Packing with Butterfly

Woot!  Today, Gotta Mosey welcomes its first Guest Blogger!!!  This is an exciting moment for the blog!  So with no further ado, enjoy learning to how to pack as instructed by my daughter, Butterfly!

“As long as I’m not living out of a suitcase, I’m happy.” - Jacquelyn Jablonski

My life is a big trip. Since 2009, I’ve been out of my homestate over twenty times, culminating in what is easily the biggest road trip of my life - my five-month stint as a touring intern with the Institute for Cultural Communicators! This trip was five months in an unpredictable van with three pieces of luggage - a duffel bag, a garment bag and a purse. If that doesn’t teach you how to be a great packer, nothing else will! Before my tour, I used to stress for days about how to bring all the stuff I was positive I would need (read: I like to prepare for the worst by bringing absolutely everything I would possibly need, which comes in handy when it isn’t being a giant pain as it comes to packing). Now, I’ve discovered the perfect system for how to be an excellent packer and I come to share my extensive (cough, or something, cough) experience and knowledge of packing with the adventurous travelers of Gotta Mosey!

Here are a few probable packing problems you may encounter.

Scenario: Your trip is taking you from the land of Sun and Spring to the desolate wilderness of winter. Umm, how is all your cold weather gear supposed to fit in that suitcase?

Solution: First of all, why in the world are you leaving your springtime paradise?! If you don’t like the warmth, you could always send it here! (One of the many reasons I am SO excited to be headed to California in a couple weeks! SUNSHINE. NO BLIZZARDS.) If you decide that you still want, for some unavoidable reason, to travel to the land of frostbite, here are a few packing tips.

• Wear your thickest items on the plane. Poofy sweaters, clunky boots, and your winter coat are all good items to NOT pack. If you layer right, you won’t  even have to wear it all for the whole flight - a coat or sweater can come off and be stowed under your seat.
• Roll clothes tightly (you can even use a strip of blue painters’ tape to keep things tightly rolled) and fit those into the bottom of the suitcase. The heavier things can weight them down and make it possible to get your suitcase shut all the way.
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario: Your shoes are all made out of brick, you had to bring four gold bars and a small elephant in your suitcase. Fifty pounds? Not gonna touch that.

Solution: As unlikely as it is that you’ll be packing gold bars and elephants, suitcase weight is a trouble for all of us uber-prepared (read: frightfully overprepared) packers. So before you despair of needing a forklift for your suitcase, try these tips:

• Start with a smaller suitcase. You’ll be surprised how much you can fit in, and a compact space means less likelihood of running over your weight limit.
• Consider how much heavy material you’ll need to pack. If you need three pairs of shoes, a full bottle of shampoo instead of a travel size, and a canister of lemonade powder (don’t laugh - this is a true story and the lemonade almost put me over my weight limit), you’ll want to consider how to pack your other heavy things. Can you put some of them in a carry-on? Bring lighter weight clothes? Pick some of it up when you arrive?
• Fifty pounds is a LOT. I traveled for five months and my suitcase was only forty-five pounds. You can do it. It’s very possible.
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario: Uh-oh. Split zipper. Clothes everywhere. Not. Good.

Solution: True story. The first time I traveled out of state my zipper split early in the trip and I carried around a messy suitcase for two weeks. Bad news and so embarrassing. While it is a trick to deal with a split zipper, here are a few ways to work with a broken suitcase:

• Carry safety pins and pin shut the opening to your suitcase. Use many pins!
• Repack your suitcase so that it’s less full and it doesn’t push the zipper out too much.
  
  
  
  
  

Scenario: You need to pack a jar of vinegar/live marmoset/dozen bottles of pills/bee hive and now your bag is sloshy/squealing/rattling/buzzing. You’re starting to get worried that you’re going to get kicked out of the airplane. Forcibly. While in the air. Unkindly.

Solution: Hey, we don’t judge here. If you need to pack something totally bizarre, that’s okay. We understand that. I’ve possibly packed weirder. Try these things to pack your strange luggage:

• If it makes noise, package it in socks, or if it is too large, a piece of clothing. This will lessen suspicion in your odd luggage.
• If it’s drippy or breakable, wrap it in a plastic bag, and try to lay it in an additional layer that you don’t mind getting a little messy (a towel, pillowcase, or inner pocket work well.)
• If it’s alive... um... Sorry. I really have no help for you there. If it’s alive, make sure I’m not sitting next to you on this plane!

And there you have it, adventurers! Butterfly’s foolproof plan to excellent packing. Keep practicing, and someday, you too may be able to pack like a boss! What are your best packing tips, tricks or terrors? Share them in the comments, because I’m always up to learn more about packing. In the meantime, it’s time to get packing because I

Gotta Mosey!

Spring Thaw Singin'

"California dreaming on such a winter's day." - The Mamas and the Papas

The main thing I am going to miss when I travel to California in ELEVEN days is listening to a California playlist for two days while driving into the state.  This year, since I am flying, I won't have that kind of ramp up time.  I get two and half hours.  That's it.  But, I have decided to compile a list anyway, and listen to it for the whole week before I leave.  I think it will add a sense of enjoyment to the mundane tasks of printing and organizing.

Feel free to join me.  If you are in a wintery sort of place, it may be just the bit of sunshine you have been needing.

With no further ado, I give you - Jill's Top 5 Songs of Her California Playlist


5.  California Sun - The Ramones
It is COLD where I live in Colorado presently.  I am looking forward to a nice thaw.  The beauty of this song is that it starts warming me up just listening!  AND...this rendition is performed by the Ramones!  Which makes it totally cool.  So, you get a Hot/Cool thing going on, which I believe honors my home Sunshiney State and my current Beautiful but Really Chilly State of residence!

4.  Route 66 - John Mayer

There is no denying...I am going to miss the Road Trip to California.  The ONLY nice thing about driving through Gallup, New Mexico, is that at least you are on a historic road...AND you can sing this FAB song over and over and never get sick of it!  

3.  Do You Know the Way to San Jose? - Dionne Warwick

Everyone knows California Girls, Surfer Bird, Ride the Wild Surf, and Wipeout.  Southern California has some amazing beaches.  But, I can't stand Southern California.  Smog, traffic and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks make me steer clear of the whole bottom half of the state.  My heart resides in Northern California.  In the beauty of the Redwoods, big ocean bluffs and....the Silicon Valley (?!).  Well, a lot has changed since Dionne recorded this song...there is less room and probably more fame and fortune are found in the Valley up north than in Hollywood.  But, I have a lot of friends in San Jose just like Dionne....so I guess it hasn't changed THAT much.  Great folks still live there!

2. Folsom Prison Blues - Midas Whale

Okay...I got no one to visit there.  Just making that clear.  But, my guilty pleasure is NBC's The Voice and two days ago they had a magnificent team sing this song and this is an underhanded attempt to expose you to it.  Check it out!  (totally downloading the song...you should too!)

1.  California Dreaming - The Mamas and the Papas

If I have to explain why this is on the list, you have never heard the song.

Ahhhh....I can already sense the feeling returning to my toes!  I am thawing out just listening to these classics!  What are your favorite travel tunes?  Let me know in the comments section....I have ELEVEN days to fill with music!  Right now, I

Gotta Mosey!

California Cool

"I don't mind not being cool."  said no one EVER in California.

As I continue to wait out the bad weather, I am perusing the California Pinterest Boards.  There is one thing I am reminded of when I look at all the pins.  It may have its problems, yet nothing but NOTHING says "Cool" the way California does.

The state's name comes from a Spanish romance novel set on an imaginary paradise island called, California.  The name seems to continue to mean "extraordinary" to this day!  If you want to make something better, brighter, cooler...tag it "California".  It's kind of the Elvis Presley of US States!

Need more convincing?  Consider the following:

Ferrari CALIFORNIA Convertible

1968 CALIFORNIA Special Mustang

Convertible CALIFORNIA Car Beach Cruiser

Baja (CALIFORNIA) Bug

Affordable CALIFORNIA Housing

Disney's CALIFORNIA Adventure

Vans CALIFORNIA

This is probably a good time to mention that while adding the label, California, to tennis shoes, pizza, amusement parks, cars and houses makes them jump multiple points on the Coolness Factor Charts, it also makes them about 300% more expensive than say, Osh Kosh (Wisconsin) clothing.  Because, really, what cool stuff ever came from Wisconsin?  Cheese?  Turns out California has the market on Cool Cheese, too.  Don't believe me?  Check it out...

One last thing to take note of is the California Cool food subculture.  

CALIFORNIA Grilled Cheese

CALIFORNIA Hot Dog

CALIFORNIA Clam Chowder

CALIFORNIA Rolls

CALIFORNIA Eggs Benedict

CALIFORNIA Roll CAT FOOD!!

All of these meals and more have a distinctly California flavor to them.  And by California, I mean "avocado".  And by "Avocado", I mean, "add 2.00 to any menu item".  Just another pitfall of enjoying the special culture that is California.

I have to admit, all this cruising Pinterest is leaving me hungry (literally) for California! I need to work on planning some more.  What is your favorite California Cool?

Gotta Mosey!

Only in California

"I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it."  ~ William Shakespeare

As I continued my exploration of Pinterest while being snowed in, I realized something;  growing up in California all my life, I didn't really have the chance to see how unique it was/is.  But now that I live out of state and have traveled to many other states, I can see that there is no state quite like California.  There are things that only grow there, only created there, only exist there and if you haven't experienced it, you are probably missing out...on something...not quite sure what, but surely there is some green hole in your life that can only be filled by a trip to the Golden State.  I am hoping that these sights and experiences will encourage you to plan a trip to my home state some day.

The most outstanding attributes of California, lie in it's natural beauty.  Nowhere in the world can you witness breathtaking beauty like Yosemite National Park and the awe inspiring coast of Big Sur.

Yosemite Valley

Big Sur

One of the lesser known natural wonders of California, though, are the La Brea Tar Pits.  Ironically located in, La Brea, California.  Brea is the Spanish word for tar, and also gross, as well as sticky and yucky.  Google it.  This area of Southern California is covered with pits of tar that trapped dinosaurs back in the olden days.  There are still dinosaurs stuck there...

Only, that's not a real dinosaur.  And, actually, no dinosaurs were ever there, just old and big mammals.  The remains of one person has been found there, too.   La Brea is really just a giant pool of flypaper.  Whatever wandered in to the tar pools, stayed there and got eaten by other animals who used the pits as animal traps.  You can't see any remains in the pits.  You just walk around the grounds admiring bubbling, stinking, asphaltum imagining animals are stuck in it.  And, like everything else in California, you pay for that privilege.  In my opinion, in a state that is in a constant state of road construction, it is wiser to save yourself the Tar Pits' 12.00 admission and set up on the side of the road that is being resurfaced and wait for a small, unsuspecting animal to wander by.

Another element that California is known for is uncommon wildlife.  The Tule Elk are a subspecies of elk native to California.  There are amazing elephant seals on the coast.  But one of the most unusual spectacles of wildlife is the California Condor. Scientists rescued the last of the condors in the late 80's and started a rigorous rehabilitation program.   Once nearly extinct, there are about 226 of them in the wild now.   The condor has a long and rich history with the indigenous peoples, as well as scientists, of the areas where they once flew in vast numbers.  And those people tell of the history of Condor.  Condor, it is said, used to steal people and chop their heads off while trying to drown Ground Squirrel in the blood according to the Mono tribe, whose name, loosely translated, means "Are you Scientists Crazy Saving that Murderous Bird?!". Here you can see their attack instincts in action:

But perhaps the most fascinating zoological species to inhabit California is one that may likely be extinct in the state now.  No, I am not talking about the Grizzly...which has been extinct in the state since the 1920's but is still on California's flag and remains their state animal to this day.  No, I am talking about Sasquatch.  There is no denying the existence of Bigfoot.  Here is proof, shot in California...

Most reports indicate Bigfoot is alive and well in the way north of California, where incidentally, most illegal marijuana is grown.  Though sightings have dwindled in California, Washington State, who, interestingly enough, just legalized marijuana still reports run-ins with the creatures frequently.  And in Canada, where they pass time by drinking Screech, Sasquatch still makes regular appearances.  Coincidence?  I think not.

There are so many incredible sights to see (or not see, in the case of Bigfoot) in California.  These are just a few that I realized other parts of the US have not been able to experience.  Sure, those other states have things that California does not, but I'm not headed to those states, so who cares?

Gotta Mosey!

Pinterest Travel Fashion Tips

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." ~ Coco Chanel

Generally speaking, when one starts a travel blog, it is good if one, say, travels.  It kind of brings the whole experience of travel to life for blog followers, if the author shares their actual experiences.  Kind of neat how that works.

I travel quite a bit.  And by "quite a bit", I mean; sometimes.  But, in starting this blog, I committed to traveling much more.

But I live in Colorado.

Where it snows.

A lot.

And this year has been punishing.  Usually, where I live, we get snow, but it doesn't impact us much.  Living in the Colorado sunshine 300 days a year means that the snow melts before it can hinder you.  But, this year! Oh boy!  We are still short on snowfall....BUT...every time we get snow this year, it is in the form of a blizzard!  This has put quite a damper on my travel...and my travel blog.

So what is an adventurer to do when she is snowed in?  Glad you asked...

I spend a lot of time of Pinterest.

If you are like me, Pinterest just seemed like a lot of random stuff all in one place.  I didn't really get what to do with it.  It just seemed like something to do while I was stuck in a waiting room somewhere.  But, recently, Butterfly taught me more of the ins and outs of the board pinning site.  Seems I had been doing it wrong all along.  I had tried to use Pinterest practically.  If I saw something I would never use or ever do, I automatically ruled out pinning it.  I only pinned craft ideas for my co-op, recipes I would lose if I wrote them down and shoved them in my kitchen drawer filed them in a hard to reach place, ideas for entertaining and landscape ideas.  (Okay...landscape and yard decorating isn't practical given how I HATE gardening, but I was trying to inspire myself).

Since Butterfly freed me from the bondage of factual common sense, I have a new lease on travel life while I am snowed in!

Since I have thrown in the practicality towel on Pinterest, I decided to extend that mindset to my travel plans as well.  I know the most comfortable clothes to travel in are sweats and tennies, but I have decided that I want something more.  Forget the casual slop of current day travelers!  I intend to travel in style from now on.

Ah, the good ol' days...when flight attendants were stewardesses, airlines still gave you snacks for free and anyone could move about the cabin as they pleased!  But seriously, look at those suits...and I am talking about the women!

You may be thinking that this outfit is really only rational for travel with Dr. Watson on a foggy London escapade.  Agreed.  But, hey, this is Pinterest where anything goes!  I am particularly fond of the green cape and blue gloves, which I TOTALLY do NOT need on a trip to California, which, of course, in a Pinterest world, makes them perfect beach wear for my upcoming excursion!

I am not sure I can really call this outfit retro, as it is a steam punk outfit, which I think is futuristic, if our future never evolved technologically.  So, technically speaking, I think it counts as retro.  Don't quote me.  Anyway, the outfit is superb, and I want to wear it  the next time I go somewhere.  And also speak with a British accent when I do!

Admittedly, there will be some days where I just won't feel like wearing layers of capes and corsets, so I may want to wear something a little more roomy.  Still, I like the retro perspective on travel, so I am thinking this outfit may be my best bet for lazy travel wear days:

The nice thing about this outfit is, I can use the optional cape and backpack if the weather or accommodations turn ugly.

I like all of the above outfits because they have such a sense of flare and flamboyance to them.  But, sometimes, you just want to fit in.  So, this is what I will be wearing when I go to Asia (or San Francisco's Japantown for sushi):

This way, I won't stand out and attract too much attention as an "Ugly American", who is insensitive to the culture I am visiting.

I can't wait to board planes, trains and automobiles in these smart traveling fashions!  They bring a whole new element to vacationing for me!  I am a firm believer the the clothes not only make the person, but the trip, too!  But what about when I reach my destination?

Really, it depends on where one is traveling.  In my case, my soonest upcoming trip is to California.  There are the usual clothing options for beach and warm weather:  shorts, flip-flops, Vans.  But, I found a couple of  inspirational, can't-live-without-while-I'm-in-California items that I am sure you will appreciate, too!

Are these happenin' or what?  Oh yeah, with these babies, I can go right from the plane to swimming in the big, blue Pacific!  No waiting!  No changing!  Especially if I pair them with one of these hot bathing suits, which happen to also be completely appropriate for air travel...and church, for that matter!

Oh wait!  I just remembered, I HATE swimming in the ocean!  There are more sharks there than in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which definitely puts ocean swimming on the banned list for me!  But, I do like the beach...and beach fashion.  So maybe something like these Venice Beach, CA necessities are better for me:

What do you think?  Even though I won't go in the ocean to surf, I can use the board to balance on the super cool tennis shoe skates!  Oh yeah, just call me Malibu Barbie Jill!

And these are just some of the gems I found on Pinterest for my travel planning! You should follow me. I can't wait to share more in the coming days!  Until then, I

Gotta Mosey!

Roundashout

"The only way round, is through." ~ Robert Frost

"Unless you're in Michigan." ~ Jill Yuen

Well!  Wouldn't THIS tutorial have been handy before my trip to Hamlet, North Carolina, where I nearly lost my life on a Roundabout for FOUR days straight?!  If you missed that little joy ride, you can read about it here.  The short version of the story is that Roundabouts are...I am just going to say it...they are stupid!  

Anything that requires a three minute video lesson, and demands you  travel to your destination by going in the opposite direction of said destination, is complete nonsense.  Not to mention, nearly impossible to exit without hurting someone. Or losing your mind.  Or both!   

I find it necessary to mention here that the above video is the short version.  The actual full length video is over 9 minutes long!  All that to turn left....after first being forced to go right.  It takes less than 30 seconds to just turn left, and no tutorial is necessary.

After I found this informative film clip presented by the Michigan DOT, I looked up additional tips for attempting to drive in Roundabouts on their website.  Here are some of the nuggets they shared:

1.  Slow down as you approach the Roundabout.  I am just saying...if it were a normal intersection, we could actually stop before entering.  But slowing down as you approach a Roundabout means you won't be able to get on the traffic circle, because everyone else who is already on it, is stuck. The drivers are stuck because the outside lane people can't figure out where to exit and the inside lane people can't get to the outside lane because it is packed with people trying to find their exit.  So, the outside traffic slows down as they try to discern which exit they want, and because they are dizzy from driving in circles, they can't figure it out.  Meanwhile, the inside lane drives faster because they are trying to find an open space in the outside lane.  That is why the outside lane is dizzy...because before they made it to the outside lane, they were speeding around the inside of the circle.  Those entering the Roundabout have a choice to either stop and wait until the inevitable pile up happens and they can squeeze past the carnage, OR, floor it and say a prayer.  Slowing down to enter is not an option.

2. Use the sign guides and lane designation markers to choose the appropriate lane for the intended destination.   Again, just pointing out the obvious, I am sure, but, if this was a normal intersection, we would only need a stop sign.  And it would be right in front of us.  And obvious.  Here are what Roundabout signs tell you:

Mind you, this picture puzzle is not right in front of you, but on the side of the circle, as you are turning away from it.  But, even if it was right in front of the driver, they would still need a manual to decipher the meaning of the sign.  (Which is another reason the outside lane slows down so much...it's hard to turn the wheel and scratch your head at the same time)  So, as the driver continues around in the circle, they continue to look back to try to figure out how in the world they get off that crazy thing!  (Cue George Jetson music...."Jane!  Get me off this crazy thing!")

3.  Look for pedestrians and bicyclists as you approach the crosswalk.  Yield to those intending to cross.  PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS?!  I just want to make a simple left hand turn...not run an obstacle course!

4.  Slow down as you approach the Yield sign and the dashed Yield line.  Look to the left and see if other vehicles are traveling in the Roundabout.  Of course they are!  We already established...THEY CAN'T GET OFF!

5.  Once there is an adequate gap in traffic, enter the Roundabout.  Do not stop or change lanes once you have entered the Roundabout.  Ummmm....what is that second lane for then, if you aren't supposed to change lanes? I think that lane is the Lane of Lost Hope.  It is where people go when they have been driving on the Roundabout so long they have lost any hope of ever exiting.  They enter the second lane with the prospect of finally running out of gas so that they can at least keep from throwing up.

6.  As you approach your intended destination, signal your intent to exit.  Look for pedestrians and bicyclists as you exit.  Whatever.  I am getting off that Roundabout any way I can...each man to himself!

And just to help you fully understand the driving instructions, the Michigan DOT includes this simple (?!), helpful (??!!) diagram:

OR...how about this instead?  We could all stop and take simple turns and be done with it!

One last thing to point out from the MI DOT informational page is that one of their stated purposes for using Roundabouts is for aesthetic reasons.  It's true.  Their page says, "Roundabouts create an area for communities to provide green space and landscape architecture.  There are no large poles, overhead wires or signals cluttering the visual environment."  That's true, but the twisted wreckage of all the cars that lay by the wayside make it hard to enjoy the visual environment.  And also, the lunatic ravings being screamed out car windows as drivers try to exit makes me think their philosophy is flawed.

I will travel back East this summer.  In the East, they LOVE Roundabouts.  I am starting a letter writing campaign to Apple asking them to make an app for my iPhone before then that can help me avoid traffic circles.  I think they should call it Roundashout and it should scream bloody murder anytime you come within a half mile of a traffic circle.  Let me know what you would call it.

Gotta Mosey!

The Streets of San Francisco

"Racing is life.  Anything before or after is just waiting." ~ Steve McQueen

If you have been reading my blog recently, you know I am gearing up for a trip out West to the Golden State of California.  I have prepared for packing fiascoes, airport issues and flying hassles.  I thought I was done planning the bulk of my trip when I realized one thing - Butterfly and I want to go to San Francisco's Chinatown and we don't have a car.

Now, I am researching one-day car rentals to get into the City for some good food, interesting shopping and art gazing.  Turns out, renting a car for use in San Francisco isn't as straightforward as renting a car in say, Kansas.  The hills in San Francisco require that you consider your rental carefully, while also brushing up on special circumstance driving tips.

Here is what I have learned so far:

Because of the hills, drivers in San Francisco need to remember the basics of parking.  Most visitors to the City don't live on hills like the ones found in San Francisco, so it is important to become reacquainted with how to park on them.  When parking on a down hill, turn your wheels toward the street.   When parking uphill, turn them the opposite way.  Or is it the other way around?  I can never remember and I just read the parking tips five minutes ago!  I am going to avoid the decision all together and park at this lot where my car will be safe from downhill rolls and other cars.

Hills also propose a problem for people when they are driving....unless you are Steve McQueen.  I am thinking when I go to San Francisco, I am going to rent a Mustang 2008 Bullitt Edition.  Because surely, if Ford has gone through all the trouble of re-releasing the Mustang Fastback to glorify and memorialize the 1968 car, they want us to drive it like the original, too.  At least, that is what I am counting on!  Me and Butterfly on the Streets of San Francisco.  Just like Steve! Oh yeah.....

Travel BUMMER alert!  You cannot rent a 2008 OR even a 1968 Mustang Fastback to drive in San Francisco.  But, wait til you see what you CAN drive in San Francisco!  I am thinking this is our best option for touring the city.  Parking will be no issue, no engine to worry about stalling...AND...we already own one Big Wheel, that Butterfly can use.  Now, if I can just get my hands on a Scootcase, I will have something to ride, too!

I need to find an American distributor of the Scootcase so I can go test drive one for handling on curves and hills!  If you have a lead, let me know.  Right now, I

Gotta Mosey!

California Funshine Dream Destinations

"The coldest winter I ever spent, was summer in San Francisco." ~ Mark Twain

Butterfly finishes her college courses this Saturday (WHOOP!), and after she sleeps for a week, I am looking forward to planning some Dream Destination stops with her for our trip to California. I miss our friends and family in the Golden State, but I don't miss living there.  There is much to be said for the clean air, blue sky, mountains and breathing room of Colorado, where we now live.  That said, there are some places in California that just can't be replicated in any other part of the world...and I want to make sure that we get to revisit them while we are there!

Without further ado...here are my Golden State Dream Destination (NorCal edition):

1.  San Francisco Chinatown.  San Francisco Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America.  It is comprised of only 24 blocks. The open air markets and apothecaries and bustling crowds are fascinating to take in.  The architecture from the street lamps to the Dragon Gate are also stunning.  I also enjoy watching the elders playing Chinese chess in Portsmouth Square. Another fun thing to do is take a tour of a fortune cookie factory (I hesitate to call it a factory, as it is just one small room...but fun to watch). Currently, ten of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors are on display with other artifacts at the Asian Art Museum in Chinatown and I would like to see that.   But, the main reason to go to Chinatown is for the food!  Restaurants, big and small, abound and you can eat from one end of Chinatown to the other and never eat the same thing!!

2. Gizdich Ranch.  Gizdich is a family owned farm in Watsonville that has acres and acres of fruit!  Admittedly, the best time to visit the ranch is in summer when the berries are crazy on the vines!  You can pick strawberries, blackberries and gigantic ollalieberries!  Besides their berries, they have a large apple orchard consisting of 16 varieties of apples, which may be picked in the fall.  Also, in the fall, they have a pumpkin field.  So, what is in season when I am there in April?  PIE!!!!  Gizdich makes the BEST pies ever!!!  While the fields and orchards may not be ready with ripe fruit in the spring, the pies are ever available.  The ranch also has a working apple press for their amazing juice that you can watch in action throughout the year.  My favorite thing about Gizdich pies, is that they top off a meal from my absolute favorite restaurant in the world, which is just down the highway from Gizdich and is stop #3 of my Dream Destinations.

3. Phil's Fish Market.   Oh. My. Goodness.  Ohmygoodness! OH MY GOODNESS! I make their amazing cioppino at home, but there is something about rolling in off the beach into this actual cement floor, sandy, no-frills restaurant and ordering Fettuccine with Crabmeat and Bay Shrimp in a Saffron Cream Sauce that just can't be reproduced at home!  There is absolutely NOTHING fancy about Phil's except the food.  Often, the line is long...but well worth the wait.  Bring a sweatshirt, as the market is somewhat open air.  And put a pin on the map to show where you are from.  Probably the nicest thing about Phil's...is Phil, who can almost always be spotted checking in with the patrons!  Oh...I am hungry now!

4. Monterey/Carmel.  Hands-down, the most amazing real estate in California is this area!  And on the 17 Mile Drive, you can see the best of the best of this area!  Wildlife, ocean life, seals, Pebble Beach and other golf courses, amazing homes and ocean views are all peppered along this stretch of California's coast!  I find the need for oxygen whenever I go on this drive because every view from every angle is breathtaking!  

Carmel is gorgeous, and Ocean Beach is a phenomenal place to take a walk on white sands.  But, just up the street from the beach is MY favorite place in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  The Cottage of Sweets is a candy shop that sells old time candy and unusual treats, too.  When we go, we ALWAYS order the Turkish Delight.  But, the most delightful thing about that Turkish Delight is not the candy itself, which is pretty extraordinary, but the conversation.  The man who owns the shop will start a whole Narnia conversation with you if you order it.  He stands about 5'6" and when he asks you who your favorite Narnia character is and why, he is happy to share that the height challenged Reepacheep is his!  Because little guys can do GREAT things!  It is definitely worth the stop in.

As stunning as the Monterey Bay area is...there is one place that everyone loves that I HOPE I do not have to visit.  I say this in vain, because I am usually outnumbered by the people I am with.  But, I just have to say, if I never ever visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium again, it will be too soon. 

Okay....these guys are safe.....but....

Dark and Scary Monterey Bay Aquarium

I know that the aquarium is world-renowned and considered quite a feat in aquatic study and development, but to me it is a nightmare just waiting to happen!

I should mention that a close second to my fear of flying is fear of aquariums.  Well, not the aquarium itself, but the things IN the aquarium.  And not really all things (I really like the bat rays), just some things.  Mainly, sharks.  And besides being afraid of flying, aquariums and sharks, I also am petrified of earthquakes.  And also drowning.  So...when I am at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, all I can think is that we are going to have some 8.0 earthquake, all the glass is going to break and it will be a race to see whether I drown or get eaten by a set free shark first!  Oh, they try to make it all friendly with cute, little bat rays you can touch, shorebirds, fun-loving otters and innocent touch pools...but the sharks are just waiting for their big chance at a last meal!  Don't laugh....it could happen.

Gotta Mosey!