Happy Friday! I've been crunching down lately, putting all of my energy into work, because next week Jimbo and I are heading off on a v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n. In T-minus 5 days we're hopping on a flight and about 10 hours later we'll be in Stockholm! We've been spending all of our travel energy (and funds) exploring the West Coast over these past two years so it's been awhile since we left the country - we can't wait to enjoy another culture again. Anyway, more on that later!

For now, a quick flashback to our weekend away in San Diego a few weekends ago. 

Eat:
Oscar's Mexican Seafood the absolute best ceviche I've ever had, followed by the absolute best surf & turf taco I've ever had. Probably will be my first stop next time I'm in town!
The Duck Dive cute bar in La Jolla - they were super nice about letting us use the wifi for some work while we enjoyed the local San Diego beers.
Karl Strauss Brewery Gardens huge! great beer selection, beautiful gardens, perfect place for drinks with friends.
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop super unique and super delicious tacos. but not quite as delicious as Oscar's ;)
Lazy Hummingbird this place was adorable - just the perfect hippie dippy coffee paradise that I was looking for, complete with smoothie bowls, a wonderfully kind staff and outdoor seating.
Sushi Mori we were drawn in by a great happy hour deal, and it didn't disappoint! but, not the best sushi I've ever had.
Werewolf in the Gaslamp district, great for people watching (if you sit outside on the tiny patio like we did). Try the 'Papas Balls'. 
Cafe Hielo probably not worth visiting unless you're in the area (which we were) but I had never tried this kind of dessert - Korean shaved ice - and it was an amazing afternoon treat.
Common Theory Public House very cool spot for a great variety of food a million tasty beer options - we loved the little couch nook with games
East Coast Pizza - Hillcrest nothing more than your average pizza joint, except that it was AWESOME. The folks there were SO nice and they saved our lives when the 1 a.m. hunger pangs hit, so we love them.
Heartwork Coffee Bar amazing coffee + lovely setting + cute name = coffeeshop perfection.
Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill this was probably the longest line I've waited in for food in 10 years, but I had heard it was worth it and...it WAS. Freshest yummiest fish ever. We loved the calamari and poke. 

Do:
Old Town San Diego most of the photos I have here are from exploring Old Town - I love any experience that takes you back in time like this! 
Ballast Point Brewery (& Distillery) I've loved Sculpin IPA for awhile but we don't get all the other Ballast varieties up in the Bay, so we loved doing some tasting at this brewery and checking out the spirits in their secret speakeasy.
Gaslamp Quarter wow, on a Saturday night this place was almost as bumpin' as bourbon street. people watching galore. I had no idea San Diego had a scene like that!
Coronado lovely houses, lovely beaches.
Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge we enjoyed some nature and birdwatching, as we are wont to do ;). And you can see Mexico from down here, so we said Hello. 

Stay:
Paradise Point Resort & Spa was pretty great - lovely accommodations and perfect location. But next time maybe we'll stay here ;) want to join?


This weekend will be for relaxing and prepping for our trip, with some fun lil plans mixed in. Enjoy your days!

Jersey Beaches

Work is still killin' me this week. Guess it must be fall! Oh so busy. Luckily I have accomplished most of my weekly goals, and have been taking time for myself each day to stretch and sweat with a Barre workout. Work, workout, sleep - work, workout, sleep - that's been my schedule. Sometimes it is nice to just be focused...but I'm looking forward to a weekend with a bit more variety. Maybe some wine, fresh air and friends. 

For now I'll go down memory lane for a moment with these shots from our trip back East in September. Did you know how beautiful the Jersey Shore is? I didn't. As a Cape Codder by heart I've always been very content to stay up on the shores of New England, but I'm so glad that I had the chance to explore the shores of Jersey a bit more during my time there. There is a whole lot more to it than this. The beaches are wide, the waves are huge, the sand is soft, and there is usually a funnel cake and mini golf within reach...so you just can't go wrong. We had such a good time there catching up with friends and family. 

Enjoy the weekend, friends! 

Rabbit Rabbit + Links

Happy August, my people! Rabbit rabbit. It's going to be a beautiful month.

This weekend, we will be taking it easy. It's a rare weekend of nothing amidst many weekends with many plans. Temps have been in the high 90s (at least) all week, so I hope to keep myself poolside and/or seaside all weekend.

I hope you have some good days planned for yourselves!

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Here are some good links to send you on your way:

Have you checked out t.e.l.l. New England yet? It's oh so beautiful. Makes me miss New England a lot.

I love this list of 7 letters to write before you turn 70 - letter writing is such a lovely lost art that I feel I missed out on (being born a bit too late). I think I'll add some of these letters to my to-do list.

You haven't seen a Boston T map like this before - it charts out the best bar within walking distance of each T stop. I love it!

You may have heard about ways to workout at your desk before, but this all-inclusive list of 33 ways to "deskercise" actually makes me want to try it.

This article is all about something I've been working on this year - not letting perfectionism stop me from giving something a try and just doing my best at it. Worth a read!

Have you checked out these city guides offered by Design Sponge yet? (I linked to the ones in Mass. because, well, I love it.)

Getaway Weekend :: Lost Coast Backpacking

We had an amazing Memorial Day weekend up on the Lost Coast with Steph & Tyler and the pup. We started at Usal Beach (Sinkyone Wilderness Park) and hiked in about 5 miles to the most adorable little campsite in the world (called Dark Gulch).  There was a clear, cold stream running through it, so with the help of our trusty purifier we had endless fresh water. There were separate little areas for tents, fire and sitting (everything having it's place feels so darn homey). We skipped over a "bridge" of rocks to cross back and forth across the stream, hung our food from a tree (though that's not the recommended mode of bear protection!), and cooked over a tiny flame.

We spent our second night camping right on Usal Beach. There's nothing better than waking up in the middle of the night to let the dog do some business, and hearing the dark ocean crashing beside you and seeing the Milky Way in full force above. Our neighbors on the beach invited us to share their (larger) fire, and we discussed the glory of Route 1 and the happy ability Sinkyone offers to pop up camp without much planning or forethought whatsoever. We fell asleep to puppy snuggles and a crackling fire dying down outside the tent. 

Monday was about taking the long way home (per usual), stopping in Mendocino for brunch and our favorite wineries for "dinner", and rolling into the bed with the exhaustion of a thousand lives. Thanks, Lost Coast - each time is better than the last.