I *heart* summer road trips with all of my might. They keep me running, they really do. Sunshine, breezes, new sights and adventures, how can you go wrong? I'm also pretty sure they're the glue in my relationship with Jimbo - our best talks and adventures always happen on the road. We've done two cross-USA road trips, a Euro-road trip, and each summer we end up taking countless rides on summer weekends. There's something so freeing about it! If you've packed correctly, that is - otherwise they're no fun at all. Here are some of my favorite summer road trip essentials:

1. blanket // to be used for warmth, for a pillow, and for that impromptu picnic you're sure to have.
2. cotton beach dress // something comfy, stretchy, and begging to be photographed.
3. shovel // for safety - sometimes cars get stuck.
4. rosewater spray // it's nice to freshen up with a spritz of rosewater after a few hours on the road.
5. comfy shoes // something versatile is good, you never know where you'll end up...
6. dry shampoo // if you'll be on the road for a few days, your hair might crave a pick-me-up.
7. favorite wine // beautiful views and sunsets sometimes call for wine.
8. wine opener // because, wine.
9. notebook // how else would you record all of your adventures and brainstorm your future together?
10. sunglasses // I need a new pair...love these guys.
11. cash // folks these days often depend on cards, but cash might be necessary to pay for state parks, parking, roadside fruit stands, and other emergencies like that.
12. snacks // I like to pack nuts, fruit and dark chocolate.
13. music // we use Spotify for our road trip playlists (see our Sunshine Drive playlist below!)
14. SPF chapstick // a must have.
15. a knife // you'll be surprised how much you'll use this thing, plus - safety first.

Do you have any unique road trip essentials? How about road trip songs?

This post is part of the RelayRides Road Trip Essentials campaign. RelayRides is a car rental service based on peer-to-peer car sharing - you can borrow others' cars and rent out your own!

Getaway Weekend :: "Lost" in Sinkyone Wilderness Park

What an escape!

This Labor Day weekend, Jimmy and I traveled north to Mendocino County again. But this time, it was to a part of the state where time stands still, cell service is lost entirely, and you're only invited if you have 4 wheel drive and your own stash of toilet paper. We stayed at Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, part of California's "Lost Coast". This is the part of the state where gorgeous Route 1 veers off the coast, joining up with Highway 101 about 15+ miles inland, so there are no paved roads along the gorgeous coastline. Which of course, is all the better for those of us willing to roll off the beaten track.

After packing up all of our camping necessities we drove the scenic route north, stopping for coffee/scenic vistas as we went, and finally meeting up with our dear friends Danny & Krista who made the drive all the way from Ashland, OR to meet us. It was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time, and here are the moments I'll remember it by - both pictured and not-pictured:

What you see here:

  1. sunflowers and sunshine along route 29 on our way north

  2. strong, strong coffee in a pretty loaned mug 

  3. blueberry pancakes on the fire

  4. our little slice of heaven

  5. alder grove

  6. stripped down on the beach

  7. friends & love

  8.we admired this Osprey, her family, and her pretty nest for at least an hour 

  9. hiking a little tiny piece of the Lost Coast Trail

  10. bird's eye view of the beach

  11. this is why I moved to California

  12. girl chat on the beach at sunset while the boys search for rhinoceros auklets

  13. I could stay in this spot forever and ever

  14. there was a fire in the sky welcoming us home

What you don't:

  1. mixed sounds of the ocean crashing and the alders creaking as we fell asleep

  2. the taste of almond meal/walnut/blueberry pancakes crisped in leftover bacon fat

  3. the look on Jim's face and the accompanying laughter after he accidentally swung a 6-foot tree limb into our pile of dishes at full speed (only 1 plate broke!)

  4. the heat and light of our little beach fire in a sea of blackness

  5. Danny lulling us into dreamland with his hypnotic flute playing

  6. the anticipation/thrill/fear of waking up to the sound of a (probably large) animal rustling around outside your tent 

  7. fire-belly feeling that comes from sipping best homemade whiskey in the world

We found you, Lost Coast! And we'll be back.

Getaway Weekend :: Grass Valley

What a couple of weeks! Ay caramba. The last 6 weekends in a row were filled to the brim with fun travel and visitors, while the work weeks were filled with conferences and busy preparation for my first big work event. It all culminated this past Saturday with the event, which actually went very well despite the 106 degree heat! Now I am SO ready for some summer relaxation. Catching up on things. Camping. Healthy eating. Being outdoors. Work will be all about planning for next year, and weekends will be about spending time outside and exploring. Yes!

Here are some iPhone photos from our trip to Nevada City and Grass Valley, CA, a beautiful area in the western Sierra Nevada foothills. Jimmy was heading there a couple of months ago for an animal tracking certification, and I decided to hitch on for the ride. The area is well known for it's huge part in the California Gold Rush, which is an era I'm completely fascinated by. So obviously, I was pumped when we were exploring around a river one day and came across someone who was actually panning for gold. Can you believe people still do that??

We hiked along streams, listened to live music, enjoyed the local grub, and left planning to return again soon.

Ooh. Now I want a bloody mary, BAD.

So, want to hear some big news? The new blog design is coming TOMORROW. That's right, you will barely recognize me over here! Hope you like it :).

Quick Snip of Sarda

We were on the beautiful island of Sardinia for the past 5 days, enjoying an amazing week of pizza, cards, beaches, reading, snorkeling, wine, exploring, and more pizza. I'll have more to share later, but here's a snippet for now!

1. a river alongside the ocean at Osalla

2. lovely Sardinian jewelry at Cala Gonone

3. sunshine beach cruisin' on the scooter

4. barefoot hike through the dunes

5. the most beautiful beach - Oasi Bidderosa

6. old bessie basking in the evening glow

7. Jimmy nervous about losing at Scopa

8. clouds rolling in over the hills

9. the clearest water and whitest sand

10. umbrella pine forests are enchanting

11. sunset over Corsica from the ferry ride home

Ciao ciao raggazi!

Wine, Wood and Mountains in the Val d'Orcia

A few weeks ago, Jimmy and I had another little Tuscan adventure! We decided to scoot down to an area of Tuscany famed for it's amazing wines, historic towns and beautiful drives; an area known as the Val d'Orcia. When you picture the Tuscany of old renaissance paintings with it's golden hills and pointy cyprus trees, the Val d'Orcia is what those painting show. It extends from south of Siena to Monte Amiata, and we did our best to explore every last nook and cranny in the 2 days that we had there. And if you know anything about our travel style, you can probably guess that we were able to conquer a good amount of it in our short time there!

*areas we explored in the Val d'Orcia

We found a good deal on a hotel in Chianciano Terme, so we decided to stay there for our two nights in the area. From there we visited Montalcino first, to shop around and check out the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino (among other wines of course), then the charming town of Pienza where we picked up some beautiful ceramics and delicious gelato. 

One of our favorite parts of the day though was right outside of Pienza on our gorgeous drive to Montepulciano, where we found a couple of agriturismos offering wine tasting. Wine tasting in Tuscany is a little bit different than other places we're used to (for instance, Napa). For one thing it's often free if you find the right place, but these 'right' places can be quite off the beaten path. 

You have to be willing to make quick stops along the road wherever you see signs for an agricola or agriturismo offering "vino e olio". And you have to be willing to get through that inevitable awkward moment when the resident Italian wanders out from their comfy siesta and grudgingly offers you a taste. Don't be scared off - in our experience they warm up quickly! And last but not least, you must be willing to buy at least one bottle, but that part's never hard because the wine is so damn delicious :).

Palazzo Massaini is worth checking out!

While checking out an adorable shop in Montalcino called Fatto a Mano ("handmade"), the store owner/chief artist Carlotta Parisi had told us about an exhibit called Woods, featuring installations by her father. Her work was beautiful (and apparently being shown as well) and we were intrigued, so before heading to Montepulciano, we just had to take a detour to La Foce to check it the exhibit. And we're so glad we did. Our favorite part was the "library" of trees, which must have taken ages to create! Each book was a tree, made of the wood of that tree, and including beautiful details and samples of and about the tree...just amazing.

And finally, a little evening in Montepulciano: shopping, walking, and an American hamburger.

The next day we took a spin up to the peak of Monte Amiata for a beautiful view of the Val d'Orcia where we savored in the fresh (and MUCH cooler) mountain air, took a little nature walk, and cruised through the beautiful chestnut trees that the mountain is known for. 

And finally....before heading home to Barbialla...we had one of the best.meals.of.our.LIVES. No joke! We walked into Ristorante Aiuole in Arcidosso to be sat by the waiter, served some delicious vino bianco della casa, and then fed the best Italian meal I've had yet. There was no menu - he would simply tell us what was next to see if we'd like that course, and we'd respond with "si"! Homemade ravioli, melt in your mouth dumplings made of ricotta, nettle and egg, chocolate boar, Tuscan fried chicken, then the most amazing dessert: chestnut cream on ricotta cheese. 

Amazing. Delicious. Aiuole is a must go if you're ever in the area. Okay well this blog post is officially getting long - hope you stuck through til the end! 

A presto, ragazzi!