Bangers + hiking + lute music = ?

Can't you guess? It equals one great weekend. I had an absolutely lovely time at the Pelican Inn last weekend. It was the perfect blend of quirkiness and comfort, to satisfy Josh and I both. (My preferences tend to run more to the eccentric but charming, while Josh likes luxury.)

We arrived at the inn on Friday night after a pleasant drive over the Golden Gate Bridge and a slightly less pleasant drive through the winding roads leading to Muir Beach (hello, lunch, is that you in my esophagus?). The place was hopping when we got there, full of merry wedding guests enjoying the outdoor patio. The friendly desk clerk showed us around the inn: lower floor restaurant, pub, and snug (more on that later) and upper floor bedrooms. Our room was just what I'd expected: one comfy little bed, two posh little chairs, and one big sense of being transported back in time.



After getting settled (aka Josh getting his first beer of the weekend), we headed down to dinner in the restaurant, snagging a candle-lit booth/nook perfect for snuggling and discussing our new digs. Two crab cakes, one steak-and-ale-pie, one halibut and one bread pudding later, we waddled upstairs contentedly. As we went to bed we could hear the sounds of wedding celebrants still revelling downstairs. We'd glimpsed the bride earlier, looking the way all brides should: blissful, beautiful, and a little shell-shocked.

On Saturday morning we awoke to more sounds of those same wedding guests, this time hustling and bustling their way out of the inn. Happily, Josh and I had dodged the flurry of activity by having breakfast brought to our room. And what a breakfast! I'm not typically keen on having a lot of heavy food in the morning, but I was lured in by the presentation on the plate, the delectable blackberry jam, and the sheer English-ness of it.



Post-stuffing ourselves, we drove out to Muir Woods, which was surprisingly quite packed with tourists and locals interested in getting their RDA of nature. Luckily I was able to coerce Josh into taking the moderately strenuous trail, which was empty enough that we had a nice opportunity to chat without offending other parkgoers with our characteristically vulgar conversation. The hike was just difficult enough to still be relaxing, too: taking us on a climb through thick redwoods, ultimately reaching a peak offering an view of expansive mountains stretched all around, then coasting down alongside a creek hugged by friendly green ferns. By the time we made it back to the inn, Josh was ready for a nap.

I, however, was ready for some reading! Abbey was nice enough to lend me In Her Shoes, a chick lit read with heart. I spent a couple cheery hours finishing it in the snug. What is the snug? I'm so glad you asked. The snug is a comfortable parlor-type room downstairs next to the pub. It's for overnight inn guests only, intended to be a nice place they can relax outside their rooms. The snug is appointed with a variety of games, a fireplace, and a small selection of books. One absolutely feels "ensconced" in the warmth of the snug, able to hear the masses cavorting in the pub but remaining thankfully elsewhere. Even better for this antisocial butterfly, I had it all to myself.

Sufficiently rested by our respective nap and reading break, Josh and I dragged ourselves up "Heart Attack Hill" (AKA the coastal trail), a steep hike above nearby Muir Beach offering a gorgeous view of the coast and sea below. I could describe the view, but you know what they say about pictures.



I've just realized this post is turning out quite long, and my stamina is waning (much as it did up the hill), so I will be brief in my remaining summary.

- Showering
- Scrabble
- More great Pelican Inn food (steak and ale pie, vegetable pie, raspberry trifle and French beer)
- Extreme bloating
- Complaints about sore legs
- More savory English breakfast food
- Sleepy driving back home

As you've probably figured out if you read this far, I had a great weekend. Where should I go next?