Cambria — Travel — Hello Ivy & Eve

We are so excited to announce we are Cambria Ambassadors! Thanks to the great people at Visit Cambria, we were able to take another girls’ weekend getaway a few weekends ago.

On this trip to Cambria, California, we stayed at the lovely J. Patrick House. Tucked away in the pine forest above the town, this B&B was the ultimate cozy base for our Cambria adventures. The hosts, Linda and Ron, were extremely welcoming and gave us a quick tour of the place before showing us to our room, the Dublin, where we happily called home for the rest of the weekend. The J. Patrick House is wonderfully decorated with antiques Linda has collected from all over yet still has a nice contemporary feel to. This is NOT your grandma's B&B. Another feature we loved about the J. Patrick is that each guest room has its own fireplace. We found ourselves turning it on every time we went to our room. There is something so comforting about a fireplace, don't you think? After we settled in, we joined the other guests for happy hour in the main house (more on that later) before whisking away for our first seafood dinner of the weekend!

On our first night, we enjoyed dinner at the Sea Chest Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant. We wanted to eat here the first time we visited Cambria (read about that here) in December, but they were closed for their yearly break, making us even more determined to visit this time around! The Sea Chest doesn't take reservations, and we have heard that a line starts to form outside the restaurant even before they open!

We lucked out as we went there around 7:30, so the dinner rush had died down a bit. We put our name on the list, grabbed a glass of wine from the bar, and waited outside by their giant fire-pit. Before we finished our first glass of wine, they had called our names, and we headed in for a smorgasbord of seafood. We love oysters, so naturally, we ordered half a dozen and decided to try their escargot as well. For mains, Ivy chose the seafood linguine, and Eve went with the cioppino. Everything was delicious, and we had to practically roll ourselves out to our car.

FYI: This is also a cash-only restaurant, so bring cash or your debit card (they have an ATM) and be prepared to wait for a table. Definitely worth the wait!

In the morning, we dinned at the J. Patrick House. We were warmly greeted by Linda and Ron and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The first course was a delicious fruit bowl with thinly sliced apple, red berries, homemade granola, and yogurt. We could have eaten 12 bowls of their fruit salad! The main course was the JP blueberry pancake, mini banana muffin, and sausage. SO DELICIOUS!!!

After stuffing ourselves, we headed for a guided tour of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. We went on the Bluff Trail walk led by Docent Gil. They offer three different tours in the springtime on Saturdays (for more info, click here).

The weather couldn't have been more perfect for a walk along the coast. While we walked, we listened to Gil as he taught us about the property's history, the importance of the ocean for the people and animals that call this coast home, and identified plants and animals along the trail. We even did some bird watching and saw some ancient mortar holes from the Playano tribe. We couldn't imagine a prettier place to grind acorn flour and prepare meals.

After all the walking and learning, we had quite an appetite, so we headed to Indigo Moon for lunch. We sat on their covered back patio and ordered their artisan cheese plate, which had a trio of cow's milk cheeses (Midnight Moon, Cotswold, and Mahón) accompanied by caramelized walnuts, and pears. We enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine while discussing what we wanted to do next.

For our main dishes, Eve ordered the pistachio-crusted goat cheese salad with greens, ruby grapefruit, chicken, cucumbers, and a lovely Meyer lemon champagne vinaigrette. Ivy ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with brie, onion jam, apples, and focaccia. This is sure to become one of our go-to spots for lunch. Everything is so fresh and delicious!

After lunch, we stopped by our favorite shop, JunkGirls! We met the owners and masterminds of the JunkGirls shop - Jenny and Melissa. These ladies are seriously amazing people, and we could have spent many more hours with them sharing stories and wandering the nooks and crannies of the shop. We knew we wanted to bring home at least one of their unique creations, and we ended up leaving with custom spoon rings Melissa made for us and a set of ladle board wall art pieces designed and created by Jenny! We especially loved picking out our spoons and watching them do their magic to create us unique, beautiful rings. Nothing is impossible for the Junk Girls!

After perusing the other shops, we headed to Cutruzzola Vineyards for some afternoon wine tasting. The tasting room is located at the very north end of town, right off Highway 1. They had a lovely variety of wines to taste, and we bought the 2015 Chardonnay and 2013 Gloria Estate Pinot Noir to bring home and share.

That evening, we headed back to J. Patrick House for their happy hour (which should never be missed!). Linda and Ron have a fantastic selection of local wines (red, white, and sparkling) to pick from to enjoy while chatting with the other guests. They also have appetizers set out for you to snack on before you head off to dinner. Our first night featured an Italian appetizer selection, while the second night was Mexican! We loved the happy hour because it was a great time to meet the other guests, get recommendations on where to go, and enjoy a glass of local wine.

Update: Due to Covid, JP happy hour is on hiatus. We hope it comes back soon!

After enjoying a little downtime at happy hour, we were ready for dinner at Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill. Like Sea Chest Oyster Bar, they do not take reservations, so make sure to plan ahead. They have a large beachfront patio with plenty of heat lamps as well as inside dining. We ordered half a dozen oysters and fried jalapenos (very spicy!) to start. We think their oysters are some of the best we have had on the west coast; that's saying something because we love oysters! Ivy had the New York steak served with a side of smashed potatoes and a garlic cream sauce, while Eve had the Moonstone's Best Catch served with Spanish rice and a delicious lobster shrimp cream sauce. The food was delicious, and the service was superb! We definitely see ourselves coming back and enjoying a glass of wine, oysters, and more on the patio at sunset during the summer.

The following morning, we had another lovely gourmet breakfast at J. Patrick House before our morning Flow Yoga class at GYM 1 with Kristina. For breakfast they had a beautiful (and delicious) fruit bowl with grapefruit, tangerines, and blackberries. The fruit was dressed with Linda's family poppy seed dressing recipe. It went perfectly with the sweet berries and citrus fruits. For the main dish, we had a personal skillet breakfast with eggs cooked any way we wished. We had our eggs sunny side up, and they came with delicious homestyle potatoes, a side of bacon, and toast with delightful bacon jam. After breakfast, we reluctantly packed our bags, said goodbye to our lovely room, and checked out. We were sad to leave but know we won't be able to stay away for too long! We left our hearts at J. Patrick House!!!

After yoga, we headed to Moonstone Cellars for some much-deserved wine tasting (yoga is hard!). Moonstone Cellars is located just behind the main street in downtown Cambria. We enjoyed their wine flight because they have some exciting varietals like the Gewurztraminer, which does not typically grow back home in Monterey County. We bought their Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc to bring home.

Before heading home, we decided to stop at the Cafe for some lunch. The Cafe was an impromptu stop but so worth it! We decided to try it out because, over the weekend it was hands down the most recommended place to eat. We are no sandwich connoisseurs, but this place is GOOD! We had their famous hot pastrami sandwich, which came with a side of coleslaw, a pickle, and a pickled pepper. The Cafe is seriously delicious and completely lived up to the hype!

After enjoying the Cafe, we headed to our last stop, Linn's, for their famous olallieberry pie. Freshly baked every day, this pie is truly dreamy. It is served with whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We sat in the sunshine as we devoured our slices, reminiscing on the weekend's adventures. It was the perfect ending to our lovely girls’ weekend in Cambria.

We also wanted to mention a new company we recently discovered, Brakitty. With all the traveling we do, it's great to have a case to hold your bra's and undies without crushing them. Brakitty cases are super cute and really well made (they are water-resistant too). We brought them on our trip to test them out and ended up loving them and know we will be using them on our upcoming trips. Not only do we use them to stash our bras and undies- but we also keep our jewelry and other small things that would get lost in our bags. We have the Pastel Supernova and Vintage Florals (on sale right now!). Buy your own Brakitty here!

There is so much more to explore in this little beach town we can't wait to visit again! Have you visited Cambria? Let us know about your trip!

xxx Ivy & Eve

A few weeks ago, we took a weekend trip down south to Cambria for a bit of relaxing "sister time" before the holiday festivities began. Cambria is a small beach town located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. When we decided to head south to Cambria for a quick girls-weekend, we chose to stay at the fun and trendy Cambria Beach Lodge. We teamed up with the Lodge to show all that Cambria has to offer!

xxx Ivy & Eve

Here is a map the Cambria Beach Lodge provided for even more great suggestions!

Stay:

Cambria Beach Lodge Situated right on Moonstone Beach, this newly renovated and trendy hotel is the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend in Cambria. The lodge is centrally located, making it a quick drive to downtown Cambria or Hearst Castle. The rooms were trendy yet inviting with a great mini bar full of tasty treats and even a set of binoculars for all of your outdoor adventures. Outside each room is a small porch with bright turquoise chairs and there is a large glass surrounded deck on the top floor overlooking Moonstone Beach. We took full advantage of this amenity by toasting our trip with a bottle of bubbly before going off to the Christmas Market and dinner. Each morning, they serve a simple yet tasty continental breakfast which is a real perk for when you want to relax with a cup of coffee and pastry and watch the early morning surfers on Moonstone Beach! The Lodge also has beach cruiser bikes for guests to borrow. We loved cruising the boardwalk across the street! There are many quality beachfront lodges in Cambria, but none quite have the fun and hip vibe that the Cambria Beach Lodge has. We totally recommend it!

Perfect view of the sunset from the viewing deck!

Moonstone beach access right across the street!

Eat:

Madeline's Restaurant Located on Main Street, this is the perfect place to go for a romantic dinner date or for just a great glass of wine! We went here per our awesome Uber driver's suggestion. The restaurant's cozy ambiance, great wine list, and delectable menu make this a must try restaurant for everyone!
Indigo Moon Located also on Main Street, Indigo Moon is s a great place for lunch or outdoor dinning spot (weather permitting). They have three large outdoor dining areas and a great indoor/outdoor patio. Ivy had a delicious BLTA sandwich with a fresh green salad while Eve had delicious prawn fettuccine with a light white wine sauce and to die for cheesy garlic bread.
Sea Chest Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant Located right next to the Cambria Beach Lodge, the Sea Chest is known to locals as the best place to eat fresh seafood. The menu serves up everything from Oysters Rockefeller to New England Clam Chowder. Since this place is so popular be sure to get there right when they open to put your name on the waitlist (no reservations). Luckily they have a Wine Bar sitting area that includes a fire pit with a great view of the ocean so you can wait for dinner with a glass of wine.
Cambria Pines Lodge This hotel is where the Cambria Christmas Market is located. They have a sit down full service restaurant as well as their Fireside Lounge which is the perfect place for a drink while listening to live music. They have tasty local wine list and a creative cocktail menu.

Eve's sea bass dinner with rice and veggies

Play/Shop:

Moonstone Beach- The rugged pebbled beach is known for its moonstone pebbles. If you're lucky though you'll find a few pieces of jade as well! This beach and boardwalk is perfect for surfing, hiking/walking, biking, and beach combing.
Elephant Seal Vista- A few miles north of Moonstone Beach, this place is perfect for spotting the giant Elephant Seals. They can weigh up to 8,800 pounds and over 20 feet long!
Antique malls- These antique emporiums are dotted along Main Street. We especially loved Rich Man Poor Man Antiques. They have well thought out displays and very friendly and helpful staff. Eve left with a pair of beautiful Wedgwood candle sticks.
Cambria Christmas Market (Only runs from November 25th-December 25th)- When we initially planned this trip we did not know that Cambria had a Christmas Market. This was the highlight of the trip! We have spent Christmas in Europe before and always loved the European Christmas markets with their little artisan stalls and mulled wine! This particular market is known for its Christmas light displays. They have over ONE MILLION lights on display. We really enjoyed walking through the gardens and vendors, googling at all the Christmas lights. We are already planning a trip back to visit next year!
Hearst Castle- William Randolph Hearst's grand estate is a few miles north of Cambria. An architectural and Interior Design marvel, any tourist should visit this spectacular home. Make sure to take the tour that visits the pool room as it is our personal favorite.
The Shops at the Garden Shed- We spent several hours perusing the shops in this secret garden shopping center. To visit all of the shops, first you must go though the Cambria Garden Shed shop. This shop is full of beautiful and thoughtful gardening related gifts and tools. Once you hit the back of the shop, it opens up to a small courtyard full of wonderful shops. A few of our favorites were Ocean Heir (great gifts, clothing, and books), Junk Girls (upcycled awesomeness), and GROW Nursery (succulent heaven).