Let's go somewhere cold

I hate the winter. I was born in upstate New York. I’ve lived in New England my entire life. I’ve never been skiing. I don’t like the cold. My idea of a good winter activity is traveling to somewhere warm or taking a hot bath. Lindsay is a bit more ambivalent about the winter months. She doesn’t love them, but she’s learned to bundle up well and make the best of it. So when I suggested traveling to one of the coldest places on the United States East Coast to celebrate New Year’s Eve, you can imagine her surprise.

We had planned on traveling to Acadia National Park on coastal Maine back in October. I love to camp, Lindsay has never been “real” camping, and Acadia is a photographer’s playground so we figured we would get up there while the leaves were still in their fall colors. Our plans got postponed due to the impending arrival of Lindsay’s adorable niece, Charlotte Scott. Acadia in the fall would have been really pretty, but Charlotte’s arrival was definitely worth staying home.  

With no plans for New Years  and the fact that Bed and Breakfasts on Mount Desert Island are dirt cheap because, well, who the hell wants to travel to coastal Maine in the winter, I suggested Acadia for New Years. Two nights in a suite at the Mira Monte Inn with a whirlpool bath, fireplace, sitting, room, porch, private entrance, and an Innkeeper named Marian who welcomes you to “Bah Habah” for under $250 total. Not a bad deal.

Of course we couldn’t travel up to freezing cold, ice, and snow without doing something warm first. With the help of my impressive Googling skills I ran across Riverview Sauna, Spa, and Massage  in Bowdoinham, ME. Run by a couple of massage therapists, Darcy and Ray, who built a cabin on their 9 acres of property in the Maine Woods with a private outdoor hot tub, and sauna,  Riverview is an oasis in the forest. Originally built to entertain friends and family, Darcy and Ray now open their home to clients where you can enjoy an hour massage and hour soaking in the hot tub or warming in the sauna.

Lindsay and I were lucky enough to be there just after Maine had had their biggest ice storm in years. Sitting outside in a steaming hot tub with every tree branch encased in ice and the ground covered in snow was both exhilarating and calming at the same time. It was so quiet that you could hear the ice cracking on the tree branches when the gentle wind would blow. The late morning sunlight slicing through the trees, making everything sparkle. Winter birds chirping. Floating in the water with my love. It was the complete embodiment of peaceful.

And what do two head-over-heels in love girls do after having a wonderfully romantic morning of massages and hot tub soaks? Drink beer, of course! A quick drive brought us to the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Topsham where the food was mediocre, the beer was good, and the view was gorgeous. Beer flights consisting of ten 3 oz samples of beers such as Sea Dog Hazlenut Porter, Sea Dog IPA, and Sea Dog Winter Ale were only $11. I can drink to that!

 Now that we were thoroughly relaxed from hot tubs, saunas, massages, and beer it was time to make the 3 hour drive to Bar Harbor. It’s easy to spend 3 hours driving and talking about life and playing car games when you really enjoy the person you are traveling with. Time honestly does fly by when I’m with Lindsay.  She is my adventure partner and favorite person. The conversation flows easily. The mood is light and happy. We can talk about the silliest things, or our deepest thoughts, both accepted by the other without judgement. There’s no over-talking or awkward silence. No tension or irritation, which so frequently happens when you travel (especially on long car trips) with another person. Just happiness, joy, good times, and love

Going back to Cali

Back to Cali for her, first time for me. First time putting my feet in the Pacific Ocean. First time seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. Actually, it was the first time I've traveled past the Texas border. Lindsay has spent enough time on the West Coast to consider California her second home. I had a lot of catching up to do. 

Things I learned in Cali:

1. The Golden Gate Bridge is really as stunning and majestic, albeit really pretty touristy, as they say it is. It's worth the trip to see it. 
2. San Francisco knows food and drink. 
3. It's not as warm in Northern Cali as us East Coasters want to think it is. 
4. California is wicked fun, but I am an East Coast girl at heart and always will be
5. No one from Cali uses the word "wicked"

The Cali trip was definitely a bit of a whirlwind. Fly in to San Fran and spend the night in the city with somewhere around 60,000 other people who are there for a business conference. Drive to San Jose and spend some time with Lindsay's friends. Drive to Santa Cruz, put my feet in the ocean and see the most amazing sunset. Head to Los Gatos and spend the night with another of Lindsay's friends. Fly home. Whirlwind is an understatement. 

One night in San Fran was not enough. It went sort of like this... Nap, eat, drink, nap, drink, nap, drive to San Jose. We ate dinner right across the street from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which was beautiful. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant because their White Truffle Oil Mac and Cheese was killer. 

After wandering around the pier, running into the craziest drum circle ever created which involved swinging monkeys and snakes (not real), we stumbled into a little place called Fog City. Per usual I asked the bartender to make me his favorite drink from the menu. If you are ever stuck on what to order at a bar, just ask the bartender to make his favorite. I've never been disappointed. In this case, he made me what Lindsay and I consider to be one of the best alcoholic beverages ever created, The Fog City Milk Punch. It's a combination of Bourbon, Brandy, Rum, Citrus and Spices, Lemon, Sugar, and Clarified Milk and tastes like Heaven.

Another spot to check out in San Fran is Route 101 Bar. You aren't going to go there for the decor, the drinks, or the food (I'm not even sure they serve food). You will go there because you can watch an obscure Al Pacino movie, drink cheap beer, listen to Johnny Cash, and play Twilight Zone Pinball. What's not to love?

San Jose was a little more relaxed than San Francisco, mostly because we were there for 2 nights verses 1. Also the point of this portion of the trip was for me to meet a few of Lindsay's West Coast friends, check out San Jose State and just kind of relax. 

If you are looking for a good drink in San Jose, check out 55 South on First St. It's a trendy little hipster-esque bar with bar tenders who specialize in craft cocktails like The Un-Pink Lady (fresh raspberries, Gin, Applejack, fresh lemon juice, house made Grenadine, egg white, and mint) and Benton's Bacon Old Fashioned (Bacon Fat Infusion Buffalo Trace, maple syrup, Angostura bitters, and an orange twist). They serve the drinks with giant ice balls, reminiscent of golf ball sized hail. My drink was served with an ice ball, a basil leaf, and the comment from the bar tender that the drink was for "The L Word".

While in San Jose we decided to do something unusually touristy for Lindsay and I, we visited The Winchester Mystery House, a slightly kitschy 160 room mansion built by Sarah Winchester in 1886. Said to be haunted, you can now take a guided tour of the mansion and property. If you are lucky enough to get the same awkwardly humorous tour guide that we had you will not be disappointed. His laugh will terrify you way more than any ghost story.

After San Jose we took a quick trip to Santa Cruz. I've driven a lot of places, up and down the East Coast from the tip of Maine to Orlando. I love the scenery of a good drive. California doesn't disappoint in this aspect, although I'm mostly assuming that's because we weren't stuck in traffic.

While in Santa Cruz we check out RED restaurant and bar. They have Bloody Mary's that are basically a meal in itself, couches, a fireplace, and Truffle Oil Fries. Enough said.

And then there was the beach.

I can’t tell you exactly how to get there. There’s no street number or big sign. There’s simply a tiny  parking lot somewhere off California State Route 1  about 3 miles North of Santa Cruz with a small path that crosses a railroad track. But if you can find it, that little path will drop you off on a cliff overlooking one of the most beautiful ½ mile stretches of Pacific Coastline that you can find. If something doesn’t move inside you when you stand on a cliff like that, overlooking the ocean, watching birds fly by as waves crash against the rocks you are basically dead inside.

The best part of being on a pretty hard to find beach means it’s essentially secluded. There were two surfers, a few people walking along the beach, and a naked guy sunbathing. I should mention this was a clothing optional beach, an activity we did not participate in. Not this time anyway.

If you ever get the chance to find this beach, go back for the sunset. If you have the chance to be there with the love of your life, like I was, consider yourself lucky. Watching the sun set over the Pacific ocean on a secluded beach with a heart full of love is not a bad ending to the day.

The rest of the trip was fast and furious. Drive to Los Gatos. Visit a friend. Dinner. Drinks. Nap til 3 am. Drive back to San Francisco to catch an early morning flight home. My girl and I are No Limit Soldiers. 

She takes the pictures

There are definitely benefits to dating, and traveling with, a really talented photographer. I can go on and on about how beautiful her pictures are, how she captures a moment perfectly, and how her pictures can take me right back to that point in time... or I can just show you

7 months, 8 states

We travel. A lot. Like a whole lot.
In 7 months we have been to Boston (multiple times), New York, Vermont, California, New Orleans, Florida, Maine, and in 2 days we will check yet another item off the bucket list (or invincible list as Lindsay calls it) by traveling to Austin, TX for SXSW.
We have eaten at some amazing restaurants, had drinks at the most out of the way dive bars and best wine bars, seen killer bands, met some awesome people, and seen some amazing sites. And all with my best friend and love of my life? Yea, my life doesn't suck.
I guess this is part travel blog, part life story, part music and food review... but mostly it's just a way to chronicle our adventures. I write the stories, she takes the pictures.


So here we go...