for new years eve this year, my boyfriend and i headed up to palomar mountain to ring in the new years with friends and family.  dylan spent the first years of his life living on the mountain and it was so fun to explore it with him.  i had never been to palomar mountain before, but it's safe to say i fell in love.  we stayed at bailey's resort, a family owned resort with plenty of cabins and guest houses.  it was old, quaint and had breathtaking views.  the weather was wet and gloomy, not exactly ideal for hiking and exploring, but we managed to walk around the resort and check out some of the cabins and endless beauty.  the best part?  it snowed right before midnight!  what a great way to celebrate a new year!!

adventure // oc brew hee haw

saturday night was one for the books!  my man-friend and i hit up the annual oc brew hee haw at the orange country fair and had the time of our lives.  there were 80 local breweries there handing out samples of at least 2 of their best beers.  it was so much fun talking to local brewers, sampling beers i've never tasted or even heard of before, and getting to spend time at the fair.  we even ended the night with giant corndogs and a couple rounds of carnival games!  all in all, an a+ evening!! 

adventure // whale watching in maui

one of my most favorite things we did while in maui was go whale watching.  since we were there in february, it's peak season for the whales traveling back up to colder waters for the summer months.  every where you looked you could see spouts of water popping up all across the water and if you were lucky, you could catch a glimpse of a tail or even a full breach.  our whale watching excursion proved to be very eventful - lots of tail slaps and whale noises! i definitely recommend using maui adventure cruises if your looking for a great whale watching company.  they have awesome captains and knowledgeable guides on every boat!  we have never been disappointed when we've used them!

taco asylum // the camp, costa mesa

one thing that i love most about southern california is the excessive amount of mexican food and the wonderful tradition that is taco tuesday.  what's better than delicious tacos at a discounted price just because it's tuesday?  it's like - hey! you made it through the first two days of this work week - let's celebrate!  i'm totally okay with celebrating the little things, like tacos, and tuesdays!

yesterday my friend and i ventured to taco asylum at the camp in costa mesa to see what their tacos are all about.  now, the camp is a pretty cool place on it's own.  the CAMP is a green gathering spot offering wellness and personal styling services, unique and purposeful shopping as well as healthy, local and international dining.  it's worth checking out, especially during one of their many special events.  

taco asylum is a cool little spot tucked in a corner at the camp.  it's open layout and modern rustic decor is inviting and casual.  since it was taco tuesday, classic tacos were $3 and they had deals on beer.  their beer selection features some awesome local craft beer, as well as more well known brews. i decided on a carne asada and a fish taco to go with my grapefruit sculpin ipa.  both tacos were delicious, but the fish took the win for me.  i'll definitely be back to explore more of their menu - especially some of their specialty tacos!  

a true trifecta // a day at the del mar racetrack

back in november, the girls and i headed to the del mar racetrack for their food truck festival and to try our hands at betting on the horses.  typically, the race season is in the summer, but this year they brought it back in the fall for "bing crosby season."  this was my first time at the races and boy did we have a lot of fun.  we ate some delicious food truck food, had some beers and made some bets.  it was a great day at the races, for sure! 

the grand ole opry // nashville, tn

one of my favorite parts of our nashville trip (yes, i'm still posting about it, you can never have too much nashville!) was our tour at the grand ole opry.  we were lucky enough to fit in a backstage tour into our schedule and i'm so glad that we did.  we even got tickets to the night's show - where little big town and tyler farr were performing! it was so cool to see where the artists hang out, stand on the stage and learn all about the opry's history.

the history at the opry is incredible - so many famous people have and still do take the stage.  the grand ole opry is a weekly country music stage concert in that has presented the biggest stars of that genre.  it was founded in 1925 as a one-hour radio "barn dance" and is among the longest-running radio broadcasts in history.  dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the opry showcases a mix of legends and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and comedic performances and skits.  the grand ole pry is considered an american icon and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.

travel // nashville, tennessee

just some of my favorite pictures from our time in nashville.  i can't wait to go back to this city.