{WANDERINGS} : memphis to montgomery
Well, part 2 of our Graceland day didn’t go quite as smoothly as part 1. For starters, we were crazy-excited to have lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe after Kate had casually mentioned a few days earlier that she’d love to see the famous restaurant from Fried Green Tomatoes and wondered if it was close to our route. That was all I needed to hear. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES? As in… the book? These must be the most authentic fried green tomatoes in the country, considering they were served in a landmark restaurant from a classic story! Clearly I’m a sucker for anything even remotely recognizable.
When we found out that the the Whistle Stop Cafe was located in Birmingham, it was like fate had stepped in. It was the perfect stopping point for lunch on our drive from Memphis to Montgomery!
No. I mention the background of this because the search for the Whistle Stop Cafe wound up to be a wild goose chase resulting in absolutely nothing. Google Maps had some fun with us, as did the entire street system of Birmingham, and we spent an hour driving around for lunch that we never got to eat. It was a big blow considering we were up to 4 redbulls per day at this point, all of which had also worn off.
We held it together though, with the hope of “the best peaches in Alabama” ahead of us. But when we finally arrived to the peach stand (I was picturing something extremely iconic, and photo-worthy by the way) we were again disappointed. It was not peach season. That didn’t mean they weren’t selling some sad hard peaches though, and I bought them.
Nearing our destination for the evening, we called ahead to find out if there were any well-known Montgomery restaurants in the area and were told that there were no classic Alabama-style restaurants and we were best off stopping at one of the chain restaurants off the interstate.
Which was when day 12 became the day Kate had her first-ever meal at The Olive Garden:
We curled up (very full) in a very comfy bed that night, in Alabama’s sweetest B&B– but more on that tomorrow!
{WANDERINGS} : graceland / memphis, tn
Take a good look at that mug. Can anyone really deny that Elvis is one sexy beast?? Based on the swarms of folks who make their pilgrimage to Graceland (second most visited site in the country after the white house) … I think not.
Originally our road trip plans included stopping at large fake dinosaurs and other kitchy roadtrip photo opps but when we realized how many amazing cities we wanted to see, we subbed out roadside attractions for “the stuff that America is really made out of” … i.e. Elvis.
Flash forward to Memphis and there we were: in an air-conditioned tour bus (with a very interesting assortment of fellow fans) wearing audio tour headphones and laminated Elvis passes around our neck, waiting to be corralled through the maze that is Graceland:
If you cant tell from the photos, I thought that this experience was one of our greatest stops yet!
(TCB =”Takin Care of Business”)
Despite the fact that neither Kate or I are huge Elvis fans, or that his taste isn’t exactly our style, I must admit that this was one of the mornings I felt truly gleeful. Exclaiming “I’m goin to Graceland!!!” had been making us smile ever since we entered Tennessee, and finally standing behind those velvet ropes, soaking in as much gaudy fabulousness as one person can….Elvis crooning in the background…I felt like a real, true American, in the worst and best of ways. There’s no one quite like the King!!
See Kate’s take here!
{WANDERINGS} : the river inn / beale street / memphis, tn
After settling into our room at The River Inn (wine and chocolate upon arrival gets an A in my book) we went out to have dinner at the very highly reviewed Blues City Cafe. Before our trip, my knowledge of Memphis was limited to the three words “Walking in Memphis”…. and that’s it. Now I have memories of being amidst the electric signs, eating a plateful of tamales (totally different than the ones in our venice hood!) and listening to classic blues on Beale street. THIS was the south I’d been looking for!!
See Kate’s take here
{WANDERINGS} : national civil rights museum / memphis, tn
Coming in on the 55N from the very underwhelming Jackson, Memphis sure puts on a good welcome. Riverside park stretches wide along the Mississippi on the left, and the city skyline spreads in the front. Weathered signs boasting their Memphis origination are everywhere and everything- the signs, the buildings, the cars– look set back in the 70′s.
But despite the worn, abandoned warehouse feeling around town, I also felt some sort of underlying current of energy I couldn’t put my finger on yet. Memphis is an electric, masculine city, pulsing with neon signs, the feeling of danger and of course, a whole lotta funk and soul. (More on this later.)
There were a few things we wanted to do on our afternoon in Memphis, one of which was to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. (We were also pretty excited to see the Peabody Duck March– little ducklings waddle from the rooftop of the Peabody Hotel down to a fountain on a red carpet everyday at 5pm!) but we had to make a choice between the two and decided the ducklings would have to wait.
We easily found parking near the museum in the back of an old motel. When we turned the corner, we were surprised to see that the motel actually WAS the museum– the one where MLK Jr. was assassinated in 1968. There are still his same chauffeur cars parked out front as that night, and a wreath hangs in front of the room he was staying in. It felt strange to be surprised by such an important site– I guess I was expecting a quick walk through a small museum with a few videos and pieces of memorabilia– but it was so much more.
The entrance begins as a tunnel through time beginning in the 1600′s with photos, videos, clothing, letters, signs lining the walls. The exhibits are incredibly comprehensive and lead all the way up through the history of the 1960′s, settling on momentous events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and MLK’s Jr’s final days and speeches. It then leads you to a viewing area of MLK Jr’s motel room and the spot on the balcony where he was assassinated. Across the street is the building where his killer shot him from, the old room and peeling wallpaper still intact, radio coverage from that day playing in the elevators and speculations, conspiracy theories, and court proceedings from the aftermath lining the walls.
It’s chilling to stand in the shoes of an assassin, and the feeling lingered. When my boyfriend called later in the afternoon and asked urgently if ”I could hear the radio,” I was instantly transported back to 9/11 and that feeling of finding out terrible news and world falling down around me. (turns out PJ’s question had been sports-related…)
I write about these aspects of the museum not to glorify MLK Jr’s assassination or to bring attention away from the accomplishments of the civil rights movement, but because of all that America has been through, has fought for and for the absolutely incredible job the museum does of creating an all-encompassing exhibit that so powerfully translates information and emotion. I hope if you ever pass through Memphis you’ll check out this great museum (and the peabody ducklings too!)
See Kate’s take here
{WANDERINGS} : jackson, mississippi
Crossing the Mississippi was a big thing for us. Everyone kept telling us how “east of the mississippi is where the real south really starts,” so obviously we were excited. We had chosen Jackson as our destination mostly because The Help painted it as a classic southern city that we thought might be interesting to see. Plus, neither of us knew when we would ever have the chance to revisit the south so we wanted to do it all while we could!
After nearly getting killed on the road, we arrived into Jackson around dinnertime. While there was no actual momentous crossing-of-the-great-river, settling into some good old-fashioned southern food at Hal and Mals was exactly the welcome we were hoping for. And those accents!!! Of everywhere we visited, I loved the classic New Orleans accent best, but I couldn’t help but smile hearing all those “y’alls!”
red beans and rice
bayou gumbo
fried catfish
portobello burger
Complete with neon lights, wall-to-wall Elvis memorabilia and the booth where wrote Willie Morris wrote the entirety of My Dog Skip (they even installed a phone jack so he could conduct his business there) Hal and Mal’s is a must for people watching, yummy food and rock & roll!
After a lovely night’s sleep we went to check out the rest of Jackson, including several spots featured in The Help. From our street view, there wasn’t much to really sink our teeth into, but now we know what Jackson looks like (we took a pretty comprehensive loop) and enjoyed the sightseeing nonetheless.
breakfast at Julep– hands-down makes the best biscuits in the south. (and I don’t even normally like them!)
fried green tomatoes!
on our way out of town…. herb decided he needed a better view.
See Kate’s take here!
{WANDERINGS} : the garden district / new orleans
In the morning, we woke to a dreary sky. I was on a search for a high vantage point to view the city from, and the dark clouds weren’t about to stop me.
Getting caught in the rain was worth the walk in the empty wet city, skipping from awning to awning between the drops and admiring the time-layered walls up close.
After checking out of our hotel we headed to Surrey’s to meet my friend Michelle who lives in New Orleans. Since we didn’t have a ton of time before getting on the road for Mississippi, she gave us a wonderful driving tour of the Garden District– the boutiques on Magazine street, the mansions of State Street, the old trolley, the gorgeous university campuses. On another trip I’d love to spend more time exploring this part of the city as there’s so much to NOLA than the Quarter. But on this day, I especially loved seeing the above-ground Lafayette cemetery, with small bits of life sprouting up out of the tombs.
See Kate’s take here. And next up, finally getting east of the Mississippi!
{WANDERINGS} : galatoires and preservation hall / new orleans, la
In the evening, we ventured back out to dine at on of New Orleans’ original creole restaurants, Galatoires. Still family owned, the great-grandson of Mr. Galatoire was there to share their story of how creole cooking came to be, and of the restaurant itself– its famed mirrored walls have a history of being quite the matchmaker!
After a delicious steak and wine dinner, we made our way to Preservation Hall.
My Dad was an electric bassist, and growing up he instilled into the whole family a strong appreciation for all music, but particularly jazz. He taught my sister and I how to harmonize, improvise, trained our ears to “name that instrument” and (of course) to always be able to follow the bass line.
He also taught music lessons, and loved students but still held them (and us) to as high an esteem as any other professional. For example, if my 6th grade concert was simply mediocre, guess who did not get a standing ovation admist all the other cheering parents?
Being in a city that so celebrates jazz, and to enjoy it in a tiny hole in the wall that’s been home to incredible musicians as well as gives young talented people the opportunity to perform was an experience I would have loved to share with him.
After seeing a few performances, it was time to find our way back to our hotel. I felt like we were in a movie, roaming little cobblestone streets, people spilling out of corner restaurants, drinking wine in the streets, the warm night, everyone laughing and having a great time…
my love for the French Quarter runs deep and wide.
see Kate’s take here
{WANDERINGS} : the french quarter, new orleans
New Orleans is the most unique city I have ever visited– one that leaves a lasting impression on the senses. I love its smell of sweet flowers and wet greenery mixed with an urban sourness. I love the lanterns glowing at all times of the day and the architecture in a palate of salmon, slate, evergreen, mustard and periwinkle. I love the shotgun style houses on Dauphine St., the ironwork, the balconies, the alleys, the courtyards, the crumbling walls and the fact that nothing, anywhere, feels modern.
After a morning of cafe au lait and beignets, setting eyes on the Mississippi for the first time, and listening to steam calliope music among the hustle and bustle on the riverbank, I spent the afternoon getting lost in the little neighborhoods, wondering who lives inside, and visiting with a psychic, admiring his potions in the back of an old voodoo shop.
While New Orleans didn’t exactly scream HOME, I feel attached to it, imagining moving there to write a novel or conduct some sort of historical investigation. Perhaps the history of just one house? Anything to give me a reason to wander those streets all day long.
{WANDERINGS} new orleans, louisiana
After our late start, we drove through Louisiana in the dark, not knowing if we were passing through grass or over water, having no idea what to expect from New Orleans. As we pulled off our exit for the French Quarter close to 1am, rundown buildings with dirtied walls came into view, shadowy arms and legs spreading off the curbs and dangling from balconies. I mildly felt that we were not in a safe place, but also intrigued and wanting more.
We stepped out of our car and onto the cobblestone pathway of Hotel Provincial. The heady scent of jasmine pulsed in the nighttime heat and we were led to an incredible room with floor to ceiling raw wooden doors, polished brick floors and warm yellow lamps glowing beside our beds. I was buzzing with excitement over the mysterious-feeling city and could barely fall asleep. This was the most haunted hotel in America, after all.
With a pillow blockade creating safety between my line of sight and any potentially ghostly happenings, I finally did fall asleep and in the morning we woke up early, and set off to explore the town.
see Kate’s take here, and come back tomorrow to read about Cafe du Monde, Galatories, and my love for the French Quarter.
Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve tried your best to prepare for every worst-case scenario, only to find that the one thing you overlooked is the biggest crack of all?
You should have seen my emergency kit: the obvious things like jumper cables, a flashlight, dashboard sun-visor, Purell and a first aid kit, less obvious things like duct tape, books-on-tape, a white-noise machine and tennis balls in a tube sock (try this for behind your back or under your bum on long car or rides– it does wonders!) and things that I never even touched such as a scented candle, lavender stress-relieving oil, yoga DVDs, and my AAA card. The one thing I forgot? An external hard-drive to store and back-up all my photos. I back-up on a regular basis and did so right before we left for the trip but of course didn’t remember to pack it in my bag (OF COURSE!!!)
It was on my mind to buy one on the road but it just didn’t seem important enough to take the time to do.. until I woke up in Austin and my computer screen was all blue and unresponsive. Directly to the Mac store we went.
My long sob story later, everything turned out okay.
But in the worst of the moments, after days of un-related computer problem after internet problem after software problem after camera problem, the idea of losing everything was just too much. And in this moment, stress-relieving lavender oil was NOT what I wanted.
It’s easy to spiral into a mess of despair (note: if you want to make everyone around you very uncomfortable, cry and don’t stop) and fervently damn the universe for not wanting you to be successful as an artist. Maybe it even helps to walk across the hall to the GAP and spend hundreds of dollars on crap you don’t need to ease the pain. Or maybe you’re an incredibly composed and evolved soul who understands that shit happens, rama rama.
In any case, the moral of this story is that when things don’t go the way we expect, we forget all the other times we felt anxious, angry, sad, scared and the fact that things must have worked out afterward because here we are still. So why would we expect the future to offer us anything different? Thank you very much to the kind folks at the Barton Creek Apple store and USAA insurance for dealing with me in my least-attractive state of being, and for making everything better.
And onward to New Orleans we went.
{WANDERINGS} : austin, tx
Although my big dream is to live a simple life on a ranch, I am most comfortable in cities with lots going on. So far I’ve loved being in Sydney and Venice best, but my gypsy heart is always on the lookout for warm, healthy, clean, artistic and beautiful cites to call home.
There is so much cool coming out of Austin– never having been before, it was a city I was dying to see! I am very happy to report that it did not disappoint. Not only are Austinites some seriously good-looking people, but the city checks the boxes for everything I could possibly want, including tons of unique shops and cool small businesses, evident creative culture, and insanly good mexican food that we ate for breakfast lunch and dinner!
In my Austin life, I live in a rustic craftsman bungalow near South Congress where we always have cold beer, grill tacos and play ping pong in the backyard. I’d open a desert landscaping company and get my sister to move out, open a rock & roll food truck and show me the cool nightlife. I’d go jogging around Zilker park, teach my kids to dive at Barton Springs and have fabulous pairs of cowboy boots for everyday of the week!
We really did not have anywhere near enough days to do Austin justice, but our short afternoon there was a great preview of it all– the whole time scheming how to get the boys to pick up and move there with us.
My biggest regret is that I would have loved to devote an entire day to searching for tattered vintage tees and an old pair of red ankle boots… but sadly there wasn’t enough time. Just one more reason to come back!!
peaceful and still touring the Capitol Building
Torchy’s Tacos (visit 1311 s. 1st st. for their cool trailer location!)
Kate tried the Green chile pork / Scrambled eggs with fried chile and carrot
and I had the chicken fajitas / portabello mushroom with refried black beans and roasted corn
(yummy!)
finding our perfect pair at Allen’s Boots
Uncommon Objects (my dream shop)
dipping our toes in Barton Springs
Ending the evening at La Condesa. (I was so terribly full from eating all day long I just had their brussels sprout and grape salad– and it was delicious!!)
{WANDERINGS} : on the road / marfa to austin
We left the teepee before sunrise again, making our way in the dark. The horizon out of Marfa was wide and flat, colors spreading across it to reveal a green landscape. This trip is my first time crossed the time zone boundaries at a leisurely pace and with the desert behind us, halfway across the country and driving forward in time, I began to feel like we were really and truly away.
I loved the the little rural Texan towns filled with taxidermy shops, churches, ranches and orchards… bugs splattering and humidity rising.
{WANDERINGS} : in the car
I’m writing this post from Charleston, SC… and the Atlantic Ocean! We made it!! (Our posts have been several days behind if you’ve been confused at all)
It’s been such an incredible journey heading east across America… and we now have 3 veerryy long days ahead of us making our way back to LA. (Who planned this schedule anyway ???)
I can’t wait to share the rest of our trip with you, so check back starting Monday for posts on the second half of our trip, including Austin, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Montgomery, Cumberland Island, Savannah and Charleston! Hope you’ve enjoyed so far! xoxo
{WANDERINGS} : el cosmico hotel / marfa, tx
So what brought us to Marfa anyway? Well, aside from being an funky artist’s oasis in the desert (all I needed to hear) teepees are the reason we went to Marfa. Or more specifically, El Cosmico Hotel. Which has teepees.
And not just ordinary teepees, but ones hooked up with electricity, heated mattress pads, cowhide rug floors, bright bolivian blankets, and two extra futons (just in case you feel like having a powpow in there.)
Awkward things about El Cosmico?
1) they have you sign a liability release about snakes and bugs and other creatures that might crawl into your teepee
2) outdoor/ communal toilets and showers
3) it shares a fence with border patrol
But overall awesome. I was in teepee heaven!
See Kate’s take here and for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : marfa, tx
Oh Marfa. What a weird, strange little town you are.
We arrived on a Tuesday, starving, dusty and very ready for a cold drink… and after going door to door of recommended lunch spots, found that for some reason nearly everything is closed Monday through Wednesday. So we drove around looking for cool/ odd things, peered through windows and searched around a goodwill shop owned by an old lady who seemed both bewildered and disgusted by our presence while we waited for our only bar option of the day to open for the afternoon.
Margaritas at El Paisano Hotel brightened our moods a whole bunch and we had an overall awesome afternoon finally getting a little color on our pale pale skin.
(I picked up this new sandalwood mala and it smells like he-a-v-en)
(pistachio-crusted mushroom burger with avocado and parmesan fries)
We decided that Marfa is an unnerving combination of twilight zone and movie set and while I wouldn’t say the residents of Marfa are the friendliest, what they lack in personality, they make up for in style: I love the quirky shops, art installations, fascination with the mysterious marfa lights, rundown buildings, excellent signage, and wondering who on earth moves to Marfa and why!
I also found my new favorite sentence…
Shit happens, rama rama.
Thanks for the laughs, Marfa– we’ll be back.
See Kate’s take here and for moment to moment updates:
{DIARY} : cherokee meets the ocean
Meanwhile, my little boy dog took his first dip in the ocean in Coronado over the weekend. This photo that PJ sent me of him looking all soggy and stoic and like he just really conquered something breaks my heart! He’s getting so big and brave!!
{WANDERINGS} : on the road / ghost ranch to marfa
We woke in the cold at 4:30 am and drove down the steep dark road like two fugitives escaping in the night. Fields dark. Stars glowing. Crescent sliver bright. Soon the sun began to rise and in the early light we noticed a shadow bouncing around behind our car. Trunk open, T-shirts flapping. Delirious laughing… More coffee.
Miles later we were back in the heat, back to bare skin in the sun, back to windows down, back to tan, flat scrub. By noon, an endless stretch of straight road laid ahead of us, disappearing into a shiny wavy abyss. Off in the distance we noticed tiny swirls of dust devils spinning in the distance… then a huge one… approaching our car.… Quickly. Lurching. Screaming. More laughing. Onward.
See Kate’s take here!
And for moment to moment updates….
{WANDERINGS} : ghost ranch / ghost ranch, nm
Perfectly quiet on our mountaintop retreat, there was no TV in the room. In place of it, a 4ft x 4 ft window looked out over Pedernal, New Mexico’s flat-topped mountain that Georgia immortalized in nearly 30 paintings, and where her ashes are scattered on top. The way it was framed, with the light changing over the mountains and on the wooden beams over the porch was simply mesmerizing. There is something very unique about the light in Abiquiu- a diffusion that brings colors alive rather than blow out, and even when it’s bright, the shadows are soft like a line of smudged charcoal. It is easy to understand why so many have been drawn to landscape. I felt so honored to be have been able to “own for an evening” the view that Georgia saw every day when she lived at Ghost Ranch, especially one that she loved so dearly.
More Ghost Ranch….
{WANDERINGS} : georgia o’keeffe home / abiquiu, nm
Of all the adventures we’d planned on our trip, visiting Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu was one I was most excited for. She is such an inspiration to me and understanding her art in the context of where she lived and worked was at the top of my list of pilgrimages to make.
Georgia honored the land and was as self-sustaining as possible, growing everything (organically) that she needed. Any renovations to the home preserved the original foundation and she hired local workers to support the area’s economy. Our guide, Pita, was the granddaughter of one of these workers– her mother also worked for Georgia and so did she. Pita walked us through each of the rooms sharing her personal stories of Georgia–amazing!!! To have such an intimate tour with just the three of us allowed the space to truly breathe and stirred a part of me unlike any piece of art of museum ever has.
Austere, minimalist, and surprisingly chic, the house is left exactly as it was- as though she might come home any moment from one of her morning walks.
The space is completely saturated with her essence, revealing her values. She was highly controlling and it is apparent in her perfectly ordered artistic environment: everywhere we looked was a carefully considered vignette, even when it wasn’t– the three panels of glass looking out over the garden, creating a sort of japanese screen art that changed with the seasons, her enormous pantry (a full-sized room!) filled with jars of dried herbs, collections of teapots and shelves of cookbooks with scrap-paper markers. Still-lives of her favorite stones and other items from nature cover window sills, benches, shelves, a rattlesnake skeleton embedded under glass in the living room. Her wide studio with a sweeping panorama of the entire Chama valley. Even her once dark floors were changed to white carpet because the liked the contrast of her black and brown dogs against it.
And then her bedroom.
Surprisingly small, bare and almost painfully modest, it has only one lean bed, a chair, an adobe wood stove, and a thai hand in the mudra “fear not.” It brought me to tears afterward thinking about her only extravagance– the two floor to ceiling windows she had installed in the corner of her room. Two full walls looking out over the valley and wavy road leading to Santa Fe, no curtains. From her tucked away corner of the world, Georgia had created a perch from which she could observe the earth, the sky, the light, and the comings and goings of all who traversed the land she considered hers. It speaks volumes to the entitlement she felt to what she loved, whether it was rational or not, and it is for that stubbornness and true artist’s passion that I admire her so.
all images via the georgia o’keeffe foundation
{WANDERINGS} : abiquiu inn / abiquiu, nm
After a long afternoon, the Abiquiu Inn’s sweet touches were just what we needed.
{WANDERINGS} : puye cliff dwellings
We arrived at the Puye Cliff Dwellings just in time for sunset, first meeting native artists who showed the black-on-black deep-groove pottery that the area is famous for. With so many cheap reproductions out there, I was impressed to learn about the remarkable work that goes into the pieces and the 100% natural process— no wheel, no glaze, no firing! To make authentic Puye pottery, the artist first sifts clay through tightly woven cotton and then mixes it with water to create an easily carvable material. They then use the coil method to create their design and lets in dry in the sun for the afternoon, or a full day, depending in the humidity level. When it is still slightly wet, they then carve the designs–usually a water serpent, feather, or signature symbol relating to their tribal name, like a bear paw. Using different colored hard clay dipped in water, the artist paints the fully hardened piece and buffs it with a polished crystal to create the final shiny piece:
Then we hiked to the top of the mesa, with the big skies, big clouds, and views as far as the eye can see in every direction…
See Kate’s take here and for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : ten thousand waves / santa fe to abiquiu
After checking out of our hotel, we revisited the Native American Vendors Progam, where local artisans line an entire block with their beautiful handmade jewelry. I’d been dying to find my very own Santa Fe turquoise ring after wearing one of my Mom’s for years, and found just the perfect one to remind me of our time there.. to say I’m obsessed is an understatement:
We leisurely made our way of of town by walking along the art galleries and import shops on Canyon Road and spending a few hours at Ten Thousand Waves. For $25, you get have all-day access to several outdoor jacuzzis, saunas and mediation areas. When I asked one of the staff members about perhaps booking a massage to help with headaches (and found out they were all booked) he whisked me over to the footbath to help with circulation and set me up with peppermint tea, a warm towel to keep my shoulders warm and a washcloth dipped in icewater to rest over my eyes while relaxing by the koi pond… Pure. Heaven.
(oh and we also picked up Herb, our newest travel companion! He likes swimming and stuff but being on the road is where he really shines.)
See Kate’s take here and for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : evangelos / santa fe, nm
Afterwards we went to grab a drink at Evangelos, a bar down the street from our hotel where Crazy Heart was filmed:
we loved chatting with the bartender and taking in the local scene!
See Kate’s take here
And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : compound restaurant / santa fe, nm
Located in the renovated main house of what was once a resting stop for movie stars on their way to Hollywood, the Compound Restaurant is famous for its elegant ambiance, modern, award-winning dishes and extensive folk art collection. We met up with their event planner, Theresa for a delicious meal off the first day of their spring menu– I had a veggie medley and wild mushroom polenta with arugula and parmesan. Yum!
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
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365til30: instagram @kate365, twitter, facebook
{WANDERINGS} : la fonda hotel / santa fe, nm
When we checked in at La Fonda Hotel, we were greeted by David, a bellman whose warmth and friendliness sticks in my mind as they epitome of Santa Fe culture. (Everyone in this town is so darn nice!) He helped us to our room and left us to take in our terrace suite overlooking the Cathedral Basilica and plaza below. Not only does La Fonda have a fantastic central location but I loved their native rugs, hammered tin lighting, and rustic furniture.
We spent the late afternoon right there, cozied up in our room catching up on work, with church bells ringing and snow falling outside our window… who would have thought that New Mexico in April would feel like spending Christmas at a gorgeous ski lodge? Weather, you got me….and thank you.
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : santa fe, nm
Waking up in Albuquerque, it was so nice to be with friends. Chantal and Michael made us coffee in the cutest little gold-rimmed and pastel striped teacups (it’s the details!) and Sebastian did the heavy lifting while we re-packed the car. I optimistically put on a sundress even though it had been pretty cold when we arrived the night before… I just really imagined our time in New Mexico enjoying the sunshine on a rooftop somewhere in very hot weather…. and I didn’t really pack any warm clothing. Even after we checked the forecast and saw snow on the way, my optimism kept me warm… and then we arrived in Sante Fe. 52 degrees with snow on the way! We could only laugh.
Despite this, I knew before we even parked the car that Santa Fe and I were going to get along. Brown adobe shops selling gemstones, beads, brightly patterned native rugs, imports, leather goods and jewelry lined the streets. Their clean straight roof lines popped against a colbalt sky boasting teeny tiny puffy little clouds. And the crisp air and warm sun actually felt refreshing.
Walking through the narrow streets, poking in and out of stores, we kept commenting on how special everything felt. It was as though every door led to a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind goods, hand-crafted by someone with love. Maybe it’s strong presence of the artist community? I still haven’t figured out quite what it is but definitely want to return and do some more investigating.
We also visited the Georgia O’Keeffe museum, which was HUGELY exciting to me as I had never seen her work in person. Knowing we would be actually visiting her home within a few days and get to see the subjects that inspired her made the exhibit especially meaningful.
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : on the road / tucson to albuquerque
After sleeping like rock at the Arizona Inn, I woke at the crack of dawn to crisp air and mockingbirds feeling like a completely new person. We spent the morning exploring a bit more of Tucson and the afternoon falling into the black hole otherwise known as the drive from Tucson to Albuquerque.
About 2 hours into the I-10 we realized that not only had we forgotten to take into account Arizona’s lack of daylight savings and it was an hour later than we thought, but we had also somehow miscalculated ( / forgotten to look at our itinerary to properly estimate the driving time between Tucson and White Sands) it became apparent that we would no longer make it to the National Park after all. Remember there are two of us making decisions here and we both somehow failed to catch either of these things….
….like the blind leading the blind I tell you.
Jump ahead to 10pm, after 45 minutes spent at a roadside giftshop, a speeding ticket and a good minute debating possible alien abduction as an explanation for how we were somehow STILL on the road, we finally arrived to Kate’s friends’ Chantal + Michael’s home where we drank wine, ate Thai and were able to finally unwind. We knew their sweet 2-year-old was sleeping soundly in his toddler bed and I must say it was a great end-of-day surprise to catch a little mini person thumping down the hallway to see what all was going on!
{WANDERINGS} : adobe row / tucson, az
Part of the Southwest’s charm to me is the necco-wafer colored adobe homes– I just can’t help but ooh and ahh over the historic row houses… which may or may not have involved circling neighborhoods and pulling the car over 26 times at every different hue.
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : hotel congress and cup cafe / tucson, az
For breakkie I brought Kate to my favorite spot from my college days— Hotel Congress’ Cup Café. I have spent many a morning here nursing a hangover with their medeterranian plate and starting Sundays off right with their weekend bloody mary bar — gorgeous jars and ceramic vats of olives, artichokes jalapeños and other pickled things, vases of fresh herbs, platters of spicy sauces… all served in the lobby, no waiting necessary. It’s pretty great. I’m actually crying a little bit inside that we were only in town on a Friday!
But I can’t say enough good things about our experience this time—our server was incredible, the food was incredible, the weather was incredible. Definite breakfast WIN.
A bit more about the Hotel Congress, cause I love it so: Tucson’s oldest hotel and best known for being the site of America’s no.1 enemy, John Dillinger’s 1934 arrest “without a single gunshot fired,” the hotel hails of a simpler time. Each of the lovingly restored rooms contain an antique knob radio in place of television, iron beds, and scattered throughout the hotel are treasures, such as a stately safe and vintage jukebox to mark eras of time gone by. The owners are committed to preserving Tucson’s history and their love for the town shows– they even emptied their pockets to adorn Cup Cafe’s floor with $1,770 worth of copper change (and one peso) to represent Copper Country! Tucson has a unique character and soul like no other city I’ve visited. To get a sense of the real Tucson, you must visit here!
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : mission san xavier del bac / tucson, az
“white dove of the desert”
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : the arizona inn / tucson, az
By the time we arrived at the elegant Arizona Inn (a favorite of Eleanor Roosevelt’s) we were already 13 hours in to our day and exhausted. Thankfully, the AZ Inn is an oasis with green manicured lawns that just scream for croquet and tea-time (which they serve every afternoon along with ice-cream in the parlor– how lovely!) an old hollywood-style pool, and the kind of genteel service that I didn’t know still existed.Thank you Arizona Inn for your incredible hospitality and fabulous feathery bed. Our first night’s sleep was a good one!
*how amazing is this clutch from sud de sur??
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : living desert museum / tucson, az
Being back in Arizona reminds me how much I love the desert. Hot breezes in the shade, sweet orange blossoms wafting all around, creosote, sage, succulents, saguaros… need I go on? I know there are a lot of folks who think Arizona’s “dry heat” comes straight from hell, but for this girl nothing feels better. Have you ever smelled creosote before? It’s up there with lilac and line-dried laundry on my list favorite comfort smells: rub its tiny orbs between your fingers it smells like it does after it rains– it’s like putting a conch to your ear and hearing the ocean, but for desert lovers. Hence, if you ever come to Tucson, you must visit The Desert Museum. As if the iconic drive on Gates Pass isn’t enough, peeping on bobcats, javelinas and cacti in bloom is a perfect way to observe the Sonoran Desert ‘s natural world.
See Kate’s take here! And for moment to moment updates:
{WANDERINGS} : tucson, az
Just a few shots from today! We made it to destination no. 1, and I couldn’t be happier to show Kate my alma mater and former stomping grounds. It feels so different to be back in a completely different capacity than when I lived here last and I am thrilled to see old things in a new light, and new things that I somehow missed before. We are zonked after our 4am wakeup call, back tomorrow to share more from these eventful days…
For moment to moment updates:
{PROJECTS} : a kitchen garden pt. 1
Well, it finally feels like spring is here to stay! We’ve been embracing the warm weather by cleaning up the yard, cleansing our bodies with fresh juices, starting our compost and utilizing available local produce, and now we’re ready to get the garden blooming– or planted at least! Below are some of the tools we’ve been using as well as inspiration for our edible garden: 
1/ kinfolk mag 2/ dip -dyed pot 3/ tumbling composter 4/ juicer 5/ bacsac mobile garden 6/ heirloom seeds 7/ ceramic compost keeper 8/ blood orange, beet and fennel salad 9/ visual guide to herbs 10/ shitake mushroom log
For more inspiration, see my dream yard here and all the yummy things I’d make from it here!
{DIARY} : march in (i)photos
Finally getting an iphone a few months ago has made me much better at documenting things in my daily life… but much worse at taking photos with my other camera! Here are some quick snaps from work, with friends, and around the hood. If we’re not connected on instragram already, find me! @onepartgypsy… I wanna see what you’re up to!
{OBSESSION DU JOUR} : tomboy style book
What I love about Tomboy Style is that it shows all the different ways women seamlessly blend staunch femininity with the adventurism, swag, skill, and overall bad-assness generally stereotyped as masculine qualities. So excited for this book to come out April 3rd– I already pre-ordered mine here!!
Would you consider yourself to have a tomboy spirit?
{WANDERLUST} : all across america
montage by one part gypsy / photo element here
Well. If I knew how freaking exciting planning this roadtrip was going to be, I would have started long ago!! Every day Kate and I meticulously comb and re-comb the web, guidebooks, (and our friends and readers brains!) for the coolest things to do and see on our route– and then we reach out to them, introduce ourselves and hope to make a meaningful enough impression to connect along the way. It’s definitely a process with ups and downs, but truly incredible to see businesses and individuals across America excited about our trip and eager to show us the best of their towns! And continually reaffirms to me the power of manifestation.
Our updated itinerary begins in Los Angeles and then takes us to Tucson, White Sands, Santa Fe, Abiquiu, Austin, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Montgomery, Saint Mary’s, Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington before flying back to the City of Angels that we call home. Each destination has such an abundance of beauty and importance, it will be impossible to catch it all in the time we have…but here is a taste of our what we will be seeing:
Tucson, AZ
White Sands, NM
Santa Fe, NM
Abiquiu, NM
Austin, TX
New Orleans, LA
Memphis, TN
Montgomery, AL
Saint Mary’s, GA
Savannah, GA
Charleston, GA
Not to get ahead of ourselves, but we’re seriously loving this so much, we’re already dreaming about a second East-West, northern route roadtrip! Woodstock grounds, Lincoln’s log cabin, route 66, buffalos in Yellowstone….America really is a vastly gorgeous country. What places do you dream of visiting in the U.S?
{IN THE KITCHEN} : roasted brussel sprouts w/ crispy garlic and onion
Even though my adventure in veganism has ended (more thoughts on this coming soon) I’m still turned off by a lot of animal products and going heavy on the veggies. Unfortunately I’ve had to turn my avocado obsession down a notch as it turns out that being vegan does NOT mean I can eat as much avocado as I want without gaining any weight (I played dumb as long as I could!) and now I’m apparently moving right along in alphabet order cause now I can’t get enough of brussel sprouts and beets! I’ll share a yummy beet recipe later this week, but below is what I do to my sprouts:
slice, dice, onion, garlic, olive oil and salt, in a glass baking dish at 400 for 20 mins, shuffle and cook another 20 mins
drizzle with reduced balsamic (i like to use the fig or walnut flavor!)
Im seriously eating these by the bucket! So if you don’t hear from me for awhile… I’ve probably turned into a Brussel.
{OBSESSION DU JOUR} : keds for madewell
How cute are these bright little sneaks? They make me want to do lighthearted summery things, like get a creemee or go on a ferris wheel!
click for link :)
{WANDERINGS} : date night at the LACMA
If you haven’t already gathered by now, my boyfriend and I aren’t exactly “club people.” We both start work by 6am and after a long day, love hanging at home, BBQ-ing in the garden, and cuddling on the couch with the pups. But sometimes our evening routine can get a little… ahem…boring…and while we like to go out for a drink or dinner, even that can sometimes get old too.
But last night we did the unthinkable– crossed both the 405 AND the 10 ON A WEEKNIGHT! We went to the LACMA, which PJ had never been to, and I hadn’t visited in ages. Normally when we go to museums, we go on the weekend, spend the whole afternoon exploring every nick and cranny with the masses and then leave exhausted and dont go back for another 6 months.
But this time, it was dead empty and totally silent… which meant we had the whole place to ourselves to really explore, goof off and sneak kisses in the stairwells :) We only spent an hour or so in one area and then headed back to Venice for dinner at our favorite neighborhood spot, Sauce on Hampton, and still made it home before our bedtime! It was the perfect way to get out for a bit and I know we’ll be back before long as I’m dying to see exhibits on modern California design, Frieda Khalo and Maria Nordman! Did I mention that the LACMA is free for LA residents on most weeknights?
Some photos from my iphone/ instagram – (@onepartgypsy)
hello LACMA
the place to ourselves
two of my favorites pieces
egyptian art is my favorite. i’m pretty sure i lived there in a past life. i dream of riding through the desert on a camel to the pyramids
mummies. so fascinating!
vegan kale soup with siracha at sauce– my most craved food! must. get. recipe.
{BE} : words of wisdom
Last week I told Maggi Scharf that I haven’t been taking the time to do the simple things I know make me feel better, such as stretching or even eating lunch, because I feel like I don’t have enough time.
“What would a good mother say to that?” Maggi asked.
I was stumped– it’s not easy to consider oneself as both the child who needs tending and the caretaker who can heal.
She said. And she was right. (That is exactly what my Mom kept saying when she visited earlier this month!)
With that, Maggi led me through a 20-second exercise that left me feeling completely calm and centered, reminding that even though sometimes it feels impossible to take an entire 15 or 20 minutes to myself, it’s not.
I’ve been keeping “You Have Time” in my mind all week, especially when I start to rush, tense up, or generally forget that I am a person and not a machine…do you sometimes forget that you are not a machine? We’re so programmed to multitask and be productive that our humanness can so quickly become secondary to our to-do list.
What advice did you hear growing up? Or what advice do you give yourself?
Below are two things I’ve heard my Mom say a zillion times. When I wish I had more, or worry I don’t/ won’t have enough, I hear her saying:
And if I am stressed, jealous, covety, or just plain bored, I refocus on what’s in front of me: my boyfriend, friends, pups, house, health–and put my energy there. It’s truly failproof… who doesn’t feel at least a little bit better with a clean kitchen, organized closet, groomed pet or sweaty body?
I hope these reminders help you to stay centered and focused on what’s important to you. Please share! xx
{PROJECTS/ DIY} : our living room wall
With all the thanks in the world to Lynn Deegan Design, my credenza dreams are coming true!!!
I’ve been obsessing for months over how to fill this long wall in our main room. It’s our entryway, the biggest wall in our tiny place, and the one we look at most!
I have lots of ideas.
But when I finally found the unfindable credenza, I knew it was EXACTLY right! ….but with different doors….and different dimensions….oh why oh why must i be so particular!?!
I couldn’t bear to buy something that I wasn’t 100% in love with, but luckily Lynn knows some extremely talented carpenters who can make it exactly how I want it!
(The control freak in me is glowing.)
Below, please find our current situation:
Ouch. Is it killing you as much as its killing me??
I realize it’s the standard to do the “before” and “after” in one post, but this excruciating wait is too much not to share!
Until delivery time….
{IN THE KITCHEN} : stone soup
We all have things that seriously irk us– mine is wasting food. We keep our shelves pretty bare around here since we enjoy food shopping and prefer to just grab what we feel like on a given day, but still, leftovers get forgotten, veggies overlooked, dinner dates sound more exciting…. and before we know it, the fridge is filled either with food neither of us want to eat or with random ingredients but no actual meals.
Which is why “stone soup” (…or stone casserole… or stone salad) so frequently appears on our table. Not only does the gypsy in me find pride in utilizing the boring leftovers and abandoned veggies, but making a delicious meal out them saves me from having to face this print over our sink and perhaps also my habit of burrito-buying.
This week was a ministrone-esque soup made with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, green beans, peas, kale, leftover mixed rice, a can of white beans, a can of chopped tomatoes, veggie broth, rosemary and parmesan. (I had to buy the veggie broth.) It made our weekend so much easier to have this on hand!
Even after the soup, we still had some extra veggies leftover, so I fine-chopped and tossed them (raw) with al- dente penne, 2 leftover sausages and italian vinaigrette for a yummy cold pasta salad lunch during the week.
What can you throw together with what you have on hand?
{INSPIRED BY} : pilgrimage by annie leibovitz
When it comes to spending money, one thing I never feel bad about buying is books, especially ones that inspire, make me think and make me feel.
Similarly to Patti Smith’s exhibit, Annie Leibovitz’s book and current exhibit ”Pilgrimage” is a collection of personal photographs taken in places that were important to her and rich with the history of artists from the past. I can’t wait so sit down with it and a big mug of tea!!!
Niagara falls, which she had planned to visit with Susan Sontag, but instead went with her daughters after Susan passed.
Emily Dickinson’s only surviving dress
Georgia O’Keefe’s handmade pastels
Old Faithful
Virginia Woolf’s Bedroom
Elvis’s Television (he shot it)
Annie Oakley’s heart target
President Lincoln’s gloves worn the night he was assassinated
These types of photos are everything I hope to get out out Kate’s and my roadtrip this spring! Anything you can think of that would be interesting for us to see??
Found here
{IN THE STUDIO}: lighten the fuck up.
Yup! In addition to being calm, I’m also working on not being so serious. When I saw this art on pinterest, I laughed out loud and knew it would serve me well! So I made my own :) (I also printed out this guy for over the sink…. I’d love some REAL art but hey.. we’re on a budget…. don’t judge!!!)
Here’s how all these little projects mingle:
Originally I wanted to do a wall art collage but couldn’t bear all the holes in the walls, especially because I like to update things up every few months! So I got these shelves from ikea which are great as I can change it up as frequently as I want. One huge empty wall to fill- down, three more in our place to go!
{HAPPENINGS} : and then there were four. meet cherokee!
After almost a year of excited discussion and dreaming of the ideal canine addition to our family, we finally decided it was the right time to start looking for our new guy. Although we had pretty specific ideas of what we were looking for, it was important to us that he was a rescue and to a pup who might not otherwise get a chance in life.
If you are looking for a new dog of your own, Hands, Hearts and Paws is a WONDERFUL rescue group specializing in puppies and pregnant momma dogs. When we stumbled upon them they had just recently taken in a litter of eight puppies who had been abandoned by a dumpster.
Just 9 weeks old, they looked to be aussie mixes and we fell in love…. with Cherokee’s brother Chester! But then he got adopted by someone else before we could visit and we were c-r-u-s-h-e-d. That is until we saw more pictures of the rest of the litter and fell in love with Cherokee’s other brother! So we drove out to get “Pete the Sheep” as their foster mom nicknamed him and instead were captivated by “Wolfie,” a very independent and strong willed little man who was not really interested in us and actually growled when we touched him! Not a great start. But PJ couldn’t stop looking at him and finally just picked him up. The little guy rested his tiny heavy head on PJ’s shoulder and their bond was instantly sealed. We respected his “lone wolf” style and while we went back and forth for a few days over his name, (Iroquois? Stone? Soaring Eagle?) finally settled on Cherokee. And now we are in puppy heaven… and puppy hell! (Anyone seen my shoe?)
After having such a seriously girlie dog, it’s really funny to me how Cherokee is such a BOY. He can be super snuggly and sweet but mostly his energy is the complete opposite of Nala’s… which might lead you to wonder: just where IS miss Nala on all of this?
Well at first she just stared at me like this:
“Mom, you CANNOT BE SERIOUS about this…. SERIOUSLY??? MOM???”
But now there’s a little more of this :)
“Okay. I guess.”
It’s a learning process for all of us, ha! Feel free to find us on instagram or twitter (@onepartgypsy for both ) if you enjoy puppy photos along with seeing random bits of our day :)
xoxo,
Rachel, PJ, Nala,(lead chihuahua) and Cherokee (suspected) german shepard-aussie mix :)
{IN THE STUDIO} : one part frazzled!
Happy Superbowl Sunday!!! I’m completely ignoring the game (weird…) enjoying this peaceful day to catch up on my nearly 2000 (my oh my you guys are productive!!) unread RSS items and thinking of all the things I want to share with you from recent weeks. The universe has been out-of-control amazing lately and the past few months have brought everything I was focused on manifesting. I wake up everyday so utterly honored and grateful for all that fills my days (like our new PUPPY!!!!!!) and to be collaborating with the talented creatives I’ve been admiring for years. It is truly a gift.
But this week in particular has been a bit of a perfect storm, with responsibilities overlapping in the most stressful way. Don’t you find that life tends to do that?? Thankfully, yesterday was the incredible Maggi Scharf’s annual vision boarding workshop, which offered a great opportunity for re-centering. The first thing she asked us to do was write a word down to focus on. I was so unfocused I couldn’t think of one! So I hastily wrote the word “calm.” Makes sense right? But interesting because just a few months ago I had more calm than I knew what to do with and was visionboarding all the things I wanted to bring into my life:
Fast forward to now and my new focus is on how to be most effective and creative in my work while maintaining an inner calm so I can actually enjoy the process.
Have you tried visionboarding? To accomplish your goals you must first be able to SEE yourself accomplishing them! Seriously powerful stuff, that brain of yours. If you have, I’d love to see or hear about them– and if you’ve never tried it before, there’s no wrong way to make one! If I made a vision board every week they would each be totally different… so please do share below!
And check back later this week to meet Cherokee, our new sweet boy dog <3
UPDATE: Here are our finished vision boards! (first one mine, second one my mom’s :)
{IN THE KITCHEN} : pasta sauce surprise
Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I’m working on a very exciting project that hopefully I can share with you soon :)
In the meantime, I NEEDED to share with you the easiest, cheapest, most delicious addition to pasta sauce. It’s so simple you’ll probably laugh at me and maybe you already know about it! But I hadn’t tried it until last night, so… are you ready??
POTATOES. Peeled, cut rough in big chunks and sauteed with onions, green beans, mushrooms, olive oil and red wine before adding pasta sauce (you can add whatever you want…. just don’t forget the potatoes!!)
It really adds a lot to the texture (we served over mini shells) and they totally melt in your mouth. Like buttah. Trust.
photographic evidence that potatoes in pasta sauce is realllly yummy
{OBSESSION DU JOUR} : lana del rey, videogames.
If you haven’t heard the song or seen the video yet, check it out here. It’s been stuck in my head for days and I don’t mind at all… so beautiful.
photo montage one part gypsy
