Impressions from the West Coast III

We loved the coast line and the magnificence of the landscape. We loved the towns and the big City Los Angeles! Without further ado:  Here are some more images! You can click to enlarge the photos in a image show.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Hiking with my daughter

Coast line between Big Sur and Santa Barbara 

Santa Barbara Hills

On the road to LA

Highway sign...

Downtown LA in the mist

View from our friend's house in Calabasas, near LA

Reminds me so of Italy

Sculpture on a street divider in Beverly Hills

Color blocking - picture perfect

Glamour home in Beverly Hills

Lush streets

Beautiful landscaping 

I could live here....

Massive life oak tree

Spanish style church in Beverly Hills

Beautiful Obelisk fountain

We reach Santa Monica beach

Late afternoon at Santa Monica Pier

Beautiful Spanish Mission style

Our journey came to an end here, after visiting the Pier and center of Santa Monica we headed to the airport and returned home to a glistening and cold, but welcoming New York! We have many memories and new impressions. The children LOVE California and my husband and I have gotten the feeling, especially LA has made incredible progress since we knew the city more then 20 years ago. It is cleaner and brighter, with amazing cuisine all over and felt safe to us, wherever we went.
What a big and wonderful country we live in...We are so grateful for all! 









All images by V.Zlotkowski copyright 2012

Impressions from the West Coast Part II

I am still not quite here yet. Looking at all the photos, sorting through them again, to select a few to show you, it leads me back to our time in between the years. 
Carmel, CA where we stayed for two nights at the Carmel Valley Ranch, impressed me with a neat little town, Carmel-by-the-Sea with charming streets and the most exquisite shops.

One place in particular filled me with joy and desire.
Jan de Luz' The line with tradition.
It is a French linen shop in the center of town, where customers can wait a little while getting custom embroidered items. From bath robes to napkins almost any desirable embroidery is available. It is actually much more then this as I later discovered. Jan has been bringing French style and design to America for over 30 years. He has written a book and apart from the linens he also sells to architects and designers. He carries garden sculptures, columns, fireplace mantles and more. 

One can also find table linens, bedding, finest linen from France, Italy and Ireland. There are scented candles, silverware and china. 

Sheer eye candy and a paradise for the elegant home pursuer. Interestingly my youngest insisted in getting four linen napkins with our initials embroidered. I did not push for it at all. Perhaps the technical aspect of watching it getting done played a minor role?

You can see the embroidery machine in the background

He was ready to have a bathrobe with his initials done, but thinking of his impending growth spurt I could refer this expenditure for a little later....
Shipping is available as well, for those who have no time to go all the way to Carmel-by-the-Sea!
This is what we came home with:

Now Sunday dinners can be a little more stylish....
All thanks to this cool dude!

Thank you! ; )))


And while I was browsing the neighborhood, I got my 
X-mas gift from hubby:

At Burns Cowboy Shop

Burns Cowboy Shop. It's a classic place with an endless array of hand made Western boots to dream of...
Buttery soft, comfortable and just what I always wanted.
Thank you, honey!


Yehaa!


Carmel has plenty of art galleries, clothing shops, amazing restaurants and more. Geared towards travelers, they are friendly, helpful and the surroundings do the rest to make you more then comfortable.


I wanted to show you more of the nature around it, but I guess that needs to wait another day....
OK, one more....

On the road towards Big Sur

All images by V.Zlotkowski

Impressions from the West Coast Part 1

Union Square in festive lights

We spend the time between the holidays and the New Year traveling the West Coast, showing our younger set of kids the beauty of coastal California. It was a huge success and apart from the cities we saw, the landscape impressed us the most!

Of course I could not get enough on camera.... 
Click to enlarge the images.

Looking at Alcatraz

There was the crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge towards Sausalito, San Francisco and the Redwoods.....

Golden Gate Bridge behind Fort Mason

My family in the misty light!

I love that view!

Palm trees at Fort Mason Park

We spend the Christmas Day in San Francisco, walking an exploring. The weather was glorious!We squeezed in a visit to the zoo and traveled by tram and cable car up and down the streets of the city!

Good natured Giraffe

View from the Cable Car

Small SF town houses like from a fairy tale

We finally reached the shore of the Pacific

We left the city behind after three days and were on our way south on Highway Nr.1 towards Monterey Bay, Carmel, Point Lobos and Big Sur!

Driving south

The coast was wild and mysterious

A golden light flooded everything

Every turn brought new vistas

And the sunsets were spectacular

If the journey had only consisted of the tour along the coast, I would have been very happy. It is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach anywhere I have been so far!

Exploring Point Lobos near Carmel-by-the-Sea

Watching a sea otter play

Seals were basking in the sun.

Our daughter is a talented photographer

There was nothing more wonderful the the warmth of the sun and the amazing light

Our son in awe of nature

May he remember forever

 From here we visited the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park,

filled with redwoods and waterfalls, gorgeous vistas and deep canyons.

This will be a part of tomorrow's post.

No need to overwhelm you all with pictures.

As a look at them again, I feel how, when I travel, the impressions rush by and only from a distance I am able to 

recognize all I have received. The impressions seem to imprint themselves a little later in my mind and now again I can feel the sun and wind in my face, hear the cries of the birds and the barks of the seals on the shores. I see again my children's delight and remember the moments of quiet contemplation with my husband by my side.

Wonderful days together

My daughter has become on this journey a photographer with a passion. She explored nature with her camera and walked with me for hours in the forest. 

The youngest was his father's companion, joining him on a special father - son trip to Carmel.

California is beautiful!

PS: I can report, we managed to travel light, only with each a carry - on and a handbag/backpack. The most restrained travel and yet we had enough for 9 days.
It was a squeeze at the air plane, but we managed. Air travel has become difficult to say the least, and charging passengers $ 25 per single luggage stops one from becoming overindulgent.  
: )

All images by V. Zlotkowski