West Coast Tour 2015

This summer is getting closer and closer and I'm getting more and more excited about our West Coast Tour!  Last year we spent a month in Europe this summer we're spending a month on an epic road trip along the West Coast and South/Mid West States.  I'm totally going to make fun activities and gifts for the girls to experience on the drive. I'm also collaborating with my sister to make a mix "tape" of each city, Elizabethtown style {side note: husband and I prescreened the movie years ago and we totally loved the looooong ending that they cut out for the actual film} And I'm working on creating an activity list for each city or town we're in.

So far our trip looks a little something like this...

We'll start in San Diego because it's closest and my mom rented a beach house for the family again this year.

Once we arrive, I'll be getting a Mexican Coconut Latte with Almond milk from Swell Cafe!

I'm sure Grandma will enjoy some Sonja + Vera time {look at this tiny Sonja age 2+ above}

and I'll probably rent a paddle board like my friend Cameron did last summer.

and of course more fun on the beach with friends...

... and cousins!

Probably spend some time in La Jolla.

And I'm sure my mom will want to eat at Hash House, and as long as she's buying I'll be ordering!

Then off to San Franscisco for a wedding!

We'll definitely head over to the Japanese Tea Garden to see the яблоко {yablokos: apples}

and stop in Sausalito for some coffee and wine.

We'll go on the Golden Gate bridge to get to the wedding we'll be attending in the Napa area.

And then make a tourist stop at the Pier, and hopefully a farmer's market.

And if we have any extra time, find some beaches north of the city.

On our drive up from San Fran I want to camp and check out some hot springs in Oregon.  You can see more images of the Umpqua Hot Springs here, doesn't it look amazing?!

And then, we'll spend a couple days exploring Portland, we were only there for a day last time, but it's so pretty there I'm planning on staying for two days this time.

Then we'll head up to Seattle to visit some friends:

My travels usually revolve around coffee and food, so I'll stop into zeitgeist and then maybe drive over to mighty-o to get some vegan donuts

Hopefully, we can meet up with some friends like we did last time, and explore their land with their kids.

It was such an honor to explore their farm last time, I loved how everything was recycled there, including the past animals.

And then another coffee and quiche stop at Cloud City Coffee, Their Medici latte has orange peel in it! I do not want to miss that.

A huge public market?! Seattle knows a way to a crunchy home birthing organic loving girl's heart.

This was the first place we saw and tried romanesco {now, I grow it in my garden!}

Also! I'm so excited to finally get some Thai Tom Rama Tofu!

After Seattle we're planning on stopping in Montana.  I've never been there before so it'll be fun to explore with the girls. I'm not even sure what city/town/campsite we're going to stay in yet.  Got any suggestions?

We've never been to Wyoming so we're excited to check out yellowstone and camp out for a night or two.

After camping for a few days we'll make it over to Denver

Definitely getting brunch at Beatrice & Woodsley with Aunt Alex again.

We'll get to see some old friends who moved to Colorado too! 

& we can play at the playground at Wash Park with Aunt Alex and Daddy.

Then get some pie.

Hopefully, Humble Pie's new location is open when we visit in 2015

Dutch Apple is pretty much always my favorite.

Although, it won't be snowing in July when we're there... good thing we'll be making a trip back in October as well for a BIG EVENT!

After that, we'll spend a few days with my Sister and her family.  I haven't been to Albuquerque in years since my brother in law and sister lived there when he was stationed there, now he's there again and we're finally going to visit! I'm pretty excited to see them, we don't get to hardly enough, now that I have kids too.  It's like we want the cousins to play, but it's also really expensive to travel with kids, road trips make it much easier.  And if I could make it to Alaska to visit them I really need to make the effort now that they're so much closer!

After Albuquerque we'll drive Home back to Phoenix.  I'm hoping these three weeks of travel will hold me over for another year while I save up for an Ireland and Scotland adventure.


Like all the places you see? Follow along as I pin all the places and things I want to do while on our epic road trip!  What are your next travel plans?  Are there things I should do or Places I should go in these cities? I'd love to hear more suggestions!