Trip III

Every year, my family heads up to New Buffalo, Michigan for a short stay.

It's every Chicagoan's favourite summer home-away-from-home.

It's a great area-- I won't go into much detail; just cite the best stops.

If you haven't been to New Buffalo/Grand Haven, you must go!

Beaches/Nature: Warren Dunes State Park

Food (on the way there): Take a pit stop in Chestertown, Indiana for a bite at the Port

Food (in N.B): Red Arrow Highway, Redamack's, Stray Dog

Snacks: The Whistle Stop, local fruit stands

Ice Cream: Oink's !

TRIP II (part 3)

Day 3; In the morning hours, for a bite to eat, we hit the LA Farmer's Market. It's a wonderful collection of food vendors and little shops. So many local and ethnic flavours are mashed into one place. I highly endorse going to the Gumbo Pot for beignets and chicory coffee (mmm). They also have great gumbo, cornbread, and Louisiana favourites.

After the food, we drove to San Clemente to a new hotel (Travel Lodge! Cheap, friendly, clean). We got suited up and went for a walk on the nearby beach and pier. As usual, it was beautiful. In the evening hours we met with family for a pre-wedding beach bonfire. This was on Aliso beach (Great spot!). It was highly enjoyable.

Day 4; Went to the Crystal Beach near the Montage Hotel (very pricey stay). They beach is gorgeous and well kept... and FREE. In addition, it had plenty of tidal pools to explore.

TRIP II (part 2)

On day two of the LA excursion, we decided to visit the Getty Center. But before heading there we went to this amazing restaurant called Hugo's. Apparently the place is famous... and it made good sense, seeing as the food was really yummy! I ordered a delicious dish composed of sauteed spinach, onions, tomato and chorizo served over potato pancakes with a poached egg (can't remember what its called). They also have a well-known dish called the "Pasta Mama or Pasta Papa", a pasta, veggie, cheese, and egg scramble. The best in my opinion, was the up-side down peach pancake my sister ordered. Scrumptious! (Note* they also had lots and lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options). After breakfast, we arrived at the Getty Center. The place is an architectural masterpiece. (Very sunny though, so bring sunglasses). The outdoor portion was my favourite, lots of places to sit and enjoy the views and a calm atmosphere. The indoor part does include some fabulous art on display. I can't exactly describe the museum, but I do recommend for one to study up and definitely visit if they are in the LA area. In the evening, we headed into Hollywood. For dinner, there's a hip Mexican restaurant named Loteria. It's tasty food and a very nice venue. Following, we walked over to Ripley's Believe It or Not (this was my sisters request). It ended up being a fun time. After a final loop of the neighborhood (the stars and hand prints), we headed back to tuck in for the night.

TRIP II

The last time I went to L.A. I remember it being an extreme disappointment. I wanted there to be movie stars scattering the town and glamorous shops lining the streets. I expected the rich and glamorous to be everywhere. And what hit me was miles of highway, dirt, and bums. So, its understandable I didn't have the best time. But this summer, with my expectations held so low... I ended up being favourably pleased with my trip to So-Cal.

We flew in to LA X and as my family was waiting to be whisked off the rent-a-car shuttle, who do I see but Brendan Frasier being picked up in a luxurious vehicle! After picking out a automobile, my family drove through the sunny city (I found surprisingly pretty compared to last time!) to Venice Beach. The breeze was perfect, the air salty, and the palm trees added to the vacation feel. My nerves and stress went down about two hundred percent. We strolled down the pier and got the unusually treat of seeing a large group of dolphins splashing through the waves mere feet away. A little sea lion also did a fun display for us. We kept walking down the beach, gazing at the expensive housing lining the walk. Many California natives were walking dogs, roller skating, and jogging. Once we got closer to Muscle beach, the array of shops started popping up. Small booths filled with souvenirs (nick-knacks, tees), incense, bracelets. Tattoo shops and piercing parlors. Henna and Massages. Taco stands, churro vendors. Lots of "Kush Doctors", Bong shops, and Pipe stores. Skate boarders brushed past us. The amount of pit bulls increased drastically. The vibe felt so young and rebellious. After becoming tired (and it reaching almost 9 at night), we decided to get a bite to eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant and then head to the hotel to get a good night's sleep.