Mini-cation highlights

With the husband out of town, I snuck away for five days to Los Angeles and it was the perfect mini-cation to spend quality time with the family and friends. I love little getaways and am overly giddy for the Vietnam getaway in less than two weeks!!!

• i pho-king love this •

• mai being a bad ass biker •

• dad being a bad ass biker •

• together, they make a kick ass father-daughter biker team •

• cinespia: movie in a cemetery - best thing ever (except now it's too popular and overcrowded) •

Rose Garden Highlights

An evening with the sun setting at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden made for a perfect evening of fun photo takin'.

Andrew Molera's 8 mile loop trail

8 miles long...4 and a half hours long...bushwhacking through overgrown trails...playing the "avoid the poison oak" dance...super gusty winds.

Worth every moment:

• highlighted red is the loop trail we took •

• the big sur river that you have to cross (footbridge is only up in the summer) •

• river trail •

• hidden trail •

• hidden trail connecting to the ridge trail •

• ridge trail's view •

• redwood grove on the ridge trail •

• ridge trail connecting to the panorama trail •

• overgrown panorama trail •

• driftwood log jam at the end of the spring trail •

• bluffs trail •

• the reward after seven miles •

Sunset at Pfeiffer State Beach

We arrived at Big Sur on Friday afternoon and didn't have enough time to take a hike so we trekked over to Pfeiffer State Beach to watch the sunset. We spent about two and a half hours walking along the beach, being silly and taking way too many photos (actually, you can never take too many photos but I did go through the SD card and left the other card at the hotel room - oops).

Here are my favorite photos from Pfeiffer's Beach:

• looking down pfeiffer beach •

• ripples •

• love the color clash •

• where the wild things are •

• catching the sun - my favorite photo •

• orange glow •

• blue glow •

Scenery of Hwy One

I fall more in love with Northern California and all the secret gems that are just a short driving distance away. Every view was absolutely stunning and I can't wait to take Highway One again!

• house of prayers in carmel •

• viewpoint off the highway •

• rocky creek bridge •

• bixby bridge •

• other side of bixby bridge •