I love exploring a city I’m visiting and capturing its essence. When I travel somewhere new, or if I want to play tourist in my own city, I like to find the best spots to take pictures. I so look forward to really capturing all the hot spots in all the cities I travel to and sharing them with you so you can also capture some amazing photos for your Insta grid. And we know it's for Instagram, right?! Laugh out loud. 

So there are some people who never feel the urge to leave the house . They’re completely content to stay in the city they came from and literally just float in the 360 degrees that surround them. And then there’s the rest of us who can’t sit still . We have a love for travel and curiosity. We love taking risks, exploring new places , ideas, and foods. We even live for the day trips hitting that big magical open road exploring our own cities . We embrace these #NeverIdle lifestyle just like #TeamValvoline. 

I’m working with Valvoline to feature some of Tulsa’s coolest street art with my top 4 murals that are not to be missed! Valvoline believes we were never meant to sit. To rest. To settle . We were meant to run. So we totally align in so many ways. 

To just think this time last year I was traveling down the coast making my way to my favorite city in all the land. July 20th 2017...Lin's birthday actually, we made it to San Francisco on our 9,000 mile Moto trek northwest. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge was not new to us, but seeing it and traveling over it on a motorcycle-well I have no words. Not sure how any birthday will ever compare to that one!

I fell hard for San Francisco in my 20’s and I mean hard. I became infatuated with this place. I wondered for hours through the vintage stores on Haight, breathing in the dusty, musty vintage air. I returned back there a few years later and felt like I was home. The colorful culture of this city just captivates me like no other place in the world. 

Continuing my moto trek northwest and sharing some travel diaries today on Go French Yourself. We left Portland and started traveling The Oregon Coast on the 101 until we met California. And we sure did find some charming places along the way to San Francisco. 

DISCOVER THE CALIFORNIA REDWOODS' BEST-KEPT SECRET: HISTORIC FERNDALE

Nestled between the California Redwoods and fabled Lost Coast, the Victorian Village of Ferndale is a hidden oasis of small town charm, spectacular architecture, enchanting natural beauty and welcoming North Coast culture. With its fusion of old-fashioned Americana and modern quirkiness - and a scenic setting straight out of the movies - this small but thriving dairy town near Eureka, CA is the perfect destination for a fun family vacation, rugged outdoor adventure or romantic weekend getaway. 

Something I don’t share much about on here is my lovely 17 year old, Zoë (per her request) and the trials and tribulations that come with motherhood, especially in a co-parenting situation and the fact that we live in two different cities. I work full time on my blog and also help clients with their digital strategies and while I LOVE everything that I do, not a weekend/night goes by that I’m not working on it. Whenever I am with Zoë, we are also total homebodies. We love grabbing a pizza and watching Netflix on the sofa. We started watching Queen of the South a few summers ago with Lin and blew through the first season in one weekend. You can find details on season one here along with some great tips to slay the heck out of your day! They are practices I use daily STILL in my own career. And I still like to think Boss Babe Teresa Mendoza, portrayed by Alice Braga shares some of the same tips! We just binge watched season 2 and are now patiently awaiting season 3 which focuses on Teresa becoming Queen of her own drug empire. Although she’s obsessively hunted by Camila (Veronica Falcon), Teresa refuses to hide in a hole, continuing to live the luxurious lifestyle of a Queenpin. No longer the apprentice, Teresa enjoys being boss and the power that comes with it. Anyway, more on the exciting launch of the new season later on in the post! Super excited for my friend Krista to return home too. She has been gone for 6 months doing makeup and hair for Queen of The South. It's been fun seeing her Insta stories from behind the scenes, especially of the queen herself. 

We had such a killer time on our summer trek northwest last year and I have been sharing the last legs of it and I hope you are enjoying it so far. If you are just starting to follow along, Lin and I decided last minute (very last minute) to jump on the BMW bike and head northwest. We typically hit Santa Fe  in the month of July so this isn't completely out of the ordinary---as we go to Santa Fe every summer actually but decided to mix things up last year and cross some things off my bucket list! 

So we had just come off an amazing week in Seattle and Portland and it was time to finally hit the 101 and travel the coast to Newport Beach where some friends were expecting us. I had waited my whole entire life to do this! And to do it on a motorcycle with the man I love...well I just struggle to find the words. 

I am still dreaming of that "Feast From The Middle East" in fact. Best meal, best place, and I would return to Portland just to dine at Tusk.

Tusk takes the top spot for most beautiful restaurant in my eyes. The bustling bright, white dining room is so swanky and modern. And a giant portrait of Keith Richards floating in a swimming pool will greet you with a 'Okay I loooove this place' kinda greeting. We chose the perfect little spot right at the very corner end of the bar actually. We didn't make reservations so it was pretty slim pickings but honestly-I think I would do the bar every single time. The energy is amazing up there and you can get a pretty good view into the kitchen where all the magic is happening. They do have a patio also!

It is feeling so good to finally catch up on all these travel diaries from my moto treak Northwest last summer. I just published your Seattle travel diary so be sure to check it out. We left Seattle for Portland but had some great adventures in between that I think you will find interesting and want to add to your itinerary too, especially if you are a Twin Peaks fan!

If you're looking to add some eye candy to your social media profiles on your next trip to Indy, I have got some fab drool worthy places for you to visit. And yes....don't roll your eyes at me--it's all about the gram these days and you know it!

Perhaps you are already there for The Indy 500?! I sure wish I was there this weekend.

This was my first time in Indy and I was so pleasantly surprised! I knew nothing about this part of the United States. But after a brief 48 hour visit, it's fair to say I know a little bit more and if you happen to be visiting then hopefully this will be of some guidance for anyone who's planning a short break.

I needed to see what all the buzz was about for myself. So Lin and I had a long weekend in Louisville!! 

And with the Kentucky Derby oh so close.......well, this should come in handy.