[Oh, Snap!] A Morning at The Griffith Park Observatory and Planetarium

September 13, 2014September 13, 2014Leave a comment

There’s nothing quite as wonderful as when parents come cruising into town – work and reality take a back seat to family time, heart conversation and big laughs; the world slows to an even keel and all seems relatively right with the world. After spending last Saturday roaming around The Huntington Gardens, it was only fitting that we continue our conquest of Los Angeles – one beautiful park at a time. Danny and I’ve been to Griffith Park several times before – to hike on the trails both above and below the observatory, as well as adventure through the surrounding woods but last time was our first adventure inside the observatory itself.

Science buffs, technophiles and camera lovers be warned – it’s all sorts of amazing in there! From the elemental building blocks of science
(highlighted: are all the elements in the human body), to amazing telescopes and celestial discoveries, there really is something for every level of scientist.

[Oh, Snap!] An Afternoon at the Huntington Botanical Gardens

September 7, 20142 Comments

Between my father and step mom being in town, and Danny’s mom heading down for the day – we’ve been inundated with family time, and it’s been perfect! Last night we went out on the town with my family, grabbed some sushi and enjoyed downtown Pasadena. Today, we thought we’d try something new so we cruised down to the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens for a beautiful adventure. Revered as one of the world’s epicenters for culture, research and education – the Huntington itself is a Non Profit institution founded by Henry Huntington back in 1919, almost a century ago. During his lifetime, Huntington procured and collected an immense collection of art, classic and historical literature and my personal favorite – an assortment of botanical gardens from all over the world. From the Australian outback to the Jungles, to Chinese and Japanese Gardens to the Rose and Herb Gardens, and with over 120 acres to the Huntington – there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

To start, we wound around to the Chinese Gardens to admire the lush vegetation, incredible architecture adorned with sacred geometry and the most delicious iced jasmine tea I’ve ever had the pleasure of slurping down.

After spending an hour meandering through the Chinese Gardens, we waltzed down by the running river and into the Japanese Gardens, to find an area adorned with the most extensive assortment of bonsai trees I’ve seen in my entire 30 years of existence. I swear, some of the trees were nearly a century old and so incredibly miniature!

As we exited we were pulled into the canopies by the rose gardens while we caught our breath (it was almost 100 degrees out, mind you) and wouldn’t you know it but we stumbled right upon the full glory of their rose gardens, with so many different and beautiful hybrids.

Finally, as we left four hours later we had to stop and smell – and eat! – the edible herb garden; I tasted a flower that tasted sweet and peppery – I so wish I remembered the name right now, but it was as beautiful as it was delicious.

With the size of the Gardens themselves, here’s simply no way to see everything on the grounds but boy, did we ever try. Do you have a favorite local botanical garden that you enjoy? Whether it’s in the Southern California region or across the globe, I’d love to get some ideas on other amazing botanical garden’s to fawn over.

[Traveling Tales] The Journey to Shambhala

August 12, 2014February 22, 2016Leave a comment

Not even a few weeks after we arrived back in Los Angeles from our epic journeys to Red Rocks and Zion, Danny and I were feverishly packing our car and getting ready for what turned out to be the best weekend of our young lives so far. Blessed with amazing connections and peers within the dance music scene, Danny and I were both asked by The Confluence to cruise up to Canada for their famed Shambhala Music Festival out at Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada – and you all know how I am when threatened with a good time, so when they asked I immediately and obviously jumped on this amazing opportunity with pep in my step and more bounce in my boogie.

Once the car was packed to the brim with camping supplies – tents, tarps, blankets, pillows and a cooler – we were off to the races! What originally was a 23 hour drive got broken up into three simpler sections: a 6 hour drive from LA to SF to visit my father, a 9 hour drive from SF to Corvallis to visit my Step-Mom and then another 9 hours until we found ourselves across the border and at Salmo River Ranch in Canada. What started as an unassuming adventure to both a new country, and new music culture, culminated in a warrior-esque journey to a new mindset, absolutely engulfed by the serenity of nature and enthralled by the beautiful expressions of humanity that surrounded us from every angle. There was never a dull moment, and at each and every turn there was someone or something to interact, connect, dance or laugh with and for every stranger we met – we walked away with two new friends. The Shambhala story – and trust me, it’s an EPIC one -won’t be coming later this week; so, until then, enjoy some of these pics from our roadtrip and Shamble-on!

[Traveling Tales] Zion So Nice, We Visited Thrice – And Bits of Colorado and Bryce

July 29, 2014February 23, 2016Leave a comment

On the way back home from Colorado we made an executive decision to not just visit the park at Zion one more time – but to get some double duty in by visiting at dusk and during the day, all the while gallivanting through places Black Dragon Canyon, Red Canyon, Dixie National Park and Bryce Canyon while checking them off of our bucket list.

Before we left for Utah and Red Rocks, we went on a itty bitty adventure to Best Buy where I finally made the perfect purchase of a lifetime: a Canon 6D with a started lens, a 50mm f/1.4 (and yes, I’m in lust!!). I still need to get a wide angle lens to round out the camera package but holy hell, can this thing get those fantastic shots I’ve always wanted! The color, the depth, the timing (and OMG, the lasers at concerts!) – this camera turns every shot into verifiable gold. So, on the last leg of our journey we busted it out and much to our chagrin we captured some of the best nature photos that I’ve ever been part of. From the stars of Zion at night to the beauty of the Checkerboard Mesa during the day, I was swept up in Wanderlust from the second we left California and honestly – was slightly sad to return.

Colorado was equally extravagant with her lush rivers and winding roads. Driving along the Colorado River was a fantastic addition to an already amazing adventure and seeing the water diverge in the continental divide was beyond trippy.

Once we got to Utah, we couldn’t help but take advantage of the frequent Rest Stops and turn outs along the way. Starting with Black Dragon Canyon, we were in awe of the sweeping sand dunes topped by obsidian looking stones.

Cruising back closer through Zion, we roamed near Red Canyon and decided immediately that it was our favorite spot in the whole national park.

As the sun went down, we got to know the winding roads and breathtaking views of Bryce Canyon – and pictures barely do it justice. Last, but certainly not least – we doubled by Zion at night and I saw – not just stars – but galaxy clouds, I danced underneath beating bat wings and stood, silently, stunned by the wonder of our world.

The next morning, we took one last ride through Zion – comparing and contrasting the sweeping daytime scenery with our limited night vision. Forever thankful for the opportunity, we did one last circle around the park and picked up a few gems and minerals to remember the trip by. Also, apparently I have a new obsession now lol. This journey was my first formidable road trip – and is the perfect stepping stone for our trip to Salmo, BC next week for Shambhala Music Festival. Until then, I’m fine living on a pixelated diet of nature pictures and images of the wonder of our world.

I’m always looking for new adventures and ideas, so tell me – what’s your favorite road trip, or national park – and when do you plan to return?

[Traveling Tales] To Zion and Beyond

July 20, 2014February 22, 2016Leave a comment

Last Thursday, my boyfriend and I started on one of the most epic adventures I’ve ever been on – road tripping from Los Angeles, through Las Vegas, dashing through Arizona and then into St. George, Utah – a quiet little town near the border where we took refuge for the night. In the morning, we rose with the sun and galavanted our way through Zion National Park. To be honest, I was almost okay missing the first day of Global Dance Fest so we could relax and explore – but, hey – always another time, right?

After Zion, we passed through Bryce and then zipped and zoomed through Utah as fast as we possibly could. Don’t get me wrong now – its a lovely state…to pass through. By late afternoon we’d made it to the continental divide and Grand Junction, and by early evening we arrived at our AirBnB then it was off to the races for Global Dance Fest at Red Rocks! This marks my first time here and I’m in absolute awe of all the natural beauty I’ve witnessed in the last 96 hours. Today’s our final full day in town so we took full advantage of the morning – going into town, picking up brunch, enjoying some refreshments by the Creek. And now, we wait patiently for the third and final day of GDE; I can’t wait to dish about the festival but that can wait til it’s over. Until then, here are some of my favorite snaps from the trip so far!

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Now that Ive had a taste for the open road, historic parks and epic views of nature I’m already planning another trip – the only question is: where to??! What’s the last roadtrip you went on? Or, what’s next on your bucket list?

Ps. I couldn’t leave you hanging, here’s a quick sneak peak of the magic

[Roadtrippin’] The Road to Red Rocks

July 16, 2014July 16, 2014Leave a comment

As the Super Moon rose through swaying palm trees, I perched on the love-seat in our kitchen – breathing in new opportunities and breathing out dissuaded anxieties with every beat of my heart. Silence ebbed and flowed through the room, engulfing it one minute – then a cackling laughter would chase it away. My mind raced in circles as my fingers traced a path on the top of my phone. There are exactly 1,000 miles from my doorstep to Red Rocks Amphitheater out in Morrison, Colorado; 1,000 miles between my bedroom and my first music festival outside of California. And it couldn’t come at a better time. For the majority of this calendar year, I’ve been at a mental and emotional crossroads; I’ve been made incredibly aware of my aptitudes as well as my downfalls, and through hard work and dedication – I’ve built an incredibly succinct vision of what I’d like to do with my life. Between my craft (writing) and my crafts (and arts), I need a jumping point to get me to the next level and attending the 16th anniversary of Global Dance is just that.

Zion National Park, Utah

For all the festivals franchises I’ve been to – HARD Presents, Insomniac Events, Go Ventures – I’m still a novice as far as the Global Dance events are concerned; and to cover the event on top of it? If there was a word that summarized – honored, thrilled, anxious, flabbergasted, stressed – the whole kit and kaboodle.

What’s more, is that my best friend – boyfriend – Danny – my partner in crime – photographer – whatever you want to call him, he’s coming with me and we’re making a huge road trip of the event. Last weekend we celebrated one year of loving each other and what better way to celebrate than gallivanting through Zion and Red Rocks! Back when I was in college, I spent a little bit of time in Breckenridge – but that was during the winter and under starkly different conditions! Instead of flying in between two monstrously large blizzards, we’ll be driving from LA through St.George, Utah where we’ll be able to rest our bones for a bit before we bounce to Zion National Park! I’ve heard so many fantastic things about it but to be able to see it physically with my own eyes, I can’t properly express how monumental this is for me – for us, really.

Then – it’s off to Morrison for Global Dance! Thanks to some quick thinking and good luck with Air BnB – I found an exceptionally fantastic place within close proximity – and for only $40 it’s a certifiable steal (Like, seriously – if you’re ever going to Red Rocks let me know and I’ll give you this guy’s information!) For all the research I’d done on GDE, I don’t know how it escaped me that there’d be more than one stage (I mean, duh; how many festivals are just one stage anymore….) – but I was truly hoping that with Red Rocks as a backdrop that it would more or less work out that way. Anyhow, now I have to navigate through time conflicts and hold DJ death matches in my head to plot the best plan of attack.

This is the reason I’m so willing to put up with my normal 8-5; this is why I’m so dedicated to working day in and day out on my craft. It’s big moments like these that pave the way for monumental events to happen – and I’m so excited to share my journeys! Now, before I get back to being a glorified excel monkey – let me leave you with some of my favorite songs from the GDE: Red Rocks arsenal – enjoy!

[Oh, Snap] Adventure to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

May 12, 2014May 12, 2014Leave a comment

For the past few weeks, all I’ve heard about is how out of this world beautiful the National Poppy Reserve is; so, naturally, I had to find out for myself. Yesterday, we woke up bright and early with a bounce in our step – we were going to Lancaster for Mother’s Day and I was finally going to get my poppy fix! We jumped in the Dodge Challenger and with a vroooom, off we went!

These are some of my favorite snaps from yesterday; hope you enjoy them as much as I do!