fieldtrip to sequoia & kings canyon national park

Took a one-night fieldtrip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, a much-needed retreat! Highlight: I saw my first shooting stars! One especially bright one with a long tail flew through the constellation, Cygnus, as we were gazing at the Milky Way galaxy. 🌌

Take your own fieldtrip to see the redwoods with the full itinerary...

fieldtrip to the california poppy fields

It's wildflower season! Here's the inside scoop for getting the best California poppy (our state flower!) pics...

fieldtrip to seattle, washington

Last month I finally went to Seattle for the first time ever and came back completely enamored with the emerald city. Granted it was the most perfect sunshine-y weather, but regardless it was a wonderful trip! It felt like a small town with friendly locals, the scenery was stunning, and the coffee beyond compare.

Based on my trip, I put together an itinerary for a three-day weekend getaway that is sure to satisfy any foodie, explorer, and urban adventurer. Here's the plan...

fieldtrip to tuolumne meadows

I bathed in the bright river, sauntered over the meadows, conversed with the domes, and played with the pines. –John Muir

If you've never been to see the natural wonders of Yosemite National Park, add it to your bucket-list. The towering mountain peaks, glacier carved canyons, and roaring waterfalls are a humbling sight to behold. While it is usually the iconic Half Dome and Yosemite Falls that are evoked on mention of Yosemite, the lesser known Tuolumne Meadows (pronounced: two-all-oh-me) in the Eastern most part of the park has sweeping majestic views, a crystal blue lake, and magical bubbling springs. If you're going to Yosemite, why not spend a night and go on a secret escape from the summer crowd? Here's the plan...

fieldtrip to yosemite national park

Yosemite Park is a place of rest, a refuge from the roar and dust and weary, nervous, wasting work of the lowlands, in which one gains the advantages of both solitude and society. Nowhere will you find more company of a soothing peace-be-still kind.
—John Muir

Yosemite is a place of unparalleled beauty, but it's hard to find the time between the duties of daily life. (Who needs money and a house and civilization anyway—right?!) If you only a weekend to steal away, here are a few of my favorite things to do in the iconic Yosemite Valley...

Mariposa Grove: Standing amongst these towering ancient redwoods, one can easily imagine giants among them. This is the best and largest grove of giant sequoia trees in Yosemite and you've probably never seen anything much like them before, unless you've been to Muir Woods.

Unfortunately there is an extensive amount of fire damage due to the Rim Fire in August 2013, which burned more than 200,000 acres of land near Yosemite. Fear not though, plans to restore the area are already underway.

My favorite tree in the grove is the Grizzly Giant. This gnarled old redwood looks as if trees are growing out of the tree itself. Somewhere between 1,900-2,400 years old, his weathered soul practically emits wisdom.

Glacier Point: There's no better way to see the vast expanse of Yosemite Valley than Glacier Point. The granite domes roll endlessly on and if you go after a less dry year, the roaring waterfalls shimmer endlessly down. Don't forget to stop at the Tunnel View and take in of El Capitan and Half Dome as you drive back into the valley.

Mist Trail: Although there are over 800 miles of trails in Yosemite, my favorite one (so far) in Yosemite Valley is Mist Trail up to Vernal Falls (3 mi roundtrip.. Winding stairs through a steep hillside meadow leads you to the top of Vernal Falls.

I haven't hiked Half Dome or the Panorama Trail they are on my bucket list.  I need to train a bit more before I go on the 14 mile Half Dome hike...not for the feint of heart.

At bases of the waterfalls you'll find rainbows dancing around the water. During full summer moons, you can go to Lower Yosemite Falls to see moonbows at night. I'd love to go then and see that magical occurrence!

Merced River Rafting: The best way to tour Yosemite Valley is to sail right through the heart of it on the Merced River. You can rent a raft at the park for $31/person or bring your own blow-up tube/floaty device and glide down that way, which I recommend. With California in a severe drought the river is already pretty low making the raft to push over shallow river rocks. The better question is why wouldn't you want to raft through Yosemite on an inflatable turtle??

There's lots of wildlife to be seen and a spectacular view of Half Dome. Jump in and out of the cool mountain water at your leisure. It's usually around 80-90 degrees in the summer!

If you opt to raft, buy some bread and cheese at Yosemite Village store and pack a picnic lunch to eat on the way down the river. Make a pit stop at one of the sandy beaches to eat, swim, and check out the view.

These are just 4 of my favorite things to do in Yosemite Valley the few times I've visited. There are still many things to do and see, I'll be back! If you have any suggestions for me let me know in the comments, I'm always looking for new adventures. :)

xo from catie

fieldtrip to muir woods

Surrounded by tall ancient giants flickering and pulsing red, we soaked in the warmth of the fire as the steady beat of water pounding rocks filled the air mingling with the crackling flames and birdsong lullabies. If you're itching to get out of the hustle and bustle of city life, you'll find respite on a trip to giant sequoia groves of Muir Woods and a nearby camping retreat...

Carved into a steep valley (Be warned you carsick folk, like I!), Muir Woods National Monument is tucked away in the hills a little past San Francisco. Feeling Nature's call, I grabbed a few friends for this rendezvous up North. On arrival, we meandered around the boardwalk to learn more about the redwoods, which drink up to 500 gallons of water per day via fog. Surprisingly though, they have a very shallow root system—only 5-6 feet deep but spread out hundreds of feet in an intertwined network creating a base for a tree that can grow over 300 feet tall!

One member of the group climbed Mount Baldy untrained the week before and had some joint pain in her hip, so we opted for an easier 2.5 mile loop up the Ocean View trail and down Fern Creek Trail. It ended near a log bridge and access to Fern Creek, so we stopped to soak in the serenity.

You can't actually camp near at Muir Woods National Monument, so we drove an hour North to Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Situated among the giant redwoods along Lagunitas Creek, it's the perfect sanctuary to pitch your tent. We brought a million blankets so we would be padded and cozy in the chill forest night. Inside the park is a 30 minute walk to a swimming hole but if you find a good looking spot you can take a dip anywhere you please. Watch you're step though, there's poison oak!

With the gurgling stream to set the mood, we grilled corn on the cob and skewered sausages. (Aidell's Italian Sausages are my camping go-to.) For dessert we roasted pears and apples, but my favorite was the banana, which caramelized perfectly—camp food tastes so much better. Cleaning up is important, everywhere really, but here especially. There are gutsy masked-bandits that will walk right up and steal a midnight snack so leaving food out is not the best idea unless you want raccoons to ransack your campsite.

Minds cleared and refreshed, we woke up to chirping birds and packed up before heading out, but hopefully we'll be back again soon.

Happy travels!

xo from catie

fieldtrip: boating in marina del rey

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)/

it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

-E.E. Cummings

The wisdom of the waves mingled with the smell of salty sea spray clear out tangled thoughts and make your worries melt away. But without the funds to own a vessel, land-bound seems the only way to be. If you're in Los Angeles, here is an affordable idea to navigate out of the harbor and into the ocean blue...

fieldtrip to palm springs, california

On a whim, my friends and I decided to throw our cares to the wind and book a trip to nearby Palm Springs for a quick, relaxing getaway! Little did we anticipate the 110 degree weather we'd encounter, but nonetheless it was a great escape. Based on this weekend experience, I've concocted the perfect two day retreat...

fieldtrip to the living room

It was one of those nights where no one wanted to make the effort to get ready, go to a bar, and end up feeling mega-tired (and/or hungover) the next day, but we still wanted to get away and do something fun! But what are you supposed to do at 10 p.m. on a Saturday?? Well you don't have to go too far, or anywhere at all, to find a brand new adventure!  Here's a fun staycation idea for your weekend...

align ballet method

Being forced to do something is never a good thing. I felt this way for months, nay years, when Mom made me take ballet classes. Of course in retrospect Mom always knows best, but at the time it's nearly impossible to see the benefits that she sees. At the end of my high school dancing days, ballet and I definitely parted on bad terms. However, amidst my sedentary job, a need to move overcame me. So naturally I turned back to the one thing Mom made me somewhat decent at...ballet.

I've recently started taking adult ballet classes at Align Ballet Method. I can't stop raving about Michael Cornell and his amazing, empowering dance studio. There is no pressure, no recital, only positive, encouraging vibes. My roommate who had never danced ballet prior to January 2014 has progressed rapidly over the course of 5 months, it's really quite amazing. Ballet is one of the best workouts for strength, toning, and posture. Alignment is something Michael really focuses on, drilling its importance into us every class. From 25 year old men to 60 year old beginners there is truly a place for everyone here.

I dream of the day I'll once more be able to effortlessly tour jeté across the floor and perfectly pirouette. If you're living in Los Angeles and have ever had the inkling to give ballet a whirl, I can't recommend Align Ballet enough. As I've said before, start now! It's never too late!

xo from catie

the secret stairs of beachwood canyon

If you're ever looking for some great urban hiking, look no further than the secret staircases of the Hollywoodland hills. It's significantly less crowded than tourist overrun Hollywood sign hike and nestled amongst the glamorous hillside mansions making it the perfect spot to get a bun burning workout and a beautiful view of L.A. It's a real hidden gem...

¡viva el cinco de mayo!

Happy cinco de Mayo y'all!

Funnily enough Los Angeles and San Antonio, the two cities I've lived in most extensively during my 20 years of life, have been extremely influenced by Mexican-American culture. I've seriously been listening to Tejano and Mariachi music all. day. long. which is stuff my dad, yes my Japanese-American doctor dad, made us listen to a lot when we moved to Texas. (Think Linda Ronstadt: Canciones de mi Padre.) Good stuff.

Here is a mariachi tune I can't get out of my head. It seriously makes me want to head down to Olvera Street and fiesta! If you get a chance to go to Olvera street it is truly an authentic Mexican-Angeleno experience.

xo from catie

blue bell ice cream in los angeles

Dear Southern friends turned Angelenos,

I've got the most exciting news!!! There's a place in Los Angeles that sells Blue Bell ice cream! I repeat BLUE BELL ICE CREAM. If you are desperately needing a fix of that practically perfect in every way frozen goodness you can find it at Whipp'd LA. It's the only place that sells this rare unicorn of an ice cream in California. You can thank me later. ;)

xo from catie

the love train

So just a disclaimer, this is a date idea pretty exclusive to single people in Los Angeles. But if you fit that bill you're in luck!

The Los Angeles Metro is hosting speed dating on the red line for Valentine's day. Say what?! The concept sounds so crazy it just might work. Plus it would certainly make for a great "how we met" story. Unfortunately it's just for two hours during lunch, so I can't make it. Bummer. However if you manage to go, I'd love to hear about your experince!

Check out the details here to take a ride on the love train.

xo from catie

{ photo by Luz Lazo }

fieldtrip to tongva park, santa monica

I live in Los Angeles, but I have a love/hate relationship with it. However, once in awhile I run across a little gem like this, smack dab in a bustling area that I thought I knew like the back of my hand! Click through to check out more pics from Tongva Park in Santa Monica....

fieldtrip to joshua tree with Sky Guide

When you've been dating a person for awhile, it's sometimes difficult coming up with new, fun things to shake up that movie night rut you've fallen in to. Plus it's even harder when you're in college or recently graduated and money is tight.

Many of the weekend trip ideas I see are dates like renting a vintage airstream trailer on an ocean bluff or in a rustic yurt. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for that if anyone wants to take me there, but $150-$200 a night those trips are just not in my post-grad budget. So here is what I did a for a simple, alternative weekend getaway...

a glacial retreat

As I was lazing around on Sunday reading the latest issue of Kinfolk magazine, I came across two awe-inspiring, wanderlust-inducing photographs of glaciers by Vishal Marapon. My jaw literally dropped seeing the majestic beauty of blue ripples frozen in space. 

However, due to rising global temperatures glaciers are receding. So one day, maybe even in our lifetime, these changing, moving, growing, shrinking behemoths of ice will become extinct. Iceland, Alaska, British Columbia—I need to see these beauties. 

xo from catie

{ photo by Vishal Marapon }