A Little Gem On The California Coast - Cambria

Last weekend my mommy besties and I drove to Cambria for a girl’s weekend. We started with a walk by the ocean. The smell of the coast was so clean and refreshing. I immediately felt recharged! After our morning walk we got all dressed up and headed to local wineries for some vino. We also sampled some of the most amazing wood fire pizza which was perfectly paired with Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. We ended the first night with girl talk and indulged ourselves with lots of chocolate and ice cream.

The next morning we had breakfast at Lynn’s. Their Olallieberry scone was out of this world! I also brought home their famous Olallieberry jam. It’s incredible with toast or English muffin. We then went to town and did a little shopping and visited a several charming gardens. And we had to stop and say hi to all the elephant seals molting. It was a quiet scene, and smelly too!

Cambria is definitely a California coastal gem. Thank you Kristyn for showing us this beautiful place where she spent most of her childhood summer breaks.

Heading for wine tasting

First stop J Dusi Wines

Second stop Opolo Vineyards

Last stop Rotta Winery

Amazing wood oven pizza!

Cheers to a girl's weekend and great wine!

Relaxing in a super cute garden at the back of a local shop.

According to my daughter, this Olallieberry is the best jam ever…. And I agree with her!

Elephant seals endure what's called a "catastrophic molt" meaning they shed all their fur over the course of several weeks. The seals molt once a year between April to August. Gender and age determine when they molt. 

 

DiscoGem: Lileds, a Sweet Reward from an Unexpected Source

Finding an undiscovered gem is one of the joys of exploring local neighborhood haunts. Once discovered, my husband likes to call them DiscoGems, short for 'discovered gem.' Last summer he surprised me by taking me to Lileds in Vallejo, CA, a DiscoGem for ice cream, chocolates and candies. The minute I entered the colorful shop it reminded me of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I love the old school vintage feel and their ice cream is made on site with fresh ingredients. My favorite flavors are pineapple coconut and peach, which is only available in summer. Lileds was established in 1936 and Yvonne and her husband Vaughn Hardiman took over in October 2005. They are the fifth shop owners to run this wonderful creamery and confectionary.

Here with Yvonne Hardiman.

Photography by Julie Angold