a peaceful morning at hamilton pool, austin

the last time we tried to go to hamilton pool we arrived promptly when they opened only to be turned down because of too many people [but it ended up being a great day at reimers so, whatever]. luckily, HP now takes reservations [at first i thought was annoying because it takes away all spontaneity], however it's actually pretty genius. you can make them in advance *here* and choose one of two time slots: 9am – 1pm or 1pm – 5pm. the pool is not over crowded this way, and it's more than enough time to enjoy the water. we chose the morning slot to avoid the heat, however i think the afternoon shift likely gives you better lighting for photos if you're into that. 

it was the perfect girls day with my mom and sister to celebrate lindsay's birthday and enjoy the warm summer weather austin is having right now. some tips if you're planning to make the visit:

• bring cash for parking, they don't take cards
• wear chacos or tevas, there is a mini hike down to the pools and you'll want to wear sturdy waterproof shoes
• pack blankets or chairs, the "beach" is pretty rocky
• bring a small cooler full of snacks and cold beverages [but no glass!] * you will have to hike up hill back to the car so don't bring anything you won't want to carry back
• a floatie or two might be nice
• leave your pets at home [they are not allowed at the pools and it's much too hot to leave them in the car]

happy summer!
 

^^ our morning ended with lunch at hula hut on lake austin, and i kind of forgot how much i love this spot! 

dinner at burma superstar, san francisco

a few months back we had just wrapped up bay to breakers and were wandering the inner richmond looking for food. burma superstar is a restaurant i've always heard/read about, but never really thought to go to. when we saw the crowds gathering out front we said why the hell not and put our name down. while we waited 45+ minutes for a table we browsed seedstore [a very cool men/women shop] and had a drink at the bitter end right down the street. this neighborhood has so much more than i ever realized. when we finally sat down for dinner we ordered beers and let the server take control. this place is crazy delicious and now i understand all the hype! 

some tips:

• try to get there right when they open [5pm] 
• wander clement street while you wait for a table
• if the wait is too painfully long, their smaller sister restaurant right down the road is almost as good 
• start with the tea leaf salad and platha dip 
• consult the staff: our waiter ordered for us and everything was delicious
   

blackberry mojitos & chickpea flatbread

SF has legitimately been swallowed by a cloud. the days have been windy and cold and the nights have been foggy and more cold. a night in with a movie was in order. the only thing that inspired this cocktail was a random bottle of rum sitting on our bar that looked full and lonely. i found this recipe and loved the moody twist on a basic mojito. i later remembered we had some heirlooms waiting to be used which brought me to make this for dinner. 

it was nice to have a quiet night at home cooking and drinking something other than wine. this chickpea flatbread is crazy delicious, but a real b*tch to make [so much chopping and cutting and mixing and waiting involved]. it's definitely worth it, but i thought you'd like to know that going in. i dedicated a good 2 hours of kitchen time to this.

bon appetit and happy weekend!
 

boating the columbia river gorge, oregon

originally we had planned to rent a few cars and drive to multnomah falls to see some nature and hike around for the day. that all changed when kp's aunt & uncle offered to take us out on the river in their pontoon boat. pontoon boats were straight up made for groups our size! we couldn't have been happier or more grateful that they were willing to not only pick us up from portland, but drive us around on the water all day. 

we drank rosé, swam in the chilly water, ran up sand dunes, rolled down sand dunes, ate delicious food [thank you aunt cindy!], played hilarious games of pie in the face until we were out of whipped cream, napped in the sand and snuggled up in blankets during our cozy boat ride. later that evening we had dinner in our hood at the rambler – this spot had great outdoor seating [& games], good drinks, tasty food and we managed to stay there the majority of the night. 

thank you again to uncle kelly & aunt cindy for making this day happen – it was so perfect. 

see the full travel guide HERE 

4th of july weekend in portland, oregon

months ago we were sitting on our sofa and noticed a virgin america sale from SFO to PDX. being that our last trip to portland was in the brick of winter [seen here] we figured a warm july weekend would be the perfect time to get back. over the following months we softly recruited friends and somehow ended up with a group of 10! it was such a hilariously fun weekend and i'm feeling major withdrawals. 

we all arrived friday evening after a few flight delays and quickly settled into our mississippi street airbnb [see my portland wishlist here].  the weather was perfect so we wandered the streets, admiring all of the street art and architecture, before grabbing cocktails at clyde common & the ace hotel. dinner at mediterranean exploration company followed [the "chef's tasting" option here is perfect for groups] and we later found ourselves bar hopping and dancing. 

the next morning we picked up coffee and blue start donuts right near our house [the long line at voodoo just seemed like a waste of time. these are just as good and easy to get without waiting]. we later rented bikes and spent the day crusin' on two wheels. we had lunch at neighboring spots, BUNK and bollywood theater [if you like indian food, this place is insane!], and afterwards grabbed cones at salt and straw. we brewery hopped, checked out the park, popped into local shops like powells and had a relaxing afternoon back at the house with cocktails on the patio. that night we had a really fun and casual dinner on the patio of mississippi studios [right near our house] and of course did some more bar hopping afterwards. portland is one of those cities i think we can go back to time and again and always find something new and cool. i'm so grateful we were able to explore a new place with so many great friends. 

see the full travel guide HERE 

^^ on our last day we explored the warehouse district with lunch at olymipa provisions and antique shopping at grand marketplace. there are a ton of other cool antique/flea markets in this hood that we popped into. such a cool area.