California

Last week we took a break from the rainy Portland weather to catch some serious sun rays in Southern California. 80 degree weather to be exact. I love that my hometown is now a vacation for me. And I’m amazed at how much more I appreciate the things I took for granted growing up there.

Our first stop was Mexican food and the BEACH. Or, as I apparently inherited from my Portland living, “the coast.” Parker couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the ocean. I’d imagine he was thinking that he was about to hop into the biggest bath he’s ever seen. 🙂

Anyway, after our brief (and very important) stint at the beach in Carlsbad, we headed out to Temecula to stay with Tyson’s family in wine country. This was when our little happy, sweet boy turned into a monster. Parker? A monster? Yep.

I’m going to go ahead a say that this was just due to being out of his element because I can thankfully report he is back to his sweet, kind self. But, we endured 5 days of one completely different kid. Picture: Tantrums in public, hitting everything and anything, NOTHING making him happy, painful car rides. At one point Tyson and I just agreed that this was the new norm and possibly payback since he has been such a great baby.

Then, day 5, he was back. Fun, silly, happy Parker baby. Although I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs many times, I didn’t. I just kept thinking in my head, show him love and patience and KEEP YOUR COOL, Linds.

Okay, back to vacation…

Blogging about the resort at pelican hill

We spent most of our time in Temecula, but also made time to head to Newport Beach for a night. We stayed at the Resort at Pelican Hill, and can I just say, WOW. I’ve stayed at a some really great hotels, but this one was pretty spectacular. They didn’t miss a single detail in their guest rooms and the resort is so beautiful and QUIET. It was great as a family, but I can only dream about going back just as a romantic overnight with Tyson.

The location was also great. Great as in, next to the beach, close to Zinc Cafe and also close to my favorite outdoor mall, Fashion Island.

It was great to just spend time outside and have no agenda.

Dress: Asos | Shoes: Target

It was also really nice to workout OUTSIDE…

And you know, have time with my family. I’m such a dork saying this, but I really just want to be with them all day long (said the girl who used to be super independent). My boys make me over the moon!

On the way back to the airport we had an afternoon to kill, so we headed to Little Italy to walk around and grab some lunch. Can I just say… wow! That area is finally cool. It has seriously evolved into the cutest neighborhood.

And it really sealed the deal that they have Cafe Gratitude there. SOLD!

I loved how they designed this location… Well done, CG!

Here are my top picks for things you’ve got to do while in SoCal:

Temecula Wine Country:

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride.
2. Leoness for music, a glass of wine and then dinner.
3. Ponte Winery and Wilson Creek Winery for tastings (we loaded our suitcase with Wilson Creek’s Almond Champagne).
4. Lodge at South Coast Winery Resort
5. Go for a nice walk or run outside.
6. Head to downtown Temecula and have lunch at Goat & Vine.

Newport Beach:

1. Stay at the Resort at Pelican Hill
2. Spend all day their Crystal Cove Beach.
3. And then spend another full day at their pool.
4. Standup paddle board.
5. Hike.
6. Catch brunch at Zinc Cafe.
7. Spend an afternoon shopping… you deserve it!
8. Rent bikes and ride along by the pier.

Downtown San Diego:

1. Airbnb a place in Little Italy: Option 1 | Option 2
2. Eat brunch at Cafe Gratitude
3. Grab panini’s to go at NAPIZZA (take them to the waterfront)
4. Ride bikes to Seaport Village
5. Walk through Balboa Park (my favorite place) and check out the museums.

What are your favorite things to do down there? I need more suggestions for the next time we head down there. I’m thinking we might actually spend longer downtown San Diego now. I also want to go out to Joshua Tree next time. I can’t believe I’ve never been there!

Boston, I Love You

Last week I jetted off to Boston for a work trip and decided to sneak my husband in my suitcase. Boston was GREAT, but leaving our little man at home with the grandparents for 4 days was rough. I knew that it was good for us though. You know, some “us” time.

Do you remember as a little a kid, looking at a map or an encyclopedia (yep, back then) and going, “I think when I’m older, I’ll live….. THERE (skimming over the map)?” Well, that is pretty much what I did when I was younger and Boston was my “there.” Clearly things changed because this was my FIRST visit to the city and yes- I’m in love!

We had some pretty crappy weather while we were there, but we still managed to venture around in between my meetings.

And we ate. We ate a lot of great food. If you haven’t checked out Well + Good, I highly recommend you do! They have some awesome healthy city guides that take you to the “best of” healthy spots.

One in which, was sweetgreen. YUM!

And being the fish lover that I am, you better believe I had just about every fish dish possible. I’m still dreaming about the delicious lobster, mango tacos from Row 34.

I also got to meet with the folks at a few different big companies. New Balance was one of them and since I have always been a huge fan of their shoes, I geeked out at their new HQ. The team there also couldn’t have been nicer…

When in Boston:

Stay in Backbay or close to Newbury St! The Taj and The Liberty Hotel would be my first choice when I go back again!
Shop on Newbury Street.
Walk through the Public Garden.
Run along the Charles River bike path.
Eat lobster tacos at Row 34.
Grab a cannoli at Mikes Pastry. So worth it, but prep for a stomach ache
Visit Boston Harbor and walk through the Boston Tea Party Museum.
Drive through Cambridge, walk around Harvard.
Visit the infamous Acorn Street. The neighborhood is Boston perfection.

Next time I’m not on a work trip, I’ll be excited to see so much more!

Until next time, Boston!

Oregon Hike-In Camping

Last weekend was incredible. It was my first hike-in camping experience and definitely wont be my last. We headed to a (secret) lake about an hour outside of Sisters, OR. Sisters by the way- excellent. The town is a nice mix of country western and native american influence- essentially the blend of two things I love. You can imagine the goodies I walked away with…

After our quick stop we headed onto a long gravel road and caravanned our cars to where we had to park them to begin our hike in. Four girls, four guys, a massive canoe and all of our stuff- you can imagine that the mile hike at a high elevation was no walk in the park.

We made it! We set up the tents, opened some wine and the night began.

Dinner? Mahi mahi, sweet potato, asparagus, and a nice big glass (or uhhh, tin coffee mug) of red wine. Not bad for camping, right? Dinner was followed by good stories, brandy hot chocolates, and a sky full of stars and a roaring camp fire. Pure happiness…

I must have said I wanted to live in a tent here forever about 20 times. Gotta love simple living and some peace and quiet. Oh, and no cell phone service… thank god.

Waking up in the morning was incredible. The air was crisp and all you could really hear were the birds and the occasional fish hopping out of the water. I wake up early (like sunrise early), so I laid in bed and read my book for a bit until I heard the first person wake up. After that, some fried eggs and potatoes along with a big cup of coffee was in order for breakfast. Trader Joes coffee packets are THE BEST- perfect for camping.

The day proceeded with some time around the campfire, laying around in the sun, and taking the canoe out around the lake. It was one relaxing weekend, that’s for sure and I was lucky to spend it with some incredible scenery and a great group of friends.

Until next time…