Portland

Palm Springs

Weekend in Solvang

Bodega Bay

Hotel Figueroa

Tomales Bay

I lagged a bit selecting the destination this year for my annual January getaway.  With a loud, tiny human in tow, options like a serene yurt campsite didn't seem quite as plausible.  We ended up at Dancing Coyote, one of my longtime favorites, which is situated nearby the best hike ever.  Hurray for baby's first elk sighting!

Travel More: Timber Cove

"Travel More" was our goal of the week, in an attempt to take advantage of our last few months with just the two of us (sort of).  We're still gearing up for our big road trip up to Victoria, BC in April, but, hey, I'm more than willing for as many mini-getaways as possible!  Timber Cove is just about 2 hours north of SF, but has the feel of being really far away from it all.  It's situated on rugged bluffs amid winding trails, and is about half an hour away from its nearest town (Jenner, with population 170!).  I already want to go back!

Monarch Butterflies at Natural Bridges Beach

These monarchs were definitely less ragged and more hyper than the ones I saw this past fall in Delaware!