Palm Desert, CA

Palm Desert is an amazing oasis where you feel like you have escaped every stress, worry, and routine your work-week may hold. It is a peaceful, yet fun, get-away that we try and do at least three times a year. My advice is to lounge by the pool all day, play golf and tennis, then go out for dinner to one of my FAVORITE SPOTS!!!

First Dinner Stop: La Quinta Resort & Spa, ADOBE GRILL

Famed for its award-winning tamales, Adobe Grill is the authentic regional Mexican dining experience in the Palm Springs area. You will feel like you are entering an old Spanish mission. Be sure to walk around and take in the sights of their beautiful gardens, water features and historic buildings. To fully drink in this unique dining experience, let their master tequilero create a signature margarita from one of more than 50 hand-crafted tequilas, just for you.

Their menu highlights include Guacamole prepared table-side, Tacos with house-madetortillas, Tamales,Rock Shrimp Stuffed Chiles, Carne Asada, Mexican Fried Ice Cream, and lastbut not least, Housemade Churros.

Next Dinner Stop: Cliffhouse

Perched on historic Point Happy in La Quinta, the Cliffhouse captures the area's heritage with the ambiance of a historic ranch house offering magnificent mountain and desert views, a flowing waterfall and a massive fireplace.

The Dining Room menu features Steak & Lobster ($49), Macadamia Nut-Crusted Sea Bass ($28), Nori Wrapped Tempura Ahi ($27), and their famous "Kimo's Original Hula Pie."

Their Cactus Grill holds one of the towns BEST HAPPY HOURS every night till 7:00pm. Umm..... Unheard of!! You cannot go wrong with anything off of their happy hour menu, prices ranging from $6-$9.50. Cactus Grill penne is phenomenal, pulled-chicken sandwich is a fave,and the salmon salad is popular. There are also nightly happy hour specials, such as all-night happy hour on Sunday. It's definitely worth checking out!

Third Dinner Stop: Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the island lifestyle as you enter this tropical cafe located right above Tommy Bahama's clothing store. Savor the chef's eclectic tropical fare off of their menu or enjoy one of their island cocktails. This is another one of my favorite happy hour spots... "Island Time" is 4-6pm.

Fourth Dinner Stop: Arnold Palmer's

Not to mention their delicious, creative dinner menu, this place is also interactive! For those of you who don't know, Arnold Palmer was a famous golfer and there is a huge putting green with putters and golf balls, so while you are waiting for your food, you can practice your putting stroke or have a competition! Very fun!

Arnie's $6 happy hour menu features things like Meatloaf with mashed potatoes & gravy, All American Cheeseburger with fries, Beer battered Shrimp Tacos, Arnie's Margarita and a Pomegranite Martini! And there's much more where that came from!

Last but not least Dinner Stop, Jackalope Ranch

The Coachella Valley’s newest dining sensation is getting rave reviews from the media and their guests.
This finely-crafted lodge on a beautifully landscaped 6.5 acre property offers authentic California Ranch cuisine and classic BBQ dining daily, as well as an indoor saloon, outdoor palapa bar and evening entertainment. They have a great Happy Hour as well as the premier wedding venue in the valley. Click on these link for their menus: Lunch Menu Dinner Menu.

Gearhart, OR

Pacific Way Bakery

This charming bakery is located in the "heart" of Gearhart. It is bustling with customers all morning long, with freshly home-made pastries, espresso, and hot out of the oven bread! As you can see from these photos, you cannot go wrong with anything you order. The "veggie pizza tart" was to die for. I could eat one every morning. But they are only open Saturdays & Sundays!

Right next door, you will find Pacific Way Cafe. Open for lunch and dinner, this restaurant

offers delicious meals and reasonable prices. Lunch sandwiches are around $9, a large Pacific Way Combo Pizza is $27 (homemade dough of course!), and dinner entrees range from $9-$29 depending if you want their Cod Fish and Chips or their Halibut Parmesan. Keep in mind they are closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fitzgerald's

This is probably my favorite store. Ever. Take a close look at these photos. They have awesome furniture, artwork, mirrors, decor, blankets, pillows, etc. The front half of the store is owned by Fitzgerald's, while the back half is owned by Manor: Fine Ware, Curious Goods. Manor's main location is on NW 23rd in Portland.

The GEARHART GROCERY STORE is quaint but has everything you'll need on a vacation at the Oregon Coast. Be sure to try their freshly made salads back by the deli. My favorites have been their shrimp pasta salad, broccoli salad, black bean and corn salad, but these change on a daily basis. Their sandwiches are awesome! Perfect to take along on a picnic. Try "Dave's" bread, it's healthy and out of this world!

Poppa Al's Sweet Shop

You MUST try their scones. $3 each. Made batch by batch every morning, sometimes you arrive when the new batch is FRESH out of the oven. It comes with raspberry jam or blackberry jam and they absolutely melt in your mouth. People are lined up every morning to get their daily dose of these amazing buttery, flakey, chewy scones. I don't even like scones! But these are heavenly.

They also have Tillamook ice cream, taffy, other sweets, and ESPRESSO. In fact, the owner's son has won severalcappuccino-making competitions.

The Best of Sedona, Arizona

I had never been to Sedona until this year when I went in February with my husband, then again in May with my mom. I was able to really scope out the land and find some incredible restaurants and sight-seeing spots! Here is a wide variety of eateries that I loved!

1. L'Auberge de Sedona. This resort is nestled in Sedona's towering redrocks with the Oak Creek running along side it.... A perfect, tranquil, exclusive location! It would be an awesome place to stay, eat, and relax in the spa. If you like ambiance, you will love this place!

2. The Enchantment Resort is a MUST-SEE! This resort combines luxury with rugged grandeur inspired by Native American culture and is surrounded by the majestic red rock formations of the Boynton Canyon. The views are absolutely breath-taking! Even if you just went up there for drinks and dessert, it is well-worth the 20 minute drive up the canyon! My mom and I went there for breakfast and shared the delicious breakfast burrito. It was on a Sunday so the brunch buffet was set up which looked absolutely fantastic. I would definitely do the brunch next time!

3. Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante Italiano is the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to, and I LOVE Italian! The pasta is made fresh daily on the premise and this is incredible, melt-in-your-mouth, pasta. We ate there in February and this is the one place I could not wait to come back to in May with my mom! I actually crave it on a weekly basis even to this day. Each pasta dish is served with an insalata mista, along with yummy bread and herbed, garlic olive oil for dipping. I ordered the Cappellini al Pomodoro, the best Pomodoro I have ever tasted. The cappellini was so thin, yet al dente! We also tried the Linguine Carbonara, the cream sauce is so good, and the Fettucine Primavera al Pesto which was also delicious. I really don't think you can go wrong. We also dropped into their wine shop called A'Roma where they serve paninis, salads, pastries and desserts, as well as gifts and bottles of wine. They also own Cucina Rustica which is more of a Mediterranean cuisine.

4. Elote Cafe. This is the new, hip hang-out in town. Everyone kept raving about this restaurant and the day we decided to go, they were closed (Sunday & Monday)! I am still bummed that I missed this restaurant. They serve a very unique Mexican menu, where everything is made from scratch! Definitely gotta check this place out and let me know what you think!

5. Airport Road is a great sight-seeing opportunity especially at sunset. Everyone, as in a hundred people or so, gathers to see this beautiful event each evening!

6. Fork in the Road- American Bistro. This was an awesome restaurant! One of those days where I was searching for hours on my iPhone for a place to eat dinner and I found the ONE! It's open only for dinner and happy hour. The inside is really cool and hip, and the patio (where we sat) is also very lovely. My mom and I shared the Stuffed Roast Chicken. The chicken was so tender and juicy... perfection.

7. The last "must-see" is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Marguerite Bruswig Staude built this chapel on a twin pinnacled spur about 250 feet high, jutting out of a thousand foot red rock wall, "solid as the Rock of Peter" the building of the Chapel was completed in April 1956. Just the physical construction was a physical miracle, overcoming difficult conditions to construct this chapel.

Exploring the Outskirts of Seattle

Seattle is a wonderful city that has so much to offer! I lived there for 7 years and will always cherish my time there. There are many parts of the city: Downtown, Belltown, Fremont, Ballard, Greenlake, Queen Anne, the U-District, Magnolia, Capitol Hill, Wallingford, Sunset Hill, and the list literally goes on and on! But what this post will focus on is more of the outskirts of Seattle. If you are willing to make a 30 or so minute drive, then you will truly be in for a treat!

Red Twig in Edmonds, WA

Red Twig is a phenomenal bakery/cafe that roasts their own coffee on the premises, as well as bakes fresh bread and pastries daily! Their menu has unique options that changes with the seasons. They serve yummy egg dishes and scrumptious crepes. I love their paninis and salads, and they have a mean Lemon Bar and Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar! (When it's not raining), they have a lovely patio outside. Also, near Red Twig is Anthony's Beach Cafe... a beachfront restaurant that serves fresh fish and many other items! A great family spot where kids can play in the sand.

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA

This is a beautiful winery, one of a kind really. The grounds are gorgeous and fun to walk around. They have a summer concert series on their huge lawn amphitheater; a great place to bring a picnic, wine and cheese and enjoy some music. Their tasting tours are awesome, in fact the "Columbia Valley Tour" is free of charge and lasts about 35 minutes. They also have other Tour options ranging from $10-$75 per person.

Right across the street, you will find Columbia Winery! Definitely have to check both of these wineries out!

The Golf Club at Newcastle in Newcastle, WA

I actually worked here for a year as the Beverage Cart Girl. I LOVED coming to work everyday not only for the amazing view, but also because the staff was so friendly and accomodating! I was proud to work there because the customer always came first. The 2 golf courses are truly breath-taking, and the restaurant offers a delicious menu! Anything you order will be awesome.
Snoqualmie Falls in Snoqualmie, WA

I was going to say that there is a great hiking trail around these falls, but I just looked at their website and apparently the trail is closed until 2013! ;-( However, the observation deck, the 2-acre park, and of course the 270 ft. falls are well worth the trip! There is also a great little restaurant up there or you can bring a picnic!

Dog-Friendly Getaway to Santa Barbara, CA

My husband and I took our golden retriever puppy to Santa Barbara for the night and had a blast. Here are thebest places we found to eat,stay,and play that are all PET-FRIENDLY.....
1. Ate lunch at Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro. The wait staff was very sweet and brought Finley a dog-dish of water and 4 strips of bacon! I ordered the Chicken Salad Sandwich and it was amazing! It had a kick of spice and was stuffed in a warm pita. They brought out bread and butter before the meal which is also a nice touch.

2. Played at Butterfly Beach. This beach is located right by the Four Seasons Resort. It was beautiful and quaint. There were no sand bugs, minimal seaweed, and white sand. Finley had a blast! Bring water and snacks, there are no restrooms or parking. You have to park on the street, but we had no problem on a Friday afternoon.

3. Lodged at Casa Del Mar. This was an awesome hotel that was very cute. It had everything that we needed. It was very clean (which I was worried about being a pet-firendly place), had modern and new furnishings, served a nice continental breakfast (bagels, fruit, cereals, croissants, coffee, juices, etc) AND a wine/cheese hour from 5-7pm! It was located right off of State Street off the beaten path but still walking distance to restaurants.

4. Ate dinner at the Union Ale Brewing Company. We walked there from our hotel and they let us sit on the patio with Finley. The manager was very friendly who gave us many ideas for pet-friendly places. They serve an extensive happy hour menu, with many beer selections, most notably, Mirror Pond Pale Ale from the Deschutes Brewery, my husband's fave. We shared a 14" vegetable pizza, wheat crust for $7! It was delicious!

5. Took an early morning walk. We went about 2 miles down the strand (Cabrillo Blvd.) that borders the beach. Dogs are allowed on the sidewalk, not on this beach.

6. Ate breakfast at Sambo's. They allow dogs to sit on the patio right at the table. They brought a to-go box for Finley's water because they are not allowed to use dishes that people eat out of. I thought that was probably a good idea. They serve mini muffins to your table,

chocolate chip & blueberry. We shared the Santa Barbara Omelette, that had avocado, bacon, cheddar, sour cream and salsa, served with toast or pancakes, and hashbrowns or potatoes. YUM! (FYI: We were also told that the Mesa Cafe was a great, super dog-friendly breakfast spot and on the way to the Douglas Reserve.)

7. Played at Arroyo Burro Beach, the Douglas Reserve. There was a steep staircase leading down to a beach filled with rocks, tide-pools, runners, and dogs. The waves are fairly mild here and we walked down and back. Beautiful scenery and fun for the dog as well! Bring your camera!