Reasons Why I Love California

 As many of you know, I'm loving life right now. I still live on the East Coast, but get to enjoy the wonders and pleasures of the Golden State, California, for at least the next year (but hopefully longer!). And all of my closest friends know that whenever I travel, I always have the craziest things happen and the best stories to share. I don't think I've ever come home from a corporate travel empty handed without a good story.  So, in my efforts to remember all the good stories, crazy moments, and the "did that really just happen?" occurrences, I'm going to be starting an on-going blog and writing my stories each weeks.  They'll be simple and to the point, but a good way for me to keep track of all that goes on...  Enjoy the reads!

•  5/27/2011 - What do you get when you have a loud, snoring man on your left, a man with no deodorant on your right, and two screaming babies directly in front of you on a Red Eye flight back to DC?  One miserable Marissa. Nyquil couldn't even knock me out.
• 6/9/2011 -  I decided to switch my flight and leave LA a day earlier than I expected. I was pumped to get home and was glad they got me on an afternoon flight at 1:00 pm. You can imagine my dismay when I got to the gate and we were delayed 90 minutes. Ah, oh well, these things happen. They get us on the plane and we're sitting there for at least an hour before they announced that there was an hydrolauic leak. Great, I would have been halfway home by now.  The captain came on and said we were ready for takeoff - yes!  We leave the gate and head down the tarmac.  Again, we proceed to sit for another hour. We were 2nd in line to takeoff, but had more mechanical difficulties. They took us back to the gate, where I got off the plane and just figured I'd go back to the Hilton. (Well, I couldn't get my luggage, so I was stranded). An hour later, my new friend Omar came back with a tea for me to calm me down because I was so stressed out. They loaded us back on the plane, only to sit for 2 more hours. We finally take off and land at Dulles around 4:30 AM, nearly 5 hours after our original arrival time. To make matters worse, I waited an hour for a cab.  Nothing like getting home at 6 am and starting your work day!
• 6/9/2011 - Saw Kanye West in LAX airport; he was with two big security guards, but I managed to get a head nod and smile out of him.
• 6/25/2011 - Driving with Casee down Pacific Beach, I see a homeless man outside of the man road asking for change in his jar. Without skipping a beat, a green toyota pulls up, and hands this man a Stella beer. Made me say, Did that really just happen?!  Yes it did... Welcome to California.
• 6/26/2011 - I just landed in San Francisco, got in a cab and asked to be taken to my Hilton Hotel. The cab driver takes me to about 2nd Street and proceeds to tell me he can't take me any farther due to the "Naked Gay Pride Parade" and all of the roads being closed down. After much arguing, he pulled over, dropped me off 10 blocks away from my hotel....with two big pieces of luggage....and in the middle of the Ghetto. Talk about a cross breeds of halfway houses, drug dealers, and homelessness. Me and my bright pink bag stuck out like a sore thumb.  To make matters worse, I had to walk through the Gay Pride Parade to get to my hotel. I was looked at like I was an alien because I ACTUALLY had clothes on. Penises were everywhere. Never a dull moment. 
• 6/30/2011 - I was walking around San Francisco, trying to find a place for lunch when I saw this: a young teenager completely showing off skateboarding down a hill in the middle of traffic. In his attempt to seem cool, he does a flip trick and completely falls on his ass, rolling down the hill. I know I shouldn't... but if you're skateboarding down a main street in San Francisco, which happens to be on a hill in the middle of traffic, and you fall down the hill.... I just might laugh. Just a little.
• 7/1/2011 - Flying back to DC, at the San Francisco airport, something a little ridiculous happened. Obviously, we all know I walk a little differently, and there's normally a line for folks who have a disability/injury/etc. I was told to go to that line. I go to the front and the lady looks at me and says, "I'm sorry, but you're not handicapped enough!" .... Um, I'm sorry, is there a VIP checklist with levels of handicap-ness?!
• 7/1/2011 - Going through security line at SFO, I go through the scanners and go to grab my belongings.  A college kid from UC Berkeley is in front of me and he looks at me and tells me his license is missing. He starts to freak out and TSA does NOTHING to help him. I quickly grab my stuff and take him to the bench and start asking people around us if they found a license. 30 seconds later a woman was walking off with his license....on purpose.  TSA was sitting there, so I had to go up to the one guy and tell him to get up and go after that woman. Finally, they caught her and she didn't even deny her actions. Note to self: always watch your belongings.
• 7/11/2011 - After getting a massage at Hotel Monaco, I walk out towards Union Square to hear all this music and singing. I had to check out the scene. To my surprise, in the middle of Union Square, a huge church choir from Dallas, Texas made up of 100 kids were singing gospel music. They knew how to draw a crowd and they broke it down for Jesus. Pretty cool sight to see.  

June Restaurant of the Month #2 - In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Out Burger I've had so many opportunities to travel to the west (ahem, best) coast for the past couple of years.  But each time I go, and each time I return home, my friends (especially Mike Roberts) asks in astonishment why I never dined at an In-N-Out Burger.  Most of you who know me, know that I'm not a fast food type of girl. Chipotle is as fast as I'll go. I honestly don't think I've had taco bell in over 10 years and the only time I go to McDonald's is after a late night out with my roommate Caitlin. Something about 2 am McFlurries and $1 Caramel sundaes just makes you so happy!  But, again, when it comes to fast food, it's not my first choice. However, I just had to give In-N-Out Burger a try. After the previous night at Phil's BBQ, Casee and I planned to grab lunch and spend the day at Pacific Beach.  She took me to the In-N-Out Burger in Pacific Beach and I was actually very excited for some of their fast food - my friends have told me amazing things about this burger joint, so I was ready. 

A few things about In-N-Out that surprised me and made me like it 10 times more. 1) As you walk up to the restaurant, they open the door for you and greet like you're a special celebrity or something. Try watching McDonald's do that.  2) In-N-Out Burger is a christian-based company. They had bible scriptures written on the bottom of their cups and fry dishes.  As a fellow Christian myself, I was in awe to see that.  A company that sticks to their "roots" and isn't afraid to be vocal about their belief in God is cool in my book.  Also, you never know when someone might see that scripture and get a little boost.  When I ordered a milkshake and took a look at the bottom of the cup, I had to smile.  The bible verse was Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." This is one of my favorites and was just a friendly reminder to always trust in him. 3) Their milkshakes are made with real ice cream and nothing more - so original and so delicious.

My friend, Mike, adequately prepared me with what I should order as a first-timer with In-N-Out. He said, "Keep it simple, Marissa. Order a Double-Double with Fries and a Shake." Guess I had to go with that! I can always count on Mike - he's a solid friend in my life - and whether it's a ride to the metro, learning a new app on the Droid, or helping me choose the best fast food, he's always there. The In-N-Out menu consists of three burger types: hamburger, cheeseburger, and a "Double Double" (double meat and double cheese). The hamburgers come with lettuce, tomato, with or without onions (you can get them fresh or grilled), and a Thousand Island dressing called " the spread".  For those of you who live in CA, you know that it's a federal mandate to put the amount of calories for each meal or side dish on a menu. This is both a good and bad thing.... do I really want to know that my lunch at In-N-Out is over 1000 calories? Yeah, I'd rather not, but at least it prepares me to know how much exercising I need to do. When I placed my order the staff was great and very accommodating to the fact that I was a first time customer. $9 later and I was about to bite into what apparently is the best fast food burger along the West Coast.

Ladies and Gentlemen, that burger was delicious. It was oozing with this amazing sauce and the hamburger patties were cooked to perfection; they did not taste like "Fast-food" burgers, but more like one you could cook on the grill at home. It definitely was quality you can taste; they were quite delicious and fresh. Just like my experience at Phil's BBQ, eating an In-N-Out Burger is a total experience -- you enjoy every bite as the sauce drips on your fingers, leaving you wanting just one more.  The fries were great too, they were the smaller size fries and had just the right amount of salt (at least for me!).  And, finally, the milkshake.... Again, I'm a big fan of ice cream and milk shakes, although I don't eat them often. This milkshake was awesome because it was pure ice cream, no other fake ingredients or added sugar. I went with a solid chocolate, but you are able to mix flavors if you so choose. It was just pure, great ice cream melted to a perfect blend for drinking a shake. It was a great finale to my fast food dining experience.

I had to wear the welcome hat!! 

All in all, I was really glad that I caved in and gave up counting calories for day and tried the infamous In-N-Out Burger. I think it's important to eat this type of food in small doses, but every once in a while, it's nice to throw the diet out the window and enjoy a burger and fries. Also, who knew that while eating lunch, I'd get my daily dose of Jesus at the same time?! It's a win-win! I will definitely be back to this place while I venture out West, and I'll look forward to being greeted with a smile as I proudly order a double-double!

June Restaurants of the Month in San Diego!

Phil's BBQ and In-N-Out Burger!

Phil's BBQ
My adventures in California have taken me to areas I've always wanted to see and some that I hope to never have to visit again.  The past two weeks I traveled to 7 different areas of California in a 9 day period -- San Francisco, Orange County, Irvine, San Diego, La Jolla, Davis, and Woodland.  Boy, I was exhausted. In and out of hotel rooms, constantly hauling luggage around, and of course, trying to find the best places to eat while I traveled to each new spot.  This past corporate travel I had the opportunity to see a dear friend of mine, Casee Kulp; we interned together in Washington DC back in 2006! My, how time flies.  It's funny to see where life takes those that you hold near and dear to your heart.  5 years later and I'm still in Washington DC, whereas Casee blazed a new trail and moved out West to one of the most beautiful areas, San Diego.  Needless to say when I found out that 50% of my corporate travel would be in San Diego, I was elated. I get to work in a beach town? Heck yes! 

I was able to stay in La Jolla - a beautiful town just outside of San Diego. Casee and I made plans to hang out and see each other, since the last time we really had a chance to get together was more than a year ago!  Knowing that I am a lover of all foods, she had the idea of taking me to the famous Phil's BBQ, a restaurant where the line is so long, that it spans outside the restaurant and around the corner.  Phil's BBQ appeared on the ever-so-popular, Man VS Food, so I knew this was going to be a place I would like.  We got there on a Friday night around 7:30ish and the line was definitely around corner.  Casee reassured me the food is worth the wait.  Honestly, the line didn't seem that long - I think it took us about 50 minutes, but when I asked what I should order, I got a solid response of "Baby Back Ribs and a side of Onion Rings" - no excuses.   Everything on the menu looked so good...what if I wanted a pulled pork sandwich? What if I wanted boneless ribs? Nope, all or nothing. Full on Baby Back Ribs. 

The interesting part about this restaurant is you stand in line and then place your order.  I decided to go with the Half Baby Back Ribs with a side of steamed vegetables.  Don't worry, as my "welcome to San Diego gift," Casee ordered us a side of onion rings.  While I travel, since I eat out all the time, I try to do what I can to eat healthy and incorporate as many vegetables as I can.  Once we placed our order, we looked for a table hoping to find one! Casee and I landed one right next to the fireplace and waited for our meals.  About 6 quick minutes later, my buzzer goes off and there are my baby back ribs, looking so delicious I almost felt like heaven's lights were shining down on them.  Drenched in sauce, perfect temperature, I couldn't wait to dig in.   

My Meal!

The first bite of these baby back ribs were beyond anything I could have imagined. The meat literally melted right off of the bone - I licked those bones dry, haha, and I didn't leave one ounce of meat. (My grandmother would have been proud!) Eating baby back ribs always makes me laugh - there is nothing classy or sophisticated about them. Thankfully, I was with Casee who didn't care if I ate like a 4-year-old and had sauce all over my mouth. I could fully dive in without holding back. Along with ribs, there are a few other foods I would never eat on a first date - corn on the cob and watermelon are two of them. Apparently, I'm a sloppy watermelon eater; and my mom always warned me against not eating watermelon while trying to impress a guy.  Although, on my mom and stepdad's first date, Roger ordered baby back ribs and didn't care one bit. That screams confidence and maybe that's why my mom fell for him in the first place. Sorry, I digress. Back to the food.   

Me eating my ribs

I don't know how one describes ribs, per say.  They were perfectly tender, soft, and drenched in amazing BBQ sauce. No wonder this was on Man VS Food!  There's not much to report on the steamed vegetables - they were very colorful and were sort of my way to justify me gorging out on ribs and onion rings. :) Now, onto the onion rings. I'm normally not a big fan of them in general; they always fall apart, are way too fried, or the onion is undercooked.  But Phil's BBQ onion rings.... oh boy... there is and will never be any competition.  They tasted like they were fried almost in a donut-like dough, as they had an element of sweetness to them.  The best part was after one bite, they didn't fall apart; they stayed in tact and were so delicious. Also, for a girl who dislikes small portions, Phil's BBQ didn't let me down - the onion rings were bigger than the size of a donut.  Every bite of my meal was worth the near-hour wait, and every second I got to spend with Casee was appreciated and valued.  We enjoyed a good old fashioned, excellent, comforting meal while strengthening our friendship and catching up on life. 

The best part about my time in San Diego is that it won't end.  For the next year at least, I'll be traveling down there around once or twice a month.  Each time I go, I plan on visiting a new restaurant, seeing more of the beautiful sites, and spending quality time with my friends.

Next Stop: In-N-Out Burger...