Bae and the Bridge

On our way to Bodega Bay from Monterey, we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was Mitch's first time and so obviously we had to pull over for some commemorative photos and obviously it totally deserves a blog post! I've never done so much solo travel with my s.o. the way Mitch and I have traveled during our time together. Mitch and I are have very different interests, we actually don't have a ton in common and our personalities are like night and day when compared. But we both love to travel! And I couldn't have asked for a better or more good looking adventure buddy.

We've found that consistent, quality 1:1 time is necessary for us to maintain a good balance in our relationship. I have this habit of wanting to constantly coordinate large group get togethers or planning different friend dates multiple nights in a row (I love a lot of awesome people!). And although I think it's totally healthy to have strong relationships outside of your s.o., I more often than not end up cramming my calendar to capacity, not leaving a whole lot of time for bae. It's too easy to take for granted spending time with Mitch when I get to see him every day. It took a lot of emotional work and patience on Mitch's part to help me come to that simple realization, but I know I'm a lot happier when I prioritize my time for the things that matter most rather than try to do everything I want to do in limited time frames. I'm super grateful we were able to find time for each other at the end of this insanely busy summer for this trip!

+1 to the Awesome Aussies that snapped this photo of us! I love travelling around with my 50D but it's so hard to consistently get a decent photo when you're handing off a giant DSLR to a nice stranger who doesn't typically use one. I always try to look for someone else carrying around a big camera but it's always a toss up. Gotta treasure the good ones!

Mitch looks like a Bollywood guest star in those aviators! I'm obsessed! I also love the fit of this green shirt on him. It's difficult to find slim cut shirts when your overall frame is so large, but we all know Mitch is the master of shopping!

Having long hair is crazy sometimes! I've stopped at this view point on several occasions and every time my hair just whips around like medusa on crack.

I find this outtake pretty funny! I think the guy in the background makes for a better picture :) Here's to many more trips over the Golden Gate bridge and many more adventures with the bae!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

After our beautiful drive through Big Sur, we settled in Monterey for the night. As more evidence that Airbnb is the best thing that has ever happened to us, when our hosts in Sunnyvale learned of our plans to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, they hooked us up with complimentary passes! They legitimately saved us $80! A big part of me wishes that my apartment was better located in Seattle just so I could host Airbnb'ers. I think it would be SO FUN, but at the same time, I love where I live. For reals and I'm kind of missing sleeping in my own bed right now... I digress!

Mitch and I LOVE aquariums. Granted, we've only been to one other aquarium together before this, but we consider ourselves friends of any and all aquariums! The Monterey Bay Aquarium was SUPER LEGIT. You know how Zoos/Aquariums tend to have one or two super epic exhibits and then everything else is just filler? Every corner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium had an A+ Super Star exhibit! As per usual, we didn't do any research ahead of time, other than just knowing that this aquarium had an amazing reputation. And again, it sort of just worked out! I kind of liked wandering around without being glued to a map, discovering exhibits as we came across them. Let me show you a few of my favorite snaps!

The jellyfish were MESMERIZING. Desktop background material, for sure! They had this sweet shore/wave cove where they'd crash water over glass on top of you. It was REALLY fun to stand under the glass as a rush and roar of water would come every 30 seconds. AH! And then the otters. YOU GUYZ, they were so cute! There were 3 of them and they were ridiculously playful. And then of course, there's my new favorite picture of Mitch.... making friends with a penguin!!! Shit like this makes me swoon for this kid so hard.

Do you guys have any other favorite aquariums? We still need to visit the one in Seattle, I haven't been since I was 12! We are willing to travel far and wide for a good aquarium though, so hook a sista up!

Big Sur Lovin'

Driving Big Sur is this wannabe-California-girl's dream come true. This magnificent part of the California coast needs no help in showcasing it's natural glory, so all scenic photos featuring Big Sur exclusively are straight off my camera, no need for cropping or lightroom.

Typically, I don't look forward to long drives, but I couldn't wait to hit the road after Hearst Castle! Mitch and I didn't do any research on the best viewpoints for Big Sur. We basically relied on pulling over whenever we noticed larger gatherings of cars. Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time for the drive! We loved being able to enjoy the views at our own leisure. Our driving strategy worked out well as we were able to experience Big Sur in all its glory by pulling off at the many scenic turnouts. However, for those of you making a visit in the future, I definitely recommend making sure to pull over at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park! There's an easy 1/4 mile trail that leads you to one of the most famous overlooks of Big Sur and it's definitely a must-see!

Mitch and I couldn't wait to trade in our Hearst Castle finery for something much more laid back. I'm having so much fun watching Mitch take up the camera. He's had some pretty stylin' ideas, love these detail shots he put together of our accessories.

Also, I'm dating the biggest goof ball ever.

Owning a Big Sur vacation home has officially been added to the wish list. Already trying to plan the next time we can go back!

La Cuesta Encantada

After a yummy breakfast with Ammy, we hustled to Hearst Castle for a couple morning tours we had booked in advance. This was the day that I was looking forward to most on our trip. We visited Hearst Castle and Big Sur both on one day! I had first heard about Hearst Castle from Kasey when we were brainstorming for our first road trip ever in 2010. It ended up being too far out of our way but I've been thinking about going ever since! Enter, road trip 2014! Hearst Castle is located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, 4 hours away from each city in San Simeon. We picked it as the Southern most point of our trip down the West coast.

Hearst Castle was built by William Randolph Hearst, the famous publication tycoon. The land was originally a large ranch where he had spent a good portion of his childhood camping with his parents. When he was in his 50's, he decided that he wanted something a bit more comfortable than a tent. What was originally intended to be a "little something" grew into four separate buildings, the largest, Casa Grande, being just over 60,000 sq ft housing an invaluable collection of art, furniture and fixtures. He entertained many famous Hollywood starlets and politicians in the 1920s and 1930s including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt. After Hearst passed away, the family donated the castle, all of its contents and the surrounding lands to the state of California so that it could be made into a state park and be toured by the public aka ME!

Oh yes, need to start out with what I wore to the Enchanted Hill. This was definitely the most high maintenance outfit of the trip, but I'm totally in love with it. The long sleeved crop top feels like the perfect transition piece for fall and I can't wait to pair it with maxi skirts and pretty scarves. Both top and skirt are from Forever 21, but I bet you already knew that ;) The shoes are new! I've been looking for the perfect strappy wedge and I am obsessed. Report via Nordstrom Rack. PS. Hanger straps are the bane to my existence!

The Roman Pools were my absolutely favorite by far! There's really nothing I can say about them except they're even better in real life.

It used to be that the only time you were allowed to spend at the castle was during a chaperoned tour. Three years ago they decided to open the outside grounds up to be enjoyed at leisure by the public and I am so glad they did! My visual senses were on fire, discovering delightful details each time I turned a corner.

There are three different tours you can take at the castle. We decided to do two of them. Gotta save something for the return visit, am I right?! These are snaps from the Grand Rooms Tour. Grand is an understand. Opulent. Luxurious. Spectacular. No cost was spared when constructing and decorating these rooms. I think I was most impressed by the ceilings. They were antiques that were auctioned by European families back in the day. They tore apart their homes and sent everything of value to America to be sold in New York City. They'd collect the cash to remodel their homes back in Europe.

The last tour we took was the Upstairs Suites Tour where we were able to get a peek into a few guest rooms and Hearst's private quarters. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been his guest back in the day? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Cambria and my time at Hearst Castle. 10/10 would do it again!