Anniversary trip to Cali - Part II

We woke up on our second day in San Diego and made the decision we wanted to stay another night. Our original plan was to drive back up to Anaheim and beach hop up the PCH. We had such a good time our first day in San Diego, we wanted to enjoy another day/night in the city.

My little sister decided to join us too, so she hopped on the train from Anaheim to San Diego and got to the city around 1 p.m. -- just in time for lunch.

Being so close to Mexico, we knew we needed to try some Mexican cuisine, so we dropped off her bags at the hotel and then headed down Fifth Avenue in search of a Mexican eatery with a patio. With the help of my trusty iPhone and 3G, I found a great little restaurant called La Fiesta.

It was after the lunchtime rush yet too early for the happy hour crowd, so we easily scored a table on the patio for people-watching. And there was a ton of action on the strip Saturday afternoon.

       Sisters! And check out my huge $3 margarita! Late lunch = happy hour prices on drinks!

But back to the food.

Our lunch was awe-some.

Clockwise from top left: skirt steak tacos; chicken torta; FREE flan for my first check-in on Twitter and crab empanadas with mango salsa.

After lunch, we grabbed a cab to head back to Balboa Park so my sister could see all the amazing gardens and meet the cockatoo that bit my finger the day before.

And here is Balboa Park in pictures.

This was not the bird that bit my finger. I refused to acknowledge that flesh-wounding creature.

After walking around the park for several hours, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner. We ended the night at The Beer Co. and sampled their craft beers while we watched Game 7 of the Lakers vs. Nuggets series. It was another great day with beautiful weather and plenty to do in San Diego.

Anniversary trip to Cali

It's official!

I've been married for one year!!

For our anniversary, we decided to take a short trip to California to visit my family and to spend a few days in the magical city also known as San Diego.

San Diego is a city that has been on Adam's bucket list for quite some time now. His favorite brewery, Stone Brewing Co., is located in Escondido, just a few miles outside San Diego, so we decided that a day trip to the brewery was a must and made plans to stop by the Brewery for lunch and the brew tour on Friday.

We showed up just before it opened and sat in the parking lot a bit perplexed. The exterior of the brewery and bistro is very nondescript and there are no signs that indicate you are at the right place.

              See what I mean? Very nondescript ... except for the address in the upper left.

Once inside, it was a different story. Holy, wow. Stone is definitely the most impressive brewery I've ever visited. From the indoor bistro to the patio and gardens ... this place is absolutely ah-mazing. We ended up spending nearly six hours there, which sort of derailed our plans for the rest of the evening.

     The gardens behind the brewery. We've decided we will renew our vows here one day. One day ...

The tour ended with four fantastic samples, which I happily passed over to Adam to finish since I was the designated driver for the rest of the afternoon (which really just meant I was in charge of getting us to the hotel).

We arrived in downtown San Diego after 5 p.m. and checked into our hotel, which was located just a couple short blocks from the Gaslamp District. The district is just a long strip of restaurants, bars and shopping and has anything and everything for anyone.

We quickly freshened up and caught a bus to Balboa Park. By the time we hit the huge park of awesome, the sun was setting and we did a very quick tour of the gardens before heading back to our hotel. During our quick tour, I was bit by a cockatoo, but I'll save that story for the next blog post. I still have a visible flesh wound from the bird's sharp beak.

I was craving seafood and after doing some quick research online, I found a quaint seafood restaurant with great reviews. Escape Fish Bar is tiny, but the food, beer selection and service are fantastic. I have a huge crush on this restaurant and would suggest it to anyone visiting downtown San Diego.

Clockwise from top left: Sign indicating the specials and local fish; yummy oysters; chipotle coconut milk seafood chowder with Alaskan white fish on top; and the evening special, grilled swordfish

Apologies for the quality of the photos from the restaurant. I only had my iPhone and the place was pretty dimly lit.

It was a late dinner (we didn't hit the strip until past 8 p.m.), so by the time we were done eating, I was pretty pooped from the day's events. We headed back to the hotel and I was out by 10 p.m. But in my defense, I was still operating on East Coast time, so it was really 1 a.m. See? I still know how to party.

Retro rewind

I rarely purchase new songs on iTunes and usually just peruse the $.69 selections, however, the clearance song section hardly updates its selections. I guess that's what I get for trying to save a few bucks on music.

We're leaving for Cali in a few days and I wanted to be prepared with groovy tunes to entertain us during the flight and layovers. Luckily, I found some really good jams to upload to my iPod Nano and iPhone.

I came across this old tune in their "Prom Hits" section. It's only a couple years old, but I think I can still justify calling it retro.

Enjoy listening!!

Mail samples

I've written about things that brighten up my day.

Another one that I can add to the list is free mail samples!

I received a (very) small package from Target the other day. Excited that something in a box and not in an envelope arrived in my mailbox, I ripped open the packaging to find this cute bag inside.

Now, I don't want you to think Target sent this to me all on their own. Target had a promotion where they solicited Facebook likes for their fan page in return for a beauty bag. Being an avid FB user and an avid fan of anything free, I immediately clicked "like" and gave them all the info they needed.

The bag itself is pretty small and will be perfect to stash inside my work bag or larger purse for touch-up makeup items. I'm actually thinking about using it for my short trip to California next week. Adam and I both decided to each bring a carry-on bag instead of sharing a larger suitcase and checking it. Carry-on = smaller beauty products and three-ounce liquid items.

One of my favorite makeup products is makeup removing wipes. Whenever I travel, I always bring a stash of Pond's cleansing towelettes. When I get home late at night, I don't have to think (or put in the effort) to wash my face. I remove a towelette, wipe my face and then pass out. Easy, no fuss. I was pumped to find a sample of Simple Skin Care wipes inside my bag. I'm not really brand specific when it comes to skincare, so I'm excited to try out this new brand during my vacay.

The other samples inside my beauty bag: Pantene Color Preserve Shine Conditioner, Nivea Extended Moisture Daily Lotion, Neutrogena Visibly Bright Daily Facial Cleanser and L'Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer.

I've never used primer underneath my makeup before, although I think my makeup artist may have applied some on my wedding day. Lotion, face wash and conditioner? I know I'll use all that up in no time.

Do you sign up to receive free samples in the mail?