PACIFIC DINNER CRUISE IN CABO SAN LUCAS

This post is way overdue. When we went to Cabo in May we had the chance to go on two tours. The Pacific Dinner Cruise was Kevin's favorite. It really is one of the best tours you can go on. We got picked up at our hotel and went to a local glass blowing factory. We saw how artisans make anything and everything from recycled glass. The artisans there made a fish and I even got to try blowing.

HONEYMOON IN CABO SAN LUCAS

Last month we were finally able to go on our honeymoon. We spent five long days in Cabo San Lucas. We booked an all inclusive package at Marquis Los Cabos and it was absolutely amazing! We already want to make plans to go next year. Check out our pics from our stay at the resort.

WHILE YOU'RE IN UTAH

For our out of town guests, here's a few things Utah has to offer.

TWO DAYS DOWN SOUTH

Kevin and I decided to spend a couple of days in Las Vegas for spring break. We stopped in St. George and went to Snow Canyon State Park. The drive throught the park itself isn't that long, but there is so much to do there.

Unfortunately, we weren't prepared with the right clothes or shoes so we didn't have a chance to do much. There are lava dunes, sand dunes, cliffs, the list goes on. There's a spot where pioneers wrote their names on a cliff wall. We definitely recommend going! Anyway, here's a few pictures of our trip. 

3 PLACES TO VISIT IN LA

Have you have you ever been to Los Angeles? Whether it's your first visit or you're a frequent visitor there's always something to do in LA. Kevin was born in LA and my grandma lived in LA. We used to visit all the time as a kid. I think that's why it will always have a special place in my heart. In fact, I can't wait for our next trip. Check out a few of our favorite places below.

SANTA BARBARA

This place is amazing. We were in Santa Barbara for a few hours, but I hope to go back someday!

VENICE

After going to Porto's in Burbank we all went to Venice Beach with Kevin's cousins and friend from junior high. The vibe there is one I had never seen before. It's definitely Muscle Beach. There are shops on the promenade or boardwalk. Artists sell their artwork on the sidewalk across from the shops. We walked along the beach and almost reached Santa Monica before turning back. It's a great experience.

LOS ANGELES

After leaving the observatory we headed downtown. We drove by Angels Flight the "Shortest Railway" in the world. It's a part of historic Bunker Hill. In the early twentieth century the wealthy residents of LA lived in huge Victorian Mansions and took the railway to get down the steep hill. Now it's caught between high rises. Rides used to cost 25 or 50 cents. Sadly, it's been closed for a few years, but you can take the stairs next to if you want. 

One Bunker Hill

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

This has to be one of the best places in Los Angeles! It's my absolute favorite. The grounds are beautiful, the Art Deco style and architecture is phenomenal, and the views, well they're awesome of course! Kevin had an awesome idea to watch the sunrise there. I love everything about this place. There are trails, picnic tables, Greek Theater, and grassy areas. That morning there were a good number of people jogging up, a group of elderly men setting up their chess board on a picnic table, and a group doing yoga in the front of the observatory. 

Going in the morning was a great experience. There's plenty of parking and no where near the type of crowds you find later in the day. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. There were only a handful of people and photographers on the grounds and terrace. The observatory itself doesn't open until noon Tuesday though Friday (10am - 10pm on Saturday and Sunday). Being there so early, we didn't have a chance to go inside this time around. Inside there's a Tesla Coil (my favorite) and different exhibits of tides, and eclipses, stars, a pendulum and more. You can also go on the roof and look at their telescopes. In the evenings you can see Jupiter and its moons!

ZUMA BEACH

From the beginning we knew we didn't want to repeat Spring Break and drive for ten straight hours. We decided to split the trip by driving half way on Sunday. After a long day of road work, one lane, traffic and flash flood warnings; we finally made it to Buffalo Bill's in Primm Valley. No,seriously. A trip that should have taken us five and a half hours turned out to be over seven! Determined to beat traffic we left at five in the morning the next day. Aside from a small patch of dense fog we made great time. 

It was too early to check in to our hotel so we decided to go to Zuma Beach in Malibu. We had never to been to Malibu and it was a great experience to check out the area. It's a great place to take the family. It's clean and there are plenty of lifeguards. 

You can read more about this trip here:

SUMMER LA GETAWAY

ZUMA BEACH

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

VENICE

SANTA BARBARA

SUMMER LA GETAWAY

Kevin and I went to Southern California, Santa Barbara and Las Vegas this past week. We've been able to travel with friends and family in the past, but this was our first trip by ourselves. Kevin was an absolute saint and did all the driving. He put up with me when I didn't if we heading north or south.Traveling with others is awesome, but spending time with Kevin was priceless. He gets me like no one else. Period. We shared so many laughs and had fun exploring new places.

In an attempt to keep things short and sweet I decided to share our travels in eight posts. Crazy I know, but it would be worse to include it all in one. I'll try to include one post each day and include a shortcut for them all for reference in each one. Thanks for stopping by!

ZUMA BEACH

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

LOS ANGELES

VENICE

SANTA BARBARA

SAN FRANCISCO 2014

Hey everyone!! Spring Break is over and it was extremely hard to go back to school and work. It felt absolutely amazing to get out of town. I was especially excited to spend four whole days with Kevin in one of my favorite places. I seriously can't get over how much I love San Francisco!! Last year we were only there for a day and was dying to come again.

We left on Wednesday evening and Kevin drove the entire way. Yes, TWELVE straight hours!! We got there just before six in the morning in Daly City where Kevin's cousin, Byron lives. From Thursday to Sunday we walked for hours all over the place and saw tons of landmarks and popular places. I'll apologize for the picture overload now. Most of them are random or just blurry. I took pictures of anything and everything.

On Thursday we went to Fort Funston, City Hall, two bars, the Cheesecake Factory, the Palace of Fine Arts and Twin Peaks. I've split up the rest of our trips in to five different posts. Make sure to check them all out.  

San Francisco 2014 (this post)

Friday

The Presidio

Golden Gate Bridge & Sausalito

Lombard Street & More

After breakfast we headed to the beach. It's actually a dog beach (Fort Funston) packed with owners, dog walkers, and hundreds of dogs. Kevin and Byron had a great time reenacting a Titanic scene before heading to the water. My phone died right after so sadly I don't have more pictures. 

SAN FRANCISCO 2014: FRIDAY

Friday was probably the busiest day. We walked for hours and went to tons of different places. We first headed to Japantown. 

Afterward we started walking around and stopped at St. Dominic's. We were able to go inside and it was absolutely beautiful. The stone and woodwork was amazing!

Then we went to Alta Plaza Park just a few blocks way. It kind of looks like a step pyramid. There's a pathway and stairs that go all around it. Once you get to the top you get a great view of the city.

Byron then took us to Bob's Donuts. I don't know how they do it, but they're ridiculously huge and oh so delicious. 

We got our donuts and headed to Golden Gate Park. This place is huge! The California Academy of Sciences is there with an art museum, aquarium, conservatory of flowers, lake, Japanese tea garden, and who knows what else. We got there at six so the tea gardens and conservatory were closed, but it we had a great time walking around. I swear I saw more wildlife here in the city than I do back home!

Byron took a selfie before taking our picture haha.

Check out other posts from this trip.

San Francisco 2014 

Friday

The Presidio (this post)

Golden Gate Bridge & Sausalito

Lombard Street & More 

San Francisco 2014

Friday (this post)

The Presidio

Golden Gate Bridge & Sausalito

Lombard Street & More

SAN FRANCISCO 2014: THE PRESIDIO

So I had actually never heard of this place, but it's definitely a must if you're visiting. It was originally established as military base or fort of sorts by the Spanish in the late 1700s and then Americans in the 1800s. It's now in the hands of the National Park Service with a couple of miles of wild life, old military buildings, cemetery, and homes. They've all been restored and it's almost like walking back in time. It's beautiful during the day, but creepy at night.

We went to the Presidio Social Club for the first time. If you go you just have to order the "Dirty Dozen" (p.s. they're a secret menu item). They're freshly made sugar rolled donut holes filled with chocolate ganache and an amazing dipping sauce. The mac and cheese is savory and creamy. Then there's the meatloaf! It looked like a round of steak! It was out of this world. It was seasoned perfectly and was sooo delicious with the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Check out other posts from this trip.

San Francisco 2014 

Friday

The Presidio (this post)

Golden Gate Bridge & Sausalito

Lombard Street & More