Hotel(s) California

Jan 31
13 min read

Hi there! Here we go! This was our last day in Canada for who knows how long, and we've been spending our time in the Bay Area of California, so let's catch up! As our first MAJOR JOINT blog post, we've colour-coded the writing: red-highlighted sections are written by Katie, and blue-highlighted sections are written by James (in case that wasn't clear enough from the Katie-slander in James' sections).

FYI: This is a long post, so grab your favourite refreshments before embarking on this reading journey :)

Day 1: Saturday: Making it to California

Given the success of our last airport Uber in Kelowna, we wanted to give them a chance at redemption. Unfortunately, we were stranded again. But this time, instead of on the side of the road in -18°C weather, they cancelled our ride at 1:30 AM, leaving us few options to make it to the airport, but at least we were still in a warm house. A taxi from Vernon did manage to get us there safely; however, he consistently drove 25km/h under the speed limit, so it was a long drive.

The drive wasn’t the only disappointment of this early morning travel day, and the next one was far worse. The Kelowna airport Subway supposedly opens at 4:30 AM, which would be perfect for us to get our breakfast before boarding at 4:55 AM. However, the morning setup was as slow as our taxi driver, and they didn't open on time, disappointing us and the line of fellow passengers.

Thankfully, the flight was a quick 35 minutes that had us in the Vancouver airport lounge eating hash browns in no time!

Then it was just another quick flight before we got picked up by Aaron & Alex in San Francisco!!

The adventure started right after touchdown, with the first stop being Half Moon Bay. There were two big reasons for going: the first was Sam’s Chowder House. Here, none of us actually ordered the chowder, which, based on the waitress’s reaction, has never before happened in the history of Sam's Chowder House. Our non-chowder dishes were very tasty, and then we proceeded to the second reason for going to Half Moon Bay, the tide pools!! The pools were busy with people, crabs, anemone, and even an octopus that Aaron’s keen eye spotted!!

Can you see it?

James’ cousins, Will & Michael, joined us at the tide pools, then brought us into San Francisco for dinner with their cousin, aunt and uncle.

We had very tasty Korean BBQ, after which we went to a really nice bar with custom alcohol in flasks hanging from the ceiling. Then we tucked in at Michael’s house after a long travel day but a really fun first day in California!

Day 2: Sunday: Elephants of the sea

After a long and restful slumber, we got up and ready for the day with a tasty egg & sausage breakfast and a few rounds of Mario Kart. It turns out that Katie is very competitive when it comes to her karting… So after her crushing losses, we had to appease her with coffee & pastries.

If we didn’t rob her of her victories enough, Tartines (a fancy cafe) certainly robbed her, with 2 tarts, a pastry, and a coffee ringing in at $60…. Thankfully, everything was delicious, as it should be at that price tag.

With the delicious and expensive pastries devoured, we were ready for the main attraction of the day, the elephant seal colonies at Point Reyes National Seashore.

We had hoped to spot a couple seals, luckily our expectations were exceeded and there were plently around. They even made themselves easily trackable with the ruckus and odour trail they were creating.

After spending an hour observing/photographing the colony, the park rangers became as loud as the seal pups, to promptly inform the masses that the parking lot would be closing in 15 minutes and everyone must vacate immediately! To make sure no one had missed the information, reannouncements were made every 2 minutes, with increasing urgency, volume, and use of a cowbell.

We left at their noisy request and met Michael at a nearby beach for the sunset. Unfortunately, Michael, Will, and Katie missed the sunset as they decided it would be more fun to bury me in a mountain of sand; thank goodness they only had their hands/feet, otherwise they would have made quick work of me!

After excavating me from the beach, we made our way back to SF, got a few ginormous burritos, a few ginormous American beers, and finished off the night with a game of Pandemic (at Katie’s relentless request) and LEGO Harry Potter!

Day 3: Monday: pigs, parks, putts, & pastries

Day 3 started nice and chill with a visit to an American diner for brunch. Aptly named, the Pork Store, the many dishes with pig-derived ingredients were very good and very large. I had the largest pancake I ever did see on a children’s menu, but still didn’t get a gold star for joining the clean plate club, like James & Will, werk.

The next stop was to find James some pants, not because he ate too much at brunch, but because he only brought one pair. *this was intentional as the weather in Australia is quite spicy at the moment but a second pair of hiking pants is always a good idea.

James found a really nice pair that only requires minor adjustments on a sewing machine (to be dealt with later at Aaron & Alex's house).

We walked through Golden Gate Park for a while, taking in the sights and views, then headed to the activity that was top of the bucket list when we booked our flights to California: Top Golf.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, it’s very similar to the scene you would see at a bowling alley: many people who are not very good at the sport, but very good at consuming alcohol. Top Golf is that, but with golf and safety nets as the last line of defence between drunk people, a 60' fall and a very expensive medical bill.

Top Golf was super fun and even more so because you don’t need to be good at golf. Some of the best scoring shots came from the worst swings, which worked very well in favour for the Morrison/Mihailas whereas the 3 Woottons were quite good at hitting the ball.

We continued the trend of doing things that we weren’t good at by attempting to make macarons at Aaron & Alex’s. It turns out they are very hard to make. But we did learn vital lessons, such as that tin foil does not act the same as parchment paper, proper macaronage is crucial, and pizza stones work quite well to bake macarons, but you need to make sure to bake them for long enough.

Here are some photos of our most successful macarons.

Day 4: Tuesday: Pinnacles

The day started with scrumptious biscuits made by Alex, followed by a quick Uber ride (by yours truly) to ensure that the core pillars of Apple made it to work on time.

Katie and I had planned for a hike at Pinnacles National Park, so we took off from Apple to make the journey to the land of the California Condor.

We arrived to the birds singing, deer grazing, and vultures soaring in the beautiful blue skies. The hike was fantastic, the small trail wound through the bright red and yellow rock formations left over by ancient volcanic fields.

While we didn’t get to see any condors (even with Katie scanning the skies with binoculars), there was a park ranger counting for the day. He had spotted two and had picked up another 36 with his satellite receiver, a good sign for their rehabilitation project! We kept our eyes peeled on the way down, but still couldn’t spot any. Luckily, there were plenty of Acorn woodpeckers, Stellar jays, and California scrub jays to keep us entertained.

We made it back just in time to grab hot pot with Aaron, Alex, and Will. It was delicious as always, and quite entertaining watching Katie dissect all the nuts/fruits from the broth to attempt species identification.

With our bellies full of spicy broth, we decided to cool off with a scoop of gelato, then a short ride to Will’s (as we would borrow his car in the morning). Once at Will’s, we played yet another board game, this time, Parks, in which you visit national parks, fitting as we had been at one earlier that day. After Will destroyed us in said board game, we retreated to Aaron & Alex’s to live to play another day.

Day 5: Wednesday: Wine Wednesday

After the go-go-go days, we had a nice and relaxing day in Cupertino. We slept in and then spent the morning walking, running and photographing the park just behind Aaron & Alex's house. I went running while James entertained himself with the local birds, then when we met up again, we saw a crazy sight!

We were walking along the path, just past the community farm, when James saw something move in the bushes. He seemed very excited, and when I asked him what he saw, he excitedly responded, "Bobcat!!". At this point, I took in our surroundings and noticed the large group of elementary school children sitting not 50m away from this dangerous feline, as James quickly proceeded towards it, camera first. I stood completely still, contemplating the ethical question: "Am I supposed to tell someone??". A quick Google search informed me that bobcats in the Bay Area are kinda common and mostly familiar with humans, but gave a list of DON'T-DOs including the exact opposite of everything James had just done. For future reference (@James): Do NOT approach, DO maintain eye contact, and ABSOLUTELY NO sudden movements. James did survive, and I think he got some cool photos, so stay tuned for them!!

After the morning excitement, we returned to homebase, did some laundry, then headed to a winery! We stopped at a fantastic Safeway that fulfilled our Subway cravings tenfold then drove up the hill to Picchetti Winery.

This winery was super cool, quite small, family-owned, and we were the only ones there! We had an excellent tasting from the son-in-law of the owners, where I realized I am starting to like red wine!! A momentous event!

We went for a walk on the trails with our wine and met some friendly deer, then headed back home for a bit before RETURNING to Top Golf! You can never get enough Top Golf!

This time, only Aaron, Will, James and I played, but unfortunately, my athletic skills/beginner's luck had worn off. In an entire Angry Birds game, I scored a total of 0 points :(

Day 6: Thursday: Physics Takes A Break

Aaron/Alex kindly dropped us off at the CalTrain for our ride into the city, our first time really getting to check out the downtown area of SF. While some areas were stunning, others invoked a reflex to turn around and find another route to our final destination.

We found our way to our first pit stop for the day, REI (American MEC)! Katie bought her VERY own water bladder (this way, when we hike, mine will still be some left for me) and a pair of SUPER fun hiking pants, which due to their orange colour she aptly named her “Prison pants”.

We decided it was time to leave the somewhat sketchy streets behind and make our way back to Michael’s place. While we could have taken an Uber, we opted for a far superior alternative, a choice that would change our visions of the future, the WAYMO.

Picture a regular taxi, but there’s no driver, and you have control of the music, aircon, and audience for your karoke performances. Absolute perfection! We were blown away by the Waymo experience, and even more impressed with their collsion track record compared to regular drivers, safe to say robot drivers are superior to the current phone addicted regulars on the streets.

With our Waymo safely delivering us to Michael’s, we made a plan for the afternoon, it involved haircuts, coffee, and takeout. I got a quick chop at the local shop while Katie roamed the streets searching for a tasty beverage.

With a fresh chop and a failed search, we decided to try out the local bakery. Unlike most bakeries, at this one you aren’t allowed to go inside to look at the pastries that you'll be purchasing. You have to line up outside first, then only once they call you in, you may proceed. Unfortunately for us (and the blood pressure of a SF local) we weren’t aware of the bakery's strict rules (not that there was any signage to notify us) so a bit of drama ensued, which ended in less tasty delights being purchased than otherwise might have been.

With a poor experience at the bakery we decided to go for redemption at the local Chinese restaurant, thankfully they were fantastic (and even gave us some items on the house) which restored our faith in the SF restaurant community.

Michael and Will joined us in devouring the takeout, and then we embarked to the Exploratorium. For any uninitiated reading, the Exploratorium is a science exhibition that puts the Ontario Science Centre to shame. I mean this place is truly ginormous, we spent the entire evening there and barely scratched the surface.

There were physics puzzles, optical illusions, audio anomalies and more. It was incredible, especially because it was an “After Dark” event, meaning no kids allowed!

After having our minds blown by the exhibits, we decided to grab a few beers and listen to live music at the local pub, and then, with Waymo as our steed, call it a night.

Day 7: Friday: Big trees, Big hikes

After the late night, we had a slow-ish morning, then Will, James and I drove up to Muir Woods National Park for a casual little hike. Well, we originally planned for a casual hike but ended up doing ~18km instead. It was very fun and very beautiful and we kept ourselves entertained by playing rock-rock and tag (until Will dropped his phone out of his pocket and we had to backtrack to find it, so that was the end of that).

The lack of snacks during the hike meant that by the end, we were STARVING. We found the closest Italian restaurant and ended up in the boujie-est little neighbourhood. This town was nice, to the point where we were underdressed to even be walking on the street. At the restaurant, the host seated us in the far back corner, shielding residents from our appearance, which meant we got a private dining experience in their heated patio, so that really seemed like a win-win! The food was delicious, then we drove back to Will's house, where we watched a nature documentary before sleeping very soundly.

Day 8: Saturday: Saturday Sophistication

With a late night of Planet Earth III, we took an easy morning starting with bacon, freshly squeezed orange juice (from the tree in Will’s garden) and Nordic pancakes, a Virre family special.

Then came a short hike (our legs were DEAD after the 18kms the day before) to a scenic viewpoint, where you could see San Jose, Cupertino (including Apple Park), and San Francisco in the background with Twin Peaks standing on the horizon.

Once returning to Will’s we noticed a blowout in his tire, lucky for him they were run-flats! While we figured out what to do for a ride into the city for dinner, we played the best knock-off Mario Kart out there, Beach Buggy Racing 2. A fantastic racing game, with none of the balancing of Mario Kart, resulting in an extremely rewarding or frustrating experience from race to race.

It soon came time to head into the city, but without a car and lengthy public transport we were in a dire situation, thankfully Aaron and Alex came to our rescue and drove all of us in.

The dinner plan was set, a reservation for 5 at EPIC Steakhouse, sponsored by the bank of Kimmy and Kenny. We got one of the best tables in the house, nestled into a cozy corner with a fantastic view of the Bay Bridge.

The food was phenomenal, perfectly cooked steaks, roasted veggies, truffle mac n cheese, potatoes and mushrooms. All topped off with a delicious glass of red, or in Will/Alex/Aaron's case, an eloquent cocktail.

We were stuffed when the waiter brought the dessert menu, but everyone decided they could make some room, and thank god we did, the desserts were sublime.

With satisfied stomachs, Aaron/Alex headed for Cupertino, while Will, Katie and I made our way to Michael’s.

To finish off a perfect evening, we decided to watch perhaps the worst film to ever be released, Baby Geniuses. To say that this film is atrocious is an understatement, it scores a 2% on Rotten Tomatoes which seems generous after sitting through this movie. This pain and suffering was all thanks to Paris, who was responsible for choosing this as our bi-weekly movie for movie club. Safe to say she may have her picking privileges taken away for a while…

Day 9: Sunday: There's a bridge here!

We woke up at Michael's apartment and had a very slow morning before going to Land's End Park, where we saw a very cool bridge! Turns out there is a very famous bridge here! Or maybe there's another one? This one doesn't seem very Golden....

Our walk continued back to Golden Gate Park, then to a sandwich shop very highly rated on Google, and subsequently by us!!

We took our fourth and final Waymo of the trip to the CalTrain station, and then met up with Aaron & Alex once again for some sushi!!

To end the night, James & Alex worked away on the sewing machine while Will, Aaron and I absolutely destroyed at a game of Pandemic!

Day 10: Monday: Monterey

After much deliberation over the wake up/go time we settled on leaving Aaron & Alex’s at 9:15 AM. The plan for the day was to explore Monterey and the aquarium, which we were extremely excited for!

But first we needed breakfast, luckily Will had supplied a recommendation for a place on the way, in Santa Cruz. What a recommendation, this bagel shop (Firefly Coffee House) was unbelievable, the perfect way to start what would be an amazing day!

With bagels disappearing left and right, we walked down to the wharf to spot the sea lions. This turned out to be an easy task as they loudly announced their presence, causing a symphony of barks, grunts and splashes.

After listening and watching the sea lions interacting, it was time for the main attraction, the Monterey Bay Aquarium! The aquarium, as expected, was world-class. As I can't speak fish, I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves.

With our exciting day coming to an end, and the trip wrapping up the following day, we headed to Aaron & Alex’s pick for dinner, DishDash. The middle eastern cuisine here was a lovely send-off gift from Aaron & Alex, and ended the day on a high note!

PS: Katie bought US a hat from the aquarium, which we somehow both paid for. But we are still trying to figure out how we can wear it at the same time!

Day 11: Tuesday: To Aus!

We've officially made it to our last day in North America!!! How crazy is that!!? For our last day, we headed back into San Francisco from Cupertino and got ourselves organized. We did laundry, packed and re-packed, then packed again and we entertained ourselves by playing some tennis in Dolores park and walking around the Noe Valley.