Hot Feet & Warm Soul in San Jose del Cabo

It started around January... a recurring vision of sandy beach and fiery sun to warm my soul...  and didn't ease up until I was poolside with a plate of  fish tacos and a generous helping of smooth guacamole.  Cabo has become the stuff of my dreams and the place I think of first when I want to unwind and unplug. 

In 2012 I travelled to Cabo and stayed at the Hilton which is very plush and a great way to touch down for a few days of doing nothing (which is quite pleasant I must admit!)  This year it was the same but after a few days we changed hotels (Casa Natalia, boutique hotel) and locations (San Jose del Cabo) for a walkable experience via newly cobblestoned streets and updated core.



Fun, funky art adds beauty and character to Casa Natalia 

Great for relaxing poolside. Or just relaxing!

Gorgeous blooms!

Colorful decor everywhere

I loved Casa Natalia with its ultra chic setting and simple but comfortable rooms.  The hotel is right on the plaza so you can go out for a coffee at the French Riviera (great pastries) and then check out Casa Dahlia (art, light food) or Mi Casa Azul (nice collection of items for you or your home.)  Casa Natalia (whew, seems like everything here starts or ends with a "casa") also offers breakfast delivered to your room for dining al fresco. A great way to start the day!

Fresh fruit makes for the perfect breakfast in the best setting

One thing I will say is this:  Casa Natalia offers natural cooling with ceiling fans and open windows which isn't for everyone but was fine with us.   If you are looking for air-conditioned bliss, a larger hotel is probably a better fit.  However, the location and amenities overrule the lack of A/C in my opinion (unless of course it's the middle of summer when it's blistering hot.)

Casa Natalia

Boulevard Mijares N. 4

San Jose del Cabo

Baja California Sur 23400, Mexico

Mi Casa Azul Studio

http://www.micasaazulstudio.com/

Casa Dahlia

art@casadahlia.com 

French Rivera

www.frenchrivieraloscabos.com

Miette, Macarons and More in Hayes Valley

Hayes Valley is a very walkable, enjoyable neighborhood perfect for window-shopping and lunching.  Pair it with a Saturday morning and your favorite friends and you've got a fun way to play tourist in San Francisco.

First things first; if you arrive at a decent hour parking isn't too hard to find.  Both times I recently visited parking was no problem and the meters now accept credit cards.  Somehow paying $4 on your credit seems more palatable than plugging $2 worth of quarters into the old-school machines. 

Next, there are a few "must stops" on my local tour:  La Boulangerie and Miette.  The first offers up delicious almond croissants and turnovers - love the lemon - and Miette has enough sugar to make my dentist wince.  It's eye-candy at it's finest and a great start to the day for me.

Miette

449 Octavia St

San Francisco

(415) 626-6221

So many choices at Miette make it hard to choose just one (so I didn't!)

In addition to the bakeries mentioned I love some of the fashionable boutiques such as Azalea  (clothing for men and women) and Azil (great jewelry at affordable prices).  Also, do

stop by the heavenly-scented bath/home furnishing store "Nancy Boy" to check out the unique items on hand.

There is so much to see in Hayes Valley.  Hopefully this will motivate you to create your own visit to this urban playground where you'll find many fine things tasty and fashionable.

Macarons at Chantal Guillon

Tower of flowers and macarons. Love this!

My all-time favorite: almond croissants

**

Azalea Boutique

411 Hayes St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 861-9888

Absinthe

398 Hayes St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 551-1590

Azil Boutique

451 Hayes St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 552-2335

Stylish jewelry at affordable prices!

Nancy Boy

347 Hayes St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 552-3636

Chantal Guillon

437 Hayes St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 864-2400

Yosemite Wildflowers and Hite Cove Trail

I’m forever looking for weekend getaways which combine my favorites: beautiful images to photograph, outdoor exercise and of course, food.  Along came an article about local spots where you can view the Spring blooms and voila!  We were on our way to El Portal to hike the Hite Cove Trail near Yosemite. 

Turns out the timing was perfect as the crowds were minimal, hotel rates reasonable and the hills truly were alive with a painter’s palette of color.  There’s still time to plan a trip as the flowers will continue to spring alive until sometime in May.   Here are a few notes from our trip:

The highlight

Hiking the Hite Cove Trail! It's about 4 miles one-way so take plenty of water and wear comfortable shoes (that seems obvious but figured I’d say it anyway). The trail winds alongside the river for views of blooms and the pleasant sound of water in the background.

Poppies covered the hills and trail to create a fiery orange spectacle.

Where we stayed

Yosemite View Lodge. Comfortable and reasonably priced. The best part? The back door opened to a view of the Merced River creating the perfect ambiance for our evening wine/cheese festival. 

The view from our room (doesn't get much better than this)

Places we dined

Savoury’s in Mariposa. About 45 minutes from the hotel and worth the drive.  I ordered off the menu and a) they were not annoyed and b) it was delicious (a shrimp linguine – perfectly cooked.)

Ahwahnee Hotel for brunch. A little pricier than your standard buffet ($45) but this isn’t really your standard buffet.  What you get is an amazing array of delectable items served up in a grand setting creating an experience well-worth the price of entry.

Brunch at the Ahwahnee always delivers. Fantastic.

Yosemite View Lodge

El Portal (off Highway 140)

209.379.2681

www.yosemiteresorts.net 

Savoury's

5034 Hwy 140

Mariposa CA 95338

savouryrestaurant.com 

Ahwahnee Hotel

This purple beauty stood out among all the orange