United States Archives | Simplicity Relished

Yosemite National Park: A Quick Guide

May 31, 2016

Yosemite National Park is iconic. It’s nature’s majesty on display, creation at its best, and emblematic in the world of all outdoor pursuits.

Its international fame has reached the ends of the earth. Each year, more than 3 million people visit the park, and the numbers are only growing.

In other words, you’ll rub shoulders with the nations when you head to Yosemite. And if you have no idea what to expect before you show up, your trip might end up feeling just a bit overwhelming (and underwhelming)– in all the wrong ways.

A San Francisco Daydream: adventures, meanderings, and local secrets

October 27, 2015

I’m so excited to have Tiffany of Sunshine Daydream Photography here to share about what life is really like in San Francisco! SF is near my home town, so I’m already in love– but so is the rest of the US. And according to Tiffany, it’s just as dreamy and wonderful as we all imagine it to be. Read on for her stories and gorgeous photos.

New England Charm: A Self-Guided Walking Tour in Boston

September 10, 2015

I spent 4 years living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but admit to only spending a handful of days wandering through Boston. It felt so accessible at the time that I rarely found myself jumping at the opportunity to explore one of the oldest cities in the US. Just a few weeks ago I visited again, and found myself spending the majority of my day alone. This was fabulous– I felt like I finally saw parts of Boston I hadn’t noticed before. Funny, isn’t it, that we appreciate the towns of our past more once we’ve left? I often wonder if I’ll miss SoCal more than I’m willing to admit. But I digress.

Boston is no hidden gem; it has been a popular destination for Americans and internationals alike, not least because of its sophisticated melding of historical and modern. But the history is really what Boston is known for– and it has no small amount of charm.

A Wanderer’s Guide To Point Lobos State Reserve, California

September 1, 2015

I love it when I find something that never ceases to fascinate me.

I’ve sung the praises of California’s central coast enough for you to know that this is one of my absolute favorite parts of the world. Nothing can parallel its crashing waves, myriad shades of blue, or the fact that it’s all very accessible to intense hikers and slow wanderers alike.

The first time I visited Point Lobos was not so long ago. It’s a popular stop for visitors to the area, so I’ve often skipped over for fear of having a hard time parking.

A Quick Guide to 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, California

August 25, 2015

Pebble Beach is well-known for a few things: excellent golf courses, stunning coastlines, and large-for-California mansions. Located just south of Monterey, Pebble Beach is a branded, gated community that sees thousands of tourists each year. Famous for its stunning 17 mile drive, PB is a must-see for anyone traveling down California’s coast.

I grew up traveling down to this region– its kelp-dotted waters still cause me to remember times at the beach with family. But this is no ordinary beach: it is less appropriate for tanning and more appropriate for hiking, photography, and picnicking with a coat on.

There are no real “secrets” in Pebble Beach, but there are must-see stops along the way. Here are my tips for visiting this stunning coastal region.

5 Reasons to Travel within the U.S.

May 1, 2015

It’s easy for Americans to overlook the beauty of their own country. Many of us might consider the U.S. to be culturally and aesthetically vapid, but it is anything but.

During our time in Utah, I realized that there is still so much richness within American borders that remain to be discovered. Tour guides stumble upon petroglyphs and fossils on a regular basis. There are free-range cows, real cowboys, and places named after old-time outlaws in the Wild West.

I think many Americans also forget that tourists regularly pour into our country from all over the world. The U.S. is a coveted destination for many. And if we are at all down on America for lack of intrigue, we should reconsider.

From Concrete to Sandstone: Why I’ll Be Returning to the Wild West

March 30, 2015

For most of us, the Wild West is a thing of the past. It must be, because even the first movies made about the West are “retro” now. Those of us who grew up in coastal cities might think it strange to happen upon a real-life cowboy, complete with spurs, hat and free spirit. We know that the American West was a defining feature of our country at some point, but we hesitate to distinguish between myth and reality. We hardly think one can ever go back.

This past week, I went back– sort of. The charming town of Moab, Utah is nothing like what Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid must have encountered, but the spirit of the West can hardly be contained by buildings. Instead, it’s in the earth. It’s in the mesas and buttes, the muddy Colorado River and dusty wind. The Wild West may refer to an era past, but its pieces remain….Continue Reading

How Minimalism Allows Us To Travel More

March 25, 2015

If you’ve been around Simplicity Relished for a while, then you know that minimalism is a lifestyle approach that is dear to my heart. Living with less by buying less, accumulating less and doing less means that I am less likely to trip over all the mental and physical clutter that gets in my way. We hope that a minimalistic lifestyle will help us to have more time and energy for the things that really matter to us– friends, family, community, and faith.

We also love to travel, and are strong believers in traveling a lot, whether it means exploring new local destinations or jet-setting somewhere overseas. But travel, however it is defined, is no small feat for anyone. And believe me, we are not jobless twenty-somethings with an endless credit line. We’re real people, and we know that travel requires resources, free time and lots of emotional stamina.

So when people ask us how to travel more, the answer is pretty simple.

Home On The Range

March 24, 2015

Friends, within a few short days I think Utah has done something to me.

There’s something so wild and uncanny about the landscape here that really wends its way into your heart. I don’t know if it’s the dramatic red rock towers or the ubiquitous dust that is now permanently stuck in my hair, but there’s a part of me that I’m letting go of, and Utah is helping.

That part of me is perfectionism.

I’m under no delusions that I am perfect in any way, at least not in any conventional way. I’m well aware of my flaws, but there’s a part of me that still desires to be perfect. Or at least, the image of perfection….Continue Reading

Utah: Wilderness Adventures

March 23, 2015

Happy Monday, friends! I’m spending this week traveling with family in southern Utah and I am so excited to share all of our best rock photography throughout our travels. After planning this trip with the excellent help of the Internet we are finally here in a rural town called Moab.

The view from our room at Sorrel River Ranch!

Our trip got off to a rocky start on Saturday when we missed our flight to Salt Lake City. It was one of those I-could-have-sworn-the-flight-was-at-7:40-not-7:10 moments, and we were on our way to the airport when we realized our plane was about to take off. Whoops.

In a frenzy to still make our connection, we redirected ourselves towards a different airport, repurchased tickets to Salt Lake, only to find that the flight was delayed. I found myself sprinting like a maniac through the Salt Lake City airport only to barely see our plane to Moab back away from the gate. Darn.

So, in an effort to make it to our hotel by nightfall, we decided to drive to Moab instead. It would take 3.5 hours– no problem.

We took turns driving. I was the last of course, and not far into my stretch of the drive I see blue and cherry lights twinkling at me. A curt, blue-eyed officer asked me if I was aware that the speed limit was 55. No, the last sign I saw said 65. Without a sign of sympathy he wrote me my very first speeding ticket. Great.

There were no mishaps that followed, and we did make it to our rooms at Sorrel River Ranch by nightfall. And today we explored our first national park: Arches.

This Week: VAIL, COLORADO

December 22, 2014

Happy Christmas Week, friends! I’m among those of you lucky people who get these two weeks off to do festive things and ring in the New Year. Currently I am with my husband’s family in Vail, Colorado, where the snow is coming down quite aggressively! We’re hoping for some good powder (for the skiers) and some pretty views (for me).

I have to admit that I’ve already become a wimp when it comes to winter. 5 years in New England have gone down the drain with only one autumn in SoCal. Granted, it’s pretty cold in here in Colorado– we’re expecting a low of 0 Fahrenheit on Tuesday.

But I love how cozy it feels indoors when it’s so cold; that’s something I’ve been missing all season long. We’re going to make some hot drinking chocolate, yummy Mexican food, gingerbread cheesecake, maple-glazed popcorn, and much more. What are you cooking or drinking this week?

Oh, and here’s our little vacation tree from Walmart. There’s not much in the way of craft stores here, so the DIY ornaments I was planning to make have been replaced by store-bought beads and a gigantic bow.

We’ll also probably cuddle up to a few movies together, including The Bishop’s Wife, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Home Alone, and several others. Any recommendations?

And, as a note to readers– the next several blog posts will be more personal. Those who’ve been reading SR for a while know that I tend to do more objective posts with recipes, outfits, how-to’s and the like. But it’s the holidays, so I thought I’d share a bit more about myself and what I’m up to. It’s always more interesting around this time of year!

So what are you up to this week? Any festive gatherings or travels underway? I’d love to know!

Big Sur, California

September 18, 2014

Driving down from the Monterey Peninsula to the Central Coast is a little bit like a walk into Narnia. There’s a definite resemblance to the world from which you’ve come: crashing waves, endless ocean and a cold breeze. But as Highway One winds its way up the cliffs that overlook the Pacific, you realize you’ve reached a completely different place that is almost surreal. This is Big Sur, California: a wonderland of preserves, parks, views and hikes, and one beautiful car ride through them all.…Continue Reading

Carmel and Pebble Beach, California

September 17, 2014

As a child of the San Francisco Bay Area, one of my favorite road trips was driving down to the Monterey Peninsula. It was such bliss to be by the Pacific ocean–cold, windy and salty– and to be far away from the worries and stresses of life at home (yes, I was stressed even back then). After a day on the coast, my hair would be stringy, my heart content, my feet cold, and my worries far away. For a long time, it was my most favorite place in the world….Continue Reading

A View From Brooklyn

April 15, 2014

Manhattan Skyline from Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn, New York. The name of the borough evokes so many associations, from poverty to gentrification, hipsters to yuppies. The famous Brooklyn Bridge, Grimaldi’s pizza, the Brooklyn Tabernacle and the emerging new artist scene. In the past five years, I’ve watched Brooklyn take on new meanings and become a part of my own relational journey. I’ve spread my wings to the wind while walking the Bridge, and fell for Grimaldi’s greasy pizza before realizing the “real thing” is actually next door. I’ve remembered being called at while walking Brooklyn’s streets and I’ve sung my heart out with the Tabernacle Choir. Most of what I love about New York is indeed in Manhattan, but my boldest memories of the Big Apple are certainly buried in this strange and changing borough….Continue Reading