#753: Camp In Santa Barbara

My photographer friend Diana and I decided to go camping last weekend in Santa Barbara. Little did we know how windy, muddy and cold it would be. Yet despite our lack of sleep, our adventures made up for it.

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#752: Play Host in San Diego

After Jackie and Will’s pomegranate wedding came to a bittersweet end, two fellow wedding friends told me they only had one day left in Southern California. With 24 hours left at our disposal, I played host.

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#751: Wedding on a Pomegranate Farm

Best wedding I’ve ever been a part of. My two life-long friends said “I Do” on a pomegranate farm, inside that tree. No wifi, only friends, all weekend long, UH-mazing.

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#750: Stand on Top of Torrey Pines.

Do you know where one of the best spots is to watch a San Diego sunset? It’s a tough call–there’s so many in this city–but I know one. It’s on top of Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego, CA.

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#748: Surf The Original Dog Beach.

I surfed, I dogged, and I conquered. That day the tide was low and my Surfline app reported good surf weather. So with my brick of a Costco 8″ board, I trekked to San Diego’s original “Dog Beach.”

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#747: Keep Austin Weird.

And just when I thought I’d seen it all, life surprised me. Tonight, on a warm summer night in June, Austin’s bat colony decided to take flight in their annual migration from this bridge, where 1.5 million bats flew from in under 3 hours. YIKES!

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#746: Party on a Denver Rooftop.

When your little bro turns 27 and you realize you’re not getting any younger, measures need to be taken. Luckily, we knew a guy with a sweet view to the Denver skyline to throw Kevin an epic 27th.

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#745: Pass A Bottle to Mr. Jones.

Laguna Beach wasn’t all beaches, billionaires and babes. Somewhere in the back of a hole-in-the-wall dive bar called The Marine Room, I found a funky, blue grass band and a man who defied the “Cali” norm.

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#744: Eat A SlapFish.

I’m always on par for challenging my inner taco snob and today I came face to face with my match, the Slapfish Taco. These noshes hail from a tiny dive, so don’t blink because you might just miss them.

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#743: Taco Me Tuesday, San Diego.

Think I found my new mission in life: Try every single taco joint on the West Coast and decide, once and for all, which taco looks, smells and ultimately TASTES the best. Well today, that mission was accomplished.

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#742: Take Every Foodie Liberty Here.

San Diego has been waiting for the Liberty Public Market to open for a while but his lucky duck moved here just in time for its Grand Opening. Today I came, I saw, and well, I half conquered what my belly could hold.

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#741: Join An SD Writer’s Group.

After attending today’s Ocean Beach San Diego Writer’s Group, I learned the ultimate “can’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover” lesson: Everyone has an interesting story to tell, but not everyone is a good storyteller.

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#740: Vote In A California Election.

DO I WANT TO VOTE?! let’s just say, Frank–my ardent, democratic roommate–and I were so excited to vote we named our apartment internet Wi-Fi name accordingly. “Trump Your Own Horn.”

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#739: Rum Smuggler’s Cove.

The Pirates of the Caribbean might be stopping by later. Because here, at Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco the rum is NEVER GONE. The Goonies… no One-Eyed-Willie… no Jack Sparrow would have been proud.

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#738: Brunch At The Cottage, SD.

Perfect Sunday Funday: Dining al fresco, cozying up with a

#737: Catch A Show At The Indie.

It really is true. Great bands become great by starting

#736: Dog-Sit in San Francisco.

I don’t get enough attention. EVER. Play with me. Please!

#735: Yappy Hour At Internos.

Ya know those friends you don’t see for a while,

#734: Meet a Famous Designer.

She was just as divine as I imagined. And her

#733: Hi-Rise View of Petco Park.

Aunt Mollie and Uncle Ray were in town last week

#732: Crave Dunkin’ Donuts In SoCal.

Aunt Mollie will always be the funny, happy-go-lucky, wicked awesome

#731: Explore Cabrillo Nat. Monument.

When I say we explored San Diego’s Cabrillo National Monument,

#730: Visit A Bookstore, Built of Books.

Officially named “The Last Bookstore” this quaint Downtown LA bookstore might

#729: Drive Up CA’s Coastal Route.

It’s America’s most popular roadtrip for a reason. Many a

#728: Patio Dinner At The Patio, SD.

*Tear* We said our last goodbyes to Dennis tonight. He was leaving

#727: Defy Tradition, Drink Apple Pie.

When you can’t have the famous apple pie from Julian,

#726: Sunday Brunch At Queenstown.

Pro-tip: If your family’s in town and you’re hungry for

#725: Y You Should Visit The SD Y.

Why visit the YMCA? It’s cheaper with a no-hidden-fees style

#724: Enjoy A Patio-Side Brunch.

Easy on the eyes like a Saturday brunch at Union

#723: Run Along San Diego Bay.

I don’t really go to Church. I pray when I

#722: A Hail Mary of Bloody Mary’s.

Never mind the pickle, what IS that creature? It’s the

#721: Hike A Snake-Infested Reserve.

Friend Megan and I finally caught up after weeks of

#720: Avoid Panic With Pannikin.

No panicking at this coffee shop. With open-air seating and carefree ambiance

#719: Go Gourmet At Gourmet Bagger.

When you remember that one amazing turkey sandwich in that

#718: Meet With A NatGeo Designer.

The closest thing to living my National Geographic dream was

#717: Work For A Flower Company.

I’ve always thought about working for a flower company. So

#716: Eat A Slice Of Heaven, Or Pie.

Give me all of the toppings. Now. Please and thank

#715: Grow A Mini Succulent.

These succulents are brave little guys, but I think they

#714: File Taxes As A Freelancer.

Filing your taxes when you’re freelancer slash contractor is a PAIN IN

#713: Don’t Forget South Park, SD.

Found a new reason to stick around San Diego today:

#712: Geek Out At TableTop Commons.

Friend, Dennis and I were just looking for a simple, local San

#711: Scream For Ice Cream.

There’s a sweet side to Newport Beach, California that you

#710: Visit A U.S. Best Farmers Market.

Arguably one of the best farmer’s market in the U.S.

#709: Cruise Down Hollywood Blvd.

An amusement park in itself, Hollywood Boulevard is a spectacle of

#708: See the Iconic Hollywood Sign.

Hey, Hollywood! What’s your dream?

#707: Trek To the Griffith Observatory.

After leaving the LACMA earlier this morning in Los Angeles,

#706: Eat Rosemary’s Baby… Burger.

Two reasons to come to The Mustard Seed Cafe: 1) You

705: Visit The Lake-Less Silver Lake.

Bad news, guys. There actually is no lake in Silver Lake;

#704: Make Honor Roll At Public School.

If you know a bartender here at this bar, you’ll

#703: Top of the Perch, LA.

Ahhhh… the best nights are often times the unplanned, spontaneous

#702: Hotels Tonight In Koreatown, LA.

A king side bed, a beautiful bathroom, a view to

#701: Parts Unknown: Koreatown.

Of ALL the celebrity-loved, world-class-inspired, 5-star award-winning restaurants and cuisines

#700: Coffee @ Grand Central Market.

From almond soy lattes to pupusieras to homemade flax granola

#699: See All The Lampposts In L.A.

Another landmark checked off the bucket list today: Los Angeles’

#698: Mexican Brunch At KaynDaves.

The little Mamacita in me ALWAYS wants deliciously spicy, pepper-infused Mexican

#697: Muscle Down Venice Boardwalk.

#696: Visit The Venice of CA.

Hidden gem in Venice Beach, CA. I never knew these

#695: Stand on Mount Soledad.

What makes any Monday a little better? A breath of fresh

#694: Largest Nude Beach in the US.

Nice hike! Glorious beauty! Hang gliders overhead! Oh… and some

#693: Easter Sunday at Scripps Pier.

Being Easter Sunday, my favorite holiday, I wanted to spend

#691: Visit An Urban Winery.

A TOAST!!!…. To delicious, mouth-watering California wines, in general. To

#690: Balboa Park Japanese Garden.

#688: Go Zoom Zoom For Mazda.

Yep, I’m a little obsessed with Mazdas. I had a

#681: Play Hooky, Do Brunch Instead.

Ahh, that holy trinity of meals that I can’t ever

#680: Spend Valentine’s Day With Mom.

What’s the best gift to give Mom on Mother’s Day?

#679: Be In Two Places At Once.

The U.S. has several spots where you can be in

#678: Dip Your Toes in the Pacific.

What’s better than watching a San Diego sunset? Watching a San

#677: Run Along Torrey Pines Beach.

Bucket list item complete: I traversed the rocky plain of

#676: Hike Torrey Pines State Park.

Livin’ on the edge. Literally. 

#674: Stay In An AirBnb in San Diego.

Look what Mom and I found right outside our Airbnb

#673: Play Tour Guide in San Diego.

Any San Diego local will nonchalantly tell you there is more

#672: Smell the Stink of La Jolla Cove.

With its gorgeous bluffs and shimmering waters, one would think

#669: Visit the Nation’s Best: San Diego Zoo.

Though expensive, the trip was worth every penny of my $90

#668: End Your 30th With a Sunset.

Ahh bring me that horizon!

#667: Hi-Rise Patio Bonfire.

#666: Eat Fresh Fish From The Pacific.

Living by the Pacific Ocean, it’s only natural for this

#665: Visit The Mysterious Victoria Beach.

Holy shipwreck, what IS that thing?? A pirate tower? Yep, it

#664: Run The One Thousand Steps Beach.

Eat your heart out, stair master. Today I got double

#663: Play Frisbee in Waterfront Park.

  

#662: Have A Favorite Airline.

Virgin America. Best airline ever. If not for its excellent

#660: Spot Your First Winter Halo.

#643: A Charleston Waterfront Wedding.

The BIG day we’ve all been waiting for is finally

#641: Deep Fried Southern Thanksgiving

Charleston, SC: the perfect place for a deep fried, delicious, family-centric,

#304: Be A Foodie, Eat at True Food.

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#Get High On the Pacific Coast Highway, Hike and Drive The Big Sur.

The Golden State holds just about any challenge you could

#300: Knock SD off the Bucket List.

I’ve lived in Cali for over 2 years now. You can

#315: Go Pumpkin Carving in SoCal.

Pumpkin carving, in all its guts, glam and glory. This

#303: Visit Taco Heaven: Lucha Libre.

Mouth still watering. Belly still wanting more pickles, salsa and

#57: Stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden and Golden Gate Park.

#: Get a haircut at the Patrick Evan Salon.

# Eat the lobster roll and clam chowder at Woodhouse Fish Co.

# Wear at least three layers at all times. And own just one wardrobe.

Living in San Francisco means… Never leaving the house with

# Get the quintessential farmers market basket.

I’ve had many a farmers market weekends. So many I

# Drink the holy trinity of California culture: Wine.

Take a seat at any table in California and almost without exception

# Eat your way through the city, at a street food festival.

Today was on par with a Man vs. Food episode. My chef

#54: Eat at Sol Food. Get a taste of Puerto Rico.

A former co-worker at Restoration Hardware (hi, Shante!) turned me onto Sol

#Take Out-Of-Town Guests to Jane For Breakfast.

If you’re craving brunch during the week; want oversized muffins,

#89: See the Entire City from the Marin Headlands.

        

# Explore the San Francisco Bay Trail.

One trail. Two very different views. My view last year

# Go on a Crazy, Fun, Whirl-Wind Summer Date.

There are dates (the kind you laugh about over cocktails)