On day two of my California Coasting road trip, I awoke to the coast blanketed in fog. My first stop was Montaña De Oro Park which is often noted for its sand dunes and tide pools, but unable to find any trail maps and not having much time, I really just stopped by, said hello…
Part of the joy of not doing too much research before a trip is the pleasant surprise of experiencing a town like Cambria for yourself. It was charming to say the least. I rushed over from Hearst Castle because I wanted to make it to the Tea Cozy before it closed at four. When I arrived all…
How do I convey the magic of getting in a car and simply driving down the California coast– on a Tuesday morning, all by myself, no less? Nothing in particular prompted this trip, other than my love for travel and a well-timed week with no other obligations. But of course, I am no stranger to…
Friday night of Memorial Day weekend, I texted my good friend Dan because we still had no plans whatsoever, and we needed to do something! Dan is the perfect adventure buddy because he is not fazed by the randomness of our trips (example: Salton Sea). After all, spontaneous trips often turn out to be the…
It’s very fitting that right now, as I type this post, I am back at Duke a second time in two months, sitting at a computer station in Lilly Library on Duke University’s East Campus. Just last month, I came to Duke for my reunion. It had been five years– five long/short years since I graduated from this…
I went to Philadelphia in the middle of February on a whim, and of course, of course I had to sample the famous Philly Cheesesteaks for myself. So with a motley crew of 3 of my awesome friends who had never met each other, we set off on our cheesesteak adventure. Four cheesesteaks in one day….
I just happened to have some free Southwest flights that were expiring, and I thought, why not visit Philadelphia? Really, that’s it. People were generally quite skeptical and reacted as if I were venturing into some sad, forsaken land. I gathered that Philadelphia does not have the best of reputations. Plus, it was the middle…
From LA, drive eastward, out beyond Coachella, and take a right turn past nowhereland. There, in the middle of the desert, lies California’s largest body of water, the Salton Sea. It was dumped there by accident when an engineering mistake of epic proportions diverted the Colorado river into the hottest part of the valley. When it didn’t…
Love… is everywhere you turn. A sneak peek of my Philadelphia adventures, which I hope to share soon on the blog!
2011 was a lovely year filled with little surprises. I was lucky enough to fill my days with travel, photography, and even yogurtland and ballet. Oh, and I even managed to read 36 books (thank you iPad). And I blogged and blogged through it all. Below, I share some of my personal posts reflecting on…
It was the only rainy day of our road trip, but luckily the rain went away and left only lingering gray skies once we crossed the border into Canada. Vancouver was our northernmost destination on the road trip, and it was the perfect finale to our amazing week. First, some views from Stanley Park which…
Portland is just as green as its reputation suggests. Green in the scenery, green in its hipster eco-friendliness. It’s a small, small town packed to the gills with bicycles and coffee shops. Charming. This was the first city we visited (after a stop at Crater Lake) on our epic Pacific coast road trip. We arrived…