Otis hearts Sea Ranch

We were hoping Otis would enjoy his first trip to Sea Ranch, but we had no idea how thrilled he'd be. There's something spectacular about seeing a dog in his element. The joy! The water! The good smells! I don't think I've seen a wetter, happier dog...

or a more exhausted one. Don't worry, O. We'll be back.

Estero Trail

I never get tired of Point Reyes. Yesterday, B took me on the Estero trail to Sunset Beach. It's an easy 8-mile "out and back" near Tomales Bay. I know I should be excited about the landscape - and I am. But the cows! These ladies were strolling along as we walked right on by. It was so quiet you could hear them gently pulling and chewing on the grasses. Now that's a pretty good life. Oh yes, and herons and egrets and lots of other birds too. Just go!

Spy Hopping

When we first climbed aboard the panga boat to go whale watching - the captain had just one request: "Please - whatever you do - make sure you don't all go over to one side of the boat at the same time."  I thought it was a pretty ridiculous request. My whale watching expectations were low and I couldn't fathom that we might see something exciting enough to get us all over to one side of the boat at the same time. I was hopeful we'd see a spout, maybe a shape in the distance - but that was about it.

I never would have guessed that a pair of mama and baby gray whales would swim right over to us to say hello. As they got closer, the mama did a little "spy hopping" - pushing off from the bottom of the bay to get a better look at us. With all the "oooohs" and "aaaahs" and pointing and shouting, you can be sure we had to remind ourselves not to tip the boat over as they moved gracefully through the water, popping up on one side of the boat and then the other. Completely magical.

Why I Wake Early

There's something strange and magical about camping. You don't necessarily sleep all that well at first, so you tend to be wide awake at the crack of dawn. That seems to be the whole point. There's a peace and a calm like no other when you're out in nature, watching the sun rise.

On our trip, our friend Diana opened the morning yoga practices with incredible readings and I'm grateful to her for introducing me to the beautiful poetry of Mary Oliver, whose words touched me deeply. This one was a real gem:

Why I Wake Early

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety--

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light --
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

                                     - Mary Oliver

Baja Time

We just got back from one of the best vacations we've taken in a long time. We've been mulling over all of the different reasons it was so great - but I think I can sum it up in two words: Baja time.
We heard this phrase several times on our trip. In Baja - there's no rush. Nowhere to be. Nothing to do with any urgency. Everything is just slow and easy. Just like this little guy here - squeezing in a siesta on top of the merchandise - what a perfectly good use of time.

This trip was both an adventure and a magical change of scenery for us. We knew we had signed up for yoga and kayaking and camping... but we didn't expect the pleasure of camping in a national park, taking in an epic desert/ocean landscape by day with gentle lapping waves lulling us to sleep by night.
We love Baja time! I'm just hoping I can hang onto the peacefulness like our friend Obama here. (Yup - that's his name.)

Quirk and Inspiration

A couple of years ago I decided that we needed to add some zippiness to our house. I invited my friend Erin over to help and still have a funny mental picture of the two of us in my living room - heads cocked to the right, hands on hips, in serious contemplation. "You need some quirk in here!" she declared.
Later that year - we found the perfect inspiration at a little hotel in Sorrento, Italy.



We both thought it was hands down the coolest, quirkiest, most fun place we've ever stayed. Everything about it was unique and weird and perfect.



For whatever reason, we've often found decorating ideas on vacation. I think it first started when we decided to paint our dining room the same color as a restaurant we had been to on a weekend getaway. The walls were a deep chocolate brown that made everything feel cozy and warm and endlessly inviting. We wanted to bring that home with us.



When your daily life is miles away- simple things like the way books are arranged in a cabinet, or the palette of a new landscape seem to stand out more.





(Check out the guy swimming between the boats!)



I can't tell you how excited I was when I walked into our hotel room and saw that it was painted head to toe in my favorite shade of "paradiso" blue. Pepo teases me that I would cover the house in this color if left to my own devices. It absolutely made my day - especially since this was a birthday trip.



There were small delightful surprises everywhere we turned.



Even the bathroom tile in the hotel lobby was stunning!



So when we got home and I saw our little breakfast nook with fresh eyes...


it seemed like it had just been waiting to be zapped with a little bit of Sorrento.


First - we repainted the walls a brighter, creamy white - to maximize light. I've always love this little corner nook - it's one of the few details that place our house firmly in the late 30's. Painting the back of it "paradiso" was also a great way to highlight our little collection of Italian ceramics.


The burnt orange table was inspired by the hotel as were the maritime striped seat covers (I'm so proud of how these turned out considering my beginning sewing skills!! You can't see it - but I even put zippers along the back seam so they can be washed.)


Finally - we converted the long-abandoned ironing board space, putting in a fabric covered cork board to stash snapshots and drawings from our nieces. Voila! A little bit of Italy right in the breakfast nook.

The Sea Ranch

We were inspired to spend New Year's in Sea Ranch this year. It has long been on our list of favorite getaways and we were recently reminded why we love it so much after our friends Kevin and Jennifer got married there last fall. It was the perfect place to ring in 2012!


There's a calm and a hush about this place, due partly to the epic landscape and partly because of the quiet small town feel and low infrastructure (read: your iPhone won't work here).


Some days are glorious and sunny, others are moody as a thick blanket of  fog moves in and covers everything. It's the perfect combination of long walks along striking sea cliffs coupled with complete permission to stay inside, cozy up to the fire and read a good book.


In keeping with a philosophy of "living lightly on the land", the house exteriors are simple and wooden. Over time, they weather and blend into the landscape.


Once you start to slow down and let yourself be absorbed by the landscape, little things stand out. Like the sound of seals in the distance, this little dark-eyed junco, and the many red-tailed hawks, deer, herons and other abundant wildlife.


I can't think of a more wonderful place to be reminded of how lucky we are to live in California.

Santa Fe

One of the best things about getting out of town is seeing and trying and doing new things. That couldn't be more true for our recent trip to Santa Fe. It was an amazing get away for many reasons – but mostly because neither of us had ever been there. After just a short plane ride, you're thrown into the middle of a dramatically different landscape, with wonderful art, food and culture. 
  
Central to any travel -  in our book at least - is food, food, food. We missed the famous chile cheeseburger at Bobcat Bite - so we already have an excuse to go back. But not to worry - our hotel turned us onto several wonderful meals - all within walking distance from the town square. First there was the unbelievable chile relleno (stuffed with quinoa and mushrooms) at  Santacafe. The next night we were literally fighting over bites at La Boca. In the end, Aqua Santa turned out to be just the perfect spot to celebrate our anniversary. Perfectly cozy and intimate, the food was terrific and our server Whitney was hilarious and wonderful at the same time. 


I think our favorite time was spent strolling the many galleries on Canyon Road. Lots of good, bad, and curious art. 


And quintessential landmarks to see in a quick day-trip to Taos.


Of course O'Keefe chose to paint the back of the church. It's the most interesting part. (And surprisingly RIGHT off of the main road.)


Above the desert... forests of aspens overlooking Santa Fe. Gorgeous.
 

The wonders of fresh air

This is why I heart the Bay Area: in just a short drive you can find yourself away from everything, and surrounded by nature. To me - there's no better way to shed the work day than a run through Tilden's cedar and eucalyptus groves, inhaling their subtle perfume and taking in sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and bay. You are always guaranteed several animal sightings and the expansive space is magically refreshing. Today I spotted several bunnies, a couple of deer - and off in the distance, as I hoped, there were my friends the cows.


The cows pictured here are not from this afternoon's trail  - but I was reminded of them this afternoon. These guys are from one of my other all-time favorite trails - Abbotts Lagoon in Point Reyes.  It's a gem of a trail - including dunes, grasses, cows, a fresh water lagoon and then - voila! - the Pacific. All in less than 3 miles.


Really - could these guys have a better life?