On our recent trip to Central PA, we saw snow! Yay! It was fun to see snow so early in the season, and especially being from California! This cozy coat was perfect, and I ended up wearing it every day during our trip. Temperatures during our trip ranged from the teens up to the 40’s. Now that I am back home, I find myself reaching for it often since we have had a lot of rain lately, and the temperatures have been in the 30’s and 40’s. This coat is perfect and cozy! Love!
This photo was taken after we toured the caves at Lincoln Caverns. These boots and this cozy coat were perfect for a lot of walking and staying warm. I also used my coat to stay warm on the airplane. It was perfect!
If you are looking for a winter coat that works in rain and snow, this is it! You will see me in a lot this season!
Shop my winter coat outfit online:
Do you have your winter coat yet? What is your favorite winter coat?
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!
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!
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!
During ski week, we took a quick trip to Tempe, Arizona. Much like our Boulder trip, it was quick, so we didn’t do a lot of site-seeing. What we did do, was enjoy the weather and eat at a lot of really good restaurants! Another thing we loved; Tempe didn’t have a mask mandate when we were there. It felt weird at first, but we loved shedding our masks!
Sushi and ramen from Shady Park in Tempe, Arizona
The city of Tempe is integrated into ASU, so there are plenty of affordable and delicious restaurants within walking distance of a hotel. We stayed at the Westin Tempe, which was right in the middle of town and had a rooftop bar where you could watch the dessert sunset. Love!
Our favorite restaurants included Zipps Sports Grill, and Shady Park. Zipps offered American casual fare and I enjoyed a veggie burger with onion rings. Shady Park was a Japanese restaurant which had really good sushi and ramen. If we ever return to Tempe, we will eat at these two places again! I highly recommend!
We took a walking tour around town and found many architecturally significant buildings, which was really fun. I loved the Frank Llyod Wright theater on the ASU campus, and the Tempe City Hall. If you love architecture, this is a great place to check out!
I wish we had more time in Tempe, we were only there for a day and half. I would love to return someday and check out their hiking trails and historical spots. It’s an easy place to travel to from the Bay Area, and the weather this time of year is perfect!
Have you ever been? What did you enjoy?
What was in my Tempe Arizona suitcase:
Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned! Spring capsule launches on the blog next week!
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