Where'd You Go, 2019?

pc: @katieiredalee

To say I've been neglectful of this blog over the past year would be a massive understatement.

Somehow I got down to single digit posts in 2019... only 7 posts all year! And there was so much I wanted to write about! I didn't get to post as much as I wanted about our wedding, my yoga teacher training, about another summer spent with Groundswell or, especially, about being pregnant...

The year just flew by and so far 2020 isn't much different. Take this post for example... usually I get my annual recaps up in the first week of the month. Yet here we are, more than halfway into January. I'll blame it on pregnancy brain while I still can. ;)

This year I want to get back to writing and connecting here more, especially as I start new chapters in my life, becoming both a mother and an entrepreneur this year. I have a (great) feeling this will be a wild start to this next decade and I can't wait for all of it.

But before I kick off all of the exciting adventures ahead, I do want to make sure I jot down a proper recap and farewell to 2019. So here goes...

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???

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. 

Wine Tasting in Ramona

Ryan and I have an ongoing joke about Ramona.... that maybe isn't even a joke (I'm still trying to figure out if he's kidding or not). But every time we are confronted with the painful reality of the price of houses in San Diego, Ryan says we're moving to Ramona.

Ramona is about 30-40 minutes east of where we live and is ideal if you want to build a big house on lots of land for a fraction of the cost of living in or around the city. And apparently it's also ideal if you have ever had a secret fantasy about growing your own vineyard and starting a winery.

Prior to this weekend, I had no idea that there are over 20 wineries hidden in the vast expanse of Ramona. Even more of a plus for us, many of the tasting rooms are dog friendly. So when our friend Jason planned a Labor Day weekend camping and wine tasting trip there, we loaded up the dogs and hit the highway.

Ramona, we're coming for ya...

The Best Way to Go Temecula Wine Tasting ...

...is in a limo. And a Viva Limousine if you're really doing it right.

A couple of weeks ago my dad, my brother, and my brother's girlfriend, Claire came out to visit and it was wonderful. Having the three of them here, let alone at the same time, meant so, so much to me. I only get to see them about once a year and it's not nearly enough. Not to mention, my family hadn't met Ryan's mom, Cindy, and stepdad, Ray, yet (who are a big part of my life out here) and so I was super excited to introduce everyone. To celebrate, I decided to rent a limo to take us wine tasting in Temecula, about an hour north of where we live in San Diego.

To plan the day, I researched a LOT of limo companies and party buses and Temecula winery tours. There's a lot to consider: price of limo per hour, whether or not gratuity is included, how many passengers, do they include tasting tickets or coupons, do we rent the limo and buy the tickets separately, what about lunch etc. etc. Who knew? I finally settled on Viva Limousine and their tasting tour package. I will be forever glad that I did because they truly made our day. Ken, the owner, and Kathy, our driver, were so exceptional. Having done the research, I can tell you now... if you are ever planning on doing a day like this, avoid the headache and go straight to them.

Bonus? Our driver Kathy makes and sells the most adorable wine cork tiaras and had one as a gift for me for booking with Viva Limousine! I made her take a picture with me and my tiara at Bel Vino. Isn't it cute? If you're going to Temecula for a bridal shower or a birthday party be sure to pre-order one of these for your guest of honor!

Our awesome driver and the owner of Wine Cork Tiara, Kathy Poblano

For the tastings, I picked four wineries in Temecula: Danza del Sol, South Coast, Falkner and Bel Vino. This was my second time at Danza del Sol and it was just as meh as the first time... skip this one if you can. The award-winning South Coast was huge and had beautiful grounds, not to mention they served the most generous pours of the four. Kathy had boxed lunches ready for us to enjoy outside with the spectacular view and wines at Bel Vino. But my favorite wine of the day was the Hot Lips at Falkner, a mulled wine perfect for chilly holidays.

We had so much fun from the moment we got to Cindy and Ray's for brunch on their patio to our drunken limo ride home. It was one of my favorite days ever and I wish the three of them lived here so there could be more days like that. But I'll take what I can get and what I got was pretty great. :)