This past Labor Day, my beautiful friend, Nikole, and I headed up north to visit British Columbia, Canada for the weekend. But before we crossed the border we stopped in at her friends/super hosts new, cutie 1940’s vacation beach house in Birch Bay, WA for the night.
The entire coastline was filled with adorable vintage beach homes while the calm waves crashed on shore and friendly dogs splashed in the water. And the best thing of all: it’s crabbing town. I don’t have much to say except that I feel very grateful to have spent time here with such wonderful people sharing crab and cocktails.
OUR FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY // OREGON COAST
ONE YEAR MARRIED!
Holy cow that went by fast! And again, what a year it has been! (married/dog/bought house/moved to new state)
To celebrate, we decided to take it easy and do a weekend roadtrip trip down the Oregon Coast to explore more of what this beautiful new state of ours has to offer.
ASTORIA
Once I got home from work Friday evening, we piled into the van and set off west to Astoria! I've always wanted to go to Astoria - I mean because Kindergarten Cop and the Goonies, duh - but, also because I always hear about how cute it is. And well, yeah it was. I wanted to punch it a little. Steve was super excited to be back in VanLife.
We arrived just at dusk for dramtic views of the Astoria-Megler bridge which was literally next to our hotel! We stayed at this awesome, super cute place called the Atomic Motel which is as it sounds: Mid Century / Retro! Bonus: they even offer you free beer at check-in and there's a great little breakfast and coffee every morning. Would totally stay here again and would recommend! AND they are ESA pet friendly!
We didn't have much time in Astoria, but we made it to Fort George's Brewing, up to the Astoria column for some great 360 views, indulged in the most delicious fish 'n chips at the historic Bowpicker, and checked out Fort Stevens and the old ship wreckage. It was Steve's first time on the beach, so it was funny to see how he would act! It was so cute to see the sand between his toes! I think he liked it!
CANNON BEACH
From Astoria we headed south to Cannon Beach, another Oregon Coast town I've been dying to visit, and to see the Haystack in real life. And wow, it's so impressive up close! I mean just look at the scale of Danny & Steve! Our friend, Rachel, referred to Steve as a mini haystack. The beach itself is very popular, full of families, dogs, kite flyers, and beach bums. You can probably sit here all day and people watch. The town itself is also a very cute, cozy little village filled with cafes, local artisans, and bed & breakfasts. It is definitely a place I want to revisit and stay at soon.
CAPE LOOKOUT POINT
From Cannon Beach, we traveled a little more south to an area near Tillamook and Netarts called Cape Lookout Point, which is a National Park/Beach with camping and hiking trails. They offer traditional tent camping spots as well as yurts and car/van/RV camping - so, we appropriately van camped because VanLife is the best life.
We BBQ'd, sipped wine and beer as we walked along the beach at golden hour, and made dark chocolate s'mores. It was kind of the best, and so low-key. It was exactly what we needed.
Since hiking is one of our favorite things to do together, we woke up early and tried out one of the many trails Cape Lookout has to offer. Although we did take a wrong turn and ended up on a longer trail (the Cape Trail instead of the South), it was a beautiful time with beautiful scenery, cool weather, and kind people. Steve joined us again in his little backpack and everyone loved it.
I kinda started to get all gushy and sappy on our anniversary - thinking back on the events of our wedding weekend and all the feelings. Getting married is such a special time. I know it's not for everyone and that's okay, but having all your friends and family around in one place at the same time for a few days is truly a dream come true.
It was a perfect first anniversary and I am so lucky to be married to this man.
Happy Anniversary, Husband. xo
Wedding photos by Even Keel Weddings.
¡LORETO, BAJA MEXICO!
2017 will be the biggest travel year for Danny & I (amongst other things.. like getting MARRIED) so what better way to kick it off than with a 4-day vacation in Loreto, Mexico!
Last year we were invited to the wedding of two wonderful friends of ours, Dan & Debbie, which was to take place in Loreto and at its majestic Villa del Palmar Hotel. Loreto is a small, beachfront town with sprawling panoramic views of deep blue ocean and impressive mountain ranges. We were so excited for them, and couldn't wait to celebrate with old friends and make new friends in such a beautiful place!
Since Loreto is pretty remote, there is only one flight per day out of Los Angeles. This held also to be exciting since most of our flight would hold wedding-goers as well as other wanderlust explorers! Danny and I were seated next to a very personable and worldly man from Calgary, Canada who shared quite a few stories with us throughout the hour & half excursion (including that he had been married for 30 years but since he travels so much it was more like, "net 16 years.")
Once we landed the party started! From that moment on to the time we landed back in LA, it was a whirlwind of tequila, laughs, and story of exchanges of how we all knew the soon-to-be-married bride and groom!
As the storm began to blow in Friday, it was also the couple's rehearsal dinner located above the hotel that their parent's so generously provided - including these amazing watermelon mojitos!
Come Saturday morning... it was cold and cloudy but hey, we were in a beautiful part of Mexico, so we made the best of it and set out for a hike. Only about 20 minutes in, we got caught in the torrential hurricane-like downpour and had to take shelter in a cave. We huddled and watched lounge chairs fly off the beach into the ocean and pool umbrellas and heaters topple down. As rocks started to slide down off the front of the cave from this storm's fury, we decided to make a run for it. Completely soaked, we made it back safely and hours later the sun was out for probably one of the most sweetest and touching weddings I have ever been a part of.
We sipped on probably too much tequila, indulged in savory tacos, and danced the night away. But all things must come to an end and as we descending back to the concrete, grey jungle that is Los Angeles, we'll be left with memories of this magical weekend forever. Until next time, Mexico.
Travel Tip: Leaving Loreto - their security is INCREDIBLY strict, even with checked bags. Be prepared to have most of your toiletries to be confiscated including tooth paste. They don't care how expensive your hair products are! Pack smart!
