Our anniversary trip to Portland this July turned out to be quite a wonderful experience. It reminded me of Mumbai to Goa getaways back in India, mostly because of the short flight from Los Angeles and the laid-back pace of Portland. It’s always nice when we can fly out of Burbank airport (just 15 mins from home) instead of LAX, which turns into an ordeal due to traffic close to the entrance. Thanks to easy Burbank to Portland flight availability, our travel was absolutely hassle-free.
Portland
The plan for the vacation was simple – spend 3 nights away from the city in Mcminnville in a sprawling vineyard, and then 3 nights in the city of Portland exploring its famous food scene. The Youngberg Hill Vineyard and Inn was in most part a rejuvenating experience with magnificent views from our room and a really cool vineyard with many charming spots to take walks and hang out. A day trip to Cape Meares Lighthouse was a great way to experience the Oregon coast. We even enjoyed the 4th of July fireworks in downtown McMinnville right thorugh the large windows of our glorious Jura room at The Youngberg Inn. Unfortunately, we had to cut our stay at the Inn one day short due to a wasp incident at the Inn and unavailability of staff to help us out. (This changed our rating of the place from 5 stars to 3.5 stars). Nevertheless, Best Western came to our rescue for one night, reminding us that sometimes the simplest of hotels can do a fantastic job of hosting guests and making sure they have a good time. We were still able to keep our dinner reservation at the La Rambla downtown and left for the city the next morning.
Our Airbnb stay in Portland was simply PERFECT. The Japanese zen-themed apartment overlooking a green cliff was just marvelous. Thanks to our gracious host, we felt at home right away and the thoughtful, artistic decor in the apartment put us in quite the dilemna – how much time to stay in vs how much time to spend outdoors exploring the city? Thankfully, we didn’t have to plan too much as just going with the flow worked out fine for us.
Cape Meares
Walking up and down the NW 26th Ave and streets around it gave us a good taste of Portland. Food at places like Duck House, Swagat, Papa Haydn was impressive. Our most memorable gastronomic experience was Janken where we had our anniversary dinner. The way the chefs brought out the food and explained each course reminded us of our favorite show, The Bear. The interior of the restaurant was pretty and worthy of a special occasion. Staff was really sweet and professional. Some other aspects of Portland we enjoyed were – taking the stairs to easily go from the top of a hill to a different part of the city, Powell’s books (this book store is huge – takes an entire block), dessert at Papa Haydn, a drive to the Columbia scenic river gorge, visits to some charming coffee shops, and the absolutely stunning and serene Japanese garden.
Historic Columbia River Gorge
All in all – Portland feels like a cute, charming city which doesn’t try to catch up with other big shots. Traffic is manageable, you can relax or got out and have fun as you please, people seem generally happy, weather is considered to be pleasant all year (we did go during a heat wave weekend and were still happy). You have the hills, the ocean, cute houses, great food and drinks, and enough inspiration for a whole TV show that has its own channel now. Can’t ask for much more, no?
For several years, when I used to back pack across India or take trips with my friends, I used to imagine a time in the future when the woman I love will be with me and we will travel to gorgeous locales around the world. That vision seems to be coming true, one trip at a time. I am living in it now.
I have always enjoyed traveling during wintertime. Most of my happy solo backpacking trips back in India happened during winter. So did my long motorcycle trips with my partner in crime, Nikhil aka frozencolor. Many a time on such trips as a bachelor, I used to imagine a future when I will be embarking on such vacations with my soul mate. Now that I have found her, it’s an exciting time in my life as I get to explore some wonderful destinations with her. For our last trip of 2023, we chose to do a road trip and stay within California in the interest of time and convenience. Also, I have come to learn that this state is a country in itself with everything you might look for in a vacation spot, readily available someplace nearby. And the weather is almost always just… heartwarming! We planned a week-long cusp vacation to bid goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024. Our pick to ring in the new year was someplace pretty, quiet and peaceful – not a dead town with nobody around but not a bustling city with ostentatious bells and whistles on New Years Eve either. There were quite a few worthy contenders but the winner this time was Paso Robles.
Indian man posing at a winery
Having been to Paso a couple of times already, we knew what we were in for. The drive was spectacular with California 46 bringing the drama. Magnificent skies and open roads flanked by hillocks, rainbows, meadows graced us all the way till Paso Robles. We arrived in time for our check in at The Adelaide Inn where the lobby was spruced up for the holidays with a festive Christmas theme. Our receptionist guessed that we were an Indo-American couple from, well, our looks. She mentioned that she would love to attend an Indian wedding someday as there is always some drama and an angry “aunty”. I joked that there was nobody angry at our wedding (that we knew of). We then proceeded to our room that was simple, clean, spacious and provided all the comforts we could ask for. The television cabinet was pretty neat with sliding doors to conceal what’s inside i.e. the TV. I got excited about the Starbucks across the street and got a coffee as soon as we settled in. The weather stayed around 50-60 degree F (10 to 16 degree C) making us feel the cozy, holiday charm of winter.
California 46 to Paso Robles
We were quite well-prepared for this 2-night stay at Paso Robles, having made reservations for most major meals. Our first dinner was at Taste Craft Eatery – a wonderful slider and cocktail place in the heart of downtown Paso Robles. We got there ahead of time so we walked around the streets, as we usually like to do. We entered a general store called “General store” with a cool collection of items. Here, I indulged in my last impulse buy of 2023. You see, I have been growing a bit of a paunch, giving me a cute but undesirable ‘skinny everywhere else but big and round in the middle’ kind of shape. My goal for next year is to make my body a bit more symmetric and desirable to people who don’t love me already. So when I saw a book titled “Salads”, I knew I had to buy it so that I can incorporate it in my meals for all of 2024.
Hometown House salad at Taste Craft Eatery in Paso Robles
Two young ladies greeted us outside Taste and one of them escorted us to our table deep inside the space. Our drinks and food at Taste were quite delicious. I am usually a beer guy and Summer, though not a big drinker, likes whiskey better than beer. This time, we switched preferences with me getting a whiskey sour and Sumer going for a blood orange beer. The Hometown house salad was very satisfying and our variety of siders (two “Duo”s) did the trick for a nice, satisfying dinner. The next morning, we simply walked to the nearby Margie’s Diner and had a lovely breakfast sticking to our usual choices – Denver omelette with potatoes for me and oats with fruits for her.
That afternoon, we had a reservation at Calcareous Winery – one with some fond memories for us. On our last trip to Cambria when we got engaged, we had driven down to this winery to make the calls and inform our loved ones about my moment of courage when I went down on my knee, and Summer’s moment of weakness when she said “Yes”. This time, we were visiting this beautiful winery as a married couple. We took in the gorgeous view, enjoyed their tasting with an impressive list of wines (one white, three red and a bonus), and split a lip-smacking burger that was brought in looking like Julius Caesar.
Burger and chips at Calcareous Winery in Pas Robles
After the short drive back to town, we visited the cute Spearhead Coffee Shop for a little sip-and-chat. We then made it for our reservation at Buena Tavola for some cocktails, salad, and pasta. My experiment with Negroni for a cocktail did not go down well with my taste buds (lesson learned!). The ambiance at this restaurant was akin to what I had watched in the movies. It was a cozy Italian place with tables near enough to each other that it felt like one big community dinner. We could easily overhear conversations but we tuned into our own in a few minutes. I tried my best not to stare too long at other people’s food. We finished the meal with a memorable chocolate soufflé which was plated like a champ.
Soufflé Al Cioccolato at Buena Tavola
Our next plan of action was to take a sneak peek at the big event that was the talk of the town – the bonfire. Wherever we went, everyone we interacted with asked us if we were going to the bonfire. Naturally, we were intrigued. Thankfully, the downtown park where this event was happening was just a block away from Buena Tavola so we found a convenient parking spot nearby for the whole evening. As we started walking towards the park after dinner, we could already sense the hustle-bustle from a distance. The whole town seemed to have assembled at the downtown park for this bonfire surrounded by well-lit, decked up trees and happy party-goers grooving to a LIVE band. And here I witnessed the irony of life, as I saw three firemen throwing huge logs in a bonfire to keep the flames going up.
We walked around the bonfire, clicked some pictures, exchanged some smiles with strangers, danced to the music for a bit, and decided to call it a night to head back to our champagne and chips at the inn. The remainder of the night was spent watching the saucy Sigourney Weaver, sipping champagne, and finally wishing each other a Happy New Year at midnight – our first one as Mr. and Mrs. 😀
The next morning, on New Year’s Day, we took off on our first road trip of 2024. More on that in my next post.
My boss Jim first mentioned Pedaler’s Fork in Calabasas to me a couple of years ago when we were looking for a lunch spot. While we couldn’t get lunch there at that point as we had arrived during a time they were only serving coffee, I was able to go there a few months later with my then girlfriend now wife. As we browsed through the impressive menu, we picked a couple of fancy drinks and took in the wonderful green surroundings. The waitress returned after a few minutes and said something I had never heard before – “Sorry, we have eighty sixed that drink.” Although I understood the context, I had to Google what the term meant. Wikipedia said that it stood for a food or drink no longer available but also for persons not welcome on premises. One of the slang meanings also seems to be “to kill or execute”. And that is my first memory of this marvelous place that we have now visited a few times since then.
Sharing some pictures from our recent visit to Pedaler’s Fork – an extraordinary cycle shop/restaurant/cafe with some lip-smacking food and an excellent variety of drinks. The indoor decor is elegant and the outdoor patio provides a slice of Calabasas greenery. Fun fact – we recently finished watching the Netfflix show Beef featuring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun and were thrilled to spot Pedaler’s Fork in a couple of scenes 🙂
Scotch NewfangledPedaler’s Fork on Calabasas RdA fancy glass and a Bloody MaryChicken Banh MiGiant oak tree on Calabasas RdThe Frida
Knowing that we Indians don’t deprive any part of the world of our presence, I have been wondering where all the Indians were in Los Angeles. Well, I found them all this Thanksgiving weekend in a cute little Danish town in California. Talk about one world, eh!
I pay a bunch of money to keep this website alive but I haven’t really been using it well. One of the things I wanted to do here was post my travel stories regularly, but due to a mix of laziness, busy ness, motivelessness (ok, enough with the language butchering) and discouragement on seeing so many wanderlusters hashtagging away, I have refrained from posting too many articles here. Of late though, I have been missing my blogging days. So, I figured I’ll get right back on the horse. I have so many pending travel posts and wondered where to begin. To keep things simple, I’m starting with my most recent weekend trip to Solvang.
Hamlet Square
A 2-hour drive from Los Angeles (make it 3-4 if you’re traveling during holidays or weekends as this is a popular route), Solvang is a charming Danish town located at a convenient driving distance for both northern and southern Californians. Therefore, you can expect to see a bunch of tourists here on most weekends and holidays. We were here during Julefest 2023 and as expected, the place was bustling.
Pretty day in Carpinteria, where we stopped for lunch
We stopped at Carpinteria at The Spot for some lip-smacking burgers. This is a popular eatery and we expected there to be a line. Fortunately, it took us just a few minutes to get our order and grab a table (free seating). After enjoying our burgers and milkshake while taking in the pleasant town view, we were back on the road to reach Solvang by 4 pm (check in time at our hotel).
If I were to describe Solvang in one line, it would be – happy, old-timey town full of bakeries, wineries, cool Scandinavian-style buildings, and an eclectic mix of tourists (but mostly Indians 😉 ). It is very walkable and has several souvenir and art shops for those who like shopping.
Olsen’s Bakery on Mission Dr
Breakfast places open early and have long queues if you don’t get there in the first half hour. Bakeries here are also extremely popular for their treats, so expect long queues unless you get really lucky or are there during their early hours. The Solvang Brewing Company is open late (midnight) for pub-lovers. Fitzpatrick’s Tavern closes at 9 pm but is a sweet Irish pub with several TVs for sports lovers.
Bit O’ Denmark
We started our trip by hitting the Sanger Family of Wines located a stone’s throw from our hotel. After treating ourselves to their fine selection of wines and a decent cheeseboard (our friend Kirsti’s cheeseboards have ruined all other cheeseboards for us), we decided to walk around a bit to make some room in our bellies for dinner. As it started getting dark, we saw queues forming outside all restaurants. Thankfully, we were smart enough to make a reservation at Osteria Grapollo nearby so we were able to just walk in. A delicious pasta, salad and glass of wine later, we were ready to turn in for the night.
Mushroom and sausage pasta at Osteria Grapollo
We started early the next morning to beat the long breakfast queues. One of the great things about our hotel, Hamlet Inn, was that we were literally on the main street and could see what’s going on from our window. I was so excited about this that when I woke up for a bit around 1 am, I peeked through the curtains to see what was going on outside. And voila – four Indians were walking down the street. Anyway, we saw in the morning around 7:30 am that there wasn’t a long queue outside Paula’s Pancake House. So we got there quick and got a table within 15-20 minutes. When we had the buttermilk pancakes and Danish omelette here, we understood what the long lines were for. Following breakfast, we stood in another small queue at Olsen’s Bakery next door, as my dear wife wanted to bring home some sweet snacks.
Other than the town itself, Solvang is a great destination for wine lovers on account of its proximity to Santa Ynez (15 mins) and Paso Robles (1.5 hours). Both these places have numerous wineries and vineyards, where you can enjoy wonderful tastings with lovely views. The drive to Paso Robles is very scenic and worth the road trip. Some of our favorite wineries in Paso Robles are Thacher, Kiami and Opolo. In the Santa Ynez area, we had been to Stolpman in our previous visit. This time, we visited a winery recommended to us by our friend Kirsti, and it was the highlight of our Thanksgiving weekend.
Posing at the Roblar Winery & Vineyards in Santa Ynez
Roblar Winery and Vineywards in Santa Ynez was just a 12-min drive from our hotel in Solvang. We made a lunch reservation for 11:30 am and got there in time to get a good table right by the vineyard. The day was gorgeous with the sun shinging bright enough to give the sky a radiant blue hue. The weather was perfect – not too hot or cold – with a slight breeze making it fun to be outdoors. We were surrounded by plants and flowers of various colors – green, lavender, red and maroon. A couple of hummingbrids kept us company by buzzing around in the background, while we tasted a variety of wines and treated ourselves to some delicious marinated olives, caesar salad and a kale-mushroom pizza.
Black garlic Caesar salad at Roblar Winery
I was particularly excited to find a Grenache wine that, I’ve been told, goes well with spicy Indian food! Our afternoon at Roblar was as lovely as Kirsti had told us it would be, and we were happy to head back to town with no expectations of things to do for the rest of the day.
We ended up having some great coffee at the Good Seed Coffee Roasters, followed by a walk to the Book Loft where I had an epiphany. We had driven past a farm full of horses on our way to the winery and I was wondering about various horse breeds. I was browsing through the science section in the store when I saw that there was an entire “Horses” section on the other side. This side was next to a window and as soon as I got there, through the glass I saw two horses pulling a carriage across the road. And that’s how I stopped browsing and ended up buying a book called “Great Stud-Farms of the World” from The Book Loft. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing indoors.
Good Seed Coffe Roasters on Mission Dr
The next morning, we had brunch at Mad & Vin located just a minute’s walk from our hotel . This was a posh fine-dining restaurant with elegant decor and a pleasant view to the minimalistic, green patio. We kept it simple with eggs, toast and bacon but the skillet this came in looked quite fancy (as expected). Our average cost of eating for 2 at most places ended up being around $40-60 which was not bad at all given the service and quality of food.
The drive back from Solvang to LA was quite fast since we decided to beat the traffic by leaving before 10 am. So we were home by noon. I have been on this route multiple times but still get blown away by the spectacular views of the ocean. The waves crashing against the rocks as viewed from the road between Carpinteria and Ventura is quite special. This is something I also had the opportunity to witness up close on my Pacific Coast train ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco, as the tracks are right up there next to the water.
Cheers to Solvang, that has proven to be a wonderful weekend getaway yet again. Leaving you with some more pictures here –
Roblar wineryChicken pot pie and beer at Fitzpatrick’s TavernWifey and nature at RoblarSimple, cozy room at Hamlet InnKale & hearty – Roblar winerySolvang Brewing Company on Mission DrOmelette and hash browns at Paula’s Pancake HouseOlsen’s BakeryPancakes and eggs at Paula’s Pancake HouseFudge KitchenRed wine at Osteria Grappolo
Childhood memories of garden visits came rushing back when I visited Descanso gardens a few days ago with my wife. The recent Los Angeles rains have provided a fresh bout of lush to all the greenery in the city’s landscape. Spending some time amidst sprawling trees and blooming flowers rejuvenated us and reinstated our faith in the simple pleasures of life – like a weekend drive to a nearby garden!
The more time I spend in Los Angeles, the more I admire all that it has to offer. While the city has its issues (like most other cities in the world), to me the pros far outweigh the cons. You are never too far from spectacular skies with dramatic clouds, gorgeous weather with the sun shining bright (and yet no sweat), gushing ocean waters with acrobatic surfers, bustling pubs with hearty laughters all around, farmers markets laced with celebrity sightings, mesmerizing valley views, lip-smacking food from all around the world, friendly people who always greet you with a smile, and much more. The things I have experienced in my time here have made me feel at home, and I have barely scracthed the surface. My visit to Descanso Gardens was just a small reminder of all the beautiful things around and that I have so much more to see. Sharing some details and pictures below –
Address: 1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Ticket: $15 Hours: Daily 9 am to 5 pm
After fighting the Mumbai Vs Delhi battle for years in Dallas, Nivesh and I had a new one to fight now – New York vs Los Angeles. He moved for work to New York and I to LA. So it was natural that we keep the tradition going. I visited NY last year and he finally decided to visit me in LA this week. While continuing the banter, he was able to take in some pretty things this city has to offer.
Summer started him off with a welcome walk in the Studio City neighborhood. We then ate at HOPE, a wonderful vegan place that has become one of my favorites in the area. I thought he would like that since it’s often difficult for vegetarians to find good food (as we had experienced on our New Orleans trip). We then did another short walk around Laurel Tavern in the evening (of course we had to! There’s a whole new post coming about this pub that’s like my second home). And that was his quiet first day in LA.
Our second day was dedicated to Santa Monica Pier. Summer drove us through Sunset Boulevard all the way to the ocean and then to Santa Monica. We are at the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and walked on the pier. Then, we took a scenic canyon drive back home and kept it quiet and simple in the evening with some leftover food for dinner.
Finally, on his last day in LA, we decided to take the cliche Hollywood bus tour. That’s something I hadn’t done yet myself so this was a good opportunity out for me to play tourist too. Nivesh and I hopped on the bus at 1 pm from Sunset Blvd and the next two hours were dedicated to checking out some lovely houses, spectacular hilly views including the iconic Hollywood sign, and popular restaurants, clubs and hotels that are frequented by celebrities. Seeing all the fancy Mullholland and Beverly Hills houses was a special treat. We had no idea that our very own Shah Rukh Khan had purchased a house on Mullholland but sold it just 5 weeks ago.
After the bus tour, we hopped off the bus and walked around the popular Hollywood and Highland area. We spotted many stars on the Walk of Fame, checked out some cool and famous footprints at TCL Chinese Theatre, walked to the Dolby theatre and other Hollywood hotspots, and finally ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen (makes sense for a New Yorker, no?) before heading home.
New York based Indian in LA’s TCL Chinese Theatre
Later that evening, we saw our friends Jeremy and Tushar at The Village. Nivesh called it a night after that as he had an early flight. And I went back to Laurel Tavern with my friends for some Saturday night drinks. It was fun to play both guide and tourist over a weekend to a dear friend, who might now have become a convert and lean towards saying – LA rocks!
Every morning, when the sun begins to shine brightly, he shows up at my balcony. He goofs around the parapet, wags his bushy tail in a sine-wave-like motion, and after what looks like a long contemplation, lands into the cactus planter. Then, he starts digging and pulls out a nut – I have no idea when he hid it there. He jumps back on to the parapet, and rapidly chews through the nut, constantly dropping the leftovers on the parapet. Who do you think is going to clean that up, you prick?!
After he is done eating, he decides he wants to fool around some more. So he jumps on to my hanging planter (home to a pothos) and starts digging through it. The planter starts swinging and I am worried it might fall of. But the little bugger knows what he is doing. After some exploration, he jumps off landing on the mat on the balcony floor. Here, he decides to sit for a few seconds and then take a massive piss. Argh! Finally, it’s time to move on but not before chilling on the parapet a little while more to scout which balcony to raid next.
The crime scene
Throughout all this, he periodically sees through the big glass door that I am standing right there, staring at him. And yet, unfazed by my presence, he treats my balcony as his personal dining room as well as toilet. The sheer audacity!
At the age of 11 with some guidance from my friend Sainath, I wrote to NASA expressing my interest in space and astronomy. The stamp for the letter cost around Rs. 40 if I remember correctly but it was totally worth it because 3 months later, I got a package full of stunning pictures of the planets in our solar system. Ever since then, like many other students in the world, I have been curious about space. So when I moved to Los Angeles, the one-of-its-kind Griffith observatory was on top of my list of places to visit.
All through the pandemic, I got a chance to check out the Griffith park and its surroundings including the touristic Hollywood sign thanks to Sunil and Dips driving me there a few times. However, I was waiting desperately for when the Samuel Oschin planetarium would open so I can experience one of its marvelous shows. Finally, I got an opportunity to visit it and check out the show “Centered in the Universe” last evening and thankfully, it did not disappoint.
Griffith observatory is open only Friday-Sunday unlike the park which is open all week from sunrise to sunset. Summer and I had tried on a weekend a few weeks ago but were unable to catch a show due to lack of parking and the energy to hike up. So this time, we went prepared for some exercise. On Friday, we first drove all the way up to Griffith to see if we can find some parking but were turned around like the previous time as the paid parking was full. Summer had done her research for parking spots so we parked next to the Greek theatre and hiked up a mile to Griffith. The weather was beautiful and the hike was pleasant.
Once there, we took in the view of the observatory and the beautiful Hollywood sign across it. The sign was still bright in the sky and the brightness washed over the landscape making it more sensible to keep the sunglasses on. We then stood in the cue for 5 mins with our vaccination proof to be let in around 5:40 pm. We then purchased our tickets at $7 a piece (no queue thankfully) for the 6:15 pm show of “Centered in the universe” and spent the next 20 minutes checking out the displays inside the observatory. Then, we stepped out to queue up on the West Terrace for entering the planetarium when we witnessed a marriage proposal with a plane carrying the banner “Willst du mich heiraten?” in the sky. There was a “Yes” and kissing and hooting and clapping and just like that, it was time to get in.
We took our seats and as we were waiting for the show to start, we overheard a man in the back entertaining some kids. He was doing an Indian accent (a terrible one) and they were laughing but also saying aloud – “we are not with this guy”. It seemed like he might be telling a story of some character he played. He certainly thought he was funny, but Summer and I didn’t. I decided to let it slide and focus on the show.
For the next 35 minutes, I was just glued to the ceiling which presented a majestic journey of our planet and the universe since the Big Bang. The visuals were surreal and the storytelling was engaging. I was familiar with a lot of the content as I had read about it and also given a refresher in the show Cosmos. Nevertheless, the visual experience made going through it again totally worth it.
We then stepped out and made our way to the roof where the 12-inch Zeiss Refracting telescope is housed. The queue was really long so we figured we will do it another time.
And then it started getting quite chilly so we hiked back to the car, picked up Pho to go 😁 from Indochine at Glendale Blvd and headed back home. And that was the little story of my first trip to the Griffith Observatory.
