It happened. I’m officially 30.
At this age, I feel somewhat tattered from existence. Slightly frail. Put I keep pushing on. I know 30 is still young, but spending ten years focusing solely on career and work almost 24/7 took a slight toll. A change in mindset needed.
To reverse the aging process and bring brightness to my life, I decided a few months ago to start working out daily and focus on activities to get me moving and experiencing.
I planned a Thanksgiving week birthday trip to Monterey/Pacific Grove to San Francisco, solely to spend hours and hours going on walks — all while socially distancing. I love to walk beaches. I love to walk cities. Walking keeps the soul and body rejuvenated and fresh.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Midway through our drive to the Bay, we quickly realized we had forgotten to grab cash — needed on road trips and needed when crossing toll bridges.
We stopped at an ATM in the town of Martinez — a small “under-the-bridge” town between the San Pablo and Suisun Bays along the Carquinez Strait. Quaint. I had never visited Martinez before, but loved its city streets and curbside markets.
After an easy few-hour drive, we made it to our accommodations in Pacific Grove — the Sea Breeze Inn & Cottages, spent two days in the Monterey Bay, and then continued our trip up the coast to San Francisco where we stayed at Infinity Hotel Sf in the Marina District.
Things To Do, Dining & Accommodations:
Pacific Grove, Monterey & San Francisco
Before our trip started, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do and see, but I didn’t book reservations at restaurants. Generally, I always book a few restaurants before a trip, but this time I wanted to live a little more on-the-fly. From beautiful sunsets to incredible cuisine, you’ll find some of the spots we visited below:
- Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary & Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove
- Sea Breeze Inn & Cottages in Monterey Bay’s Pacific Grove
- Infinity Hotel Sf, Ascend Hotel Collection in San Francisco’s Marina District
- Wild Fish Restaurant in Monterey Bay’s Pacific Grove
- Il Vecchio Italian Eatery & Restaurant in Pacific Grove
- Wave Street Cafe on Cannery Row in Monterey Bay
- The Dorian: Classic American Fare in San Francisco
- Wago Sushi SF Japanese Cuisine: Outdoor Dining in San Francisco During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Roma Antica Italian Restaurant in San Francisco on Scott St
Exploring the Streets of San Francisco
The Palace Of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco is a gigantic structure, independently enlisted against the city skyline. I was excited to see our room at the Infinity Hotel Sf was only steps away from the monument.
Our second day in San Francisco would be our day of walking. We walked eight miles in total. From the Marina District, down to Dolores Park past the Painted Ladies, up Castro, Market Street all the way to Embarcadero, and then walked along the piers all the way back up to the Marina District. We grabbed coffee at Le Marais Bakery off Sanchez Street a block from Mission Dolores Park, and a beverage at Joe’s Juice on Mission Street as we headed to Embarcadero.
By the time we got to Pier 39, we needed to get back to our hotel to pay for another 24-hour parking cycle. We grabbed an Uber from the Pier 39 Embarcadero District and headed the few miles to the Marina District quickly. $10. Walking would have taken 45 minutes.
There’s one beauty to letting go and just walking, and that’s forgetting time. A beautiful gift.
Now, at 30 years old, I sit on the precipice of another decade of life and love, and I am grateful.
