H.C. Seafood - Oxnard, CA

On Saturday I woke up early for a benefit 5k for the Ojai Valley Community Hospital. I am not in the best shape but I figured I could power it out with my friend Nichole. With her motivation not only did I finish but I recorded my best time ever! 34 minutes! Wahoo!!

After we completed the race we went our separate ways but I really wanted to reward myself for the job well done so I headed to Oxnard to escape the Ojai heat and to try a restaurant I had been scoping out. H.C. Seafood is an order at the counter seafood joint that is also a fish market.

They even have a pick your own crab tank. As cool as this is, it is a little sad too.  

My lunch! They had a lobster special of $22 for the Grilled Lobster plate complete with fries, cole slaw and toasted bread. It was delicious! The lobster was a perfect treat for me entering, finishing and blasting my run time. I could see this being a regular thing!

After lunch I took a little walk down the harbor to check out the boats. It was such a stunning day I wanted to spend as much time as possible outdoors. The heat spell in Ojai is hopefully coming to a close, otherwise you just might find me here parked at H.C. seafood more often. two thumbs up! 

Mar Meadows - Channel Islands, CA

Up way before the sun, I anxiously got dressed and threw on my favorite suit. Today was the day I was going to get to go to the Channel Islands! Technically, we were going to Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the collection of islands. It is 22 miles long and 6 miles wide. Full of caves, beach and volcanic rock! Also home to some really cool surf spots...

My Captain!

My view of the sun rising up over the Pacific Ocean, so beautiful! The ride from the Ventura Harbor to the islands in our little C-Dory is about an hour and a half. The ride out of easy, maybe a bit chilly but nothing more than a sweat shirt and sweat pants could not handle.

We have arrived! We anchored the boat at Mar Meadows, a surf spot that is known for it's easy riding wave. We anchored in front of the wave break so I couldn't grab any cool surf action shots.

I loved the cool foggy photos because it was such a neat place. I felt like I was in a different part of the world. When you are at the Channel Islands you feel so far out of touch, yet you truly are not that far away at all. 

The crest of a wave that Scott was probably surfing on!

I had a pretty cool suit to rock while at the islands and splash around on my foam board but to be perfectly honest, it was pretty chilly! The suit is made by Seea, a super cool suit company. I opted to stay snuggled up on the boat and try to read my new book...

I got through the first chapter nodded off and seriously napped. This was the first day nap that I have taken in a long, long time. I woke up feeling totally refreshed and happy. Boat naps are the best!

The boys came back on the boat and I served up sandwiches that I had made the night before and put in the cooler. Milton's bread, swiss cheese, turkey, avocado, tomato and sprouts were the perfect fuel for the two surfers.

Vanilla Cream Soda's are my new favorite thing. So I supplied these to wash down the sandwiches. If you have not tried them yet please do!

I cannot express how relaxing, breath taking and just how special my day was. It was just a short little half day trip but it felt like I went around the world. I feel blessed to have experienced the joy of the channel islands, hopefully with more adventures to come!

Spasso - Ventura, CA

The weather over the 4th of July weekend was pretty toasty in Ojai but in Ventura it was amazing! Not too hot or too cold, which Ventura can very easily be. A walk on the beach is exactly what I had in mind on Sunday.

 There were a lot of things I could have taken pictures of but snagging this great shot of a seagull in flight was pretty impressive! I can't all the credit though, I have a really nice camera.

There was a dog show going on at the Ventura Fairgrounds so I decided to pop in and cheer for the wiener dog. It received 4th place in the Hound Group so I was happy I went to send all the support I could. I wish my Mom's dog "Duke" was there competing but I settled on meeting a poodle named, "Splash". 

 Yes, there is a dog in there under all that hair!

All that wandering around made me quite hungry. I was interested on trying a new restaurant today so I explored Seaward Avenue and discovered "Spasso" an Italian restaurant. I was craving pasta so this was the place to be. 

 The focaccia brought to the table was absolutely delicious. The sun dried tomato spread was nice but I was mostly craving olive oil and balsamic. I am guilty for consuming the entire basket, by myself.

 The pasta special was a vegetarian concocction that was terrific! Perfectly cooked pasta, goat cheese, mushrooms, re peppers and a basil pesto swirled together made for a creamy, addicting dream. I could not stop eating it or dipping addition slices of focaccia in it. They should put this on their menu!

 The dessert menu was incrediable. My two favorite choices were on it and I was actually torn on what to order: Budino or Creme Brulee...

Ahhh, my old love won the battle. I was once told that,  "A restaurant is a restaurant if they have Creme brulee, those who do not are just dining houses." That quote was never anything I ever really thought about until last Sunday. I was totally impressed with the quantity of the dessert, it was huge! The texture was maybe a touch eggy than most custards I usually enjoy but delicious none the less.

Spasso's is a quant Italian restaurant doing nice things in Ventura. The location is amazing, just steps from the beach! Be sure to snag the first parking spot you see when traveling there as the availability is quite limited. But, give it a try and see if it meets your fancy as it did mine.

Spasso - Ventura, CA

The weather over the 4th of July weekend was pretty toasty in Ojai but in Ventura it was amazing! Not too hot or too cold, which Ventura can very easily be. A walk on the beach is exactly what I had in mind on Sunday.

 There were a lot of things I could have taken pictures of but snagging this great shot of a seagull in flight was pretty impressive! I can't all the credit though, I have a really nice camera.

There was a dog show going on at the Ventura Fairgrounds so I decided to pop in and cheer for the wiener dog. It received 4th place in the Hound Group so I was happy I went to send all the support I could. I wish my Mom's dog "Duke" was there competing but I settled on meeting a poodle named, "Splash". 

 Yes, there is a dog in there under all that hair!

All that wandering around made me quite hungry. I was interested on trying a new restaurant today so I explored Seaward Avenue and discovered "Spasso" an Italian restaurant. I was craving pasta so this was the place to be. 

 The focaccia brought to the table was absolutely delicious. The sun dried tomato spread was nice but I was mostly craving olive oil and balsamic. I am guilty for consuming the entire basket, by myself.

 The pasta special was a vegetarian concocction that was terrific! Perfectly cooked pasta, goat cheese, mushrooms, re peppers and a basil pesto swirled together made for a creamy, addicting dream. I could not stop eating it or dipping addition slices of focaccia in it. They should put this on their menu!

 The dessert menu was incrediable. My two favorite choices were on it and I was actually torn on what to order: Budino or Creme Brulee...

Ahhh, my old love won the battle. I was once told that,  "A restaurant is a restaurant if they have Creme brulee, those who do not are just dining houses." That quote was never anything I ever really thought about until last Sunday. I was totally impressed with the quantity of the dessert, it was huge! The texture was maybe a touch eggy than most custards I usually enjoy but delicious none the less.

Spasso's is a quant Italian restaurant doing nice things in Ventura. The location is amazing, just steps from the beach! Be sure to snag the first parking spot you see when traveling there as the availability is quite limited. But, give it a try and see if it meets your fancy as it did mine.

Pedro's - Santa Clara, CA

My family at home all gathered at Sky High Jump Park in Santa Clara to burn off some off our Christmas calories. We jumped, while taking breaks, for two hours. I am sure we burned off lots of calories so a nice lunch at Pedro's was definitely in order.

It was decorated in pretty Christmas decoration but what made the space the most beautiful was the charming Spanish style. I love a Spanish adobe!

They brought out the chips and salsa and we dove in head first. I preferred the green salsa to the red.

The guacamole was nice, and everyone got their fill.

I saw salmon with mole sauce and creamy polenta on the menu and it had my name all over it. The salmon was cooked lovely but my one gripe was they left the skin on. I would have preferred a clean bite to soak up the sauce and polenta all in one bite.

My sister ordered the Verde Enchilada's and she too seemed to enjoy each bite. The rice came out green because it was cilantro rice! I love when rice gets "playful"... All in all, everyone seemed to enjoy their food. I know my Mom enjoyed a burrito, James liked his skirt steak, Kate had a salad and John had sizzling fajitas!

It was a lovely day. I would for sure would go back to jump off my naughty eating!

Jump, jump, jump... FLIP!

Peddling - Ojai to Ventura...

I have been wanting to ride my bike from Ojai to Ventura. It is about 15 miles and I know my body could use it. So Scott dropped me off in downtown Ojai and I hopped on the bike trail that makes it's way to the beach in Ventura. He was going surfing and I was all set to meet him there after I peddled my way down. 

The ride was beyond gorgeous. I couldn't help but feel blessed to live in such beautiful country.

What an outstanding bridge for just a bike trail!

Not only was the ride breath taking, the art along the way was quite entertaing. How about this windmill creation?

Wahoo! I made it... Beautiful day on the water.

This is the kind of exercise that makes me want to be active. Every. Single. Day.

I am inspired to keep moving so I am off paddle boarding with my friend tomorrow in the Ventura Keys. Pictures to follow. Keep moving!

Soule Park & Ojai Beverage Co. - Ojai, CA

Scott and I spent Sunday afternoon debating on what to do. We had just watched golf on the television and decided we might as well get out there and show Ojai our skills! There is a great local golf course, very affordable - Soule Park Golf Course. 

I looked ready to kick some tail! Although, Scott claimed the victory, he was on fire! Parred almost every hole. Not bad for not picking up clubs in over a year and a half. 

The Ojai Beverage Company has a "Sunday Funday" the first Sunday of every month. Discounting beer and wine - appetizers half off! Score. The secret I have learned though is to sit at the bar, if you can snag a seat. Otherwise you are left at the mercy of the two servers who seem to get easily distracted. I picked the darkest beer on the menu for the two of us.  

I ordered the Artichoke Poppers because they sounded interesting. Marinated artichoke hearts, fontina cheese, and sun-dried tomato wrapped in proscuitto. Served on basil leaves with balsamic drizzle. I finished the entire plate by myself, golfing makes you hungry!

The weekend is upon us again. The week just flew by! What are your plans?

The Oaks - Ojai, CA

After we got home from Petaluma I was feeling a little stuffed from all the great food, wine and fun we were having so my Mom and I signed up for a day of fitness and detox at The Oaks in Ojai. Bright and early we pulled in to get our day jump started with a brisk walk through the outskirts of Ojai. Walk with me...

It didn't hurt we walked by some pretty beautiful homes. Keep walking...

And up and around on of the first ranches in the Ojai Valley, Quail Hollow. It backs up against Reese Witherspoons's house. Ooo la la!

When we got back to the spa breakfast was served! I sampled a little bit of each and was pleasantly surprised. It really wasn't that bad.

Down the hall are were the body work classes take place.

But, that pool was calling our names so we participated in the pool classes until lunch came around. I wore a lot of sun screen and worked it out in Pool Aerobics. What a fun day to spend with my mom!

Believe it or not, this meal is under 280 calories. It was so good too! I eat a lot of Mexican food and this  meal was right up there in terms of taste. Wow. I was very impressed with the meals here. 

Last but not least, dessert too! A little flan that lacked for sweetness but a splash of agave woke it right up! 

The Oaks is a great place. You can go for the day or stay there for weeks at a time. You eat low calorie meals, work out, pamper yourself at the spa and just concentrate on, YOU! It is a lovely experience. It is in my backyard but encourage anyone who wants some time to themselves or with a girlfriend (husbands are welcome too) check them out. They are pretty affordable in comparison to other spa vacations.