Not long after returning home to the US of A, I was (already) packing my bags for San Diego / Orange County, Calif. No whining for me, though, considering California is basically my second favorite place on Earth (behind Texas, of course). Here’s my SD / OC adventures via Instagram ::
[ Del Mar / Encinitas / Carlsbad ]
Okay, so the first two aren’t from Instagram. They were taken by a cute old man photographer who was taking pics on the beach while I was watching my boi surf.. I made friends with him, naturally. I love seeing people who are so in love with what they do.. And he certainly was.
I love the chill-vibe San Diego has going on. It feels so much cleaner than LA… And much slower-paced. Huge difference.
[ Newport / Huntington ]
ZZOMG:: I love Lemonade. I always make it a point to swing by this place for a little somethin’ when I can. It’s a healthy lunch spot but the portions are freeaking gigantic, so make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your stomach. This time I got Citrus-Poached Salmon, Israeli Truffle Couscous, Brussels Sprouts ( yum ), and Cucumber Mint Lemonade.
My beach necessities :: A book ( this time it was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn… I’m only halfway through so more to come on that ), sunnies, food ( duh.. Acai bowl ), and H2O because I’m a water-fiend.
Casey’s Cupcakes in The Fashion Island shopping center :: First of all, this chickadee WON Cupcake Wars on Food Network. Second of all, Casey’s offers gluten-free and vegan options, specialty cupcakes, online ordering AND you can purchase cupcake mix online ( ballin’ ). & Third of all, she’s a major HOTTIE. Like, really a babe. Make sure to visit Casey’s Cupcakes when you’re in the area. PS : There are 3 locations, so visit the website ( linked above ) to see which one is closest to you… And then get there ASAP.
The US Open of Surfing was… An interesting experience. We weren’t there very long, but I honestly felt slightly out of place surrounded by a sea of Tweens with “FREE HUGS” written across their tween-y chests / stomachs. You wouldn’t believe how many awkward brace-faced, coed, oddly-flirtatious selfies I witnessed whilst roaming around the beach. So, I noticed it was run mainly by a younger crowd BUT it was also a people-watching haven… So I had a good time. We were a little late to see any actual surfing, which was a bummer, but there’s always next year.
Now onto Durango, Colorado.
[ PS ]