Pride Weekend

 Pride is celebrated throughout the month of June.

Many big cities host parades and festivals during the last weekend.

Love is love. Celebrate it. Don't be afraid of it.

Summer. Summer. Summer.

 What time is it? SUMMER TIME! I threw a private celebration to welcome the new season. I made ceviche which is refreshing on a hot day.

Chilled sparkling wine is also a nice treat. Just pair it with water!

I enjoy cheese with my wine. I enjoy cheese with my life. I enjoy life with my wine.

Corn chips are perfect for scooping up ceviche. Or guacamole.

Fresh fruits are also wonderful for a daytime summer snack.

I love summer because it means Autumn is on the way!

Bye, Brookdale

 On our last day, I wanted to get some pictures of the Lodge property.

Many famous people have stayed here. There is a building named after Marilyn Monroe, who attended a party here. And James Dean also visited; he has a building, too, and his image plastered on the side.

This is the creek that flows through the restaurant. I sure hope they refurbish and open for business.

Soaking up the scenery before we leave.

That is the James Dean building. They have a cafe and a convenience store/gift shop.

This buggy sits outside of the bar.

They have a terrace outside of the bar where they host occasional parties.

I do love running and rushing water.

I know I will come back to this place one day. It is a nice hotel, good amenities, a beautiful setting, and nice humans. Plus, dancing on the private balcony!

A Room With a View

 If ever you are looking for a place for romance, the Shadowbrook is the place to go.

Sure, you could celebrate other joys of life here. But it really screams "romance", a place for love, anniversaries, and proposals.

To get to the restaurant, first you board their Hillvator, a funicular you ride down to the entrance.

This is a fancy place with a strict dress code.

The grounds are nice to explore before your reserved time.

If you don't want to wait for the funicular, you could walk down the stairs.

Beautiful.

They have a fancy menu with fancy prices.

The dining room looks down on the San Lorenzo River.

The interior of the restaurant has nice rock work and foliage.

 

The meal started with warm bread and butter.

We ordered the salmon patties to start.

I, of course, had to try their clam chowder.

It was not the best. They used bacon in the recipe, and it was too thick and too dry. And they put corn, which I don't usually find in most restaurants.

I had the shrimp scampi with fettuccine.

Mr Duffy had the honey glazed pork chop.

 

We both enjoyed our food. I was too stuffed for dessert, but I just had to put a little more in. I ordered the chocolate truffles.

After our dinner, we rode the Hillvator back up to the car.

It was like a roller coaster for us. Mr Duffy liked being on another choo-choo.

What a view.

Okay, time to roll our full tummies back to our hotel.