I know, I know. It's been almost a month since Christmas. I've been dragging my feet on getting this post up but I don't want to miss the chance to share the pictures from my trip. My family and I cruised up the 1 freeway over the holidays. It was a 4 day vacation that started on Christmas Eve. We took a day to drive through Santa Barbara, San Louis Obisbo, and Big Sur before making it to San Francisco. The drive up the coast is beautiful, even with the rain that came and went sporadically.
Our first stop was Solvang in Santa Barbara where we were able to feed ostriches. If you've never seen an ostrich before, they are ginormous! I'm standing on a raised platform that brings me eye level to the birds so this picture does not accurately portray how large these birds are. If you ever get a chance to encounter one, I would highly recommend it. They aren't the brightest things but they are a sight to behold.
Imagine a little Danish town picked up and dropped into the middle of California. That would be Sovlang. The houses are quaint and they are known for the aebleskivers (think doughnut holes but different). Unluckily for us, all the bakeries closed early for Christmas Eve and we didn't get our hands on any of that deliciousness.
After a night near Hearst Castle, we headed to Big Sur where we noted everything nature-y is significantly more vibrant than SoCal. The water was an incredible swirl of blues and greens despite how cloudy it was.
About an hour away was the Point Lobos State Reserve. The weather made the park seem especially moody. Regardless, the place was packed. It was Christmas day and we were having difficulty finding parking.
We made it up to SF late on Christmas day and checked into the hotel. Monday was spent exploring the city like the tourists we were. The Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, SFMOMA, and Golden Gate Park.
A trip to the bay wouldn't be complete without lots of seafood...
Which we had from Chinatown to Fisherman's Warf.
Delicious and perfect.
