Pasadena - Not Just for little old ladies!

We were able to take a long weekend trip to go visit Davis in Pasadena. So nice to spend some time with Davis and what a great place to visit! Below you can see a summary of our trip in photos.  We saw a lot in our short time there and look forward to returning to do some more exploring! 

First stop was Santa Monica Pier and beach.  What crowd of people! We had a good time watching Davis body surf and walking along the warm sandy beach.

The Gamble House was built by Greene and Greene for the famed Proctor & Gamble folks.  It was such a treat to tour this beautiful home.  The wood work was exquisite and loved soaking up all the craftsman-like details.  Such beautiful attention to detail and fine artistry.  He hopes to one day take a master class on craftsman style furniture building.  So inspiring ... and photos can not do it justice.

We enjoyed exploring the area, viewing the beautiful architecture, people watching and making nighttime freeway graffiti with our camera. Mark navigated his was to a memorial for Jackie Robinson.  Old Pasadena is such a delightful area to walk around.  So many shops and unique restaurants mixed in with all the new stuff.

 Davis skated one night at the awesome North Hollywood Skate Park.

The three of us really enjoyed the Norton Simon Museum.  What a great collection of ART!

The special exhibit of Significant Objects: The Spell of Still Life was magnificent!

Sat morning we happened upon the expo for the gran fondo giro d'italia 2012 Pasadena at the Pasadena City Hall. (Beautiful building!) Francesco Moser was there meeting people. Born on June 19, 1951, Francesco Moser was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970’s till the mid-1980’s. He won one Grand Tour title, one World Championship Road Race title, and six victories in cycling’s five monuments, including three consecutive victories in the Paris-Roubaix Classic. He retired from professional riding in 1987. Mark was thrilled to get to meet him and was able to have him sign a pretty nifty poster. We have learned that he is more decorated than Lance Armstrong.  He retired from professional riding in 1987.

Just for reference we loved dining at:

 The Kitchen ~ Old Town Pasadena. The Pizza was amazing!

Heirloom Bakery & Cafe ~ Couldn't find a link
807 Meridian Ave, Ste C
South Pasadena, CA 91030
The Cuban Sandwich was great the Heirloom Tomato Salad was divine.  There is something about those freshly picked avocados!! You can try out one of their recipes adapted for the home cook here.  They vary the ingredients daily - chocolate chips, raspberries, etc.

Marston's Restaurant ~ Fantastic Breakfast

Cameron's Seafood Market &  Restaurant ~ Had a really nice lunch here. We shared a Seafood Cobb Salad and Halibut Sandwich.  It's a place all the older locals frequent.  Fun to watch them:)