Mission San Buenaventura | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Buenaventura

Ventura, CA

Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana

Mission Hills, CA

Mission San Gabriel Arcangel | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Gabriel Arcangel

San Gabriel, CA

Mission San Juan Capistrano | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA

Mission San Luis Rey de Franco | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Luis Rey de Franco

Oceanside, CA

Mission San Diego de Alcala | CA Missions Pilgrimage

Mission San Diego de Alcala

San Diego, CA

Big Sur & Hearst Castle

Day One - Big Sur

Starting our drive down Coastal Route 1 into Big Sur

Pour L'Amour de Paris!

Pour L'Amour de Paris!

For the Love of Paris!

What can I say?  PARIS!  Well..  I can say we earned this trip.  We fly standby because I work for an airline.  The non-stop flight from San Francisco to Paris was full.  But I knew this.  So we planned to travel to JFK first and catch one of 3 flights from there on Saturday night.  But... unbeknownst to us at the time, it was also the start of Fashion Week in Paris.  All the flights left full Saturday night.  And we weren't on any of them.  Exhausted from traveling and sitting in the airport all day (oh, and did I mention I worked 9 graveyard shifts leading up to and including the night before we left?), we found a last minute hotel in NYC and tried again Sunday.  This was the first time my husband had to deal with the "non-rev blues".  Most times it works out great and we get on the flights we're aiming for.... but sometimes.... sometimes you spend 24 hours sitting in a food court praying you can get on an 8 hour flight to Europe.  We survived... and eventually.... Paris!

What I'm Packing for Paris - 5 Day Trip

We're not leaving for Paris for another week!  But I'm so excited to go... and I'm working 9 graveyard shifts in a row... before we go... so I don't really have a ton of free time.  Or so I am telling myself.  Trying to convince myself it's okay to pack a week in advance!

New Mexico {50 States of Yoga}

Aztec, NM

Northwestern New Mexico, as you might imagine, looks a lot like Northeastern Arizona.  So I was blessed again with vistas abundant in sandstone monuments and red rock mesas.  It took but a few hours to drive from Durango to Albuquerque down highway 550.  I drove through a smattering of Reservations - Zia, Jemez, Sandia, and more.  There were oil rigs scattered on the landscape here and there.  I wondered if the Native Americans were making money off of them - or if some corporations had found a loophole.  I did see a Haliburton truck.  Which means nothing specifically - just an observation.  I also thought that this would be a great place for solar farms.  Maybe the Natives could sell solar energy?  I don't know... I just had a lot of rambling ideas and questions.  Maybe I'll look more into it one day.

Colorado {50 States of Yoga}

Hot off the Four Corners I cross into Colorado on a crazy tight schedule!  The further along I drove into CO, the more it felt like Colorado!  I know, that seems so silly.. but the elevation kept rising, the mountains got bigger and the snow!  This California girl was not ready for the snow.  I know the Rocky Mountains have snow this time of year, I just hadn't considered that I would be so close to them.  But I was.  Durango is nestled in a little valley of the Colorado Rockies.

Arizona {50 States of Yoga}

I arrived Sunday afternoon into Albuquerque Sunport and headed west on I-40 in my rental car.  I had done this drive nearly 6 years ago so I didn't have any plans to stop and see sights along the way.  But if you do this drive, there are a few neat things I can recommend.  In Albuquerque there is Petroglyph National Monument which takes a short time to see a bunch of rock carvings from Native Americans and Spanish settlers that are hundreds of years old.   Further down I-40 into Arizona {and off the highway about 80 miles to the North} is Canyon de Chelly National Monument.  This canyon isn't as big as the grand canyon, but it is lesser known and therefore, I think, more interesting to check out.  When I went years ago there were Native Americans hand carving local stones with Native scenes and selling them canyon-side.  They were beautiful pieces of art and the people were friendly and easy to talk to.  Lastly, and right on I-40, is Petrified Forest National Park.  I was honestly not terribly impressed with it.  But, this was probably my 12th or 13th park I had been to in as many days and maybe I was burned out.  Or maybe I was just too excited to get to the Grand Canyon - which was next on my adventure list for that trip.

Packing For A Parisian Holiday

 

Even though I have at least one more 50 States of Yoga trips before we head to Paris in March... it's, well... Paris!  And I can't stop daydreaming about it!

Valley of Fire State Park {Nevada}







Desert driving in our convertible!





This past weekend we spent Superbowl 49 hiking at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, about an hour northeast of Las Vegas.  Yeah, I am actually from New England, but football really isn't a sport we're into.  And I figured the parks would be quiet... so let's go for a hike!  Oh... and the "we" is me and my husband, Dave.  This was a weekend get-a-way for us and I did not take a yoga class while we were there... so Nevada is still yet to be checked off my 50 States of Yoga list.

Louisiana {50 States of Yoga}

Even though we landed in Louisiana at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans a couple of days earlier, Courtney and I didn't really being our New Orleans experience until Tuesday evening.  We drove straight from Pensacola, Florida - through Alabama and Mississippi - back to where our trip began.  We checked in at a French Quarter hotel and proceeded to the Uptown area to Jacques Imo's on Oak Street.  If you only eat at one restaurant when you visit New Orleans - it must be Jacques Imo's.  There are no words for the foods and flavors we were about to experience, so I will just show you pictures and tell you what we had.

Florida {50 States of Yoga}

As Courtney and I coasted across the border from Alabama on I-10, we kept an eye out for an exit, any exit, that had fuel.  Our gas tank was running on fumes.  We laughed and sighed and prayed that we would find gas soon.  Our worse fear was running out and missing our morning yoga class in Pensacola - throwing our tight schedule off kilter.  Fortunately, we were able to coast into a gas station not too far into the state of Florida and replenish our supply.  We continued down the highway and, before we knew it, were in Pensacola.

Alabama {50 States of Yoga}

Alabama the beautiful...

Courtney and I rolled across the Alabama state line early afternoon on Monday.  We stopped to take a photo at the border crossing and comment on the homage to Jefferson Davis and the property of a ramshackled, abandoned bar it was on.  It was sort of a strange introduction to my first time in Alabama... and having had just heard Sweet Home Alabama miles earlier, I had a vision of something different in mind.  As we drove on into Alabama we stumbled upon a car - covered in beer cans - at a recycling center.  How could I not stop and take a picture of such a thing!

Mississippi {50 States of Yoga}

My trip really began on Sunday in New Orleans, Louisiana as I flew into MSY - Louis Armstrong International Airport.  After arriving I picked up my friend Courtney {who go there earlier in the day} from the French Quarter and crashed for the night at an airport hotel.  Monday morning we were up bright and early to start our road trip adventure.... first stop - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

California {50 States of Yoga}

What an incredible first adventure I have had!  2 nights ago I flew to Palm Springs, CA to begin my tour:  50 States of Yoga.  We were met with a red convertible Camaro at the car rental counter and visions of Thelma & Louise danced through our heads!  After checking in at the Caliente Tropics Resort, we met local friends for dinner at Palm Greens Cafe.  If you're ever in the area, it is definitely worth checking out.  Their prices are reasonable and all their food is organic.  They have many vegetarian, vegan, and paleo options, but also offer poultry and meat.  I had the Grilled Pear and Brie sandwich and it was absolutely delicious.

Trip 1 {Planning} California {50 States of Yoga}

{source}

Tomorrow is my inaugural trip for my great adventure: 50 States of Yoga!  I feel like I am cheating a little, because my first state is California... and I live in California!  But I am trying to make it a true travel experience as I am flying from San Francisco to Palm Springs.  It is roughly 500 miles, or a 7 hour drive, between the two cities - so if will feel like I am in another state!  {Let's be honest... if I were back home in Boston and drove 500 miles in ANY direction, I'd be in another state... or another country! Haha.}