On a warm summer day, we headed to Locke, California to a pear orchard! Our main goal was to pick lots of delicious pears, though we did make a stop in the town to browse around. Locke is listed as a National Historic Landmark District because of its preservation of what a rural Chinatown looked like when Chinese immigrants arrived at the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region as they established their lives working on nearby farms. The community had several shops, gambling halls, brothels, and a school. This town was built for the Chinese by the Chinese.



Afterwards, we headed to the pear orchard on the adjacent land to pick some pears! At first, it looked like all the pears had been picked, but upon closer look, we were able to pick three boxes worth. Picking and eating fresh fruit was such a joy as the pears were firm, ripe, and juicy. Some were on the tart side while some were sweet. All in all a good day!

Cheers,
Cat

Every July, Sequim hosts the Lavender Festival of Washington. The timing of my visit didn't coincide with the festival. Instead, I visited a local farm to see what it's like. The lavender at Jardin du Soleil was so beautiful. The round bushy lavender plants were so cute, and I had no idea that there were so many varieties of lavender! I'm not sure what the red flowers are called - they added a beautiful contrast amongst the different purple-colored lavender hues. There's also a delightful gift shop that sells lavender by the bunches and other lavender-infused products. There are some u-pick lavender farms too. Take a pick as Sequim is host to many lavender fields.



Jardin du Soleil: 3932 Sequim Dungeness Way, Sequim, Washington

For a bite to eat in Sequim, check out The Oak Table Cafe. This family-run restaurant makes delicious eggs benedict with potato pancakes, with applesauce and cream cheese side. My friend likes their apple pancakes.
The Oak Table Cafe: 292 West Bell Street, Sequim, Washington (second location in Silverdale)


Happy travels!
Cat

Pike Place Market is one of those must-visit places when visiting Seattle. Sure, the market is touristy, but it's still a functioning market that sells local products, seafood, flowers, and delicious eats. I've compiled a couple places that are my favorite. Check them out!

Piroshky Piroshky
1908 Pike Place, Seattle, Washington
This small shop is stocked with delightful pies filled with different flavors of sweets, savories, and vegetarian style too. My friend loves the smoked salmon pate while I prefer the beef and onion
(pictured below). This became my must-visit place every time I visit Seattle!


The Crumpet Shop
1503 1st Avenue, Seattle, Washington
Crumpets are like bready pancakes, and The Crumpet Shop is a perfect place for any sweet tooths. They do have savory options as well. Below is the Hazelnut Chocolate Spread with Ricotta Cheese.


Biscuit Bitch
multiple locations in Seattle, Washington
My friend and I visited the one on 2303 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Washington in the Belltown neighborhood. There was a smaller line and ample seating available. I recommend ordering any of the ones with gravy (not pictured).



Other places that I've heard were must-go places
Ellenos Greek Yogurt: 1500 Pike Place, Seattle, Washington (at the corner opposite the Pike Place sign)
Beecher's Handmade Cheese: 1600 Pike Place, Seattle, Washington
Original Starbucks: 1912 Pike Place, Seattle, Washington
Gum Wall: Pike Place Market, Post Alley, Seattle, Washington

Have you been to any of these places? Let me know your thoughts!






Happy travels!
Cat

Manhattan has all things that people want to visit when in New York: shopping at 5th Avenue, Central Park, Wall Street, the Met, MOMA, Guggenheim, Times Square, Empire State Building, SoHo, Statue of Liberty, and so on. I visited most of the places on my first visit to New York several years ago, so for this trip, I picked some more interesting spots off the beaten track.

Due to a coincidence in timing, I found out that Collective Design's annual exhibition matched up with my travel dates! I dragged a friend along, who was only mildly impressed since she was an industrial design student, and enjoyed the art with no price tags.










The Cooper Hewitt Museum has become one of my favorite museums that I have visited. As a part of the ticket, they loan you an interactive pen that you can press to exhibit placards to 'save' to your online portfolio. Want to check out the ones I personally saved? Head to cooperhewitt.org/you and enter the code: wqtk. On the site are high resolution images, details of the object, and background information. In addition, there are interactive exhibits to create wallpaper, 3D objects, and such through this pen. This is the first museum that really enhances the museum experience through technology! During my visit, I experienced several ongoing exhibitions, I could pause and ponder the arising emotions and thoughts that are elicited from within and muse about the designer's decisions as they created a piece of artwork. Through these quiet moments, I neither felt the pressure to move on or the push and shove of a crowded museum like that of the Guggenheim, the Met or the Art Institute in Chicago. Each exhibit offered a sense of personal enjoyment that I thoroughly enjoyed.





















After the museum, I had every intention to rent a bike to cruise around Central Park, but the best of spring allergies took over, and I suffered on a seat in the comforts of a Duane Reade Pharmacy :(

Another place I visited was the High Line. This former railroad project is now a very popular urban park. With views of the Hudson River, perspectives of the Chelsea neighborhood, modern architectural residences and offices, mini landscape gardens, outdoor art exhibits, places to relax and food carts, what's not to love about the High Line? Personally, the park was too crowded for me, though it's definitely worth a second visit during an off-peak time. Maybe in the morning or towards sunset? With multiple access points to this elevated park, the High Line has something for everyone while casually strolling.





















Collective Design: Skylight Clarkson Square, 550 Washington Street, Manhattan, New York (2016 exhibit is over)
Cooper Hewitt Museum: 2 East 91st Street, Manhattan, New York
The High Line: Chelsea, Manhattan, New York

And to satisfy the hungry, here are a couple places worth checking out (clockwise from left):

1. Shanghai Cafe: 100 Mott Street (between Canal and Hester Streets), Manhattan, New York
2. 10Below Ice Cream: multiple locations
3. Two Little Red Hens: 1652 2nd Avenue (between 85th and 86th Streets), Manhattan, New York (~delectable cheesecake!!)
4. Cho Dan Gol Korean Restaurant: 55 W 35th Street (between Avenue of the Americas and 5th Avenue Midtown West), Manhattan, New York
5. Luke's Lobster: multiple locations
6. Totto Ramen: multiple locations






And other eateries I visited:
Momofuku Milk Bar: 251 E 13th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues), Manhattan, New York (~the crack pie is so addictive)
Halal Guys: multiple locations
Fresco Gelateria: 138 2nd Avenue (between St. Marks Place and 9th Street), Manhattan, New York
Maison Kayser: multiple locations
Shake Shack: multiple locations

Alas, there's only so much time in the day. For future visits, I definitely want to check out Whitney Museum of American Art, the Met Cloisters, the Frick Collection, Dia: Beacon, Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate, and Storm King Art Center.  To satisfy hunger pangs: Bibble & Sip, Russ & Daughters, Xi'an Famous Foods, Spot Desert Bar, Levain Bakery, Dominique Ansel Bakery, Eataly, Beecher's Handmade Cheese, and Raclette. For shopping: Gentle Monster, Agnes B., Dashwood Books, Aedes Perfumery, and Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks. 

Been to New York or planning to visit? What's on your must-visit and must-eat list?

Happy travels!
Cat

(visited New  York in May 2016)

Several years ago,  I visited Manhattan with family and stayed at a hotel at Times Square. There's so much energy going on there! Since I was on my own for this trip, I decided to stay in Brooklyn through an Airbnb. Brooklyn ended up being slower pace, had more breathing room, and is only a short train ride away from Manhattan.

For flights, I found a very conveniently priced flight through JetBlue. It did have a connection, though for the red-eye flight into New York, I had the entire row to myself! Actually, almost everybody on the flight had their own row. Even though I had the row to myself, I tried laying down on JetBlue's comfortable leather seats for the flight to no avail. I have a terrible time sleeping for extended periods on planes and will usually catch up with a nap on landing.

I arrived at JFK around 6 AM and took a train to Brooklyn Bridge, my first stop. It was an incredible feeling to stand on the bridge, and all of the history lessons that I learned in school started pouring in. Plus that feeling of "I'm in New York!" Cue all the New York themed songs. From the bridge, I could see the Statue of Liberty (it looks so small in comparison to the buildings at Wall Street!), Freedom Tower (1776 feet!), and all the way up towards Williamsburg Bridge (that cool view of watching a train cross a bridge).




Near the bridge is Jane's Carousel. As I was heading to the destination, I came across this iconic site at Washington and Front Streets by accident. It was an unexpected, but exciting find. Right after I took this shot, it started pouring and the weather forecast said nothing about rain so I cancelled my plans to visit the carousel, taking refuge in a local market.




When the rain subsided, I made a quick stop at Prospect Park and noticed the thinnest building I've ever laid my eyes on (left). As I was walking towards one of the subway stations, I squealed with delight as I saw the train tracks above me (lower right) and started reminiscing one of my favorite artists: Big Bang. Their Bad Boy music video, one of the songs from their Alive album, was filmed in Brooklyn! I wasn't in the right neighborhood or right intersection, but it was close enough :)










Another must visit in Brooklyn is Prospect Park. This park was designed by the same architects who designed Central Park in Manhattan. This park is huge, filled with lots of biking and running paths, rolling hills to picnic, and benches to relax. Be sure to make a stop at the Grand Army Plaza arch, too!











Looking back on the trip, I surprisingly spent most of my team eating in Manhattan. Of the places that I did visit in Brooklyn, Sun in Bloom, with their amazing granola, was my favorite.



Sun in Bloom: 460 Bergen Street (between 5th and Flatbush Avenues), Brooklyn, New York

I can't wait to revisit Brooklyn again! Some spots I missed out on were Jane's Carousel, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, pizza at Roberta's, doughnuts at Dough, thrifting around Williamsburg, more brunching around Park Slope, and of course picnic-ing at Prospect Park.

Happy travels!
Catherine

(visited New  York in May 2016)

The interesting thing about a plebian is that we often fancy and dream of the high life, the fashion, the glamour, the fame, the riches, and all that comes with being a celebrity. Oscar de la Renta, a fashion designer, designed gowns for people whom all you need is their first name to recognize. His whole life-career was devoted to dressing women and he relished living in the modern era, declaring that "never in the history of the world have women been more in control of their destiny." His expertise focuses on vibrant colors that speak with such an arduous love for life and of materials and prints for outfits that command undivided attention without overwhelming its wearer. To see Mr. de la Renta's style at this special exhibition that the de Young museum hosted as he progressed through the years was an emotional moment. Thinking about historical events over the span of his life while observing his style and design was a gift in itself. How did he approach the changing hemlines and the changing attitudes? How did the women he dressed evolve as they tackled powerful events and ceremonies and celebrations in their life? Why did he choose this style when exploring that period in that particular region? So many questions abound and we may never know the true answers. Even in death, his clothes will speak for him, full of vivacity, while keeping the secrets of the designer and the wearer.





After a trip to the museum, I stopped for dessert at b. patisserie in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. This popular spot, known for its open-kitchen concept and highly tempting sweets, is worth a visit. Though seating is limited, it doesn't really matter because each piece will be scarfed down in a couple bites. Ah, I'm kidding - finding a seat to sit down and relish each bite makes each piece a lot more delectable. The crispy flaky crust and the soft doughy inside of the kouign amann is heavenly. As is the chocolate almond cake.










de Young Museum: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, California
b. patisserie: 2821 California Street, San Francisco, California

Cheers,
Catherine

(museum and bakery visited in April 2016; both the Oscar de la Renta and Bouquets to Art exhibitions at the de Young museum are over)

I don't remember how or when the idea germinated that some friends and I would take a road trip down to Big Sur (California). I was excited because I've wanted to drive down Highway 1 (a.k.a. "the One" or "PCH") for a very long time. I had the very fortunate experience of attending college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, (Cal Poly to all those in the know!) and had wanted to take a road trip down from home to college on my many routine trips back up the Bay Area to visit family over breaks. It never happened. And so, I was ecstatic to do at least a part of the drive along the coast with some friends.

When I was doing research on places to visit in Big Sur, I didn't realize that Big Sur is a reference to the general area along HWY 1. It's not a specific point, but more a general region. There was a time when some friends (who drive very fast) did a night drive up (north from San Luis Obispo) to a random point on HWY 1, and in my mind, Big Sur refers to the region between Carmel in the north all the way down to San Simeon in the south. More preferably, Big Sur refers to the windy roads that hug the mountains on one side with views of the sheer drop-offs and the Pacific Ocean on the other side.

We started early in the morning, and made a stop for brunch at First Awakenings in Pacific Grove. This is a really great spot to grab some delicious eats before heading down the coast.


I am no coast weather expert, but I think that all types of weather are what makes Big Sur so alluring. The morning started off grey, cloudy, foggy, and misty, and burned off in the afternoon, revealing the vivid and beautiful blues of the Pacific Ocean. Then the clouds returned later in the evening, making the whole day a wonderful experience of exposures of Big Sur weather.

First stop: Bixby Bridge! There's a parking lot on both sides of the highway for different vantage points.


Along the way, we stopped at different pull-outs, experiencing the rugged coastline. And the clouds cleared, too!



We had tried to visit Pfeiffer Beach, but the guard told us that the parking lot was full, and was not admitting any more cars. We didn't want to make the hike down and back up along the dusty road, so we skipped it...

Next stop: McWay Falls! The magical highlight of Big Sur and one of the must-visit sights. Either park along the side of the road or in the paid parking area. I was expecting a semi-long hike to the overlook, but the hike was maybe 5 minutes! I think views this stunning deserve some sweat, but I guess the drive along HWY 1 and getting to the waterfall was the 'sweating' part.


We decided to turn around at this point, not wanting to drive along the windy road in the dark. We made a second pass at Pfeiffer Beach, and the guard said it was open. Hurrah!

Pfeiffer Beach was an amazing end to a beautiful day on the coast. I highly recommend going to Big Sur, even if it's only for a day.

And if you're looking for a dinner spot, I recommend Hula's Island Grill in Monterey.



Happy travels!
Cat