In My Footsteps: Road trip on Route 1 from SF to LA

Lots of people (mainly my parents) have said it was a bad idea for 2 girls to drive down from SF to LA.  Probably because it is still about 5-6hours on Route 5 and merely because we were 2 girls. Did we listen?  Not really.

Tons of travel guides will always say that the drive up or down from SF to LA has one of the best scenic drives in the US.  One downside is that all of it happens on a cliff.

Here is just a simple glance.  Basically, you are driving across all of California.

from Wikipedia

We probably only made it half way on Route 1 when the sun started to set.  For safety reasons, we decided to head inland to Route 5 or 101 instead (don't remember which).  

Preparation Guide: 

- Enough food & water

- Entertainment (music!)

- Gas

- Make sure the car is in perfect condition

If I had to make a recommendation, it would be start early.  We made the mistake of leaving SF around noon.  Here are some of the breathe-taking views. 

Foodies Alert: Mama's on Washington Square @ San Francisco

While planning for my 2 week vacation in SF, I spent hours going through various lists for places to eat.  One of them was this place: Mama's on Washington Square.  When I arrived in SF, my friend also recommended it as a really good place for breakfast food.

If you ever plan to come to Mama's, be sure that you aren't in a rush.  There is always a line outside.  I think I waited about 30 minutes.

Once you are inside, you place your order at the counter and then they will seat you.  There aren't many tables inside, as you as see from the pic below.  The shape of the restaurant is rectangular.  My friend and I were seated at the back corner sofa so we were able to get a view of the entire restaurant.   

There were 2 items which we ordered.  

1. Cornbeef Eggs Benedict 

I think it is a special that they don't have everyday because the 2 girls ahead of us heard our order and decided to change theirs. Hmmm.. not sure.  It is not an outstanding from this dish. No "ouuu aaaa" moment where your eyes twinkle with delight.  (If you know what I mean).  The corn beef was good.  However, the overall flavour was bland for my taste.  I needed to add a bit of pepper and salt.  

The perfect food means no extra seasoning. 

2. Monte Cristo

Now this was the highlight where I had an "ouu aaa" moment and fell in love with the dish.  I've never tried it before but it surely made an impression.  The easiest way to describe the dish is a mix between french toast and grill ham cheese sandwich.  It was divine.  I have to say I was reluctant about the strawberry or raspberry sauce at first.  Once you top off that bite with a bit of sauce, it was the perfect match.  This is the dish that everyone needs to order when you come here.  

Conclusion: Definitely will be back here again. 

Website: mamas-sf.com