my jaunts: san antonio, texas

Posted on July 31, 2013 by jaunt blog

two years and counting! celebrating at the monterey in southtown, san antonio

this past week was my husband’s and my second wedding anniversary. how it has already been two years, i do not know. since we moved back to texas from los angeles less than two weeks ago, we decided to celebrate our anniversary by exploring some of texas, and san antonio seemed to fit the bill.

the northern – and more quiet – end of the san antonio riverwalk

a short road trip away, san antonio far exceeded my expectations (and my expectations were not low). i knew it was a large city (7th in the US), had some nice parts of town, and counted the alamo and riverwalk among its attractions, but that was basically where my knowledge ended. i was surprised to find that san antonio has some really unique neighborhoods with restaurants that would excite even LA foodies, and with people that make texas proud. my three favorite neighborhoods included:

cuban-inspired design mixed with victorian surroundings at the hotel havana in san antonio

refreshing cocktails at ocho, just below our room at the hotel havana and overlooking the river

downtown/riverwalk – this tends to be the neighborhood everyone already knows. the touristy restaurants that line part of the riverwalk, and the alamo across the street ensure you don’t forget about little ol’ san antone. this time, however, i stayed at the hotel havana on the northern, and more quiet, end of the riverwalk. no tourists on this end of the river, but instead tranquil and lush paths a short walk away from all of the action. the hotel havana (found through jetsetter) is a beautifully designed hotel that i could not stop photographing (see my triptease review for more info). inside was the ocho bar and restaurant, which overlooked the river and served cuban dishes with a twist. around the corner from our hotel was the san antonio public library, in which we found the book cellar, a used bookstore owned by the library that charges next to nothing for books. we made off with over thirty books (including tons of travel books!) for less than $25. total steal. just across hwy 35 in the up and coming five points neighborhood is the cove, a taco and burger joint attached to a car wash, laundromat, a playground, and beer garden. because why not? get a taco and one of the fifty texas beers on tap in the back. oh yeah, and they locally source all of their ingredients. it just works.

fifty texas beers on tap at the cove in five points, san antonio

locally-sourced foods at the cove in five points, san antonio

king william/southtown – this is the place to be these days, and it is only a few short blocks south of downtown. king william is known for its stately victorian homes, some of which have been renovated into b&bs. around the corner on st. mary’s and alamo streets are rows of restaurants, shops, and bars (too much to see, too little time). we settled on the monterey for dinner and the blue star brewing company (in the same complex as art galleries and a coffee shop) for drinks after. the monterey had an atmosphere of a diner mixed with your favorite patio bar, but with food from a five star restaurant. we had several small plates of redfish crudo, charred squid with bonito and shirokara aioli, and a pork belly and egg yolk rice bowl. dessert of mochi rum cake with cherry ice cream finished the meal, which was just incredible.

the monterey in southtown, san antonio

pearl brewery – the pearl brewery complex just south of the lovely alamo heights and southeast of the historic monte vista is a renovation masterpiece. the old pearl brewery and surrounding area has been transformed into a mixed-use space for a branch of the culinary institute of america, world-class restaurants, shops, living areas, an event space (housed in an old stable), and a soon-to-be-opened boutique hotel. based on a recommendation from 36 hours, we chose il sogno for lunch, the famed italian restaurant from world-renowned chef and san antonio native andrew weissman. since we were there at an odd time on a tuesday, we didn’t have to wait (lines often reach around the restaurant), and the food lived up to the hype. i had spicy rigatoni with squid, white beans, and olives that was flavorful with a kick. the shops at pearl brewery are nothing terribly special, except for the twig bookstore, which focuses on books from and about texas.

welcome to pearl brewery!

excellent italian food at il sogno in pearl brewery, san antonio

more than the alamo and riverwalk, san antonio is now one of my favorite cities to visit. i will definitely return to explore more of southtown and the pearl brewery restaurants. do you have any san antonio favorites i should add to my list?

bidding adieu to los angeles

Posted on July 2, 2013 by jaunt blog

clouds ain’t gonna scare crowds – santa monica beach in the middle of june gloom

it’s official: we’re leaving los angeles. parker was offered a position at a university in dallas, and we are headed back to texas in a few short weeks. what started as “westward, whoa!” (a very unsuccessful blog we started many moons ago before life took over) is now “tally, ho!” as we head home.

it is unreal to me that we have spent the last five years in this crazy city! i remember the night we decided to move to LA and try our hand at the big city. half a decade later, and it’s one of the best decisions of my life.

blueberry/lemon and grapefruit donuts – thanks, pinterest!

this past weekend we decided to explore a few sites of the city with our friends who have made these five years so special. all were invited as we took one last jaunt (westside on saturday and eastside on sunday) to explore some new places and return to some old favorites. the westside day started out at the beach with some homemade blueberry/lemon and grapefruit donuts (see above), courtesy of pinterest (yum), and a whole lot of june gloom (if you’re not from LA, it is the creepily prevalent gloomy mist that hovers over the beach cities for the entire morning in the months of may and june).

next up was a spin around the santa monica pier, which i’ve always found a little tacky, but let’s be honest, it was really fun (although i’m not sold on the safety of the roller coaster; there were a few too many bumps along the track while i was parallel to the pier).

ambiguously safe carnival rides at the santa monica pier

i purchased an “old LA” map from poketo last month that spotlights the vintage sights around the city. first on the list was the carousel on the pier and it did not disappoint (don’t forget to buckle your seat belt – apparently carousels are danger waiting to happen due to the high amount of injuries from children falling off).

the carousel at santa monica pier, open since 1916

we were ready for lunch at that point, and walked a few blocks north to the blue plate oysterette, a delightfully east-coast-ish oyster bar that i’ve been dying to try since kate spade and fathom added it to their los angeles city guide. one clam chowder, one peruvian ceviche, a glass of allagash, and a half-dozen east coast oysters later, i was sold. i’m not sure if it was the spicy fresh seafood or the crisply dressed waiters (not matching, but all in the same sky, navy, and white hues), but it made for a satisfying stop.

lunch at the blue plate oysterette on ocean boulevard

east coast oysters at the blue plate oysterette

a few blocks further north, we cooled off the at the bungalow, a much-too-cool yet i-can’t-get-enough-of-it bar set in a bungalow on ocean boulevard in santa monica. beautiful twenty-somethings wander from room to room (and patio to patio) wearing bright sundresses and crisp blazers playing games of ping pong or checkers while sipping on mojitos. love? love.

the bungalow at the fairmont on ocean boulevard

once the buzz wore off, we headed east to century city for the annenberg space for photography. i have been meaning to check out this place for years, and finally had the chance – oh, and it’s free (free!). i thought we were going to see a war exhibit, but instead we were welcomed with a retrospective of helmut newton’s strong nudes. lucky us! i used to love looking at newton’s photographs in vogue (i saved his obituary from vogue after he passed away, and still have the article – also from vogue – that sofia coppola wrote about his photo of charlotte rampling), and couldn’t believe we unintentionally arrived on opening day of the exhibit. what luck. you must visit.

annenberg space for photography

we ended the day at a westside institution, also listed in the old LA map: the apple pan. a burger bar in its simplest sense, we plopped down on the red bar stools, ordered burgers and egg salad sandwiches, cream sodas, and pieces of pie. simple, flavorful, classic, perfect. maybe the west side isn’t so bad after all.

the steak burger and famous dollop of ketchup from the apple pan

the apple pan

do you have any westside favorites i need to check out before leaving? please let me know!

my jaunts: valparaiso, chile

Posted on June 28, 2013 by jaunt blog

quote from f.g. lorca as seen on the streets of valpo

a few years ago, my best friend and i traveled to chile and argentina over the thanksgiving holiday. we visited valparaiso, chile, which instantly stole my heart. an unesco world heritage site, valpo (as it’s referred to by the locals) is a study in color, frivolity, and joy. read below a snippet from my travel journal from my day trip to valpo:

“valpo was simply perfect – reminded me of a clean puerto la cruz or a large murano – colored houses in bright hues, steep hills with slopes only ascended by funicular, unique boutiques, friendly residents, and everywhere a gorgeous view of the sea.

brightly hued buildings of valpo

we visited pablo neruda’s house (one of three), la sebastiana – loved – very narrow passageways, staircases, nooks, sweeping views of the ocean, four floors, different bright colors on each wall, pictures/art everywhere, etc. the bar was fabulous – so perfect with its eclectic mix of plates, glasses, and more. stained glass doors,too. how content he must have been with his quirky designs and unbelievable view.

view from la sebastiana of the sea

we strolled through valpo with the pretty views and bright colors, and ate lunch at el gato tuerto – what a giant view of the pacific – where i ordered gazpacho with scallops (yum). we strolled through the open air museum with murals (very into murals these days, it seems), and down a funicular – what fun! we hailed a random bus, which happened to be going to viña del mar – held on for our dear lives as we sped through valpo taking turns at an ungodly speed!

el-gato-tuerto

we meandered through viña del mar – very much like spain – and ended up at the beach, where we sipped coffee at the sheraton on a giant patio overlooking the water – very nice. we took the subway back to the bus stop, where a quite nice lady and her daughter directed us to the station. caught the 830 bus and had to run to catch the last metro to santiago – barely made it. :) we’ve ordered pizza and off to bed.”

who should go: writers, the young at heart
what to watch: il postino, based on the life of pablo neruda while exiled in sicily
what to bring: your camera, comfortable shoes

the beach at viña del mar

valpo, as seen from a funicular

looking up the funicular path

my jaunts: seattle

Posted on June 12, 2013 by jaunt blog

sitka and spruce in seattle

my work recently took me to seattle, a city i had never visited, for a week. i had been saving articles about seattle for a few years, and was excited to finally get a chance to explore. seattle is such a unique and arresting city that i instantly fell in love. full of lush, green spaces, warm people, excellent food, and countless book stores and coffee shops, seattle was a welcome break from the always-rushing los angeles. my husband joined me, and we took some tips from nyt’s 36 hours, and headed straight to capitol hill to visit volunteer park for views of the city from the brick tower and great food from volunteer park cafe, both of which did not disappoint.

we made a quick stroll through pike place market (where the starbucks brew got its name), but the better attractions of the area are the cute stores and restaurants surrounding the market. my favorites included beecher’s cheese, which has large windows for visitors to observe the cheese-making process first hand, and the metsker map shop, where i could have spent hours perusing through travel books, city maps, and globes.

view of seattle from volunteer park in capitol hill

taking another cue from 36 hours, we headed to sitka and spruce for dinner one night, which is housed in a warehouse-like building off pine street that shares space with a bakery, a meat market, a small bar, and more. we ate at s&s on monday night, which is malafacha night, which involved a long menu of ridiculously delicious tacos, which were rich in flavor and accompanied by micheladas, my new favorite drink (beer and lime juice – how did i not know of this gem earlier?!).

victorian scene in port townsend, washington

as much a city of water as of land (views of the sea are constant), we boarded a ferry in our rental car to explore some of the surrounding area. i had read an article in sunset magazine a few years ago that mentioned the small town of port townsend, so we headed there first. about an hour’s drive from the ferry stop on bainbridge island, we indulged in piping hot pizza from waterfront pizza as soon as we arrived (buy a slice from the window downstairs or sit upstairs in the tiny dining room with the dumbwaiter for more substantial portions). the town is adorable, dotted with victorian houses and buildings, and with a charming downtown that runs parallel to the waterfront. i enjoyed browsing through get-a-bles and what’s cookin with ice cream from elevated ice cream in hand.

after a quick coffee from pane d’amore, we headed south to gig harbor, an almost too-idyllic spot southwest of seattle that was recently named one of the best small towns in america. we browsed the stores along the water (loved bayside book company), and ordered smoked salmon and rainier beer from tides tavern as we watched the boats pull into the dock for the evening.

who should go: readers, coffee drinkers, shoppers of madewell (is it me or did the entire town appear outiffted in their recent catalog?)
what to read: nothing. save your books for the countless book stores throughout seattle (i loved elliott bay book co in pike/pine)
what to watch: sleepless in seattle and grey’s anatomy (confession: i was saddened to learn that seattle grace hospital does not actually exist; don’t judge)
what to pack: layers, an umbrella, boots

ferry to bainbridge island, en route to port townsend

refreshing happy hour at tides tavern in gig harbor

checking out a mariners/rangers game in seattle

my jaunts: barcelona, part two

Posted on May 31, 2013 by jaunt blog

sitting in the street at el xampanyet in el born district – cava and tapas

a couple of weeks ago, i wrote a bit about my favorite sights in barcelona, spain. as i mentioned in that post, barcelona is a dynamic city with a huge personality, which kim and i had no problem adopting. some of my favorite parts included:

the catalonia flag in the el born district

catalan pride – the first thing we noticed is that the people of barcelona do not speak spanish; rather, they speak catalán, the language of catalonia, located in northeast spain. something of a mixture between french and spanish, this language was banned during francisco franco’s reign through the mid 1970s. following his death and the return of democracy, the catalan people embraced the previously banned culture with vigor, reintroducing the language in schools, and renaming streets. the yellow and red striped flag of catalonia flies from balconies and storefronts throughout the city, on the backs of cars, on backpacks, everywhere. i love a good sense of national pride, and that is exactly what this is (seriously – most catalans want a catalan nation).
the tapas crawl – catalans, and the spanish in general, typically do not eat dinner until 10pm, and therefore tapas are a necessity come 5pm or 6pm. tapas restaurants are everywhere, and tapas crawls were a daily event during our visit. some restaurants served tapas that were basic, offering small bikinis (toasted sandwiches) or canned sardines (a catalonia favorite) with a glass of cava (spanish sparkling wine) or vino. others attempted a gourmet twist on the classics, introducing truffles to bikinis, or topping brie and olive tapenade with the classic sardine. still others adopted the basque (northern region of spain) tradition and laid out on a long bar plates of bread with various toppings held together with toothpicks. one price per toothpick, and the bill is tabulated by counting the toothpicks on your plate. (see below for a list of some of our favorite tapas locations throughout the city. the fashionable el born district had a large number surrounding the passeig del born.)
el bocadillo chorizo and a cafe con leche at el born bar

eating like a local – yeah, so you may have noticed that two of my three points are about food. the food in barcelona is that good. for a quick and colorful overview, we headed to la boqueria market off la rambla, and lost ourselves in stalls full of fruit, meat, sweets, and spices. personal favorites included the salad from puerto latino and the freshly squeezed strawberry and pineapple juices. for lunch or a quick bite to eat, i survived almost completely on bocadillos de chorizo (chorizo sandwiches) and cafe con leche…delicious!

who should go: foodies, history buffs (everyone wants to talk about catalonia)
favorite tapas restaurant: quimet & quimet in el raval district (try their specially-made dark belgian beer), tapaç 24 in l’eixample (get the famous potatoes and a glass of cava), el xampanyet in el born (for less than $10, you can order a bottle of cava that comes with two small plates of snacks)
favorite bocadillo stop: el born bar
favorite nice meal: cinc sentits, a michelin star restaurant that was an experience in itself. not to be missed, this is a foodie’s heaven!

la bocaria market off la rambla

belgian beer and tapas at quimet & quimet – best tapas in barcelona

menu and cava at tapaç 24

a particularly good cafe con leche

thoughts of ‘homa

Posted on May 22, 2013 by jaunt blog

the barcelona, part 2 post was scheduled for today, but has been interrupted for a trip to the heartland. i can’t shake the news from oklahoma, as i’m sure is the same for most of you. since oklahoma is a state with fewer tourists than, say, new york (it’s true!), i thought i’d share with you why people on the news keep talking about the oklahoma spirit.

oklahoma is home. it is where i was raised and where i swore i would leave as soon as i could. it is where i ended up staying for college against my wildest dreams. i just couldn’t leave. i fell in love with that campus in norman and was struck by how genuinely interested the folks at OU were in having me. always welcoming, those okies.

oklahoma is fried chicken, church services, the flaming lips, college football. it’s a slower way of life with wide open spaces and SUVs. it’s the smell of freshly cut bermuda grass and the sound of cicadas as evening approaches. oklahoma is crazy politics and 3.2% beer and some of the worst weather of any place where i’ve lived. it’s native america. And it’s OK.

according to some people i’ve met, oklahoma is a fly-over state, a red state, a beach-less state, a hot state. it’s a state for which you may not have had (or will ever have) an occasion to visit. but it’s my state, with my people.

these people know what it means to be an okie (and if you don’t, please read this beautifully written post by nicole hill). it means not focusing on living up to hollywood’s expectations, but rather on living up to your family’s expectations. it means working to live rather than living to work. it means home-cooked meals and chats over drinks and family, family, family.

i did leave oklahoma eventually, but a few things followed me. the sense of gratitude, of humility, of feeling ok asking for help, of wanting to learn more about the world and people.

in the grand scheme of things, there aren’t many people from oklahoma (though we’ve probably beat vermont). i am bound by these close ties. these are my roots. i feel ownership of this land and these people even when i am thousands of miles away.

the feeling of helplessness swallowed me these past two days as all i wanted to do was drive up 35 to help move some debris. oklahoma has a can-do spirit, and it’s a shame that the rest of the world only sees it during times of disaster. but oklahoma is a quiet state, a resilient state, and tends to keep to itself for the most part.

if you’re ever in the area, please drive through, and spend some time exploring the different parts (green country! red carpet country!). until then, please consider donating to the red cross or salvation army for relief efforts. these are my friends and my family, and they need our help.

photo by heath alan dodd

my jaunts: barcelona

Posted on May 14, 2013 by jaunt blog

people in front of the mnac on montjüic watching la font mágica

my best friend and i visited barcelona for a week last october. the city is full of art, color, modernista architecture, and a general joie de vivre; basically, barcelona captured my heart. i could not possibly write about the city in one post, so i’ve decided to break it out into two separate posts: this devoted to the best tourist sites and another (next week) devoted to local flavor.

during our first day, we wanted to get our bearings. i thought that meant walking a lot. kim had another idea: the double-decker tourist bus. i gawked, she won, and it turned out to be ridiculously fun. we took the green route, which drove us through the modernista sights of the city: la sagrada familia, la pedrera, casa batlló, and park güell. the modernista movement was the art movement that occurred in the early 20th century that mirrors the art nouveau movement of paris. the man affiliated most with this movement in barcelona is antoni gaudí, who designed all of the sights listed above. his style is completely unique, and the joy and inspiration in his work is evident. i had never seen anything like it.

the torre agbar in barcelona

a rickshaw ride down the waterfront of the beach (in an area known as la barceloneta) was one of our favorites, as it allowed us to see huge lengths of the waterfront in a short amount of time. we passed public art, modern architecture, seafood restaurants, underground clubs accessible via elevators on the boardwalk (spain knows how to have a good time), and the olympic village from the 1992 summer olympics. additionally, the city allows drinking on the beach, so we enjoyed sipping sangrías while michael, our rickshaw pedaler from liverpool, tried to coax some more dinero out of us.

we ended one friday night in montjüic, a hill overlooking the city. a giant fountain dubbed la font màgica stands at the base of the national museum of catalunian art (mnac) and, at certain times throughout the week, gives a series of 30 minute shows that start with classical music, move towards katy perry, and end with freddie mercury singing barcelona.

the sheer amount of people there was unreal. tourists and locals alike crowded the area surrounding the fountain, stood on columns for better views, danced in groups to the music, and cheered with the catalan anthem. we drank cava from the stall in front of the mnac at the top of the stairs, and men walked around selling individual cans of beer (didn’t seem strange at the time). i’m not going to lie: when kim suggested this, i was not at all interested. fountain shows aren’t really my thing. word of advice: just do what kim says.

who should go: art and architecture lovers
other sights of interest: the cathedral, la rambla
what to read: the wallpaper guide to barcelona,
what to wear: comfortable walking shoes, appropriate clothes for cathedrals (no short shorts or tank tops)

the altar of la sagrada familia, gaudí’s cathedral masterpiece

view from the rickshaw of la barceloneta

gaudí’s park güell in barcelona

lucha libre-esque figures atop caso batlló, aka la pedrera

my jaunts: marfa, texas

Posted on April 29, 2013 by jaunt blog

shortly after i started dating parker (now my husband), he mentioned wanting to travel to a small town in far west texas, marfa. i had never heared of marfa and, after looking it up on a map, realized it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere (over two hours from the nearest cities of el paso or midland/odessa). parker had read about it in texas monthly, and mentioned it was known for its modern art scene. hmmm…modern art in west texas? i was thinking more like ranchers from edna ferber’s giant (side note: the movie based on the book was filmed in marfa- it was the last movie james dean filmed before his death).

we went for three nights, and it was one of the quirkiest and coolest trips i have ever taken. we ate marfalafal at the food shark food truck (before food trucks were cool), where they gave me change in the form of a two dollar bill, a dollar piece, and a fifty cent piece (so whimsical, as my friend tara would later describe it). we strolled through the tiny downtown, with its art galleries (a warhol exhibit comes to mind), a light-filled library, and hipster bikes leaning against buildings (no locks, no crime). at night we stayed at the thunderbird hotel, a hipster haven where we rented bikes, a typewriter, and a record player.

donald judd’s chinati foundation is located in marfa, and we spent over a day touring the facilities and seeing the many exhibits spread over acres of the flat west texas land. we spoke with interns who had moved to marfa for the summer, and learned how they liked the tiny town (loved it), where they went shopping (online or in nearby alpine for the closest grocery store), and what the neighboring ranchers thought of the neon light installations (amused).

east of town, there is a strange phenomenon called the marfa lights. at a rest stop off the highway, you can park at night and look out over the flat land and see twinkling lights at the horizon. many people have speculated as to what they are, but the lights (and their origin) remain a mystery, with UFOs being the prevailing idea. somewhat spooky (ok, i was entirely freaked out), but seemingly in step with the rest of the town’s eccentric vibe. check it out.

who should go: modern art lovers, hipsters, texans
what to read: giant by edna ferber
what to watch: no country for old men and there will be blood, both partly filmed in marfa
the surrounding area: drive south to the border and head east along the rio grande through big bend national park. stop for a drink at boathouse in terlingua, a ghost town with a high hippie population and home to a texas-sized chili festival. head north from marfa for a night spent watching the stars at the university of texas’ mcdonald observatory, or swim in the natural (and freakishly clear) springs in balmorhea.

: the food shark truck

: the thunderbird hotel

: bikes are everywhere in marfa

: the chinati foundation

: sunset in marfa

bon voyage!

Posted on January 19, 2013 by jaunt blog

happy new year! ok, april may be a stretch for still wishing a happy new year, but i am so excited to start jaunt blog in 2013! jaunt is born out of my love for travel, seeing new places, finding adventure, and sharing the experiences (good and bad) with friends. the idea is simple: a mix of travel and style, along with some thoughts from my partners-in-crime thrown in for good measure. from my favorite tapas restaurants in barcelona to my favorite cross-body bags to hold my travel essentials, i’m hoping to cover it all. thanks for reading, and happy travels!

jaunt: one girl's search for adventure

Category Archives: my jaunts