The weekend before last we drove down to Santa Cruz for a hike and some Mexican food. Ever was sleepy and stayed snug in the Bjorn for most of it even though it was 70 degrees out. We walked West Cliff Drive by the water and watched the surfers off Cowell’s beach, then walked out on the pier and on the beach down by the boardwalk. Afterwards we ate enchiladas at Manuel’s. Santa Cruz is just the right distance for a day trip for us. I can see us coming down here in the future and teaching her to surf if she’s into it. : )
Last weekend we went out to one of our favorite beaches, North Beach at Point Reyes. We’ve been here manytimes but coming back with Ever was really awesome. She slept most of the time under the shade of a beached log. The dogs were stoked to run around. They chased the ball and stopped to sniff washed up bull kelp and crab carapaces. It was sunny and warm (by Northern California standards) with barely a cloud in the sky, rare for a place that’s usually blanketed in a thick layer of fog. We bundled Ever up in a bear coat we found on some department store’s sale rack. I think it confuses the dogs, like…is she a human or is she another animal…?
Trey hoisted Ever on his shoulder so I could take a photo of them in front of the waves. Keeper chased plovers in the surf. I distracted Jack with the ball while a pit bull passed us. Anyone else’s cattle dog like to pick fights with dogs they’d obviously lose against? You’d never guess it, but Jack has some kick to him. I’ve become a master at reading the situation. Incoming confident big dog? Yeah he’d nip that. It’s ok we love him.
Anyway, it was the best way to spend a Sunday. On the way out a few whale spouts on the horizon caught our attention, likely some humpbacks passing through.
Ever is 7 weeks tomorrow. It will be fun to bring her here to the cliffs to spot whales when she’s older. She is the happiest, smiliest, sleepiest kid. My dream baby. I’ve been meaning to write more but there’s not too much to report. Life is slow at the moment, in the best way. Ever sleeps a lot right now. We watch a lot of day time television. Lots of rheumatoid arthritis commercials. Life is good.
This past weekend we went for a walk in Walnut Creek, a town just east of us. The only Dunkin’ Donuts within a 20 mile radius of our house happened to be on the way and may have been the incentive for going all along. Early mornings with a newborn call for coffee. The dogs chased the ball and Ever passed out in the Bjorn while we walked on the trail. Trey took some photos of me and Ever in a field when she woke up and got hungry. I couldn’t help but smirk while editing these photos because of how much of a proud mom I look.
We’re starting to get out more and more. Last week Trey went back to work and Ever and I went to the mall in San Francisco just the two of us. It was easier than I thought it would be, minus a diaper blow out in Bloomingdale’s and fending off looks from midwestern tourists while simultaneously feeding her and jay walking in Union Square. Come at me, Kansas!
A few weekends ago our friend and wedding photographer Phil Chester was in town shooting a wedding not too far from us and stopped over to spend the day hanging with us. It was so much fun laughing and exploring parts of the coastline we hadn’t been to before with him.
We hung out at home for a little bit drinking bloody mary’s and chatting, then got some tacos and headed north up to Point Reyes. It was foggy and windy and everything a summery northern California day on the coast should be. We drove past cows and rolling hills and walked along the cliffs just above the water. Then, like clockwork Lola decided to break down and we played games until a tow truck came to bail us out. These photos are so special to us since we never got around to having engagement photos taken (hehe). It was so rad to hang out and have him capture us in our natural element. I can’t wait to get some printed to hang around our place!
This past weekend we went down to Santa Cruz to check out some skate/bmx spots. We stopped by Blue Bottle coffee first to fill up our Stanley vacuum mug with coffee. Then we headed south in search of an empty pool Trey found on Google Earth. Empty pools are a dream to ride if you’re into skating or bmx. Or just want a rad place to hang out.
We pulled off on this back road just off the highway, woods on both sides. There’s never any signs or arrows leading to the good spots. They’re hidden like gems you really have to seek out. The pool has been there since the 1970s and is somewhat of an icon for the Santa Cruz skating scene. Technically it’s private property, but locals say it’s ok to use as long as the woods are kept clean. We finally found a trail that led up a hill and through the brush. After walking for a little bit, we came to a clearing to find a totally empty, abandoned pool to ourselves.
It was hot, really hot. I’m glad the dogs were at home staying cool. Especially Keeper, she gets so hot with all her fur. When we were packing up to leave for the day and she saw Trey’s bike being wheeled out, she howled because she wanted to come with so bad. Next time, girl. I love her so much. Anyway, we switched from coffee to ice water with the Stanley insulated growler. Trey rode around, grinding on the side of the pool and getting some air out of the deep end. I got a tan in the sun. It was awesome just to be out in nature with each other.
We’re always happy to bring Stanley products along with us on our adventures. We have so many of their products around the house. Every morning Trey makes coffee and takes it with him in the vacuum mug on the train in the morning. He skates with it in his bag since it stays sealed. Every night we use the Stanley insulated pints for ice water. The growler is great too. We fill it up with ice water and keep it with us in the truck for the dogs, but you can also fill it up for beer and bring it camping too (which we’ll be doing soon). The options are endless. If you’re looking for a gift for Father’s Day, Stanley is a classic choice that’s perfect for outdoorsy guys. I can confirm that dog dads appreciate them too, ha!
This post was sponsored by Stanley. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting those who support Wildlandia.
It was beautiful all weekend here. The temperatures were in the high 70s and 80s both days so we practically lived outside. On Saturday we went on a bike ride around Berkeley and Oakland, then on Sunday we went to a swimming hole up north.
This past weekend we got to see San Francisco Bay from the sky. It was incredible. We took off from Sausalito (just north of the Golden Gate Bridge), then flew over the city, circled around Alcatraz and the east bay, before heading north along the coastline up to Point Reyes. It was so cool to look down and see the giant redwood trees in Muir Woods, and take turns spotting gray whales off the coast. Trey capitalized on the opportunity to look for drained swimming pools in the area from up above (for riding bmx/skating). Jack was our co-pilot. Well, actually, we decided at the last minute that it would be too loud for him in the plane (preserving his hearing was more important) – so he stayed back on the dock with Ava, the woman who wrangles the plane in after it lands (thanks Ava!). Once we landed, Jack jumped inside the plane so he could see what we had been up to! It was so much fun. We were reminded just how beautiful this place we call home really is.
I’d probably have to say my favorite parts were flying close to the Golden Gate Bridge and seeing the huge cliffs on the coastline. It was so cool to see another perspective of the San Francisco Bay. That, and seeing Jack on the dock doing his happy dance when we returned. When we were leaving the dock and about to go home, Jack tried to take a short cut and stepped (front paws only) into a foot of ebb tide mud and got stuck up to his shoulders. Trey had to pull him out like a cork stuck in a bottle of merlot (I use this analogy far too often when describing our dogs, come to think of it)…
As you know, we’re into living life to the fullest. Experiences rank higher than any material good could to us. For this experience, we used IfOnly, a company that specializes in “Experiences For Good”- extraordinary experiences that give back to charities. We loved it – and it’s great if you’re looking for something local to do while visiting a new city, or even doing something extravagant like meeting The Weeknd backstage or that hunky Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. IfOnly is a great marketplace for incredible experiences. Not to mention an awesome way to give the gift of adventure to your friends and family.
IfOnly is offering $50 off a unique experience of your own using code: wildlandia! Check them out here. This post was sponsored by IfOnly. All content and opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting those who support Wildlandia!
This weekend was sunny and clear (thanks for gettin’ lost, @Karlthefog!), so on Sunday we headed over to the Outer Sunset to spend some time at Ocean Beach.
On the way, we popped into The General Store (same one that’s in LA’s Venice neighborhood) and Mollusk Surf Shop to pick up a few goodies, then checked out Outerlands for a bite to eat but it was closed (the place is always poppin’ – we’ll have to come back), and grabbed a coffee and a lavender + honey shortbread cookie at Trouble coffee before heading to Ocean Beach.
Ocean Beach is a popular surf spot for the brave. San Francisco’s beaches are notoriously cold here…52-56 degree water! Then it’s usually also blanketed with a thick marine layer, making for a pretty chilly experience. Living in San Diego and Florida really spoiled me with warm water. Here you’re lucky if you get away with anything less than a 5/4 mm full wetsuit year round. It was really windy and Trey joked that he was “naturally exfoliating his skin” by standing into the wind and letting the sand hit him in the face. The dogs loved it so much. The beach, not Trey getting hit in the face. Ha! I never get tired of seeing them run wild on the beach. After that, we drove through the Haight where we used to live and made a stop at our favorite vintage shop Wasteland, then gave our old pink building a wave as we drove by on the way home. Janis Joplin lived on the top floor in the sixties. We lived in the garden apartment a few years back. There used to be these ghost tours that tourists would take in the Haight. Our building was one of the stops and the group would congregate right outside our window on the street while the tour guide would talk about how the ghost of Janis haunted the building. Sometimes we’d play along and flash the lights just to hear the “Agh! Omg!” reactions.
Then it was over the bridge and back to sunny Berkeley. Just before arriving home WE SAW IT. The weiner dog in a backpack on a bike. It was so cute I could hardly keep it together. Bay area people are the coolest. I’ve been snapping our trips on Snapchat. We get pretty silly…we’re @wildlandia, wanna be friends?
In a few weeks we’re heading to the Philippines for some sun, diving, and island hopping. I’m so stoked! Visions of fresh local seafood, fruity drinks with slivers of citrus, and limestone cliffs that fall into turquoise waters have been dancing in my head. I’m excited about the marine wildlife too, of course. Dolphins! Sea turtles! Sharks! Nudibranchs! Dugongs! Well, those are extremely rare where we’ll be from what I’ve heard – they are a relative of the manatee, which we swam with while living in Florida. But, who knows. Whale sharks are also around, which we free-dived with in Mexico. Anyway, Here are a few things that will be in my backpack/carry-on:
1. A few good tanks
2. Some polarized shades
3. A bandana for keeping my hair back
4. Coconut lip balm
5. A pair of old Levis jeans I made into shorts – “jorts!”
6. My trusty sandals
7. Reef-safe sunscreen for exploring coral reefs and leaving no finprint behind.
Other things I’ll take:
A gauzy dress I’ve had forever
A swimsuit
The backpack I always carry Chacos
Has anyone been to the Philippines and have recommendations? What do you usually pack when you go somewhere tropical? I’d love to hear about it!
