Impromptu trip to San Juan Bautista

We had a lazy morning and thought it would be fun to get out of the house with the dogs for an impromptu day trip. But where? We decided we should opt for a town fairly close considering the time of day. After a bit of research, San Juan Bautista seemed like the perfect choice so we loaded up the dogs and headed south.

San Juan Bautista is steeped in history and feels like your stepping back in time. It was a nice change of pace and refreshing to see that small towns like this still exist in the area. Mission San Juan Bautista was founded in 1797 and was the 15th largest Spanish mission in California. The buildings of the community can still be seen in their original form and the main street is filled with structures that take you back in time.

We wandered the street and peaked in the windows of the various antique stores. Our first stop was the local bakery. Brad went in to survey the options and came out with a generous bag full of goodies all fresh baked onsite - Walnut Date Bread, haystack, apricot turnover, date bar and a cowboy cookie were among the sweet cash.

With baked goods in hand we headed towards the mission. We took in the sights and admired the Mission and the various bronze statues, plaques and bells. 

Bronze of  Franciscan priest Fr. Fermin de Lasuen & the bells of the Mission

The cashier at the bakery pointed us to a short trail behind the Mission were we could walk the dogs. We found the trail; although it was shorter than we anticipated, the dogs enjoyed exploring it nonetheless. It offered a view of some of the harvest fields of San Juan. With Fall around the corner we could see pumpkins curing in the fields getting ready for the festivities to come. The walls below the mission were rustic and had a mysterious aura to them with plants growing from the brick crevasses. 

Behind the Mission

On our way out of the mission we came across the old jail that consisted of one cell. It was a tiny white structure and made us wonder what would happen if they had more than one criminal in town. The lady at the bakery had also mentioned that the town has less chickens than they used to which we found charming. Although we didn't see any chickens we did hear a rooster crowing and both got a chuckle.

We decided to grab a bite to eat then headed to the local taproom - Bears Hideaway. We were greeted at the door by the venues namesake, an Australian Shepard named Bear and his lil' sister Teddy. We each chose a beer and relaxed out on the patio before calling it a day and heading home.

Brad and Bear

It was a nice trip but both felt like there was more to explore sans dogs so we plan on revisiting someday soon.

Milling around Mill Valley

It was a long holiday weekend thanks to Labor Day so we decided it was a great time for a day trip. We tossed around a couple ideas and decided to visit Mill Valley and we were happy we did. We loved this place!

First stop was lunch. We decided on Small Shed Flatbreads which, as you might guess, specializes in flatbreads. They use local organic ingredients and the menu is far from the ordinary. We had the Pelagias's flatbread which featured chevre, kalamata olives, whole roasted garlic, mozzarella, rosemary, dressed arugula and a light tomato sauce. We opted for the organic spelt and cornmeal crust - very tasty. The waiter suggested one of his favorites- meatballs with walnut olive pesto, jalapeno & mushrooms. We took his suggestion and quickly understood why he liked it - delicious! We also had the burrata with fruit and honey but after one bite we wished we had skipped that selection...luckily the flatbread and meatballs made up for it.

After lunch we decided to explore the town. It had a very peaceful vibe. Even the dogs seemed to be affected by the zen atmosphere as they had very little reaction to other dogs that we passed by - which is a change from the usual reaction to a dog-stranger. We walked through some of secluded residential streets surrounded by beautiful redwoods and enjoyed the fresh air which was filled with a pleasant pine aroma. The homes were a mixture of Victorian and rustic design. Many of the homes were set up above the street level and seemed secluded and private even though they had neighbors and public streets all around.

Victorian house in the center of town

Not too far into our exploration we found Old Mill Park and stumbled upon a small free play that was held in an inconspicuous outdoor amphitheater.

As we made our way back to town, we stopped at a small chocolate shop for a treat.... dark chocolate truffles. Our choices - organic coconut, unsweetened dark chocolate and red wine - yum, yum and yum. The chocolatiers didn't seem to recognize us as hard core chocolate lovers as they tried multiple times to talk us out of the unsweetened dark chocolate selection. Lucky for us they were unsuccessful as it was our favorite pick of the bunch - although they were all delicious.

We enjoyed our treats in a plaza at the center of town which used to serve as the train depot. The plaza was bustling with people. Some were sitting talking with friends, others strolling around and many were playing with their kids. It was refreshing to see. We even overheard an elderly couple walk by discussing the meaning of a poem - not something you hear discussed in today's age. 

The skies were filled with beautiful, fluffy clouds. The bottom shot is Tweenee enjoying her break in the plaza.

Before we headed out of town we stopped by LaCoppa coffee. The coffee was average so we will need to try out one of the other coffee shops next time along with the Beerworks brewery which we didn't fit in during this trip. On our way out of town we spotted a portion of a rainbow which is unusual for this time of year. It had a disproportionate amount of green which seemed to be symbolic - although we aren't quite sure what it symbolized but hopefully the meaning will reveal itself in time ;) 

Getting a shot of the rainbow wasn't easy to get with the car moving but you can catch a glimpse of it here.

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

It seemed like a perfect day for a stroll on the beach, but about 10 minutes in we were freezing and headed back to the car... Although the beach conditions weren't ideal, we decided it was a great day for sampling some locally brewed ales!

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing specializes in organic brews. Their brewing facility and tasting room is on the upper side of Santa Cruz, not far off of Water Street. The location seems to be a hotspot for tasting rooms as there were upwards of 5 winery tasting rooms in the same lot. The brewery appeared to be the only one open during our visit and of all the places on the block it had the most pull.

They have a dog-friendly outdoor area with heaters but we decided to head in to finish warming from our short walk on the beach. The space is small, but cozy and there was plenty of seating for us to find a spot and soak in the atmosphere. There appeared to be a lot of locals which isn't surprising. If we lived in the area, we would frequent this place for sure. The walls were flanked with kitschy items such as an antelope head, antique lanterns, signs, a stuffed mallard and other stuff that gave the space a real eclectic feel. Behind the bar, a copper tree adorned with various bottles, glasses and lights was the focal design element.

Brad bellied up to the bar and ordered us a sampler and some fresh roasted peanuts and locally made beef jerky - perfect beer snacks!

Sampler with fresh roasted peanuts

Their sampler consists of 8 - 2oz pours to allow you to sample all their 7 flagship ales and your choice of a seasonal brew. For the seasonal selection, we chose Pepe's Lavender IPA which is a summer IPA brewed with fresh lavender.

The Lavender IPA is a very distinctive brew with heavy lavender notes and was easily our top pick at this spot. Second up was the Peoples Porter with hints of coffee and vanilla. The other brews were also tasty.

We would gladly come back here!

Doggone fun at Fort Funston

We decided to start our weekend off early and headed up the coast late Friday afternoon for some fun at the beach. Destination - Fort Funston National Park

Fort Funston is an old military reservation that is now a protected area with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservatory. It offers paved and non-paved trails through the dunes with beach access. More importantly, it's dog friendly! Honestly it was more than dog-friendly it was like a dog haven. There were dogs of all sizes walking and running free amongst the dunes. And the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Brad and John at one of the old Fort entrances which leads to the dunes and trails above the beach.

We wandered around on the paths and even though there were a lot of people and dogs there, we didn't cross a lot during our exploration. Some of the paths wind through cypress trees and had an ethereal feel - almost like we stumbled on a hidden enchanted forest.

Traycee, Tweenee & John in the "hidden" forest. John and Tweenee are obviously more interested in exploring than posing for a picture!

After we explored the trails and dunes we made our way down to the beach and that's where the real fun began...

 

This was John's first off-leash beach experience and he enjoyed it!

After our fun at the beach, we headed to West Portal and found cute little downtown area with restaurants and shops. We decided on a Mediterranean place named Bursa. It was a great choice!

It was in an old renovated building that had high ceilings and interesting architectural detail. The atmosphere was cool with a mix of modern style that complimented the old construction. 

The service was good and the food was fresh and delicious. We had hummus with the most amazing homemade grilled pita bread and they kept it coming hot from the grill when we ran out. We could have emptied 3 plates full but stopped just a few delicious pieces into our second plate. The stuffed eggplant was amazing - half an eggplant stuffed with stewed tomatoes and topped with pine nuts and a sprinkling of feta cheese. It was full of flavor and melted in our mouths. Veal kabob was also good.

Fort Funston was a great time... We will be back!

John says, "You said we'll be back, but when? When will we be back?"

Petaluma, California

We wanted to get out of town for the long Memorial Day weekend and decided to jump in the car for a road trip. Destination: Petaluma, California.

Our main attraction to Petaluma was Lagunitas Brewery, but we found other fun stuff there as well.

Our first stop was downtown area. We decided to roam around and let the dogs stretch their legs. The downtown area is full of restaurants, cafes, shops and an abundance of antique stores. We came across a beautiful old church in the middle of town and had to stop for some photos and to admire the detailed stained glass windows.
 

After our initial stroll we decided it was time for a coffee. We chose a place named Acre which was right in the heart of downtown. The decor was modern and clean with an industrial loft feel and the coffee didn't disappoint. We had our usual soy cappuccinos and they were smooth, flavorful and silky - wish we were having one right about now!

Of course we needed something baked with our coffee and headed to a small bakery just across the street named Bovine Bakery. The aroma of fresh baked goods was intoxicating. We ordered the scone du jour, blueberry scone and a slice of  polenta crusted quiche. The scone du jour was tasty - a mix of mango, vanilla and walnut. Unfortunately, the rest of the items fell short. But the stop was not wasted as we met a local who filled us in on some attractions we shouldn't miss while we were in Petaluma.

He was an interesting old guy; a retired Architect from San Francisco. He moved to Petaluma with his wife and their two adorable wire-haired dachshunds less than two years ago. He pointed us to the river walk, a park in the middle of town, a 4x4 block that was filled with Victorian houses and told us not to miss Petaluma Pete who was playing the piano on the street within earshot of the bakery. We took him up on all of his suggestions.

Gorgeous Victorian house, Petaluma Pete and old Creamery wagon

We came across a Wabi Sabi mural in Putnam Plaza.The artwork was crafted by teenagers and adults with disabilities. One of the writings read, "Nobody's perfect. Not you and not me. All we can do is be Wabi Sabi". Wabi Sabi means Perfectly Imperfect.

We picked up some cheese at the Petaluma Creamery. The goat cheese and the Quark were our favorite.

Cow keeping watch over the town from the roof of the Petaluma Creamery

After our trip to the creamery we decided it was time to head to Laganitas Brewery which was just a few miles away. The brewery grounds were buzzing with activity. Their brewing facilities are onsite so there were trucks picking up deliveries. The brewery itself had a concert feel with people milling about on the grass area with beer in hand. We decided to start with a couple of Lagunitas t-shirts to commemorate our visit - they were very nice.

On to the beer... we each ordered a flight of four so we could sample various brews. Here were our picks:

Brad: Censored, Imperial Stout, Brandy Barrel Aged Stout & Saison
Traycee: ETWAS, Farmhouse, Kriek & Brandy Barrel Aged Stout

One of the fun things about Lagunitas is that they are dog-friendly. So, after we found some seating, we brought in the dogs so they could enjoy the experience too. John found a couple fans at the table next to us and got lots of attention - including a couple of fresh roasted peanut treats. Tweenee wasn't quite as popular this time, but she still had a good time.

After some refreshing brews we headed back into town and decided on Speakeasy for our late night dinner destination. It was a very small place but they had room at the bar, so we cozied up. The decor was modern meets prohibition era with exposed pipes, dark hardwood accents, an old stained window and various pictures from the '20s-'30's flanking the walls. The menu consisted of small plates and we decided on edamame hummus with pumpernickel crostini,  the sweet and spicy pork belly and a chicken dish - all were very tasty. We finished with maple bacon doughnut holes. The doughnut holes were ok - I think either our expectations were greater or we were overly full at that point. 

With full bellies, we headed back home. It was a great trip overall and we'd like to head back up here someday to take in more of the scenery.