Upon landing, I texted my aunt, who informed me they were stuck in traffic and advised me to take my time. I decided to do just that! The Allegiant gate was quite a distance from arrivals, with a bus transfer offered, but I opted to walk and explore the airport until I reached Terminal B on the lower level. After a short wait, my aunt and cousin arrived, along with their baby girl, Emma. I was so excited to see them all! 

Exploring Santa Monica and Beverly Hills

My cousin then drove us through downtown Santa Monica, parking at Sepulveda Plaza. We enjoyed a walk, passing by farmers markets, various restaurants, and shops before settling down at Green Tenders for a meal. Afterward, we walked a few blocks to Palisades Park, which offered a great view of Santa Monica Beach and the Pier in the distance. We decided against walking all the way to the Pier due to time.

Post-Lunch Adventures and Filipino Delights

After our Beverly Hills excursion, we hopped back in the car and made a quick stop for Boba Tea. We then drove for about 30 minutes to Norwood Shopping Center, where we visited Seafood City Supermarket. We stocked up on groceries and, despite still feeling full from lunch, couldn't resist grabbing more delicious Filipino food. I particularly enjoyed the Taho and Siopao!

Journey to Bakersfield

Our culinary detour complete, we continued our journey for another 1 hour and 48 minutes, finally arriving in Bakersfield around 6:16 PM.

My aunt first showed me her beautiful, unique vegetable garden in her backyard. I've always wanted an elevated garden, even though I'm not a natural gardener. What I loved most was that she had me harvested some vegetables right then and there to cook for dinner. She served them with the fried tilapia we bought from the Asian grocery store. 

Day 2 in Bakersfield: An Early Start and a Culinary Quest

July 3rd marked my second day in Bakersfield, and despite a bit of tiredness, I was up surprisingly early, by 5:00 AM. I managed to squeeze in a run outside to get the blood flowing. Today's plan included tagging along for Emma's swimming lessons and, more importantly, exploring more Filipino restaurants for lunch.

An Unexpected Scare and a Mexican-Inspired Stop

During our outing, my aunt had a scary moment, almost collapsing due to low blood sugar. Thankfully, some mango juice quickly brought her back to normal. We made a few more stops before heading to Vallarta Supermarket. This place was huge and a true inspiration with all its Mexican products! After our supermarket run, we headed home. For dinner, my aunt made a delicious clam soup paired with rice, which was absolutely divine!