The Ultimate West Coast Road Trip

Today is Memorial Day which means it's officially the start of summer. And the start of summer means... the start of road trip season!

I posted individually about each leg of the 8-day West Coast Road Trip I took last summer, but I wanted to put together a guide for the trip as a whole. And what better day than today, while I was relaxing around the house wishing I had a new road trip lined up for the summer?

Revisiting this trip (one of my favorites of all time!) today made me miss having a trip like this to research and plan out. And a 3000+ mile trip definitely requires at least a little planning.

On that note, I hope that this post not only inspires you to get outside and see some of our beautiful country this summer, but hopefully it helps do a bit of the heavy lifting on the planning front as well!

As for me, I'm ready for my next adventure. Any suggestions???

Miracle in the Desert

The absolute best part about finishing my MBA this past December was getting my weekends back. Not just the time... but the feeling of freedom, the unpredictability, the infinite possibilities that accompanied no longer having looming homework deadlines or the suffocating guilt that I wasn't working on homework during every spare minute I had outside of my full-time job.

Infinite possibilities. Meaning that I could wake up on any given Saturday morning and decide to go on an adventure. So I did.

During the first weekend of January, my friend Makena and I wrangled the dogs into my car, stopped for some coffee in OB and hit the road to explore the Salton Sea.

Rose Bowl Flea Market

Sunday mornings are a great excuse to lay in bed and scroll through Instagram for hours longer than you normally would. But it's even better if it's it the second Sunday of the month... because then you can stalk all the hauls from the Rose Bowl Flea Market. 

I am obsessed with the amazing stuff that people find at this flea market and I have been for years. The envy is real and if I had a bigger house and millions of dollars I would go every month. Hands down, that's not even a question. Which is why I kind of avoided it for a long time... the temptation is just too much. 

After all, the Rose Bowl Flea Market is actually the greatest flea market on Earth. 

West Coast Road Trip Part VIII: Portland to Crater Lake to San Diego

Our final adventure. 

I don't remember when I decided that Crater Lake would be the last stop on our great West Coast Road Trip. I think I was looking at a map trying to see if there were any significant parks or sights on the way home and I noticed a giant lake east of the 5 freeway. I had never heard of Crater Lake before and figured it was no more than a lake that you could drive up alongside, park and marvel at. 

So that was the plan: we'd pick up some lunch in Eugene and maybe have a picnic by the side of this big ass lake. 

I had no idea that Crater Lake just so happens to be one of the most gorgeous, surreal, picturesque bodies of water in the world.

West Coast Road Trip Part VII: Seattle to Portland

The last time I was in Seattle, I raced through the city in the 2 hours I had to explore it, managing to cram in the first Starbucks, the Space Needle, a drink at a speakeasy and a stroll through downtown during my sprint through the city.

This time around though, I had a whopping 6 whole hours at my disposal... and they were just as packed! We managed to fit in Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, Gum Wall, the Public Market and the Great Wheel on an easy Saturday with beautiful weather.

West Coast Road Trip Part VI: Yachats to Seattle

Looking back on our last day along the Oregon coast, I can't help but wonder if we rushed this leg of the trip a bit. Sure, there wasn't that much to look at and after a while all the large rock formations in the ocean can start to look the same. But Oregon sure is beautiful and next time I feel like I should take more time to appreciate its natural beauty... and its breweries. 

Shortly after we left Yachats, we stopped in Newport to have a little breakfast alongside the historic bayfront. This is the area we were supposed to have reached the night before to make a stop at Rogue Ale's Bayfront Public House. By the time we got there the next morning it was too early to stop for beer but it was the perfect place to stop for breakfast. 

The entire bayfront area felt super quaint and reminded me a lot of Maine, but with warmer weather and seals. For Oregonians, I'm sure it's the perfect spot for a lowkey weekend getaway. 

West Coast Road Trip Part V: Crescent City to Yachats

As we drove into Oregon on Day 5,  I couldn't believe that it had taken us four whole days to get through California. Four of our eight vacation days. There was math in there that seemed somewhat unfavorable given the itinerary ahead, but I willfully ignored it and drove on.

This day, the first day in Oregon, was meant for exploring coastline. Miles and miles of what I assumed would be cliffside or beachside driving. Instead, one of the very first things that I learned about the Oregon coast was that most of it would be hidden from the 101 by trees lining both sides of the road.

But behind the trees, it did not disappoint.

West Coast Road Trip Part IV: San Francisco to Crescent City

Even though I planned an entire day of the road trip around California's majestic redwoods and sequoias, I had a secret: I felt really guilty because I wasn't sure if I'd be too impressed by them.

Like most things in my life, I blame this on growing up in Connecticut. It's hard when you grow up in a forresty area to muster the same amazement for tall trees. Your formative years are spent taking them for granted because they're all around you. Plus, you're a tiny human then, so even Connecticut's comparatively short pine trees seem enormous.

But when I confessed this to someone before the trip, they assured me that I had nothing to worry about, that it was impossible to not stand in awe of these giants.

They were right.

West Coast Road Trip Part III: Santa Cruz to Napa to San Francisco

As soon as I first started planning our West Coast Road Trip adventure, I realized I could kill two birds with one stone off of my 30 Before 30 list. While the road trip itself was always something I'd wanted to do, going wine tasting in Napa was also on my list and this road trip presented the perfect opportunity. So after a night at The Dream Inn in Santa Cruz and an obligatory coffee stop, we headed north for a day of wine tasting. 

But first, we tackled another new experience for me: driving over the Golden Gate bridge. 

West Coast Road Trip Part II: Big Sur to Santa Cruz

After a quick stay in Big Sur, it was time to cruise on over to Santa Cruz! (Sorry, I had to.)

On our way there, the original plan had been to maybe stop at Point Lobos, a gorgeous state reserve great for hiking and whale watching, but one that is unfortunately not dog-friendly.  Since this was the first time we'd been in the area dog-free, I had thought that maybe we should take advantage of it. But parking was backed out onto the road and we'd already hiked once that morning and besides... I wanted to make sure we had enough time to stop at the first (but definitely not the last!) tourist trap of our trip.

What tourist trap, you ask? Well... I don't want to keep it too much of a mystery. Heh. Heheheheh.

Next stop, Santa Cruz!

West Coast Road Trip Part I: San Diego to Big Sur

20 months. That's how long it's been since I first shared my extremely ambitious 30 Before 30 list. Not surprisingly, 30 came and went without me crossing more than a handful or two of the items off. FYI.... 30 things is a lot of things!

This was hard for me to (not) do as a person who is pretty perfectionistic about the crossing off of lists. But instead, I bargained with myself a little: I amended my interpretation of 30 Before 30 to mean before my 30th year was over, not before it began.

So I turned 30 and with the generous time extension I gave myself (thanks, Bri!), I immediately set out to continue tackling the rest of my list. The most pressing of which?

Roadtripping the West Coast.

¡Viva la (Avenida) Revolución!

Growing up in Connecticut, all I knew about Tijuana was that it was the place where Marissa Cooper overdosed in an alley and almost died. God, The OC was such a great show. 

And as a San Diegan for the past 6 years, all I knew about TJ was that none of my friends liked the idea of going there. The ones who grew up here, including Ryan, and had gone all the time as kids, had spent the past 15 years hearing how bad it had become. And whether they grew up here or not, no one was really sure what there was to do on the other other side or why it was something that couldn't be done, if not better then at least safer, here in San Diego.

But slowly, over the past year, more and more of our friends and friends of friends started taking day trips to TJ and telling us just how much our neighboring city has evolved. 

With it's blossoming reputation as a foodie destination, it's vibrant art community, and it's deeply discounted tequila (watch out, you can only bring back 1 liter per person!), I was determined to make it to TJ before my 30th birthday as part of my 30 Before 30 list. And since our first trip in January, we've been back several times already! 

So to encourage more San Diegans to head south of the border, I've put together an easy little Tijuana daytrip guide. I say easy because all of these places are located on or very near to Av. Revolución, Tijauna's main street... essentially TJ on training wheels. Vaminos!

Surfing Sayulita

After all the trips I've made to the sweet little surf town of Sayulita, there was one thing I had yet to do:

Actually surf.

I'd to point out that I still didn't know how to swim the first time I went to Sayulita, but that really isn't much of an excuse. Sayulita's perfect beginner break is exactly what makes it such a popular spot for non-surfers and non-swimmers alike to get their first taste of stoke. The warm water and tiny waves break onto a sandy bottom and there are designated sections of the beach for every level of surfer. The opportunity to learn how to surf on this perfect starter break is what got me interested in visiting Sayulita in the first place!

But despite spending more than half my life wishing I was a surfer and despite the fact that I surfed in the ocean before I could swim in the ocean, I am most certainly a beginner. A beginner, by the way, who's never had a proper lesson. So when I headed to Sayulita this time around, I was determined to fix this. I only had to find the best surf instructors around.

And that's how I came across the Lunazul Surf School.

Adios, Mi Tortuga Bebé!

As far as bucket list items go, I'll be the first to admit that participating in a baby sea turtle release is probably more of a fringe choice than most. Still, it was something that I had always wanted to do, starting as a kid way back in the 90s, when I asked for a sea turtle adoption kit for Christmas (likely because of the stuffed animal that came with it). 

Last year, I found out that there was a sea turtle rescue right in Sayulita and during high season (November-January) they release babies almost nightly. I was so shocked that I had never heard of this before... after all the research I'd done before both of my previous trips to my favorite little retreat, I couldn't believe it had never come up. I started following the group that does the releases, Campamento Tortuguero Sayulita, on Facebook and the more photos I saw of those sweet, tiny tortugas, the more I wanted to be a part of a release. 

Take notes, kids: this is how you justify taking a semi-spontaneous weekend trip to Sayulita. Saving the sea turtles! 

Sky Diving San Diego

I really, honestly don't consider myself to be brave. Or fearless. Or crazy. Or stupid. Or reckless or impulsive or an adrenaline junkie or blah blah blah.... any of the other adjectives people have suggested ever since I told them I was going sky diving.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. And it strikes me as funny that most of the decisions I've made that people have called "brave" are actually very much based in fear. Deep, opposite-of-crippling fear that I won't be alive or healthy or in a financial or lifestyle position to try all the amazing things that life has to offer.

I've always had an intense fear of regretting something I didn't do and I decided very, very early on that I would make that the guiding principle of my life. So I am constantly checking in with myself to ask, "What will I regret not doing?" and then making sure, whether it scares me or seems crazy to my friends or is, in fact, a little reckless... that I go do that thing. As soon as possible.

Sky diving just happened to be one of those things.

Tent Camping in Big Sur

Big Sur is a pretty special place. 

When we first went to Big Sur for a wedding in 2012, I was in awe the entire time. Dramatic cliff sides, giant redwoods, turquoise waters, dappled light, and purple sand. Every vista was breathtaking, every moment was special. And ever since then I've been wanting to go back. 

Not willing to let another year go by, I added a tent camping trip to my 30 Before 30 list, hoping that would help me make a trip back to Big Sur a priority. And it did. A few months after I made that list I suggested to Ryan that we celebrate our four year dating anniversary up there with the dogs and a couple of weeks ago we bought a tent, packed the car, and headed out on the 8 hour drive from San Diego to Big Sur. 

Hiking to the Hollywood Sign

When I'm disastrously hungover there's only one thing in the entire world that I want to do and that is to hike 4+ miles... uphill... in the unrelenting heat of the blazing sun. But, you know, like only if my other favorite activities such as moving houses or doing backbreaking yard work are off the table.

As my ever-so-patient boyfriend can attest, when we travel (and sometimes when we don't) I have a knack for packing in activities that require peak physical abilities the day after a night that required peak drinking abilities. And our recent Hollywood getaway was no exception. The day after we marathon drank for seven hours at the Magic Castle, I had a lowkey little hike planned for us to the Hollywood Sign.

Only it wasn't exactly lowkey or little...

A Magical Evening at the Magic Castle

A couple of years ago, two of our friends told us about their amazing visit to The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. At the the time, their mention of the Castle was like a record screeching: the Magic what!?

I had never heard of the Castle, but they explained that it's the private clubhouse for over 5,000 magicians who are a part of the Academy of Magical Arts. It's where they take master classes to learn new effects, practice their magic informally in front of guests at the bar, and attend lectures. There was only one problem: it's invitation only.

This, obviously, only made me very determined to get in.

I added a visit to The Magic Castle to my 30 Before 30 bucket list earlier this year and spent the following months trying to score an invite. I'm sure if you live in LA and know people who know people, it's infinitely easier, but for me, getting into The Magic Castle required some work. I followed everyone who hashtagged or geotagged the Castle on Twitter and Instagram, in hopes that they would share their methods. I followed dozens of magicians who lived in LA. And then I started getting smarter about my strategies.

Aerial Yoga at Trilogy Sanctuary

While I was hanging upside down this morning, my aerial yoga instructor at Trilogy Sanctuary talked about stories, namely the ones we tell ourselves. Stories like "I could never do that" and "I'm not ___ enough." She reiterated a message that's really become a mantra for me this year: stories that we tell ourselves are just that. They're just stories.

I've spent a lot of time disproving my stories over the past few months. Stories like, "I can't swim" or "I'm not good enough at yoga to go on a yoga retreat." In fact, I created a whole list of stuff that I wanted to do before my 30th birthday next year, many of which are attempting to rewrite my stories.

One of which was a little story that went something like: "I could never do aerial yoga."

30 Before 30

original pc: Horizon Light Photography

My 20s have been good great to me.

For starters? I've seen my writing in print. I've crowd surfed at music festivals, climbed on stage at the MTV VMAs, flirted my way onto a band's tour bus, and lied my way into a fancy album release party. I've run half-marathons. I've run a full marathon. I've even walked 60 miles for charity. I lived in New York City for two years and in London for three weeks. I've lived alone, dined alone, traveled alone, gone to the movies alone, gone to concerts alone...  I even went to Coachella alone. I conquered my biggest fear and finally learned how to swim. I've zip lined through the jungle in Mexico, stood in ancient ruins in Rome, and watched the lights twinkle in Paris from the Eiffel Tower. I've waited tables, sold Apple computers, researched story lines for a novelist, and edited a magazine. I've drunkenly bear-hugged Bill Murray and I've soberly called John Mayer a moron to his face. I got a tattoo.. then another.. and another.

I've hosted and cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal for my family. I've run through the South of France in the rain with fresh baguettes and stood on Gaudi's rooftops in Barcelona. I finished my bachelor's degree then my (first) master's degree while working full-time during five very caffeinated years. I've skinny dipped in the Pacific Ocean and strolled through Central Park. I took a gondola ride through Venice, explored the Vatican, and toured the Palace of Versailles. I've been on the top of the Empire State Building at 1am, gambled the night away in Vegas and watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon. I packed up everything I owned and moved to California, with no job prospects in sight. I met a boy, I fell in love, and we adopted two rescue dogs.

I found out what made me happy and I am grateful every day.

And don't get me wrong, my 20s still feel far from over. Unfortunately, regardless of how I "feel," it doesn't change the fact that in 15 months, I'll be entering my next decade.

Honestly? I'm not scared to turn 30, I'm not dreading it like I'm apparently supposed to. Not one little bit. How can I with all the wonderful stuff I got to experience during my 20s? In fact, I'm really excited for my 30s, for focusing more on the people and activities that I love and less on the things that I don't, for being done with school, for settling down... but... I mean...

There's still time to make my 20s go out with a bang.