Our first adventure; Pier 39. The drive from our home to Pier 39 in San Francisco is roughly an hour and a half. If we're lucky and don't hit much traffic, that is. So, it's the perfect place for a day trip. I'd been to SF a few times in the past when visiting Cali, but had never made it to the piers. It was as busy as I'd expected it to be, but not overwhelmingly so. The weather was beautiful and I was ready to see what the piers had to offer! We spent a couple hours roaming the shops and restaurants, which there happens to be two levels of!  From quaint gift shops to fast food & sit down restaurants, there was quite a range of places to explore. There's even a sock market and a Hard Rock Cafe, but Bradley and I opted for The Fudgery where we purchased some sort of chocolaty treat to satisfy our sweet tooth for the day. While munching on our treat we roamed some more and found a spot on the pier with a perfect view of Alcatraz Island right in the bay of San Francisco. This was my first time ever seeing Alcatraz! A tour of the island is definitely on my bucket list! I can only imagine how beautiful it must look with the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge lit up in the distance.

When we had our fill of the shops and crowds we wanted somewhere to sit down, get out of the sun, and have a meal. Bradley had been to Boudin before and suggested it. What's neat about this restaurant is that it is a bakery as well & you can see the bread being made through the glass of a large atrium area. There is also a small museum on the history of the company where they served samples of their bread. We couldn't resist snagging a few pieces while we waited to be seated. I do have to say, bread is one of my guilty pleasures. Apparently they are pretty well known for their bread bowl soups, but I decided on crab tacos for my meal. I couldn't pass up on the chance to eat sea food in the bay. The presentation was so simple & pretty, and the food was delish!
After finishing up at Boudin, we made our way back home for the day.
There is definitely much more to see in San Francisco alone, and I do plan on doing so!

Our next adventure stop in my first two weeks in CA was Lake Tahoe! Bradley and I and a bunch of our friends stayed in a cabin in South Lake Tahoe, California for the 4th of July weekend. I mean, wow. This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. From the upper level of our cabin we had a view of the lake and the surrounding mountains & it was truly breathtaking to look at. During our time here we explored the downtown area, hit the casinos, caught some rays on a friend's boat. and watched a stunning fireworks show. 

Being on the boat was definitely one of my favorite parts of our little vacation, because being on the lake gave a perfect view of the still snow-capped mountains all around. It was a sight I just couldn't stop gawking at. 

If a trip to California is in your future I would strongly encourage you to make Lake Tahoe a pit stop, or even make it your vacation spot, because there is really nothing like it.

So far, I have to say I'm loving it out here in Cali. The weather is almost always beautiful and there is so much to do and even more to see.