Part Two

The second half of our trip has been less relaxing than we thought...but still less busy than the first half. Meaning...Santa Barbara is busier than we assumed it would be (did NOT realize it's a port-of-call for different cruise lines) but we aren't driving all day long with multiple stops either so that was nice.

We're staying at the Spanish Garden Inn for two nights and got a junior suite so that we can spread out and have our personal space. (There's just been a lot of togetherness, ok? Don't judge.) Really, all of our hotels/lodging/inns/whatever you want to call them have been really nice. Trip Advisor really does work! Amazing. We just have been in the car together a lot!

So far, we've hit up some shops, different beaches, some awesome restaurants, and the  Urban Wine Trail. You can't go to California without going to wineries/tasting rooms. You just can't.

Here's a few pictures for your entertainment. (Just humor me.)

Sunset at Butterfly Beach

Santa Barbara Mission

Arroyo Burro/Hendry's Beach

Stearns Wharf

We also ate at some really awesome restaurants: Brophy Bros., the Boathouse at Hendry's Beach, and the Savoy Cafe and Deli (which was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives). By the way, the Savoy Café and Deli is not to be confused with just The Savoy, which is a burlesque club...which we discovered when we walked to the wrong one. Google maps, you failed me. More accurately...the problem was the one who was Googling (which was me), not Google itself. My bad.

All good things must come to an end though. Tomorrow, we drive back to Phoenix and fly home at the BC of D the day after. Yuck. Going to enjoy our bottle of Carr Vineyards wine and watch Despicable Me. Good night!

First Half

We officially want to move here. Seriously.

The trip started off great--I won't bore you with (lots of) words, just a barrage of photos!

Day One/Two: Phoenix & Prescott, AZ; Paso Robles, CA

At the airport, being thankful for "flying meds" otherwise Derek would have been going all by his lonesome.

Cacti! And the Schippers! At In-n-Out

 Day Three: Monterey, Carmel/Carmel Mission, 17 Mile Drive, Big Sur

17 Mile Drive, Carmel/Monterey

They don't have these back home...and by the way, we 100% slept through the St. Patrick's Day earthquake in LA. Oops.

Mission at Carmel

Again, the mission.

Our sweet ride...2014 Dodge Charger. Infer whatever level of sarcasm you want. You'd probably be right.

Awesome cabin in Big Sur

 Stayed here, by the way. All different size rooms and cabins and definitely recommend!

McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

The only time we asked a stranger to take our picture...

Day Four: Hwy 1 through Big Sur, Jade Cove Beach, San Simeon, Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas Seal Rookery, and Cayucos. Whew!

On the road through Big Sur

Baby seals...awwww. (They really are alive, even though they don't look it.)

Hearst Castle

Sunset at Cayucos Beach and Pier

Pierview Suites in Cayucos





California, Here We Come!

In part of our efforts for the "new, improved Tanii" (hard to improve on perfection though, right?), we decided to do a different sort of vacation than what we typically choose. Our vacations in the past has been to go somewhere with a beach or a nice pool or a nice shopping area nearby. Very scenic. We knew we wanted to go when Derek was on Spring Break and were looking into renting a place in St. Thomas or the like...when we decided to actually do a road trip down Highway 1 in California. It's something we've always talked about and wanted to do, but never really committed.

Criteria for our trip:

• No chains (hotels, restaurants, etc.)
• No big souvenirs (no need to come home with tons of stuff we won't use or don't need...or can buy here)
• Pack light (one carryon and one personal item each)

Not too difficult, right? We'll leave tomorrow and fly out of Peoria to Phoenix, so that we can see our friends, the Schippers before heading the rest of the way to the coast! We'll be gone for a whole week, with the trip split into two parts more or less. The first half will be more scenic, and the second half will be more touristy. Pretty excited...and oddly not nervous. Ask me tomorrow, and I'll give you a different story! I will try to update...more or less. See you!