Travelogue: On The Road To California. Day 2.

So those that know me well or have traveled with me in the past will be surprised to hear that I planned this trip very thoroughly, even taking the extreme measure of typing up a day by day itinerary.

I usually like to be a bit more spontaneous, but with a baby, I decided it was best to have some sort of plan so we didn't end up having to sleep in our car at a rest stop in the middle of the desert.

We were up very early on day 2, as we wanted to make it to Los Alamos, New Mexico that evening to see some old friends.

Our first stop was Albuquerque, where we had lunch with one of my mom's high school friends and her husband. They took us to the most amazing, authentic Mexican restaurant called Los Cuates. The salsa was super hot! I couldn't help but think how much Nate would have liked it.

After lunch, we headed out for Los Alamos, with a short stop in Santa Fe at Whole Foods for some organic sweet potatoes for Maddux. If the customers in the store were any sort of indication of the whole population of the town, then Santa Fe must be a cool, artsy place to live. I even saw one woman in a silver sequined turban. I couldn't pull it off, but she looked totally chic.

After a nail-biting, curve-hugging drive up a fairly steep mountain pass, we were happy to make it to our destination for the night, Los Alamos, which we learned has the most PhD's per capita.

It was cool getting to see our friends, the Sorensons. Our families lived in Davis, California at the same time. Some of my best childhood memories revolve around panning for gold in Lake Tahoe or exploring ancient Native American ruins with them. They also have eight kids in their family, just like us!

{Then. May I just say that I find many things odd about this picture?}

{Now. Some of us, at least!}

We spent the evening eating pizza, reminiscing, and looking at old pictures. I even got my hair done! I have always wanted sisters, so it was fun getting a glimpse into what it would have been like. I absolutely love this family. Their creativity, their spirit and their obvious love of life. It was a great visit!

Here are some more pictures from Day 2!

Next up: Day 3 and the road to Tucson!

Travelogue: On The Road To California. Day 1.

I've been told for as long as I can remember that I am "crazy" for all the road trips that I take. People can't seem to understand in this day of speedy transit, why I would prefer a long stretch of black asphalt to the friendly skies.

I think the answer lies primarily in my childhood, when we would all pile into the family station wagon and set off for one destination or another. Whether we were driving all the way across the country or just down the highway to Stetson Beach, my parents had a knack for making every road trip an adventure. We would pull off at random little exits, examining the giant dinasours in Cabazon or a Native American craft fair in New Mexico. Of course, we did the Grand Canyon and the places where all the tourists were, but my favorite memories by far are the off-the-beaten path destinations that we tended to gravitate towards.

My memories are filled with the sound of the highway. When we had our van, I would sit in the very back seat, slide open my little window and place my face up against the screen, falling asleep to the rhythm of the road. Even to this day, I get an odd sort of thrill when I pull into a truck stop. Weird, I know. I examine the faces of the road-weary travelers, the jaded truckers and the wide-eyed young families, and feel like we share a sort of bond, like a bunch of modern day Jack Kerouac's. 

That being said, I am thrilled to have another adventure under my belt. My mom, Maddux and I drove from Nashville to Los Angeles and back, with Nate joining us a few days into the journey.

We drove 842 miles on our first day. Our goal was to make it to Amarillo, but after 13 hours on the road, we decided to stop for the night in the little town of Shamrock, Texas. I mean, with a name like that, who wouldn't want to stay there? Our luck continued when we scored one of the last hotel rooms left. As we were driving around, we discovered an amazing piece of Route 66 history, a gas station built in the 1930's, restored to all its art deco, neon-ed glory:

Maddux was a champion road warrior, sleeping soundly in the back seat or playing with his squeaky Sophie giraffe. He goes crazy over that toy. It's like baby catnip.

Earlier in the day, we also stopped at Casey Jones' Village in Jackson, Tennessee. I love the checkered tablecloths and barrels full of candy.

That's all for today. Tomorrow I'll post pictures of Day 2 and New Mexico!

Yay For Spring!

Here are a few of my favorite Spring looks from around the web. I'm loving the big floppy hats and surprisingly, the socks with heels look.

 The seventh picture down is making me want to really start looking for the perfect skinny pant to wear with flats and a sweet blouse. 

Ane G.

Marcella L.

Anouska P.

It's Bowie Time

Chi D.

Gabriella A.

Emma S.

Marta M.