To be out.
Exploring.
Nature.
Public.
What was it like?
What is life…..?
A few weeks ago during the first few phases of the state reopening – a little too soon, but it is some minor progress – I decided that I needed to get away.
No work.
Took an extra long weekend.
I needed to get out, to do some hiking, to do one of my mental health hike and wine weekends.
I decided to go up to Paso Robles again to do some wine tasting and hiking.
Pinnacles National Park was an hour-and-a-half away.
Perfect.
The Friday started off late with an issue with work that pretty much plagued the whole day and tinged the weekend.
MediaOcean issues.
Work.
I had rough plans for the weekend. Friday was an easy drive out to Hearst Castle State Beach and do a hike along the peninsula.
There were so many emails going back and forth that day with the MediaOcean issues that I had a call or two with a few users and many emails with MO. When I parked at my first hiking destination for the day, I had to get onto the server and make a few updates.
Worked.
There were issues that lingered that I couldn’t help so I ignored much of everything after that.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the trail to the path, so I went back to Moonshine State Beach and did half the hike that I did last time.
It was beautiful and nice but strangely uncomfortable all at the same time.
This was my first time out of the city where masks are mandatory out in public if you can’t maintain social distancing.
Not many masks around.
Uncomfortable.
It was like culture shock.
I did my best to keep my mask on or tie it up when I’m around people or passing people.
It was the same when I got to Paso.
I had a 5pm dinner reservation at Les Petites Canailles. Walking downtown Paso, again, culture shock. No masks or not many on people.
It was like it was normal, like Covid-19 never really happened.
There really wasn’t much I can do. I felt safe in the restaurant though. Tables were spaced far apart and the staff did wear masks.
The food was good. I had the tartar again. That was great. I ordered the pork chop again, but they definitely did it differently than the last time I was there. It was either deep fried or just pan fried then deep fried or put in the salamander to finish off. Doesn’t matter, because it was over cooked. It wasn’t bad, but disappointing considering how great it was the last time I was there in November.
The wine.
Amazing.
The experience, I definitely miss it.
Not just the party-of-one experience, but the whole dining out experience.
That normalcy.
Life.
I definitely missed it after being quarantined for so long.
I guess it was a little getaway to the new normal of everyday life to some weird back to pre-Covid normalcy.
It was a vacation away for the world.
I didn’t do any tastings that night. I had the two glasses of wine, finished dinner and then walked around downtown to digest and get more exercise in since I didn’t get as much hiking in as I wanted.
The next day, Pinnacles.
I didn’t know what to expect. I woke up early and made my way, getting there a little after 7:30.
It’s a park that you kind of drive to different parking lots and explore from there. No shuttle service or what not.
Strangely, you can’t drive through the whole park.
With lock down, the only thing you can do is park at the visitor center and then hike in. It was a good 2 miles from the visitor center to the main trailhead.
I didn’t have much of a plan since I didn’t do much research on the park, but I had an idea.
There are two cave systems at Pinnacles but they were closed. I remember reading that somewhere, but wasn’t aware until I started the hike.
I did the Bear Gulch Trail towards the cave and then up to the High Peaks Trail and did one giant loop. With that, I saw about half of the park.
According to my Fitbit, I did about 13 miles that day. I would probably say I did close to 11 miles that day. The giant loop itself was probably 6-7 miles already and then I had to count the hike to and from the visitor center.
Overall, it was a good day. It was nice to be out in nature, hiking, sweating, having the sun beat down on me.
My meditation. My Zen.
Again, not many people wearing masks on the trail.
We have to manage with stops and turning around and not breathing. I had my mask down until I needed to pass someone and it’s back on.
I was finished and back to my car around 12:30. A 5-hour hike.
It got a lot crowded throughout the day and that definitely didn’t jive well with me. Some of the trails are narrow. Hard to social distance.
Glad I’m an early hiker.
But the views are grand.
The might California Condors gliding through the high mountains were simply majestic.
It was a much much needed outing and I need another one.
I couldn’t decide if I should gotten lunch when I got back. I got back too late so I went back to the hotel and crashed.
I hurt.
Everything hurt.
I went to explore downtown a little early that day so I can do some tastings. I only went to one winery, CaliPaso. It was more a wine bar than a tasting room.
Again, no mask. No social distancing. It was different.
I had a good time there. I enjoyed their wine. I wanted to get back and get a bottle, but I forgot.
For dinner, I went to the Italian Restaurant, Il Cortile Ristorante. It was still good, as I had a pasta primi dish and a grilled ribeye. I needed the protein. Was craving steak and I had a nice chill seat outside.
The wine. Great.
There, I met a couple from San Francisco whom like everyone else needed a much needed getaway from their newborn and the quarantine.
The husband invited me to sit down with them and I’m sure the wife was annoyed as fuck. Too funny. The husband was definitely an extrovert. I’m on the fence about her.
I put their bottle of wine on my tab. The least I could do for them sharing their wine with me and inviting me to chat with them at their table.
I guess I needed some social contact too.
After dinner, I walked around downtown debating if I should go for a tasting, but decided that I was too tired. I got some Cold Stone and went back and crashed.
Sunday.
Sunday. Sunday. Sunday.
My last day in the city. I planned on leaving early the next day like I normally would so I had a full day in the apartment to unwind.
I didn’t have solid plans.
I decided to go and check out some wineries on the east side of town on the 46. I didn’t realize there’s like a giant strip mall there.
The first winery that I went didn’t do any tastings. Only brunch which I wasn’t interested. I drove around that giant complex and found another winery, Mitchella, and it was great.
I didn’t have an appointment/reservation but they squeezed me in. I didn’t want to make the effort of making an appointment so I didn’t get to do as many tastings as I want. I would have to plan accordingly next time if quarantine is still in effect.
They had a decent tasting with a cheese pairing. I enjoyed it. I couldn’t decide on which two wines to get, but I decided on the Malbec. I’m venturing out from my usual Cab and I think it’ll be great for me.
After, I tried to do another tasting room but again, appointments or no walk-ins, so I decided to get some lunch instead.
I went to Firestone Walker Brewery for a nice burger. Their food wasn’t bad.
I got to do some beer tasting too. Definitely would need to pay them another visit. Apparently there’s a Firestone here in Venice. Worth a trip I think.
After lunch I went back to the hotel room and relaxed.
There were some plumbing issues at this cheap motel so they put me in a double room for the night. Next time, I’ll be looking at a different location, maybe something closer to downtown?
Who knows?
But I do know there will be a next time.
Dinner, I went cheap. Mexican. A good meal for less than $30.
I was so full that I didn’t do much after. I thought about getting the bottle from CaliPaso, but they closed. Many wineries closes early on Sunday.
Next time for sure.
Next time though, I would need to plan things out. Make appointments. Make it worth it.
Now, here we are.
Back to life. Back to reality.
For how long?
The foreseeable future.
We’re fucked.
‘Murica!
But I did get a standing desk and a new office chair. We’ll be working from home for who knows when, might as well make it better for me.
Sitting for work for the past couple of months definitely hurt me. Haven’t felt so tired in so long. One of the reasons why I’ve made me own standing desk in the office.
Been doing the standing thing for about a few days now and I definitely feel a lot less tired after my day.
It was worth the investment.
Life.
New normal.
Sigh.
Till the next whenever.
Sigh.
Mumblings of a Hermit 隐者 