After a nice 6 hour drive up the 5 freeway we ended up in Stockton and spent the first few days with mom and dad Ruggles. We were able to catch up with the folks, dad taught Richard to make "orange pancakes," we're able to have lunch with Cindy, and hiked with dad in Oak Grove park.
We then headed off to San Francicsco, via the Oakland Bay Bridge, for 3 days and enjoyed the tourist sights and a visit with some old friends. Our first night there we checked into the Sheraton Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf, explored the area, ate fresh crab for dinner and stopped by Ghiradelli square for dessert.
Day two in San Fran included all the tourist sites that we could cram into a 10 hour period! First there was Lombard street, Palace of Legion of Honor, the Golden Gate Bridge, Point Bonita Lighthouse in Marin, the Cliff House, the Bath House ruins, Golden Gate Park, drove through Union Square, Coit tower, Pier 39 and the sea lions.
Day three in San Fran was full of history and friends. For most of the day we explored Alcatraz island; through an audio tour we learned all about the prison, past inmates and escape attempts. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and really only experienced cold winds while we were on the boat to the island. Next it was back to pier 39 for some day shots of the sea lions (I just couldn't get enough of those animals). That night we drove about 30 minutes south of San Francisco to Redwood City where we met up with my childhood best friend Karin and her husband Matt. About four months ago they had moved into their new home, a 37 foot sailboat! We were given the tour, caught up on each others lives and then went out for dinner. Afterwards Richard and I really wished that we lived closer so that we could have the opportunity to see them more often. It was a great evening!
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Video Clip of the very vocal Sea Lions at Pier 39
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After we were tired out from all the walking and sightseeing that we did in the city, the next day we drove down to Monterey. Before making it there we first made a stop in Aptos to visit cousin Liz Ruggles and her kids, 3 1/2 year old Abby and 11 week old new baby Harper (unfortunately we missed Rob but hope to catch up with him soon).
In Monterey we stayed at an amazing hotel called the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. It had rooms both on the water and Cannery row. We decided after all the walking it was time for a little pampering so we treated ourselves to a couples massage at the hotel spa. Richard relaxed with a traditional massage while I experienced my first prenatal massage (and it will definitely not be my last). Dinner that night was at a great restaurant with views of the bay and then we just relaxed and enjoyed the hotel. The next day, before heading out, we explored the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There was a new fresh water otter exhibit and a few days earlier they had just added a female white shark (she was too small to yet be called a great white) to the open water exhibit. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time to spare but we enjoyed the time we had.
Our next drive included the curvy and hilly Highway 1 along with a couple stops along the way. First we stopped at state beach and hiked down to the water. The next stop was at a vista point just north of San Simeon (our little secret spot we found in 2006). Here we visited with the Elephant Seals, getting as close as possible without intruding on their space. That night we stayed in San Luis Obispo, enjoyed the Thursday night farmers market and great food.
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Video Clips of the Elephant Seals just north of San Simeon
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Finally on Friday we made our way back into southern California, picked up our two little dogs (they enjoyed their own vacation at Club Veterinary Boarding Hotel) and made our way home with enough time in the day to wash all the dirty clothes and begin to settle in. By this point we were definitely ready to sleep in our own bed again but we're very happy with all the memories we made on our vacation. Looking forward to the next getaway!
Myself, Richard, Ryan, Leah and friends headed up to Mammoth to enjoy some fun in the snow. And talk about snow. Chains were required on the way up and then it was 