Sailing and Sauvignon Blanc

Last Saturday was extremely hot, so my parents planned a day of sailing to celebrate my 28th birthday.  It turned out to be kind of a disaster - a battery that didn't work, which meant getting in and out of our slip without a motor (which lead to some injuries).  Add to that a lunch order that never came, and the worst possible service at dinner and you couldn't help but laugh.  However, we had wine and good company so the day ended up being pretty good (birthday cake remix from Coldstone also helped).

All photos of me taken by Stephanie Storc

Ruby Slipper Brunch & the Garden District

On our second day, we walked around The Marigny and ate brunch at the Ruby Slipper - by far, one of my favorite meals of the trip.  I had shrimp and grits with a biscuit the size of my head, and Prestyn ordered a fried chicken benedict and fried green tomato benedict.  After eating way too much food, we did some more exploring around the French Quarter and later took the St. Charles street car to the Garden District.  Walking around these gorgeous, old homes was like being in a movie - we loved it!

Sazerac, Gumbo, and Brass Brass Brass

New Orleans, Day 1

At least a dozen people told me I would gain a minimum of 5 pounds on my trip...however, Prestyn and I managed to walk more than 30 miles over our 4 night trip.  We did eat everything in sight: several helpings of gumbo, fried oysters, fried shrimp, fried catfish, about 4 variations of po'boys, a couple dozen freshly shucked oysters, fried chicken, beignets, and every manner of cocktails.

We landed on a Wednesday afternoon and our sweet Uber driver gave us tons of recommendations (our trip really wouldn't have been the same without debris and bread pudding from Mother's - I highly recommend it).  After settling into our Air BnB in the Marigny, we took the quick 5 minute walk into the French Quarter for cocktails and jazz.  We walked along the Mississippi, followed by our first giant feast and more fantastic jazz. (Fun fact: I got 5 mosquito bites while standing next to the Mississippi and spent the rest of our trip dripping in Skin So Soft).

Oh and here's a quick 15 second video that shows you exactly how our trip felt

PS all photos of me in this post taken by Prestyn McCord

Perseid Meteor Shower, Part 2

Since returning from our short camping trip, my thoughts when I first slip into bed are often of the Joshua Tree sky and its endless stars. One of my favorite memories will forever be lying on rocks with twinkle lights, sipping bourbon and nibbling on nutella s'mores.

Perseid Meteor Shower, Part 1

On our way home from our (freezing) Joshua Tree trip for New Year's, a couple of my friends and I decided that we must come back for the Perseid Meteor Shower (thank you Steven for promptly booking us an amazing group campsite).  Despite the 100 degree heat, I had such an amazing weekend - there's just something about Joshua Tree that you can't help but fall in love with.

A night sky so peppered with stars that it's hard to catch every meteor shooting across it, and a clear view of the milky way left me in awe.

Dockweiler Beach

One of the disappointing things about Los Angeles beaches is how few of them have bonfire rings: enter Dockweiler Beach, where you can build a bonfire in the sand when the rings have all been taken and no one seems to care about breaking any rules (including booze at the beach and illegal fireworks).  Also, you can get some great views of airplanes...  A few snaps from Russ's and Alex's birthday beach bash: