staycation

Rio Del Mar beach day

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged beach / casual style / dresses / outfits / staycation / summer 2022 by
summer outfit ideas under $50
summer outfits under $50
santa crus area beaches rio del mar apotos
affordable summer dresses under $50

Wearing: hat (old, also love this one) / earrings / sunglasses / swimsuit cover-up dress (under $50) / swimsuit (not shown) / wedge espadrilles / straw tote bag / summer nail polish /

‘Tis the season to go to the beach! If you are local to the San Francisco Bay Area, when was the last time you took a beach day? Sometimes we think of the beach as a place to go to relax, but unfortunately, the summer months bring in a lot of people at the beaches, making them anything but relaxing.

Unless you want your beach day to be filled with activities, you might skip the beach and opt for a spa if you are looking for peace and quiet. Well, maybe that means you don’t know about Rio Del Mar Beach in Aptos!

I’m not trying to spoil the place, but I don’t think tourists will suddenly flood Rio Del Mar Beach if I post about it. Unless you live in the Bay Area and truck in your own picnic, there isn’t anything here for tourists to see. It’s just a beach.

Rio Del Mar Beach is a quiet yet large beach in Aptos, just south of Capitola. While many beach going locals talk about heading to Capitola in order to avoid crowds in Santa Cruz, an even better way to avoid crowds is to head a little further south on highway 1 and go to Rio Del Mar.

affordable summer outfits
good beaches california coast

This isn’t a beach made to handle a ton of people, despite having a ton of clean sand and space. Rio Del Mar Beach is set up like a local, neighborhood beach. The parking lot is small, and if you end up not finding a space, you will have to park in the neighborhood. If this happens, please oh please be respectful of the neighborhood! Park your car without blocking driveways and adhere to any parking signs that have been posted. It’s better to park a few minutes away than to block a driveway or break a parking rule.

Once you legally park, you can walk over to the beach and enjoy it’s peacefulness. There is a lot of sand, which equates to tons of space for spreading out your blanket. There are a few restaurants in town, but they are small, and you should dress in regular clothing to go. I recommend bringing a cooler with food from home to eat while on the beach.

There is also a really cool, cement boat off a small pier which has been sinking for years. Every time we go to Rio Del Mar Beach the boat is a little farther down in the sea. It’s pretty cool to see, and fun to walk over to and check out.

As always, I recommend going early! The earlier you go, the better chance you have of getting into the parking lot. I also recommend taking a day off work and going on a weekday. This will give you a more peaceful experience.

Shop my affordable beach outfit online:

Summer vacation is already halfway over! Enjoy it and go to the beach!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO
Cathy

quiet beach san francisco bay area
affordable beach dresses

Alcatraz Island and a Cable Car

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / san francisco / staycation / travel style by
alcatraz federal prison tour san francisco

You don’t always have to get on a plane to play tourist. Sometimes, enjoying the tourist attractions in your own hometown can be just as much fun! Plus, you don’t have to pay for a hotel. Love that!

We decided to take the kids to San Francisco for the day and play tourist. As most locals will attest, we had never taken our kids on a cable car or to see Alcatraz. Usually these are things we locals do when we have out of town guests, or on a field trip as kids. The first time I went on a cable car was when I was in college, and there were kids who weren’t from here who wanted to go on one. Those of us who were from here, had never ridden one! Us locals are missing out!

Riding on a cable car is fun, plus, if you have a fast pass, it works on the cable car! Why not give it a whirl?! I know, I know, as locals we see that awful, daunting line for the cable car filled with tourists. Who wants to stand in that? Well, let me tell you, you can avoid the line! If you go at 9am when cable car service starts, you can avoid standing in a long line filled with tourists, plus, you are more likely to get a coveted outside seat! Love that!

We rode on the cable car twice. I sat outside the first time, and then inside the second time to give the tourists a whirl. Either location is fun. Why not use your fast pass for a little fun? Might as well!

After we took a joyride on the cable car, we took the F Market up the Embarcadero and walked over to Hillstone for lunch. Now, if you are local, you may remember this place as Houston’s. It’s the same restaurant with a new name. I highly recommend getting something with French Fries or getting the French Fries on the side. They are so good! Out of everything we ordered, the focaccia and the crispy chicken sandwich were the best. Highly recommend!

hillstone san francisco

pictured: green handbag / sunglasses /

After lunch, we walked across the street to Pier 33 where you can catch the boat to Alcatraz. I recommend making reservations ahead of time just in case the time slot you want is popular and gets sold out.

I have only been to Alcatraz one other time, and it was when my dear friend from the mid-west visited me. I couldn’t believe I had never been there before! So, this was only my second time going! Isn’t that crazy?! My kids had never been, so they had fun touring the prison grounds and learning the history of the prison and the island itself. Wear your walking shoes and allow yourself time to not only tour the prison and the island, but to enjoy the museum. There are also some great areas where you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown San Francisco and the east bay. If you are lucky, and the fog burns off, it is very pretty!

wearing: sunglasses / statement earrings / navy tie sleeve tee / gemstone bracelet (under $50, local designer) / summer nail polish / green handbag / G buckle belt / dark wash skinny jeans / sneakers /

We were definitely tired and hungry after spending time touring around Alcatraz Island. So, to complete our staycation San Francisco day, we decided to take our kids to Tadich Grill. After all, it is the oldest restaurant in the city, and it survived the 1906 earthquake! Yup, it has been in business since 1849. It has survived two pandemics too! Love!

Everything we ordered was delicious. You cannot go wrong at Tadich! Be sure to make a reservation, especially if you plan to go at peak times.

If you are local, or from out of town, I hope you enjoy these sights San Francisco has to offer. You will have a lot of fun and learn some history too! Love that!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO
Cathy

China Camp State Park camping and beach

 in Fitness / Travel  tagged camping / family / hiking / staycation by
china camp state park beach

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