April Roundup
The way home, lots of food recs, and some things I'm liking
We arrived home from Portland around 2 am on Easter Sunday. The week thus far has been uneventful besides work and the menace that is unpacking.
For this roundup, I want to share a little bit about our last leg of the trip and include a few random things. Get ready for mostly food recommendations, things I’m looking forward to, what I’m wearing, and listening to. Cheers to a lovely April, and here’s to a lovelier May!
The Last Leg of The Trip
Where do I even begin? This last part of the trip was bittersweet to me, and I found it a little hard to keep my emotions in check. Anyone get like that? The end-of-trip-blues? It’s hard to pull myself out of an adventure and back to the mundane. Seems like the only solution to me would be to just keep on exploring.
Anyways, we spent one lovely night in San Fransisco, then hit the road north to Portland for the last week. Here it is!
One Night in San Francisco
Our new friend Steve from Mars Record Shop (Oakland) hooked us up with the sweetest last-minute show in the city! Hope Tala at The Independent did not disappoint. It was an intimate show, and she provided some of the most fun, dance party, wholesome vibes. Not to mention she is a very talented singer-songwriter.
I only knew a couple of her hits before and just melted at her performance. Musically, she’s an angel. Lyrically, she’s a voice to be reckoned with. Check her out here.
After the show, we happened upon Bar 821 and boy, am I glad we waited in line. This was one of the best cocktail experiences I’ve had yet. Kirk and I are a couple of foodies and love ourselves a craft cocktail.
I cannot recommend this place enough. If you love Amaro, and if you know nothing about Amaro (like me) you’ll still love it. The menu’s extensive. We opted for a personalized drink ~experience~ and were nothing short of impressed. We tried a few different custom drinks— all of which we loved. Then, our bartender knocked it out of the park. She worked her magic and crafted THE coconut cocktail of my life. I hesitate to reveal the details but let’s just say I never considered having a “signature drink” until now.
A Morning in Mill Valley
The next morning, we woke up in Mill Valley. I had this spot saved in my maps for a long time. Just a half-hour north of the city is this sweet little town. It reminds me a lot of a Seattle suburb— it’s woodsy, close to the city, with an artsy “downtown” hub. It makes me want to ride my bike all over town on a sunny day.
Apparently, this is one of the most expensive places to live in the country by miles. Just another reason to love vanlife! We took a slow morning here, popping in and out of some shops. Once again unable to decide on a single item for breakfast, Kirk and I grabbed pastries and lox toast from Flour Craft Bakery and ended on sweet apple cinnamon crepes from Millie’s Crêpe et Crème. Let’s just say our bellies were FULL on this trip.
Kirk reset the car, and after one more stop for our favorite Equator Coffees, we cooked it up the coast to Portland.
Our Week in Portland
We slowed down for a week in Portland, staying at a friend’s place. It was some nice quality time and nice having consistent wifi (lol). The week consisted of the sweetest puppy I’ve ever met, good friends, and lots of incredible food and coffee. I will always say that people who believe Seattle is the coffee capital of the world are severely mistaken. Let’s chat when you’ve been to Portland.
Among lots of great eateries and cafes, some favorite spots included Phat Cart, Upper Left Roasters, Eem, Prince Coffee on NW, and Sesame Donuts. I feel like these are already such popular spots, and rightfully so! So if you haven’t been yet I highly recommend. Seriously, every time I visit Portland I leave with more places I need to try.
I got to spend some much-needed time catching up with good friends. We also got out to paddle a couple of times! We had a sea lion sighting on the Willamette, which shook us to the core, honestly. I had no idea they even swam up through there until we looked into it!
The Portland University library came in handy one particular work evening, and I must say, though it seemed like a small campus, it was lovely. Students were laying out on the grassy lawn, walking between classes, the birds were chirping, and the sun was out. If I do say so myself, it was an optimal day to skip class.
The whole city was in full bloom that week and I’m so happy we were there for it. It was quite warm, clear skies, and so fragrant with all the cherry blossom trees and flowers. Also— I’ve never seen so much wisteria in my life! If anyone knows if that’s a Portland ‘thing’, I’d love to hear about it. It was stunning, and I was bummed to go, but always happier to know that city better.
What I’m Looking Forward To
Back to Girls’ Nights
The only thing that I truly miss when I’m not in Washington is my girlfriends. Weekly girls’ nights and coffee trips really make me happy and keep me sane. I’m so stoked for a girls’ weekend in June, lake days, lots of movie nights, camping trips, and garden parties with my girls this summer!
What I’ve Been Wearing
Mostly just the same things over and over again (considering I’ve been living out of my duffle bag this month). But I picked up a couple of goodies along the way.
A Cotopaxi hat craze
Kirk and I had a bit of a shopping craze in an REI right before leaving for Tahoe. Not sure what came over us— I think I blacked out. Let’s just say we went in for a bear horn and walked out three hours later with said bear horn, and then some.
Amongst those items were a couple new Cotopaxi hats for me! This one, and this one. I’ve only recently become a hat-wearer. Loving them a lot as a pop of color on the trail and out and about.
Bury me in these Prana pants
No, I’m serious. Believe it or not, I am trying to curate more of a capsule wardrobe. But I find it takes time for me to land on items that I actually adore and will mindlessly and happily wear on repeat. Oh, and items that are multipurpose, too. These pants fit the bill.
On that same, infamous, trip to REI I noticed the Prana cargo pants I’d been eying online for a couple of months. They’re the perfect shade of brown— neutral but not boring. They’re lightweight but still break the wind, and don’t make that annoying swishy sound. Baggy in the best way, fitted perfectly mid-waist, built-in adjustable band. Lots of pockets, and my favorite part— they cinch at the ankle. Love ‘em.
She’s wearing a blazer?
The rumors are true. Work as of late has me dabbling ever so slightly into the realm of business casual (lol). As a casual person who loves fashion, I’m treating it as a fun excuse to play dress up lately!
Again with the neutral, capsule-esque mindset (and not wanting to break the bank on something I’ll only wear on occasion), I went for this basic, tailored skirt and blazer from Express. They fit like a glove, I’m happy with them, and undecided on how I feel about the shoulder pads.
Besides that, I’m happy to be closer to barefoot and sandals season!
What I’m Listening To
In this family (as in me), I have two rules. They are as follows:
Start every day with a piece of chocolate (irrelevant).
Keep your friends close. Keep your music gurus closer.
My music gurus, who are my dearest people, have recommended some lovely albums this month. I’ve certainly found some goodies myself! So here’s the April soundtrack:
Jazz & Fusion
This perfectly vibrant Adam Ben Ezra album.
Kaki King’s Tutto Passa EP.
Singer-Songwriter & Indie
I’ve had Kylie Dailey’s most recent album on repeat since it came out.
And this one by Maddy Kirby.
Hope Tala’s discography.
A couple of albums we loved on the road:
Alt., Skate Rock
Blktop Project’s Concrete Jungle.
Country Rock
Neal Casal’s Anytime Tomorrow.
Thinking About
My Volvo Wagon
After many a car camping venture, and certainly after this month in the Honda Element, I can’t get it out of my head to do a mini-build in my wagon. Or at least, a smarter, semi-permanent setup than I usually scrap together when I travel. If anyone has any ideas or tips (beyond aesthetics), I’m all ears!
May Mood Board
Warm tones, slow living, onset of summer. Need I say more?
