Our August Vacation - Part 2
I renamed my last entry because it aligns with the title Cherie used for her blog entry on her first part. I also realized this vacation is going to take many days, and many more parts than I realized, to write about. So now that entry, and this one, have a good title to show that it is our vacation, it was a great one, and there is so much to talk about...hehehe.
My second day in California started off with a nice breakfast at the Ayres hotel we were staying at. I really enjoy their breakfasts. The actual food isn't much different from a normal continental breakfast at most hotels. However, theirs is prepare by a nice chef right in front of you and served instead of free-for-all buffet style...LOL Considering their attention to detail, I like to tip the chef...hehehe
After breakfast I steamed my clothes for the week. Things get creased and wrinkly in the suitcase...hehehe So I was smart and packed my steamer. I bought it after my November trip last year. They had one at the AirBnB I was staying at and I bought one when I got home. I originally planned to steam my clothes the night before. But decided I would deal with it the morning after since I wasn't in any rush that day. After that, I enjoyed some coffee outside in front of the hotel as I thought about how the rest of my morning would go.
Now that I was all set for the day's activities, I started off on a walk-about. I wanted to check out the ARTIC to make sure I knew where the southbound track Cherie was arriving on was located. That was easy to find...LOL But it was also nice to take a look around at ARTIC during the day. My last time there was at night. I took a lot of photos that morning since I had the time. I loved reminiscing about the time I was there last when Cherie and I parted ways on my last visit.
After that, I headed over to Angels Stadium. I started off by going the wrong way on the other side of the street. I wasn't the only one. Someone else from my hotel was doing the same thing...LOL But we all eventually figured it out...at different times...them first...then I did...LOL Once I got on the correct side of the street, I made it over to the stadium. I took lots of photos. Again, because I had the time...hehehe I made my way to the home plate gate. That place is amazing!
By the time I was done at Angels Stadium, the UV index was getting a little high to be out there without a hat...hehehe So I headed back to the hotel. I love how close all of this is. It didn't take long to get back to the hotel. I took at look at the map to see if there were any nice restaurants in walking distance for my lunch. I found a nice Mediterranean place a short walk away. The directions from the Maps app wanted me to cross the street twice. But the sidewalk it wanted me to use wasn't actually there. They are doing construction...LOL So I ignored those directions and just stayed on the same side of the street as the hotel. The sidewalk went right to the restaurant...LOL
The place is called Aleppo's Kitchen. It is a lovely place, with a great atmosphere, wonderful staff, and fantastic food. I was the first person there. They sat me in a place where I could people watch well. I was grateful because I was able to see a little girl and who appeared to be her father dancing out in the common area outside the restaurant. She was probably 2 or 3 years old. I also saw people meeting for lunch who were meeting for the first time. It might have been new friends or a business lunch. I couldn't tell. But it was fun to see them greet each other. My waitress gave me an extra piece of pita. Normally it costs extra. But we were having a wonderful interaction and she gifted it to me. It was an amazing experience. I ordered something to-go so I could have it for dinner later at the hotel and before the ballgame Cherie and I were going to that night.
After I received my to-go bag, I made my way back to the hotel and rested a little bit before it was time to be at ARTIC for Cherie's arrival; which I will talk about in part 3 of our vacation...hehehe Stay tuned!