Fall Break Sightseeing Part #1

The craziest thing is happening… you were all right even though I didn’t want to believe you… law school is getting really busy for Billy.  The first 1.5 months felt like it was about the same workload that he had at BYU but not anymore, it’s starting to get crazy.  He has to go to school earlier everyday, like 6:30 am, and come home later because they are piling on the homework and papers. This makes it so that when he does have some time off we have to jam pack a bunch of things that we have been wanting to do in one day.   I will probably split our day into two posts because my eyeballs and fingers are far too tired to talk about all 400 pictures that I took yesterday.

We really wanted to go to Santa Cruz first and on the way there we drove through a huge forest.

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We first stopped at the Mystery Spot where there is a hole in gravity.  Don’t act like you don’t believe that kind of stuff is possible.  

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After that we went to the Natural Bridges State Beach and I almost melted because of the view.  

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Billy took a panaramic picture with his phone of me taking pictures.

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I packed a lunch for us because I really wanted to save all of our money to spend on clam chowder and the ghiradelli factory so we had turkey sandwiches, apples, string cheese, pretzels, cheeze its and fruit by the foots.   There is just something incredible about being out in nature.   Yes, our lunch does resemble that of an elementary school student but I don’t ever want to change that.  

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I am convinced that we need to do all of our exploring on Mondays because we had the whole area to ourselves.

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For once in the history of Hungry Runner Girl I have created a post with more pictures of scenery than food and I haven’t even mentioned the word ‘running’ until now.   

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We took the long way, about 70 miles, up to San Francisco because it goes along the coast and both the picture above and below were taken from the car as we were driving.  

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We also drove by a dozen of these pumpkin patches and I took a picture just for all of you pumpkin eating obsessed bloggers out there… you are welcome:)

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Our next stop was the city.  San Fran has taken over the spot for my number one favorite city and I may drag Billy with me here at least 5 times a month from now on.    We found our absolute new favorite food and it will consume my thoughts until I get another one.  It involves large amounts of crab and sourdough bread.  

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Today is an elliptical day followed by really exciting things like laundry and attempting to do the dishes that have piled up in the sink and there will be at least an episode or two of my latest Netflix obsessions.

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Help Ashley out with her fundraiser that she is doing in honor of her late mother here!  She is running the Austin Half Marathon to raise money for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. 

You can get 15% off at the Elegant Ella Etsy shop for headbands by using the code hrg15.

Awesome Brooks goody bag giveaway here!

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Are you a pumpkin eater?  What kind of pumpkin flavored things do you like? 

-I love pumpkin in baked goods (especially pumpkin pie) but that is about it.

What is your favorite city?  What city are you really wanting to go to?

How often do you get to go to the beach?  Favorite beach you have ever been to?

Working peeps reading:  do you pack a lunch everyday?

-As I was packing our lunches it brought back all of those good memories of packing a lunch every night. 

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81 comments

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Your pictures are so beautiful! I can’t wait for the pics of your San Fran eats, that city has the most amazing food!
I grew up at the beach but recently moved away from it, honestly, I don’t miss it at all!

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Gorgeous pictures…I am not surprise u took so many! I am a serial lunch-packer too…it’s more out of default because the take-out options nearby are gross haha! At least it keeps my wallet happy!

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My sister lives in San Fran and loves it! Your trip sounds like so much fun. It was so dreary and rainy here yesterday (and today), so I’ll live vicariously through your pictures.

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I pack a lunch everyday… I work in NYC and eating out everyday for lunch REALLY hurts my wallet.. I went to San Francisco once, and since then I’ve always said it was my favorite!!! I loved it there!!
My favorite beach is Mayflower in Cape Cod, I go every summer with my fiance and his family!! So much fun!!!

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looks like a beautiful day Janae. I like pumpkin but not nearly as much as other bloggers ha… I adore a good pumpkin bread! and pumpkin pie, of course. but yea my like for pumpkin ends about there.

There are so many cities I want to go to.. San Fran and San Diego being two of them! I love NYC and Boston.

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I grew up in the city (yes, San Franciscans are so snobby as to call it THE city) so your pictures warmed my heart! We live in Dallas now (I married a Texan) so I miss the beaxh but don’t feel too bad for me. I went to undergrad in La Jolla and law school in Malibu before moving to Texas!

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Gorgeous picture Janae! I hope Billy gets some extra days off from school often so you can explore all of CA:-)

I love all things pumpkin! I bring my lunch and supper every day…I do all the prep on Sunday. I can’t imagine how much it would cost if I ate out every day.

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San Fran is our dream vacation, my husband and I have been taking about it for years! looks gorgeous!

Yes, I totally hopped on the pumpkin bandwagon the past few years – muffins, lattes, smoothies, cookies, doughnuts, bring on the pumpkin! I even made a great pumpkin pasta dish last fall!

Favorite city…hmmm…I like Chicago although I have only been there a couple times…LOVE Boston…

I grew up 20 minutes from the beach but now live 3 hours away :( Somehow we still manage a few trips per summer, I am beach obsessed!!!!! Avalon, NJ and Bethany Beach, DE are two of our favorite weekend getaways. And the Outer Banks, NC.

I pack lunch everyday and it’s pretty much the same everyday! Turkey, mustard on a sandwich thin, Chobani yogurt and some sort of Kashi bar (the new soft banana choc chip are my current faves!)

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Oh and I love Huntington beach or Lake Superior in Duluth.

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Gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind running with those kind of views.

I live 5 minutes from the beach but rarely go. Our beaches are yucky.

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I want more pics of SF! I would love to visit northern Cal. If my family didn’t live in Tennessee I would probably just move there. It looks so beautiful!
I pack lunch everyday, but probably spend too much money on Amys frozen meals. I should cook more. I track what I eat on MyFitnessPal, and it’s so much easier when the food is packaged because the nutrition facts are there. Really I’m just too lazy to cook every night.
What are your currrent Netflix obsessions? I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy, but I’m always looking for something new!

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Gorgeous photos; you guys are lucky to live that close to so much beauty!
I pack my lunch every day. They get kind of boring, but they’re healthy and they save a lot of money!
I think the favourite beach I’ve ever been to is whitehaven beach in the Whitsunday islands in Australia or cannon beach in Oregon.

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Wow, either law school has changed a lot, or his school is very different from most. At most schools (at least a few years ago), there was no homework and no papers, it was just a single final exam for each class. Some professors would monitor attendance and preparedness if you were on the cusp of a grade, but for the most part, it was 100% your final exam. So weird that his experience is so different from most! But glad you guys are getting to enjoy Cali.

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Unfortunately (or fortunately) our law school experiences will most likely be identical. By “homework” Janae means reading assignments, and the papers are ungraded drafts for my Legal Research and Writing class. Finals still make up 100% of our final grades. I don’t think much has changed in the past twelve years and it probably won’t for the next fifty. What type of law do you practice?

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Ahh, that makes more sense. I was wondering what kind of homework they could be giving you, but yes, we had plenty of reading and briefing to do, plus legal research papers — I just never called it homework.

I worked at a big firm for 7 years doing securities litigation defense, then went to a very small firm for 4 years doing general business litigation, and now I’m in-house doing litigation management. So no IP tips for you! Sorry!

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There have been many beautiful rural areas that I love more, but my hometown of Ottawa and Boston are the two most beautiful cities I’ve seen. I’d love to visit San Fran and NYC (and I will probably be running NYC next fall — so that will be coming true!!).
My favourite pumpkin food is fresh pumpkin itself. I baked one last week like I would a squash and ohmygoodness — I could have easily eaten out of the shell in one sitting. (I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it back to the grocery store until today! Had to save some!) I couldn’t get over how different it tasted from the canned puree!!
I always, always, always make my lunch. I could never justify spending $7 on a meal that would cost me $1.50 to bring from home.

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Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC are my two favorite cities. I have only been once, and am dying to go back.

Yes, I pack a lunch every day. I work 8 hour days, so no lunch break. I just eat at my desk…almost always a huge salad.

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What an awesome weekend, so beautiful! And I’ve never been to San Francisco but I always wanted to go, one of my best friends lives there now!

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I love San Francisco. I “lived” there for about 6 whole weeks a few years ago. My favorite city to visit is probably New York. Being from LA, it is really nice to not be tied to your car. I love the walking atmosphere and all the buildings. Plus my twin sister lives there and it’s also where my husband completely surprise proposed to me. New York will always be special to me.

I make lunch every single day. I’m too much of a cheapo to buy lunches. I even make lunch for my husband.

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Gorgeous pictures! And I’ve got a few friends in law school, they are now 3Ls (so almost done!) and the amount of reading they have to do on a weekly basis is enough to make your head spin!

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Love San Fran too!
I like pumpkin anything! Had my share of pie this weekend, it was Canadian Thanksgiving.
San Fran is honestly my favorite city I have been to, my husband and I were just talking about this last night! I want to go to NYC and am in Decemeber :)
We have two lakes/beaches about 20 mins from us so go in the summer but not as much as I would like, we might get there 3-4 times a year. But my in-laws live at one of the lakes so we go there more I guess.
I usually come home for lunch, need to get out!

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This is so funny because it’s our backyard too. :) I love love Half Moon Bay, it’s 20 minutes from our house, we go often.

Love pumpkin anything. My husband makes these awesome pumpkin protein bars.

SF is an awesome city but Seattle lives in my heart forever (where I’m from). All of your photos are pretty familiar :) I really want to go to the South. Charleston, Savannah etc.

We love to go to San Greggorio State Beach Park which is just south of Half Moon Bay. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=313000528794858&set=a.312996898795221.69705.209476805813898&type=1&theater

My husband would pack a lunch but it’s free at Facebook. I make lunch at home everyday for me and the kids.

Love that Ashley is running for the Brain Aneurysm foundation – my kids’ wonderful preschool teacher died Friday of the same thing. We are just heartbroken and at a complete loss. She was so young. She ran the school out of her home so the school is done. :( I am running Saturday in my first half if only to complete in the spirit of her.

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Paris is my favorite city.
I love the ritual of packing lunches for school, and I always pack them for road trips/airplane flights as well.

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Yay! So fun to see Santa Cruz on your blog:) I live in Santa Cruz and my parents live just North of San Francisco and I absolutely insist on taking Highway 1 every single time. I firmly believe that that 70 miles of coastline is some of the prettiest scenery in the world. I feel so lucky that that’s my trip home!

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I have never been to the west coast but I am dying to go to San Francisco! I live in NYC so of course my favorite city is NYC!

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What beautiful pictures! I can’t get over the water color … so vibrant!

Favorite cities = NYC and Atlanta. They have an energy like nothing words can describe!

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I really really want to go to NYC at xmas /new years time!!!! i have never been to NYC anyway but i think it would be amazing to go then!

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it’s amazing, the trip of a lifetime…. do it!

(It makes a really great girl’s trip).

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I have never had a pumpkin treat that I didn’t love. I made it until October 1rst to make pumpkin muffins and two days later I made SkinnyTaste’s pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin pie cream cheese frosting- YUM!
New York City was the most exciting place I have ever visited. Seattle is a place that I have always wanted to go. A few years ago, two girlfriends and I took a road trip from San Fransisco to LA down 1. It’s gorgeous! If you ever get the chance, go to Monteray Bay, the view is spectacular.
I usually pack my lunch- today it’s leftovers. Pork from the crock pot, broiled sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts, and quinoa with mushrooms.

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gorgeous pics of the coastline!
ill be in san fran this weekend for the race… just sayin if you wanna come eat…. :)

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Those pictures of your drive are beautiful! We have beaches in Texas, but they definitely don’t look like that.

I pack my lunch every.single.day. Sometimes it’s a pain to have to do in the morning but I know that it saves us so much money so I keep on doing it.

My favorite beach is Captiva Island, FL. It’s seriously the best beach to find awesome shells!

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Beautiful photos! The most beautiful beach I’ve ever been to was Aruba – I’d love to go back some day!

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This makes me miss the coast! I love San Fran, NYC, DC, and Portland. I’m dying to get to New Orleans and NYC with my husband who has never been.

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Such amazing photos!! I am running Big Sur in April and can’t wait to see these views. I try to pack my lunch every day and only eat out once every few weeks. It’s expensive otherwise! The other day I got soup and a drink for $11. Seriously?! Ugh.

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Pumpkin bread and muffins and scones. That is about it.
Favorite city is hands down, London. Close second in NYC. I would love to see Montreal.
Fav beach is Nags Head NC. I was there last year and maybe once a year for the past 10. But that won’t be happening anymore. Have to find a favorite West Coast beach now!
The pictures are GORGEOUS!
The Kidless Kronicles

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Gorgeous photos, I am so jealous!

I like pumpkin seeds, but I dont think that makes me a pumpkin eater. Hehehe. My favorite city is Florence because it is so pretty and so different from the cities in the US. Though, I do live just outside of DC and I kind of really love it too. I am dying to go to San Francisco, Paris, and Tokyo!

Best beach was in Costa Rica off Tortuga Island. Small, perfect blue water, and not too many people. Though, Manuel Antonio in CR is pretty too :)

I have a really hard time packing my lunch. If I am at home, I have no problem making it but eating a soggy sandwich or just heating up some leftovers is not always the best. Unless they are some really amazing leftovers.

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That tree picture is amazing!! I love San Fran! Ya’ll should eat at Brother’s Korean BBQ sometime. Super good. Driving down the one is so pretty it makes me want to cry.

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Beautiful pictures!

GMO free chip giveaway here : http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com/2012/10/gmo-free.html

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Oh my gosh beautiful!!! I’ve never been to San Fran but now I definitely would like to go. Its actually a place my husband and I have mentioned visiting….but next on our list is Italy YAY!

We don’t get to beach much since we live nowhere near one (closer to the Canadian Rockies) but we try to get away to somewhere tropical once or twice a year depending on cost.

Pack lunch every day- good for my body and wallet:)
have an awesome day!

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Thanks for sharing the pics of your trip, Janae! Looks like it was tonnes of fun.Right now, I think the city that tops my to-go list is NYC. I haven’t been since I was tiny, and I’d really love to see it now that I can I appreciate more of what it has to offer. And as for pumpkin, I enjoyit in some things, but it usually has to be paired with chocolate. Things that are straight up pumpkiny, like pumpkin pie, I don’t like.

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San Fran is an awesome city. . . so jealous of your amazing pics and views – looks gorgeous. :) I almost always pack my lunch for work. . . every once in a while I will be brave and not pack my lunch and hope that I have enough time to dash out to Subway. . . I always have back up food in my drawer – granola bars and popcorn for lunch/snack emergencies!

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I agree, pumpkin baked goods are the best! Denver is my fav city. I absolutely looovvveee it there. But with the ghiradelli store in San Fran I suspect that will become my new fav as soon as I make it out there on day. Best beach I’ve ever been to is the black sand beach in Santorini. I wanted to stay there forever and never leave. But Destin is just a tad closer and also gorgeous. We don’t get there as much as I’d like though considering how close it is :/

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i always pack my lunch! either a massive salad or sandwich. with lots of snacks. and of course, i keep a jar of peanut butter AT MY DESK.

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Beautiful photos!

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WOW so pretty! I love the views :)

I love pumpkin baked goods –mmmmm!

You should start watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix…. just saying ;)

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It looks like a beautiful area and an awesome trip!

Both my bf and I work full time and we live together so on Sunday nights what we’ll usually do is make enough lunches for both of us to last us the week which we’ll then take to work with us. It ends up being sort of a lot of work on Sunday but then the rest of the week is a breeze. We do salads and/or sandwiches and will sometimes substitute leftovers from the night before if we’re bored with that.

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I’m DYING to go to California. I’ve never been. I have a few reasons to go out there now, including a visit to you, Billy & Brooke :D I also MUST have whatever crab/ sourdough combination you are talking about…I’m guessing a crab stuffed pretzel?! I am SO jealous. Crab is my favorite seafood…and sourdough is my favorite bread. YUM!!
Gorgeous pictures, looks like a perfect day! I’m so glad Billy got a little break to spend time with his girls :)

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I need to know more about this Mystery Spot. Can you tell me more?! :)

PS. Looks like an awesome trip! My Fall Break is coming up at the end of this week (I’m a teacher.) and we get 2 weeks off! I am about to be in heaven!!!

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All your pictures look so amazing! San Francisco is my favorite city EVER, probably because it was the city where I TRULY fell in love with running, and where I trained for my first half marathon.

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Gorgeous views! I love all things pumpkin!!

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-I love pumpkin and have been plenty obsessed with it the past couple of weeks. I’m one of “those” bloggers ;)
-I pack my lunch every single day for work. Some of my coworkers go out/get some sort of fast food most days but I can save so much money by bringing my own lunch! Plus it’s a lot healthier!

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I love all your pictures! I went to SF for the first time last year and immediately fell in love with it and wanted to move asap! My honey and I went to the Mystery Spot too and thought it was pretty cool. We even stopped at that lighthouse!

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GORGEOUS pictures! Now I need to come to Cali!

Yes to pumpkin. In everything.
Nashville will always be one of my favorite cities (I can’t wait to move there!). I also love NYC and Atlanta. I need to get to more cities! There are about a million places I’m dying to see! Daniel and I are going to Chicago next month, and it will probably take over as my favorite city after that.
We go to the beach about once a year. I wish it was closer!
Yes to packing lunches! I love to pack leftovers, and I also prep my lunches on Sunday for the week!

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San Fran is beautiful! It’s where we spent our Honeymoon and we have to go back someday because we didn’t get to do everything we wanted :)

Pumpkin – Only baked goods and it must include frosting of some sort.

I ALWAYS pack a lunch! It’s usually dinner’s left overs but sometimes I get creative. I think it’s such a waste of money to eat out for lunch every day but it’s very tempting sometimes!

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Your pictures are amazing! Looks like you had a great time, exploring new places especially with scenery like that is sooo fun. I leave near the beach but hardly ever have time to go :( And I always pack my lunch! I work in Miami and I like Latin food but not every day :) That stinks that you don’t get as much family time but it’s all for the greater good! And only temporary. Hope you have a great day!

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How was the Mystery Spot? I see a lot of bumper stickers all the time & have always wondered.
Next time you guys go to Santa Cruz, check out Capitola. I did a race there this weekend and the little beach town is so charming. I practically begged my husband to move there.
My favorite city is San Luis Obispo and any beach town of course.

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Welcome to California once again. What you see is what you get. Such a beautiful state. Love all the picture but I think should be a requirement for your blog to post at least 5 pictures of Brooke per post.

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I’ve been reading a few months but never comment, but today I have to because I feel like I became a “real” runner today and I have to share. I just started running in May of this year, and up until today I change out of my running clothes right after I get done running. Well today, I got home from running 6 miles and thought to myself if I leave right now I can get my errands done before I have to get my son off the bus. So for the first time ever, I wore my sweaty running clothes and messy pony tail out. Actually, I still haven’t showered or changed yet. Had to share because it made my think of how you are always saying you live in your running clothes.

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I love pumpkin in baked goods or lattes. Even though I live relatively close to the beach I don’t go that much because I don’t have as much free time.

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I love those pictures! Absolutely stunning! I love the beach, and have only been once in the past 15 years or so (Manhattan Beach in LA), okay, a real beach with sand. I go to the beach all the time here in Washington and if you’re looking for sand dollars, crabs or jellyfish it’s the place to be, however it’s not quite the same.

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is billy wearing an SF giants cap?!! IF SO I AM SO SO SO PROUD. I am from palo alto and SF is the best, which is why I have to come home from college every 3 weeks.

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Sign up for the Santa Cruz half!!! Most gorgeous half course that goes right by Natural bridges and winds through a state park just north — on the water the majority of the time!

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I am a pumpkin eater.. I used to just like it in baked goods but I mad a killer pumpkin curry the other day and i’m hooked!
I would say Whistler, BC is one of my top cities but I have always wanted to go to San Fran… I’ve been along the californian coast a ton of times but for some reason never been to San Fran… its on my list!
I live in Vancouver and often go running along the beach so I would say I visit at least 1 time a day… i’m so lucky!
And yes I pack a lunch, its one of my favourite things to do, I look forward to it all night and morning (i’m very food motivated)

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Oh my gosh! I was just in San Francisco this past Friday and yesterday!!! IT IS AMAZING!! We flew in Friday am, stayed the day/night, then drove up to Napa/Sonoma for Sat-Sun and then drove back through San Fran before we had to fly back home to North Carolina yesterday! That is so crazy we were in the same place!!!

I LOVE CALIFORNIA and I’m so jealous you live there! I’m trying to convince the hubs to move there after this trip because we loved it so much :)

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All my favorite things in this post…pumpkins, big cities (my fave is N.Y.), babies, beaches and WOW that’s a huge tree. We’re close to Cali so we go about every year…still not enough!

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Great photos!! And I love SF too, the food is awesome!

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Such beautiful photos! I think San Fran is my favorite city…it’s a dream of mine to live there one day!

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I’ve been to all of those same places! You’re right, traveling on a Monday really rocks. My husband’s schedule often has weird days off so when we actually have Saturday or Sunday off, we’re like “WTF Where did all these people come from?!”

I think San Francisco is my favorite too.

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I’m up in SFSU and I can run around Lake Merced AND run a little further up to the beach and run along the path while staring at the crashing waves. I love the weather in SF. Always cooler than San Jose and breezy :)
Looks like you guys had a wonderful day!

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C

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See above comment…opppss I hit enter a little to early LOL! Was going to say…cool photos looks like you are getting some of that famous Cali weather down there!

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Your baby is the cutest little one! I can’t get enough!

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I made some pumpkin snickerdoodles the other day that were wonderful. Washington D.C. is my favorite city, and, yes, I pack a lunch everyday :)

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I’m on the pumpkin pancake kick right now!! I’ve yet to find a recipe that knocks my socks off. Oh well, I’ll just have to keep trying new recipes until I get there…darn!!

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The best way to see SF is on foot, so you should run either the SF Marathon in June or the NWM in October-so much fun.

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i LUV LUV LUV santa cruz! i honestly have always wanted to live there, but it’s crazy expensive, which seems really weird. but my aunts have lived there forever and every summer growing up we’d spend summers there.
glad u got out there! next time u’ve got to hit up the trails at Nicee Marks Park (i’m prolly spelling it wrong) right nearby in Aptos…awesome running. :)

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My favorite pumpkin dessert is pumpkin chocolate chip cake that my friend makes, it is the best! I do pack a lunch for work everyday and usually it’s some sort of salad, it varies day by day and/or hummus and veggies, plus snacks! Your trip looked like so much fun! :)

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I pack a lunch about 95% of the time. I rarely have time to go out to eat when I’m working, plus it’s so much cheaper to pack!!

Love pumpkin baked goods … especially pumpkin whoopie pies (I made them last year and they are amazing!) and pumpkin gooey butter cake. It’s a Paula Deen recipe, and it is dangerously good!

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I can’t wait to visit San Fran!!!

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Next time you drive up the coast, turn right into Pescadero (I don’t know, 10 miles north of the lighthouse) and go to Duarte’s or Los Amigos for lunch. Duarte’s has amazing artichoke soup, seafood, and pie with local berries and Los Amigos has the best Mexican food ever. Don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s located in a gas station! I grew up/went to school in Pescadero and must’ve eaten there twice a week for at least seven years. I eat at Duarte’s less often only because I’m sometimes in a rush going through town. I only get to visit on holidays now – your pictures make me miss my hometown!

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Youre photos are amazing!! I am absolutely in love with San Fran. I live in NAshville TN but it would be so fantastic to be able to drive over to that beautiful city for a day trip whenever! Feel free to post as many photos as you want for me =)

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