Oregon Coast

West coast, best coast? Yes. Indeed. 

For today's Photo Favourites, I've decided to share photos from our drive up the Oregon Coast. This was hands down my favourite part of the trip. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and as you know, I love a good road trip where time is not an issue and detours are a must. 

Isn't the drive up beach we found (from taking a detour) so incredible? I miss it so much already and want to do this trip again soon! 

Have a great weekend! Heck, go on a road trip with someone you love. 

See more travel posts here.

Portland

Portland. Where do I even begin? 

I've anticipated this trip with my husband for some time now and couldn't help but feel like a child in a candy store when we first pulled up at the Ace Hotel to check in. The way the light filled this place seemed so magical. 

We spent most of our days wandering around the Pearl District area, which was filled with plenty of cute little shops, cafes and restaurants. We also enjoyed a couple different neighbourhoods in the outskirts of the downtown area. 

This city has so much to offer and it has definitely been a trip I will treasure forever in my heart. 

Stay

Ace Hotel 

Of course we had to! The lobby (as everything else in this place) was beautifully designed with the dark wood paneling and tiled floors. There's also an old photo booth that's a must (sadly we didn't get to use, but you should)! There's also Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Kenny and Zuke's Delicatessen and Clyde Common downstairs for your convenience.

Mark Spencer Hotel 

We wanted to stay another night at the Ace, however it was already booked up. They suggested this boutique hotel next block and we were quite pleased with it. Surely, my husband was! The rooms were definitely bigger, with lovely "old building" touches like exposed bricks and large windows. We both couldn't stop talking about how soft the bed linens were! They also had a fairly decent complimentary breakfast. 

Eats

Clyde Common 

Located in the lobby of the Ace Hotel, this was a busy place for dinner. We expected to wait in line, however we were seated right away. I loved the open kitchen, large windows and casual feel of this space. Their basil pesto gnocchi was amazing.

Ruby Jewel 

It was later in the evening and we were told to check out this ice cream spot. A family-owned business that carefully hand-crafts their ice cream with locally sourced ingredients. Apparently they let you try every flavour, so were planning on taking advantage of this, however after a couple samples, we were sold. The selection of seasonal flavours were so good!

Tasty n Alder 

A short stroll from our hotel, we enjoyed a "share-your-meal" style breakfast. You order your meals, but they don't arrive at the same time, so you "share-your-meal". It was a fun experience, and we loved the coziness and warmth ambience this place offered. Definitely order the Bim Bop bacon & eggs "stir like crazy" - so delicious.

Blue Star Donuts 

Of course we had to get something sweet. Walked up to this place since we didn't want to wait in line at Voodoo. Plus this places was all about quality over quantity and we prefer that too. Beautiful space with white walls, natural light and scrumptious donuts. My husband got the marion berry with peanut butter powder, and I got meyer lemon and key lime curd. 

Bailey's Taproom 

Suggested by one of our Portland neighbours at Sasquatch, we knew this was a bar we had to check out. It was small, however the greenery suspended from the ceilings and large windows made it feel intimate and spacious at the same time. Beers on tap were listed on two giant screens along with other info that any beer lovers would appreciate. Note: They do not serve food here. But you can bring your own.

Santeria 

As we were having beers (at Bailey's), we realized we were hungry. That's how we discovered Santeria the best Mexican food we've had in a while. Located right next to the taproom, my husband walked over to order. They give you an empty bottle to place on your table, and the servers from the restaurant walk over to serve you the most amazing Mexican food! You have to get a  few different tacos because they don't only look beautiful (like little bouquets), but boy they are tasty!

Shop

Canoe 

Located across from Tasty n Alder, we peeked inside Canoe. A shop curated with beautifully designed products anywhere from Europe and USA. From pens, to notepads, to baby rattles, to place settings, I was in awe of the quality product this shop carried.

Alder and Co 

A couple stores down from Canoe is Alder and Co. A charming shop that welcomes you with bundles of fresh flowers from Hilary Horvath as soon as you come in. This shop was so stimulating, flipping over cookbooks, feeling the kitchen linens, smelling their great selection of apothecary and back around to the fragrant scent of the flowers! Lovely shop.

Powell's Books 

This spot is a must-see of course. The largest used and new book store in the world! We only made it down the cook book aisles as it almost felt overwhelming how busy it was. I couldn't help myself and picked up this gorgeous book.

Madewell 

Okay, so if you didn't know yet, I have a soft spot for Madewell. Now you know. As soon as I found out that there was one opening in the city, I knew we were making a stop. I also had to have this. I might be slightly obsessed with it. I've used it everyday since.

The Kinfolk Shop 

Once again, I felt like a little kid in a candy store. The shop had selected items that were locally designed/made such as Jacobsen Salt, Woodblock Chocolate, Another Feather, and of course their recently published cookbook, The Kinfolk Table. They also had a number of items from their Ouur Collection. Beautiful designs with quality materials. I was in heaven. 

Sasquatch

A trip that was originally going to be shared between only my husband and I turned out to be one of the best weekends ever surrounded by such wonderful (and entertaining) new friends.

A convoy of six vehicles drove towards The Gorge Amphitheatre to experience music, entertainment and overall fun.

Our favourites included (in no particular order):

Foster the People

The Naked and Famous

Rudimental

Crystal Fighters

The National

M.I.A.

Outkast

Cut Copy

Boys Noize

First Aid Kit

Ryan Hemsworth

Half Moon Run

Kid Cudi

Major Lazer

Is it Thursday yet?

Greetings! Is it Thursday yet?

Tomorrow we'll be hitting the road to make our way to Sasquatch Festival! Sunshine, music and good company. I can hardly wait! 

That also means that I'll be taking just a little over a week off from blogging, but follow me on Instagram so you can see what adventures we'll be up to!

On The Road | Tofino

Being a wife to a carefree husband, it has taught me to be more spontaneous in life. Like this past Easter long weekend, on Friday morning, we decided to just drive up the island! No plans, we just decided to go. The weather was fantastic, the scenery was breathtaking and my company was the best. 

What more could this lady ask for? 

Here are some of our favourite shots from the weekend, enjoy!

{first stop was this view from the Malahat}

{both our favourite part of the drive, between Nanaimo and Port Alberni - majestic trees surrounded the winding roads}

{we spotted the teepee and had to pullover, duh}

{lighthouse in Ucluelet - beautiful small town}

{watched the waves crashing in - we were both in awe of such beauty}

{on the road to Tofino}

{at Long Beach, where the view was spectacular even if it was rainy}

{one of our last stops on the way back: Lake Cameron - a perfect lunch spot}

Adventure is out there. This was only about a five hour drive, but there were so many sights to see, and even the sound of the heavy rain pounding against the truck was different. Travelling truly is good for the soul and stimulates all senses. 

Next on our list is Portland, Oregon.

Click here for more travel posts!

West Coast Adventure 02

This place was insanely beautiful. Only a ten minute hike down and majesty awaits to greet you. We spent the most time hanging out here. The tide was really low so we were able to walk out quite far. Garrett was hilarious and so stoked about everything. It was definitely his favourite. 

We actually went to China beach before we headed back here to have dinner. It was the most secluded area and we found a perfect spot to make a fire pit. Thankfully, it was not very cold out (though there was a bit of rain throughout the evening). The fire kept us warm, and it was so lovely to just sit back and appreciate the little things together.

After camping for the night, we decided to drive out and find a different spot for breakfast. We found this little gem called Flea Beach. We ate blueberry scones and bananas as we dreamed about having one of the houses on the cliffs.

As we were getting closer to the city, Garrett decided to show me one more spot - Beecher Bay in East Sooke. There were certain spots where it reminded me of our honeymoon in Tulum! It was beautiful! We hiked up to the top and admired the view. Oh and the little succulents obviously caught my eye - I wish I could've taken them with me! 

Whew! Such a jam-packed weekend that was. Next time, I hope I don't catch a cold or allergies... We're hoping to do Tofino sometime this summer! Isn't it amazing that this little island we live in has so much to offer?! 

West Coast Adventure 01

Here's the first of two posts from our west coast trip last weekend! We drove up along the coast of Vancouver Island towards Port Renfrew and stopped at the beaches and regional parks along the way. It was so breathtaking to be surrounded by such beauty in nature. It was a perfect little getaway for exploring and adventure!

Our first stop was at the Sooke Potholes. I'm pretty sure you can hike all the way up by trail, but we drove up and hiked only a very small portion to get close to the water. I've seen really great photos of the potholes during the summer, so I would love to go back when the weather is a bit warmer!

Our next stop was French Beach. I love all things "french" so of course, we had to pull over when we saw the name. There's an easy access to the beach which I found very convenient. There was definitely a bit more people here with families, runners, and pups! I didn't mind it at all, I was just in awe really! We Garrett skipped some rocks since there were so many perfectly flat rocks on the beach. 

Before we hit up China Beach, we actually stopped at a view point in Jordan River to have lunch. Clearly we were both so hungry, we didn't take any photos. We had a small picnic of crackers, cheese and sliced meats! We also decided to take naps, because hey, who's stopping us? After a couple hours passed, we woke up to surfers and paddle boarders on the water. It was neat watching them from afar.

Our next stop was China Beach! This was the longest trek to get down to the beach but it was isolated. Other than a couple surfers on the beach, it was just us! We also came across this neat looking fort that was built around a fire pit! 

Stay tuned for the next post with another beach find (our favourite) and a couple other great spots! 

Mexico | Part Two

{one of many temples at the Mayan Ruins}

{early enough in the day before the tourist crowds started rolling in}

{can you spot him?}

{not a bad place for the Mayans to do their trading}

{amazing place for "paletas", or popsicles}

{Mexican courtyard behind Flor de Michoacan, a perfect shady spot}

{mangoes were the size of Garrett's hands!}

{bright bananas at the fruterias}

After a few days in on our vacation, we wanted to make a trip out to Tulum. We weren't all that interested in signing up for a tour guide, so we decided to just take a cab by ourselves (how adventurous of us)! We got to see the Mayan Ruins then headed to the main area of the town. We got to try some authentic tacos, and burritos! Next to the restaurant, we found a place that sold popsicles and there was a lot to choose from! We did a bit of shopping but we were most excited about the food! We even tried a little taco shack on the side of the highway. Yeah. It was pretty sketchy but that's what makes traveling fun I suppose!