after three gorgeous days in cayucos, it was time to head north and check out the drive along route 1.  of course the day was overcast and misty, however, we set out armed with a playlist, well-thought out and ready.  the first stop was to see the elephant seals, less than a half an hour away.  what a treat!  it was mating season and the shore was packed with males, females, and pups...national geographic style!

a tired mum and her pup rest peacefully, for now...

two males showing up one another before attacking.

wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and back on the road, we drove winding our way into the heart of big sur, stopping often to take it all in!

a dignified eshcer decides to pose for a picture at the first stop.

a stop at julia pfeiffer burns state park, named after a big sur pioneer woman, provided a beautiful trail on the edge of the cliffs.  at the end of the coastal trail, the terrace from a 1940s home remains...

with a most pleasant view.

with grumbling tummies, we stopped at a restaurant not far from the park.  lunch was nothing to write home about, however the view was peaceful and the food was fresh and came out fast.  after lunch, we continued the drive, stopping at pfeiffer big sur state park for our first redwoods sighting!

while driving away from the park, we toyed with stopping at one of the small villages along the way to stay the night and decided to continue on to monterey, plotting another adventure through big sur in the future!

with the sun beginning to set, we made our way over the bixby creek bridge and descended into carmel.  too dark to really walk around, we headed just past downtown monterey, off the highway, and began the motel search.  hoping to scope out the room status at a motel 6, the desk clerk asked for id.  needing to grab it out of the car, emily realized that her purse was missing!  the only logical place it could be was at the lunch restaurant which was about 2 1/2 hours back.  whoopsie!  the restaurant opened next day at 11:00...guess that means we're taking another trip through big sur!

tuckered out from the day's events, we looked into getting something delivered.  pizza my heart, a california chain, was most delicious and reasonably priced.  fittingly, we ordered the big sur pizza, with roasted garlic, pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, and portebella mushrooms...yum! 

after a good night's sleep, we awoke to a gorgeous day and excitedly headed back up to big sur.  a call from a restaurant employee confirmed that the purse was still there and would be waiting. 

due to the drastic weather difference, we were able to capture more 

of the beauty that had been hidden by the gray the day before. 

we returned to julia pfieffer burns state park to walk a wooded trail.  

escher loved walking across the logs over the stream,

 making our way up to a smooth, trickle falls.

happy cows live in california

the rest of the afternoon we went to the monterey bay aquarium and spent hours in awe of the various marine species, trying to identify everything in the tanks.  from mahi mahi and hammerhead sharks to dragon seahorses and rock shrimp, there is something to capture your attention around every corner!  being a leader in the sustainable seafood movement, many of the staff are on the floor trying to educate aquarium goers.

while attempting to find a restaurant, that ended up no longer existing, we stumbled upon some disc golf baskets.  not sure where the course started, we hopped out to survey the scene and enjoy a walk in the gorgeous sunshine. 

this hole was especially noteworthy with the start being so high above the basket and the gorgeous view.  poor pete lost this orange disc (his favorite) in an attempt to capture a perfect action shot.  out of the three discs thrown, this was the best shot!

  
the next morning, steamer lane and a health food store stop called us to santa cruz.  just less than an hour north of monterey, this crowded lazy surf town satisfied both our cravings.  staff of life natural food market proved to be a most "fruitful" stop with fresh juice and smoothie bar, great local kombucha supply, and inexpensive staples.  emily even got carded for the kombucha at the checkout!

pete was able to rent a board and get out in the water.  steamer lane wave goes forever, offering the perfect wave for all surfing abilities from hot doggers to long boarders.  pete hung out towards the middle, trying to catch as many waves as possible.

lucky to get this shot, considering that there were about 80 (give or take) other people in the water!

the santa cruz pit stop left us refreshed and ready to head to the city.  needing a room for one night, pete found a great, inexpensive room at the marina motel.  located in the marina district, with on site, individual garages for guests, clean, cozy rooms, and a fridge, this place is a gem!  we met up with nantucket friends, willem and dee,  at fog city diner, for some crispy brussels sprouts, truffle fries, and other tasty treats!  dee was off to new orleans the next day, to meet up with some other nantucket ladies for a big birthday bash. 

for the next two nights, we stayed at the comfortably chic, "chez mcrobie", and dee was thoroughly missed as her other half hosted and guided us around this new place they call home! 

spent an afternoon at SFMOMA,

had some snacks on filmore st and people watched,

and ate yummy mexican for dinner

had la boulange bakery for breakfast,

checked out chrissy field,

went for a great walk cliffside with spectacular views...

pete looks like he's about to sneeze!

we lunched at the farmer's market and wondered around wanting EVERYTHING!

best sushi.  ever.

at kabuto sushi, 

enjoying tuna toro, 

the belly of tuna

after a farmers market breakfast, we said our goodbyes, drove over the bridge,

and headed to point reyes, only to stumble upon cowgirl creamery!!! 

we loaded up on picnic provisions at the organic, artisan cheese makers headquarters

and had their homemade ice cream for breakfast!

having trouble getting to the beach access (closed for the season), 

we stumbled upon this fairy forest running along the bay side of point reyes.

 delighting in the nature, the fairies showed their 

appreciation with these beautiful black truffles!

oysters in point reyes are highly recommended with several roadside places to stop.

we chose hog island oysters...

and enjoyed a half dozen raw and barbequed oysters,

before our drive up to jenner, over through guerneville, and down route 12 to sonoma.

 escher enjoying the very sensory drive!

having success at finding fantastic, inexpensive, pet-friendly hotels, pete booked a room at the sonoma creek inn.  wanting to rest up for a full day of wine tasting, we ordered some homemade italian delivery for dinner.

the next morning, we grabbed a healthy breakfast and headed to kaz winery, a small, funky, newer winery.  where the tastings depend on what is in the barrel.  having been most attracted to this one based on internet research, it was just okay, however, we did get to meet kaz, as he's very active in the day-to-day happenings.

our second stop was at benzinger family vineyard, a biodynamic, organic, and sustainable farm.  the wines were tasty and the staff friendly.  we especially enjoyed watching the weeders do their work...

 

 these little guys take a break from their job as weeders.

the last winery we stopped at was imagery estate winery.  with visually appealing labels, featured reds,  and comfortable patio, it was a great place for a picnic. 

picnic of cowgirl creamery cheese, mary's gone crackers, 

organic persimmon jam, olives, artichoke tapenade, and 

imagery wine on a pleasant sun filled afternoon.

after several recommendations, we went to the girl and the fig for a most incredible feast!

here are a couple of the delicious treats we split over the evening...

 

local sardines with red onion and capers,

 

profiteroles, perfect for sharing!

a brisk walk around the town square with the dog rounded out a most perfect day in wine country and our last in california...colorado bound!!!

the ride from arizona through the mountains to san diego was gorgeous.  the passes between the many large rock outcrops were indescribable.  winding up and down and around we drove over the mountains until we finally caught a glimpse of the big blue pacific ocean.  the plan was to stay at the campground just down the street from our friend's house in cardiff by the sea, however, we were informed by a grounds keeper that the campground was temporarily closed.  "wa-wa-waaah!!"  in a pickle and sick and tired of driving, we decided to stay in a hotel for the night.  our lodging situation would just have to get figured out the next day.  settled and ready for some food, we met some dear old friends (and made some new ones) at the besta-wan pizza house in cardiff.   it was great to sit out on the deck, enjoy the fresh air and eat great food with good people.

the next day we found another camp ground about 10 miles north of cardiff by the sea.  carslbad campgrounds were clean and our site was fairly close to the bathroom with fresh water on site which was a blessing.  after we erected our tent and set up our site, we headed back to cardiff to check the waves with owen and lyle, childhood friends of pete's from florida.  borrowing a surf board from owen, the boys hit the waves while emily and escher took a walk down the beautiful cliff side beach. 

 

loving the campsite, we spent the next few evenings in, cooking over the fire and enjoying the simple life.

french onion quinoa casserole:

made with onion jam, and

arugula and gruyere cheese from the encinitas-leucadia farmers market.

this market is the best seen so far!     

sunset view from the campsite.

  

escher enjoying the fire

 

one of the best breakfasts ever!  

english muffins, from the farmers market, with scrambled farm fresh eggs, melted cheddar, and pete's amazing hash browns made with sweet potatoes

along with all the gourmet campfire meals, we also enjoyed some meals out with owen, his girlfriend audra, and lyle:  taco tuesday was brigantine for lyle's birthday and a much needed healthy, post surf lunch at kook's cafe.

san diego is about 20 minutes south of cardiff and emily's friends from high school, trip and ben, live just outside of downtown.  after hearing how much pete enjoys disc golf, they highly recommended the world class disc golf course nearby.  the course itself was great. there were many other golfers playing the course that day.  a nice older man joined the osley's for the last few holes.  it was a good thing we decided to play that day because a tournament was coming up the next week.  pete was very proud of himself for playing well and not loosing a disc.

 

 

the boys also took us to some great restaurants in their neighborhood including:  urbn for some delicious pizza and local habit where we enjoyed some delicious organic, farm fresh food and many a craft beer! 

  

 florida meets ohio on the west coast

(from left to right:  dorian, amy, trip, owen, audra, ben, emily, and pete)

after a week of good waves and a fantastic send off, it was time to head north.  in order to avoid some congestion, we drove around los angelos.  el capitan campground, just north of santa barbara, came highly recommended and proved to be a perfect place to set up for the next couple nights.  

getting the fire ready for a chilly evening and 

enjoying the sunset

in need of an oil change, we headed to santa barbara for the day.  the jiffy lube station happened to be located and a perfect location and offered free parking for the day!  walking along the shady, quiet side streets, we made our way to state street, the main drag.  lined with coffee shops, upscale boutiques, brand name stores, and tons of outdoor cafes and restaurants.  taking advice from the tofu tollbooth and seeing how busy the restaurant was, we decided to eat lunch at the natural cafe.  the food was delicious, fresh, and healthy and we were able to sit outside and watch the people. 

over the two days spent at the el cap campground, the temperature was getting cooler and cooler, especially in the evening, and the waves were flat (no rincon surfing for pete).  after two sleepless nights of being up with the dog due to a cat creeping around the tent and escher shivering, we decided to head north towards morro bay and find a hotel.

we got to morro bay in the early evening.  friends, ryan and caroline, who live in the area urged us to head a tad north to the lazy beach town of cayucos where we happened to find a great motel, the beach walker inn.  it was a quaint motel with lots of space and a kitchen for all our cooking needs.  shortly after check in,  the olsey clan took a walk on the beach.  there were so many birds hunting sand fleas and other sea organisms, plunging their long beaks into the sand to snag a catch.  the beach was very wide with large surf crashing against the rocks, sending spray hundreds of feet into the air, enhancing the its beauty.  WOW!

the amazing beach walks combined with the warm, comfy, inexpensive motel suite made it easy to stay for three nights.  ryan, caroline, and their beautiful baby girl welcomed us to the area with open arms, showed us a good time for the super bowl and took us out for superb tacos at taco temple.  they even treated us to some amazing products from their company, elemental herbs.  already a huge fan of the all good lips, all good goop and what this company stands for, it was such a treat getting to meet the masterminds behind it and learn more about how it came about.

expect the unexpected

originally, the plan was the camp two nights in texas to break up the drive and allow enough time to check out white sands and make it to santa fe for an evening or two.  from there, it was an easy drive to the grand canyon and we could camp in arizona for a couple days before heading to california. as we got closer to the first campsite, the rain started coming down, the sun began to set, and the temperature was dropping.  setting up a tent in those conditions made for an undesirable experience.

after some thought and debate, we decided to just keep driving through the evening and pull off at a rest stop for the night.  having perfected the art of sleeping in the car, it was easy to get things set up comfortably.  everyone slept well and was ready to drive to white sands to check it all out.

unexpectedly mind-blowing!  the detour off ten was very bland and unassuming.

the dunes where white as snow!

taking inspiration from the seafari girls of nantucket, we rented a saucer to sled down the dunes.

driving through new mexico was mesmerizing, and we actually missed the highway change for white sands...the navigator was focusing more on the scenery and less on the map!  the whole white sands adventure took longer than expected and was totally worth it.  with the sun getting ready to set and knowing that camping in new mexico was iffy, we needed to, once again, come up with a new plan.  we agreed to skip santa fe and the grand canyon, making a the new goal of landing in arizona for the evening.  

over the summer, we had an enjoyable conversation with a man at the bar of pi pizzaria.  he had traveled the world as a skydive instructor and told us that if we were near eloy, az, it would be a great place for a first time jump.  about half an hour north of tuscon, eloy is skydive arizona.  boasting the largest drop zone in the world, we made the move and signed up for the next morning.

arriving at 8:00 a.m, we embarked on one of our most adventurous, adrenaline filled experiences!  by 9:30, we were suited up, given brief, easy instructions, and loaded onto a plane full of the national skydiving team.  the plane zooms up to an elevation of 13,500 feet, the door slides open, and out you go...

(please be kind...these pictures were taken from the videos we purchased!)

exhilarating rush and highly recommended to all!

straight out of a western...

 

  gorgeous cotton fields on their way to harvest.

after that adrenaline boost, california, here we come!

don't mess with texas

a last minute call to a vrbo (vacation rentals by owner) proved to fruitful and we secured an apartment in austin for a discounted rate, and because of the affordability we stayed an extra night.  once we crossed over into texas, austin was still about 2 and 1/2 hours away.  we drove through houston around 11:00 p.m. with huge pickups passing left and right.  finding a rest stop at rest about an hour south of austin, we pulled off to hit the hay.

up and at'em early after a really good night's sleep in the car (we now have it down to a science), we were ready to take the city on!  using the localscope app, we were able to find this tasty, on tx 71, breakfast burrito and bbq joint, fitties.  

 

 a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit,

 

 


breakfast burrito with bacon, egg, 
and cheese, 





 


and the marty (spicy shredded beef with potatoes, beans, and cheese burrito...it's texas, why wouldn't ya?!?) made for a most fantastic way to get the morning started.

 

a place for the whole family!

needing to stock up on provisions, tofu tollbooth led us to wheatsville food coop.  the market was big enough without being overwhelming and offered an array of local and organic choices.  here we found kosmic kombucha growlers, (most interesting flavor:  cherry nugent-organic kombucha, organic black cherry juice, organic maple & chocolate) buddha’s brew, local gruyere and sharp cheddar, farm fresh eggs, yogurt, and all the fixings for dinner in.

the apartment is southwest of downtown just a short walk to zilcker park, home to barton springs and the disc golf course.  sunday funday began after getting settled.  went on a long walk in the park to get our bearings, escher was taking it in and enjoying all the sights, smells, and trees.

even a little tree climbing!

it was awesome getting to take advntage of the kitchen and we made dinner.  a nice clean piece of meat, with local sautéed mushrooms and onions,  organic artichokes (gorgeous shape and color) with a homemade mayonnaise, gruyere, sunflower sprouts and lemon juice dipping sauce, and a local sunflower sprout salad with a spicy carrot and radish slaw.  the living room was so comfy with big windows with great view, it's called "the treehouse".  everyone was glad to have the space to spread out and get a good night’s rest and watch the football playoffs.

game time beverages:  local brew and a becker malbec (with a splash of cherry nugent kombucha and rhubarb bitters...yum!)

next morning marked a first bikram yoga experience for emily.   there was a bit of hesitation at first, however, by the end, it was easy to gain an understanding and appreciation for the instruction and flow of the class.  after that, we checked out the disc golf course.  it was easy to navigate with short fareways and the dog enjoyed the walk.  

an under the tree shot by pete...

    

emily jumped in for the first 9 holes.

 
barton springs is an underground, spring-fed pool about three acres big.  the water is an average of 68 degrees year round and is very refreshing.

free this time of year, we took advantage of the beautiful day and went for a dip.  on both sides grassy hills slow toward the water and offer a perfect place to sit back and dry off.

ready to celebrate the day, we headed northwest of downtown to contigo, a modernly rustic restaurant with yummy happy hour deals.  it's totally worth the crunchy green beans, discounted craft beers and refreshing cocktails.

an assortment of olive marinated in citrus fennel seed oil, meatballs (made from contigo ranch meat) with homemade pasta and arugala, and the crunchy green beans with a chipotle aioli.

these little purplish-green ones were super tasty!

in the mood for tasting a lot of what austin had to offer, we went next to barley swine for some small plates.  first up, the gulf shrimp, hominy, chorizo, citrus marinated cabbage, 

next the pork belly with carrots, lavender, pumpkin seeds,

rounding out the savories with braised beef, coffee, barbequed beans, potato, radish.  desert was so inviting that we couldn't even stop to get a picture!  it was a pumpkin cheese cake with wattle seed, pistachio, and rum caramel.  boom.  done.

after dinner it was all about walking down sixth street to wonder and take in the sounds.  it was so cool to walk into a bar, no cover, listen to the music and decide to stay or go.

goodnight austin.  (view from apartment balacony)

lots of dog walks, thrift shopping, and regrouping took place over the rest of our time in austin.

the morning we left, we started the day off with fresh squeezed juice, stopped at boggy creek farm where, the husband and wife, farmers are at the stand there to answer questions, talk about what is available, and how to cook with it.  grabbed some more produce, eggs and homemade english muffs for the road.

just south of austin is lockhart, texas bbq capital.  there are four restaurants to choose from, all boasting the best.  we decided on going to the oldest joint, black's bbq.  both of us downed two huge plates of meat.  pete had brisket and short ribs and emily had spare ribs and jalepino cheddar sausage, each one coming with a plethora of sides to choose from.  thank goodness for the juice that morning!  made a quick stop at kreuz market to see what it was all about, bought some breakfast sausage and will definitely try this bbq joint next. 

driving 290 w out of austin is stop-and-go, however, quite pleasant visually.  it takes you past farms of sheep and cattle grazing, through texas wine country, and two small towns, johnson city and fredericksburg, worth some further exploration in the future.  fourteen miles outside of johnson city is the lbj state park, offering everything from trails and wildlife to education and history.  this was a great last stop on our lone star state adventure!

armed with food provisions and inspiration

the open road took us through florida and into alabama for an overnight at florala state park.   a very small campground, the park surrounds a lake and campers set up along the edge.  

the site with the best view happened to be occupied by an interesting couple who have been living at the campground for the past two months.  they were very helpful in getting our fire started and shared their success behind camping for the past two months:  a 12 person tent for 2 with a 32 in screen television, DVD player, microwave and freezer.  outside of the tent was a slender rectangle tent with a shower and toilet.  they were a wealth of knowledge about the area, specifically the campground and the happenings around it.  they informed us that the dollar store sells beer, bringing beer from another state on Sunday would result in a find AND they'll take your beer, and lastly, that often times one could see the planes flying up from "pepsi-cola".  pretty sure she meant pensacola...we were grateful for their help with the fire!

 
with the fire roaring, it was time to get cooking.  keeping it simple, we made a soup with cauliflower and sorrel, from the audobon community market, and finished off some quinoa casserole leftovers. after enjoying the candlelit meal and cleaning up, it was time to get some rest for a quick stop in new orleans the following day.





who needs a fast food drive-thru or convenient store?  it is so much more efficient and delicious to travel with a few basic ingredients!  utilizing some of the treats tony sent us with, our breakfast on-the-go consisted of tupelo honey peanut butter from the audobon community market and big wheel plant city strawberry preserves on fresh german multi-grain bread.  absolutely delicious, healthy, and mindful of the environment!












here's another one of our  in-car snacks:  crackers, hummus (made from scratch and brought from home), with some womanchego from the ct farmer's market





using an app called "localscope", we were able to find a quaint coffee shop in the outskirts of mobile, al and made a much needed coffee stop.  the latte was okay...it's hard being spoiled by amber at the green!

the decision to stop in new orleans for lunch was a last minute one and after some input we decided to start at acme oyster house (another "place to see before you die").  

we started with 1/2 a dozen oysters on the half shell...

and finished with the char-grilled, as recommended by the server.  we washed it down with the local abita amber. 

after the snack, we took the dog on a walk through louis armstrong park near the french quarter.

the next stop was the napoleon house bar and cafe.  the pims cup was perfections and the muffaletta outstanding!  the waiters are traditionally clad with tuxedo shirts and ties and are pleasantly accommodating.

in search of an internet connection to do some blog posting, we checked in with every cafe we could, only to find that there was no access anywhere!  thoroughly disappointed by the lack of wi-fi in the new orleans cafe scene we walked to cafe du monde in hopes of a beignet.  the line juice bar long and we were itching to hit the road, so we decided to wait until we make another trip back!


with the sun setting, we maneuvered our way out of the city in hopes of making it to texas...