California 2025

Visited a really cute shopping and dining area in San Juan Capistrano. I had to take pictures of the beautiful food. 

Trying out Abby's bike. This is right before I almost ran into Kristen's car. These tricycles don't turn on a dime. 

Obligatory trip to Donut Wheel. Yes, I had cash.

Kris got pluots from her neighbor, and I helped her make jam. 

My yummy Mexican food

It wouldn't be summer vacation without going to California. I'm fortunate that Kristen and Doug welcome me into their serene purple guest room every summer. I really don't love celebrating Pioneer Day in Utah. It just seems like a repeat of the 4th of July. There is nothing quaint about it, like I remember from my youth, so I love to be in California for the 24th. I arrived in San Francisco just in time for Kristen to pick me up after her temple shift and for us to make it to their ward party in a park. It was a potluck dessert and hang out in the park. It was a lovely evening and we had fun just sitting and visiting with her ward members. Some members had recently traveled and it was fun to talk about our summer adventures. 

We drove down to Sarah and Cameron's house on Friday morning, stopping at Derek and Rachel's house first. Derek was out of town at a Comic Con, but we got to visit with Rachel, Raine, Charlie, and Milo for about an hour. That was nice. We had seen them recently, when we all came into town to see Jenny and celebrate the 4th of July, but it was still fun to stop by their house. 

Happy Gilmore 2 came out on Netflix, so we watched Happy Gilmore in preparation for watching the new version of the Adam Sandler golf comedy. Saturday we had a slow, late start, which I love. We went on a walk around Sarah and Cam's neighborhood. We also went to dinner at a great Mexican restaurant. Sarah and Cam always find the best restaurants. We went to the mall to see the next Tesla model that Cam wants to buy. He wanted to know if the back seat feels roomy or not, so Kris and I got in the back seat and gave an assessment, based on his current car and Sarah's car. We watched Happy Gilmore 2 and really enjoyed it. It was just a goofy fun movie. We were prepared for horrible, since a 50-something guy acting goofy could be dismal. We were pleasantly surprised. 

Sunday we went to a Mediterranean restaurant, Pinafini, that was the MOST beautiful and serene restaurant that I can recall ever being in. The decor was all white with potted olive trees. We sat in the back room, which had a lot of open windows, allowing the ocean breeze to enter the room. I honestly couldn't get over the beauty of the place. Leaving the restaurant, we had a view of the sun setting over the beach through the front windows. I mean...come on! Unbelievable. Loved the food, too. Cam took me to a surprise that he had for me. He had recently driven past a sign that said "Killer Dana" in Dana Point. He wanted to take me there so I could get a picture. LOVED it. He's so funny and thoughtful. 

We drove back to the Bay Area on Monday, via Harris Ranch for tri-tip sandwiches. I'd been there with Maria before, but all I remember was a takeout window with sandwiches in styrofoam boxes. When we ended up in a sit-down restaurant with $22 sandwiches, I was confused. We asked, and the takeout is at the gas station down the street. We loved the atmosphere of the family restaurant. Kris and I shared a sandwich. It was great, and a step above the takeout sandwich. 

Tuesday I went to Maria's for a couple of hours. She only lives 30 minutes from Kristen's house. We chatted, went on a walk, and went to McDonald's because I'm obsessed with the miniature McDonald's happy meal toys. I got a mini tray with happy meal box and bottle of milk on it. I really love the mini soda fountain. I went on eBay and bought one for me and for Doug. We both love our soda. Doug is putting a wall in the garage to separate the cars from his workshop. Kris is his helper on the projects. Thursday is Kristen's day at the temple, so I went with her. I walked around the grounds, including the terrace. The view of San Francisco was fantastic. It was a clear day. I love that temple. I did an endowment session, the did initiatories. That night we went to dinner with Kim Cassetti, our dear friend from Pleasanton. It's always fun to catch up with Kim. She's just a lovely person. She gave us the cutest Pleasanton mugs. I put mine in my office. It's a huge upgrade from the ugly black pen holder I'd been using without even thinking about it. LOL. 

Kris and Doug took me to the airport on Friday. They went from there to grab dinner at Half Moon Bay. Mel picked me up at the Provo airport at 11 pm and took me home. It was a great trip and the round trip ticket only cost $90. I was limited to a backpack, but I did it. In fact, I didn't even wear one pair of pants and one of the shirts that I brought. 

Office before

Office after

While I was in California, Allie and Tomo jumped on a plane and came to Utah. Sad I missed their visit.

We went to a sandwich place that had high reviews. It was ok, but the company was top-notch