A Day in DC

For being a mere 30 minutes away from Washington DC, I do not visit nearly enough. Last month, I made the trip with my sister who was visiting from California and my mom. We went to the Smithsonian first, which I never get tired of. Between the dinosaur exhibit and the marine life center, I could explore the museum all day!!

A beautiful chemical element called Bismuth was in the gems & crystals shop 

 and I couldn't help but admire it! I mean honestly...it's rainbow and geometric!!

The highlight of the trip was definitely finding a delicious Gelato & coffee shop. It was my first time at Pitango Gelato & I wanted to come back as soon as we left. I chose green tea and coconut gelato and they tasted great together. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the coffee, it was one of the best cappuccinos I have had! The shop is small with a few seats looking out on the beautiful streets of DC. I would highly recommend checking this place out, it's peaceful & the treats are delicious.

We ended the day with a beautiful sunset at the Washington Monument & went to pick up my brother-in-law at the airport! 

What is your favorite spot in DC?

xoxo
HaileyGrace

California Love [Carlsbad, Whale Watching, Tourmaline]

Last month I took a trip to a state I have always wanted to visit. I ventured to California to visit my sister, brother-in-law and dad. I have to say, my sister was right, I absolutely loved it. I am an undeniable beach bum and embody the quote "she heard the waves and knew she was home." 

I am going to split my Cali posts into three separate blogs because I have too many lovely stories to tell and pictures to show. 

On the first day we ventured to Carlsbad beach, the first of eight that we went to. I had my first dip in the Pacific Ocean, tried delicious coconut coffee from Carlsbad Coffee House and pretended I was in my dream location inside of the classic London telephone booth. 

Day two was one of my favorites. It was the day my best friend Maureen and I had all to ourselves. Naturally, we started the day with an independent coffee shop recommended to us by my sister and her husband. The shop was called Kettle Coffee & Tea and had an incredible atmosphere. It had cold brew coffee on display while educating guests about the coffee itself. They had outdoor seating and plenty of window seats inside, but my favorite elements were the couches and library in the back of the shop. With local art and music from budding artists in town on display, Kettle Coffee & Tea was a great spot! 

We then traveled to one of the most exciting parts of our entire trip, San Diego Whale Watch. While I am an avid shark lover, Maureen loves whales and I must say that now I have a new appreciation for them. We traveled on a three hour boat journey to search for the whales. The day was a major success as we saw a 90 foot Blue Whale that was larger than our boat and saw a mega-pod of dolphins that swam directly next to our boat. (I could have touched them if the boat were lower) 

After whale watching, we traveled to Mission Beach for lunch, drinks and the wave house. We finished the day with a trip to Tourmaline Surf Park at North Pacific Beach. This spot may have been my favorite, despite the fact that I slept on the beach most of the time we were there (it was only a couple of hours.) 

You can see why this was one of my favorite beaches.

Stay posted for part two of my trip to California! Much love. 

xoxo

HaileyGrace

Off-Road Adventures [Outfit]

Part of what I think life is all about is spontaneity and adventure. I went exploring in a historical part of Freehold, New Jersey with my friend the other day and we didn't miss an opportunity to pull off the road and take pictures underneath an amazingly old railroad. 

The stone archway we took photos under, with the railroad directly on top, was dated 1922. One of the main reasons I love experiences like this and history in general is the connection with those that came before us. I wonder who has been in the same places that I have and what their lives were like.

I got a bit carried away with photos, but I hope you enjoy them! 

 Dress: Kohls

Jacket: Delias

Scarf: Craft Show

Boots: Target

Leggings: Lauren Conrad at Kohls

xoxo
HaileyGrace