Southern California Adventure, Day 3

Wednesday, July 12

My destinations today: Piecemakers Country Store (quilt store) in Costa Mesa; movie at Triangle Square in Costa Mesa; Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach.

I don't bother with breakfast at the motel in order to get to Piecemakers. I catch Bus 55, buy an All Day Pass for $3.00, transfer to Bus 178; I get off at Adams and Harbor Blvd, according to map found at Piecemakers website. The address is 1720 Adams and I look for numbers in store windows to help me figure out which direction to walk. I see a mailman so I ask him where 1720 is; he tells me it's two blocks away. I've gotten off the bus too soon...oh, well. When I ask, he tells me I'm on the even side of the street, an important thing to know to save extra walking.

I am partly in search of the quilt store and partly trying to find a place to have breakfast. As usual, I keep my eyes peeled as I walk. I get to the end of the first block, and see a couple of restaurants in the shopping center across the street, but they sound like lunch and dinner places, not breakfast. I cross anyway, walk toward the grocery store, and pop my head into one of the businesses asking for restaurant advice. The woman tells me there's a Coco's Restaurant across the street and a Starbucks around the corner. I end up at Starbucks where I have a Frappucino and blueberry coffee cake.

I hit the pavement again and walk two blocks to Piecemakers Country Store (1720 Adams at Mesa Verde). The building is big and I can't wait to see what's inside. As it turns out this is more than a quilt store. You can buy supplies and take classes for other crafts here, but there are also rooms and rooms of country-style decorations for sale. Not only that, it has a little country cafe and I can imagine ladies meeting for lunch here. I buy a couple of pieces of fabric, follow the Yellow Brick Road to the antiques and clearance annex in the back, then go out to the corner to catch Bus 178 again. If you're in the Costa Mesa area, be sure to visit Piecemakers.





I've decided to skip Triangle Square for the movie, and I'll try to catch a flick at Fashion Island instead. I transfer to Bus 55 and ride to Fashion Island in Newport Beach. When I get there I pick up a brochure with a map of the mall, sit down to figure out the places I'd like to see and circle them on the map. Lunch is next, and I decide on P.F. Chang, an Asian restaurant, where I have a good view of the ocean.

Stores
ZGallerie -- my first visit, love it; need to check out locations near my home
Restoration Hardware -- bed and bath place, very nice
Bloomingdale's Home -- first visit to any Bloomie's, also nice
Gary's Island Home -- tropical style decorating, buy a notecard with painting of Laguna Beach's Main Beach where I was yesterday
Barnes and Noble -- bookstores are must-sees on my trips

I pick up a strawberry sorbetto at the gelato stand, then head to the free concert by one of the Righteous Brothers. I'm pretty far away from the stage but can hear pretty well. Some female country singer performs a few songs before the main event, and I get bored so I go in search of the movie theater. Generally I go to the movies only on vacation. I'm hoping to see The Devil Wears Prada, but it isn't playing at this theater and I'm not thrilled about anything that is playing here, so I decide to just go back to the motel.

It's still relatively early when I step off Bus 55, and I stop at Denny's on the corner where I have a grilled cheese sandwich and a soda. Then I head on back to the motel. I'll be going home tomorrow. I review my bus schedule, watch TV and go to sleep.