clarity . {west coast roadtrip 09} . day one. at en pointe ...

by Susan

So after about 8 hours of driving, I arrived late at night in Berkeley/Oakland where one of my closest friends Carol lives; pretty delirious from the drive because driving along that stretch of I-5 is the most. boring. drive. ever. Even worse at night when all you see are headlights and darkness! Plus, I’ve gone along that drive so many times that I’m pretty tired of it to be honest. But I was glad to be there. I always feel at home up north.

After a several hours of sleep, we got up and headed to breakfast, at a place called Rick & Ann’s .  It was an absolutely delightful breakfast, and I loved the fact that the kitchen was an open one! After that, we strolled around the neighborhood before setting off to Oakland to explore.

We explored several neighborhoods, which were all very fun to see & experience. The Cathedral that we visited was pretty insane to look at - the exterior is entirely of glass, but the inside was quite a surprise - it was all wood! Beautiful craftsmanship & design though :)

That evening, we visited a little eatery that I definitely think is a Berkeley gem, Gregoire Restaurant . It’s not so much as a restaurant as a charming open kitchen with a few stools and and outdoor seating. But the food is definitely what makes it because it’s French takeout!! Hands down the most gourmet takeout food I’ve ever had (and was extremely delicious). We took it back to Carol’s and ate it on plates, and I felt like we dined at a restaurant based on the quality of the food! What a wonderful way to end the first day. I will definitely have to be back again.

The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn, to begin the coastal portion of my trip. I would be driving from the Bay Area up to Portland along the California & Oregon coast, and I would be doing it completely alone. Needless to say, I was very excited.

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