Pacific Hwy Coast & Lake Arrowhead - Part 2

After we left SF we headed south on the Pacific Coast Highway 1.  It was on our bucket list to drive the coast and it was absolutely amazing!  The scenery was stunning and the weather was beautiful.

We pulled over because we saw a whale. Do you see it?  Unfortunately I had my camera on manual focus and it's out of focus... lame!

We stopped at a few places along the highway.  One of the my favorite was the elephant seal viewing areas.  They were so entertaining to watch and really cute!  We sat on a park bench and watched the sun set over the ocean... it was a perfect Valentines Day sunset.


We stayed in the cutest little town on the way down the coast called Cambria.  Robby pulled into this motel called the "blue bird".  It wasn't really what I was imagining for our romantic "valentines day" place to stay BUT at $59 the price was right.  I made up for it by ordering the most expensive things on the menu that evening.  I'll take expensive food over an expensive bed any day.

We ate at a place my friend Stacie recommended called Robin's cafe.  We ate outside on a patio with pretty lights and flowers.  It was very romantic and probably one of my top 5 restaurant experiences.  The food (and wine) was fantastic!!  I seriously can't wait to go back there one day!

(my husband is sooooo handsome!)

Coffee on the beach in the morning... lovely!

When we left Cambria we headed for Santa Barbara (my favorite!!).  It was such a beautiful town.  We headed for the fisherman's Wharf and sat out on the pier and ate MORE fresh crab and even got to see dolphins swim by!  It was the most perfect sunny day... Robby literally had to chase me to get me to leave this place.

Another reason for our trip to CA was for our friends Chad & Lana's wedding!  They got married at Lake Arrowhead Mountain outside of LA.  It was so pretty and once again the weather was awesome.   I even sat outside with a mojito and soaked up the sun (amongst some leftover snow).  The wedding was so fun and casual.  A big group of us went out for pizza the night before.

(Yes, we ate McDonalds on vacation which is usually a no no for me... but it did have a nice patio!)

So here is the crazy part of our trip... after the wedding we drove back to SF!!  Yes, I know we're crazy but it was very worth it.  Robby was highly anticipating eating at in-n-out burger while we were there so on our way back to SF we stopped.  I have NEVER seen a fast food place so packed in all my life.  It was insane.  The food was worth the wait though... it was really good!

Before we left town we hit up some tourist attractions like Lombard Street and the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was neat to see... but I couldn't get over the traffic and the tourists.  It was so awful I had a panic attack.  I don't think the tourist in Duluth are so bad anymore. :)

We had a super late flight so before heading to the airport we drove around until we found the perfect Sushi place.  The Sushi Bistro did not disappoint... it was soooooooo good!

I love California and can't wait to go back!!

Meet our CA hosts - Part 1

We arrived in beautiful San Francisco to gorgeous weather and our hosts (DoLoris & Doug) picking us up from the airport.  DoLoris is my dad's 1st cousin... but for some reason I've always called her my aunt or great aunt or even grandma.... cousin just doesn't really fit.  We've been really close ever since I was little and when she would visit MN we would always find an adventure to go on.  She was the 1st person I ever knew that would buy half of the inventory in a store in one shopping trip ;)

Meet DoLoris & Doug... a lovely (MN nice) couple.

The first full day in CA we went to see the Muir Woods.  

The redwood tree's were stunning and the park was so beautiful.

We also took a tour around some beautiful country side, visited Stinson beach and ate at a cute cafe.

Picking oranges... I was overly excited about this and finding a huge cactus.

Sorry Mark about accidentally picking your solo oranage!

DoLoris & Doug live just south of Napa Valley.  This was a place that has always been on my bucket list.  It was beautiful and the wine was awesome!  Definitely a place I would like to re-visit in the fall when the grapes are in prime season.

Robby's #1 thing to do in CA was see the redwood's and mine was to eat fresh crab!  So we went & got fresh crab thew out newspaper on the table and cracked away.  It was yummy!

We concluded our lovely time in SF with D&D by a game of dice and waking up to Doug's homemade breakfast!  Thanks for the fun time in SF... it's a trip we will never forget!

Now off to drive down the beautiful pacific coast highway to LA for a wedding.  More on that later...

Worse than a bad hair day

Robby & I had a terrible evening a few weeks ago.  We got food poisoning at the same time... with only one bathroom.  You can imagine.  It was awful.... so awful that i began throwing up blood.  It was really scary so Robby took me to the ER.  It turns out I was throwing up so viciously I tore something in my throat causing it to bleed.  Anyways, we are both fine now.  We don't know exactly what caused it but my gut says baaaaaad guac dip.  I don't want to believe that though because I love guac dip!

Life Update

Hey-O!  I turned 30, traveled to sunny CA, was in the ER and painted my finger nails since I last posted anything.  I know crazy!  I'm overwhelmed with all of my photos so soon I will get something fresh and exciting on here.  But for now here is a glimpse of my 30th birthday bash with my huz.

Starting the day out right with my FREE Caribou!

A fun surprise from my sweet co-workers!  Dark Chocolate? Yes Please!

Birthday lunch with Robby at Outback - they have a yummy crab appetizer!

An awesome ski after work - the trails were the best all season just for my birthday!

When I got home this was on my doorstep.  There is only ONE person I know who covers a box in colorful printed tape.

Thanks for the treats Mary - you know me so well!  A Bianchi mug?!  I mean seriously.

We wrapped up the night with dinner at the New Scenic Cafe.  

(Yes, frugal Robby took me out to eat twice in one day!!!)

I had the lamb meatloaf and it was "fall off your chair" good.

We topped it off with millefeuille for dessert which means "cake of 1000 sheets"  

It was incredibly good!

Thanks for all of the Birthday wishes.  It feels good to be 30!

Celebrate 60!

We all celebrated dad's 60th birthday this weekend.  A couple siblings celebrated via facebook... which is okay... I guess.

Jill's tribute went a little like... "Happy birthday to my dad; he's still barefoot waterskiing, he loves breathing life into old cars, trucks, and campers, he can plant a row a corn a straight as yard stick, and he makes the most delicious pancakes over an open fire. He's been loving my mom for 40 years and makes having 9 fingers look easy.
Happy 60th, Dad. I count the memories I have chasing elk around Colorado and Montana with you among the most precious in my life. I can't wait to do it again and again until those wapiti know us by our boot prints. I love you, Pa!"  A little sappy if you ask me.  ;)

Alli's competitive spirit kicked in with "Happy 60th Birthday Dad! Jill had to Google how to spell Wapiti, but I've always known how to spell it. Boom who looks like the jerk now!"  I think she wants to be dad's favorite daughter.  But we all know who that is... it's the one who makes a cake.  And not just any cake.  A melt in your mouth Pioneer Woman coffee cake.  Yup.  I did that.  Not that i'm competing for favorite daughter or anything...


Cake with a candle for each decade served on his mom's special Birthday cake platter.

Other hometown happenings...

Fresh caught walleye competition!  Mom cooked her's over the stovetop and dad cooked his in the fireplace.  They were both good... mom's were extra crispy and dad's were bursting with flavor.  I'll let you guess which one was better.

Dutch Blitz!  The new Balgaard game! 

Ice fishing on secret lake!  I could tell you which lake we were fishing but then I would have to kill you.  We wouldn't want that now would we?

Frosty!

We gave a snowman kit to our nieces for Christmas.  I made all of the pieces and then put them in a gift bag and when they opened it they had to figure out what all of the pieces were for.  The snow was definitely not sticky enough to make a snowman but with a little water we were able to make a Frosty.  We danced around Frosty after he was made... because rumor has it that is how he comes alive!  When the girls woke up the next morning the first thing they checked was if Frosty was still there.  So cute! :)

Santa, Is it you?

Santa came to the Balgaard's for Christmas this year.  He looked and sounded strangely like uncle Peter.  We all know it wasn't Peter though because he was definitely in the bathroom (wink, wink).  He thought of a more casual approach... through the door instead of the chimney.  He is so wise these days.