May 17th, 2012
Since we first started dating, Ned and I have always talked about our dream roadtrip. Packing everything in the car, rolling down the windows and just driving straight west. Stopping when we see something interesting. Cruising through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country and seeing it up close, instead of out of some airplane window. Ideally, some sort of retro teardrop trailer would be involved. It’s always been a nice dream, something to plan on for future days.
Well this year we decided to stop saying “sometime” and actually make it happen! In about a month, we’ll be packing up our little car, filling our iphones with audiobooks and heading out on a 3-week do-or-die, no-holds-barred drive across the western half of our big country. All in all, over 5300 miles. We might be insane.
We’ve had a rough plan of attack for a while but the other night we sat down, opened a google doc and started mapping everything out. Google docs is my saving grace for times such as this. Here, my friends, is a short list of all the planned stops we have so far.
Also…if any of you have great recommendations for places to stay/see at any of these stops I’d love to hear ‘em. We’re staying with family in Portland but the rest is all open!
This trip is quite the undertaking, with many chances for a lot to go wrong. But that’s what makes it an adventure, right?
4 Comments
October 13th, 2011
It took some time for us to decide on a honeymoon spot. We’re naturally very adventurous, not really the beach-going types so we thought about taking a long road trip. Then, after considering it for about 2 seconds we realized the added stress of that on top of a post-wedding brain was just asking for trouble. We then went through the usual suspects, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Greece however in the end, knowing that this would be the one time in our lives (that is, of course, until we become super-millionaires) to do something totally extravagant. So we thought of the most ridiculous place we could imagine going, and after a bit of investigation, booked a trip to Bora Bora!
We spent 6 nights in a hut on a small stretch of land the middle of the Pacific ocean. The ocean waves on one side and a bright turquoise lagoon on the other. Like I said, neither of us are “beach folk” but the silence and calm here were just heaven.
Real coconut milk!
The bungalows were simple but well designed and perfect for 2 people. Recently renovated they were a lovely and even had a section of glass floor in the center so you could look down and watch the fish! We had our own little porch with steps down straight into the water.
The resort we stayed at had a huge man-made lagoon in the center of the property which was home to tons of fish (all safe kinds) and a sea turtle refuge. We just discovered this when we got there but it was by far one of the coolest parts of the place. You could snorkel in the lagoon with the adorable sea turtles and not worry about any pesky sharks or stingrays.
After seeing these little guys I spent the rest of the weekend quoting lines from the sea turtles in Finding Nemo. “Duuuuuuuuude”. Ned didn’t find it nearly as entertaining as I did.
Cheesy but I couldn’t resist!
So much snorkeling.
Ah wonderful, wonderful shade.
The sun was strong here…so much so we both got some pretty gnarly sunburns on our 3rd day. We took it as a sign that we belong in Minnesota but were proud to at least achieve some sort of tan line. Most of the people there were ridiculously bronzed in that healthy, European sort of way.
So many breathtaking sunsets…
Dining next to the lagoon at night.
All in all, it was a perfect week. It couldn’t have been more relaxing and just the change of scenery that Ned and I both desperately needed after the past few months of planning and preparation. Everything I could have hoped for and now I can check “super-crazy-lux-tropical-vacation” off my bucket list. ;)
Also, I’m starting to upload my Instargram pics on Flickr and I have a few from our trip up there now. Check em out!
cheers!
8 Comments
April 20th, 2011
A couple weekends ago Ned and I were able to slip away for a long weekend in San Francisco. My brother has lived out there for a few years and I had yet to visit so when the opportunity came up, it was hard to pass up.
We spent the first day driving down highway 1 right along the coast and down to Santa Cruz. It was a little overcast but the landscape was gorgeous.
After a stop for lunch & shopping in Santa Cruz, we made our way back north through the winding mountain area that lies just south of San Francisco. (I learned a LOT about the geography of Cali on this trip too…). It was full of redwoods and just stunning.
For me, this view was the highlight of the whole trip.
I was pretty shocked at how many FroYo shops there were out there. And so delicious!
This was a little puppy-friend that I made while waiting in line at a coffee shop. Such a sweetie.
The second day we headed into the city. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much green space there was in such a dense city. Coming from the midwest, I have this view of California as one large, hot, sweaty parking lot. I realize how un-true this is but still I didn’t expect to be able to see so many un-touched green hilltops while standing in the middle of the city.
We strolled around the bay for a bit and taste-tested some amazing street food. Pst…I had the lamb taco and it was ridiculous.
We were staying in Japantown and it turned out to be the weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival which meant lots of people, great vendors and more amazing street food. I’m a sucker for surprise food-on-the-go.
With a little time on day 3 I spent some time window shopping and stumbled upon my favorite online shop, All Saints’ brick & mortar store. Although there’s no way I could really afford most of anything they sell, it was absolutely gorgeous. The front window is covered, floor to ceiling, with antique sewing machines. Inside it’s full of large black studio lights covering the ceiling with huge industrial metal and wood furniture around the store. Clearly, I get pretty nerdy about merchandising but it’s so fun to see a shop really know their brand and fully design every part of the experience. Plus…then I just want to buy everything I see.
It was so fun to get away and see someplace new, even if just for the weekend. I’ve officially changed my tune on California (at least the Northern half). Even on the plane trip back Ned and I were plotting our return.
2 Comments
September 30th, 2010
Thought I’d pop in and say hi as I’m about to head out the door to mail the last of a few custom orders and then we’re off to the airport! I can’t wait to get away for a while, visit with old friends and explore some of the familiar places in Europe. Thanks to all of you who sent me your info…I can’t wait to send off cute little postcards! Both shops, OhHi and Locality will still be open while I’m gone (just don’t be surprised if I don’t respond to an email for a few weeks).
Cheers kids! Be back soon.
September 28th, 2010
This week my lovely twitter friend Andrea from Kempt is adventuring across the ocean to Iceland. (Ah, so jealous! Want to go back!) When we discovered we’d both be in Europe at the same time we figured it was only right to send a little postcard back home for the other the have when they return. Who doesn’t love getting mail?
Well, I got to thinking that it would be fun to send postcards to a bunch of you blog/twitter friends, like Andrea, that I haven’t *yet* met in person! Since I’ll be avoiding all forms of internet/phone/email it will be good to keep in touch the old fashioned way. I might be getting in way over my head here but I’ll be spending a significant chunk of time on cross-country train rides and I’m sure I’ll have blown through enough podcasts of This American Life to last me a year. SO, if you’d like to receive a little postcard “hello” from the road in Europe, shoot me an email at ohhi.shop@gmail.com or DM me on twitter with your mailing address sometime before Thursday. Yay…looking forward to sending off little notes to you along the way!
cheers!
1 Comment
September 16th, 2010
In 2 short weeks the boy and I are headed out on a very long-awaited trip to Europe! We’ve been talking about this for almost a year now and I can’t believe it’s here already. It’s our first time traveling overseas together and we’re going to some places he knows, some places I know and some new places for both of us. It’s going to be a long trip (2.5 weeks is a long time for two work-a-holics) but we’re spending half of the time with family and friends which will be a great change from staying in hotels every night. Here’s a little overview of what we have planned for the first 2 weeks in October…
We all (me+ned+ned’s parents+ sister) fly into London and then Ned and I quick hop on a train and head North to Filey, an old little fishing village where Ned’s grandparents live. I’ve been hearing stories about this town since we started dating and it sounds beyond adorable (plus his grandma is a baker…so maybe I can get some tips!). It’ll be a great place to relax and explore over the weekend. The following Monday we’ll hop on a train and head back to London and catch up with his parents and sister.
After a night in London we’ll all take the chunnel to Paris for a night. His fam will be staying a bit longer in Paris while Ned and I make our way East to a little town called Colmar in the wine region. I’ve only ever been to Paris and Rouen so it’ll be nice to see a bit more of France.
Then we head East into Germany where my lovely friend Katie is au-pairing for a family near Freiburg. Katie and I lived in Germany together a few years ago so I can’t wait to be back there with her. A few of our friends from Spain might even make a trip over too! This region of Germany is gorgeous, especially in fall. After a weekend with Katie, Ned and I head North up to Hildesheim, the town I used to live in. It will be strange being back without any of my friends there but I can’t wait to show Ned around to all my favorite little places around the town. My home away from home!
A few days later we’re going to Sylt, someplace I’ve been wanting to visit for a long while now. It’s a long skinny island in the North Sea and the northern most part of Germany. It’s a little wonky to get to but I’m so glad we planned this into our trip. Hopefully it’s not too chilly! Lastly, we’re heading over to Amsterdam to round out our trip. Last time I was there, my friends and I ended up finding a great deal and rented an entire apartment for the weekend from this woman for the price of a hostel! Well, it’s four years later and I found the same woman again (yay for keeping contact info) and guess what…she still rents! So we’ll be hanging out in our own diggs for the last two days. Not too shabby.
I’m going to be working like a maniac before we leave to make sure everything gets finished but I’ll still be taking orders while I’m gone, it just might take longer for me to get back to ya. I’ll try to keep posting a few things here and there. Thanks for letting me share….I can’t wait!
cheers!
5 Comments
August 19th, 2010
I’ve been planning a big “Return to Europe” trip for the beginning of October which has me re-living my time I lived there almost 4 years ago. (Dang, has it really been that long?) I’ve been finding myself aimlessly rummaging through thousands of photos and videos on my hard drive, reliving trips, late night parties with friends, bike rides in the German countryside…the list goes on. I love how now, with the volume of photos and videos you can collect over a few years, it can make experiences from 4 years ago seem like just yesterday. Anyway, I digress.
In the middle of my late-night photo ramblings I came across pictures from Iceland. It still stands up there as one of my most favorite trips, so I thought I’d share. Iceland is such an incredibly beautiful place. It’s quiet and everything feels very still but very powerful. One of those rare times where it is exactly, of not better, than you imagine.
cheers
1 Comment
June 8th, 2010
This past weekend I was finally able to go on a mini roadtrip with my mister to one of my favorite places, the northwoods of Minnesota on the banks of Lake Superior. It’s a relatively short drive, about 2-3 hours, and as your get farther north the trees change to pine and birch, the air gets brisker and everything feels a little fresher. Although I didn’t grow up near an ocean, there’s something wonderful about being close to a large body of water and feeling that endless space between you and the horizon. As soon as we hit within 20 miles of the coast it was foggy which made everything feel mysterious and quiet. (much better than sun in my opinion) It’s early in the season so there weren’t too many tourists which made for some peaceful, uninterrupted hikes in the woods and along the coast.
Someday, when I’m old and tired of life in the city, I want to build a house with a little studio and make pretty things near the pine trees along the banks of Lake Superior.
2 Comments
