When we were in Southern California for my brothers wedding. We had the chance to visit the Mission Inn! Which also happens to be one of the most famous hotels in California. We brunched there and it is a beautiful stop. An old Mission converted into an inn. Filled with History and elegance. And the flowers that surrounded the area added that perfect pop of color.  So should you be heading by Riverside, CA, be sure to add it to your stops.  We enjoyed a fabulous eggs Benedict for brunch.

A formal tour of the inn is $13 and it runs four times a day. This eclectic piece is near the front entry. A large bell transported from China. I would love to have fountains like this one in my yard one day. Stone and beautiful artistry. The inn, especially these beautiful vine covered archways have made their way into many films. A favorite.. The Man in the Iron Mask . The quiet streets of downtown Riverside have also made such a lovely backdrop for that California town of history and charm. 

This summer I had a grand adventure climbing Mt Elbert with my husband Matt. Mt. Elbert... sounds more like a Sesame Street character than a name for a mountain. Matt did all the planning. It was our little get away for our wait for it... drumroll... 9 year anniversary! Whhhatt?? How did this even happen? Time moves too fast. In the course of 9 years we both finished our Bachelor degrees, had two children, moved 3 times, traveled to 16 states as well as Europe and Mexico, started a business together, shared tears, fears and joys! I feel crazy blessed. Anyway, escaping to nature and spending several hours above the clouds seemed like a perfect way to celebrate being on cloud nine.

Me... acting legit... because I am really pretty pro at this as you can probably tell. Wink wink. Pretty much I am a goon.

If you are planning a honeymoon on a tight budget than I would highly recommend on keeping it simple and planning a hiking and camping trip so you can simply hold each other by a crackling fire and look up at the stars. There are few things as peaceful as that. And it simply just feeds the soul and restores one's energy to jump back into the craziness of life.

In the morning waking up to the birds chirping we enjoyed Mountain House Biscuit and Gravy meals. It may have just been the elevation or fact that we hiked up several hundred feet but I was seriously AMAZED at how good it was. Better than an everyday breakfast. I still crave it sometimes.
A magical setting to wake up to.





I had to stop at least a dozen times to capture the delicate beauty of the mountain side flowers that cling to the cracks in the rocks. How beautiful it would be to capture a wedding ceremony that would take place up here above the clouds with natures decor surrounding the scene.


After a somewhat vigorous two days (for me anyway) we wanted to of course enjoy a little pampering so we stayed in Vail, CO to relax after our mountain top adventure.  We enjoyed a little shopping and fine dining and enjoyed a lovely stay there.

To check out more of our travels and travel prints for purchase click here.

They say a tree that falls in the forest never fell if no one hears it. Well that is what I feel like when it comes to the many pictures I take and simply just might not get around to sharing them when it comes to my personal adventures! Why... because other things take priority and that is just how it is.

Today I would like to share some of these stunning shots from our Washington Road trip we took back in 2012 when we road tripped through there as a family of three back then.

Washington, as you may know is typically overcast the majority of the year, but we just so happened to have the rare experience of blue sky for most of the entire week we were there so we saw it through a different light. Literally.

The first day was the long stretch and my amazing husband drove the WHOLE way. He is a champ. We drove from Salt Lake to Yakima. Yakima is on the drier side of the state and that is where there is the apple country which I was really eager to stop at an orchard but frankly it becomes impossible to do a full state in just a short week!

I have officially started a gallery where you can purchase travel prints from my travels HERE.











Travel Photography by Effervescent Media Works

Tags:  Washington Travel, road trip ideas, washington beaches, bay area family photographer, Yakima, Paradise Lodge, Mt. Rainer, child, Forest, families north carolina, child portrait Photography nc, travel photos,  Forks,WA, Ruby Beach, destination wedding photographers