Our first trip together 4 years ago was to Monterey and this 6-hour retreat from Los Angeles holds an incredibly special place in our hearts. On top of that, Big Sur is one of the most beautiful places in the United States, and Monterey is home to cute, cuddly seals and otters.

Iselton is a rundown small town that holds historical significance as one of the first thriving Japanese and Chinese communities pre-World War II. I found a fascinating paper on Iselton that I'll link to here, as it will highlight the history of the town much better than I could. We went to Iselton looking for a building that could possibly be my O-Jichan's (great grandfather's) boarding house and soda shop.