We love starting the morning with breakfast at KC’s Crêpes Café - something sweet, something savory, and always a good excuse for a leisurely start to the day. After that, we head over to Burton Chace Park for a photo walk, cameras in hand, ready to capture whatever the morning light offers. Watching sea lions is always entertaining, from their lazy sunbathing sessions on the docks to their occasional bursts of energy, flopping into the water or bickering over the best spot. I can’t help but bring my camera each visit, hoping to catch a new expression, an unexpected moment, or just the simple joy of watching these animals in their element.

Took a trip up the coast for two reasons: birthday festivities and, of course, sea otters.

The focal point of Morro Bay is the ancient volcanic mound sitting at the end of Morro Rock Beach. The area is great for spotting sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, marine birds, and even the occasional whale passing through. We spent time watching the otters float effortlessly on their backs, twisting seaweed around themselves like nature’s own anchoring system. Local businesses like the Estero Inn rent out electric boats that are perfect for cruising the bay.

Leo Carrillo has been my beach escape for the past few years, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite places. My mother came across it while exploring the city with a friend during her first visit to Los Angeles. While I sat at my desk at work, she cruised up Pacific Coast Highway in a bright red convertible, stopping at Malibu Seafood before discovering Leo Carrillo. It didn’t take long for me to visit myself, and from that first trip, I was hooked.

Now, Malibu Seafood and Leo Carrillo are staples for me. Back at my old apartment near the Valley, my partner and I made a habit of taking weekend drives down the winding Las Virgenes Road - one of those quintessential canyon routes where hills give way to the blues of the Pacific. We’d always stop at the frutero on the way back, grabbing bags of fresh fruit drizzled with tajín and chamoy.

For how isolated Zzyzx is, the amount of attention it has drawn is surprising. This stretch of Interstate 15 is mostly uneventful. You’ve either just left Eddie’s World - car full of bulk candy, beef jerky, and made-to-order pizza - or you’re counting down the minutes until you get there. But something about the Zzyzx Road sign has piqued the curiosity of travelers for years, including my own.

Hidden in the Mojave Desert, Zzyzx started as a health spa in the 1940s, run by a so-called doctor named Curtis Howe Springer. The government shut it down in 1974 for squatting on public land, leaving behind an odd mix of abandoned buildings. Today, it’s a desert wildlife studies center for California State University.

My mother takes me to Roaring Spring Dam Park for one reason and one reason only - to see the ducks. It’s become our little ritual every time I visit her. We hop in the car, take the short drive out to Roaring Spring, and settle onto a bench where we can chat (with each other and the ducks, of course).

This visit felt a little different - my partner was joining us for the first time. It was nice to share this small but familiar tradition with them, letting them see firsthand the simple joy of an afternoon by the water.

Nestled in Blair County, Pennsylvania, Roaring Spring Dam Park is a quiet spot best known for its spring-fed pond, local wildlife, and connection to the town’s deep-rooted history in the paper industry. The park sits near Roaring Spring Blank Book Company, a longstanding landmark that has been producing ledgers, journals, and notebooks since the 1800s. The dam itself is fed by Roaring Spring, a natural spring that once played a crucial role in powering mills and providing fresh water to the town.

There’s something special about the land near your hometown.

No matter how many places I explore, there’s a familiarity in the trees, the air, and the way the landscape shifts through the seasons. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words but impossible to ignore.

I spent the day hiking with my partner and mother at Trough Creek State Park. Our journey started at the Trough Creek Suspension Bridge, a bridge that bounces slightly with each step. It’s the perfect kind of landmark - one that feels just sturdy enough to trust, yet light enough to remind you that you’re walking over water.

From there, we followed the trail up to Rainbow Falls, a small but picturesque waterfall trickling down moss-covered rocks.

The recent rain had kept it flowing steadily, and the water glistened as it fell. A few stone steps later, we reached Balanced Rock, a massive boulder that seems to float impossibly on the edge of a cliff. It’s one of those landmarks that makes you stop and stare - a reminder of nature’s ability to shape, balance, and hold onto things in ways that seem almost unnatural.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve eaten at Malibu Seafood. It’s one of those places that you return to over and over, not because you haven’t tried anything else, but because why would you? Whenever friends or family visit, there’s always that one go-to restaurant that feels a little more special than the rest, the one that never lets you down. For me (and, let’s be honest, for a lot of people), that’s Malibu Seafood.

Today, my partner and I set out on a whale-watching adventure from Long Beach with Harbor Breeze Cruises, an experience that quickly became equal parts breathtaking and humbling - and not just because of the whales. We started our day with a waterfront lunch at Gladstone’s Long Beach, soaking in the marina views while enjoying fresh seafood. The harbor was alive with activity and it felt like the perfect way to ease into what was meant to be a relaxing afternoon on the water.

What I didn’t account for, however, was the ocean reminding me of my own limits. I’ve been on boats before, but this was my first time whale watching, which, as I quickly learned, is an entirely different experience - especially when you forget to take Dramamine. The moment we left the calm harbor and hit open waters, the rolling swells introduced themselves without hesitation. My stomach immediately revolted. I wasn’t alone - almost everyone around me looked progressively worse, gripping the railings and focusing hard on the horizon, silently battling their own regret. One unfortunate teenager spent the entire trip violently throwing up into the trash can on our deck, which made for an unforgettable soundtrack to our expedition. But just when I thought my focus would have to remain on survival, the first sighting happened.

Petrified Forest National Park had never been on my list of places to visit. But when I found myself on another cross-country drive, the landscape was too beautiful to ignore. The park is home to one of the largest and most colorful collections of petrified wood in the world, with logs that date back over 200 million years.

My only regret was that my visit was far too short - I spent only about two hours in the park before needing to continue to my next destination. I barely scratched the surface of what there is to see, from the stunning Painted Desert to ancient petroglyphs left behind by past civilizations. I was lucky enough to spot a few ravens, but the park is also home to pronghorn, jackrabbits, and even the occasional bobcat.

It’s a few months into a global pandemic, and you’re stuck inside your 350 sq. ft. studio apartment - the one you shrugged off as cozy when signing the lease, thinking, I’ll spend most of my time at the office this year. Looking back, not my brightest decision.

After too many days staring at the same four walls, I met up with a friend who had also been isolating, and we hit the road toward Sequoia National Park. We partially hiked several trails, stopping often to take in the sheer scale of it all. There’s something about standing at the base of a giant sequoia that makes you feel insignificant.

Eventually, we found a perfect spot by a rushing river, setting up a tarp and just existing for a while. The sound of the water, the scent of nature in the air - it was the kind of stillness I hadn’t felt in months.