travel

Hiking with Yoshi at Cataract Falls

We took a longer road trip down the coast, stopping along the Mojave Desert on our way down to San Diego. Given it was still winter, there was a chill in the air, but tempered perfectly by the sun shining over the open landscape.

We wandered into the Valley of Fire for a short day hike with Yoshi. Along the way, we encountered several mini arches and marveled at the bright, red hues under the sunlight.

We lucked out with a last minute camping trip to Yosemite last week, staying at Upper Pines Campground. Here are a few snippets from our trip and views from our day hikes.

After a year hiatus from camping due to COVID, my husband was able to reserve one of three coveted camp spots along the coastline, nestled under the cover of cypress trees. We spent Valentine’s day here, just the two of us.

Sharing some of my night snowshoeing tips and my favorite gear. 

We returned to Sequoia this year. We watched the sunrise streaming through the trees, bathing the world in gold and bringing with it, the beginning of a beautiful day.

On one calm day, we woke up early for a short hike through Briones Regional Park, beyond the Berkeley hills. There is a sense of peace in the silence of nature, the gust of wind on your face, the crisp air that heightens the senses - the blades of grass that brush through your fingertips and mark your passage through the winding dirt roads traveled far and few between.

I’ve spent the last few days in Kauai with my husband’s family, basking under the sun, enjoying the beaches, snorkeling, and hiking parts of the Napali Coast. Here are a few family friendly activities and spots to visit!

On our second day in Mount Rainier National Park, my friend Brenton came to join us on a hike through the Burroughs. The fog intermittently cleared to reveal spectacular views of the mountain while keeping us cool throughout the day. We covered open fields of wildflowers to cliffs among the clouds.

We started hiking around 5pm on a Friday, crossing open fields of wildflowers billowing in the wind and rising above a sea of clouds. We walked along breathtaking cliff edges at the start of golden hour and cooked dinner to a stunning view of Mount Rainier framed by pastel clouds. We returned under the bright glow of a full moon rise.

A few weeks ago, we headed to Big Sur for what felt like the most luxurious camping we’ve ever done. We started the evening by setting up a picnic meal at our table and making grilled cheese. We breakfasted at Big Sur Bakery, followed by leisurely lounging at the beach and good company around a campfire when it got dark.

We headed into Sequoia National Park for a casual day hike at Paradise Creek Trail. We were greeted by a winter wonderland with snow covered trees, mountains, and rolling hills. As the snow continued to fall in large flakes, the world around us turned white.

We drove out to the Sequoias for a weekend of snowshoeing among some of the biggest trees in the world. We created our own path through the forest, hiking over five to ten feet of fresh powder in peaceful solitude created by the sanctuary of snow, trees, and sky.

My husband found this beautiful hike for us to try along Lake Chabot. We were greeted by mirror reflections in the morning, as we leisurely strolled along the 9 mile path.

We walked along the gold-dipped sand, under a pastel sky that continued to turn more golden as the sun reached towards the horizon, and enjoyed the last of the warm weather on a beach with a bonfire, friends, and breathtaking sunset.

We decided we needed to do at least one epic hike during our New England trip and settled on summiting Mount Webster via the Webster Cliffs Loop. We began the hike under the fall foliage cover of the trees…

We headed for the three notches of the White Mountains for a few days, taking in the beautiful fall colors and hiking our way to stunning views with good friends. Here are a few places that will take your breath away.

We headed for Maine to start our second week in New England, relaxing in the company of good friends who haven’t seen each other all in one place in a while. Bonfires, s’mores, hiking, sea kayaking, and fairy houses.

We decided to try chasing the fog again, hoping for the cascading billows of white descending down the rolling hills. While, the fog receded, we ended up with a romantic, warm evening watching sunset together.

On our second day in Mammoth backcountry, we hiked past alpine waterfalls, through river crossings, and snow to the spectacular views at Garnet Lake.

We woke up early morning last Friday to start the sunrise drive to Mammoth and begin our backpacking adventure in the backcountry.

I whisked my husband away to Point Reyes where we spent two romantic days exploring the outdoors and taking photos. We’ve been married for almost a year, but every day feels like a mini honeymoon.

During our last night in Mendocino, my husband found this secluded spot overlooking the town of Mendocino and the coastline. We came out here during golden hour to practice some photography.

We got up early Easter morning for a hike up Flag Hill in Sunol. Lined with plush, grassy hills as far as the eye can see, it was hard not to see green. Buttercups bloomed everywhere along the route. 

I was really happy we had a chance to hike the first and second flatirons. While we alternated between dry, hot spots to icy, snowy sections - we definitely lucked out on weather. The day after, the entire area was completely covered in snow with complete whiteout conditions.

Two Septembers ago, my husband and I decided to take a road trip from Vancouver to Calgary. It was a great way to experience Banff National Park in Canada. 

We spent part three of our trip exploring Vermont, indulging in good food, and embracing the coziness of autumn. We drove from Stowe to Woodstock, taking in the orange hues that peppered the countryside.

While in Portland, we took several photos of my mom and her friends at the public rose gardens. There's nothing quite like spending a sunny day with the scent of roses in the air and your watching your mom giddy with excitement. 

We headed to Portland for Memorial Day and joined my mom who was there visiting friends. Because she loves flowers so much, we started our weekend exploring the blooms at Adelman Peony Gardens.

Given we both needed to be in Seattle for work, my husband and I traveled together this time. We came a little earlier to spend some quality time together since I’d been in Boston the week before. 

While the work week was busy and very productive, I made a trip out to see the Garden in the Woods and do a bit of unwinding.

We woke up around four in the morning for a day trip to eastern Bali. We started the day with sunrise at the Temple of Lempuyang Luhur, followed by the beautiful pools of Taman Tirtagangga, and decadent water palaces. 

From Bali, we took a twenty minute flight to Lombok where we stayed in a bungalow along a private beach. From our bed facing the ocean, we watched the glow of sunrise and sunset every day.

In Bali, we’ve been getting up early to avoid the crowds and to take in the fresh air before the streets get crowded. We woke up again for sunrise to explore the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. It had rained the previous night, leaving water drops scattered across the grains and splashes of vibrant green across the fields.

We spent our first morning in Bali, walking along the Campuhan Ridge Walk at sunrise. After the months of rains back home, it was a refreshing change taking in the warm air and peacefulness of the morning as sunlight streamed through the mist to reveal the views along the ridge.

Here is the second part of our trip to Provence last July. We lucked out on timing and happened to be in Provence around the peak lavender season. 

Last July, I had a last minute business trip to Paris. After meetings in Paris, we headed to visit our office in Cambridge, then spent a weekend foodie tour of London, and finally a week in Provence.

We ended our stay in NYC with an amazing sailing trip on a private yacht. We took in the breathtaking views as the sky turned from gold to pastels and a darkened hue peppered in glittery lights like stars in the cityscape.

We spent a casual, romantic week in NYC celebrating our wedding anniversary. It was my first time visiting New York for pleasure rather than work. Here are a few places we visited during our trip!

My husband and I both have a sweetooth and love dropping by bakeries and cafes. Here are a few of my favorite spots during our trip to NYC!

When we first planned our trip to NYC, we knew there was a lot of good food, but quickly realized we weren’t going to able to cover them all. So here are the places we did try.

We spent golden hour cruising across the San Francisco bay. Somehow, in a week covered in clouds, we found ourselves embarking on a boat with a clear view of the city. And what a beautiful view it was.

We spent a short getaway visiting our friend in Santa Fe. When we landed, we drove right into some crazy, beautiful thunderstorm clouds that peppered the landscape.

The Dushanbe Tea House was gifted by Tajikistan and crafted by more than forty artisans between 1987-1990. It was a great place to relax and unwind after our morning hike. 

Pearl Street, located in downtown Boulder has much to offer including boutique stores, outdoor equipment, bookstores, and an assortment of cafes & restaurants.

Given the chilly weather, we spent most of our time eating in Boulder. Here's our foodie itinerary for Boulder over 2-3 days!

I whisked my husband away to Point Reyes where we spent two romantic days exploring the outdoors and taking photos. We’ve been married for almost a year, but every day feels like a mini honeymoon.

We took a little getaway to celebrate my husband's birthday. I booked this place on the water near Point Reyes Station. It had an incredible view, lined with windows on almost every side.

We spent a day exploring the Mendocino area, including a casual afternoon picnic on Mackerricher Beach. So we packed up some scones, our entire stash of cookies, tea, and headed out until after sunset.

Sharing some of my night snowshoeing tips and my favorite gear. 

To celebrate the first day of summer tomorrow, I’m sharing some of my favorite picnic baskets. It’s the perfect time to head to the farmer’s market and enjoy a picnic outdoors in the company of good friends.

Here are a few of my favorites for petite hikers. There are lots of sales already starting for Black Friday.