Joshua Tree

Our best friends, Justin and Rachel, are what I'd call "desert people", meaning they love the desert. I never really understood this because I'm more of a "water" person and the whole thing about the desert is that there isn't any water. Like, would you go the beach if there wasn't an ocean right there? No. But still they insisted that we needed to take a trip to the desert so I could experience it and then I'd get it.

Well I'm here to publicly announce that the desert is, in fact, quite magical and that I fell in love with the high desert of southern California. 

We stayed in Joshua Tree, just a little ways outside of the National Park. Every morning I would wake up early to watch the sun rise and every evening I watched it set and there was something therapeutic and circadian about that. You don't get that in the piedmont of the southeast, really. The desert sun is a thing all on its own, just like the prairie and the tropics have their own unique sun. I liked that. 

I always thought of the desert as desolate and therefore less interesting but I found that it's impossible not to be in awe of the organisms that have adapted to such a harsh environment. Desert species are resilient and bold. The ravens are charismatic and the cholla cactus leave behind woody skeletons that look like artwork. 

The desert biota have a deeper appreciation for water than I ever could and can thrive with even the smallest inputs. We were fortunate to arrive just after a meager snowfall, so the wildflowers were bursting from the ground and the Joshua Trees were filled with creamy white flowers (something that only occurs when water conditions are just right). Palm trees and song birds flourish in the small oases that are scattered sparsely across the landscape and you can actually trace the watershed through the unique patterns that have shaped the topography of the Mojave. 

I don't typically write this much but I was just really taken by this place. I'll include a list of my favorite spots at the end and if you haven't made your way to this corner of the globe yet, I hope you'll consider it!

Palm Springs

Hello beautiful friends!

Keaton, Justin, Rachel, and I have an unofficial annual tradition to take a trip together and this year we headed to Joshua Tree, CA. I'm going to share more about Joshua Tree soon BUT today I wanted to share a little from our days in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is just...wow. We only got a taste and I'm already planning a trip to go back (later this year!!!) and really explore the city.

Pools, fruity drinks, midcentury modern everything- what's not to love!?

We pretty much followed all of the A Beautiful Mess recommendations since we had a limited amount of time and,  y'all, we were not disappointed. I could try to write my own Palm Springs travel guide but it'd really just be a poor version of theirs...lol so I'll spare you that!

We did end up getting into town at the end of Modernism Week so we made it to the yard sale, stopped by the West Elm house, and took advantage of the free museum admission

*thumbs up-high five*

Barcelona

The final installment of photos from our trip to Spain. It always really feels like it's over once I've finished editing the photos.

That's the awesome thing about photographing your adventures, you get to re-live that moment whenever you want and really extend the vacation (which, let's be honest, we all want vacation to last as long as possible!).

Anyway, Barcelona was sort of cold and rainy while we were there and it was still magical! If you're planning a visit, I suggest avoiding most of the commercialized tourist traps (La Rambla for example, what a nightmare...) and stick to the historic sites.

The old stuff is where it's at!

Cadaques

Cadaques is where the artist Dali lived. Unfortunately, because of the time of year, most of the museums (and really everything except a few restaurants) were closed.

This was still my favorite day of the trip though...

Who would have thought that visiting a beach town in February would be one of my favorite days on the trip! It was freezing and windy but there's something about driving around the Mediterranean that makes you feel like you're in a movie.

While everyone had lunch I took some time to wander the side streets of Cadaques. That's honestly my favorite part of being in a new city. There are so many little scenes you'd never see if you stuck to the main roads. The little details (like random squid street art!) you find are so fun!

We drove north along the coast and hit France just as the sun set. Then we turned around and drove back to Girona. It was simple and perfect.

It's a day I'll always remember and those are the experiences you hope to have when you travel.

Montserrat

As you may know,  we recently took a trip with our friends Justin and Rachel to Catalonia (see video here)! While I'm making my way through our Spain photos I figured I'd take a whole post to share one of my favorite spots from the trip, Montserrat!

Once we decided to visit Catalonia, Montserrat was the first big stop I added to my "must see" list and once you see it, you'll understand why. 

Montserrat roughly translates to "serrated mountains". The jagged sedimentary peaks draw your eye from the minute they enter into view. It's unlike any mountain range I've ever seen. The drive up the mountain is worth the trip, alone!

Nestled at the top of the mountain is the sweetest 10th century Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. You could hike all day and grab a bite at one of the local cafeterias or spend hours milling about the Abbey and museums. If you're planning a visit, the climbing is also supposed to be EPIC! 

It's a truly breathtaking place and I'm so thankful to have gotten to experience it! 

Shadecation 2018: Catalonia

This month we took a trip to Spain with our dear friends Justin and Rachel.

As I'm going through the squillion photos I took I thought it'd be fun to throw together some of the little videos I (and Keaton) took on the trip.

We spent most of our time in Barcelona and Girona but did a little day trip to Cadaques.

I'd challenge you to show me a better way to spend your birthday ;)