The Cutwater Spirits elves have been busy. They've filled the tasting room menu with specialty holiday drinks - traditional and new. Loved the attention to every scrumptious detail. Santa should be proud.

All featured this season in the Miramar Distillery and Kitchen. Cheers!

#cutwaterspirits #tastingroom #awardwining #holiday drinks #sandiegodrinks #sandiegofun #specialtycocktails #christmasdrinks #holidaydrinks #christmasinsandiego ...

The calm between storms on the far side of Catalina Island. Winter means fewer crowds in Avalon Village and Two Harbors, on the far side of the island, was nearly deserted. It was perfect for hiking and visiting with other guests during the Banning House happy hour.

That's Cat Harbor in the last shot. Two Harbors Bay, on the other side of the isthmus, is the ferry port with routes to the mainland via Catalina Express.

Having WiFi down the hill but not at the house forced me to slow down and recharge my internal batteries. Now, onward into the holidays!

#lightandshadowphotography #26milesacrossthesea #catalinaisland #banninghouse #vintagedecoration #retrostyle #craftsmanstyle #boutiquehotelsoftheworld #islandtime #oceanview #seasidelife #sandiegoblogger #socalliving ...

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the dolphin show," announced our ferry boat captain.

The magnificent pod materialized between Catalina Island and San Pedro. They played alongside us for several minutes. Wow.

#dolphinswimming #boattrips #catalinaisland #oceanadventure #sealifecamera #travelgrams #getoutsidemore #dolphinspotting #wildcalifornia ...

I always hope to spy buffalo on the road between Avalon and Two Harbors but didn't expect this! As we came over one rise a field full of the critters surprised us. There were at least 40 scattered across the hillside.

They won't be there long. Brought over for a movie in the last century the herd was abandoned but flourished. However, there are powers at work who feel that anything invasive, no matter that they've been on the island for a century, must be removed. Getting rid of a hundred, thousand pound creatures is no small feat.

The @catalinaconservancy decided that chemical sterilization of the cows was the way to go. The lack of romance is making the bulls ornery. I don't blame them. The next human generation will still have Buffalo Milk cocktails and T-shirts. ...

How I love floating into Catalina Island harbor and seeing the Casino building. Built over 80 years ago by William Wrigley Jr., it was the first circular building of the American west. Never a gambling palace, crowds floated over from the mainland to dance. Today it hosts tours, movies and concerts. But I love viewing it from different angles whenever I'm in Avalon.

#artdecoarchitecture #catalinaisland #architecturelove #greatbuildings #archilovers_perspective #architecturedaily #architecture_hunters #amazingarchitecture #archidesign #architecturalphotography #architecturalphotographylovers #architecturetourist #beautifulbuildings #buildinglovers


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Get close to the pharaohs!
The Rosacrusian Egyptian Museum in San Jose is filled with models and artifacts. I long to visit Egypt but, until then, this will do. It's on a tree-lined street in San Jose and open to the public. The gardens are exquisite too.

#egyptianmuseum #pharoahsanders #rosacrusianhall #ancientegypt #enjoytheview #parksofinstagram #historicart #sanjoseca #spiritualalchemy #ancientegyptian ...

Road trip inspiration for a Sonoma County drive. Thinking about the 30th annual #winterwineland2023 weekend festival or just an easy ramble. 🤔
What would you choose?

#sdbayfest #sdfoodie #sandiegofoodie #sandiegowineandfood #sdfoodscene #foodstagram #foodfestival #winetourism #travelwine #lovewine #visitwineries #gourmettravelerwine #winepassion #tripwellgal#winelover #instawine #foodandwine #winterwonderland2023 #wineroadlife ...