Eaux Claires music festival was truly about the music. Because no two artists played the same area simultaneously, everyone’s sound enjoyed the air waves for all to hear. Eau Claire encompasses farm country and an old industrial town since-turned into main streets catering to university students with creative cafes and eclectic home goods shops. Eaux Claires – a play on the French aux – took place on two large fields surrounded by forest and an abutting river.
“Carmel by the sea, Monterey by the smell and Pacific Grove by God;” it’s the old adage to describe the area. South of Monterey is the very beautiful, picturesque Pacific Grove. Seals rest upon the rocks and narrow sand beaches nestled between roaring waves and rugged landscape stand empty in early December.For $10.00, one can drive through the world renowned Pebble Beach golf course and it’s prestigious 17 Mile Drive where rows of mansions peer onto a glorious bay and sunset.
Slightly north of Moab, Utah you’ll find yourself at Arches National Park — it’s more than 76 thousand acres of oceanic bed turned salt flat turned sandstone sediment deposit. These sediment deposits have dissolved over time forming literal arches all over the park, thus the name. Since 1929, travelers have come to see this remarkable landscape which looks astonishingly similar to ruins of a grand, ancient city.
This detour from the 101 is definitely worth it. We drove along the winding Avenue of the Giants where through huge, enchanting sequoias and redwoods. Be sure to check out the visitor's center. There are plenty of campsites in the area during the warmer months.
Nestled north along the California coast are some of the most enchanting trees in the world. We split from the 101 to wind along Avenue of the Giants where sequoias and redwoods provide a shaded brush cover and as far as you can see are endless thick towers on a red forest bed. It was late in the season when we headed up this way for a camping expedition in Redwood National Park, so many of the grounds were closed — but we did find one open site at Elk Prairie Campground.
The Abbot Kinney location is not only TOM’s flagship store, but has the appearance of a quaint cabin-like café at the entrance. Walk to the back with your lavender latte to backyard covered in green turf with rocking chairs, a wooden spool serving as a desk and stadium-like benches in the backdrop.
This is the largest urban park in America and even with its close proximity to the main streets of Portland, it's truly nature's paradise.
This super cool store is a must-visit and has some really sweet outdoors and vintage goods.
This place is awesome. Grab a seat at the bar in the cool designed space with hip music and watch the chefs whip up your delicious bowl of ramen. Start with pot stickers as an app.
We had an amazing stay here. The forest here is beautiful totally enchanted. Each campsite has its food locker (for bears), picnic table and a charcoal chimney stove. The only thing to note is that to showers, you pay for water in quarters, but California is in a drought.