California: Day 4

I started out Friday with another delicious smoothie - this time on the balcony, watching the ocean!

My vacation smoothie is simpler because I don't add any magic powders.  On vacation it's a vehicle for GREENS!  I put in 1-2 bananas, berries (usually blueberries or cherries), plant-based milk, and as many greens as I can squeeze into the blender!  After I blend it a bit, I tamp it all down, add more greens, and blend again!  Yum and lots of delicious nutrition!

I got some more ice from downstairs because our room didn't have a full-size fridge, so I used the coolers to keep some of the food properly chilled.

On Friday, we explored a bit farther from our home base because my eyeliner ran out - oh no!  I also wanted to try to pick up an insulated grocery bag (mine is falling apart) and see what the local Whole Foods had to offer.  

I was wearing this . . . 

jeans: Style & Co (Macy's)

top: Tommy Hilfiger (Macy's)

hoodie: WalMart

bag: Scarleton (Amazon)

sandals: Sketchers Bob's For Dogs (Amazon)

mask: Etsy

We started looking for eyeliner at Target, but we got distracted by all the pretty things!

We were happy - Target often has that effect, and so does being together.

I tried on a cute dress, but I didn't like how it fit.  The fitting room was nice, though!

I love wearing ankle-length pants with sandals!

There was construction happening.

Cindy noticed a Ross nearby, so we headed over there!

Cindy found tons of great things!  It's been a long time since she shopped in an actual store and she had a lot of fun!

There we are!

Cindy put one of her new pairs of sandals on right away!

I expected it to be HOT every time we left a building (because it's horribly hot at home right now), but it was cool and lovely.

We stopped by Plant Power Fast Food for lunch, since we were out.

It's beautiful there.  It used to be a gas station, but the area where the pumps used to be is now the eating area, and it's surrounded by flowering plants, bees, and butterflies.  It's like Eden!

Cindy tried a faux-fish patty burger.  The texture and taste were so good that they surprised her.

I got the classic burger with gluten-free bun + french fries.

I felt very happy.

Next we went to Ulta for the eyeliner we didn't find at Target.

And then we were only a few minutes from the Sea Hive, one of my favorite vintage shops (it sells modern stuff, too).

I enjoy poking in all the corners and investigating.

I purchased a wicker seashell!

I like this yoga cat!

We took a quick drive by the cute yellow house where Greg & I stayed with my family two years ago (I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN THAT LONG!)  It brought back happy memories.

After a little rest/nap, we headed to the beach!

This weird Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey flew around sometimes and it was LOUD.

The ocean makes me happy.

This is a beach wheelchair - it is easier to push in the sand.

When we left the beach, the bubble man was at the park!  He blew bubbles for the kids and they weren't ordinary bubbles, but HUGE bubbles and lots of bubbles.  We could often see them drift by our motel room door, which was magical!

That evening we went to a movie at the old run-down movie theater in town.

It was no doubt very fancy at some point.

I was pretty tired, but I stayed awake through the whole thing!

We saw "The Big Lebowski," which I liked more than I expected to like it.

 

That was the end of our wonderful Friday!

xo

California: Day 3

After breakfast (a smoothie in my neat little bullet blender!),

we again started out a beautiful cool morning with a walk around town.  We were hoping to check out the book store, but it was closed for the week we were there.  That's okay - we brought books with us!  I didn't end up reading as much as I often do on vacation, but I still finished these two books . . . 

"Dune Messiah"

"How To Mars"

I also took this one along because I like to browse through the pretty pictures:

I wore this for our exploring:

black denim jacket: Target

polka-dot blouse: Charter Club (Macy's)

skirt: Rekucci (Amazon)

bag: Scarleton (Amazon)

sandals: Sketchers Bob's For Dogs (Amazon)

necklace: gold heart with diamond from my parents many years ago

We walked south along the coast.

The buildings were colorful.

They were also creative!

I crouched down to try to make it look like my face
had a huge metal moustache on it, but it didn't really work!

The trees were given some extra personality, too.

We popped into anoter secondhand store, but didn't buy anything.  

There were sunglasses that would protect ALL THREE eyes

(including your third eye in the middle of your forehead - no comment on whether that exists!)

We walked to the Swami's Self-Realization Temple.  I think it's a kind of gathering place, maybe for meditation retreats or something.  There's a beach named after the Swami, too!  We visited that later in our trip.

We looked at the ocean from lots of different spots on the bluffs.

The east-west streets have letter names like I, J, K.  

We saw fantastic garden wall bricks shaped like fish scales! 

Natal Plum, Sea Lavender, and the beautiful ocean:

This path led through a fancy condo complex where each condo had oceanfront views.  The bottom floors had patios right on the ocean.  Though it's private property, they allow access to the ocean path for everyone, and it was fun to walk through it.

Google Photos made me a cute collage:

This is a Natal Plum plant.  Supposedly the plums are edible when they're ripe (which they didn't seem to be while we were there):

Each overlook had warnings about the danger of the bluffs:

I stayed behind the fences to enjoy the views.

I didn't stop being excited by the ocean!

Me with my dear friend:

Pride Of Madeira:

We walked and walked (lovely in that weather with the ocean right there!), and we came upon this mysterious fortress-like house right on the bluffs.  It was fenced off with lots of signs about danger and not entering.  Cindy thinks that somehow the ground on this property got poisoned and it's not safe to inhabit.

There we are!

Aren't these bike rack/sculptures cute?

The ocean with palm trees:

We needed a bit of rest after all that walking:

Later, of course, we went back to the beach for some time in the water.

I like watching the funny seagulls:

We did more walking to the grocery store in the evening.  I wore this.

hoodie: Hanes (WalMart)

top: Charter Club (Macy's)

jeans: Inc International Concepts (Macy's)

bag: Scarleton (Amazon)

We decided to sit on the beach and enjoy the chilly breeze and the ocean sounds after everyone had gone home for the day.  

We got VERY chilly and were happy to cuddle in our beds and watch some Netflix on my laptop.

I wanted something hot to drink (this is fairly unlike me), so I mixed some hot hazelnut milk with powdered chocolate peanut butter.  It wasn't bad, but it was unsweetened powder, so I needed some sugar.

Good night!

xo