For my milestone birthday, I decided to take an spur-of-the-moment adventure to explore Northern California. That's how I like to roll sometimes. Some of my most memorable trips are those trips that are unplanned and when I depend on locals for their advice. I've never ventured up to visit this part of California so it was exciting for me to take this road trip to see beautiful places along the Redwood Coast. During this road trip, I got to check off the remaining national parks on my California bucket list. There was an abundance of wildlife during my trip up north. I saw tule elk, countless deer (especially at night along and on the road), elephant seals, and coyotes. I've always wanted to try the local oysters on the coast in this part of the state, so we headed up to Fishetarian Fish Market in Bodega Bay for dinner since the Marshall Store was already closed for the day. They had an awesome craft beer selection including Pliny the Elder on tap. I've always wanted to make the pilgrimage to Russian River Brewery (one of the best breweries in the world) so since we were staying in Santa Rosa, we stopped by for a craft beer tasting and dinner. We had a margherita pizza and chicken wings for dinner. The food was not out ordinary. It was all about the beer. This was a craft beer lover's dream come true. The park ranger recommended Fern Canyon as a must see at Redwood State and National Park. The road to Fern Canyon at times was single lane so it might be a challenge for some drivers. To get to the lot at the end of the road, you'll need a high clearance vehicle. If not, park when you see the first creek (there's 2 before you reach the Fern Canyon parking lot) and walk to the end of the road. One of the newest national parks is Pinnacles National Park. It's on the smaller side with about a 3 mile road I was told. I decided to do the recommended cave hike where you will have to squeeze through tight spaces and will need a flash light or headlamp. During my hike, I experienced a 4.7 earthquake. The park is located near the boundary of the Pacific Plate and the San Andreas Fault. It was quite scary to hear the loud rumble then a jolt. I wasn't sure if it was an earthquake, but confirmed it was at the Nature Center. Fortunately, I wasn't inside of the cave when it happened. The park gets hot so I planned to do another couple hours of hiking after the cave hike. I did the nearby Condor Trail which hooks up to the High Peaks Trail. I recommend this hike earlier in the day when it is cooler. I took frequent breaks in the shade and ran out of water. Bring plenty of water. In the summer, the temperature can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It was an action packed 9-day road trip and I had an unforgettable experience. I was able to do so many things and saw parts of California that not many people get to see such as hydro thermal activity at Lassen Volcanic National Park, observe plenty of wildlife, and the hike the rugged beauty of the unique Northern California redwood coast.
I bought an America the Beautiful annual pass while I was in Pinnacles National Park to explore even more National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management areas. I'm already looking forward to my next National Parks road trip. Until next time...
0 Comments
What you need to order at Filipino restaurants in Los AngelesWhen it comes to finding good Filipino food, it's hard to find one place that does everything well. Our family's go-to for Filipino food is Max's Restaurant of Manila in Glendale. It's a chain that I've also visited in the Philippines that does dependable Filipino food across the board. The service is always wonderful in Glendale and exemplifies true Filipino hospitality. This post is not only about Max's, but the other restaurants and the dishes that makes each place a destination and worth a visit. It's this hospitality that travel bloggers experience in the Philippines that makes their visit so memorable that some choose not to leave the country or tell others that "the Philippines is the best country to visit in the world." It's the people. The untouched beauty you can find in every corner. The diversity and culture of each region. There probably is no better place in the world to explore Filipino food and culture other than Los Angeles. Laing at Max's of Manila in Glendale. This is my favorite Filipino dish that I love to order when I see it at restaurants in the Philippines in Los Angeles. It's made out of dried taro leaves and coconut milk -- utterly complex flavors and delicious. Don't miss their specialty Filipino-style fried chicken with banana catsup (the Philippines culinary gift to the world). Ukoy (shrimp fritters) at Lillian's Bread & Sweets in Northridge. This Filipino turo-turo joint serves above average Filipino serving hard to find regional Filipino dishes as well. You can't find ukoy everywhere and suggest you call in before coming in to ask if they have it. It's a must and my one of my absolute favorites! They also might have some regional dishes you can't find at any other restaurant in Los Angeles. Hopia mongo at Hopia Like It in Winnetka and Granada Hills. This is the best hopia mongo probably in the world. My aunt from the Philippines said that there is nothing like this in the Philippines. Their Granada Hills location has the best version of halo-halo I've tried in LA. Photo credit: Business owner on Yelp. Macapuno bibingka. This place makes the best flavored bibingka. My favorite being the macapuno compared to the ube bibingka and plain bibingka. I bring it to parties and it's always a hit. Tony's Bibingkinitan moved to West Covina but they sold their recipe to Fiesta Barbecue. Photo credit: Jenn G. on Yelp. Boodle Fight at Bamboo Bistro in Panorama City. Also known as "kamayan" only in America, in the Philippines this tradition can be traced to military times where you shared a meal on banana leaves with your military comrades. The best experience to try this in Los Angeles is at Bamboo Bistro. Other places such as LA Rose or pop-ups charge a lot of money to dine "kamayan" style. My friend Nabhe picked me up close to the border in Otay. I found a $15 lot to park in. I much prefer Otay as it feels less chaotic. First stop was Nabhe's most favorite taco in Tijuana, Tacos Elvira. I haven't been there in 5 years, so it was a nice first stop to revisit as my "welcome to TJ taco." Nabhe wanted soup so she took me to Mariscos Tony, a seafood soup cart that sets up at 2 am and closes around 4 am or whenever they run out soup. At 3 am or so, I checked into my hotel, B My Hotel near Centro. It was a centrally located design or boutique hotel, nothing too luxurious providing the necessities -- a clean bed and a place to shower for the following day. An added bonus was free breakfast which I visited for water and fruit. Mercado Hidalgo was a sight to see. If I planned on staying anotner night, I probably would have shopped for produce to enjoy for dinner. Next up was lunch at Las Compas where Nabhe met me. I took an Uber there. After Las Compas, we walked next door to Delisse to try their pastries. We tried their chocolate cake and eclair, but both were disappointing. They tasted old like they've been in the refrigerator a week. I've been wanting to try this birria bone marrow taco for a while. I've even made it at home. This quesabirria taco fell flat for me. The birria was lacking flavor and the bone marrow's flavor got lost in all the meat. Seems rather gimmicky to me. I recommend crossing the border and heading to Las Compas or Caesar's for their sopes de tuetano. "La Bola" by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Manuel Rosen Morrison. The giant sphere is an IMAX cinema and is a Tijuana landmark. I finally walked through Museo de Las Californias this afternoon. The museum displays some artifacts from the history of the Baja Peninsula and California from the prehistoric period until the first half of the 20th century. There are countless pizzas to try in Los Angeles. There are the classics and mainstays that have thrived over the decades such as Casa Bianca and trendy ones popping up weekly or expanding like Jon & Vinny's. I haven't been too impressed with "cheffy" takes on pizza like Pizzeria Mozza or Bestia's pizzas. Prime Pizza and Pizzanista has been inconsistent during my past few visits. Stella Barra is solid pizza from what I have tasted, but have yet to visit their restaurant. And Pizzana? The current darling of the food media. It's owned by Sprinkles and I hate their cupcakes. It's really difficult to find a great Chicago pizza in Los Angeles and Masa of Echo Park doesn't taste like the pizza I've had in Chicago. The closest I've had was at Union Pizza Company in the South Bay. There is no shortage of the kinds of pizza you'll find in Los Angeles. You'll find regional styles such Neapolitan, Detroit, Chicago, New York, and Ohio. I recently tried unique Thai and Japanese-style pizzas. Here are some of my favorites. If I missed some of your favorites, send me a message and I'll give it try. Enjoy... Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn
ny.eater.com/2017/10/2/16392340/nyc-pizza-slice-restaurants Pblc Trade (Japanese Fusion) yelp.com/biz/pblc-trde-santa-monica-2 Il Romanista (Roman) pizzailromanista.com De Sano Pizza Bakery (Authentic Carnivale pizza from Naples) desanopizza.com La Antica Pizzeria da Michele (Authenic Neapolitan passion project form an owner from Naples) damicheleusa.com Provami (Neapolitan from a chef who was awarded "best pizza in the USA") pizzaprovami.com 786 Degrees (Neapolitan Halal Fusion and a secret menu) 786degrees.com The Doughroom (Neighborhood spot and very low key. Get the white pizza and a rare craft beer.) thedoughroom.com LBK Pizzeria (Authenic NYC pizza by the slice from this Luzzo's offshoot from Brooklyn) eatpizzamakelove.com/lbk Delicious Pizza (New York style pizza by the slice w/ a side of golden era hip-hop) deliciouspizza.com Lamonica's NY Pizza (New York style pizza by the slice. My go-to when I am in Westwood.) w.lamonicasnypizza.com/Home.html Dough Girl (Lobster infused sauce on pizza from a chef who had stints at Mélisse, Providence, elBulli. BYOB.) doughgirl.pizza Dino's Pizza (Surprising good pizza from a pair of food obsessives I met at a Le Comptoir pop-up) dinosburbank.com Danielle's Wood Fired Pizza (New York style pizza by the slice) daniellespizza.com Union Pizza Company (Chicago deep dish) unionpizzacompany.com Apollonia's Pizzeria (Weekends only square slice) apolloniaspizzeria.com Abbot's Pizza Company (Bagel crust) abbotspizzaco.com Gjelina Takeaway / GTA (California by the slice) gjelinatakeaway.com Humble Bee (California) humblebeepie.net California Sun (California-style by the slice w/ tons of craft beer options) calsun.la California Pizza Kitchen (dependable, family friendly, famous chefs eat here too) cpk.com Rock'n Pies (Late night pizza and you don't want Domino's) rocknpiespizza.com Pizza Pazza Wood Fired (Parisian, Armenian) pizzapazza.pizza Furn Saj (Lebanese, Mana'ish) furnsaj.com Thai Curry (Thai "Tom Yum" pizza) yelp.com/biz/lavo-noodles-and-thai-curry-pizza-los-angeles-2 Cafe Glace (Persian pizza) cafe-glace.com Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza (The best of the BYO) blazepizza.com Little Caesars (Authentic Detroit style pizza guilty pleasure. Someone from Detroit recommended it to me.) littlecaesars.com/en-us Numero Uno (Childhood thick crust deep dish pizza throwback. There aren't many of these left.) nupizzala.com |
Hello, my name is Anne. I'm an LA native exploring Los Angeles and love exploring LA like a tourist. From time to time, I'll also post some of my adventures outside of Los Angeles for travel inspiration. Thanks for stopping by and happy exploring!
Categories
All
|