[Oh, Snap] A Holiday Stroll Through The Descanso Gardens

December 26, 2014February 22, 2016Leave a comment

As I’ve grown up over the years, the holidays have become less and less about the physical, tangible presents exchanged among family and friends, and in turn – more and more about the actual holiday presence of the same individuals. I mean, sure – who doesn’t love a gift every now and again; especially if it’s heartfelt and / or handmade. My parents are pros at both of those, but to this day I honestly still prefer long strolls and chatting them up to anything that money could actually buy. The other week, I was struck with an awkward work situation – I was going to be the big boss for a few days while my boss was out, but for the Friday and Monday after the holidays. My original feelings were a hodgepodge of frustration, anger and sadness that I wouldn’t be able to spend the days with my parents, but instead of getting into a bind about it – we did a quick about face; for the first time since moving down to LA, they were finally going to visit me for the holidays and enjoy a crisp, clear Christmas in the City of Angels.

The crazy thing about living in East Los Angeles is that I’ve gone from being surrounded by city streets, skyrises and bustling public transportation into an area that’s a much slower pace of life, and where nature is seemingly more abundant, though in truth – maybe I’m finding it more frequently, because I’m looking for it more. Over the last year, Danny and I’ve explored a plethora of parks and finally – we’re running out of Botanical Gardens to introduce ourselves to in the area; it’s a beautiful thing! After the local options are exhausted, we’re going to spend our weekends traveling – in search of the serenity that only nature can provide. After tackling Griffith Park, The Huntington and The Arboretum – it was time to conquer the Descanso Gardens and I was stoked to bring my parents along for the ride. Being a holiday, there were barely any people in the park which was nice – and for the record, the Descanso Gardens are only closed a few days of the year, Christmas Day being one of them.

After spending the early afternoon galavanting around and grabbing some quick and hunger quenching pizza at Blaze in Pasadena, we were off to Descanso – located right about where the 2 and the 210 meet in La Canada / Flintridge. Unlike the other gardens we’ve visited which were much more in the heart of the city and centrally located, Descanso is a little further out of range of the city and has the stunning landscape to prove it. We started in the Japanese Garden and wound around to the Live Oaks Forest, the Camelias, a California Native Plant Garden and last but certainly not least, the wonderful Rose Garden. But, that’s not to say we always stayed on the beaten path – we definitely jumped off a few times, hiked through the hills and stole a stunning view of the city. Though there wasn’t as much color or variety as the other gardens we’ve been to (which, truthfully, could just be due to the time of year) – I really enjoyed strolling through and enjoying the forested areas. The Descanso Gardens are perfect for a mid-week walk, artistic inspiration or a little reading on a beautiful day.

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[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.

[Trekking Tales] Griffith Park Observatory

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014Leave a comment

As the month progresses, I’ve begun to realize that there’s a deeper motive hidden under my menagerie of miniature resolutions. I fully believe that to evolve, to become a better version of yourself, there are baby steps that need to be taken and in a way each an every one the thirty items on that list are an investment in my future and the person I want to be. Lingering somewhere between lofty goals and simple practicalities are life hacks that double as cost saving methods, building blocks for future endeavors and last, but certainly not least, there’s the mental and physical gymnastics of it all. Admittedly, I miss school – not the tests or homework mind you, but the sense of community and the push for personal growth in all endeavors. Travel, reading, hikes, meditation, crocheting; all of these endeavors are inspiring me to expand who I am at my core and what I’m capable of. By crafting unique infused olive oils, pickling vegetables and manufacturing my own basic salad dressings – I’m not only saving loads by reducing the amount of pre-processed foods I purchase, plus it’s an immensely fun, delicious alternative. The books on my nightstand have been gleefully riffled through more than once, my yoga poses are getting stronger by the week and through hiking I’ve had the chance to explore the urban jungles that my city has to offer.

With my affinity for activity, a penchant for photography and a need to be in the great outdoors, it’s absolutely no wonder that hiking has also etched its way into my heart. Back when I moved to Los Angeles, I viewed the city as concrete jungle that desperately needed repaving, but after five years of exploring the city I can attest to the contrary. Between Will Rogers Memorial Park, Runyon Canyon, the Pasadena Hills, the Old LA Zoo and Griffith Park – the city is literally teaming with all sorts of fun urban safaris that don’t shy away from importing a little bit of nature into the city. Plus, what better way to get intimate knowledge on your city than diving into it headfirst? I’ve never considered myself much of a hiker, but we all have to start somewhere I suppose. Two years ago, I didn’t consider myself a runner, either. But life tends to throw me curve balls, and I’m proud to say that I’ve adapted quite nicely.

When my GTI gave out in ’12, I “lost my ride to the gym“. For the first three days, I was frustrated but on the fourth, I had a mental breakthrough: why am I driving to the gym just to run on a treadmill? Immediately, my iPod playlist was updated and I whisked myself out the door before I had the opportunity to give it a second thought. I came back exhausted, dripping in sweat (which, by the by, is rare), out of breath, slightly dehydrated – and the happiest I’d been in months. As a former competitive athlete, my body literally craves that sweet rush of fresh air (not to mention, endorphins) that the great outdoors can provide – about ten minutes in, this grin starts creeping up through the corners of my mouth, working its way towards dropping my chin and brightening my eyes. And then I remembered what it’s all about – working out makes me a passionate creature without worries or anxieties; not only does physical activity help me be the best version of myself, but it completely plays into loving myself, too.

Part of my new years resolution was to find a new hike every month and I love that it’s pushing me to explore more of Los Angeles. The first hike of the new year was Griffith and personally, I’m sort of having a love affair with it. One of the best things about hiking at Griffith Park is the ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ aspect of the exercise. I’ve gone about four or five times over the last month an each time, I explored a new and completely different part of the park – terrain and view wise. Plus, there’s the Observatory – which means I also get to flex my nerd muscles a bit.

As you walk around the outside of the observatory, you’ll notice some curved lines: these lines represent planetary orbits and equinoxes. The park is open from sunrise through sunset, and I highly recommend making it for one, if not both of them. Though you don’t have the same view of the Pacific that you get from Runyon, if you’re there during the magic hour you’ll get to watch downtown slowly light up the city skyline; you can also clearly see the Hollywood sign, Runyon and Santa Monica.

There are multiple levels and types of terrain for hiking on, the Berlin Forrest is one of the more wooded areas where the hikes by the Observatory tend to be on gravel. This area is rich with picnic benches and perfect for some lowkey stretches, or even some lowkey laziness 😉

The view of downtown is absolutely unreal; especially when the city is shrouded in haze.

[Oh, Snap!] Street Art v14 – San Francisco

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014Leave a comment

There were far too many snaps from my last urban safari in San Francisco to post all at once, so this is the second installment (click through for the first) of my graffiti pics from my last trip; enjoy!

[Oh, Snap!] Adventures on the East Coast

December 3, 2013December 3, 2013Leave a comment

Rabbit, rabbit and happy December! I know I’m a few days behind, but considering the monumental amount of jetlag that I’m feeling right now – I’d say it’s quite alright. Our flights back home were both delayed which made for an entertaining, drunken sprint between gates C and A of the Philadelphia airport but let’s just say this: we’re glad we didn’t get stranded in the airport and test their theory of brotherly love. Now that I’ve had a day to unwind, process and fall back into my California state of mind: Pho, flip flops and cruising the streets with my windows down, I’ve had the chance to reminisce on my amazing stay on the East Coast and all the fun I had with my man. We went from Massachusetts, up into New Hampshire to explore, then up the Maine Coast and back to Salem to get some history before we bounced out of the airport. It was the most amazing week with three of the best families ever – my dad’s side, my stepmom’s side and then my boyfriend’s dad’s side of the family. There was lots of laughs, wine, cards against humanity and good old fashioned fun – I got to visit the Nubble Lighthouse, see a snow flurry and down some real New England Clam Chowder!

Fact: Smoked Salmon is SO much better on the East Coast!

First Sunset on the Atlantic

The Nubble Lighthouse

Ogunquit Beach

I swear, Street Art finds us sometimes!

First Unitarian Church of Salem

The Witch House in Salem Massachusetts!

[Oh, Snap] Arlington Botanical Gardens

August 12, 2013September 26, 2013Leave a comment

Whether you’re a country cat or a city kitty, one thing’s for sure – Los Angeles has a little bit of something to offer for every type of adventurous personality out there. For the best in shopping and people watching head out to Venice Beach or the Fairfax District, Hollywood boasts some of the trendiest tourist traps around and Downtown LA is home to Chinatown and the Fashion District – perfect for ballers on a budget. To boot, there are also tons of museums for all ages and minds – the Natural History Museum downtown is perfect for any science and history buffs, near the La Brea Tar Pits you’ll find the LACMA, the Architecture + Design Museum, the Craft + Folk Art Museum and the Peterson Automotive Museum, last but definitely not least are the Getty and it’s sister museum – the Getty Villa – which I had a chance to finally visit last January. A handful of the museums require some sort of paid admission (or a “donation”) to enter – thankfully, some like minded and fabulous people have compiled a list of ‘Free Museum Days‘ in and around LA county; genius!

Beyond the museums that the city of angels has to offer, there are amazing places to take leisurely strolls, discover street art and take in the nature – urban and authentic – that graces our city. One of the craziest things about the vegetation in LA (and I learned this thanks to a nasty bout of allergies a few years ago): most of the trees, plants and flowers in LA aren’t indigenous to the area – chances are they’ve been imported from South America, Australia or a Mediterranean style climate. Flowering trees like the African Tulip and Sweet Acacia are native to Africa but found scattered throughout the city; other trees, like the Olive Tree, were imported from Italy. There are a few fantastic botanical gardens scattered around the city, but when there’s so much free stuff to enjoy – why bother paying?!

This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I were craving an outdoors-ey adventure and had contemplated going to the Getty or Huntington Gardens over in Pasadena. The more we researched, the more we realized how many free things were truly at our fingertips so we shifted our sights to the Arlington Gardens – the hours are more flexible, parking is easy and – yeah, it’s free! From the second we walked in, we knew we’d be making our way back at a later date with books and bottles of wine in tow. The park is open from dawn until dusk and has literally dozens of park benches, tables and chairs for people to set up and soak in the environment in. Each and every direction we turned showed us something new to take in and appreciate. According to the signage there are roughly 35 different areas of plants, flowers and vegetation and it changes throughout the seasons. The grounds are maintained by Better and Kicker McKenney and they do an absolutely fabulous job of keeping them gorgeous. Without further ado – here are some of my favorite snaps from the weekend – if you’re ever in the Pasadena area make sure you plan a visit here!

[Oh, Snap] Adventure at The Boiling Crab

July 1, 2013September 26, 2013Leave a comment

Being an only child, I have a different take on what it means to be selfish and what it means to share. And by all means, refusing to share yourself with another person – especially when that person loves you, is the worst version of selfish there is. We’ve been friends for almost four years now, and because of that our communication is pretty much always on point. We talk all the time. Granted, it’s rarely a phone convo for hours on end, but whether it’s to share a silly joke, an educational news article or the latest and greatest festival set from our favorite DJs – we want the other one to bear witness to our ridiculousness; we want the other to be part of the daily, mundane details that don’t interest anyone but ourselves.

It’s amusing how love tends to open up more than just the mind and the heart. Beyond the beauty of the big picture, what makes my mind spin lies in my day to day minutiae of memories and emotions; for being such a logical person, it surely drives my head in circles – but the best of all kinds.

How could I think I was in love yesterday when I’ve definitely fallen deeper into it today?

The way I see it, a good relationship is synonymous with being ‘stuck’ in an ever evolving positive feedback cycle; things can only get better – as long as you remember the foundation the relationship was started on.

Over the past few months I’ve been getting adventurous with my favorite hat trick of a person; he’s my best friend, my partner-in-crime and as of the last six months – my boysoul-friend. I’m not one for titles, especially when words fail to accurately convey how I feel inside – and it’s simply bigger than anything I’ve ever felt before. So, on Saturday we went on what I consider to be one of the most nerve wracking adventures of all – meeting his mother.

As a self professed Daddy’s girl, I know a thing or two about an only child’s bond to their parents ; after intermittently whispering “Don’t worry, she’ll adore you!” between kissing me on the nose and forehead, I was back to breathing normally…for the time being. After doing some crowdsourcing, they decided it was off to chow down on some sea food at The Boiling Crab in Koreatown.

Now, let me drop a little knowledge on you about places like this – you’ll be getting down and dirty with some crustaceans, so be prepared for a delicious mess all over your table. If it sounds like a ridiculous experience – trust me, it is! And to boot, a great way to get to know someone unabashed; I found that it’s incredibly easy to be an honest version of yourself when you’re wrist deep in a garlic lobster, trying to crunch the goodness out.

We took some advice from the savvy Yelp-sters who frequent the spot and showed up a few minutes early – it’s a damn good thing we did because the line was already about 30 people deep and we were some hungry kitties! A few things to be aware of before you stop by – The Boiling Crab doesn’t take reservations and your whole party needs to be present to be seated. The two parties before us didn’t follow these rules and looked pretty disappointed when we were seated ahead of them; oops!

The last time anyone put a bib on me I think I was five; game on.

Proof that our table was actually white when we started out. For appetizers, we got some oysters on the half shell and omnom they might be my new favorite snack ever! Yet another thing I would have never tried without some coaxing from my man.

After that, the main course began in a big way: all the shellfish comes in these plastic bags that are toted to your table in buckets (pretty adorable branding if you ask me). If the restaurants do it right, there aren’t plates or silverware – your food is brought to your table in a plastic bag with all the fixn’s (garlic butter, cajun sauce, etc) and you get to dump it all out to grub it all up by the handful in scrumptious bites.

It took me until just a few weeks ago to get the hang of the tempura amebi heads they serve in sushi restaurants; they’re delicious but they surely don’t look it! Meaning when it came time to try shrimp – again – I was ready to dive head first.

Though it’s of little importance picture wise at this point, they had hands down the best garlic butter drenched corn I ever had; I even ordered more after the whole meal was over because it tasted like dessert to me! The two highlights of the meal were the Maine Lobster and the Dungeness Crab – so perfectly delicious!

Last, but definitely not least – the aftermath of our once clean table. And per usual, Danny was right – meeting his mother was an absolute breeze and to boot she’s a total gem (and of course I knew she would be, her son turned out pretty fabulous himself!). One of the next adventures will definitely be a trip up north to introduce him to my family and friends back home – it’s about damn time! =)