Yosemite

One of my favorite places to visit every once in a while is Yosemite National Park. It is just so breathtakingly gorgeous, particularly in fall! I love that it is only a 4 hour drive from the Bay Area, which makes it extremely doable for a weekend trip.We took this particular trip there in November of 2015. I desperately needed to get away for a day and forget about school, so we took off for the mountains! We drove most of the way on a Saturday night, stayed the night at a a small motel, and then drove the last hour to Yosemite early the next morning. My dog came along for the adventure, of course, and he loved every second of it. I think he fits in pretty well in the wilderness, don’t you? :)
I packed us a special picnic and we found a private area to enjoy it along the river. It was so nice sitting in nature and eating yummy food!Me and my favorite adventure partner :)I hope you enjoyed this peek into our fall Yosemite adventure! Looking through these photos has me wanting to go back again!

xoxo,
Jess

*all photos by Jess unless otherwise noted

5 Things to do in San Diego

Though I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am originally from San Diego and my heart is torn between Northern & Southern California. So, since I know quite a bit about the San Diego area, here are 5 things you could do on your next visit there!

+ Go to the beach
This is obvious and definitely my favorite thing to do! I particularly love the beaches in Encinitas and Coronado.

+ Visit the Carlsbad Flower Fields
Every spring time, the flower fields in Carlsbad bloom and they are a gorgeous sight. You can get up close and see them for yourself.+ Explore Old Town
This is a great place to explore if you want to learn more about the history of San Diego and its beginnings.

+ Go to Balboa Park
If you enjoy museums, this is definitely the place for you! Balboa Park is also just a very pretty, historic area to walk around.

+ Visit the Oceanside Pier
Walking along the pier on a nice day is one of my favorite things to do. There is also a diner at the end that you could reward yourself with a milkshake or burger at too.

+ Bonus: Go to the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, Seaworld, or the Safari Park (formerly the Wild Animal Park). These are obvious, touristy things, but worth mentioning in case you are interested in them 🙂

These are just a handful of things you can do in San Diego! There are definitely plenty more things and places to explore.

xoxo,
Jess

*all photos by Jess unless otherwise noted

Fall Camping Trip

Over the weekend, I went camping with my boyfriend and our two dogs. We went to Joseph D. Grant Park, which is just in the hills of San Jose and is perfect for a short weekend camping excursion! My boyfriend and I have been together for 5 years, but we had never gone camping together before, so it was really nice to do something new! We don’t own any camping gear, so my friend was kind enough to lend us everything we needed.
We arrived around 12:30pm on Saturday and then went for a 3 hour hike! At Grant Park, there are over 50 miles of hiking trails, so we had a great time wandering around on them and ended up at a gorgeous lake. In the evening, we roasted some hot dogs over the campfire and made s’mores too of course. The weather was pretty perfect and it wasn’t too cold.

Even though it was a short trip, we had a really wonderful time and can’t wait to go camping again! Plus, it was nice to cross something off my fall adventure list!

xoxo,
Jess

*all photos by Jess unless otherwise noted

5 Things to do in San Francisco

As you may know, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have accumulated quite the list of places to go, things to do, and itineraries for friends & family’s visits, particularly for the city. I thought I would share a few tidbits of that info for your next visit to San Francisco!
+ Hike Lands End
There are many different spots around the city to get a nice view from, but the view from the Lands End trail will forever be one of my most favorite. Lands End is a fairly moderate, dog-friendly hiking trail that gives you the sense of being somewhere far away, while still being in one of the greatest cities. The reward for your hike is breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge that definitely won’t disappoint!+ Visit the Ferry Building
The Ferry Building is a marketplace filled with many local artisan eateries and companies. It is a wonderful place to have lunch, do some shopping, and get a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee. It is also on the water and offers lovely views of the newly reconstructed Bay Bridge.+ Have a picnic at Dolores Park
On a warm, sunny day in San Francisco, Dolores Park is the place to be. Gather a picnic and a couple close friends and enjoy taking in the view of downtown. Bonus tip: get ice cream from Bi-Rite Creamery right across the street from the park. You won’t regret it!

+ Visit the Museum of Modern Art
The MoMA was recently closed for 3 years of renovations and just opened back up this year, so you should definitely check it out. It was pretty great before the renovations, so I can only imagine how amazing it is now!+ Go to Off the Grid at Fort Mason
Off the Grid is a gathering of food trucks that happens around different parts of the Bay Area throughout the week. The largest and most “happening” one is on Friday nights at Fort Mason Center, right on the water. It only happens during the spring/summer months, so check the Off the Grid calendar ahead of time!

I hope this has given you some ideas for your next trip to the wonderful City by the Bay! It was fun putting this post together and has reminded me it is time to visit some of my favorite spots in the city again!

xoxo
Jess