Myself sitting on a rock in front of the Grand Canyon, wearing a pale yellow dress with copper and teal blue rick-rack trim, and a tan beaded belt, my hair in one long braid.

Grand Canyon at 100

September 16, 2019, 5 Comments

Bedrock City’s closure was really what initiated this quick road trip to Arizona, but, as it was so darn close to the Grand Canyon, we figured, why not go? As our road trip was on the short side, we just visited for a brief gaze, short walk along the rim, and a visit to a…

Myself standing in front of the blacksmith shop, where a giant prickly pear cactus resides, wearing a black dress with silver trim.

How One Book Saved Old Town San Diego

July 11, 2019, 6 Comments

After checking in to the Cosmopolitan, we explored Old Town for a bit, going in and out of the various museums and shops this unique state park has to offer. Old Town San Diego State Park is made up of a variety of authentic buildings from the 19th century and early 20th century, along with…

Myself standing on the outer balcony of the hotel, wearing a black dress with silver trim. A massive white sign reads "Cosmopolitan Hotel" in black letters.

San Diego’s Historic Cosmopolitan Hotel

July 9, 2019, 2 Comments

Each July the company Patrick works for hosts a massive conference in San Diego. Sometimes Patrick attends, sometimes he doesn’t. But this year he did, and like most of his conferences, I tag along to enjoy the sights of the city. This year we chose to stay in one of California’s oldest hotels, The Cosmopolitan,…

Myself standing in front of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, wearing a magenta dress with gold and silver ric-rac, a silver belt, and silver moccasins.

Valentine’s Month at Disneyland

January 25, 2019, 2 Comments

This year Disneyland introduced “Valentine’s Month” to the park with extra decor, special food items, and even a scavenger hunt to celebrate the holiday of love. I’ve always enjoyed a good scavenger hunt, so Patrick and I went over to the park for the day to experience it. For those familiar with Disneyland’s Easter Egg…

It’s Boysenberry Time!

March 17, 2018, 10 Comments

Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm has quickly developed as a tradition for us each spring. It is a time when Knot’s Berry Farm really showcases its history along with creating new boysenberry concoctions. It’s also a perfect excuse to break out all of the purple items in my wardrobe! I had planned a totally…

3 Kings Day Potluck

January 10, 2017, 2 Comments

Over the weekend some friends and I had a potluck. We used El Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day – a day that many of Hispanic heritage within our group actually celebrate) as an excuse for a belated holiday get-together, with a Rosca de Reyes and other festive Christmas and Mexican decor and food.…

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

July 27, 2016, 5 Comments

Just a few hours after arriving home from San Diego Comic Con, Patrick and I were off to LA to attend Charles Phoenix‘s show at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a rare, if not slightly bizarre, gem in Los Angeles. I had heard about this theatre from Charles on a few occasions, but the show…

Up With Downey

October 4, 2015, 4 Comments

Last night Patrick and I tracked down our folding chairs, as they had not been out since our move, and trundled up I-5 to my dad’s old stomping ground of Downey. One of the iconic suburbs of Los Angeles, Downey is lush with Googie architecture and neon as well as rich with unique American history…

Mission San Juan Capistrano

June 18, 2015, 8 Comments

UPDATE: It is important to remember that while California Missions have been hailed as places of peace, they also have deep and complicated histories, including slavery, violence, and forced religious conversion. One of my favorite things about California history is that of the Spanish missions. It is a goal of mine to visit each of…

Sleep in a Tipi & Visit the Site of the First McDonald’s along Route 66

June 11, 2015, 7 Comments

During the week Patrick decided to surprise me with a mini, one night getaway at the Wigwam Motel in Rialto on Route 66! An icon of the Mother Road, the Wigwam Motel is a handful of concrete tipi structures (not actual wigwams, which are domelike in shape) that are quaint, and of course, small. There…

Atomic Redhead

patio dress

Grand Canyon at 100

How One Book Saved Old Town San Diego

San Diego’s Historic Cosmopolitan Hotel

Valentine’s Month at Disneyland

It’s Boysenberry Time!

3 Kings Day Potluck

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Up With Downey

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Sleep in a Tipi & Visit the Site of the First McDonald’s along Route 66