San FranCelia

Another weekend, another chance to explore lovely Northern California.  This weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to my friend Jennie’s wedding and so therefore, for the first time, was able to visit the city of Graeagle.  It’s about an hour and a half north west of Lake Tahoe, and so, like Tahoe City, has a beautiful landscape of pine trees and red dirt.  Graeagle itself looks like a throwback to an

old 1950s vacation town.  There are these quaint red cabins in a neat row along the mile and a half main drag, and beautiful views of Salmon Lake, to name a few highlights.  The day we arrived, there was an art festival happening on their main street, which just added to the hometown charm.   I found out later that my aunt showed her work there years and years ago, creating a fun connection to the little ‘nowheresville’ city.     

The wedding was incredible, partly due to the wonderful location.  She had it at Two Rivers Resort and Lodge, and while it becomes a soccer camp for kids at various times throughout the year, for weddings, it transforms itself into a fantastic venue, showcasing beautiful views of a river and the steep hillside pines.  The bride walked down the steps and

 arrived on a decked ledge that gave a glimpse across a valley green and brown with the season.  The hors d’oevres laden cocktail and reception areas gave equally great views and ambiance, giving such a sense of serenity – perfect wedding spot.  The only sign of the soccer camp, in fact, was simply the cute British soccer instructors that doubled as the evening’s servers.  That just added to the fun and relaxed vibe of the evening, as you would never have known they haven’t been doing this for years. 

This small city was such a treat to visit.  Nostalgic but new, I can’t imagine her wedding being anything but perfect in such a locale.  Congrats to you, Jen!

Peace and love Xo

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A great date night this summer is to check out the newest indie hit ‘500 Days of Summer’.  This quirky and smart comedy, which states at the beginning that it’s not a love story, may actually be the truest love story I’ve seen in awhile.  Tom, played by Joseph Gordon- Levitt, is a greeting card writer who is immediately enthralled with the new office secretary, Summer, played by one of my favorite actresses, Zooey Deschanel.  The film, which cuts and pastes memories and pieces of their relationship together (in no particular order, mind you), spans a full 500 days – from the glorious beginning to the ultimate demise.  Now it starts off with the break-up, so in truth, it isn’t a love story, it’s a love reflection.  What makes this film so special, however, is its clever weaving of feeling and emotion; the pinnacle of happiness and the lowest lows, all with acting so flawless you become utterly captivated.  This milestone – a.k.a., the break-up – in Tom’s life, leads him to transform things in his own existence in a way he couldn’t have imagined before, leading to a new perspective and ultimate hope.  It makes you feel like you have seen this somewhere before – maybe in our own whimsical and sometimes bleak love lives, perhaps.  Relationships start off being this magical thing, and love is what fills your days from morning to night, but unless each person is on the same page, the truth behind love can get a bit foggy.  The film captures this reality so well – you actually sympathize with the dumpee and the dumper, which usually isn’t the case in these types of tales.

This is definitely a great film to see at a lazy Sunday matinee.  It makes you laugh and feel, which as far as movies go, is pretty rare in my case.  It seems like every summer movie, in particular, is as far away from the intrinsic truths of our daily lives as possible, where the order of the day is visiting an alien planet or seeing machines blow up verses showing us our own lives and loves reflected back.  In the midst of all the action, this one stands out as a light and capricious work of art.

Peace and love Xo

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The American River is another hot summer spot that’s close enough to the Bay to make it the perfect weekend excursion.  We headed to the American River Resort – and don’t let the name fool you… we camped… again.  They do have cabins, but it’s not quite ‘resort’ status I would say.  I definitely had one of the most fun weekends I’ve had in awhile, so what’s in a name anyway, I say.  This part of

the American River is perfect for not only camping, but also rafting and sun bathing.  I know it’s not PC to encourage lounging out in the sun, but damn it feels nice!  It doesn’t feel like summer without that familiar Banana Boat Sunscreen smell (see, use Sunscreen.  PC cred. = achieved!)  The River, while fast (class 3, in fact) at times, has shallow pools sprinkled throughout, making it perfect for river-centric activities of all kinds.  Tanning was on the agenda to start – sun like this is different from our sun here in the City, making the wearing of a bikini all day without thought of a cover-up completely possible.  Nice.  

The view in this part of California is like something out of an old John Wayne film – you can still see gold in the banks of the river, making those old Gold Rush stories come to life.  The steep golden brown hills, vast boulders, and patches of forest green Oak trees are so peaceful, yet powerful from their extreme history.  One length of the riverbank has a trail still standing from the 1800s that is made from the mountain of rocks above. 

Wanting to see this beauty first hand, we decided to go river rafting with River Otter Adventures.  For $70, you get an experienced guide showing you breathtaking beauty for 4 hours, all while raising your adrenaline level.  What a pairing.  Completely worth every penny, and you get a picture to top it off if you want.

I have become quite the camping connoisseur these days, and I find that it actually is more fun than you would think (well maybe not you, but me definitely).  It’s surprisingly easy to be dirty and ok with the fact that you smell worse than the animals that live just outside the campsite area.  Who would have thought?  And if you add in water activities, it’s almost like bathing, right?!  I’ve certainly come to think so, at least during the summertime. 

Peace and love Xo

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