My family is originally from South African and when we moved, just over 20 years ago, many of our friends moved to various parts around the globe as well.  That, paired with my parents love for travel, has made me lucky enough to travel to some pretty awesome places around the world. 

Most of the time when I think of a vacation, I think of a multiple day excursion filled with airports and possible hotel hopping between adventure locations. This las weekend, however, my husband had a work event in Los Angeles on Friday evening so we decided to make a mini getaway trip out of it. 

We drove up from San Diego on Friday afternoon and while he was at his event, I got to catch up with a friend in the area. Then we got to the hotel and splurged on late night room service dessert. We stayed at a Hilton near the airport which was relatively inexpensive and dog friendly which was important since we brought little Stella with us. 

In the morning, we did something we almost never do...we slept in late! (Those blackout curtains are magical). Once we finally surfaced, we headed to our favorite spot in LA, Manhattan Beach and explored a new park before heading to grab pizza from our first date spot and the best ice cream sandwich of all time! We had nowhere to be exactly by anytime and it was fun to have an agenda-free day enjoying the beach and sun. We were back in San Diego by 5:30 that same day and back in our routine. 

I wasn't expecting such a mini trip to be as refreshing as it was, but we both felt recharged on Sunday and ready to get to work. It was a great reminder for me that a vacation doesn't have to be a long, far-off journey, and some of the most refreshing ones in fact are close-by and quick but just as (or maybe even more) relaxing. 

Here are my 6 reasons why local getaways are just as awesome as big trips:

Even though LA was quite the drive in Friday afternoon traffic, we still got there faster than almost any airport trip filled with pre and post flight activities. Brad may have had to work that night but I fully enjoyed getting into relax mode asap and enjoyed an amazing dinner with a friend.

Even if it is a place you live or have gone to a million times, you can make it feel like a brand new location. Brad and I met in college and would frequent Manhattan Beach, but since we had Stella with us this time, we looked up a dog park we could take her to and found a gem at Polliwog Park. Not only is the name awesome, but it had beautiful green lawns for picnicking, awesome play sets, a pond, a dog run and a cute California botanical garden. We had never been there before and didn't expect such a great find. 

Since it's local, you have a car so can stay somewhere that is a bit more inexpensive since convenience of location is as big a deal. We got a great deal on a hotel and could drive around between Culver City and Downtown LA on Friday night and easily get to Manhattan Beach on Saturday.

That being said, wether you are staying in your home city or going somewhere nearby, I would definitely recommend still getting a hotel. My brain is wired to find things to do at home (clean the kitchen, do the laundry, organize this cabinet, etc.) Even if we had stayed at home in San Diego and cleared all activities on Saturday, I think I still would have had a to-do list floating in my mind of all the things I should be doing. Removing myself completely and staying in a hotel with great blackout curtains really helped it feel like a restful and restorative vacation. 

One of the most stressful parts of a vacation is planning all the details to make it perfect. Where to stay, what to eat, what activities to do in the day. Since we were familiar with the area, we knew some of our favorite places we wanted to go back to and so other than a quick yelp search on Saturday morning to find the dog park, we didn't do much planning and just enjoyed the sunshine. 

Again, since we were driving, we could bring Stella with us and it really felt like a little family vacation. There are a ton of pet-friendly hotels now with nominal fees for letting your fur baby come along. 

So the next time you feel like you just need to getaway, consider maybe taking the freeway instead of hopping on a plane. And if you head to Manhattan Beach, make sure you stop by the Manhattan Beach Ice Creamery for the best "Creamwich" of your life. 

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In celebration of Mother's Day this weekend (and my dad's birthday), we decided to go explore a new part of town. We've been to Liberty Station before, but mostly to stop in at a grocery store or grab a quick bite to eat. I'd never actually walked the property. We accidentally parked on the wrong side of the lawn, and started strolling toward the Public Market. I was absolutely amazed at the gorgeous landscaping, fountains, and plazas that made this oasis a truly remarkable place. 

For those of you who don't know, Liberty Station is a former Naval Training Center. With the base closure in 1997, the city decided to preserve the landmark through a modernization plan. Today, the exterior of the buildings are well maintained with their original charm. Plenty of patriotic detailed mosaics, iron framed windows, and plenty of cute lawn chairs and benches lining the courtyard. I told my husband Brad that we had just found the perfect Sunday picnic location.  The interiors on the other hand have been transformed into trendy restaurants with bocce ball, vertical gardens and gourmet cuisine and an art center paradise with galleries, crafters and training classes.

Our favorite spot of the day was the Public Market, we enjoyed a delicious afternoon rosé from Uphold Wines and some snacks from a few of the vendors inside the market. The patio lights criss-crossed overhead, while kids and dogs played on the well kept artificial turf. Just around the corner was a vertical garden and through the gorgeous doors a full bar.  

It was so much fun to play "tourist" in our own city. Sometimes spontaneous adventures to well known places are the perfect place for inspiration and fun. Hope you get to check it out some time soon! 

Jessica

San Diego is known for it's microbrewery community. I'm not much of a beer fan, but I've heard of all the places, well known and boutique. So when one of my colleagues mentioned a gin distillery in downtown San Diego, I was shocked that of all places, that is where it would be. 

As part of my birthday festivities last weekend, I decided to take my family there (mom and sis pictured) and I am SO GLAD that we went.  Not only were their cocktails so unique and delicious, but their decor was AMAZING. The way I can't stop describing it is "effortless luxury". It sounds like an oxymoron, but I swear, from the minute you walk in there is a sense of comfort, yet the velvet and leather couches mixed with neutral brick walls and greenery accented throughout, it definitely has an upscale vibe. 

We took the behind the scenes tour and tasting and got to learn all about how they make their unique Sunday Gin. Did you know that you have to make vodka in order to make gin? We also learned the proper way to smell a spirit so you don't burn your nostrils! (Keep your mouth slightly open as you breath in through the nose). 

From there, we made our way to the bar and enjoyed some really unique hand-crafted cocktails while taking in the view. One of my favorite details was their back wall with an extra long velvet couch nestled against the tall white brick wall and their logo boldly carved into wood. This wall made such a statement while the wall right next door featured a quaint bookshelf featuring fun pieces that your best friend may have. Like I said, effortless luxury mixing grand designs with a comfortable atmosphere. 

You and Yours just celebrated their one year anniversary, they are up and coming and believe me, they are coming! So if you are in the area, maybe before a Padres game, you should definitely check them out. And if you're anything like us, be prepared to use your 10% discount from the tour to bring home a bottle that you can enjoy later. 

Hope you guys are having a great week! You're welcome in advance for your weekend plans ;-)

I love getting inspiration from hotels, restaurants, museums and more! I'm one that totally appreciates each and every thought and detail that goes into the design. Not every place brings all the perfect feels together but Better Buzz Coffee, a small local coffee chain here in San Diego combines my favorite shapes, colors and textures to make one seriously awesome place to hang out.

Their combination of bold metals, light and bright wood and marble accessorized with gold accents (my favorite) and spotted with greenery captures a cool and collected vibe. Every detail from the hexagon shaped tiled bar transitioning to the concrete floor to the retro lighting and coffee inspired sayings (that totally speak to my coffee addiction) incorporated in the walls and floors makes you want to just pull up a seat, maybe a laptop, and feast on some delicious avocado toast. 

And it doesn't stop there, on their small but WOW factor patio they have cornhole and swing seats to enjoy your coffee and conversation. While I was there I saw families grabbing an afternoon snack, students studying for their next exam, individuals journaling and I swear I even saw a date happening. Honestly, when a place looks this amazing and has a menu to die for (I had their vanilla buzz lite, a blended iced coffee - AMAZING) you can find just about any reason to go. 

So if you are in the San Diego area, be sure to check out this spot, they have a few locations and each one is slightly different but just as awesome. 

If I sound a little excited, it's because I am, this place has captured one of my favorite design looks with brass, hexagons, wood and white and I'm so glad that it's walking distance from my house. Do you have a local spot that you just love? Bonus if the menu is equally as good as the design!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jessica