Northern California Trip Part 1

I took a 10.5 day trip up North to visit family and friends this summer. It was EXHAUSTING, but a lot of fun. I say EXHAUSTING because I drove about 2,500 miles in 10.5 days, and driving is tiring to me... or at least puts me to sleep, thanks mom and dad for driving me around the block as a kid to put me to sleep, I have been conditioned to sleep (like Pavlov's dog, at least it's not conditioned to drool) every time I hear an engine purr. So I have to drink lots of coffee (which I don't normally do, I'm a tea person) to stay awake. I was also EXHAUSTED because I realized that I don't sleep well out of my own bed (I must be getting old). Okay enough griping I did have a fantastic time, here are some highlights from the first 3.5 days.....

I drove up Thursday night to Buelton to visit my friends Alicia and Justin, it added a few more miles to the drive, but I love coming up the 101 over taking the 5 and I am lucky to have friends who live on the Central Coast and like having me visit. I had a great home cooked steak dinner (thanks Justin), good wine (all Alicia), great conversation, and a warm bed. (Sorry I forgot to take a photo here).

I got up Friday morning and got to grab a bagel and tea at my favorite breakfast place in Buelton, Sunrise Coffee House. The Central Coast is my favorite place in America and as I drove up to Pleasanton to meet my sorority big sister Jenni for lunch and a beer (at the Hopyard) I had the following realizations/thoughts:

1) I ALWAYS hit traffic in LA :( ugh
2) My heart stops everytime I see the Cal Poly Grand Street sign in SLO, I loved Poly and that sign was my first memory of driving down there for college.
3) Driving through Gilroy during the garlic festival smells wonderful!!! I'm serious, I wanted to stop and eat something with garlic but I had to keep driving so I would arrive to lunch on time. So glad I am not a vampire, I love garlic.
4) I was SUPER disappointed that the lightning split tree on the North bound side of 101 before the Lockwood exit finally broke, I passed that tree going home for holidays over 8 years ago and the one time I was ready to photograph it, it had broken :( sad, if anyone has a photo of it, please share. It was so cool.
5) I have turned into a So Cal resident after almost 4 years....I forgot that I could drive in the car pool lane up north during non-rush hours, and when I remembered I could I felt bad driving in it. Ha!

Friday night my mom and I had mom-daughter date night, after I had delicious home made meat loaf, yumm, thanks mom. We saw Crazy. Stupid. Love. I HIGHLY recommend it! Hilarious! I can't wait to see it again, it's a video I will purchase and watch over and over on rainy or unproductive days. And now I am in love with Ryan Gosling.

image from http://collider.com

Saturday was spent with a best friend from High School Laura and her boyfriend out on the  (Dirty) Delta. We had a great time cruzing around, wake-boarding, enjoying the sun, and catching up. I have to admit it was nice to get some sun and water time in, although my ankle did not like the wake-boarding :( stupid injury last year, you think an ankle would hear after 1 year...

Laura and Katie

Sunday I got up early, very ambitious after a day on the lake, to meet up with a friend from middle school Sarah for a 28 mile bike ride out in the hills of Santa Clara county. It was gorgeous and tiring. I need open roads like that to bike on down here, stopping at lights makes you a lazy rider. The ride Saturday made me realize that I need to search out better road biking spots here in the OC; PCH and Jamboree aren't cutting it, especially for triathlon training. That night my mom and I started our road trip North..........

Sorry you have to wait for the next post.