An hour south of San Francisco, just off of Highway 1, sits a surprisingly charming oceanside town. Pescadero, population 650, has built a name for itself; surrounded by working farms, sweeping coastal views, world-renowned artichoke bread, and other culinary treats. With high praise coming from Max’s coworkers, we went for Olallieberry pie and promptly decided to make a day of it. I’ve rounded up a list of recommendations for what has to be one of the best kept secrets along California’s slow coast. This blip of a town can be experienced in under an hour or savored for an entire weekend.
Tour our A-Frame on Apartment Therapy
06.06.18May was a whirlwind month with family visiting, deadlines passing, and all the meanwhile enduring what felt like a chronic case of the never ending, always growing to-do list. Although we still have two ficus trees to plant, a garden to weed, and emails to respond to, Max and I agree we’ve gotten our footing again. Now that it’s June, I feel motivated and ready to dive into some exciting projects that have been on the back burner for far too long.
I thought it best to share the space we’ve grown to call home, before I get the urge to move furniture (or worse, move homes)! It feels like we’ve been living in our new house for ages when in reality it has only been seven months. But, for someone who has lived in seven cities and two countries in just the past five years, seven months is a pretty long time.
I will be revealing room by room here on my blog in the weeks to follow. In the meantime, you can get a peak at the whole house on Apartment Therapy.
Planning the A-Frame’s Outdoor Space
06.05.18During college I spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard, in Massachusetts. Memorial Day was always the unofficial start to the island’s busy season. Shops opened their doors, restaurants sat alfresco, and the ferry boats were chock full of summer residents and tourists alike. Now, as Californians, Max and I are instead preparing for June gloom. While our summer weather may start a tad later than that of New England, knowing we have an outdoor space ready to go makes it worth the wait. For those overwhelmed by June’s presence, I’ve included a look into our outdoor plans, in hopes it will help you make the most of the summer months ahead!
Our Short Stint in San Francisco
06.01.18It was love at first sight when Max and I toured our soon-to-be San Francisco apartment. Located on top of Corona Heights, it had sweeping views of San Francisco and the bay. Inside, we were drawn to the natural light, the charm of the fireplace and alcoves, and the spacious square footage. Even the closet had a window and was large enough for a twin size bed. While we only lived in the apartment for six months (more on that here), I’ll never forget the colorful sunrises we woke up to (thanks, jet lag). Or, the time Max nearly burnt the apartment down; forgetting there were pizza boxes stored in the oven. My only regret? Why, after six months, did I not hang that painting in the guest room?!
Rental Red Flags You Shouldn’t Brush Off
05.27.18When Max and I considered relocating from Boston to San Francisco, we had no idea how quickly we would move. After Max landed his dream job, we flew out to tour a handful of apartments found on Zillow and Craigslist. We fell in love with the first place we saw, applied, and were accepted, contingent on passing a phone screening with the neighbors. When I look back, it is easy to see that the things we thought were insignificant, weren’t. A few oversights turned out to be dealbreakers and we ended our lease six months later. The signs were there all along, had we just known what to look for.
Ireland Part 3: The Wild West Coast
11.08.17After a week in County Kerry following an itinerary full of (gorgeous) tourist attractions, Max and I set off for the Wild Atlantic Way, traveling the coastal route from Galway to Clifden. With no real destination in mind, we took narrow winding roads that lead to secret beaches, got chased by a sheep dog, managed to get our rental car stuck (then unstuck) on a road-turned-cow-path, and pulled over more times than we could count. Read More
Ireland Part 2: Could it Get Any Moher Beautiful?!
11.06.17From cable cars over open water, to sheep herding demonstrations, ruins, and cliffs, we had the best time exploring County Kerry, Ireland and the surrounding area with my family this past fall.
Ireland Part 1: Discovering The Beara Necessities with AirBnB
11.04.17On a recent trip to Ireland, Max and I spent a few nights at Bothar Bui, a historic seaside compound that overlooks Kenmare Bay on the Beara peninsula. While we hadn’t planned on traveling to the southern part of the country, the property came heavily recommended to us and we were NOT about to pass up the opportunity to soak in that tub! Read More
California Road Trip Part 5: Camping in Big Sur
06.21.17Big Sur is MAGIC. Pure, jaw-dropping, twisting and turning, magic. Max and I slept under the redwoods and spent our days driving up and down the coast; backtracking often because it was THAT beautiful. I’ll never forget just how breath-taking it all was (and how good of a sport Max was to pull over every 50 feet or so for a photo). We were so smitten we have since returned countless times and have loved getting to know the California coast that much more.
California Road Trip Part 4: Exploring LA with AirBnB
06.20.17Oh, LA! You were better than we ever imagined. We were warned about the traffic, the smog, the heat. So when we arrived and the skies were clear, the weather was in the high 60s, and it was nothing like the Boston road rage we were accustomed to, you can believe Max & I were smitten. Read More