Day trips!

I was in Pasadena this past weekend for a friend's baby shower taking place at a restaurant on Colorado Blvd.  I decided to walk around a bit after the shower since Colorado Blvd. is so pedestrian friendly. 

One of my highlights was running into some ladies from the Walter Hoving Home, and chatting a bit about their awesome organization.  They asked me for my name so they could pray for me!

The other highlights were taking in pretty sights, and discovering a (new to me) museum: The Pasadena Museum of California Art.

I also came up with a fun day trip itinerary (I've heard other people say this, and I agree--I think So Cal is most enjoyed by taking in a small part of a neighborhood at a time).

So, if I could take a day trip to Pasadena (more specifically Colorado Blvd.), it would include:
1. A fresh and healthy meal at Tender Greens (thanks to my sister-in-law who got me hooked).
2. Browsing at Vroman's (an independent bookstore--love this place!).
3. Admiring the fancy rugs that I will never be able to afford at the fancy rug store.
4. Exploring the Pasadena Museum of CA Art and the Pacific Asia Museum (you can get 1/2 off admission on one if you show proof you visited the other).
5. And if I had the time and energy left, stopping by Target.  That is one posh Target on Colorado Blvd . . . even on a Saturday afternoon it felt leisurely and calm, and no one was breathing down my neck as I was picking out deodorant.

Lastly, I felt triumphant as I dodged crazy LA gridlock (there were both USC and UCLA home games happening that day) by getting off the freeway early and taking side streets to get home in about 30 minutes.  Something like this is a nice sign that I'm finding my place in this sprawling city.