family

China Camp State Park camping and beach

October 7, 2021 in Fitness / Travel tagged camping / family / hiking / staycation by Bay Area Fashionista

China Camp State Park is a Bay Area jewel. It’s a beautiful state park which features camping, hiking, biking, water activities, and a beach on the bay. In addition to outdoor activities, China Camp State Park offers local Bay Area history which isn’t typically taught in schools. Love!

We recently took a weekend camping trip to China Camp State Park, and it was both beautiful and fun. The campsites are flat, and well maintained. There are plenty of hiking trails, biking trails, and fabulous views of the bay. The campsite is a quick drive from the beach, which also features a museum, and several buildings that are original to the historical fishing village.

You can drive, hike, or bike to the beach from the campgrounds. Then, you can relax on the beach with your own picnic, or you can buy snacks from the shop on-site. We drove to the beach from the campgrounds, and we brought our own sandwiches. It was relaxing and fun!

China Camp State Park campgrounds are easily accessible from 101 in San Rafael. I recommend making your campsite reservations six months in advance so you can pick the site you want, and ensure you actually get a site. October was a great month to camp since it wasn’t too hot, and the campground wasn’t crowded.

The campgrounds offer bathrooms and showers. For the showers, make sure you bring quarters as they require payment with quarters. Also, prepare to store your food at night in your car, or the bear box. The racoons are very smart, and not afraid to go after your food. We kept our cooler in the car after dark, and it worked perfectly.

There is a lot of wildlife at China Camp State Park. If you need quiet while you sleep, bring earplugs. There are plenty of coyote sounds, and bird sounds, in the middle of the night.

You can learn more at FriendsOfChinaCamp.org. If camping isn’t your thing, and you are local, you can always day trip to China Camp and enjoy the hiking trails, beach, and museum!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Beyond Van Gogh San Jose

September 26, 2021 in Events / General Fashion tagged art / beyond van gogh / family / outfits / san jose by Bay Area Fashionista

wearing: large hoop earrings / black top / G buckle belt / bracelets (local San Jose designer!) / pleated green skirt / black pouch / fall nail polish / black chain boots /

Art meets tech at the new Beyond Van Gogh, immersive experience in San Jose! I was thrilled when Beyond Van Gogh invited me to attend their press preview party last Thursday; one day before the event’s grand opening. It was amazing to be able to view the new exhibit, and to take photos, in order to share the event with you. If you are local, I hope you want to go!

I don’t want to give away too much information, because then you won’t be surprised when you attend the event. So, I will give you a brief overview!

The “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is currently being held at the San Jose Convention Center in downtown San Jose. It’s an amazing walk-through and experience you won’t want to miss! The exhibit begins with an educational walk-through which details Van Gogh’s life and experiences. This is an important, educational moment in the exhibit, so make sure you read it all!

After reading about Van Gogh’s life, inspiration, and experiences, you will be guided into an immersive room which walks you through his paintings and life works. His artwork is grouped by theme, and using technology, the paintings fade in and out, and immerse you inside of them! It really is quite an amazing experience!

My husband and I chose to stand, pause, and wander through the area. If you prefer to sit, there are benches around the room, and some attendees sat on the ground and really felt themselves immersed into the art. This truly is an incredible fusion of art and tech. My husband even commented that he would love to see other artists works’ in this way. I agree!

It is also a great way to introduce Van Gogh to children, who may otherwise bore at a traditional museum. The immersive experience is fun for kids; as we witnessed several children enjoying themselves during the event. I immediately regretted not bringing my kids. This is a great exhibit for families!

Well, I don’t want to give away too much. I would love for you to attend “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” yourself! The event starts Friday, September 24, 2021 and runs through November 14, 2021. They have daytime and evenings hours, so you can choose if you want to do a family outing, or date night! Love that!

For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit VanGoghSanJose.com.

What I wore to the “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” event:

Enjoy the event, and thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*I was gifted tickets to this event. all thoughts and opinions about the event are my own. all photos are my own too.

Pismo Beach day 3

August 11, 2021 in General Fashion / Travel tagged family / Pismo Beach / summer 2021 by Bay Area Fashionista

pictured: cross body bag (coverts to a belt bag) /

Well, our third and last day in Pismo Beach was one of relaxation. In the morning, we relaxed by our hotel’s firepits and enjoyed pastries and coffee. After breakfast, we took a family walk around downtown and enjoyed a casual lunch at Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. My kids enjoyed the pizza, which they tell me was delicious, and I enjoyed curly fries and a cup of clam chowder. Yum!

Pismo Pizza and Chowder House: Clam Chowder and Curly Fries

pictured: cobalt mug (brought from home) / bracelets (local San Jose designer) / fall nail polish /

When we were done with lunch, we headed back to our hotel, and my husband and son went out to the beach. My daughters, on the other hand, wanted to go back to the downtown area and do some back-to-school shopping. I mean, who am I to object to some shopping?

It is very cool at my daughter’s high school to wear surf and skate brands. So, as you can imagine, my daughters found a couple of stores filled with the perfect attire to wear to school. We found plenty of tee’s, a sweater, and a sweatshirt they can wear in a few days when school starts. We also found key chains with their names on them! We never find their names on key chains, so we picked three! One for each of my children, with their names spelled perfectly. Love that!

After our shopping excursion, we relaxed with some tea, and then went back to the hotel patio to watch the waves, relax, and chat by the hotel firepits. Our hotel, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, was perfect for relaxing and admiring the beach and ocean. I highly recommend it if you travel to Pismo!

Relaxing again by the firepits at our hotel

pictured: linen joggers / Gucci sneakers /

My family was tired after a day at the beach, or a day of back-to-school shopping, so after we relaxed, we headed out to dinner to our go-to Pismo restaurant; Brad’s. This is a casual diner that we always stop at for brunch on our way to Southern California. As I mentioned in my day one post, we always stop in Pismo on our way somewhere! This was the first time we had Pismo Beach as our vacation destination, and we loved it!

What I wore on day three in Pismo Beach:

If you visit Pismo Beach, be sure to eat at Brad’s. They have a huge menu, and all of the food is delicious. Plus, the prices are reasonable. We have been eating there for years!

Well, that’s a wrap! Back to our busy lives in the Bay Area, and in a few days; school!

A few questions I have been asked on Instagram:

This hotel looks beautiful, is it expensive? A: Yes, it is pricey, but it is also part of the Marriott network, so if you collect Marriott points you can use them to stay here and offset the cost.
Can you recommend an affordable restaurant? A: Yes! Brad’s, Cool Cat Cafe, and Pismo Pizza and Chowder House. Yum!
What is the weather like in Pismo? A: It was cool and comfortable. I would say the Pismo Beach area is roughly 10-15 degrees cooler than the Bay Area during the summer. We were sad to leave and go home to 90 degrees. So pack a sweater or sweatshirt, as well as at least one pair pants; just in case. I packed two pairs of shorts but never wore them. I lived in linen joggers, jeans, and leggings.
Do the restaurants in Pismo require reservations? A: We only had reservations at The Oyster Loft and Somerset Grill. If you want an ocean view restaurant, I recommend making reservations. Most of the restaurants in town are on the casual side, and don’t require reservations.

Let me know if you have any additional questions and I will answer them!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

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