I think I will make a post about something other than cars, because it is getting old for me too. On Friday morning we slept in, which was much needed at this point of the trip. Once everyone got up and around, we went down to the main LA Farmer’s Market (they have expanded this thing tremendously since we were last out here 10 years ago). Angel led us to her favorite Brazilian meat-on-a-stick booth. I was anxious to try the fried Yucca, since I had never had it before. Needless to say it really was bland. It could of used something sweet, or more salty. After we browsed around for a bit, we headed back to the house where Brian and Matt then headed off to the Peterson Museum, but you have heard enough about that already.
My sister decided her and I would go to the Korean Bath House for some royal treatment, while the boys were at the museum. Was this an experience! I suppose I wanted adventure so I got it. Basically, you go in, get naked and run around for hours with other naked women (of all ages, shapes, colors, and sizes) soaking, steaming, getting scrubs, massages, facials, etc. And swimwear or clothing is not allowed! So me being the modest person I am, I just wanted to cover myself up, but the Korean ladies will have nothing to do with that. At home we have recently been encountering many ladies at the local YMCA who decide they want to trot around naked, which is fine with me. It’s the “lets have a conversation while I am naked part” I am not really good with. So, basically, I am fine being around other naked people, I’m just not one for parading around in MY birthday suit. If you have never been to a Korean Bath House, look it up. It’s all about rituals and history which is sort of interesting. You basically line up on tables (one naked person after another) and they scrub you, massage you, facial you, etc, while you take a full on shower in between each item. It was a great experience and have found one in Dallas I may go try out.
After the experience at the Korean Bath House, we had a lovely Italian dinner with my cousin, sister and her husband at a local place in their old neighborhood. It is a family business and the Mother of all the others that work there is from Italy and cannot speak English. Need I say more about the food….Amazing! We went back to my sisters and looked at old pictures from our childhood, while I did laundry and ironed Matt’s clothes.
Matt got up Saturday morning to head to Irvine for the long awaited Cars and Coffee thing he has been wanting to go to for years in Dallas since our friends moved there 5 years ago. He thought it was pretty great, according to his post. While he went to that, I went to the local coffee hang out my sister and her husband go to regularly and meet up with their neighborhood friends. It was so neat to have a mix of different people, from different places, and different walks of life all at one table. Makes me think the world is right in some places. We had brunch at Blu Jam, where the French toast was just amazing. I am going to try and recreate this when I get home.
We left LA around 2:00 pm. It took us about an hour and half to just get out of the city limits, problem numero uno. We took the PCH/California 1 (Not the 101) North towards San Francisco. We drove through the mountains, and past many farms which was very nice. As you drive past, you could smell the fresh strawberries in the fields. It is freezing here. We had the top down in the car and it was 59 degrees. We were trying to get to Monterrey last night. But, by 8:00 pm it was getting dark, we had been in the car most of the day, I was hungry, so what happens… I start crying. This is the story of my life right now. I felt like the second half of the day was a failure, so I needed to regroup.
We basically stopped at Big Sur for the night. I didn’t want to miss the gorgeous drive by doing it in the dark, as this part of the trip is the whole reason we brought the Miata. So, after paying the most I have ever paid for a hotel room in my life, and Las Vegas prices for dinner we went to sleep gearing up for day two of the San Francisco drive. It was so worth it. It puts us a bit off schedule, but we will work it out in the end.
One small rant before I leave you for the day. As we were driving up here, we had to stop at a Rest Stop. I know this is going to sound bratty, but I really feel like they need to have attendants there. That was one of the nastiest bathrooms I had ever been in. So, as I write in about the unnecessary construction at the Grand Canyon during peak season, I might also write in to the “California Trans” department about how they need a “flip the switch if this bathroom needs attention” policy, if an attendant is not going to be an option.
Oh and I am sunburned, that is all.
REALLY off to San Francisco this time.
