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Global Wanderslut

From lusting after to reveling within the wander: 
collecting cities & countries, not men

Death Valley National Park

3/31/2019

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I've got to make blogging way easier on myself - I'm going to do it like I do work emails and work blogs...in BULLET POINTS!! So, we went to Death Valley for about 5 days.  We flew in from SFO to LAS and did brunch there.  Mostly for the freshly fried donuts at the Four Seasons - Verandah. It was so easy since we didn't have to worry about parking since they validate for the restaurant! Ok, onto the bullet points and photos:

Day 1
  • Brunch at Verandah @ Four Seasons Vegas
  • Few hours into Pahrump where we were staying for the trip; the park is huge, so I'm not sure I'd do it this way again, but it was cheaper than staying right in Furnace Creek (it was about 60-90 minutes in the car each morning to get to the central part of the park where most things were)
  • The good thing about Pahrump was that there are a few grocery stores and a 24 hour walmart; made it super easy to get things we needed and lots of choices for a later evening dinner
  • Grotto Canyon Hike: this one's really tough, I'd say you'd have to be bouldering a v2 at the gym to feel comfortable doing the hike (and with a buddy just in case!); so we actually didn't make it very far because we were racing the clock to get to Badwater Basin for sunset; there's a dirt road to get into the canyon area, and if it's not too wet and mushy, you can drive nearly up to the canyon (high clearance is a must, 4wd ideal); the road into the canyon is really easy to miss, so track that gps (download your maps ahead of time since the reception is horrible in the park)
  • Badwater Basin: the park's so big, we cut Grotto short to meet up with my cousins at Badwater for sunset and stars; we though it was amazing during the day, but it was awe inspiring at night - we were lucky without clouds and there were so many stars out you could take a photo with it with your phone, it honestly  felt like a fake planetarium! 
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rainy year, we got to see the reflection at the salt flats
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this is in the golden canyon stretch of the loop, my cousin thinks it looks like melty chocolate and vanilla ice cream xD
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toward the end of gower gulch portion of the trail you started to see more colors in the rocks - foreshadow of the artist's drive
Day 3
  • Artist's Drive: one way loop to see the colorful colors of the earth
  • Hike 1: unnamed hike that is super not popular, but we loved it! It's on the right side of the road at the 2nd dip (it's pretty obvious, but watch out for the signs and the dips), just pull over to explore the pink and green canyons, it's a not as hard hike up and over into the canyon (as compared to grotto)
  • Artist's Palette: hike in!! Lots of people stop at the parking lot and don't head in, but the best views are to be had up close, and for those that like a bit of scrambling, it's like a playground - saw lots of little ones in there, too; it's hard to get lost since you can see the whole place from the higher elevation lot; apparently the spot is best right around sunset, so that's what we did to get the photos we got
  • Dante's Ridge: it's definitely colder up there! So bring a sweater if it's winter or early spring; we didn't do a huge hike here since it would've mostly been rim, so we walked both directions from the parking lot and the views are really different from both ends, so I'd suggest doing that if you're intrigued by the vastness of the salt flats (this view was apparently featured in one of the star wars movies); also, if you're a frequent bathroom user, there's one at the lower lot but not at the one up top
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dante's view heading left from the lot (facing the flats) you get a better view of the far off mt range
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dante's view heading to the right side of the lot (facing the flats)
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view looking back and down the trail we came from, from above the dry falls
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this is heading into the narrows above the dry falls, if you look carefully you can see the water trickling between my feet (I thought it was funny bc it looked like I was peeing!)
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photo taken from the viewing area
Day 5
  • Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: we went in the morning so I could go without shoes, but a few hours in, the sand was burning up and heading in I had to put them back on! So keep those flops with you; the earlier you go, the less foot prints you'll have; we were just in Morocco this time last year, so this was fun, but nothing like the Sahara xD Worth checking out to see how the vegetation grows alonside the sands here (very different from Morocco)
  • Ubehebe Crater (you-bee-hee-bee): I honestly wasn't excited about this when we decided to drop by since I've seen similar things in the Big Island...but I was glad we did it. The way the floor of the old volcano was cracked and dried was almost as if a graphic artist had put it there, and slushing through the fine, black, volcanic sand was just a different type of hike than I'm used to! 
  • Rhyolite Ghost Town: this was actually really fun to walk through and super picturesque; the ghost figures were kinda creepy to me, but otherwise, it was interesting to see what was there before it became a park and how man made buildings and vehicles crumble under the desert sun and time
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at the ubehebe crater floor
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first bouldering problem at grotto - pretty vertical
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salty at badwater basin
Day 2
  • Golden Canyon - Gower Gulch Loop trail​ (we detoured to red cathedrdal, too): this was amazing, with all the different rock formations coming one after another, sometime right next to one another - red next to striped next to golden. Easily one of my favorite spots in the park and I'd do this trail again if I came back! We took a ton of detours with "short cuts" and a need to touch certain color rocks, so between acclimating and just wanting to sleep in, this is the only hike we did this day
  • Timbasha's Tacos - this is right in the park! And reasonably priced! It's a Native American establishment, so run by locals which feels good; the service was meh, but hey, it's so convenient. The shave ice was refreshing after the hike and the fried dough was tasty 
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red cathedral detour was super fun - we hiked through the golden hills and touched the red rock!
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into artist's palette!
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in the middle of the palette
Day 4
  • We got to experience the reflective, wet salt flats because of the rains - but that also meant that things were closed, so that actually botched up our original plans; but we had lots of back up things to do
  • Zabriskie Point: everyone does this and it's a super easy drive to a short walk in (there are longer hikes to explore the area, but since we did golden canyon, we decided not to do that this trip; golden canyon can connect to zabriskie)...definitely walk down from the viewing area, the extra few steps made you feel closer to the crazy stripes
  • Falls Canyon Hike: one of the rangers said this was his favorite hike in the whole park; so, we trusted him and I was cursing him until about 30 minutes before the end of the hike...why? Well, the vistas didn't change as much as the other hikes (though beautiful) and we were trudging through mushy stones/gravel...meh. It reminded me a lot of utah with the red rocks, and it's honestly stunning in photos throughout the hike! The end is a tiny dry falls that I was honestly just super underwhelmed with - but in photos, it's pretty darn beautiful (or perhaps I was tired and bored??)  The start is outside of the canyon, I feel like it's about a third of the hike you're just trying to get there. About 5 minutes BEFORE the dry falls you'll find some pretty vertical scrambling (read: must use hands) that will lead you to the top of the dry falls where the BEST part is! The views of the winding road behind you and canyon narrows in front of you, the last 10 minutes of the hike really make the whole thing; so be warned and have the right expectations going into this one
  • That said, the photos from this spot are without a doubt the ones with the most likes and comments on instagram ;)
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this is what the trail looks like heading up above the dry falls to the narrows, there are lots of cairns, but it's hard to spot on the way in, so watch out for it (it's on the right side on the way to the dry falls)
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sunset on the way out of falls canyon was dreamy
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the iconic spot in death valley, up close and personal
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sand dunes early in the morning
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ubehebe from the top of the crater
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train car at the ghost town
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The Broad Museum, Los Angelas

4/1/2017

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I had so much fun here!  We got tickets online the month prior (worth not waiting in line), but didn't get into the infinity room (but, we weren't too worried about that since I'm here so often - next time!).  We dropped by the Walt Disney Concert Hall before hand (right across the street) to visit their rooftop gardens and it was beautiful.  
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Above: upstairs in the garden area, there is one spot near a doorway in which is very instagrammable.  And of course, we were lucky enough to get rain this year, so the beautiful flowers upstairs were in bloom!

Below: gallery from our time at The Broad early April 2017 - the exhibits seem to change quite often and the first floor was actually being updated while we were there.  So, it seems that this might be a regular stop for me as long as I can get tickets ahead of time!
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My fave Ktown food spots - Los Angelas

3/18/2017

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Seongbukdong ​ for Galbi jjim

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The sole purpose of coming to this restaurant is the Galbi jjim (braised beef short ribs).  It's incredibly tender, perfectly melt in your mouth goodness.  I haven't found a good spot in the SFbay area and this is one of two restaurants in LA that does this dish justice apparently.  Also got the kimchi stew, delicious!  The galbi jjim isn't very large, it was good enough for 2 small Chinese girls that actually eat quite a bit.  So, either order two if you've got more people coming (my suggestion because it is the star of the show), or order more dishes.  

The restaurant is small, but if you go to dinner just a bit early, you might not have to wait very long.   It's in the main Koreatown strip and pretty easy to find. There's valet (yay). 
​www.yelp.com/biz/seongbukdong-los-angeles

SomiSomi for dessert!

I love to try new foods, but there are some things that I love SO much that I'll sacrifice being able to try something new to eat it again and again and again.  That is my love for SomiSomi's ice cream taiyaki.

So, this photo is from the first time we went, but since then I've been 3 times (I think?) every single time I've gone to LA.  The green tea ice cream is a bit thicker and creamier than the milk flavor, so I like to get the swirl.  I fill mine with nutella, because in dessert life, for me, nutella is queen.  Their milk flavor, for those unfamiliar, is similar to that of condensed milk, but much lighter here.  You can also fill with red bean or custard.  I've been meaning to try the custard, but sometimes, I just don't want to regret trying something new when I'm too in love with what I know to be tried and true.  You can get a cup to go with it as it melts quickly (because those taiyakis are fresh!

Park in the Hmart lots, second or third floors, take the escalator to the storefront (no seating), don't forget to validate when you order.

www.yelp.com/biz/somisomi-los-angeles-3
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Abbot Kinney, Venice Beach, Los Angelas

2/17/2017

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I've been heading to LA every month or so lately since the sister lives down there now!  It's nice because it's not an awful drive and I get to bring my pup, Cleo.  Los Angelas isn't know for "walkability," which I love when I'm exploring places, so often we're driving around from spot to spot - 10 minutes to ice cream, another 15 to dinner, etc.  But, Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach is totally walkable!  It's not too far from the beach boardwalk and there are fun shops, beautiful street art down alleyways, and places to snack.

Murals - Urban Art

Although most of the shops and restaurants are right along the main street, the best artwork is tucked into the alleyways.  Sometimes larger than life and easily seen by strolling the several blocks of Abbott Kinney, many are unseen, making for a good excuse to get more steps in, right?

Palm Trees & So far "so good" artwork: between Rag & Bone and Kit Ace
Love wall: Santa Clara Ave on Greenleaf Chop House

Noms nearby

Two reasons that I'd used to go to Portland quite a bit are now right on Abbot Kinney!  

Blue Star and their amazing buttermilk donut (perfectly crisp outer texture and soft fluffy inside) is a must try if you haven't been.  It's really special, I swear!  But, really only the buttermilk donut - I like the original glaze, but if you have room for more, then the other glazes are fun to try, but it's really all about that perfect texture.  The best part is that the lines aren't crazy like they are in Portland!  www.bluestardonuts.com/

Salt & Straw has some fun flavors - but what I always go there for is their Strawberry Balsamic.  I'd used to get sad when I'd try other flavors (even if I tried it as the second flavor) - because I'd always want more of that Strawberry Balsamic.  The lines are just as crazy here as they are in Portland, which kinda makes sense to me seeing as it's warmer in LA.  I'd wait in line for it down here or anywhere.  They're finally opening a few shops in SF, so I'm pretty excited about it and likely less sad when trying more flavors with it more easily accessible! saltandstraw.com/

Unrelated to Portland love...
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Intelligentsia has great coffee, period.  Those that know me, know that I need my coffee in the AM.  The ambiance at this store is beautiful, too.  Indoor/outdoor seating with beautiful artwork on the outside space and modern, minimalist decor inside. www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/
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Monterey Bay, California - 17 mile drive, day trip

1/24/2015

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PictureThe jelly fish exhibit is amazing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Just over 2.5 hours away (depending on traffic), Monterey Bay makes for a great day trip.  I'm in love with the ocean, so, I'm down in that area quite a bit.  There are quite a few things to do in that area:
  • Drop by Santa Cruz Boardwalk
  • Carmel town/beach
  • Big Sur (further south)
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium 
  • 17 mile drive/Pebble Beach
​For this post, I'm highlighting the 17 mile drive and the Aquarium!

PictureIn a penguin egg shell! Lots of hands on exhibits in this section that are fun (like getting in a shell or learning to communicate like a penguin).
Monterey Bay Aquarium
If you've never been, it's a full day's worth of fun.  Slowly meander through the entire museum's vast grounds, spend time outside the back entrance taking in the sights and smells of the ocean, and grab dinner at one of the amazing seafood spots in the area afterward.  Some of my favorite spots that you might want to linger around a bit longer:
  • Touch pools - even if you're not a kid, the guides are amazing here and there's a lot to explore, be ready to get a bit wet, though.  They do have towels and sanitizer around for those that are germaphobes.
  • Jellyfish exhibit - those photos, however stunning, don't actually do this exhibit justice.  They have their dedicated section of the aquarium and there's plenty to learn about these amazing creatures.
  • Penguins!  This is my all time favorite spot to explore while at the aquarium.  Learn how they communicate, watch a feeding happen live, and just enjoy how fun these creatures are.

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Always amazing, jellyfish.
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Yum, sardines.
PictureClimbing the rocks along the 17 mile drive with my pup, Cleo
17 mile drive
I love taking friends and family here when they visit - especially those that have seen the major sights in the SF Bay Area already.  It's stunning even in the gloom.  This is one of the most beautiful spots to enjoy the rocky, Northern California shoreline.  Second only to my fave beach, Montara Beach (closer to SF).  Here are a few tips:
  • I'd save about 4 hours to get through the whole thing if you stop, meander, and don't rush
  • There's a fee at the two entry points to the road - but it's worth it
  • There are many stops along the way - definitely stop at the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, and Harbor Seals
  • However, I encourage you to stop by anything that looks beautiful, climb on some rocks, check out a few tide pools, and get away from the crowds (especially if it's sunny out)
  • Weather is usually cooler along the coast, so layer up

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At a tried and true spot - Sand Bar & Grill. Get the curried sauce (it's a light, french version, delicious here).
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View of the pier outside of Sand Bar & Grill.
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    Quit my non-profit career in a fit of YOLO rage. Blessed enough to go from wanderlust to wanderslut.  Collecting cities & countries, not men.

    ​​Inspiration for GlobalWanderslut from here.

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    On instagram: ​GlobalWanderSlut (for bite sized, most up-to-date travel tips from my adventures)
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From lusting after to reveling within the wander: 
collecting cities & countries, not men.
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