Road Trippin'

Hi friends, we’re back and just in time for Seattle’s first major heat wave of the summer. Ugg! After the past few days I have a new respect for all our pals in the east!

The past two weeks have been, simply put, amazing. As we all know by know, travel is my ‘word’ . . . a true passion, my fuel for life, my inspiration . . . well you get the point :). Seeing that our travels this year are all planned a little closer to home I was happy to be on the go but didn’t think I’d have a chance to experience that ‘my cup runneth over’ feeling my trips abroad always fill me with. Lucky for me, I was very wrong.

Our trips to Portland and then Sanoma were both great reminders that beauty, culture, indulgence, fun, fabulousness, experience, and inspiration can be found as close as the state, city, or neighborhood next door. Sometimes, you can even find it in your own back yard (literally).

My time in Portland inspired me to not forget about my passions, the ones that get easily pushed aside during the overwhelming routine of the everyday chaos. To embrace my love of design, the outdoors, family, entrepreneurship, sustainability, food, and friends and to recreate those passions to work for my new family. I could go on and on about this amazing city but let me sum it up with this: Portland is a city that makes you want to make the world a better place for your family, the world, and your family's future in this world, and where you're guaranteed to have a blast doing so!

The lowdown for weekend travelers . . .

Eat: Lovejoy Bakery
Shop: Posh Baby
Drink: Saucebox
Stay: The Nines
Take the kiddos on a hot day: Jamison Square (water) Park
Read: Powell’s Books

From top: My boys at Jamison Square Park, the almond croissants at Lovejoy Bakery as featured on lovejoybakers.com.

After a family road trip, what does every parent need? A romantic wine and food fest in Sanoma, CA. The scenery . . . breathtaking. The eats and drink . . . words cannot describe (but if they could two of the top ten meals in my life took place this trip). The artistry . . . inspiring (winemakers, you’re my new heroes). The architecture . . . romantic. The indulgence . . . undeniable. All in all the perfect place to celebrate five years of wedded bliss, struggle, growth, love, and life.

While Portland filled me with aspirations to get busy (see above), Sanoma reminded me how therapeutic and rewarding ‘the art of doing nothing’ really is. Need to fill up your soul? Well sit down and do nothing for awhile . . . while drinking REALLY good wine, staring at beautiful scenery, and hearing the stories of passionate artists and farmers. Then (slowly) move along to a very leisurely dinner featuring course after yummy course of scrumptious local fare and hour after hour of (uninterrupted) conversation with your significant other. Bliss, pure bliss.

Trying to embrace the art of doing nothing we barely scratched the surface of this beautiful county but I do have some must-sees for you.
Stay: Vintners Inn, Santa Rosa
Eat: Syrah, Ad Hoc, Scopa
Drink: Spoon Bar, John Ash & Co.
Visit: As many wineries as possible, but especially Pride, Mumm, Robert Keenan, and Chateau St. Jean
Say: “There comes a time in every woman’s life where the only thing that will help is a glass of champagne” – Betty Davis (love that girl!)
Do: Enjoy & indulge & embrace the spirit of wine country!

From top: Wine dinner at Chateau St. Jean, Brad proving that HE was the spiller on this trip, our villa.

From top: Mountain top vineyards at Pride, grapes (the source), me enjoying the bubbles at Mumm in Napa.

From top: Picnicking at Chateau St. Jean, goodies from Jackson's Bar (ps: the chef's son's name is Jackson), us at Pride Winery's wine dinner cave.

Of course, even as full as my cup gets with the wonders of travel, my greatest source of inspiration these days come from my beautiful little monster, baby J. The pace he’s growing, learning, and changing at is almost alarming - it's rapid people! While we were in Portland our little man learned to crawl, sort-of pull himself up to standing, and cut his first two teeth. After our return from Sanoma he was sprinting across the room, standing in his crib protesting any sort of nap at all (oh, lucky me), and saying "mama" and "kitty" . . . our poor pug has been even more de-"real-dogged" than normal pugs are now that he's being called "kitty"!

From top left: Jackson & his buddy Logan, dinner time (pasta, yum!), streetcar savvy in Portland, debating if crawling really will get him there quicker :).

The lesson in these these recent journeys, both ours and Jackson's, never ever stop learning, living, and loving because when you put your all into it, life's good . . . real good.