California – TAYONTHEMOVE

Angel’s Gate Park – San Pedro, California

Tay Explores January 27, 2017

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking them will not cost you anything.* I was going through my old photos and making room for new ones when I came across some that I took of Angel’s Gate Park. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t shared these with you earlier because I went here on the same day as Sunken City, a year ago. And just like Sunken City, this park overlooks the Pacific Ocean, giving us the most incredible views ever. Besides appreciating the perfect ocean views, there’s a few other things you can do here, like fly a kite, have a picnic on the grass, or admire the Korean Friendship Bell (which I most definitely did). Booking.com This bell was given to the United States in 1976 by the Republic of Korea to celebrate the bicentennial of the US and as a symbol of friendship between the two nations. The bell itself weighs 17…

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Sunken City – San Pedro, California

Beaches March 21, 2016

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* In 1929 a landslide caused a community of homes to sink into the ocean. What remained was broken sidewalks and cracked roads. All of which have become a canvas for graffiti artists and a place to hang out for the adventurous. Sunken City is located in San Pedro, California (near Long Beach) and is fenced off with a “No Trespassing” sign. When I realized that you weren’t really allowed to go there, I kind of questioned it a bit. But once you see the pictures, you’ll understand why it was necessary that I went. Hopefully I won’t get into some sort of legal trouble for this post. I can see why it’s blocked off though. It looks a bit dangerous and if people aren’t careful they can easily slip and fall over the cliffs. So, how do you get there? It’s…

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Los Sanchez – Garden Grove, CA

Eating Out March 17, 2016

Mexican food is one of my favorite type of cuisines and I have it any chance I get. This time I’m taking you to Los Sanchez Restaurant located in Garden Grove, California. First and foremost I have to point out the staff here is REALLY friendly! They are so nice and answer any questions you have without being annoyed! Secondly, you better come here with an empty stomach because the portion sizes are huge! We came to have a very late lunch, around 3 pm so you can imagine we were quite hungry. We ordered a lot of food even for the four of us. Mostly because everything looked so good and we wanted to try everything! (It seems I am constantly facing this problem when I go to new place…lol) Okay, let me try to remember exactly what we ordered: Carne Asada Tacos, Grilled Fish Tacos, Carne Asada Fries, Sopes, Cheeese…

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Mt. Rubidoux – Riverside, CA

Hiking March 14, 2016

*This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will not cost you anything.* Yes, a California post! I went there again for a wedding a few weeks ago. Just like my last visit, the weather was perfect and I enjoyed it to the fullest! Whenever I was free, I took the opportunity to be outside. This post is about a very cool hiking trail on Mount Rubidoux in Riverside. A friend suggested it and I was ever ready to check it out! This mountain has some history behind it and is the site for Easter Sunrise services. There has been several historic markers placed here much like the big cross at the very top which is dedicated to Fray Junipero Serra. He was a Roman Catholic Priest who founded the California Missions. Booking.com There are giant steps to get to the cross, so be careful climbing them. But once there, it is so peaceful and beautiful. We sat…

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Southern California – More Food Adventures

Eating Out January 1, 2016

More food! This is going to be another quick and short post about some delicious places I dined at. Mediterranean Cafe – Pasadena, CA Who doesn’t love Mediterranean food? When I went to school in Norhridge, Pasadena was halfway between my house and school so I often stopped here. This is one of my favorite cities to go to when I am back in California, especially Old Town. Anyway, a friend of mine who lived here introduced me to this cafe and I love her for it! I like getting their beef kebab plate. SO GOOD! You will not be disappointed here. Everything is tasty and fresh! Tom’s Farms, Cheese and Wine Shoppe – Corona, CA This was such a cute and fun place to walk around at. There were a few outdoor pop up shops that were selling jewelry and other types of art. Anyway more about the food! We had a vegetarian pizza full of…

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Fish Tacos in Southern California

Eating Out December 28, 2015

This week it’s all about food! Brace yourself because you might end up feeling hungry by the end of this post and I would like to apologize in advance for it. While in Cali, food wise, my intentions were to have as many fish tacos as I possibly could have! I’m going to name some places in order of my preference. 1. Oscar’s – San Diego, CA Although I did not get to go to Oscar’s this time around, I have to mention it because it’s my all time favorite fish taco place so far. And I would like to tell you that if you are ever in this area, you HAVE to stop by here! The tacos are a perfect size and the perfect crunch with the perfect amount of flavor in every bite. You just can’t stop eating them! A friend of mine says there is another place…

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Claremont Loop, California – A Hiking Trail

Hiking December 21, 2015

Besides sitting at the beach for countless hours, my other favorite thing to do is hiking which is something I really miss in Chicago because it’s pretty flat here. My recent visit to California was for a wedding but I decided to stay for two weeks and make a mini vacation out of it. Trying to pack everything I wanted to do and see in that short time was very difficult. And so, for some reason I thought it was a good idea to go hiking the morning of the actual wedding. And because of that, the other crazies (my lovely friends) and I decided we would do a less intense hike so we can all stay alive when the actual time for the wedding came around. One of my friends lives in Upland and suggested we do the Claremont Loop hike which I had also heard about before so…

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Laguna Beach, California

Beaches December 14, 2015

I don’t know if you are tired of seeing numerous beach pictures but this will be my last beach post for a while…or will it? This is actually one of my favorite one’s that I’ve been to in Southern California (well, besides La Jolla, San Diego but I didn’t get to go there this time around). I went here as soon as I got off the plane. I landed at 8am and was out of the airport by 9am. I left behind freezing temperatures along with snow fall in Chicago and landed to an 80 degree sunny California. So it was only obvious that the first thing I do was hit the beach! One of the reasons why I love Laguna Beach is because it has sandy, rocky, and grassy areas. All these options on one beach are pretty awesome if you ask me because you don’t always want to…

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Venice Beach, California

Beaches December 7, 2015

Another beach post? Yes. And still there might be another because it’s my favorite place to go to in Southern California. In all of my 10 years living here, I never went to Venice Beach. Mostly because it is one that is near Los Angeles and it’s just a hassle to get in and out of due to the traffic that it’s famous for. My friends who know me well are always telling me that I needed to go here and that I would really like it. I was told that I should walk on Abbot Kinney Blvd as well as go to the Venice Canals and that is exactly what I did! We parked in one of the Marina Del Rey Public Parking Lots and walked towards Abbot Kinney Blvd. This was such a cool street with a lot of very artsy shops and restaurants. My friend and I…

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Corona Del Mar, California – A Beautiful Evening

Beaches December 1, 2015

Okay, more from Chicago later because now I am in CALIFORNIA and too excited to share what I have been up to so far. One of the best parts of being here is the fact that I left right when the snow started in Chicago. So I win! (If you couldn’t tell I am not the biggest fan of winter and snow.) As soon as I got here, I knew I wanted to go to the beach. So I planned a bonfire for the very next day, which is one of my favorite things to do. For this, so far I have found that Corona Del Mar Beach is the best. It’s located in a residential area and not too crowded. There are several pits located on the sand to make bonfires. For a bonfire you need: coals (and or wood but in Corona Del Mar you aren’t allowed to…

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