It marked the end of something, but also the beginning of something new. On March 30, 2012, Tung and I celebrated 11 years of being together. Eleven years ago, as young college students taking a Spring Break stroll around Lake Cunningham park, we sealed the deal of becoming a couple. A day later, we held a picnic at the same park with a group of friends, of which Tung gave his superhuman cold to, so that no one but I made it back to school as midterms came at us full blast after the blissful Spring Break ended. I wish I could say that I was spared, but he got me sick as well, and I pulled through my exams like a zombie with a tissue fetish, courtesy of my new boyfriend.
So, this was the last year for us with a March anniversary as we will embark on the journey of being a married couple, with a new anniversary on August 25th. To celebrate, we booked our first ever bed-and-breakfast experience, heading north to experience the Sonoma Valley for the first time.
It rained the first day of our trip, so we mostly stayed at a hotel along the way, enjoying dinner at a Thai restaurant. Their pumpkin soup was delicious.
The next day, bundled in as many layers as we could comfortably walk in, we played on the beach near Point Reyes.
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| Sandpipers streak merrily through the silver waters |
A kind photographer offered to take a picture of us as we perched on one of the beach rocks slick and slippery with moss and lichen.
The tour bus dropped us off at a scenic view area within a short hike to the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse. The view was surreal, with sapphire-blue water eking into lacy layers of white foam as it rushes to caress the shoreline, and a soft white-blue layer of ocean spray and mist hovers where the sky meets the sea.
Over two hundred steep steps paved the way to the lighthouse. There is even a resting-point dugout for the faint of heart toward the middle of the hike. We plowed straight down but had to use the dugout on the way back up.
Holy cow! Cows broke free of their pasture and ambled about the tour bus path.
We stopped by Tomales Bay Oyster Company to enjoy farm-fresh oysters on the grill. Just our luck, a couple who ordered too many gave us their leftover oysters to add to our stash. I think we would've finished shooting our raw and cooked oysters and clams had it not been for that unforeseen act of generosity. This place closes sharp at sunset, and they won't let visitors continue on the grill past closing time. I've never seen such a mad dash to shoot oysters and make for the port-a-potties before. A Chinese family not far from us had put a whole chicken on the grill to cook for a mere 5 minutes before Closing Time was called, and this place is miles from the nearest place for accommodations. Lesson learned: Come early, cook fast, eat like hell.
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| Oysters on the grill, and clams cooking in white while and garlic-butter sauce. |
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| Oyster Viet Style: with "nuoc mam" and fresh green onions. |
Finally, we arrive at The Gables, our bed-and-breakfast in Santa Rosa. It's owned by a husband and wife, Pam and Mike, who are San Jose State alma maters, like us. Over the phone, Mike will even sing you the Spartan Anthem when you book. The evening we arrived, we got the whole place to ourselves!
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| Back View of The Gables |
After bringing up our suitcases for the night's stay, we toured the premises. There is a live-in owl in the barn. She can be seen perched on one of the wooden beams most of the day.
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| Tea sets stored in the barn. |
We stayed in The Meadow, a room decorated in blue, Victorian-style. The little push-up windows and nearby tree reminds me of one of my beloved childhood books,
Anne of Green Gables. My 5th-grade teacher, Mr. Tenney, gave me that book for my 11th birthday, and I read it many times, sharing in Anne's free-spirited speech, love for literature, and adventurous spirit.
That night, despite stuffing ourselves with clams and oysters, we ventured out to try a bookmarked barbecue place called The BBQ Spot. It's right next to this tattoo parlor. The food's ok, but nothing compared to our favorite Buster's BBQ in Calistoga.
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| Chicken & Tri-Tip combo. Cornbread is surprisingly good for this Not-a-Fan-of-Cornbread. |
Back at The Gables, as if I hadn't had my fair share of calories
for the day, I partook in the jar of fresh-baked
cranberry-and-raisin oatmeal cookies and made some hot chamomile tea
for the night, right after unwinding in a lavender-and-sea-salt bath. After a restful night at The Meadows, we rose and shone early, taking an idyllic stroll along the countryside road, dotted with white houses and yellow spring flowers in bloom.
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| On the bridge of The Gables |
Ahhh, breakfast time! Pam, who home-cooks the breakfast for all her guests, whipped up for us one of the most delectable breakfasts I've ever had. She considerately even finds out about any dietary restrictions before she prepares your meal. Seriously, I'm a fan of the light-and-simple milk and cereal for breakfast--nothing heavy, and with just one drink to wash it down (water, OJ, AND coffee for breakfast?! Wow, that's a lot of liquids!). However, this breakfast converted me to a breakfast/brunch lover. Now, Tung and I have occasional cravings to go out for brunch.
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| 1st course: pecan and brown sugar fresh-baked scone |
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| 2nd course: baked pear sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled in heavy cream |
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| 3rd course & breakfast entree: egg baked in a crispy phyllo-dough shell with hollandaise sauce and a dollop of lemon cream on top |
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| Tung is a happy camper |
When we departed The Gables, Pam gave us a map for Sonoma Valley wineries and a card valid for free tastings at about 20 wineries around the area. It's dangerous to hand over a free card like this to Asians--we felt compelled to hit as many as possible to get our money's worth out of the trip. Although it was a fun-filled and action-packed experience, the drive home in a sleep-craving stupor was difficult.
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| St. Francis Tasting Room |
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| Statue of St. Francis Assisi and the pets he protects |
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| Ledson Winery: Gothic and elaborate |
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| This staircase would make a great wedding shot |
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| Chateau St. Jean |
Pit stop! We had lunch at Rancho Viejo, featuring Mexican and Yucatan cuisine.
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| Steak with Spanish rice, refried beans, and fried plaintains |
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| Tung's giant chicken "wet burrito" |
Off again! Our last stop was Kunde, big on sustainable farming. We toured their "Biodynamic Discovery Trail" to learn fun facts about wine-making.
Scottish Highlander cows! These dudes just kick it around the Kunde estate, munching down the overgrown weeds all day long. They are cute and hairy cows with "bangs" and horns.
So, Tung and I spent our last March anniversary doing what we love the most: traveling to a new place, partaking in food from fine dining to holes-in-the-wall, and getting to taste different wines. We ate, drank, and were plenty merry. Now, to see what married life holds in store for us with an August anniversary!
