Browsing Category

Adventure

OUR HONEYMOON | WHAT WE DID

Get ready to scroll, this is a long one but full of cool adventures, so you won’t regret!

We went into the honeymoon having decided that we wanted to really pack it full of adventures but were going to wait to plan the exact itinerary until we got there to see the forecast. So each morning we’d wake up, get breakfast and discuss the day’s plan.

[First real day, Tuesday} we abnormally woke before the sun, stupid early, and decided to take advantage and watch the sunrise. I never do this, I’m a terrible morning person, but starting off our honeymoon and marriage with something so peaceful felt so right!  That day was forecast to be the prettiest day of the week so we wanted to do a big outing of cenotes and a lagoon with a company our friends recommended.  Since our cell phones didn’t work we counted on WIFI and by the time we reached out to them and heard back we had missed the departure. I immediately started regretting our laid back approach but Dustin assured me we’d find something equally as awesome and he was right.  We spoke with the gal at the front desk who suggested the Muyil ruins followed by floating the neighboring lagoon and she said you could do all of it by hiring a taxi driver for the day.  So we flagged down a taxi and met George who was friendly and very knowledgeable and didn’t know it yet but was stuck with us for the remainder of the day!

22324504514_ab03ea7a4a_k

My exploring + going swimming outfit: Free People tunic, Victoria secret suit, Chuck Taylors, UO hat and Le Spec shades.

Not that I remember all that much but I actually minored in Anthropology so visiting Mayan ruins was something I always wanted to do!  Every bit as mind blowing as I’d hoped!

IMG_2707

We had gotten to Muyil around 9 something and had the whole site to ourselves!  We took our time at each temple and did some exploring off the paths in the jungle and found a little cave with bats that Dustin heckled. The whole time we were obsessed with the bats, mostly cause it was the only wildlife we saw in the jungle and cenotes. I long to see a monkey or sloth in the wild!

22933787782_d0bbd3f75a_k 22947217745_a782495a8e_k

Because the structures are smack dab in the jungle they often had trees and plants growing straight through them! This is also the reason why a lot of them needed to be reconstructed when they were discovered.  A mix of rain, plants, wind, shifts in the earth and a lot of other factors had the Mayan villages in rubble and some parts are still in rebuild mode. We were amazed by the condition that some up-and-coming rebuilds were in.. we thought “now that’s a tough puzzle to put back together!”

We were told by a guide on a later excursion that the Mayans wouldn’t have used the reinforcement concrete you can see in between the stones.

22324499054_06ff644da4_k 22933810362_b795007ba6_k22528875577_e903d06b01_k

After we had our fill of the ruins we were ready to get in some water and asked George for a lagoon floating recommendation and he said he knew just the guy that would take us out. Little bit of negotiating later we loaded up in a long minimal boat, just us and one non-English speaking “captain” and set out. Ran on the open water for a bit, then went through one canal, popped back out to open water then after running a little longer reached another canal that he instructed was where we’d be floating.

22958315391_ac32118b80_k

The spot we unloaded at was called Sian Ka’an and is steps away from a a Mayan archaeological site!

It’s crazy to think about them toting all these stones out on this tiny piece of land in their makeshift boats.  This area, including Muyil, were part of a huge trade route along the Caribbean.  The most common goods traded were Jade, obsidian, chocolate, honey, feathers, chewing gum, and salt. (via Wikipedia)

22958311381_41b0ba4288_k

These cacti were growing on the roof of the little house. We saw them a lot while floating in the trees and every single time I thought they were snakes!

FullSizeRender(1)

The drop-in site ^

The current was so strong it required no swimming at all! We sat back in our life jackets worn as diaper floats and took it all in.

22933762322_9db76c0a00_k

I was in the boat when I took this photo but this is what we floated down, mangrove lined trenches with clear fresh water. I’ll admit I was spooked because of the spaces under the trees and the thick grass, I mean, who knows what was hiding in there! I kept imaging a crocodile grabbing me and the headlines that followed “Newly Wed Eaten Alive on Honeymoon in Front of Husband” Yep, welcome to the odd place that is my mind!

After this we went and partook in happy hour. Just as we did most days after our adventuring!

22324390684_ba8e019dd7_k(1)

Wednesday we took the hotel’s advice again and used a company called Yucatan Diving and Travel to take a snorkeling trip off Cozumel.  The owner of the company and our guide for the day, Manuel, picked us up and took us to Playa Del Carmen to catch a ferry to the island.  During the ride Manuel entertained us with his stories, he’s got some crazy ones, like getting stung by five different lion fish! After about an hour drive we got to the ferry port and found out we missed it and would have to catch the next one. So we walked around for a bit to kill time looking at all kinds of touristy things in Playa Del Carmen, like a spider monkey on a leash and man dressed as a traditional Mayan warrior…you know, the type area you’d avoid most days but take advantage of when you’re bored! Then it was time to load the ferry which was pretty much like an airplane on water; indoor seating with reclining seats and cold air conditioning. I passed out immediately, as I do in any bus/plane/car!

IMG_2756

From the ferry we grabbed a taxi then hoped on a smaller boat-the 3 hours of travel/killing time was more than we imagined but was definitely worth it!

The trip included two stops, the first was El Cielo or “The Heaven” in Spanish, a shallow area crawling with gigantic starfish.  I’ve done a bunch of snorkeling but seeing all the starfish was like nothing I’ve seen before!

The second stop was a reef that we swam along for a bit then Manuel guided us to where the continental shelf starts to slope. We went from shallow to 30-50′ then it was the bluest blue we’ve ever seen and that’s when we were informed it went to 3,000 feet deep. Three thousand feet. NOPE. I wanted to dip out of that area real quick but Dustin was mesmerized. I mean the blue was so pretty but again, the unknown (just like with the mangroves) freaked me out big time!

DCIM358GOPRO

Under water images are from Manuel’s Gopro.  Guess even after getting stung five times he’s not afraid of approaching a lion fish!

The boat ride back we got in a storm that had us dodging the stingy rain bullets so we sat on the back of the boat and were fed Coronas by the crew. When in Mexico…!

DCIM358GOPRO

Thursday was a nasty rainy day which always calls for shopping!  We went to “downtown” Tulum which ended up being a big disappointment.  I had set my expectations a little to high and was let down. The shopping was cheesy the food options seemed Americanized. I would avoid next time or do more research on restaurants since some of the spots down alleyways looked cute. But for shopping I’d just stick with the road along the beach near all the hotels. More tips later!

Friday we wanted to do the big Mayan site, Coba. Leaving the hotel the gal at The Beach front desk asked if we needed a taxi and called their driver on deck, Alex. He was awesome!  It was another day of a lot of travel and he drove real fast and played music videos on his Ipad which kept us distracted from the fast driving.

Since we were doing cenotes after the ruins Dustin and I both wore waterproof flipflops which unfortunately were not the best shoes for exploring.  Therefor we got a tricycle taxi which ended up being the best idea!  Our “driver” was named Jose’. He was Mayan and part of the team that restores Coba.  With his decent English we were able to learn a lot from him and got a two for one, ride + guide!

Hearing facts are one thing but when you see everything up close it’s another and Coba is very impressive! I wanted to bring my camera to each of the rest of the spots but the forecast called for rain and I didn’t want to risk it so the rest are all Iphone pics. Better to share with cell phone photos than not at all!

FullSizeRender-3 copy

A lot of the city has been restored but there are several elements that are original and untouched. I’m not entirely sure about the tablets above but from what we gathered they were authentic. The bottom building was a watch tower and is completely solid. Dustin and I both liked this puffy pyramid a lot and took extra time to explore around the base.

FullSizeRender-2 copy 2

Yep, we climbed to the top with all the other thrill seekers! I’m not going to lie, I got freaked out with the height which is not my usual fear (sharks are #1!) I think it had to do with the steep factor and being above the jungle canopy, caused some vertigo! Going down I took one step at a time putting the weight on my right leg and stepping down with left. No joke, I was sore until last week!!

Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset

Jose led us on the tricycle to this hidden walkway and insisted we walk down to see the ruins at the end.  We were so glad we wound up with him as our driver and that he knew of this spot! He said most people either don’t see it or their tour guide doesn’t have enough time to show them. It’s hard to choose a favorite but I thought this was so special, besides the colossal mosquitoes, it was our favorite site!

After the tour of Coba we hopped back in the taxi with Alex who took us down a long and bumpy road to our first two cenotes.

I’ve said this word a few times already but for those of you who may not know-I didn’t before planning this trip-they are a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath (Wiki) They were a water source for the Mayan people and considered sacred.

IMG_3188

First stop:  Multun-Ha. After showering, which all cenotes require so you don’t mess with the eco system with your lotions etc, we walked down a spiral wooden staircase that led us to a platform that had a few stairs leading to the clearest and coldest water I’ve ever swam in!  There were 3 other people that were finishing up so the cave was pretty quiet. We swam around soaking in all the beauty and then it was off to stop two..

Choo-Ha. We didn’t swim in this one. Instead we did a lot of gawking and bat watching. The stalactites and stalagmites were massive!

IMG_3190

IMG_2972

After the Coba cenotes, Alex mentioned Zacil Ha being on the way home and an easy drop in so we said “why not?!” and tried it out.  It was different from the other two as it wasn’t a cave but an actual sink hole, so basically a beautiful fresh water pool!  We jumped off the deck, hand in hand, a few times then called it a day. On the way home we stopped at a few roadside Mayan stands I’ll talk more about later.

Saturday we hit up Alex again to take us out on another day trip! Morning called for better weather so we first hit up Akumal, a small beach community between Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. This came recommended by a friend here in Atlanta. She told us her favorite adventure was swimming with the sea turtles. I don’t know how but I didn’t take any (good) photos of the beach area. But I will tell you it was magical! We swam with a dozen sea turtles, big ole stingray, hundreds of tropical fish and our guide Darwin. You don’t really need a guide but getting one included the gear and required life jacket so it made sense to us. Too bad we didn’t have an underwater camera, I would love to share!

After Akumal was the biggest cenote trip, Pet Cemetery.

IMG_3184

Lots of Americans had told us to check out Dos Ojos cenote but the locals (including Alex and Manuel) were telling us that Pet Cemetery was better so we listened to them.  Pet Cemetery is on the same road but way further down.  There were more potholes on that road than the whole city of Atlanta! It seemed like we were never going to get there (noticing a trend here? lots of long roads to get to the good stuff) but when we did we realized we were in for more than we bargained – in a good way!

Dustin and I along with 4 other folks, including the guide (this cenote requires one) floated through a cave wearing life vests and snorkels for a little under an hour.  Some parts were lit with florescent lights and others the only light source was our two flashlights!  To keep things preserved they asked us not to touch anything.  However, in the some spaces it was so tightly lined with stalactites we couldn’t help but bump into them! I would like to give myself props because I kept cool the whole time when one of the other girls was wigging out over spiders, bats and the darkness. I will admit one point where Dustin and I were in the back of the line and the two flashlights were up front which made me nervous enough to request Dustin hold one and then all was fine.

Pet Cemetery was the winner in our books. They were all so different and I’d suggest to try as many as possible. Never know what experience you’ll stumble into!

After exploring all these cenotes on top of the water and diving down just a little made D and I want a scuba certification. It’d be so incredible to get deeper, though I don’t know about swimming through the underwater tunnels. That would take some guts!

IMG_3058

Last site was the Tulum ruins. It was along the beach and more open than the others.  By this time I thought I couldn’t be impressed, after all we had seen/hiked/swam I was becoming unimpressionable (and down right tired) but this place was outstanding! It covered a lot of ground and really felt like stepping into ancient city since you could see the neighboring structures whereas the other two ruin sites were spread out and tucked into lush vegetation.  After this, it was back to happy hour and our final beach hangs.

I told you we packed it in!

This isn’t even it! I mean, it’s all our adventures in a very summarized nutshell, but we did other stuff too, like ate and shopped. Which is the next post :)

Tips for taking these trips:

Pay a taxi driver to be personal driver for the day and ask hotel if they have one on deck.
People told us the locals appreciated US dollars but it didn’t seem to be the case, better to have pesos.
Also, use bank ATMS versus privately owned-saves you money!
Get to things early! You’ll have less tourists.
Invest in a decent dry bag and rash guard, I loved mine that had a zipper, Dustin bought for cheap at REI.
Bring own snorkle and mask, we had ours for some trips and they were better and less chewed up.
At the ruin sites, wear old sneakers or hiking boots.

EXPLORE GEORGIA

22286430520_64bb770f0c_k

We kept last weekend plan-less because we thought we might have lots of pre-wedding things to do but ended up with just a plan-less weekend and no big tasks at hand. Even though there was plenty of activities happening around Atlanta (Red Bull Soap Box Derby, Porch & Pies party..) we wanted to keep things slow but not boring. So, on Saturday morning we got up early, packed our camping gear and drove up to North Georgia for an overnight stay in the woods.  Once in Cleveland (GA) we decided to first head to Dukes Creek Falls, that was until we took a wrong turn trying to avoid traffic heading to Helen and wound up passing by the Sautee Nacoochee Vineyards and pulled right in!

 

 

 

22504604592_e743566cbb_k

The vineyard was adorable! Though small in stature they had a lot to offer; tastings, live music with an outdoor seating area and even wine slushies! I opted for the chardonnay blend-just the right amount of tart and smooth.

21896880273_d10c0d1fe5_k

Next we set out to hike Dukes Creek Falls for sights and a relatively easy 1.9 mile round trip hike.

22318924620_958e28aa27_k

This is the view from the parking lot!

22492111656_016447698a_k

The Falls are huge! There are multiple platforms for viewing so you can see all the angles of the waterfall and creek bed. It’s really breathtaking.

22504636572_45c9fb61cd_k

Seriously could not get over the colors! Ooo’d and ahhh’d all weekend long!

22529221011_7fc03a824f_k

22330114890_7428ff4e0c_k

After our beautiful hike, we went to Raven Cliffs Falls to see if there were any spots to camp and while it was pretty packed out, we found a spot near a creek that was perfect.

Couple trips to the car and back and we were set up!

22504629002_3bed01aa48_k

Which called for wind down beverages; wine for me and beer for Dustin!

22331690168_3ec934cbff_k

22529173131_af1553f088_k

We brought a bundle of firewood and foraged for small pieces. “Better safe than sorry if the area’s been picked over!” -D

We didn’t hike to the falls of Raven Cliffs mostly because we both had sore backs as we’re still recouping from our car accident in May and flare ups are rare for D but, unfortunately frequent for me. I’m working on it though, through PT and massages. Plus we had already seen it together. Next time I’d like to see it again, it’s a longer hike but when you get to end it’s so worth it! Post about that trip, here.

IMG_2471-2

Dustin grew up in Boy Scouts and finished as an Eagle Scout so he knows the way around a fire and is patient with all my poking and feeding-even when it probably doesn’t need a new log!  Fires are my favorite part of camping!

Ingles really brought it strong with their muffin game, this pumpkin muffin was to die for! Not pictured is the cinnamon apple one we devoured, also bomb, so moist.

After a solid breakfast we set out for home. Then…we saw signs for a wild animal reserve and had to see what that was all about!

When we parked our car we were greeted by a fallow deer named Lucky. As a youngin he was struck by lightning leaving him with lopsided antlers, which added to his cuteness! I shared my banana with him :P

22331241909_0b71599198_k

We got the reserve’s history from the little girl who’s dad runs the place. She said that it started with one animal needing rescue which led to another being handed over then people just started dropping animals off! Some of the animals have been seized by the court and given to the reserve because the owners were treating the animals poorly.  So if you ask, is it sad? Nope! They are being well taken care of and some are living the better half of their lives inside the Chestatee Wildlife walls!

bear

Across the lot from Lucky were two grizzles, one of which had bad arthritis so it walked with a slow pace and a limp and seemed to love soaking in the little pool.

The coolest experience was attracting a herd of zebra over and feeding the striped beauties! Look at those ears and mohawk!

22330347678_753ae296b5_k

After hanging with all the animals we thought, why not continue the festivities and hit up a corn maze! We went to the Tomato House off Cleveland Hwy which had everything you could ever imagine a roadside shop having! Seriously, the place is packed with stuff; candy, knickknacks, every genre of toys and housewares..I could go on, it’s bizarre how much crap (sorry..) is in this place! Anyways, they had a bunch of really cool pumpkins and squash –

22330363178_ce45714eae_k

21896871533_e900630c3a_k

If you’ve been to a corn maze, you’d probably agree how it’s both pretty and creepy at the same time. There was a slight breeze making the tall plants sway back and forth, crinkling against one another. Besides the noise of cars in the distant, it was fairly peaceful.

22330361288_cb6462c598_k

Bought this Stetson hat for the honeymoon but wore it all weekend. Love it! Lightweight and very comfortable.  Took some getting used to the rigid bill, figured that out quickly when getting in and out of the car, doink!

Find it here.

While this wasn’t the slowed down weekend we originally expected, it was a freaking awesome adventurous time! Love me some spontaneity!!

22492089396_39ea9dbd56_k

CREEPY RIGHT??? Happy Halloween week!

Oh and it’s also my wedding week! Ahhhh

OUR WEEKEND

Processed with VSCOcam with se3 preset

This past weekend Dustin and I skipped town and went to Gulf Shores for my mom’s 50th birthday. That’s right, I’m 29 and mom is 50!  Pretty wild to think she had my brothers and I by the time she was my age.  She took the ‘have kids young then live it up’ route while I took the ‘live it up now and then probably settle down’ life route (luckily I found Dustin and am more than happy to plant roots and relax!!)

The trip started on Wednesday night driving down and stayed in a cheapy hotel outside of town then on Thursday meeting the family and checking into the condo.  Most of the weekend I was tuned out from social media and wasn’t my usual TAKE A PHOTO OF EVERYTHING self, which is pretty nice!

Relaxing and hanging with the birthday lady was the most important thing on the agenda. And that we did.  Other activities included eating a lot of seafood (some of which my dad previously caught), beach bocce ball (pretty dang difficult!) body surfing (Dustin’s a pro, well, second to my dad. Sorry babe!) and like I said, A LOT of chilling. Time flew too fast.

Processed with VSCOcam with se3 preset

20099367431_8d375dd92b_k

Sunday we hightailed it back to Georgia up to Gainsville where we met a group of friends for an evening of party boat times on Lake Lanier. When I say this day couldn’t be topped, I mean that it could not be topped! Ok, this doesn’t include our wedding day or unborn children’s births..you know.. in party terms can’t be beat!

19905840308_755afbbb02_k

Both Dustin and I jumped off the boat more times than we could count but he really went for record breaking. Once anchored, he didn’t stop! And there was a slide, which he went down in every way possible, including head first and even on a stingray float!

I loved watching him enjoy himself so much. Such a treat seeing someone you love living it up. Don’t get me wrong, I was too, but looking over and seeing someone lit from the inside out with excitement is a true delight.

The sunset was all kinds of crazy beautiful that night on the lake. We stayed in the water from roughly 6 till 11 something. Pruned beyond belief and sore as crap, that afternoon and evening was next level good. Friends and family, I love you! Adventures, love you too!

HANGOUT MUSIC FEST

17752020620_625adc8b70_k

Phew, what a crazy weekend and return back to work! We attended a music festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama and when I got back to the studio we began a video shoot I’m helping produce. Life’s been busy!

The fest was Hangout, a music festival started in 2010. I’ve been wanting to go but always ended up attending other fests like Shaky Knees or Music Midtown.

To say Hangout Fest was a freakin blast would be an understatement! For one thing, my gal pal Emma eloped over the weekend! This free spirit wedding was so her! *Sorry I’m not sorry for all the explanation marks, as you can see I’m very excited to share all this!

Check out her DIY’d shell veil and stunning ring!

17753393679_ccecc0bd91_k

17940268191_6237341ebe_k

Above: Quentin did real good with this vintage emerald ring!
Below:  Gifts I brought for the bride. A smokey quartz I picked up at Wigwam Fest thinking it looked like a finger and could be a wedding stone. A brass teepee is a terrarium I picked up from Urban Outfitters that can hold jewelry or an air plant. Lastly the ombre indigo napkins I made in the previous post.

17319124773_8b5707d0ed_k

I’ve gotten ahead of myself and skipped the parts before the wedding! Let me backtrack~

We got in late Thursday and the fest started on Friday. The first act we wanted to see was Joywave at 12:30. That’s a pretty early start to a long day in the sun and sand, but boy was it worth it-they were really fun! We saw them in Atlanta with St. Lucia and both Dustin and I got big time crushes on the band!

17936537562_f0ee8ed186_k

17941524776_16545223f0_k

They are so energetic and engaged with the crowd, which is one of my favorite things at shows!

Dustin and I agree, they were our favorite performance!

This is what I wore:

17319184683_35b69b1c63_k

Hat and sunnies: UO, shirt, and shorts: Free People, bag: Target, hanky: Dustin’s

The rest of the day was awesome, and then at 6:30 we met at the beach chapel the fest had set up for all the free spirit love birds who wished to tie the knot!

17319121433_e315b28e1d_k

17751853298_87bfefb400_k

She made this bouquet from flowers around condo!

17319204643_271224f862_k

I’m so happy for you, Emma and Q; you two are a solid team!  So thankful to be able to be there for her semi spontaneous, part planned elopement!

When I was granted media access and then found out Emma was tying the knot, my heart was so full with gratitude that I would be able to capture her day!

17753417549_f5ea78de6e_k

Stealthy D on the first day. After this we didn’t bring anymore liquor hahaha; one day was enough!

17939681005_6665dc931c_k (1)

I nicknamed these fried pickles “lava sticks” because they were the hottest things on the planet! Seriously we were amazed at how hot these were but once they cooled down they were real yummy, complete with ranch and Krystal’s sauce. Hangout had some good food vendors! We ate fish and chicken tacos twice from the same vendors.

17753340499_59eea300f4_k

Our BFF, shade!

17752074590_c9c3f3b683_k

The VIP area had these big bottles and small pieces of paper to write messages on, cue The Police’s “Message in a Bottle!”

17939668015_bfe20973bc_k

Beautiful Emma walking to the fest wearing her veil the day after.

17913281256_73ffee5c67_k

Exploring around the vendor booths. Along with having premo food stands the market area was packed with goodies.

17752046730_ba1ec63b44_k

Saturday we took a trip up the ferris wheel! Great views!

17939700985_1a2f4014eb_k

17913242196_fa5c5237b2_k

Cutest hippy kid that gave me a peace sign during Galactic.

17936597072_d71f8e29b7_k17939686885_c32e9ae880_k

Galactic is a funky jazz band who had Macy Gray as a guest performer, what a cool surprise! I’ve never rushed to a stage so fast!

17936580012_20835a1d5e_k

Emma’s flash tats looked so good and they lasted the whole time and still look pretty good to this day!

17753375049_e377d28bd2_k

St. Lucia was our second favorite performance. They also engage so well with the crowd, Again, major band crush!

17317102524_a90f1e6cda_k

This is what I wore the third day. That Free People dress I got from Shopbop. Everything else was repeated from day one.

A highlight of the trip was meeting up with Phantogram and snapping photos of Josh and Sarah before they went on the Palladia stage on Sunday night. I’ll share the photos soon, that is after Paste magazine uses them-whoop!

Here’s snaps of their performance which was our third favorite act (acts rated by day, not by favoritism)

17319202143_0043d5486e_k

17785004908_62443faad1_k

Other non-mentioned bands we enjoyed were Foo Fighters (duh, Dave is hilarious), Cold War Kids, Major Lazer, Foster the People and so many more.

Since I’m currently typing this in a car traveling back to the beach, Daufuskie Island this time, I’m going to sign off! Everyone enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

LOMOGRAPHY 35MM FILM

17069635759_bc295d2b53_k

The scanner we ordered from Amazon came in and we immediately got to scanning all the film we had from months and months ago! For $100 this thing is awesome and will save us TONS of money when shooting film.  The Lomography film we used was color negative 100 ISO 35mm which you can buy for cheap here. This film loves the sun and creates interesting light leaks and color.

In this post there are photos from Edisto Island, The Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Piedmont Park , Tennessee, Florida and good ole home life.

17068085308_b2c30865d5_k 17048432857_4256fb1516_k 17068084698_8dcc1308fe_k17254089102_c816f4f25e_k 17068084278_c2e726bdf3_k 17254088552_a504290004_k 17229873486_0fee2b7ed8_k17255859205_0d9f3f3154_k 16633384594_ca28d708fe_k17255302021_3fd2d060c9_k 17255858705_a6460a6e70_k 17068293350_c05b203661_k 16635669823_550f906f63_k 17254130842_a9da88c811_k

All photos (minus the one above) were shot by my talented fiance Dustin!