Hollywood Hiking

I'm so excited to visit my family in Southern California next week. Summer in the Bay area usually consists of windy days and foggy nights, which I look forward taking a break from. I remember last year for the 4th of July, Z and I were bundled up to watch the fireworks atop the beautiful albeit windy Bernal Hill. I finally developed these pictures from a previous hike that my sister, cousin, and I completed. It's getting harder and harder to find places that will develop my film for a good price. The place I went to also did not do such a great job scanning my photos, so everything is a bit off. I really need to get into developing my own film or finally invest in a nice digital camera. Sigh!

Even though most of my family lives in Southern California, we had never done the Hollywood hike up the winding trail to see the sign itself. To be honest, the thought never appealed to me since it is what all the tourists do when they come to this little city covered in smog. Looking back on the photos, it reminds me that my pasty white legs could use some sunshine and doing touristy things are fun every once in a while. 

Lobster Bash

After a long, tiring, and lonely week (Z was away at an academic conference in Michigan), the weekend was a nice needed break. I picked up Z from the airport on Saturday and we headed straight for the Santa Cruz harbor to meet up with his family for an annual Lobster Bash. What is a Lobster Bash and is it really just as violent as it sounds? Well, it is a group of friends coming together and cooking food, eating lobster, drinking, gossiping...nothing much to it. All I know is that there is just so much butter flowing that Paula Deen would be there in a second if she could. This year, the weather in Santa Cruz was amazing! It reached the 70's and there was no cloud lingering in the sky at all.  I forgot to take pictures of my outfit or actually just anything else at all because I was too excited for the beautiful ocean/beach background and the yummy lobster feast. 

Outfit Details:

White & Black Strip Cropped T-shirt // F21

Black High Waisted Jeans // UO

Red Punch hole sandals // Madewell

Brown Leather Backpack // Thrifted

Down below is the huge lobster tail I received along with a nice Caesar salad, garlic bread, clams (not pictured), roasted potatoes, and endless butter. The surrounding harbor was so picturesque with sail boats, kayaks, and little motor boats zipping by while we sat on the beach. This was not my first time participating in the lobster bash. Z and I went a couple years ago. You can see some of the photos I took here.

After the Lobster Bash, Z and I headed back home to San Francisco. Z was pretty tired from going straight from the airport to the Lobster Bash so we had a nice lazy Sunday back in the city. For dinner, perhaps in honor of the last episode of Break Bad, we decided to eat at El Pollo Supremo located in the Outer Mission. It was delicious and cheap--which means that Z and I will definitely be back for future meals. After picking up dinner, we came home to a lazy pug lounging about on the couch. He woke up briefly to play with his new favorite toy (a plush soccer ball) and to eat, but that was the extent of his activity for the day. Oh man...what a life!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! What did you guys do? I'm hoping this work week will go by quickly! Pugs and Kisses, Sam. 

Conservatory of Flowers

Last weekend, we had brunch with Z's sisters at a charming little cafe in the Dogpatch. Even though we live reasonably close to this neighborhood, Z and I have not had the time to check it out. Brunch was at "Just for You" cafe that served some excellent beignets that I gladly dipped into my coffee per the waiter's suggestion. I ordered the crab cake eggs benedict, which was absolutely delicious. Z and I will have to make it back over here for brunch again soon, since the wait was not as long as Brenda's French Soul Food down in the Tenderloin.  After brunch, we headed over to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers for the famous butterfly exhibit--Butterflies and Blooms. The Conservatory greenhouse itself is absolutely gorgeous. This gem of Victorian architecture has a long and storied history, and is the oldest wood and glass conservatory in North America. The Butterfly exhibit allows visitors to see a dazzling array of about 20 species of butterflies all within close proximity. One even landed on my hand! 

Outfit Details:
Black and Brown Striped Crop Top Turtle Neck // Thrifted
Black High-waist Jeans // UO
Woven T-strap Flats // UO
Vintage Coach Satchel // Thrifted

If you're ever in San Francisco, make sure to stop by and visit Golden Gate park and go to any of the museums / gardens that the city has to offer. We were lucky that day for the weather was sunny and Karl the Fog was away!