aloha every day

aloha every day

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Plastic Free July

Plastic.
It's everywhere
and 
I admit:
I use it
all the time.

The effect of single use plastics
on our oceans,
however,
is devastating.

Take the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,
for example:



The non-profit
Plastic Free July
(based out of Australia)
challenges us all
to do exactly that.
 Be as "plastic free"
in July
as possible.

Here's a link to the info:

Here are some ideas to "reduce your use" in July (and every other month):
1- Keep a clean reusable coffee "to-go" mug in your car.  One of my best friends taught me this one. My favorite is the Contigo Mug. Although they are typically a bit more expensive than other coffee mugs, they are stainless steel, have locking lids (hey-yah! No coffee spills in my bag!), and they keep your drink hot or cold for hours. 
2- Reusable bags.  This one seems SO simple, but I admit: My bags like to keep my car company while I shop. I've walked MANY times in the store and realized, half-way through my trip with my cart already full-that my bags are in the car. I sometimes set my cart in a corner, run back to my car, and grab my bags...but let's be real: what a pain! Simple way to fix this? 
Put the bag(s) in your purse. 
Period. 
These ChicoBags roll up nicely. 
They also have  produce bags.
3- Buy veggies plastic-free. Why do I need my zucchini wrapped in plastic wrap on a styrofoam tray? Simple answer: I don't.  I'll refuse to buy veggies with a side of plastic. I only want the veggies, anyway.  I don't typically go to the store and have "styrofoam tray" listed as something I want to buy that day.  We are lucky to have an amazing Farmer's Market, as well as a family-owned local farm-sourced grocery store nearby. I know this isn't everyone's reality, but research your options.

...and just for kicks,
here's my favorite mockumentary 
of all time:

 I challenge you (and me :) to:
Be in the "now":
Remember your bags...
Remember your to-go mug...
Buy plastic-free items...
Buy items which are meant to be reusable, 
not those which will last a long time in our oceans.

aloha.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Morro Bay

We decided to stay in Morro Bay for the night to:
1- Break up the drive from Santa Cruz 
to San Diego, and
2- To see a friend I haven't seen in 15 years.
(on a side note: 15 years? How'd that happen?!)
We chose to stay at the 456 Embarcadero
due to the good reviews online,
the proximity to the water,
and the AAA rate :)

Having never been to this area, 
we were taking a chance
on what we'd find...
...and what we found 
was
breathtaking:
Upon waking in the morning,
I grabbed my camera and hopped across the street 
to photograph the mirror image created
by the picturesque
stillness of the water. 
(Reminder: You can click on the pictures to view them larger...
and for these, you are going to want to! Promise!) 

To you this might look like an old wooden post with bird doo all over it...
to me, this is nautical at its best!
Teal-colored wood,
ivory rope,
sailboats gallore...
ah...
I LOVE it! 


Morning light...
one of my favorite times of day...

The town of Morro Bay is delightful.
Quaint, for sure.
Dreamy, no doubt.
 Even the motel is cute...
(now, how many towns can say that?)
 

Most of the locals have flippers...
...or wings...

This little guy was so delightful in his (or her)
morning swim,
that he made me wonder why I don't have a morning swim ritual.
Something to ponder on...
or take action on...
it is summer, anyway!

We found these two while we were out on a morning walk...
we think the female was on the rock,
and the male was in the water,
very obviously strutting his stuff for his mate.


Although our stay in Morro Bay was 
less than 24 hours, 
we will, without a doubt,
be back to explore.
We hope to stay here again,
was lovely!
The recent renovations were perfect...
clean lines,
calming colors,
comfortable bed,
a yoga mat and robes in the room,
the best "free" breakfast we had on our trip,
friendly staff,
and most importantly (to us):
steps away from the water.



'Til our next adventure,
we bid you
"aloha 'oe" 

Monday, June 20, 2016

CA's Central Coast: Santa Cruz to Morro Bay

From Santa Cruz, we drove south down to Morro Bay.
It was this leg of the journey about which I was most excited...
Amazing photo opps...
and a spectacular part of our state I had yet to see.
 Bucket List stuff, you know?

The Bixby Bridge...
worth the hype,
for sure!

Grey clouds loomed for the majority of our drive,
which only added to the mystique
of our adventure.

Let's talk about:
What a spectacular site!
AND...
the hike there is not really a hike...
it's a nice dirt path...
less than 1/2 a mile from the road.
Simply. Stunning.
and NOT to be MISSED.



Our next stop was to see the elephant seals.
I felt slightly touristy stopping off here,
but I highly recommend it! 
Such a bizarre animal!

From there, it was a short jaunt to Morro Bay.
We will be taking this drive again in the future...
next time we'll leave more time in our schedule for this leg of the journey, and hopefully take some time to camp in Big Sur.

aloha.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

CA's Central Coast: Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz

 We recently had the opportunity to drive the central coast of California. 
This is a trip I've always wanted to take
and we jumped at the chance to explore!

We started at Half Moon Bay.
 We'd heard about this spot from surf films,
directly south of the
the huge waves of Mavericks.

 It was a beautiful spot,
however Half Moon Bay
seemed strikingly similar to the
beaches of San Diego.
We moved on from here pretty quickly...
guess we need to come back when the waves are pumpin'
 at Mavericks!
There was a nice oceanside walking path, though!

 Along the drive from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz,
we came across this incredibly beautiful lighthouse.

When we got to Santa Cruz, 
we found a little rocky overlook
 and had a picnic.
 To cut costs, we packed our food for this trip in a cooler loaded into our Subaru.  
It was surprisingly refreshing to not think about where we were stopping for food...
and honestly I love myself a good PBJ...or 5.

 Santa Cruz proved to be a charming little college surf town.

aloha.