Way Out West: Bisbee, AZ

The call of the road and six days off...

Bisbee, Arizona was one of our destinations. We were looking for some R&R and beautiful scenery. Bisbee is a scenic old mining town near the Mexico border. When the mine closed in the 70's, the artsy hippie eclectic population came in to take advantage of the old buildings and tucked away feel of this mountain/desert town. Everywhere you look and walk there are stairways and walkways and art! Here are just small examples of what is to be discovered throughout:

 

Way Out West: Paso Robles

In this blog series we highlight the great things to see and do Way Out West. You don't need to step far from our coast to discover great adventures-make it a day or a weekend, grab your sunhat and go...

Summer is setting, but we are far from finished with our traveling. This time, we took an afternoon up to Paso Robles--the Central Coast's renowned wine region. Though there are hundreds of wineries, we wanted to spend some time strolling around downtown. If you find yourself needing a bit of inspiration not too far from home, we highly recommend a day in Paso. Centered around a tree-full park, shops and restaurants are all within a leisurely walking distance. 

SHOPS
Firefly: a longtime favorite shop in Paso, this store has a little bit of everything: clothing, jewelry, handmade furniture, cookbooks & more
Paso General Store: a gift/novelty shop in which the one for you, one for me buying technique works flawlessly
Sole Tree: love Anthropologie's shoes? This store carries many of the same brands!
Ambiance: even with the flagship only 30 minutes south, they capture their own unique style &, well, ambiance

STAY
Paso Robles Inn & Steakhouse: boutique hotel with lovely grounds, round coffeehouse & award winning steakhouse
Inn Paradiso: another boutique hotel rustically only minutes from the downtown square

GOOD EATS
Artisan: delicious & fancy; their brunch is amazing
Thomas Hill Organics: the best of farm to table!
Brown Butter Cookie Company: Once only in Cayucos, you can get now get these delectables a little inland!
Vivant Fine Cheese: cheese tasting, need we say more

Way Out West: Northern CA & Oregon

Welcome to long days and warmer nights, Summer is here! It's also time to stretch your wandering limbs and explore: in this blog series we will be highlighting the great things to see and do Way Out West. You don't need to step far from our coast to discover great adventures-make it a day or a weekend, grab your sunhat and go...

Ever since the days of road trippin' with the fam in the Vista Cruiser, the Redwood highways have always been a favorite. Team Hendry was looking for a getaway with tree lined highways and rivers and streams to play in, and out-of-the-way campsites to sleep in.  We found exactly what we needed.

We drove through wine country--Healdsburg and Boonville being some favorites. They had lots of good food and shops, like Jimtown Store, to explore. Then we took Hwy 128 from wine country to Mendocino and this was one of the most beautiful drives of old barns, farmhouses, gardens, vineyards, and giant trees!

Avenue of the Giants skirts the 101 and is filled with roadside stops, little towns, and of course, giant giants. Along the Avenue is the town of Redcrest, where we stopped in to visit Reclaimed Relics.

Arcata had the second best farmers' market we've seen every Saturday morning. So much wonderful food and homemade goods, alongside music, coffee, and beautiful produce.

CAMPGROUNDS IN NORTHERN CA

Albion River campground

Burlington campground

Mill Creek Resort 

Panther Flat Campground

We always like to make our destination Grants Pass, Oregon--where there is a campground on the Rogue River called Schroeder Park. The jet boat tours on the Rogue are great fun, especially on a warm day.

One last favorite: Jacksonville, Oregon--about a half hour from Grants Pass. It is a very cool old gold mining town with wonderful old buildings, homes, and new shops. It feels like a town that time forgot.

Way Out West: Solvang

Welcome to long days and warmer nights, Summer is here! It's also time to stretch your wandering limbs and explore: in this blog series we will be highlighting the great things to see and do Way Out West. You don't need to step far from our coast to discover great adventures-make it a day or a weekend, grab your sunhat and go...

This trip was to see the play Noises Off in Solvang. We popped off the 101 in Orcutt to grab an ice cream from Doc Burnstein's and came across a $1 yard sale. We had to stop and shop. I couldn't help myself from asking the price of an item, all yelled "$1!".

Our second stop was in Los Alamos. Love this lil town, so much charm, and life goes a bit slower here. One of our favorite shops we love to stop at is Keane's Eclectic Antiques, it's very small but packed with very eclectic items. We came out with a handful and left behind items I still can't forget.

Can't say how many times we've driven by here and not stopped to investigate, but today we did.
The Skyview Motel, located right off the 101: you can see it from the highway at the top of a hill. The insides and surroundings are so roadside retro and super charming! There is a new tasting room on a patio with amazing views! If you love retro, go by soon--this motel was recently purchased and will be renovated with a more modern approach.

 

Dinner at The Hitching Post

Ostrich Land, the place you drive by and say 'Who goes there?' Well, we do! Love the roadside novelty! It's definately worth the $4 entry, and they even had a tacky gift shop (we say that in a loving way).

At our destination! The Solvang Theater: an outdoor theater with perfect evenings with a lap blanket. Out front of the theater is a grassy picnic area you can bring in food to picnic beforehand, or purchase treats here. We brought in a lil pink box from a nearby bakery (tons of them) and the night was perfect!

Way Out West: New Mexico

Welcome to long days and warmer nights, Summer is here! It's also time to stretch your wandering limbs and explore: in this blog series we will be highlighting the great things to see and do Way Out West (check out last week's!). You don't need to step far from our coast to discover great adventures-make it a day or a weekend, grab your sunhat and go...

Never one to turn down an adventure, I agreed to join a friend of mine on a road trip to her family reunion, driving from San Luis Obispo, CA to Truth or Consequences, NM. The trip totaled just under 3,000 miles and most days the weather was expected to be well over 100 degrees. Needless to say, the journey was daunting, but who wouldn't love the chance to explore a handful of cities in Arizona and New Mexico, to snap some photos, eat yummy food, and see some great sights? 

With the help of roadtrippers.com and many recommendations from locals, we found lots of fun stops to break up the long driving days. Here's some tips in case you ever find yourself in any of these cities:

SAN BERNARDINO, CA

Sleep in a teepee at the Wigwam Hotel 

TUSCON, AZ

Stop at rest stops to get a great shot of the mountains. Avoid rattlesnakes.

Eat at the Dinosaur McDonalds

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM
Truth or Consequences has a population of just under 6,500. But the city, more commonly referred to as T or C, does not lack an interesting history or things to keep you busy on a vacation. The city was originally called Hot Springs, named for the naturally occurring spas throughout the area. However, in 1950, a radio show by the name of Truth or Consequences announced that it would be broadcast from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs won that honor and thus the name of the city was changed. 

Enjoy a bathe in a natural hot spring while staying at the La Paloma Hot Springs and Spa

Float down the Rio Grande and enjoy the serenity of the river

Find some good old diner food with plates bigger than your face at BBQ on Broadway 

Cool off from the heat at Elephant Butte Lake

(unnamed 11 and 12) Take a day trip to the nearby farming town of Monticello

SOMEWHERE IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA

Take photos of cactus. There's not much else to do and they're quite photogenic.

Drive through the Petrified National Forest at sunset.

INDIO, CA

Abandon your dreams of sleeping in only cute, kitschy motels, and give in to air conditioning and gambling at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino.

Buy Starbucks from said casino and enjoy the comforts of civilization again after days spent driving through the desert.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, CA

Drool over the beautiful treats at Bottega Louie

Buy some souvenirs and eat some Mexican food at historic Olvera Street

xo,

Ruby

Way Out West: O,jai!

Welcome to long days and warmer nights, Summer is here! It's also time to stretch your wandering limbs and explore: in this blog series we will be highlighting the great things to see and do Way Out West (check out last week's!). You don't need to step far from our coast to discover great adventures-make it a day or a weekend, grab your sunhat and go...

Approximately 2.5 hours from San Luis Obispo a nook of a town sits perched between the coast and the hills. It is a place where time slows down and cacti's and palm trees stand out against a backdrop of endless hiking ranges. Turn East from Santa Barbara or Ventura, and wind your waaaaay back until   suddenly, you breathing slows and deepens, and your heart skips a beat--that how you'll know you're in Ojai.

A growing spot for LA locals to getaway, and a longstanding spiritual and spa retreat, Ojai is brimming with greatness. The bike path that runs throughout the entire the area is our preferred way of travel, making it much easier to stop at the roadside succulent sales and curbside tipis (we told you it was a magical place). The time warp in Ojai gives you a sense of leisure with time to spare, you could easily fit all these places in on a quick weekend away (we did!):

SHOPS
Modern Folk
Desert Images
Summer Camp
Bart's Books
Bookstore & Curiosities

SLEEP & SWIM
Ojai Rancho Inn: one of many endeavors by the Shelter Social Club, they outdid themselves again, as we are still drooling over this spot.



GOOD EATS
Ojai Farmer's Market:
The Farmer & the Cook
Papa Lennon's Pizzeria
Azu CA Tapas
Knead Baking Company
Tipple & Ramble