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A Girl’s Just Gotta Get Away Sometimes
It’s ancient history: 10 days ago I was almost gone. As in, not here. Away. 200 miles north–the there, there of my constant thoughts: The ocean. The rain. The green rolling hills, the space, the freedom–the wine! #CentralCoast, my home away from home. My heart. My go-to destination that I never tire of–never! The place I feel most at peace: #CambriaCalifornia. The place I never want to leave.
I visit Cambria http://www.cambriachamber.org at least six times a year. 99% of the time I camp, mostly in my 2001 Eurovan camper: $100 in campground fees and another $80 in gas buys me a three-day vacation! This time, though, no glamping for me. Too much rain. Instead, I hoteled it. In San Simeon (#visitSanSimeon). Not a great abode. Very 70s. But the location was amazing. Cliffside property with lounge chairs and walkways. The Cavalier welcomes pets so my little blue heeler, Monet, was my travel partner. Regrettably, no balcony view as advertised. I had my heart set on seeing the ocean when I woke up. If I knew I wouldn’t have an ocean view room I probably never would have made the trek: I had planned on sitting on the balcony and firing up my propane space heater and using the theatrics of the stormy weather as inspiration to write. Unfortunately, the “cheap” Expedia room (($167 plus tax per night) had a stunning view of a row of cars two feet shy of my door. Not exactly the atmosphere for writing poetry. Still, it was nice to be sheltered from the storm and take a hot shower. I’m not used to such luxury on my out-of-town adventures. It was very grown up.
I know this may sound crazy, but I have stayed in a hotel no more than about three weeks in my entire life. My get-aways are more outdoorsy–camping in the eastern Sierras, along California’s coast, and select National Parks. I love the air. The trees. The water. I love being close to the earth: It’s so different from my predictable, day-to-day concrete and shelter existence.
Still, a girl’s gotta find a way to connect and I did: In between rain storms, I went for walks and wine tasting at https://opolo.com and staring at sunsets. One evening the night was especially cloudy. I figured, what’s the point of waiting for the sunset tonight? But I did because it’s my thing when I go out of town. Sure enough, when all hope was gone, the sun cut through the clouds reminding me that God’s mighty inspiring. I think I’m in charge, but now really. What a grand metaphor to tattoo on my heart.
Since I didn’t have my camping stove, I treated myself to a fine meal once a day. I went to my favorites: Robin’s Restaurant in Cambria #robinscambria–http://www.robinsrestaurant.com home of the best salmon bisque in the world. No exaggeration. If you love eclectic and consistently organic food, Robin’s is a great destination. We also went to Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles https://www.thomashillorganics.com for the first time. We had crab cakes, salmon and flourless chocolate cake with a lovely chardonnay from Tablas Creek Wine https://tablascreek.com Eating there is like savoring a brilliant, complicated poem by Edgar Allan Poe vs. a roses are red violets are blue verse by an 11-year-old. So many layers of culinary enjoyment. Oh, and did I mention we stopped at Bob’s Well Bread Bakery in Los Alamos on the way home to Los Angeles? One of the ten best small bakeries in America. Crispy crust and soft, bouncy inside. Yes, it is worth $10 for a giant loaf of incredible REAL bread. https://www.bobswellbread.com/pages/menuMade LA traffic a little less annoying.
You can tell this girl doesn’t get out much. Gotta change that. Life IZ really good! Enjoy yours.
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