We had the incredible opportunity to visit one of our favorite cities back in November and get in the most beautiful hiking. Our friends recommended it and initially we blew it off because it was in the city – how great could it be? But y’all. It was truly epic. We did it at sunset and I can still feel the cold air on my face, the warmth of the sun on my skin, and the smell of the salt blowing off the ocean.
After we hiked the Land’s End Trail, we went to nearby Hook Fish Co for fish and chips and it was the best fish and chips I’ve had since our honeymoon. We honeymooned in New Zealand and we had heard legends about a hole in the whole spot in Hokitika on the west coast of the South Island. We planned our driving one day so that we would arrive at the shop just before sunset and then take our fish and chips to the beach – because what is more storybook beautiful than the sunset on the west coast of New Zealand? Nothing.
Well, our drive was longer than anticipated and we ended up at the shop just as the sun was setting. This wasn’t a place that just had fried fish hangin’ around ready for the next customer, and we were the only folks there when we arrived. So we took a breath, slowed our roll, and sat as a jolly, elderly woman fired up the fryer, and made our fish and chips from scratch. After about 20 minutes, she handed us each an enormous package of boiling lava hot newspaper, neatly wrapped, encompassing our cooked-to-perfection fried cod and French fries.
The sun had long set by the time we had our packages of newspaper so we grabbed our headlamps and a blanket and wandered out to sit on the beach in pitch black darkness. It wasn’t what we had set out to do but it was one of my favorite nights of our entire honeymoon, and something I think about frequently. Do you have any core memories about food that you can’t get out of your head? If you’re looking to make one, and you can’t get all the way to New Zealand, a hike at Lands End followed by Hook Fish Co could make for a top contender.
This is us these days. 