West Sunset.

We weren't looking forward to arriving in Los Angeles. After the devastating beauty of the forest, the mesmerising waves of open pasture and the striking cliff bordered beaches, the thought of tackling a busy metropolis did not appeal.

We forlornly made our way south along the coast from Arroyo Grande. Our first pit-stop was the adorable town of Solvang (sounds like something out of Twilight). It's basically a taste of Denmark in California. Windmills, a replica Little Mermaid, thatching and cutesy garden beds.

We browsed the Solvang Antique Center and lustily pointed out all the things we would buy if money was not an problem. Sadly money is a problem, so we disappointed the lovely sales staff by leaving only with an antique embroidered handkerchief $2.50.

We ditched the car on our first morning in LA and bravely joined the throng of locals and bewildered looking tourists on the cities bus service. The city has this weird thing going on where you think it's quite a small place. You try walking what looks like a small distance on a map and all of a sudden it feels like you've walked for days. Space time continuum? I bet David Tennant would have a witty explanation.

We are staying in a nifty part of town called Silverlake. When we first arrived I had one of those "Oh god, what sort of shitty neighbourhood have I got us into to?" moments. Turns out the harsh light of day does nothing for this place. Come dusk we saw it in a new (less sunny) light. Funky unsigned Pho restaurants, a Local restaurant rife with trendsetters and Latino food stands dotting the carparks in between. To us, much more appealing than the ritzy neighbourhoods of Beverly Hills or Hollywood.

We know we probably only saw a fraction of what LA has to offer. Rodeo Dr, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills were as you'd expect. No wow from us. Entertaining, sun drenched and manicured. You might need more than two days to find the substance lurking underneath- we only caught a hint of potential.

Since arriving we have been desperate for Sunday to roll along, with it comes another epic flight. It's almost as if out trip won't actually start until we arrive in London. This last fortnight, only been a debrief. We start tomorrow (Sunday for us) with an early bus trip across town. No, not to the airport. To a British Pub, to watch Liverpool destroy Birmingham (or so we hope).

Now I must go, I have to work on my tan and I have a mani/pedi at three thirty.

Love.

Living the life of Zin.

We forgot to take the camera out with us yesterday. But you've seen one winery you've seen them all right?

We cruised the vineyards and wineries of Paso Robles. I'm trying to think of an analogy to describe it. Paso Robles is like the Cinderella of the Cali wine scene. Sorta'. Napa being the step-sister. Dressed up like a hussy, snooty and mean.

We visited four wineries Peachy Canyon, Adelaida Cellars, Wild Horse and Tablas Creek. Each made us feel welcome and had serving staff keen with information, without being pushy. Well, all bar Adelaida, the lady behind the counter described each of their highly rated wines as either "really nice" or "my favourite". They can't all be your favourite honey.

In the '70s the appellation of Paso Robles (PR) was identified as having similar growing conditions to the Rhone Valley. A collaboration between a local family, a US wine importer and Chateau de Beaucastel led to the introduction of Rhone varietals and the establishment of Tablas Creek winery.

We liked the Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2009 ($25), light hay in colour, fresh melon and honey on the nose, ripe apricot on the palate.

They LOVE Zinfandel in California, Peachy Canyon produces one from eight different vineyards. We liked the Especial 2007 ($40), rusty crimson in colour, rich vanilla and spice on the nose and black cherry on the palate.

We decided the blog wasn't going to continue as a daily post. On the days when we take a breather (today) there just isn't enough "stuff" to stretch out into something worthwhile.

Sorry this post has been a bit scattered. Mick is channel surfing and it is very distracting.

Love.

On the road again.

Sitting on the bed in Arroyo Grande, watching the hundredth episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, eating fresh mango, papaya and pineapple salad and planning our winery tour of Paso Robles for tomorrow. Don't be jealous. We are miserable. Seriously.

*wink*

A big thank-you to all of those who receive the blog via email. I appreciate the fact that not one of you pointed out my grammatical errors. My faithful proof-reader had already crashed for the evening and I was at the point of having to pin my eyelids up with bobby pins.

One thing I forgot to include yesterday was an amusing conclusion Mick and I came to on the drive out of Yosemite. Our combined knowledge of the US wilderness and it's wild inhabitants is directly linked to the number and variety of American cartoons we watched as children. Woody Woodpecker, Heckle & Jeckle, Mac & Tosh and the Looney Tunes family. These shows probably set the groundwork for our developing funny bones as well.

So, to the point, today was another driving day. From the Sierra Nevada ranges West back to the coast. A comfortable 300 miles (482km).

We both enjoy the open road and the Californian "dust bowl" was stark but dazzling. Undulating ranges, bereft of trees as far as the eye can see. The dry pastures glowed like golden velvet. The flatlands are planted with uniform rows of corn, almonds and stone fruit. They were irrigated in a manner strange to my eye. The trees appeared to be flooded, water a foot or more up their trunks. Not something I've seen back home.

Off to bed now. Sitting in a car all day is draining.

Wrackin' Frackin' Varmint

What a day. It's almost as if we have crossed something off our bucket list we didn't even know existed.

Yosemite National Park.

The national park is approximately 750000 acres and the main tourist area is the Merced River Valley. It sits about 5000 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada ranges. Originally home to the Ahwahnechee Native Americans. Who, according to Wikipedia, were evicted from the valley numerous times by the US federal government as recently as 1969. We walked the valley floor covering about eight kilometres of moderate terrain.

We were amazed at the bustle of people coming and going throughout the day. Day-trippers, picnickers, walkers, hikers and rock-climbers. Hundreds upon hundreds. Interestingly most visitors we saw seemed content with just catching the shuttle to and from the key sights and taking a few happy snaps. We were virtually alone on the walking trails. Thank God.

Home to the famous giant Redwoods (Sequoias) the scenery was absolutely spectacular. The river valley was bordered by staggeringly beautiful rock faces and waterfalls, which dwarfed the gargantuan trees. Although we didn't see any bears *tears* (but also "phew"!) we managed to spot deer, squirrels and a number of different bird species. Squirrel!

Exhausted (but elated), we staggered back to the car and joined the queue of day-trippers winding their way out of the ranges.

Dinner was at a road side Taqueria (boy, does the Melbourne restaurant scene have some holes). CC's on HWY 108. Cheap tex-mex style. I ate a Supreme Burrito, shredded beef and rice in a tortilla with guacamole, fresh salsa, beans and rice. $7.95. Mick had a Pork Chimichanga, basically a deep-fried burrito (as above) with cheese and salad. Muy bueno.

I don't think this post has done Yosemite justice, however I am so tired I just can't put anything more into it.

We don't actually have a bucket list by the way. I was just making a point.

Peace.

Oops! This might be a rant.

Today we drove East towards the Sierra Nevada ranges. The drive took around five hours and was fairly non-eventful. So to entertain you, faithful readers (Mum & Dad!) I will share with you a few tidbits of American life that have been keeping us amused.

Traffic signals- I've never really considered Australia to be a overly sensible country. That was until I started navigating Mike through the nonsensical streets of California. They have these wacky four way stop signed intersections. They have red flashing lights above, for each lane and work on a first come, first to go basis. Umm? Ever heard of a round about?

They call a "give way" a "yield"! I yield to no man!!

Another thing that befuddles me is the contradictory rule they have where you can go through a red light when turning right. Huh?

Sizing of food- Now I've seen Supersize Me and another doco that I can't think of the name of... but I wasn't actually convinced the sizing could be all that much bigger than Australian. I mean we have the same businesses, surely they all have the same packaging? No, they don't. The size of a small coffee here, is that of a large back home. This is across the board, french fries, burgers, beer cans, milk bottles et al. Quite offensive to my refined palate (Ha!).

Cheapness of booze- Not much more to say really. The government here mustn't tax grog like our caring leaders. A cashier exclaimed when we purchased a micro-brew for $2.30 "Wow! That must be some beer. Expensive!" or something along those lines. Spirits are the same, a local Rite Aid (we thought it was a pharmacy) advertised Jim Beam 750ml for $10.99 and Chivas Regal 750ml for $19.99. I wonder what the comparative alcoholism rates are.

Blue Moon Seasonal Honey Moon Summer Ale $1.79- Brewed in Colorado, light and refreshing with the faintest hint of honey and orange peel.

Stupidness of money (Mick's contribution)- They have all these coins right? The sizes don't match the increasing denomination and (!) all of their notes are the same colour, size and shape.

Non-dairy creamer- Available at all coffee retailers. The one from our hotel room contains corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soy bean oil, sodium caseinate (derived from milk), dipotassium phosphate, mono & diglycerides, titanium oxide (for the whiteness I think), Silican dioxide... There are more, but I'm sure you get my point. Just what I want to be adding to my morning cup. Why?! They have plenty of milk so why would anybody use this shite? Vom.

I had planned on threading interesting links throughout this post. However, I think the hotel bandwith is maxed out. Do your own damn research!

Love,

Annie

I need a Napa.

We started this morning with a vague plan. To try some wine and enjoy ourselves. Not being at all familiar with the local viticultural regions we took a punt and picked a route around Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Napa and Petaluma (our base). This plan was rapidly turfed when we started battling Labor Day Holiday traffic both on and off (tasting tables!) the road.

Side Note: In the states they have access to an amazing thing called satellite radio. Mick assures me that it's accessible in Oz but we just haven't got on the band wagon (in cars. Teehee). We should. It's terrific. There is a whole station completely devoted to Elvis, live from Graceland. Curious about how an Elvis station would work, we googled. He recorded 553 songs in his career! Uh-may-zing! Come on Justin Bieber, keep up!

Sorry 'bout that. Back to business. Our first stop was Domaine Carneros in Napa. Owned by the Taittinger Champagne House, certified organic and just a little bit fancy! We tried four of their wines for an affordable $25 (a person! Ouch!). The stand out was Le Reve Blanc de Blanc; light golden in colour, lemons and apples on the nose and peaches and shortbread on the palate. The finish was smooth and dry.

Continuing our theme (does two stops classify as a theme?) we headed north west through the mountains to Glen Ellen. Up-hill from the town proper we arrived at Benzinger Estate. A family run Demeter Bio-dynamic certified winery and vineyard. We took a tour of their facilities, including the fascinating insectary where they grow plants to lure "friendly" bugs to the site. I could have wandered the plantings for hours.

As part of the tour our guide discussed the use of different oaks and corks in their product. He adamantly informed the group that no wine worth it's salt should be sealed under screw-cap. Like it was common law or something. Outrageous.

The Benzinger 2006 Oonapais Sonoma Mountain (Bordeaux blend) had an earthy nose, rich with plum and coffee. Well balanced tannins and excellent length supported complex flavours of blackcurrant and cocoa.

We finished our day with a surprising meal in downtown Napa. Not wanting to find ourselves at one of the many tourists traps, I found a link to a New York Times article reviewing West Coast restaurants. This led us to a table at Ubuntu, a community based vegetarian restaurant and yoga centre. We were blown away by the variety and inventiveness in the menu. It should be included in study texts for Melbourne chefs caught in the unstoppable mushroom-pumpkin risotto cycle.

Every dish made us stop and rethink what we were eating. Potatoes roasted in cucumber ash? Yes, it really worked.

They grow many of the ingredients bio-dynamically in the kitchen garden and source the others locally. Can I get a plate of harmony and connectedness on the side please?

Yosemite tomorrow. Sleep now.

xo

Chanterelle, what a nice name.

Our long drive yesterday took us to Mendocino. A very quaint (read- so cute it hurts) seaside town. We found shelter and bedded down for the night.

Up early this morning we made our way to the Sub-Surface Progression Dive Shop where we met our host for the day. Ryane Snow is a sixty-something localtarian (only eats food from within a 100 mile radius). An ex-chemist and school teacher he is now a retiree who makes his way in the world by foraging the local forests, diving for abalone, surfing the coast and travelling the world (most recently China) hunting for mushrooms. Not a bad way to get by if you ask me.

The plan (in our minds) was to have Ryane guide us through the forest, collecting wild mushrooms along the way. Having only been in contact with him via email up until yesterday evening, we were a little unsure of what exactly to expect. My sensible girl alarm bells started ringing when he said "we might have to be a little sneaky... I'm a bit of an outlaw" but, i'll admit, the thrill of adventure was enough to get us up and out of bed before midday.

From the dive shop we excitedly followed Ryane in our car inland to our first stop. Now I'll stop for a second and warn you. This next part could get gushy. It could develop into spontaneous bouts of sacchariferous prose.

My heart skipped a beat at our first sight of the Red Wood Forests. The trees were majestic and the scent of the forest uplifting.

As we started out he warned us that the recent weather on the coast (summer heatwave coming late in the season) meant that the forests would most likely be crisp and not very mushroom friendly. We remained optimistic.

It turns out Ryane doesn't really like paths, so for the next four hours we traipsed along behind him, up hill and down dale. All the while he regaled us with his knowledge of the local forest and it's bountiful harvest.

And bountiful it was, we ate huckleberries (both red and black) and dogberries along the way. Both tasting somewhat like blueberries crossed with currants. We wondered what link there might have been between Huckleberry Hound and the two different species... My post-adventure research came up blank.

But where are the mushrooms? Well he had been right, there weren't many around. Chanterelles were the only edible mushroom on offer this soon after summer. The "potato chip" crackle of the forest floor his give-away of a too-dry location. We did hunt them out however and a hefty three pound (guestimation) sack of them was our reward.

He told us (teased us) that if we'd been out there in a month or two's time the forest would be "popping" with mushrooms. Morels, Pine, Beefsteak (which when you cut open looks like a bloody piece of meat) and Porcini to name a few.

I could go on, but I must cut this long story short. We farewelled Ryane, a little disappointed we hadn't been asked to do anything too illegal (trespassing is okay, right?) and jubilantly took our prize to a local picnic ground for our lunch. We cooked the chanterelles in a little butter and enjoyed their sweet nuttiness with salad, cheese etc for lunch.

Epic day, epic blog post. I feel all conquistador-y.

We now find ourselves in the heart of Californian wine country. Until next time.

xo

Taken' it easy.

Today we picked up the car. Mike braved the streets on his own, while I packed up our lives. Somehow our two packs and one backpack have multiplied into an assortment of bag-"rooms". A bag for kitchen accoutrement, a sack of laundry and an assembly of un-catergorisable "stuff" that was jammed into every other available gap.

Mick picked up the car and successfully made it back to the hotel to get me. A significant feat for his first state-side (left hand drive) driving experience. Working out where we were in the space of the universe was suddenly a challenge. Everything was front to back and we weren't helped by a road map that unfolded to the size of a bed sheet.

I can't speak for Mick but the fantastic feeling I felt of finally "arriving" when we hit the post "Golden Gate Bridge" HWY was overwhelming. This was what we had been looking forward to. The wind blowing through the windows, American pop-rock on the radio, the sun streaming down on us and views of eagles riding drafts of air high above the valleys.

We liked the romantic notion of taking the coastal road but we weren't quite prepared for the consequent journey time. The planned three hours dragged on and on as the road hugged the coastline.

We stopped early in the trip at Muir Beach. A small coastal community centered around the beach and it's adjoining creek system. Not perturbed by the signs warning of bobcats, coyotes or the occasional mountain lion we stretched our legs and gathered our bearings.

Upon returning to the car I promptly passed out. I suspect it was a side effect of my anti-nausea medication. Our tale continues much further down the road. *zzzz*

Sittin' in the mornin' sun.

We woke this morning to a beautiful sunny day. We started out indulging ourselves with a late breakfast of Chili Cheese Dogs. Delicious. A word to the wise, don't inspect the cheese too closely...

Again we headed SOMA, this time to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Their main exhibition was titled Calder to Warhol. A private collection from the Fisher family (founders of The Gap). It was a great mixed collection, including one of my favourite Warhol prints featuring the King.

The exhibition that really caught my eye however, was titled New Topographics. It is a complete restaging of a 1975 exhibition of the same name. It featured photographs of industrial and suburban landscapes; often stark or desolate. Un-traditional beauty highlighted by the artists use of composition and lighting.

We walked north from MOMA along the docks. I sung the song while Mick elbowed me to shut-it.

We lusted our way through the Marketplace. A collection of local stalls selling free range this and local organic that. As we walked north, the famous fog rolled in through the Golden Gates. Fresh off the Pacific Ocean it rapidly chilled the sea breeze. Sweet relief from the hot sun.

We caught the last boat tour of the bay which took us underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, through thick fog, via pods of bay dolphins, around the island home of Alcatraz and back to the docks past a colony of seals being oogled by a thousand tourists.

An observation for you: in Australian English we pronounce Hyundai "Hee-un-day" or "Hi-yun-die" in American it's simply "Hun-day". This is apparently, the official pronunciation they chose when the car company was introduced to the states in 80's. Too many syllables?

We cheerily took our windswept selves towards Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. Fresh Dungeness Crab served in shell with chili, garlic and scallions (trans. Spring Onions) marinade. We resisted the promenade corn-dog stands and the not-so-legal looking churros vendor (man standing on footpath with foil wrapped churros) and headed back into town on Powell-Mason Cable Car.

We are looking forward to tomorrow. We pick up the car and head north to Mendocino.

Open road here we come.

Be sure to wear flowers in your hair.

Jet-lag sucks. We accidentally lost half the day today by sleeping through our alarm until 12:30pm.

A frightening aspect (for a sheltered Melbournite) of San Francisco is the number of homeless people and beggars on the streets. Despite our best efforts, we must still look "tourist" and thus get approached on every street corner with a shake of a soda cup. It's saddening to see the plight of so many people in what is considered such a bountiful and prosperous country.

Don't worry, I'll have toughened up by the time we hit India.

We axed our morning plans and headed downtown on the bus. Through the notorious Tenderloin and on to Haight Ashbury (Hashbury). Which is famed as the Californian centre of the Hippy Revolution. We wandered westward down the strip enjoying the old Victorian houses, known as "Painted Ladies". The street seemed less Summer of Love and more "Brunswick St Tourist Trap" to me. Kind of sad. I wonder whether Joplin or the boys of the Grateful Dead would recognise it anymore.

Our main destination was the Magnolia Pub & Brewery, cnr of Haight and Masonic. Located in the original restaurant of Magnolia Thunderpussy (complete with original fixtures!). They brew 10 different beers on site and serve inexpensive gastro-pub grub.

Mick had the Kalifornia Kolsch, a German style white beer, served extra cold. It was crisp and refreshing with light florals and a slight metallic tang. I had a pint of the Proving Ground IPA, it was bold, hoppy with honey flavours and a bitter finish. Mike decided his whistle was not quite wet enough and ordered a post burger cider. The Two River's Granny Smith Hard Cider was not to our taste at all. We couldn't quite identify the flavour we didn't like in it. Something between Morning Fresh washing detergent and Pert 2 in 1 shampoo.

We both had burgers for the meal. I immediately regretted my order, wishing that I had ordered the Tomato Tartine (heirloom tomatoes, genovese basil pesto and smoked ricotta salata) or one of the house sausages (seafood boudin, andouille or pastrami crepinette). The burgers were good but not mind blowing. Food envy is the worst.

I forgot to mention- yesterday we saw Grant Imahara of Mythbusters fame in Union Square. I was keen to run over and befriend him but neither Mick or the traffic lights were working in my favour.

Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel (Napa Valley) in hotel room plastic cups with Californian peaches for dinner tonight.

xo.

Live a little.

Day Two. We awoke at ten this morning (after dropping dead at 8pm). I wonder if our jet-lag is still with us.

We made it SOMA (south of Market) for "breakfast" at 1pm. A little Googling led us to Blue Bottle Coffee, a hidden un-signposted, St Ali-esque coffee nirvana/cafe. Mike enjoyed thick cut toast with the MOST delicious strawberry jam I have ever tasted, while I greened it up with a Little Gem (trans. Cos lettuce), poached egg and heirloom tomato salad. The coffee was moreish, but being late in the day already, we had to stop at one. The line of drooling customers that threatened to creep around the block also put us off another round.

After we realised we didn't actually have plans for our four days in San Fran we hot-tailed it to Borders and, like any good food lover sussed out the foodies section. We bought a book called The Tablehopper's Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco a cheekily written guide with smart section titles like "Shituations" or "Ladies who Lunch like Dudes". The only thing it's missing is maps showing where everything is. We pawed the pages for an hour trying to find the locations on our dog-eared tourist map. Not tourist friendly, I guess not everything is meant to be. *sigh*

We indulged with a film in the afternoon. I wouldn't mention the title... but must- only as a warning. Eat Pray Love was cloying to say the least. Roberts owes a lot to her childhood orthodontist. Please! No! No more teeth!

Back in China Town we had a late dinner at the very-un-chinese-sounding Broadway Cafe, aptly named on Broadway Blvd. It was CHEAP, fast and authentic (Cantonese I think?!). By CHEAP I mean really. US$4.75 for a bowl of wonton noodle soup, packed with seafood, fresh baby bok choy and aromatic broth. We had a suprising stand-out dish of XO green beans, I could have finished the plate myself and I probably would have had Mick let me. Oh! I almost forgot, I had a glass of the freshest of fresh watermelon juice (US$1.75). Practically life changing. Have you seen the exchange rate lately? I don't know how they do it.

With J.W and M.J.H in the back of my mind I convinced Mick we needed to live a little. We headed for a local dive, Li Po Bar on Grant St. A small Chinese cocktail bar up top, with a legit underground soul/Rhythm & Blues/breakdancing club downstairs. We had a couple of beers upstairs before sampling their famous Mai Tai (with "secret" ingredient- Chinese Whiskey) and and heading downstairs. Think First Floor crossed with Cherry Bar with the added attraction of free-pouring bar staff and fewer lights.

As we left the harmonies of a capella beat-boxing and rapping trailed behind us.

xo.