A vacation of vintage cars in Monterey, formal gardens San Franciscan hills, and a delightful encounter with my newly adopted family in Modesto, this was truly a California Dreamin' holiday. And there were really only two things I needed to remember.

Before taking this vacation with my relatively new boyfriend, I have to be honest: I was nervous. Kevin and I had only ever spent two days together, and this was a ten day trip, including three nights in a tent. I was to meet his brother and his parents, and not only go to the place where he grew up (San Francisco) but also partake in a yearly ritual of one of his longtime passions (vintage car races at Laguna Seca, near Monterey). There was a lot on this plate, and I was afraid I'd go and tip it one direction or another and spill everything all over the place. The thing is, he had the same anxiety. We both knew it was a test, of sorts. Either we would grow closer, or we wouldn't. You just can't spend 10 days with someone that you are beginning a relationship with and have anything else come out of it -- it really is pretty black and white. So, we did the one thing that is absolutely necessary in this situation. We began with humor.

 Right before we left, a friend of Kevin's called him to give him some wisdom with which to get through the trip. "Just remember," he said, "patience and flexibility." So, we laughed heartily in agreement, and decided that would be our mantra: patience and flexibility. On the way to the airport as we waited on the "L" platform for the train to O'Hare, we repeated the mantra. We laughed so hard we could barely breathe as the train pulled in.

 Upon arrival in San Francisco, we explored some of Kevin's favorite haunts, one being an oyster bar/seafood lunch counter, Swan's Oyster Depot, that has existed in the same location since 1912. The scene typically consists of a long wait in line, tempered by cold Anchor Steam beer served as you get closer to the front of the line. Once seated, a tough choice has to be made, as the menu consists of delectable fresh seafood from the wharf that morning and various fish dishes. We opted for clam chowder and crabmeat salad, as well as a side of smoked salmon. It was well worth the wait, and we were lucky that we didn't have too long of one that day. When we left, the line extended out the door and around the corner.

 Because Kevin knows that I am an avid gardener, he made sure to take me to Filoli, a beautiful historic estate on the peninsula near Woodside, CA.  A relic of the Gilded Age, the original 654 acres remains as a tribute to formal gardens that were designed there in 1917. After the 1906 earthquake, many of San Francisco’s wealthiest families moved to the peninsula and built large estates. Filoli is preserved by the hard work of over 1,000 volunteer gardeners, and includes a sunken garden, a walled garden, sculpted tea trees, and olive orchards. The day was bright and clear, blue sky sparkled above the distant hills, and the delphiniums and snapdragons were in full bloom. I thought it was wonderfully considerate of Kevin to think of this outing. Points, definitely points adding up for this boyfriend!

Filoli Gardens

 Within the city of San Francisco, we spent time walking in the Haight, scene of and possible birthplace of the hippie movement in the 60's. Today the infamous corner of Haight and Ashbury is crowded primarily with tourists. I especially enjoyed perusing the used CD selection at Amoeba’s, another relic that is hanging on, thank goodness. Staying with Kevin’s brother was great fun; as was meeting several of his good friends over a smoked brisket dinner in Brisbane. San Francisco is a great city full of lovely people.

Haight Street

 Next on our list was a visit to his parents in Modesto, a bedroom community about 100 miles east of the city. By this time we had put the mantra on hold, as we just seemed to be in the flow together. Making decisions seemed easy, and we just enjoyed each other's company. Our friendship was deepening, as was our love. Good thing, because I was about to meet his parents. The fam. Gulp.

Nothing to worry about. His parents were wonderful. I totally bonded with his mom because she happens to share a number of interests with me. It was a little uncanny, actually. For example, as I walked into her home, I noticed that she had a lot of teapots prominently displayed on shelves throughout the living room. "Do you collect teapots?" I asked. "Well, yes...I do," she answered... “Wow! So do I!"...and on it went. She showed me her beautiful flower garden (hello? see above paragraph), and also her collection of garden faeries (which I also happen to collect). We then continued bonding by cooking a peach-blueberry pie together (from a recipe I was trying to remember), and then she also shared several of her own recipes with me, which I dutifully wrote down to take back to my kitchen. To say that I loved this woman is an understatement. She is a kindred spirit, for heaven's sake. I liked his dad too -- I don't mean to leave him out. But his mom was the bright star of this trip. Really. Pretty darn cool.

 And then, there was the camping trip. Three nights in a tent at the Laguna Seca racetrack campground. Patience and flexibility. I knew we'd both need the mantra here. However...in actuality...we were fine. I mean, I'm sure we kept it in mind, and probably even on one or two occasions crossed our legs and held our two fingers together and chanted it a bit...but really, we were FINE. In fact, I have to admit that I really liked the car races. And the car show.

Seeing all of these vintage sports cars and race cars was an education in and of itself. And regardless of the amazing 12 cylinder engines and all that was underneath the hood, what I really enjoyed was the sleek and sexy look of the lines. Perhaps I really am a woman who can be had by the beauty of a Bugatti? At the very least, I'd be fetching in a Ferrari. At home in an Alfa Romero? Okay, I'll stop now. You get the picture. Speaking of which, check out these pictures!

A California Dreamin' vacation, indeed. Just goes to show, with a good mantra (patience and flexibility...patience and flexibility), a lot of humor, a few sexy sports cars, and a couple of great home-cooked meals, any holiday easily turns into an excellent adventure. This one went even further, and became a building block of a relationship.

Peace and love from San Francisco, man.

Becky Burns, the Soulful Traveler editor for Wandering Educators, is an educator living in the Chicago area. Her column will give you insight and inspiration, taking you to the core or essence of the travel experience, something we all feel as a result of exploration and discovery. Look for her monthly postings describing local exploits in and around Chicago, regional road trips in the Midwest, national adventures from coast to coast, and overseas excursions. You are bound to be inspired and enriched, nodding your head in agreement as a familiar reminiscence comes to light again.  You can find her work at beckyburns.com or soothethespirit.com

Photo courtesy and copyright Becky Burns.