Darlene and I are enjoying our short weekend break from the cold weather and the inversion in Boise this weekend by staying in Santa Clara, CA. It's both a weekend getaway, plus a chance to attend the Travel and Adventure Show at the Santa Clara Convention Center. It was an easy flight over on Friday afternoon (yea, no zero-dark-thirty morning flight!), and the drive down from SFO was pleasant (thanks to the carpool lane).
Friday evening was a delightful dinner with nephew Brian and wife Michele. The cuisine at California Cafe in Los Gatos was quite delicious, and we even got to sing Happy Birthday to a young lady (16) whose table full of friends were very well mannered.
On Saturday, Darlene and I spent several hours at the travel show, visiting booths, talking to people, and enjoying watching people getting excited about travel. I ran into some friends there, and the lively conversation was great. We headed out for some lunch at Pedro's Restaurant and Cantina near our hotel in Santa Clara. Darlene had a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken (well worth the extra $4), and I had Enchiladas Suiza -- tasty! The never-empty basket of chips with salsa made sure that were were stuffed by time we walked out for the short drive back to the hotel.
For dinner we found a little place that we'll be sure to re-visit when we're here again -- Happy Sushi. We passed several others on the way, and had to really look for the sign as space #5 is back in off the street. Seating is limited to about 30 people, but the decor is charming, the service was great, and the food was very tasty (and inexpensive).
We decided to head over the hills to Santa Cruz on Sunday morning, and it was a beautiful drive on windy Route 17 through the pine trees and the occasional development. We got to the boardwalk before the excitement really began, so it was still a little quiet. We headed to the pier; walked the full length, and then headed back to find a spot for some food and drink. Lindsey at the upper level of Stagnaro Brothers served us the BEST Bloody Mary we've ever had (not counting the times when we thought our fourth one was the best!). The mix had enough horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper to make it taste like a shrimp cocktail. Speaking of shrimp, she loaded the drink with some nice edible ones also!
The sea lions petitioned the city to have some lounge chairs installed at the pier, but they got some decking installed instead. When the tide comes in, the animals belly their way onto the platforms; some loners, but many get together for a lazy day. Others who either opt for staying in the water, or who were too late for the easy hop on, congregate in the water, certainly looking as if they want to take a nap.
The drive back over the hills to Santa Clara was again a nice reminder of the beauty that still exists even in metropolitan areas. Sunday night's excitement was a Fire Alarm that was apparently pulled by one of the dozens of youngsters that were part of a large wedding celebration at the hotel that was lasting [at least] two days. We grabbed a jacket and headed down the eight flights of stairs, only to be greeted by an "All Clear" -- at least we were able to take the elevator back to the room.
It's a bit foggy outside right now on Monday morning, so we'll wait as long as we can until we head to the airport for our afternoon return flight to Boise. It was a great weekend on many accounts, and now we're looking forward to our trip to Cabo San Lucas in six days for our annual warmth in the sun and sand vacation!
Friday evening was a delightful dinner with nephew Brian and wife Michele. The cuisine at California Cafe in Los Gatos was quite delicious, and we even got to sing Happy Birthday to a young lady (16) whose table full of friends were very well mannered.
On Saturday, Darlene and I spent several hours at the travel show, visiting booths, talking to people, and enjoying watching people getting excited about travel. I ran into some friends there, and the lively conversation was great. We headed out for some lunch at Pedro's Restaurant and Cantina near our hotel in Santa Clara. Darlene had a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken (well worth the extra $4), and I had Enchiladas Suiza -- tasty! The never-empty basket of chips with salsa made sure that were were stuffed by time we walked out for the short drive back to the hotel.
We decided to head over the hills to Santa Cruz on Sunday morning, and it was a beautiful drive on windy Route 17 through the pine trees and the occasional development. We got to the boardwalk before the excitement really began, so it was still a little quiet. We headed to the pier; walked the full length, and then headed back to find a spot for some food and drink. Lindsey at the upper level of Stagnaro Brothers served us the BEST Bloody Mary we've ever had (not counting the times when we thought our fourth one was the best!). The mix had enough horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper to make it taste like a shrimp cocktail. Speaking of shrimp, she loaded the drink with some nice edible ones also! The drive back over the hills to Santa Clara was again a nice reminder of the beauty that still exists even in metropolitan areas. Sunday night's excitement was a Fire Alarm that was apparently pulled by one of the dozens of youngsters that were part of a large wedding celebration at the hotel that was lasting [at least] two days. We grabbed a jacket and headed down the eight flights of stairs, only to be greeted by an "All Clear" -- at least we were able to take the elevator back to the room.
It's a bit foggy outside right now on Monday morning, so we'll wait as long as we can until we head to the airport for our afternoon return flight to Boise. It was a great weekend on many accounts, and now we're looking forward to our trip to Cabo San Lucas in six days for our annual warmth in the sun and sand vacation!
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