California Adventures: National Parks, Beaches, and Mind Blowing Farmers Markets

There is a Disney theme park called California Adventure, which is very fun and feeds my immoderate pride in my state, but it’s like candy compared to the real meal of exploring the land. I’ve been on a few adventures with my family this month, so here’s a quick post to share some of the good stuff:

Yosemite

Our country’s first National Park is, to me, the genuine “happiest place on earth.” Since before she was born, I’ve been waiting to take my daughter there, and it did not disappoint (despite record high temperatures).

Here are a few views from Glacier Point, looking down on Yosemite Valley. Nowadays the overhanging rock (left) is protected  with guard rails, for obvious reasons, but you can find a lot of photos of intrepid Americans like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir standing atop it, 3,200 feet above the valley floor.

You can hear Vernal Falls from this distance, spilling hugely over its cliff.

Tiny toddler, on the grass behind the Ahwahnee Hotel.

Meeting John Muir himself, his scrappy frame immortalized in bronze in front of a fake backdrop.

The Beach

There are a lot here, but these photos happen to be at Pismo Beach, famous for clams and "shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque." Also for very deep beaches with such soft sand (except for the sand crabs), salt water taffy, Splash Cafe clam chowder, and being home-away-from-home for San Joaquin Valley dwellers.

Farmers Market: Avila Valley Barn

Just north of Pismo is a little town called Avila, very tiny but with a wealth of local food culture. My mother had told me about Avila Valley Barn before, but I was unprepared for the all-out gratuitous food splendor:
                       

 

                 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and these photos say: If you ever get the chance to visit this place, do it!

Whatever you are doing this summer, I hope it is full of delight. Cheers.

Spring Happenings

We are well into spring, and lots of good stuff is underway! Since March I have taken a writing class (which may or may not have done me any good), had my first little freelance piece published in the Ventura County Reporter, and, perhaps most exciting of all, ordered chicks to start a backyard flock!

Inspiration from the amazing Ashley English

I've been toying with the idea of raising chickens ever since I've had a backyard, so when I recently realized my sister-in-law harbored the same "farm heart" that I do, we decided to split the cost and the eggs and go for it. After snooping around backyardchickens.com and other sites, we placed an order for our little peepers from Meyer Hatchery. They're scheduled to arrive August 1, so we've got some time to build our coop and brooder and get ready to welcome our new feathery friends. I am sure to post more about that soon!

I've gotten a lot of inspiration lately from homesteader, author, and blogger Ashley English, and I've been pouring over her books about chicken keeping, and about canning and preserving -- another upcoming adventure for the summer. Last fall I wrote about my first attempts at preserving, and this year I'm eager to take it a bit farther. Tomatoes, tomato sauce, apricot and strawberry jams, and peaches are definitely on my list, and English's book has a lot more tempting recipes I'd like to try -- spiced pear chutney or cardamom apple cider butter, anyone? (These may show up among your Christmas gifts from me this year!) If all goes well, maybe next year I'll invest in a pressure cooker and try some meyer lemon and lemon verbena curd.
Meanwhile, my multi-talented husband has been doing his own version of preserving in the form of flavored syrups for homemade soda. So far we've had simple syrup, orange and vanilla, and, today, cherry. Coming up: raspberry and blackberry.

With the weather warm, and a fridge full of delicious homemade beverages, I am looking forward to a long summer. I will be working hard to get my backyard into shape for kids to play and parents to barbecue, and I'm looking forward to placing an order with Annie's Annuals. This woman and her team have gathered an amazing array of rare and old-fashioned plants, including a lot of California natives and other water-wise beauties that make sense in this climate.
But first, we will kick off the season with a visit to one of California's very best offerings: Yosemite National Park. I love my state for myriad reasons, but this singular place is one that makes me especially proud, and grateful, to be a Californian. My husband and I got married there, celebrated our "baby moon" and 5th anniversary, and this will be our girl's first trip. An auspicious beginning to the season.