lifestyle

Parker Ranch Trail

 in Fitness  tagged hiking / lifestyle / outdoor fitness by

Parker Ranch Trail is an easy-to-access trail which is located on the border of Cupertino and Saratoga in the South Bay. It wraps trough a rural, hilly open space adjacent to a neighborhood. If you are looking for a challenging trail, you don’t have to drive on dirt roads to find, this is your trail!

I would place Parker Ranch Trail in the medium difficulty category as the trail can get steep fast. The steep portions of the trail don’t last a long time, so if you try to steer clear of steep trails, this one isn’t too bad.

Since Parker Ranch Trail is located in a neighborhood, there are several trailheads located in the neighborhood, but please, be respectful and don’t block driveways, park illegally, or park on a cul-de-sac. I recommend trying to park on Prospect Road since this is a main street. The main trailhead is located on Prospect Road and offers a flat start to the hike; which is always a good way to warm up your muscles.

Shortly after starting the hike, you will find yourself crossing the street and being met with a steep set of stairs. These take you up into the open space portion of the trail where you can hike up to spectacular views of the valley in a short period of time. Love!

The views after the staircase are worth every breathless moment as you will be able to see clear across the valley. As you continue on the trail after the staircase, stay to the left. The right will lead back to the neighborhood, but the left, will lead you through the open space and on a great workout!

Parker Ranch Trail is very popular, and parking can fill up quickly since there isn’t a dedicated parking lot. I recommend going before 9am and parking on Prospect Road. Again, please be respectful of the neighborhood if you find yourself parking on a side street.

The main trailhead is located on Prospect Road between Parker Ranch Road and Beauchamps Lane. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Fashioning San Francisco at the deYoung Museum review

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion  tagged art / deyoung / historical fashion / lifestyle / san francisco / staycation by

Christian Dior fall/winter 1948

Louise Boulanger winter 1927

Callot Soeurs 1908

I finally got a chance to visit the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit located at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. I have to admit, I did not really read the description of this exhibit when I purchased my tickets. From the name, I thought the exhibit would be a history of fashion in the city including Levi’s and The Gap, but instead, it was a collection of couture and demi-couture from the earthquake era to modern times worn to events in San Francisco by collectors of couture.

When we first arrived, we went into the virtual try-on room first. It was fun to try-on couture dresses, even though my Gap shirt was peeking out from underneath the gowns. haha, you can see the result below.

pictured: virtual try-on of a Valentino gown / on me: shirt / nail polish / earrings /

There were a total of three gowns to try-on virtually, which to be frank, seemed thin. I would have loved to try on more couture gowns, but I assume it is a lot to put this virtual try-on exhibit together and three was not a small task. Although it went by way too fast, it was fun and I ended up with some hilarious photos from the experience.

My favorite portion of the exhibit was the first section when you enter; the earthquake era fashion. I loved seeing gowns from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The fabric, texture, and attention to detail was amazing.

Another section of the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit I enjoyed were the shoes! I actually spotted a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s a co-worker of mine used to wear in the office a little over twenty years ago. I have to admit, I felt a little old seeing a pair of shoes I knew from the wild inside a museum on display. Yikes! But I digress. . .

Sommer and Kaufman 1940

My favorite pair of shoes from the exhibit was this pair pictured above. The structural silhouette seems modern, yet they are from 1940. Love that!

Of course, if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you will see one of my favorite designers of all time; Chanel! I love how the deYoung was clever and featured both a Gabrielle Chanel gown, and Karl Lagerfeld gown together. It really shows how Karl Lagerfeld was so good at channeling Chanel’s original intent in modern designs. He really was genius.

The “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style” exhibit will be on display at the deYoung Museum through August 11, 2024. If you are local, or plan to visit the city, I highly recommend seeing it. Your ticket to the special exhibit will also grant you access to the regular collections, which I recommend as well.

You can learn more at famsf.org.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Chanel: front by Gabrielle Chanel 1939, back by Karl Lagerfeld 2012 /

Places to eat in Santa Rosa

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / restaurants / santa rosa / staycation by

pictured: pasta from 19ten Bar & Provisions /

Santa Rosa is a quick drive north on highway 101 from the city. There are a lot of fun activities to do in the area for either a day trip, or a weekend staycation. While visiting Santa Rosa in late December, we ate at several restaurants, some we loved, and a couple which were “meh.” So, I decided to curate all my favorite places to eat in Santa Rosa right here in one convenient post! This way, when you head up to Santa Rosa for a day trip or staycation, you will know exactly where to eat! Yum!

pictured: Santa Rosa Omlette from Americana

  • 19ten Bar & Provisions
    • 115 4th St., Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: Miso Cilantro Fettucine, 19ten Burger, Spiced Apple & Brie
  • Jackson’s Bar and Oven
    • 135 4th St., Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: all the pizzas, Mac & Cheese, Truffle Fries, and the burger.
  • A’Roma Roasters Coffee and Tea
    • 5th St., Santa Rosa (near the train station)
    • Favorites: Salted Caramel Latte, all the coffee is good tho!
  • Americana
    • 205 5th St, Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: Santa Rosa Omlette, Chicken Fried Chicken, Breakfast Sandwich
    • They also serve lunch, but we didn’t taste it. I am sure it is good! They use all local ingredients, love that!

When you walk around downtown, see how many Peanuts characters you can spot! It’s fun!

Do you have any favorite places to eat in Santa Rosa?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

pictured below: Spiced Apple & Brie from 19ten Bar & Provisions