Experiencing the Essence of Wanderlust
With love of all inspiring things
great and small, I decided to take the road to California to experience my
passion for sunny beaches, great food and revel in an intoxicating atmosphere. Evolving
over 900 miles on the Western border of America, the California dream became a
reality as I stepped into the land of diverse people, cable cars, the Golden Gate
Bridge and the Alcatraz Island. With innumerable things to do, I tried to cram
my itinerary with hiking through the national parks, going on wine tasting
tours, visiting Disneyland, relaxing on sunny beaches and experimenting with
water sports.
Integrating traditions, foods and
languages from all around the globe, California displays roots in the cultures
of Asia, Mexico and Spain including the eastern part of the United States. My
quest for adventure accelerated my heartbeat and increased the anticipation of
discovering the famous Californian cuisine and a fusion
of culinary styles including sampling the sparkling wines. As a must-do on my bucket list,
I gorged on the popular California pizza, salads, seafood, barbecued meats,
Asian and Latino food.
Delighting the Palate with a Culinary Repertoire
Exciting and exhilarating, my
California sojourn was topped with adventures galore and a chance to travel
incessantly through a culinary repertoire and a kaleidoscope of classic
Californian dreamy dishes. I relaxed on divine beaches with a cool Boba drink
and satisfied hunger pangs with great hotdogs and Italian subs. As a daring
spirit took over, I took off paddle-boarding on the crystal-clear waters of
Lake Tahoe and later went rock climbing at Yosemite Park which
offered many other outdoor activities. Every meal time and in-between was punctuated with
the marvelous cuisines of California. My culinary adventure evolved over custom
crepes at Harajuku Crêpes, seafood burritos, filling
Matt Cain sandwiches, incredible porchetta sandwiches, Korean, Chinese and
Japanese fare. After fortifying my system with an amazing range of cuisines and
cultures over many days, where I enjoyed a great game at the seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, experienced the mesmerizing Pismo Beach and let Santa Maria Valley catapult me on a
sparkling travel through great wines which brought out the aesthetic in me, I then
headed towards Lone Pine and the small town in Owens Valley in my rental
convertible.
San Francisco with its world-class
attractions, stunning scenery and a strong presence of fusion cuisines
satisfied my senses with its awe-inspiring concerts and music that echoed
everywhere. It was time for a California pier experience which I wasn’t about
to give up on and strolled along Pier 39, Fisherman’s
Wharf and the Santa Monica Pier to absorb the unique pier
experience. As the California sun glittered on the famous Golden Gate
Bridge, I drove through this iconic structure and of course took innumerable
photographs to take memories back home.
With the misty hills of San Francisco echoing with ancient tales that
swished around the age-old forests, it was time to surround myself with the
majestic and massive Redwood trees at Redwood National and State Park which is
a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a United States National Park on the North
Coast of California. Muir Woods was another site to cherish, with its
monumental trees that can fit multiple people like me in their trunks.
Every
day was a treat, from San Francisco to Sacramento, and from San Jose to San
Diego to LA, as the sunshine warmed the heart, I toured through the delights of
life with barbecued Baby Back Ribs from Phil’s
BBQ, Praise the Lard from The Waffle Experience, Cioppino from Sotto Mare Chocolate with sweet deserts to melt in
the mouth with Bouchons from Bouchon Bakery and Julian Apple Pie from Julian Pie Company
across these beautiful cities. While a colorful
melee of sights and sounds twirled in a wild dance of colors, Chinatown in Los
Angeles beckoned with its red lanterns and Pagoda styled buildings. I shopped,
dined, wined and toured the traditional dimsum destinations, temples, art
galleries, awesome Asian-fusion
eateries and tasted the popular French dip sandwich. No trip to California is complete without
a visit to the famous Laguna and Malibu Beaches where celebs frolic on golden
sands and I found myself admiring a picturesque view with a cool cocktail to
quench my thirst on these sun-kissed paradise beauties.
Time flew and
disappeared around a kaleidoscope of magical and mesmerizing attractions as I
packed my bags and got ready to take inspiring memories of a delightful and
action-packed California adventure back home.
Take
Off with Binoy Nazareth on a California Culture Trip
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