Big Sur

2015. 33. To ring it all in, we took a trip to Big Sur, a place so close and so beautiful I can't believe I'd never really been. The weekend was unseasonably, freakishly warm, and the drive down was a bit like a dream. 80 degrees, sunshine, the glinting Pacific, and whales. Tons of them migrating. You could see spouts everywhere. At one point we pulled off at a roadside vista where we stood with an older couple with binoculars and an aging hippie fixing his moldering VW. We watched whales pass by, announcing them to each other, and saw dolphins playing in the surf while we listened to sea lions bellowing below.

We stayed at Deetjen's, a very cool old collection of wooden cottages from the 1930s originally built by Helmuth Deetjen after the style of buildings in his native Norway. Inspired by the room they offer with a record player (it wasn't available), we brought our own along with a tote full of vinyl. The restaurant was just as charming as the rest of the place, and we had an evening drink at the bar as well as a great breakfast in the indoor garden-like dining room.

We spent our nights at Nepenthe, which is like heaven. It's hard to imagine a prettier place. Our fears that Big Sur in January might mean freezing wind and rain seemed laughable on warm nights drinking rose and watching the sun set into the ocean. I liked to snag a seat at the back deck for sunset and spend the rest of the time at the long wooden table overlooking the southern coastline.

Instead of the ambitious hike we'd planned on Saturday we did the short walk to McWay Falls and part way up the Canyon trail on the other side of the highway. There we found another waterfall, a stream, and plenty of beautiful wooded spots with rays of sunshine beaming through the forest.

Other must-dos were Big Sur Bakery in the morning for pastries, coffee and people watching (we also had a great, cozy dinner there) and the Henry Miller Memorial Library. Apparently they've stopped doing shows there for the time being, but you can stop in to browse and buy a curated selection of books and records, and wander around the quaint grounds of what was once the house of the author's best friend.

We found so many places I can see becoming favorites. I already can't wait to get back and do it all over again and explore what more Big Sur has to offer. Next time: bring binoculars for whale watching and call Esalen at 9am sharp to get a night bathing reservation. More pics over on Instagram.

Salvation Mountain

We visited Salvation Mountain this past October, just a few months before its creator, Leonard Knight, passed away. Made of adobe, gallons upon gallons of paint and a commitment to his simple message that "God Is Love," Knight's  colorful, religiously psychedelic Salvation Mountain garnered him a following as an outsider folk artist. There is something transcendent about his commitment to the mountain that draws a diverse crowd. Thousands of visitors have traveled to see his painstakingly hand-crafted monument, from art enthusiasts to hipsters to religious devotees. On the day we were there, a group of about 20 Mormons arrived and filed up the mountain together in a white-shirted line. Many visitors donated paint to keep the project going.

The future of the site has been uncertain since Knight  moved into a care facility several years ago, but from the looks of Salvation Mountain Inc.'s website and Facebook page, it seems they're recruiting live-in caretakers and planning a film about Knight. Some of his ashes were recently returned to the site, and visitors and friends helped to refresh the paint on flowers during a celebration of his life. Visit soon for a chance to see it in its current state and explore Knight's vision.

Thrift Thrills

Someone recently asked me what my favorite weekend looks like. Without thinking I blurted out: long and on a road trip. Road trips are just, the best. Even mini road trips to close-by but out-of-your-everyday-way thrifting spots. It feels awesomely free and perfect to be zipping along in a car filled with your best friends watching scenery go by whether it's beautiful or boring, hatching plans for future trips, listening to your favorite songs, and wondering what you might find sorting through the racks listening to oldies, and what you might eat and drink for lunch at the obligatory post-thrifting stop. Last weekend, I did all these things, and came away with a collection of new-to-me stuff that's just so crazy it works.

This vintage hat's shape and splash of orange trim called out to me from across the thrift shop. I feel like it's part Marni and part Holly Golightly.

 I love an ankle boot, and these are a great shade of washed-out cranberry suede.

 A colorful addition to my budding concho belt collection.

This caftan will either be an awesome dress or cover-up, or both.

Pioneertown To Palm Springs

 Last weekend we headed south to see Dum Dum Girls at Pappy & Harriet's, stay at the Pioneertown Motel in the high desert, drive through Joshua Tree and seek out some sun in Palm Springs. Here's what it looked like.