We awoke on day three of our Sequoia/Kings Canyon camping trip and got ready to tackle the 9-mile hike for the day. Our campsite for this second night was pretty perfect, with the sound of the river nearby, tall trees surrounding a clearing, and nice flat ground for all our tents. We packed up everything…
We opened the second half of 2014 with a lovely week in the Bay Area when Jesse came to visit. Basically, we ate our way around the Bay and enjoyed some Fourth of July fireworks too. We got to use the remainder of a gift certificate I had to Pizzaiolo in Oakland. And them some ice…
We walked amidst giants. The trees towered over us, scenting the air with that distinctive redwood smell. We breathed it in, grateful for this salubrious excursion outside the city. It was the perfect Presidents’ Day adventure with three of my friends, all newcomers to San Francisco. We kick it off with some images from the…
Stepping into the nave of Grace Cathedral, I let the sense of awe wash over me. It would be enough to walk into any church this beautiful, with the elegant stained glass and the expansive space, but there’s something extra special here: twenty miles of beautifully colored ribbons hanging from the ceiling. It is quietly…
We had spent the whole day lounging around on the beach at Half Moon Bay, just down the cliff from the elegant Ritz Carlton. It wasn’t until Jesse asked the concierge for suggestions on what to do next that the tide pools listed on the pamphlet caught my eye. It was already 4:30, and the…
Many thanks go to my friends and to my boyfriend for celebrating my birthday with me. Jesse flew in for a few days, escaping the snow in New York and trading it in for some sunny California adventures instead. Our first meal: Roka Akor, a Japanese robataya house. We got seated at the bar, right…
We stood facing the sunset with the soothing sounds of the ocean crashing against a coastline lit up in vibrant hues. It was everything I loved most about the California Coast: our strange but beautiful sense of the seasons (autumn at the end of November); the color tinting our succulents rather than deciduous trees; the…
When you head out of San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge, driving northward under the iconic International Orange towers, you cross into a decidedly different peninsula. The first stretch is undeveloped hills, and then through a tunnel and off to the right, you can visit the town of Sausalito, a posh little area lined…
I am often guilty of taking tons of photos when I travel elsewhere but totally neglecting my own beautiful surroundings when I’m back in California. The solution? A hearty dose of staycation (vacationing at home!). My boyfriend Jesse was coming to San Francisco for a business conference, just as he did last year (when we…
In the beginning of November, I hopped down to Los Angeles for just a couple days and just hung out with some friends, enjoying low-key delicious meals, playing board games, and even putting together some floral arrangements just for fun. Here’s just a little glimpse from my visit. Flowers from our LA Flower Market trip….
At the end of April, I drove down the California coast with my mom, as she was headed to San Diego for a conference while I was headed there to shoot Caity and Nate’s wedding in La Jolla. Some of you might remember my Cali Coasting road trip last year, in which I also drove…
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…