catalina island.

on saturday, before the sun was even thinking about waking up, a. woke me up and filled me in on a little secret.  we were heading on a surprise date.  he had taken the liberty to plan a day trip, packed us a bag and told me to dress casually for lots of walking and kayaking.

as we headed north on the 5, after much anticipation, he filled me in on his plan.  we were heading to catalina island.

the interesting thing about san diego for a. and i is, despite all the time we've lived here (cumulatively) we've never been able to explore this state as we have the others we've lived in.  so this surprise getaway was not only a much needed adventure, but a great way for us to start really exploring this new home of ours.

we left out of dana point and headed toward avalon, the main town on the island of catalina.  about 30 minutes into the ferry ride, we hit a huge blanket of fog that socked us in for the remainder of the commute.  when we arrived to avalon, the town was just waking up and the blanket of fog created a cold and cozy atmosphere throughout the sleepy town.  we warmed up over breakfast and set off to explore.

as people started waking up and filling the streets, the fog never really lifted.  instead, the sun stayed tucked away and the fog got thicker and thicker.  determined to enjoy everything catalina had to offer, a. and i rented paddle boards and set out for the sea.  this is when i wish i had known where we were headed, because a waterproof camera would have been amazing!  but alas, those few hours of still water, dolphins and seals, and the crystal clear depths of the sea will stay with us only in memories.

after a nice long lunch on descanso beach, we continued to explore avalon by foot and walked for miles up and down the streets of the small town (you can literally see the entire town in about an hour) people watching and window shopping.  we found a rocky beach where we searched for rocks and finally, still trying to beat the chilly weather, decided to head back into town to warm up over drinks.

the catalina brew house offered up some amazing locally crafted beer (from san diego and los angeles) & we sat there for the remainder of the day talking, and dreaming and hashing out some things we've been working on for the past month.  as we waited out the last hour on the island, the fog finally started to clear and blessed us with beautiful blue sky and a colorful sunset.

catalina is such a magical place.  so much so that we're already to make plans to go again before the year ends.  this spontaneous trip was exactly what we both needed.

adventure 3 of 30: mt. woodson

 where we went: mt. woodson

the details: lately i've been hitting the local trails on a few solo adventures.  this time however, my little sister joined me for a spectacular birthday hike up the mountain.  i've been up to the top a couple times, but this was a first for little sis.  & i figured it would be an awesome way to ring in the big 3-0.

we started the hike at lake poway, a nice little park in the heart of poway, ca.  the beginning  of the hike is pretty as it wraps around the lake and easy for beginners.  as you get off the lake poway loop however, mt. woodson becomes much less forgiving.  for the most part of the hike, it's a steady uphill trek. 

we left late morning, so while it was hot it definitely wasn't ridiculous.  if for some crazy reason, you plan to make this trek in the dead of summer, make sure you have plenty of water.  there are  a few stops to rest along the way, my favorite being under the shade of a huge oak tree.

we reached the top in about 2.5 hours, making sure we stopped for water and shade a long the way.  also, i made friends with a birthday buddy (same birthday, same age, same crazy idea of fun), so we took photos of one another on potato chip rock, a popular photo op at the top of the mountain.

after taking some time for more pictures and to take in the view, we hiked back down the mountain, exhilarated, proud and so happy we took on another adventure. 

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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 3 of 30

adventure 2 of 30: sailing san diego bay.

where we went: san diego bay

the details: over the past couple weeks, i've been lucky enough to go sailing a couple times in the san diego bay.  i adore sailing.  it's probably one of my favorite things to do.  when a. & i were dating, we'd go sailing quite frequently and more often than not, would encounter a few adventures along the way.  

while sailing isn't a new adventure for me, it's something we haven't done together in over 8 years.  crazy.  so getting back into a boat, getting in sync with the ropes, the rules of the bay, & just overall sailing required a bit of a refresher.  but like riding a bike, it came back quickly.  

in true san diego spirit, we had awesome weather for both of our sails.  one day was a bit colder & the other had a little less wind, but either way, the sun was shining & the san diego bay looked nothing less than glorious.

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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 2 of 30

adventure 1 of 30: blue sky reserve

last week, i mentioned i'm challenging myself with 30 different adventures throughout the year & figured, while i have the time, should take advantage of these beautiful, chilly san diego days.  with so much going on for both myself and a., i ended up embarking on this adventure solo (well radley came with me).

where i went: blue sky reserve

the details: blue sky has something like 700 acres of protected land and miles of trails.  despite the barren and dry nature of san diego, along the lower trail, there's usually a small stream and somewhere cool to enjoy a snack or lunch.  i chose to hike from the trailhead to ramona damn, 4.8 miles roundtrip.

the first mile and a half of the hike was easy and very enjoyable.  once i left the tree line and made my way for the damn, i was on an unprotected (from the sun) trail with a steady incline for the remainder of the walk.  radley and i stopped for pictures and water a few times as we walked up to the damn and at the base of the damn, we reached a steep grade as we made our way to the top.

at the top, the panoramic views are beautiful.  radley & i stayed only for a few minutes before making our way back down to the trailhead.  the quiet of the canyons and sounds of the birds was exactly what i needed to clear my head from the confusion of the week.  getting out and spending time in nature is so rejuvenating for me; i always feel like a new woman when i return from hikes.
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in an effort to spend more time doing what i love, i'm attempting to go on 30 different adventures over the course of 2013.

if you'd like to join me or interested to know more, you can follow my progress here.

this is adventure 1 of 30

30 adventures.

you guys are going to think i'm crazy.  like lost my rocker, crazy.  it seems, this january, i've jumped off the deep end and just might, be committing to way too much for the year.

a few months into the bake 20 challenge, i started giving some thought as to what to do next.  i considered baking bread, i considered trying different vegetarian recipes, and i even considered making different flavors of ice cream.  they all sounded good.  but at the same time, they revolved around the kitchen.  and as much as i love to eat (oh, do i love my food), i wouldn't say i need much help consuming bread and other goodies.  and for the most part, i'm a relatively adventurous cook when i have the time.  so, i said no to another kitchen challenge.

instead, i've been pondering this book we received a while back.  a. & i are total outdoor enthusiasts and our idea of a good time often involves a camel back, hiking shoes and a map.  yep, mr. & mrs. adventuruss.  as i sat down the last week of december to look at what i hoped 2013 would entail for me & us as a couple, i saw a trend around both time & adventure.  we love spending time together.  in fact, that's one of our shared love languages.  of course, we also love adventure.

so, to incorporate the two, i'm (we'll he's kinda joining me by default) embarking on a 30 adventure challenge.  over the course of the year, we're going to take on 30 different adventures, some new and some old.  some that involve things we're used to doing (like hiking and camping and kayaking) and some that are new or we don't do as often as we'd like (like rock climbing, sky diving, and backpacking).  also, since we're both on the verge of starting new jobs, i'm counting day hikes and solo adventures (for me) as long as they take place in new locations.

i figure, if anything, this will be a great opportunity to get out, stretch our legs and explore our new home.  it's not intended to be stressful & it's definitely not intended to be strict.  obviously, i'm not counting a walk around our neighborhood, but maybe a walk on a new beach or a bike ride in a park.  as long as we deem it adventure-worthy, it'll count.  i'm excited to embrace this new challenge & can't wait to share all the sights and some stories along the way.