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Winter was always my favorite, until we stepped into the United States. I have spent my entire life in India where we savored those 3 months of relief from the scorching heat. We used to put our pillows and blankets out in the sun, to make it warm. Even, finishing up our homework sitting outdoors was so much fun. Winter was the time to celebrate, go picnic, plant seasonal flowers, peel oranges while enjoying the Sun. I grew up at a place and time where oranges were available only in winter. We used to wait for the first arrival of oranges in the market. It was exciting! However, things have changed lately.
On moving to California, it turned out that Summer is the new Winter here. There are so many colors around. Summer is the time to create some beautiful memories and stay salty. We greeted this Summer with all our zestfulness and enjoyed it all. Scan through the other Summer Activities we relished this season. We literally became SEAholic and explored some not-so-popular Beaches along with the touristy ones.
Strawberry Picking:
We went for breakfast on a Saturday Morning and after we finished eating, my husband asked: "What Next"? My response was: "Keep driving towards any sea beach until I find something". I always stock up a few diapers, wipes, a set of clothing, snacks, sunscreen for my daughter whenever I leave home. So, as soon as we started moving, I started googling. A beach or a Ranch or some trail? I came across a Strawberry Festival at Watsonville. It was something new and we thought of checking it out. We almost reached Gilroy and my search was still on. I was not able to digest that we were driving that far just to buy some strawberries. So, we just took an exit near Gilroy and was welcomed by this vast expanse of beautiful bright yellow sunflowers.
Our eyes were dazzled.It was worth taking a few lovely shots. My daughter was asleep by then and missed the breathtaking view.
I googled for some near by places and what caught my attention was Gizdich-Ranch.
Pick your own Strawberries or buy it from some stand?Well obviously, the first option appealed more. As we followed the map and reached near by, there were signs everywhere. We followed the signs and headed to some picturesque apple orchards and finally reached there. Parking was small and free. But we did not see any strawberry there. As soon as we came out of the car, a sweet fragrance greeted us. It was PIE!!! We enquired about the strawberry picking which was a few miles on the other side. But how could we leave before taking a bite of pie?
So, we had some hot pie with cold ice cream at the picnic area, which was delicious, took a few funny pictures, stroll through the apple orchards, used the restrooms and left for strawberry picking.
Their Strawberry field is just a few miles away and there were plenty of parking areas. At the entrance, they lend us buckets for the strawberry. My almost-3-year-old daughter was ecstatic.
She was carrying her own bucket and was running around all busy and bossy. My mom was all occupied to decide on the reddest, juiciest and yet freshest one. At the entrance, they cautioned about bees and thus I was actively monitoring for bees where my daughter was picking, though I did not see many. It was sunny. Sunscreen, hats, shades were a must. I had to drag my mom from stop picking more strawberries because I was not sure how to preserve them. At the check out counter, they weighed what we picked and it was $1.99/LB if I remember correctly. We washed a few of them and tasted and it was super juicy and sweet. We drove through the road with some scenic farms on both sides and reached a nearby beach. It was a fun filled family day and we will definitely plan for a similar one, even next year.
Point Reyes Lighthouse:
We bid Goodbye to my parents at the San Francisco Airport this weekend. The Flight was at 11:30 on Sunday morning. Since my mom and dad are super punctual, they went for the security check around 9:30 A.M.We were sad and not ready to go back to the voidness of the empty house.So, my husband suggested Point Reyes. We thought that were already midway and it was not that late. But when we turned on the Google Map, it was showing a 2-hour drive from the airport. Point Reyes is located in Marin County, California, a popular tourist destination on the Pacific coast. It is a bit far from our house at Sunnyvale. Still, we decided to give it a try.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and it was foggy on the other side. The drive was comfortable and the roads were scenic with hills and greeneries on both sides. My daughter was taking her nap and we could not stop in between. We needed some fuel. We took a stop somewhere near Inverness. the place is marked as "Point Reyes Shipwrecks" in the map. There were a few cafe and a beautiful spot with some picnic tables along the Tomales Bay. We packed some sandwiches and beverages from "Inverness Park Market", a local shop for groceries and a quick bite. The place looks just like a picture from a picture book. We finished our meal and took a stroll by the Bay, saw a few people kayaking and then started for the Lighthouse.
Lighthouse was again a few miles from there. The intermediate road was full of adventure. We saw Cows and Horses, wide green pastures and hills. We passed the "Cypress Tree Tunnel" and there were a few exits for beaches which we avoided with a heavy heart since we did not want to miss the Lighthouse. On reaching the lighthouse, we got a parking by a miracle. It was full and one car was leaving and we just grabbed the opportunity. Otherwise, there were a lot of cars on the side of the road on the way to the parking. The place was chilly and super windy. Thankfully, I had a sweater for my daughter in the car. I wished if I had one for myself. It was foggy and with very less visibility. The view was breathtaking. The lighthouse is a brief walk from parking. My daughter was a little cranky with the sudden change of environment, the chillness in the wind, and also her grand parents leaving. She was not willing to walk. We were hesitant, tired and a bit uncomfortable at first because of the wind. But decided on giving it a try. After walking a few steps, we got comfortable. Daddy carried her till the Lighthouse staircase. It was difficult to carry her further all those 300 steps up and down. I had to give it a pass. I waited with my girl while my husband walked down those stairs. He came back panting after a few minutes and we headed towards our car.
The place is far far away from our place but the view is spectacular. The way to home was long and wearying. We just tick off one more place and now while writing when I look back, I think I may go back again some day.
On moving to California, it turned out that Summer is the new Winter here. There are so many colors around. Summer is the time to create some beautiful memories and stay salty. We greeted this Summer with all our zestfulness and enjoyed it all. Scan through the other Summer Activities we relished this season. We literally became SEAholic and explored some not-so-popular Beaches along with the touristy ones.
Strawberry Picking:
We went for breakfast on a Saturday Morning and after we finished eating, my husband asked: "What Next"? My response was: "Keep driving towards any sea beach until I find something". I always stock up a few diapers, wipes, a set of clothing, snacks, sunscreen for my daughter whenever I leave home. So, as soon as we started moving, I started googling. A beach or a Ranch or some trail? I came across a Strawberry Festival at Watsonville. It was something new and we thought of checking it out. We almost reached Gilroy and my search was still on. I was not able to digest that we were driving that far just to buy some strawberries. So, we just took an exit near Gilroy and was welcomed by this vast expanse of beautiful bright yellow sunflowers.
I googled for some near by places and what caught my attention was Gizdich-Ranch.
Pick your own Strawberries or buy it from some stand?Well obviously, the first option appealed more. As we followed the map and reached near by, there were signs everywhere. We followed the signs and headed to some picturesque apple orchards and finally reached there. Parking was small and free. But we did not see any strawberry there. As soon as we came out of the car, a sweet fragrance greeted us. It was PIE!!! We enquired about the strawberry picking which was a few miles on the other side. But how could we leave before taking a bite of pie?So, we had some hot pie with cold ice cream at the picnic area, which was delicious, took a few funny pictures, stroll through the apple orchards, used the restrooms and left for strawberry picking.
Their Strawberry field is just a few miles away and there were plenty of parking areas. At the entrance, they lend us buckets for the strawberry. My almost-3-year-old daughter was ecstatic.
She was carrying her own bucket and was running around all busy and bossy. My mom was all occupied to decide on the reddest, juiciest and yet freshest one. At the entrance, they cautioned about bees and thus I was actively monitoring for bees where my daughter was picking, though I did not see many. It was sunny. Sunscreen, hats, shades were a must. I had to drag my mom from stop picking more strawberries because I was not sure how to preserve them. At the check out counter, they weighed what we picked and it was $1.99/LB if I remember correctly. We washed a few of them and tasted and it was super juicy and sweet. We drove through the road with some scenic farms on both sides and reached a nearby beach. It was a fun filled family day and we will definitely plan for a similar one, even next year.Point Reyes Lighthouse:
We bid Goodbye to my parents at the San Francisco Airport this weekend. The Flight was at 11:30 on Sunday morning. Since my mom and dad are super punctual, they went for the security check around 9:30 A.M.We were sad and not ready to go back to the voidness of the empty house.So, my husband suggested Point Reyes. We thought that were already midway and it was not that late. But when we turned on the Google Map, it was showing a 2-hour drive from the airport. Point Reyes is located in Marin County, California, a popular tourist destination on the Pacific coast. It is a bit far from our house at Sunnyvale. Still, we decided to give it a try.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and it was foggy on the other side. The drive was comfortable and the roads were scenic with hills and greeneries on both sides. My daughter was taking her nap and we could not stop in between. We needed some fuel. We took a stop somewhere near Inverness. the place is marked as "Point Reyes Shipwrecks" in the map. There were a few cafe and a beautiful spot with some picnic tables along the Tomales Bay. We packed some sandwiches and beverages from "Inverness Park Market", a local shop for groceries and a quick bite. The place looks just like a picture from a picture book. We finished our meal and took a stroll by the Bay, saw a few people kayaking and then started for the Lighthouse. 
Lighthouse was again a few miles from there. The intermediate road was full of adventure. We saw Cows and Horses, wide green pastures and hills. We passed the "Cypress Tree Tunnel" and there were a few exits for beaches which we avoided with a heavy heart since we did not want to miss the Lighthouse. On reaching the lighthouse, we got a parking by a miracle. It was full and one car was leaving and we just grabbed the opportunity. Otherwise, there were a lot of cars on the side of the road on the way to the parking. The place was chilly and super windy. Thankfully, I had a sweater for my daughter in the car. I wished if I had one for myself. It was foggy and with very less visibility. The view was breathtaking. The lighthouse is a brief walk from parking. My daughter was a little cranky with the sudden change of environment, the chillness in the wind, and also her grand parents leaving. She was not willing to walk. We were hesitant, tired and a bit uncomfortable at first because of the wind. But decided on giving it a try. After walking a few steps, we got comfortable. Daddy carried her till the Lighthouse staircase. It was difficult to carry her further all those 300 steps up and down. I had to give it a pass. I waited with my girl while my husband walked down those stairs. He came back panting after a few minutes and we headed towards our car. The place is far far away from our place but the view is spectacular. The way to home was long and wearying. We just tick off one more place and now while writing when I look back, I think I may go back again some day.
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