on your view, and do have some minimum stay requirements on weekends.  you can also pitch a tent (waffles included) for the bargain price of $55.
• limekiln (tel. +831.667.2403) this is a true campsite located on the edge of the national forest, about 20 to 30 minutes outside big sur.  you call to reserve a site; they have shower facilities on site.  camp on the beach!  yeah!

also, keep in mind that big sur can be confusing because there are 2 state parks that are similarly named (julia pfeiffer burns state park and pfeiffer big sur state park).  the big sur chamber of commerce has a nice camping guide that spells it all out, with some helpful pdf guides and maps to download and print, to boot.

now, if you forego cabins and just get a tent, you can refer to the big sur camping guide for many other options.  if you do go that route, domino magazine has an inspiring little look at camping in their june '06 issue - here's what i would pack (some of their ideas, some of mine):

• how about a cute, old-school a-frame tent? by eureka, the timberline 4person 2 door tent ( $159.90)

• a retro coleman battery lantern ($39.95) for nighttime - though i wish i could find the green one they show in the magazine!  (not on the website! and not $29.95)

• a big ol' vintage-look steel-belt coleman cooler ($109)
• some cool blankets to spread out and picnic upon - a wool pendleton blanket from their national park series ($160), or a vintage indian rally-stitch dowry quilt?
• some games to keep us busy - travel scrabble (the jack spade version, $95) and snatch ($20)
  
• this rubber wash bowl ($65) for cleaning up our dishes (or, as domino recommends, our s'mores skewers)
• a pie iron might be good for pre-melting the graham crackers and chocolate squares for your s'mores (dno't you hate it when the marshmallow is gooey and warm, and the chocolate is hard and cold?
• some burt's bees insect repellent ($7.50) will keep the pests away
• a filson canvas duffle ($250) to stow all your goods
  
• a hable construction rucksack ($150)to keep my camera and water bottle in on our hikes through the forest
• and some hable construction camp stools ($95) to sit on around the campfire (oh, and they make a mean camping cot, too)
• this ice cream ball ($29) would be a lot of fun - play catch and make ice cream at the same time?  yeah!  (it reminds me of when i was a girl scout - let's hear it for troop 887!  we used to make pudding in a bag and mini english muffin pizzas in some kind of tin foil oven.  not too shabby...)
• an l.l. bean crank radio ($30) would give us some tunes (when we're not having a campfire singalong, that is)
  

if big sur doesn't float your boat, try camping.about.com - they have a medium campsite review database.

trinkets and doodads...

i was just watching an old episode of a martha stewart show, and she did a segment at a lovely store in san francisco that i must visit next time i am there...  bell'occhio is located at 8 brady street (at market; tel. +415.864.4048), and sells delicious european papers, vintage silk ribbons, and amazing trinkets and doodads a-plenty.  lots of europhile  and francophile treasures to linger over, just perfect for a collector of trinkets and geegaws like myself.  oh, and you can also order online, if you're not travelling anytime soon.  their stock reminds me of a great store called french general (1621 vista del mar avenue, hollywood; tel. +323.462.0818), which i discovered back when it lived in new york city.  lucky for me, french general moved to hollywood a few years back, so now that i am here i am able to take full advantage of it's loveliness again.  if you head over to french general, do print out the map on their site because it is quite hidden away, and call ahead, as they keep uncommon hours.  it's worth the trouble, though...

more seattle finds...

in anticipation of my upcoming trip to seattle, i checked in at not martha, one of my favorite seattle-based craft blogs.  a few trip ideas i gleaned from her site:

• mora ice cream on bainbridge island (139 madrone lane; tel. +206.855.1112) seems to be a destination unto itself, but it doesn't hurt that getting there involves a fun ferry ride to a charming island full of fun shops and sights to see.  and there's even a vineyard on the island!  check out mora's website for why it seems so awesome - they don't mess around with their ice cream, no siree.  here's a ferry schedule - the ride should take about 35 minutes, one way, and costs $6.50 per person. $1 extra for your bicycle... now there's a fun idea!  also, you know i'm not big on b&b's (too much chintz!  too many ruffles!  too much closeness with strangers!), but here's a site dedicated to bainbridge island lodging, most of which (for better or worse) falls into the bed & breakfast category. 
• okay, i live in los angeles, so i need a taco truck like a hole in the head.  regardless, here's a blog dedicated to the taco truck wonders of seattle, should i feel homesick or something.  (sidenote:  we have a taco blogger here in LA as well, who can be a great resource when seeking out new trucks to try.... but none of the taco trucks in the world can compare to our strip of tamale carts in downtown LA, led by mama's hot tamales café, which has given the area a chance to revamp it's image.)
• daiso is one of japan's biggest 100-yen stores - the japanese equivalent to our ever popular $1 store.  i love all things japanese - and i am lucky enough to live near some great dollar stores that sell mostly japanese items.  however, the prospect of a dollar store that is actually HQ'ed in japan is too good to resist - and daiso has opened their first US location in lynwood, washington, a short 15 minutes north of seattle.  here's an article about the daiso phenomenon, and here's another and another.  they even have a wikipedia entry, check it out.  so, if the husband is willing to let me drag him to yet another japanese dollar store - while on vacation, no less - he wins the big prize of my undying love and affection.

santa barbara wine tours

the husband and i had an excellent time in santa barbara on our pseudo-camping trip (i know, i know - i will eventually get to reviewing it!) - and we managed to squeeze in some visits to a few wineries while we were there.  we wished we had done a few things differently with regards to the tastings, however.  first of all, we would not go on a weekend again - the tasting rooms were very crowded with just enough obnoxious people that put a bit of a damper on the relaxing, lovely experience.  secondly, we wished we had someone to escort us, because we couldn't visit as many as we would have liked since we didn't want to drink while intoxicated.  we saw some people being driven around by limo - and it just felt a little trashy to me, i have to say.  there's a relaxed elegance to most of the vineyards, but the experience shouldn't be about trying to impress anyone - the whole scene is far more down to earth than that.  when we got back, i was telling a friend of mine (the same gal who recommended some excellent places to go) about our experience, and she wholeheartedly recommended a tour company called cloud climber that offers jeep tours around the santa barbara/santa ynez wine country.  she said that her guide was super knowledgable, and led them to some really great places.  for $100, they will guide you around the beautiful countryside to four different wineries, with a stop to pick up some great sandwiches for lunch  somewhere in the middle.  the $100 also covers all the tasting fees.  that sounds worth it to me - we will definitely try it next time.

more palm springs getaways

two more places to stay in the palm springs area:

• desert star bungalows - with a minimalist mid-century decor, nice pool, private spaces, and fully equipped kitchens for only $130 - $180 per night.
• hope springs - in desert hot springs.  simple, relaxing spaces with 3 mineral pools to sink into.  10 rooms, some with kitchen, $175 - $190 per night.

they are much more relaxing and serene than the parker or the viceroy - i am plotting my next getaway already!

palm springs thrifting

next time i'm in palm springs, i must go to the angel view prestige thrift store, as recommended by la.com.  i imagine it's like my favorite thrift stores in arizona, out in sun city... where there are retirement communities, there's good thrift to be found!  angel view thrift stores are all over the desert, but it sounds like this address is the place they send the best of the designer goods:

angel view thrift
886 n. palm  canyon dr.
                    palm springs, 92262

760-322-2440 for locations.

the best pie in arizona

if you know me, you know i like pie.  i am not quite as crazy about it as these folks (barbara and bill windsor), but bless them for taking a trip all around america - no, not in an rv, but in a porsche convertible - to just eat pie and write about it!  those are my people!  yes!  i can't wait to be retired...  anyhoo, for someone like me, their site is a great resource - yup, i like road food as much as i like fancy food.  click for lists of the best pie in america, the worst pie in america, unusual pies (no thanks to that cheddar cheese fudge!), and the complete list of pies - all ranked.  love it.

...but somehow they missed my favorite pie in arizona, at the rock springs cafe and general store (tel. +623.374.5794) in black canyon city.  it's a 30 - 45 minute drive from downtown scottsdale, at exit 242 off the I-17.  it began as one of arizona's first 100 general stores, and they built some of the still standing brick buildings in the early 1920's.  it's definitely a roadside stop - there's a gas station, and a saloon (um, for your non-designated drivers, i guess), and a bit of a general store selling arizona kitsch and tourist trinkets. the real draw, though, is the pie... the coconut cream pie, my favorite kind, is amazing, but they have plenty of other varieties to satisfy your pie lust - crumb fruit pies, cream pies, and their famous jack daniels pecan pie.  it's a popular spot, though, so if you're worried about them being out of your pie, you can always call ahead and reserve one.  if you are on your way to flagstaff, or up for a bit of a drive, this is a required stop.  no, i mean it.  you will thank me.

bill and barbara also missed the pie 'n burger (913 e. california blvd., pasadena, tel. +626.795.1123 ; picture via potatotomato) and apple pan (10801 w. pico, los angeles, tel.+310.475.3585; picture via sundown), two of los angeles' pie institutions.  i'll let it slide for them, since california is such a big state and they had a lot of ground to cover.  but that's no excuse for you!  you're not on a round-the-country road trip!  these are landmarks, people!  so go!

and if you are planning a pie trip of your own, and bill and barbara's lead is not enough, consult american pie: slices of life (and pie) from america's back roads by pascale le draoulec for some extra insight.  i haven't read the book yet, but i did hear this chat with her on the now-defunct npr show savvy traveler.  she describes her own journey across america in search of great pie, and all of the characters she meets along the way.

looking for other good road food books?  amazon also has the bible of diner dining, roadfood by jane and michael stern, as well as their new title, two for the road.

santa barbara wineries

so, i am heading to santa barbara for a long weekend!  hooray!  we are fancy-camping at el capitan canyon, so i will be sure to post a review when i return.  you might recall that i am a bit of an indoor girl, so in case we need a diversion from all the wilderness stuff, i asked a friend who knows about wine to offer up her recommendations for some vineyards to visit.  she notes that there are so many more to choose from, but that these are her favorites on both counts of wine and atmosphere.  here we come, sideways style!  (minus miles' depression, loneliness,and anxiety, i hope!)

• sunstone  - open daily 10am - 4pm, $7 tasting fee (125 refugio road,  santa ynez  +805.688.9463) directions? coming from the south, take highway 101 north.  exit highway 246 buellton, and turn right.  follow highway 246 all the way through solvang and into santa ynez.  turn right on refugio road.  sunstone is located down by the santa ynez river, just before, on the right.
• sanford - open daily 11am - 5pm, $5 tasting fee (7250 santa rosa road, buellton +805.688.3300)  directions?  sanford winery is located just outside of buellton, five miles west of highway 101 on santa rosa road. it is a one-hour drive north of santa barbara, 150 miles north of los angeles and 300 miles south of san francisco.  driving from santa barbara, take the santa rosa road off ramp (it is before the main exit to buellton and solvang). at the stop sign, turn left over the freeway to another stop sign, and left again, then you will be on santa rosa road. proceed west 4.8 miles to 7250 santa rosa road. the entrance way is on the left and a small sign says "sanford winery tasting room" is at the entrance. proceed up the gravel drive through the vineyards, to the left across a creek built of stone, to the tasting room and office.
• blackjack - open thursday through monday 11am to 5pm. (2205 alamo pintado road, solvang +805.686.9922 ) directions? from the intersection of highway 101 and 246 in buellton, go east toward solvang. proceed through solvang to the stoplight intersection of 246 and alamo pintado road. go left (north) proceed four miles and blackjack ranch winery will be on your left at 2205 alamo pintado road.
• melville - open 11am to 4pm daily. (5185 east highway 246, lompoc +805.735.7030) directions? from the 101, exit for highway 246 towards lompoc/solvang.  turn left at highway 246, and drive approximately 9 miles until you see melville.
• the hitching post - bar opens at 4pm, dinner available from 5pm to 930pm. (406 east highway 246, buellton +805.688.0676)  directions?  take highway 101 to the lompoc/solvang exit.  travel east towards solvang for 1 1/2 miles. the hitching post is on the right side of highway 246.
• kalyra - open m-f 11am to 4:45 pm, saturday and sunday 10am to 4:45pm.  (343 north refugio rd. santa ynez  +805.693.8864)  directions?  from highway 101, exit highway 246 buellton, and turn right.  follow highway 246 all the way through solvang and into santa ynez.  turn right on refugio road.

it is duly noted that there is a tasting room right next door to the santa ynez inn that has great wines from santa barbara wineries that don't have tasting rooms...  also noted is the not-my-style decor of the santa ynez inn.

this article from santabarbaraca.com is really informative... it gives a full rundown of the wine regions in the santa barbara area, and mentions wineries to visit and places to stay.

also check out the website for the santa barbara vintner's association for events and tastings... they have some printable maps of the area that are really useful - all the vineyards are marked with a picture of their respective labels, in case you drink enough to recognize by label (i wish i did!)

i love a good farmer's market, and santa barbara plays host to my favorite ever, downtown every saturday from 8:30 to 12:30, on the corner of santa barbara and cota streets.

and if you want to pretend you are not only camping, but also in provence (yay!), you could go to clairmont farms, a lovely, family-owned lavender farm.  i may have to save that for my next trip - don't want to mix my metaphors, shall we say.

flea market guide

southern california is is a great place to buy vintage - flea markets abound, and there are so many it can be hard to keep track!  here's a rundown of the rotating schedule of the best los angeles flea markets:

• pasadena city college - first sunday of every month.  no admission fee, and i hear this is one of the most affordable and accessible of all - lots of local rose bowl vendors come to this, with lower prices.  many l.a. locals prefer this market.
• rose bowl - the second sunday of the month.  admission $20 between 5am and 7am, $15 betweeen 7am and 8am, $10 between 8am and 9am, and regular admission begins at 9am, at $7.  free parking.  everyone's heard of the rose bowl... the market lasts until about 3pm, when the prices get lower and everyone is just trying to get rid of things - that's when you can get some great deals. it's huge, so wear comfortable shoes!
  
• long beach antique and collectible market - third sunday of every month.  held at veteran's stadium, this is another enormous one to tackle.  admission is $10 from 5:30 am to 6:30 am, and $5 from 6:30am to 3pm.  same principle as the rose bowl, and as at any flea market - the later it gets, the cheaper things are.
• santa monica antique and collectible market - fourth and fifth sunday of every month.  admission is $7 from 6am to 8am, and $5 after 8am - location is the santa monica airport.  this one, i have heard, is on the pricier side - loads of high-end antiques and serious collectibles.
• the bustamante shows - an almost-monthly antique and collectible book fair in varying locations, generally around pasadena or santa monica.

... and here are some l.a. area markets that are held weekly:

• melrose trading post -  every sunday, $2 admission.  held at fairfax high school, on the corner of melrose and fairfax, the profits from this weekly show actualy benefit the school district!  it's a nice manageable size, perfect for a casual browse.  great vintage clothes - keep an eye out for shareen.
  
• peddler on the roof - less vintage, more crafts - and throw in some local "fashion designers", as well... eek.  i haven't been to this, so be warned - this could be questionable.  10am - 4pm, the first saturday of every month, admission is $3 with free parking.  held at the top of the parking structure at the sunset gower studios.
  
• roadium in torrance / redondo beach - open daily, from 7am to 4pm.  i haven't been to this one either, but it seems like there is a lot of new stuff mixed in with the vintage items.  admission varies from $.50 to $1.50.  weekdays are geared towards vintage and collectibles, with wednesday being the best day to go, i have heard.  weekends are primarily focused on new items.
  
• san bernardino outdoor market - from the same people that put together the rose bowl every month, this one is held every sunday.  admission and parking is free.  lots of new stuff, unfortunately, cuts the focus of the market.
  

here are some other general flea market links:

• an article on some of rachel ashwell's favorite flea markets.  who doesn't want to know where the instigator of the whole shabby chic phenomenon shops?
• good housekeeping's top ten flea markets, nationwide.  how did i live on the east coast for 4 years and never make it to brimfield?
• fleamarketguide.com - a comprehensive listing of flea markets across the country.
• a yahoo guide to "collecting events".
• openair.org - this gets pretty global, which is interesting... it sort of seems like someone's graduate thesis project, or something.  the site promotes outdoor markets of every kind (flea, farmer's, souks, etc.) and discusses the economic and social roles these markets play in society.    not as user-friendly as i wish, but check out the archives and links.
• even more listings of california flea markets.

wishing for a long weekend...

wow.  after a really rough week at work, i had an idea to have a bit of a local escape from all the stress.  i was hoping to lie about in a fluffy hotel bed, soak in a fabulous hotel bathtub, and hibernate all weekend in an attempt to recover!  unfortunately, i was foiled by president's day weekend.  everyone was booked, or only had their most expensive rooms available.  we went out for an amazing dinner instead, and i am still glowing from our meal at jar, 12 hours later.  but here are some of the options, next time the urge should strike for a much-needed getaway...

in los angeles area:

• hotel casa del mar, santa monica  :: 310.581.5533 :: 
• maison 140, beverly hills  :: 310.281.4000 :: 
• avalon hotel, beverly hills  :: 310.277.5221 :: 
• malibu beach inn, malibu  :: 310.456.6444 ::
• viceroy, santa monica   ::  310.260.7500 :: 
• the belamar hotel, manhattan beach  :: 310.750.0300 ::
• shutters on the beach, santa monica  :: 310.458.0030 :: 
• chateau marmont, hollywood  :: 323.656.1010 ::
• downtown standard, los angeles  :: 213.892.8080 ::
• the crescent, beverly hills  :: 310.247.0505 ::

in santa barbara:

• inn of spanish gardens, santa barabara  :: 805.564.4700 ::
• hotel oceana, santa barbara  :: 800.965.9776 ::
• bacara resort and spa  :: 877.422.4245 ::
• san ysidro ranch, montecito  :: 800.368.6788 ::

in palm springs:

• korakia pensione, palm springs  :: 760.864.6411 ::
• parker palm springs  :: 760.770.5000 ::
• viceroy palm springs  :: 760.320.4117 ::
• movie colony, palm springs  :: 888.953.5700 ::

in the o.c./ san diego:

• casa laguna, laguna beach  :: 800.233.0449 ::
• montage resort and spa, laguna beach  :: 949.715.6000 ::
• rancho valencia, del mar  :: 800.548.3664 ::

san francisco pizza

what's with the dearth of amazing, traditional, italian-style pizza in my current home of los angeles?  could it be that angelenos are just too sacred of the carbs and cheese?  admittedly, i have not yet been to casa bianca out in eagle rock (it's so far awwaay!), but that is my last hope for anything as good as phoenix's pizzeria bianco, my standard by which all are measured.  i have found my one and only acceptable new york-style stand-in (mulberry street in beverly hills, of all places), but it's no ray's (the real original, but not called original or famous, or famous original, just ray's, on prince street).  anyhoo, enough NY pizza snobbery...  101 cookbooks got me thinking about san francisco as a pizza destination, so a bit of research later and... now next time i'm in SF, here are the options tucked in my back pocket to get a good fix:

• pizzeria delfina - nice review at vinography on aug 4, 2005, who has oodles of great SF restaurant reviews on his blog.  the owners also have a well-regarded italian restarant just down the block called, uh, delfina.
• pizzetta 211 - another vinography review, and one at chez pim, another favorite SF foodie.  out in richmond, wherever that may be, and so many negative comments about their service....
• a16 - in the marina (hmmm...), but the website looks promising!  reviewed here, here and here.

also, a potentially interesting resource for SF travel that i just ran across: love to know san francisco. haven't spent much time here, but could be worth investigating further.