A Cheesy Birthday trip to the Forest

As I turned another year older, I chose to console myself with copious amounts of dairy products. We went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We got there when it opened and ate breakfast (the menu is delicious), sampled free cheese, and had ice cream before we left.
I could live here.

Cheese has always been an important part of my family. Ok, not important like an heirloom, more like a necessity for happiness at any given moment. We are cheese enthusiasts. I related hardcore to Liz Lemon and her night cheese. The love is real.

Oregon loves its cheese, but it takes its love of ice cream to another level of awesome.

My favorite will always be Huckleberry.

If you get there early, you can see the factory in action and watch the humongous blocks of cheese get sliced n diced while your mouth waters. The tour is self guided and free. It’s an observation level above the main floor.

To complete my very adult birthday trip, I chose to go where my seven year old-self always dreamed. The Enchanted Forest, Oregon’s roadside theme park.

It looks janky and creepy, I know, but trust me, it’s adorable.

The dedication to theme was impressive and cute.

The characters however, inspire nightmares. This is supposed to be Miss Muffet, and she was scarier than her spider counterpart.

Each area featured a different story.

There is a small rabbit hole to crawl through which ends here. It’s small, so be warned.

They even theme their garbage bins!

The creepiness continued with the crooked man who looked too much like the version featured on The Conjuring 2.

His house was cool though!!

I don’t know how this happened, but I loved it.

The park is much larger than I anticipated. This is no roadside attraction, it’s a full theme park, complete with 8 rides, a haunted house, comedy theatre, music entertainment, a storybook lane and European village. (click here for park map)

I cannot wait to bring my nephew here. The little western town had funny art and silly displays in the windows. (and creepy mannequins)

Clearly Dad jokes fueled the humor of this place.

I convinced my parents to ride the Ice Mountain Bobsled Roller Coaster, which was fun but also nerve racking, because it honestly looks like I built it over the weekend.

The ride that impressed me most, as an experienced theme park observer and former Disney employee, was the Challenge of Mondor. This is the nicest, and newly updated ride they have and it shows. I would roughly compare it to Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios  or Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida.

All in all, a nice and quaint family theme park. I did end up taking my nephew a few months later and he loved it! He’s around 42 inches and was able to ride everything. Great place, great value!

 

 

San Diego Sights with Sis

As I made my way back to Oregon, I decided to go home with my sister to San Diego. I had been to this city a few times, but never really gone anywhere besides the mall and my sister’s neighborhood. (I had lots of nephew time to log!)

My sister has let me photograph her family ever since she was pregnant with my hunk of a nephew. We were kicking ourselves for not taking some in Hawaii the week before, but we made the best of it by going to Seaport Village.

It’s downtown San Diego on West Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway, featuring a lovely boardwalk, restaurants, shops, and a gorgeous view of the harbor and Coronado Bridge.

This bridge is crazy, by the way. It’s over 2 miles long, curving over the San Diego Bay, towering 200 feet above the water. It’s quite an experience, especially driving over it in the evening.

My nephew gladly sampled the local cuisine for my photo shoot.

After a week in Hawaii without a smidge of a sunburn, an hour in California, we were tomatoes.

Next stop: Balboa Park

As the nation’s largest urban cultural park, Balboa Park boasts 15 major museums, performing arts venues, gardens and the San Diego Zoo. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, which is convenient as it covers 1,200 acres. We were headed to the Spanish Village Art Center, but I had to snap a few shots of the beautiful buildings just outside the entrance.

This was a beautiful little spot! There were tiny shops full of local artists and knick knacks. My nephew loved the colored pathway, stepping only on the colors he liked.

There was a cute little food truck outside with ice cream and hot dogs where we ate lunch. Just before leaving, my nephew saw an awesome looking tree that we just had to take photos with…

It was a relaxing week after such a busy one in Hawaii. I loved spending so much time with my amazing nephew! I was not his favorite person in Hawaii, mostly due to being out of his environment and around all new things. Nearly as soon as we touched down back in California, Auntie was cool again!

Milford Sound

If you go anywhere on the South island of New Zealand, make sure you go to Milford Sound. I would even venture to recommend you plan a week stay there. There’s not much to do, plus the nearest town (Te Anau) is nearly two hours away.

So why stay in a remote area that requires hours of driving on windy roads?

Because it’s beautiful. And one day won’t do it. Ask any local and they will tell you that New Zealand weather is fickle and if you want that perfect, clear day shot, you’ll have to be patient.

Our day was not clear. But I didn’t mind. I liked the mist, it felt very Middle Earth.

We booked our tour with Southern Discoveries  and they were great! Our tickets included lunch, plus we added an additional stop at an underwater observatory. (not an aquarium, which they emphasize)

There was a narrator who gave lots of history and talked about specific waterfalls, but given the thick (and wonderful) kiwi accent and the less-than-awesome acoustics, I couldn’t understand much, but the views were incredible.

I fell in love with the serene and peaceful sounds. I even talked to one of the employees who explained how she came to work in such a remote location.

They are 6-8 month long positions, as the isolation can be quite overwhelming for some. Plus, it’s a great way to save money, since you go into town (remember a 2 hour drive both ways) maybe twice a month.

It would definitely hinge on the work environment and coworkers, but it sounds like a lovely thing to do someday, to get some peace and quiet to write, while showing others just how beautiful this place is.

We kept pulling over on the drive back because the views kept getting better!

As we passed through Te Anau, we stopped to see the Waitomo glow worm caves . I’d love to have photos to show you from this truly astounding sight, but being that it was very dark, and quiet, no cameras were allowed. It felt otherworldly. Glow worms are brutal little monsters, look em up!

The forest surrounding the caves were ridiculously green! Go see it here.

Ok, I am officially closing the chapter on my New Zealand adventures. I could go on and on, but alas, I need to get started on my Hong Kong posts!

I Wanna Live in Wanaka

If there’s one place I could have stayed the entire month, it would’ve been Wanaka.

Surrounded by mountains, this cozy little town was utter perfection. Maybe it was the long bus ride, but this view was exactly what I was looking for in New Zealand. Beautiful skies, rocks, and mountains (what are men?).

I considered abandoning my tour group and filing a change of address. I didn’t want to leave!

Our only night there happened to fall on St. Patrick’s Day, so like the traditionalists we were, we ate at a Mexican restaurant. (note to self: regardless of holiday, do not give in to peer pressure and drink the disgusting green drink)

My one mission that I wouldn’t leave Wanaka before completing was finding The Wanaka Tree. This thing has it’s own hashtag #thatwanakatree !! This is one of many many photos I took that day – definitely worth walking a mile in the blazing hot sun in flip flops.

On my walk back to the YHA, I noticed the path I was following was a timeline. As a millennium project, Wanaka wrote the history of the world on 2,000 tiles along the lakefront promenade. Each tile covers the important events, discoveries, and achievements of that year/period. As the timeline approaches the 18th century, facts from the local community start to appear.

 

As we departed from this lovely haven, we were off for more adventures further South! Thank goodness, our driver was a saint when it came to pit stops for photos!!

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Thunder Creek Falls

Fantail Falls

Driving in New Zealand is a true test of the stomach. You may think you’re immune to carsickness, but you haven’t zoomed around these corners on a bus…This was our longest day of driving, and most of it was in the rain. Thank goodness I brought my ipod.

(note to reader/future NZ traveler: There is an evil in the South Island called the sandfly. They are fierce and they are many. Bathe yourself in bug spray, wear long pants/skirts, high socks, and whenever possible keeps your windows closed if you want to avoid being eaten alive and scarred for the next month)

Our final stop was in the eternally wet Franz Josef. An itty-bitty town, made for backpackers, glacier climbers, and people who like to be damp.

I had planned to go sky diving over the Southern Alps here, but was warned that the weather was the ultimate decider. Sure enough, the rain proved too dangerous for any sort of high flying. So we did what everyone does when it rains, karaoke. Oh yes, I melted some faces with my Oh Darlin!  I impressed a Brit, so I consider that a win.

The two days we spent here were a wash (hehe) due to the ever-present rain clouds. But we made the most of it by trying some delicious nutella-filled donuts, carving our own jade jewelry at Te Koha Gallery, and embracing the wetness at the Glacier Hot Pools.

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We left for Greymouth the final day to catch the TranzAlpine railway back to Christchurch.

So what did I think of my week with Haka Tours?

They are extremely helpful, keeping an online messenger on their website should you ever need to ask a ‘silly question’ you can’t answer on the site. My questions ranged from what airlines to use to which boots would work best. My tour guide was super friendly and always keen for an adventure off the beaten path. He definitely made it feel like a road-trip with your mates, rather than a boring tour bus. The price is pretty reasonable, given the US exchange rate, my money definitely went further. $600 NZD was around $400USD. I always felt safe with this company, not that New Zealand is a sketchy place. Everyone I came across was uber-friendly. GO SKY DIVING. It is so much cheaper in New Zealand than the U.S. because of the exchange rate. You can’t afford not to.

I have two things that annoyed a bit, but weren’t total deal-breakers.

• If you don’t want to purchase Extra Activities, you’ll have a lot of downtime
  There is one thing I wish they would’ve been a little more upfront about. There are a zillion things to do on these tours. Skydiving, white water rafting, cliff jumping, hot air ballooning, pretty much anything fun and extreme is within your grasp. These are all add-ons to the tour, time spent away from the group and whatever the tour would be doing normally (if you were the only one who signed up for an activity). But that’s just it. There were no ‘normal tour activities’ for those who opted out of spending their life’s savings on every single activity. We spent two and a half days in Queenstown and I was bored, having done my paragliding early the first day. The tour guide basically leaves you to your own devices, taking the days off. For a 7 day tour, I thought it strange to pay for 2 days of no actual ‘touring.’ I’m not saying I needed someone to hold my hand and show me down every street, but I think there needs to be an organized/planned option/activity for those tour members that choose not to do extra activities.
• Shorter Tours are added on to longer ones
  This may be just me, but as this was my first ‘tour group’, I was looking forward to sharing this experience with a new group of people and possibly make new friendships, or at least ‘vacation friends.’ I chose to go on a 7-day tour called the South LICK tour, which is solely on the South Island. As we met up in Christchurch, I realized I was one of five people joining a group of 11 that had already been traveling together for a week in the North island. There was a clear dynamic of ‘the original group‘ and the ‘add-ons‘. It sounds so high school, but it got on my nerves. Seats on the bus were ‘claimed’ (all adults mind you), rapport was established between the tour guide and the original group, meaning pit stops, music selection, and meal locations were decided. I would have at least liked a say in the decision making. Maybe that’s the draw to tour groups, that you don’t have to make decisions, you just follow the group wherever it leads. Maybe I’m just not a tour group person!

Would I do this again?

Maybe. If I were doing a longer tour and was with a group of my own friends. Going solo, on the trip I selected, is not something I’d like to repeat.

Lake Tekapo & Queenstown

 “Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.”

                 -J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)

I tell you, I felt like Thorin Oakenshield himself passing o’er the misty hills of the South Island. I am grateful however, that I didn’t have to go on foot.

I haven’t been a passenger on a road trip in a very long time, and it was a hard adjustment. I didn’t control the music (uf, that was a tough one), I didn’t control the stops, and I had virtually no foot room the entire week of traveling. But, complaints aside, the view from my window was pretty great.

Our next pit stop was Lake Tekapo. I could’ve stayed here all week. It doesn’t offer much for entertainment or night life, but the view was spectacular.
The world was quiet here.

We stayed in a YHA (Youth Hostel & Accommodation & Travel) that had a certain charm to it. Despite the dewy musk, I rather liked the communal living. What I did not enjoy was sharing a room with five other people. Did I mention it was co-ed? Yeah, not used to that. I honestly hate sharing my living space. (haha, why did I do this, right??)

After some greasy Chinese food, we headed for a nice soak in the hot springs . It was a great start to the trip, and we girls bonded over a long walk back in the rain.

Sadly, we were set to leave this cove of serenity the next morning, but I managed to sneak a few photos in before they left without me.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, built in 1935, was the first church built in the Mackenzie Basin.

I couldn’t get over how beautiful this place was. It’s the perfect location to disappear for a week or two and just enjoy creation at its finest.

By lunch, we pulled into Queenstown which sits right on the edge of Lake Wakatipu.

Here we stayed in one of Haka Tours‘ hostel locations (yay no dewy sheets!!). The space was much smaller, but the amenities made up for it. We had two kitchens at our disposal, free WiFi, a TV room, and it sat in a prime location just a block from the center of town.

 

We spent two and a half days here, which was a nice break from all the driving. I sampled some New Zealand brew which wasn’t bad! It was a little bitter for my taste, but definitely drinkable. Also tried out the famous Fergburger which was delicious, but the twenty minute order line was a little ridiculous.

On the drive in, I spied some para-gliders overhead and thought it looked fun.

So I did it.

Was it amazing? No, not really. I was looking forward to more….well, just more. I’ve been skydiving before and I think that was the problem. There is no real thrill to para-gliding. The best part was running off the cliff. From there on, you’re sitting in a harness for a few minutes and then you land. I asked my instructor to do as many ‘tricks’ as he wanted, so we spun and rode the wind currents as best we could, but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

This wasn’t their fault at all. In fact, I highly recommend this experience for families, even for kids! There isn’t an age limit as far as I know, just a weight restriction. So young, old, anybody can do this, trust me. It is a very mild ride.

I figured I’d enjoy the view since I was already up here. Got some crepes n’ coffee and did just that.

Queenstown was a quaint little tourist town (dubbed the adventure capital of New Zealand) that I would end up revisiting later that month! (but that’s another story)

As we drove out of town, The Remarkables looked well….remarkable! On to Wanaka!!

Charlie Chaplin in Christchurch

After a blissful wedding weekend in the North, I headed down South to Christchurch. I was to spend the evening with another friend from my time at Disney!
These two ladies were lovely and the most gracious hosts!

They are also blessed to own a majestic Persian queen named Frida. I am not a cat person, but she was real cute. She showed her love and/or curiosity all night long, tenderly pawing my face. Or she hates me.

Alas, we would only spend one night together as I was leaving for my first ever Tour Group the next morning. Thankfully, my dear friend took me for a quick drive around the city and a last-minute-supply run. I forgot to get a converter at the airport. This is safe right? Meh, it worked like a charm.

We had lunch at the cutest cafe that could’ve been plucked straight out of Portland. Local art covered the walls, re-used industrial materials were given new life and purpose, plus, a secret bookcase door lead to the bathroom. Oh, and the bathrooms?? Depending on who you choose (Luke, Leia, Han…) you are read to while you do your business. I got to listen to a bit of Harry Potter! Let me clarify: there is not a random dude sitting on a stool reading in each bathroom. It’s a speaker people, simmer down.

This place was honestly my favorite part of Christchurch. Those tubes you see on the ceiling? They deliver fries. There’s also an old sewing machine which doubles as a water fountain. You have to run the pedal and turn the wheel. It’s hipster heaven, I know.

Another perk was a doorway that led to a video shop next store. That’s right. A good old fashioned movie rental store (and also a theater). They had categories! They were so specific and fun, plus apparently they change often. I’M MOVING TO NZ TO WORK HERE. I never wanted to leave. The only downside was this heinous thing:

This statue was so unsettling!! I didn’t notice that it wasn’t a person until I stood right next to him, and his red eyes were staring me into a pit of hell fire. Real creepy. First thing to go on my list.

As a thank you to my lovely hosts, I wanted to give them something special. I noticed they had a few original artworks hung from their friends. I decided to paint their dearest feline, Frida. She was an excellent model.

So, back to my super exciting Tour Group!! It was seven days long, covering most of the South Island. A friend recommended Haka Tours to me, having just went on a two week tour with them and loved it. Her pictures looked great, and their website was super helpful and detailed, complete with online helpers who answered any question I had, no matter how stupid.

They have a road-trip-with-your-mates approach rather than a rigid schedule of long speeches over the PA. This sounded perfect to me, so I went for it. As my first day was in Christchurch, we walked the city for a bit, funnily enough, re-visiting a few places I’d already been (including the cafe!).

Some history on Christchurch –  In 2011, the city was hit with an earthquake, causing several aftershocks for months afterwards. The city was devastated, leaving an eerie skeleton behind. After five years, there is still much work to be done. Where once stood the pride of the city, Christchurch Cathedral, there are piles of rubble and unstable scaffolding.

It truly was a somber sight, but seeing how people have come together in light of what’s happened was encouraging. On many buildings were massive works of street art, making an otherwise desolated place, look beautiful.

I was joining a group of sixteen people, eleven of which had already been on tour for a week on the North island. From here we were headed to Lake Tekapo. Which is where my next post is headed!

Suitcase Life: Conspiracy, Cronuts, & Corn Mazes

Denver International Airport is impressive.

While I was googling for some great exterior shots, I realized it had quite the controversial history…

It is considered (by some) to be the site of the Illuminati headquarters in the event of a nuclear war. The conspiracy is pretty intense. I’m not saying I believe it, but there are a few weird shenanigans going on.
But as LeVar used to say, Don’t take my word for it, see for yourself!

Had I known this while I was there hours early for my flight (I always do this, I’m uber-paranoid about missing flights or being late in general), I would’ve paid more attention to the creepy murals.

Instead, I nearly had a heart attack walking by the airport bookshop, seeing this on the shelf.

I love Stieg Larsson’s work. Lisbeth Salander is one of my all time favorite anti-heroines. Imagine my surprise to see a fourth installment in the Millennium series, which was cut short due to the untimely death of the author. I was very skeptical in the beginning. Before reading anything I looked up the new author and their  connection to Larsson.

It was a let down. On the one hand, I loved jumping back into the world of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, but I guess my expectations were too high. It was the dialogue. That will kill a book for me. If the conversations aren’t believable, the whole book is lost on me. I still read it, but I wasn’t happy about it.

So, back to D.C. one final time. I had already said my goodbyes once back in August since I didn’t think I’d make it back before I left the country. Lucky me, I had a weekend off and took the metro into the city just in time for the H Street Festival.

I love H Street NE. I was fortunate enough to have lived a block away from it. It has all you need: beer, coffee, tea, and Giant.

It took some serious self-control not to buy all the DC swag. I loved walking those 12 boozy blocks one last time with two of my favorite people. Megan and Kelley were my DC parents. Meaning, I went to their house almost every Sunday for dinner and a show, spent the night when I got drunk on my birthday, and binge-watched True Detective for an entire day on their couch. They may only be a few years older than me, but I adopted them.

Meet Rex. Megan and I met him on our way to Union Market for breakfast. Look at those wrinkles!!!

Should you find yourself in Northeast DC on a Saturday morning in need of a delicious brunch, go to Union Market and get a knish at Buffalo & Bergen with their bacon bloody Mary (ask for a pickle). It is so bad for you, but so good.

Megan bought Cronuts. I was a bundle of health that weekend, I know.

As a thank you for hosting me for the weekend, I made a house pumpkin for them as it was too early for a ‘halloween’ pumpkin.

With barely a week’s rest, staying in Leesburg, Virginia, we were off for one last trip before Korea, back up to Wisconsin.

The lifeblood of all writers. Yes, I am a caffeine addict. I used to be all snobby about coffee, coming from the great state of Oregon (the haven of the almighty bean). But, I’ll take just about anything as long as I’ve got milk n’ sugar. I did realize that I need a coffee press. I think it would help curb my cup limit, being such a hassle n’ all (cue eye rolling from non-lazy people).

As Milwaukee showed its true colors, rather its icy winds, I hunkered down inside and began another book; the long anticipated Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I read The Hobbit years ago, but hadn’t ever made the commitment to the massive sequel. I figured since I had a 15+ hour flight over the Pacific ahead of me, Tolkien wasn’t such a bad idea.

This is Deuce. He hates everyone.

We went to an apple orchard to soak up the fall colors. Corn mazes, haystack towers, and fresh cider really made me feel at home.

This sent me over the edge though. This thing was incredible. Disney had some good ones, but there’s nothing like a home grown apple with freshly made caramel.

The day was coming closer. We would be flying to Detroit soon, and then the long trek up and over Alaska and back down to Seoul, South Korea. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t looking forward to flying over an ocean. (I was an avid LOST fan…) I resorted to Tolkien therapy for comfort.

I had my final trip to Target, the love of my life (you could not buy a better supporter,patron, and obsessive admirer, please, for the love of the dollar spot, sponsor me), where I bought these. The shoes I would stare at, wishing I could pull them off, but forlornly pass by.
I decided if I could wear them anywhere, it would be Korea.

So there you have it. Mid June to roughly the first week of October living out of a suitcase, fueled by the love of friends, family, and books.

Suitcase Life: Arches & Airways

Before leaving Utah, we wanted to make a quick stop in Arches National Park. I could’ve spent a week in Moab just to hike and see as many arches as I could, but alas, we had but a few hours, I was hungover, and there are over 2,000 of them.

We decided to pick the few that were very short distances from the parking lots. It was super hot guys.

From afar, in the center you can see Delicate Arch which is considered the most famous natural stone arch in the world.

Our next arch was in a random patch of sandy dunes, a natural choice for those seeking a pretty easy trail for the already light-headed.

Sand Dune Arch

Some of us were not as excited about the sand.

I wish I would have been more energetic that day, the landscape was incredible.

A little further down the trail was Broken Arch, my favorite.

This thing was steep. Sarah is basically a spider monkey and practically walked right up. Me, being the unsteady photographer, had to grit my teeth and hope I didn’t die running upwards.

What was even more terrifying was letting a complete stranger hold my very expensive camera to take this photo. If they ran away with it, there was no way I’d catch them from up here.

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In spite of the heat and the complete lack of electrolytes, I was quite proud to witness such a beautiful piece of nature.

And we were off, waving goodbye to the strange rocks of Utah and Eastwards to Colorado…

By far, the cutest thing we saw on the very long, boring drive to Castle Rock, CO.

We stopped in Vail for dinner and leg-stretching. Truffle fries, while delicious, were a terrible choice.

Sarah and I had worked together, but never got on the friend-level at Disney, so it was nice to get to know her better on this mini-trip. She made me want to re-think my career goals, owning a beautiful home at 26, but I could never be a dental hygienist…

After a fun day of shopping, I was back in the air and back to my home-ish area in D.C.

Suitcase Life: Bells, Bouquets n’ Boots

Now on my second month of travel, I arrived in Denver, Colorado for yes, another wedding. However, this time I was in the bridal party.

The bride-to-be and I had worked together at Disney and fell in friend-love immediately. When I needed a little crazy in my life, she was the one to call. And if she needed someone to pick her up in the middle of the night and hold her shoes, I’d be on it.

We had the Bachelorette party in Grand Junction (a four hour drive from the airport). This was a quiet town, and even quieter on a Wednesday, but we made our own party. We walked to Volleys, a volleyball bar. Guys, these exist. It was amazing.

Afterwards, we needed karaoke, but the not-so-nice DJ clearly avoided our requests in favor of the locals. Hey man, I get it, but c’mon…

Luckily, he let the ladies close out the night with “Red Neck Woman”

We only lost one girl, but she was fine. She wanted to go home and sleep in her bed rather than share the hotel room. SMART. I was the party-mom and got everyone slowly but surely back to the hotel.
I am a jedi with drunks. The guiding force is with me.

The next morning, groggy and hungover, we got manis and pedis. Thank heaven for massage chairs.

We drove across the border to Moab, Utah. This place is beautiful, guys. I felt like I was stepping into an old Western. But most importantly, it’s where I got to meet this little handsome man!!

For just having a baby, the bride was looking dang good. Baby boy was too! We were pals right away, we even drove out to the wedding site together. It was a gorgeous drive, but it was also long, twisty, and incredibly rough. I feel for everyone who drove with a low-seated car or camper. The ‘roads’ were more like pot holes with random flat spots. I got lost twice.

Once we were out in the middle of nowhere, I couldn’t stop taking photos. The view was incredible.

This is Castle Valley. If it looks familiar, well it should! This area is used quite often for filming locations.

John Wayne had several films here (see it in the back)

As well as Thelma & Louise, John Carter, The Lone Ranger, Galaxy Quest, Mission Impossible II (ugh, the worst one), and the marvelous Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

This was the view from the bride’s family cabin. We were out in the La Sal Mountains, just outside of Moab, Utah. Breathtaking, to say the least.

It’s always weird meeting people for the first time, especially when you all kind of have to be friends for the bride’s sake. Fortunately, we all got along pretty well. Whether it was the happy-wedding vibes or the steady flow of champagne, we’ll never know.

Waking up to this was marvelous. I highly recommend taking a trip out here. Camp, stay at the lodge, go horseback riding, or visit the film museum. There’s even a winery! I definitely plan on coming back here someday to hike some trails take it all in. (and we both know when I say hike, I mean walk a little and take photos)

One of my fellow bridesmaids, Sarah (another former Disney coworker) couldn’t bear another minute without cell service. So we snagged one of the dune buggies and set off to find some bars. Trouble was….we didn’t pay attention…or look how to get back…

Though the views were gorgeous and awe inspiring, we were starting to get a little worried.

Getting lost in the middle of nowhere is scary enough, but risking the wrath of a bride getting married later that day??
I think our fear led us back.

We all made our own bouquets from the local foliage, plus some red and orange daisies.

All primped and pretty!!

As the time drew nearer, the nerves set in. I wanted everything to go perfectly for her. I wrapped the bouquets in burlap, lent her my favorite songs to walk down the aisle to, and put on her veil. By the end of it, I was a blubbering mess.

Never have I needed to keep it together more and failed completely. I cried the whole ceremony. Hopefully they were the gorgeous, Top Model tears that gently caress your cheeks…

They said I do and the party began! The newlyweds had to kiss every time someone rang the bell.

I’m so glad I decided to bring my camera. These two were way too cute.

Once the keg was flowing, it was rough getting anyone to stay still for a photo…

Bridal Growlers for the Happy Couple. (They’re doing it right)

This is the right way to wear a wedding dress. It’s one day, ladies. The dress is merely a tool to show the world what you already know; you’re hot and off the market.

The groom was already getting silly, and the night had only just begun!

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It was such an incredible weekend. We all felt so close by the end of it. You bond over things like: whiskey, keg stands, and late night snacking on food-you-would-really-regret-eating-later-that-night.

At one point, Sarah and I needed a midday nap. Cowboy boots are rough, and hot! (my feet were a’cookin in the Utah sun!)

While I probably had one of the best times ever at a wedding, being in the bridal party is hard work. It may seem like a party, but there’s a lot of planning and holding-the-dress-while-she-pees that goes into it. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I’m fine waiting a few years for the next one.

Packing up, Sarah and I prepared to leave for Colorado. She lived just outside of Denver and graciously offered to drive me back to the airport. However, she couldn’t leave without a selfie with the fearless cows on the gravel road.

This is selfie-commitment guys.

Back on the road again….

Suitcase Life: Seaside Oasis

If you are looking for a quiet coastal town, with beautiful coastlines, wonderful people, and the ability to walk everywhere, Seaside is your gig.

I had come here once before with just my parents a few years ago. When she suggested bringing everyone there, I quickly jumped on board, especially if it meant I could take my car on another road trip! (I really missed her – my car – her name is Coco)

After stopping at Cannon Beach to eat at Mo’s, (see here) we made our way north, BUT we ALL had to pee. The only thing in sight was a tiny winery with a sign saying, ‘Not a Public Restroom.’So we did some wine tasting first, flashed my adorable nephew’s smile and got to pee.

Mom found a great spot in Seaside right off the water that rented condos.

The decorations may have been a little dated, but that’s just coastal Oregon for you. They live outside of time.

With two rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and dining room, it was plenty for the 6 of us. (well, 5 and a half. My nephew isn’t that big, plus there was a pull-out couch-sorry bro)

Waking up to this was pretty amazing. I love the sound of the waves. I plan to retire on the Oregon coast (unless I find a place in the world just like it). My days will be filled with writing, drinking copious amounts of coffee and wine, wearing leggings, fuzzy socks, and messy buns. My only requirement is a view of the bitter cold Pacific.

This view wasn’t terrible though. I loved having a hilly horizon again. Living in Florida and then D.C., I was lacking in the awe-of-nature department.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a family vacation without a rousing game of Scrabble. This lasts a minimum of four hours because my family is so dang competitive (and my dad takes 10 minutes a turn). But we load up on snack bowls and popcorn and laugh and giggle our way through it.

Our last morning before check out, I decided to try a quick watercolor of the view. It may not be a Monet, but it was a relaxing way to greet the day.

Seaside has lots of things to do for the family. Carousels, mini golf, bumper cars, hiking trails, scavenger hunts, etc. It’s also just really pretty to walk around in.

I missed living 40 minutes away from this little bug. My nephew is truly the love of my life right now. He could ask me for every cent in my bank account, every book on my shelf, every piece of clothing I own and they would all be his. Instead, he’s happy to read stories with Auntie and snuggle. He’s just perfect.

It was our first family vacation as adults. Meaning we were all out of the house, living our lives, some with their own families. Coming back together for the first time in 5 years was definitely strange, but a good strange. There was a learning curve on how to act, but by the end we were picking on each other like old times.

Before we left, we had to walk the coastline one more time. Why do we call it a Coast and not a Beach? Oregon doesn’t have beaches. Our water is frigid, the sand wet, sometimes just pebbles and rock. There is no ‘tanning’ or ‘laying out’ on them. There is trudging, clamming, pulling-your-windbreaker-tighter on them, but no, no beaches.

Sinking with Auntie. Apparently Hagrid took my nephew for a walk. (aka my beach hair)

Even though you can’t feel your toes, there’s just a rule that if you’re on the Coast, you gotta get in the water.

If just for a weekend, we loved every minute we spent together. We ate all the crab, played scrabble, quoted the Princess Bride, fought over who drank the last cup of coffee, and taffy. Sooo much salt water taffy.

And do you think I went home after that?

Nah, I was homeless remember? It was off to PDX again to fly down to Colorado.

NOTICE: Do not wear cowboy boots on an airplane. Especially if you’ve recently strained your foot.