Hey There, Chelsie

Travel Oregon: 5 Places to Visit

Some of my closest friends from college are from Oregon and ever since my first trip to visit them back in 2009, I have been absolutely smitten by the state. While New England will always be home, Oregon has completely stolen my heart. When we moved to California, I realized we were only a few hours from the border of Oregon and since Dustin had never been to Oregon, I convinced him to travel Oregon during Memorial Day weekend so I could show him all my favorite parts of the state. I love to road trip and when there is a long weekend, I think it’s waste to not be going somewhere! There is so much to experience in this life and I want to see as much of it as I can.

One of my favorite things about Oregon is how alive the state is. Everything is SO green (none of these pictures are edited besides the one above). The people may be a little weirdy, but they are, for the most part, welcoming and kind. And Oregon is EXTREMELY dog friendly! We didn’t take Rosie with us on this trip because we were going to be driving a ton, but after seeing how many places were dog friendly, we will definitely take her next time. Dustin and I got to experience so many things in Oregon in one short weekend; places that I would recommend to anyone that they have to see if they are going to Oregon.

1. Multnomah Falls. One of the most iconic waterfalls in Oregon, this waterfall is located about 40 minutes outside of Portland in the Columbia River gorge. It has really nice paved walkways and is handicapped accessible. You can take about 30 minutes to walk around, get up to the bridge and peruse the gift shop. It’s gorgeous!

2. Oneonta Gorge. This is literally the most beautiful place I have ever seen; to the point that Dustin and I were both almost in tears at the sheer beauty of it. This is just down the road from Multnomah Falls and a bit harder to hike. BE PREPARED (we weren’t) to get wet. Wear water shoes and a bathing suit! You literally hike through the gorge in the river. Most of it is shallow, but there was one part that got up to our knees and another part that reached up to our ribs. There is about a 10-foot high log jam at the beginning of the gorge that you have to climb over, which was so scary, but Dustin helped me every step of the way (and I climbed on my butt the whole time. It’s fun to take back small things that cancer has taken away from me, like getting over a scary log jam!)

 

3. Ecola State Park. This is about 2 hours outside of Portland on the coast. It’s where they filmed the Goonies! You feel like you are driving through a rainforest to get to the coast, but it’s beautiful. There are two look out options; one gives you a perfect view of Haystack Rock and the other one is a beautiful rocky beach where the Goonies was filmed. You can bring a picnic lunch, watch the surfers and look for sand dollars. This is one of my favorite places to go in Oregon, because I love the way the ocean makes me feel; small, but like I count for something anyway.

4. Seaside. Seaside, Oregon is a super cute beach town right outside Astoria. It has a ton of small shops, seafood, candy stores and an arcade! We got fresh fish and chips from The Crabby Oyster and ate dinner at a delicious Irish restaurant called McKowen’s. There is a candy store that had over 100 flavors of saltwater taffy and walked along the promenade in the sunshine. You could easily spend a few days here, if you wanted!

5. Tillamook. We drove along the Oregon Coast Highway from Seaside to Tillamook and it was beautiful. At Tillamook, we spent a whole afternoon touring the cheese factory! We got to see how the cheese was made, sample a ton of different kinds, eat grilled cheese sandwiches and get Tillamook icecream cones. It was delicious and fun experience! Definitely worth the stop for the cheese and ice cream!

We had the best trip and it was so fun to watch Dustin experience Oregon for the first time. He was blown away at all of the beautiful places we got to see! We spent a day in Portland, as well, but there is so much to that city that it’s should have it’s own blog post. Oregon is so alive and it makes me feel alive being there and so grateful for a second chance at life to see it!

Have you been to Oregon? Have you seen these places? What other places have you been to? We want to go back before we move away from California!

 

Ten Fun Things to do in Northern California

I’m excited to have my good friend, Evi on the blog today! Dustin and I lived in the same apartment complex as Evi and her husband before we moved and while our husbands got together to video game, Evi and I would talk blog, hair products and make up while I played hide-n-go-seek with her kitty, Moo! Thanks for taking over Life with Rosie today, Evi and for celebrating our move with this post!

 

I’m Evi & I blog over at Eyeliner & Erasers. Recently, I’ve had my hands full with tackling life as a new mom, but I love to write about beauty, healthy living, professionalism, travel, womanhood, motherhood, and life in general! Yeah, I write about it all, but the reality is that I want to help women realize that life is about positivity and empowerment. We can all do great things and feel great in the process. For more information, check out my about page.

 

I love Northern California. There I said it. Yes, a Southern Californian girl loves good ol’ Nor Cal. While among Californians there is an unspoken debate over which half is better, I can honestly say that I love all of my home state. I have some major California pride, which is why I am so excited for Chelsie and Dustin to move there—even if it is just for the summer. To celebrate this fortuitous move, here are ten fun and awesome (and slightly unique) things to do in Northern California. To Chelsie, Dustin, and Rosie, I’m sorry that some of these are a couple hours from Chico. 😉

San Francisco

Ferry Building

The Ferry Building my favorite place in all of San Francisco. My sis-in-law took us there last time we were in town. It is a gold mine of great food. You should set aside an entire meal and devote it to the Ferry Building. First, grab a sandwich that features Cowgirl Creamery cheese. Last time we were there, I just got a baguette and didn’t regret it. I snacked on that sucker all day; however, I hear Cowgirl Creamery is life changing. Finish off the meal with a Miette cupcake. Trust me. You want the cupcake. No, you haven’t had enough cupcakes, and you haven’t lived till you have tried Miette.

Exploratorium

Every summer my family would go to San Francisco when my dad attended an annual conference there. The Exploratorium is still one of my favorite museums (I’ve easily been to fifty different museums—not elaborating). Sure, it is the museum where I discovered my little sister’s reflexes are faster than mine, but it holds a lot of great memories for me. It is interactive, and they feature extraordinary exhibits.

Lombard Street

There is nothing unique about this one. Lombard Street is a huge tourist attraction, but definitely something worth seeing if you are in the area. My sis-in-law, a Bay Area local, says that they may be closing it to traffic soon, but you should still be able to visit. It’s gorgeous and a lot of fun, especially if you have your own car and it is still open to traffic.

Seward Street Slides

The Seward Street Slides Park is perfect for your inner child. They are concrete slides and they are fairly large. Bring your own cardboard to slide on, wear pants that are a bit higher up (not the place for your hip huggers), and enjoy the ride. Plus, it is free. You can’t beat that.

Gilmartin’s Swing (AKA Hippie Tree)

Another free activity, this swing has one of the most incredible views of the Bay. I haven’t had the opportunity to go yet, but it is on my bucket list. You get a panoramic view of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge at once. It’s also very peaceful. It is a bit more difficult to find, so bring your smartphone or GPS.

Monterey

Monterey Bay Aquarium

My husband insisted that I see this aquarium. I am SO glad that he did. This is one of my most favorite places in the world. The exhibits are incredible. I still think about the absolutely stunning jellyfish there. If I could sleep in the jellyfish exhibit every night, I absolutely would.

South Bay (Sunnyvale)

Mahalo Bowl Food Truck

Known for the Acai bowls, the Mahalo Bowl Food Truck is very popular. It has 4.5 stars on Yelp, which we all know is a pretty awesome accomplishment. Customers rave that the bowls are authentic and similar to the bowls you’ll find in Hawaii and Brazil. Just thinking about it makes me want to travel from Idaho to California.

Santa Cruz

Mystery Spot

This is my second stereotypical tourist attraction. The reason why this is a stereotypical attraction is because Mystery Spot is that awesome. It’s just a fun place to go. Mystery Spot is a “gravitation anomaly.” It’s debated that it is an optical illusion, but nevertheless, it’s a great photo op and located in gorgeously green Santa Cruz. Bring food. Reserve your spot online beforehand. This place sells out often.

Swanton Berry Farm (near Santa Cruz, but in Davenport)

You can make an entire day out of visiting this area. You can hike in Big Basin and then it is roughly a fifteen minute drive to Swanton Berry Farm, where you can eat your packed lunch at their picnic tables and enjoy fresh berries, jam, pies, etc. at the farm. If you’re willing to drive a bit further (25 minutes) and go into Santa Cruz, Betty’s Burgers is a fan favorite and there are a lot of other great places to eat at.

Big Sur

Elephant Seals

Elephant seals are awesome. They’re big, squishy, loud, and ever so slightly terrifying. Still, they’re cute and fun to observe. This time of year (February to March) is the prime time to see the elephant seals in Big Sur. The babies are weaning and prepping to venture out on their own, so they are more active and playful. Even if it is February or March, it is fun to see the seals in all of their lazy glory.

 

There you have it! I know Dustin (Chelsie’s awesome hubby) is a Northern Californian, so I’m sure he could add to this list. However, I am curious: what are some other places that you have been in Northern California and feel like need to be on this list? Comment below or on social media!

Follow Eyeliner & Erasers: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

 

 

Zoos, Pictures and Museums: 101 in 1001 Update!

I hope every one had a fantastic Thanksgiving week and that preparations for Christmas are going well! Dustin, Rosie and I got to spend our Thanksgiving break in beautiful, sunny, warm California and it was wonderful. I spent a few hours in my in-laws’ backyard on their trampoline, reading a book in the sunshine and I really thought I was in heaven!

Dustin and I got to check off a few things on our 101 in 1001 list while we were on break and had a blast doing it. We first were able to work on Number 56: Go to three different Zoos.

Just outside Chico, CA is a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary called the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Sanctuary and Educational center. This place is SO MUCH better then a zoo! Not only do they locate and save exotic animals that have injuries or health issues, the enclosures allow you to get super close to the animals. We headed out to the sanctuary around 4:00 in the afternoon, right when all the animals were getting active. As we parked in the parking lot, we could hear lions and tigers roaring and growling. We were the only ones there (apparently the day before a holiday is really quiet) and got to spend our time walking around the enclosures and looking at all the animals. There were about 15 big cats alone (Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Ligers) and even a five month old tiger cub! The enclosures allowed us to be about ten feet away from all the animals. The cats were so active and they loved stalking my baby niece, Kara. They kept trying to pounce at her and run at the cage. One lion rolled around on her back and played with a giant rubber ball! It was super cool. The sanctuary also had bears, severals, coyotes, exotic foxes, lemurs, parrots, and a wallaby! They were all awake and active and we had an awesome volunteer who walked around with us and told us about how the animals came to the sanctuary and how they were being helped.

The double fence makes it hard to see, but there is a beautiful Barbary Lion named Sampson behind us in this picture. He has a bone disease that makes his bones really frail and breakable. He was going to be put down, but the sanctuary rescued him and he seems really healthy and happy!

Another hard to see picture, but this is “Rosie” the clouded leopard! We were thrilled to find a big cat with the same name as our pup!

Here is the 5 month old lion cub!

This bear loved attention and would climb on the ball for us!

Black bear in the back!
We had SO much fun at this sanctuary and highly recommend it. We can’t wait to go back!
Another thing we got to check of our list was number 34: Get family pictures taken with Rosie!
My sister-in-law is super talented behind a camera and took some pictures of us the day after Thanksgiving!

We love these photos and can’t wait to fill our picture frames with them!

We were able to work on number 66 on our list: Go to five museums. Dustin and I went with our nieces to the Chico Exploratory Gateway Center on our last day in California. It was a small museum but we had a lot of fun doing the interactive activities that promoted heath and local geography!

We love having our list as a go to when we are looking for things to go. We have made some great memories working on it and we’ve barely started!
We got to do a bunch of other fun things in California while we were there, but I don’t want to overload everyone, so I will save those pictures for a different day!
Has anyone started their own 101 in 1001 list?

Check it off: 101 in 1001 update

This last weekend, Dustin and I were able to check two things off of our 101 in 1001 list! Hooray! I am really excited that we are actually accomplishing our goals on our list!
Dustin currently works for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the region he is under recently hit a huge milestone of having 8,000 cars on rent! To celebrate, the company threw a huge party in Utah for all of the employees. We started our weekend by driving down with my sister and brother-in-law to Utah Saturday morning because they were going down to buy a car from Enterprise’s car sales! We got into Midvale around one and after dropping off my sister and her hubs, we decided we wanted to grab some lunch. There was a Hooters right across the street and D suggested we go there jokingly. I almost rolled my eyes at him when I remembered that we have a goal of trying 20 new restaurants! So, I told him we should definitely go grab lunch there as long as he keeps his eyes on me the whole time! But really, it wasn’t as crazy as we thought it would be and the food was really good! And, we had a perfect view of my sister and husband as they car-shopped!

I LOVED the fried pickles we got! They were not soaked in grease and had a great flavor!
Anyway, after we went on our Hooter’s adventure, Dustin and I checked into the hotel that the company put us up in for the night and started to get ready for #81 on our list: go to a black tie event! Enterprise threw a Masquarade Ball for everyone in The Grand America in downtown SLC. It was black tie dress and SO fancy. The food was amazing and the company was great! I got to wear a beautiful floor length dress and Dustin dressed up in his new suit and vest and we had a blast dancing the night away!

The masks didn’t last long because the glitter was itchy, but we had so much fun having an excuse to dress up SUPER fancy! I am so glad we got to go down and check off #81 on our list!
We had a relaxing morning watching cable tv in our hotel bed and then packed up and headed North.
As fun as our weekend was, the best part about leaving was coming back to our girl!