Where to, Peanut?

The ephemeral beauty of the Big Sur coastline is one that can’t quite be captured in a photograph.  The dramatic seascapes along the winding length of Highway 1 south of Monterey are the sort you have to absorb in person.  The Big Sur vistas are those that demand you to linger, and let the periphery slip away.

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Lake Tahoe is summer paradise in its purest form. From deep azure waters of every shade, to the crispest mountain air, Tahoe is the perfect place for a summertime weekend retreat.

With the help of VRBO I found a quaint cabin just a block from the lake up on a hill with panoramic views of Carnelian Bay in north Tahoe. Our cabin was complete with stone floors and fireplace, airy loft style rooms, and amazing lake views from nearly every window.

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I always seize the opportunity for a weekend getaway. Being a nurse has both the attributes of being relatively stressful, paired with a 3 day per week schedule. Long weekends are attainable, and getting away is my personal way of staying fresh, focused, and positive.

For my birthday, I landed upon Santa Barbara easily. I was craving both the beach, and warmth; something the SF Bay Area has only in beautifully fleeting moments. Add a spunky downtown scene, a bohemian aesthetic, a thriving wine industry, and delicious restaurants, and you realize that Santa Barbara was made for this sort of ‘birthday-celebration-weekend-rejuvenation’ thing.

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I have the tendency to assume that the further away the destination is, the more pleasure I will get out of my trip. This is my inner Robinson Crusoe speaking. This tendency leads me to undervalue, and even overlook beautiful destinations closer to home.

The weekend that follows was one shrouded in a warm glow of sunshine, desolate beaches, and hazy golden sunsets dripping over every surface. It was a weekend getaway to Carmel I truly regret not taking sooner.

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