sonoma (a.k.a. heaven)

Sonoma County is just an hour and a half away from me, and I go there fairly often, but I never get sick of it… or sick of taking photos of it. It’s like I think the next photo will be the best or most representative, which it never is but I can’t stop. On that note, here are several photos from several day and weekend trips to Sonoma over the past four months.

From top left: Medlock Ames winery; vineyards at Medlock Ames; Dry Creek General Store (a fave place to grab a beer and have lunch); the laid-back Preston Winery and all its cute touches (four photos); alfresco dining; homemade bruschetta with some local produce; Alpine Lake, which we stumbled upon while taking a windy non-shortcut from Highway 101 to the coast; the dam at Alpine Lake; overlooking the Pacific; Bolinas Beach (ok, this is actually in Marin County, not Sonoma, but it was part of a Sonoma trip); Bolinas; Bolinas main street; Saturday morning entertainment at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market; great perch for wine tasting at Iron Horse Vineyards; views from Iron Horse; Red Car tasting room in Graton.

summer snippets

A random assortment of photos from this summer, the below represents what went on between our weekend excursions to Vancouver, Lake Shasta, Sonoma and more. From street festivals to baseball games to day trips to a birthday celebration in Vegas, it was a busy, and surprisingly sunny, summer in and around SF.



From top left: a high-flying seagull catching views at a Giants game; pre-gaming with 21st Amendment’s famous watermelon beer (only available in summer); the waterfront Bar Bocce in Sausalito; the annual North Beach Festival; horse races at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley; a breakfast of beignets and café au lait at Brenda’s French Soul Food on Polk Street; Brenda’s wall of vintage mirrors; heading to Off the Grid, the weekly food truck event at Fort Mason; Off the Grid crowds; a windy day (perfect for kite flying) at Marina Green; another Giants game – this time with better seats; another day trip to Sausalito, this time to check out Salsalito, a colorful (and clever) Mexican joint where hot sauce is in high demand; a truly awesome sight – this brave man surveying the Sausalito waterfront on a jet pack!; my baby cousin celebrating her 21st birthday at the stroke of midnight; scenes of the Venetian, Palazzo pool and Bellagio conservatory + botanical garden (four shots); a third day trip to Sausalito (I love Sausalito, in case you couldn’t tell); an afternoon ‘field day’ picnic with friends in Golden Gate Park

vancouver + victoria: a pacific northwest weekend

Back in June, Seb and I flew up to British Columbia for a quick trip to see some old friends (well, Seb’s old friends, my new-ish friends). We spend two nights in Vancouver, visiting the Granville Island Public Market, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver Aquarium and downtown waterfront area. It was cloudy and chilly and drizzly, but we tried to ignore it and enjoy what we could. We succeeded for the most part and had a good time discovering the city’s modern features and cute neighborhoods set against the super green, lush background of the Pacific coastal mountains.

Then it was on to Victoria by seaplane, a truly awesome experience. Take-off was smooth, and flying low over the Strait of Georgia, we had fabulous aerial views of the Gulf Islands. However, the skies became darker and stormier as we neared Victoria, and landing was most definitely not smooth. Nerve-wracking, more like it. But, all was well as we disembarked and stepped back onto solid ground, getting our first glimpse of the historical city of Victoria, vastly different from Vancouver. Where Vancouver is bustling, Victoria is more relaxed; where Vancouver is contemporary, Victoria is steeped in British charm – and architecture. We spent just about 24 hours in the British Columbian capital city, but it was full of scenic walks and fantastic eating (it’s a bit of a foodie paradise!).

The next day, we boarded the Victoria Clipper, a high-speed ferry, for the trip to Seattle. Zooming across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Puget Sound, we arrived in Seattle in just three hours, and had a few hours to walk around before heading to the airport. We explored Pike Place Market, of course, as well as the trendy Capitol Hill neighborhood. Another great weekend in the West!

A few photo highlights below; click here for a full photo gallery