I’m usually ready to get back to my home and sleeping in my bed when I return from my travels, but there’s one thing that totally bums me out when I get back to Orange County….cars! I actually like long car rides to a destination, but I hate that I get in my car to go to the store, to work, to anywhere. Okay, sure I could walk to work or the grocery store, but let’s face it, nobody does and it’s not as interesting as doing the same in Paris or New York.
So, the cure for the public transportation blues….take a train ride down to San Juan Capistrano for dinner! That’s what I did last Thursday with my friends, Val & Jan. I had seen Val the week before and she had mentioned this really good restaurant right at the train tracks in San Juan Capistrano and said we should go sometime. No time like the present!
I picked Jan up at 3:00, met Val at the train, took the 3:46 train, two stops to San Juan Capistrano, which took 1/2 hour (much quicker than the afternoon traffic) and voila, the adventure started!
We walked around and slipped into this cool antique store, did a bit of shopping in the quaint little town, took a few pics of the mission and found a new place to take cooking classes, which I’ll be doing soon. We were starting to get hungry, so wandered back to have dinner at Trevor’s at the Tracks…and it was soooo good! I’ll be reviewing that here this foodie friday, so stay tuned! Who knew there was so much to do and see in SJC?!
After our fabulous dinner we walked over to check out a wine bar that we had passed earlier…and then just walked around the adorable Los Rios Historic District. The stores were all closed, but it’s so cute….just one more reason to go back! (oh…and there’s a petting zoo for the little ones that I’ll be going to in a few years!)
It was time to hop back on the 8:20 train and were were home by 9:15. So, from start to finish it was about six & a half hours, but it seemed like so much longer…and what a fun week-day/school-night adventure! I can’t wait to do it again! I’m thinking of just taking the train some morning down there to have breakfast and check out those shops that were closed…just because I can.
It renewed my faith in public transportation here in Orange County and I’m looking forward to heading up to LA on the train next month for my niece’s high school graduation…and hopefully sometime this summer for a “staycation”. I love the train up to LA…passing all that traffic on the 5 Fwy….reading, napping and just thankful that someone else is doing the driving for me!
Take the train…you’ll love it!
That sounds (and looks!) like so much fun, Jeanine! Will definitely check in out when next in LA.