Beauty Notes
We love our outdoor field trips as you know…we want our kids to see nature from all sides…to know that entertainment comes in so many forms and that going outside everyday is quite possibly the coolest, not to mention healthiest thing one can do. I must tell you this last weekend was one of our favorites. A trip up the California coast, Highway One towards San Francisco! In my book one of the most glorious drives in the world. Along the way we made several stops (once we nabbed some donuts in darling San Luis Obispo) we headed to the elephant seal rookery. http://www.elephantseal.org/ Breeding season …”quel love affair”…it surely makes for a lively viewing time with these 2-5,000 lb. otherworldly sea creatures. ( in fact is was so entertaining that when we headed back home from San Fran we stopped again!)
There is a reason that you’ve seen this drive in countless movies over the years. It is simply divine, you cannot for a minute peel your eyes away from the views…ever certain you will see a pod of whales along the way…( I am an “official” whale spotter….this…according to the California coast guard whaling authorities and daydreamers society) This country of ours is delicious , rich with natures loveliness coast to coast and all the way through the middle, I love my hikes, walks, oceans, mountains, meadows…. but sometimes it truly does take a hop in the car and a nice long drive to take in all that nature offers & her extraordinary beauty! The California coast is nearly scandalous in her exuberant beauty.
Ahhhh, nature…she charms me to pieces. I am ever in love with her bounty, I crave everything about her…she is poetic, she is the original color junkie, she does layers better than anyone ever has….she is a maximalist in every form. I want to be outside breathing her in every moment I can…I do believe she soothes, calms, brightens.
This is the view from a charming restaurant we stopped by for lunch… http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/ in Big Sur… romantic is just not enough to describe it. Just for fun do an image search on this place, the views are killer…along with a glass of wine in the sunshine and lunch with my family and ma nature …wild and wayward…she IS the Queen Mother!
A stop over night in Monterey http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/ at the gasp-inducing aquarium . I may have a new love ( yes, another one!)…sea horses. I have always found them to be entirely enchanting, but to see an entire exquisite gallery and then some…. with every color and pattern imaginable….I could have stayed all day. ( where was the popcorn..? beauty + nature + noshing = pure bliss) p.s. you need to see a breeding video, mon dieu…I will find one for you soon enough, holy Casanova. ( lots of birds and bee’s in this post ehh?)
I crave nature as my inspiration for so many things…..I want more of her in my home…I want my doors + windows open, the breeze bringing her inside with her magical ways. I adore her sounds every night, the frogs, the crickets….. Every time I think I know her….I see something new…I am ever inspired by her patterns, her hues, her rich ever changing ways…she evolves and becomes more of herself in every glance I steal.
Drink her in…she will feed your soul! I promise you this.
So…Where will you go on your next nature jaunt?…Do share…inspire all of us!!
xx
T.
p.s. soon I will share some gypsy daydreams inspired by this rockin’ trip- indeed!
Labels: do you ever...,more Tracy Porter,nature's inspirations
Reader Comments
I read every word and practically held my breath as I read…….then when I finished it was like this huge sign……..oh to see the world thru your eyes is so wonderful to me……this is how I am T……..but never really had anyone to share it with me…..that was in so awe of it as I was (only my Mother and she is gone)……when I hear your words I almost cry with emotion……loving it as I do….sometimes I get so excited about things I want to share it with the world….and their is no one….so your adventure is so refreshing, absolutely….thank you for making my week!…….XOXOXOXOX
woops that is ~~~~~ sigh~~~~~ not sign….lololo
I am THRILLED that you and your family are venturing north! The Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey area is breathtaking. Keep going….San Francisco and beyond, especially the Mendocino coast, and then even farther….Del Norte County and the REDWOODS! And then, of course, there’s Yosemite, one of the most spiritual places that I’ve ever been. The campgrounds up and down our state are amazing and they offer such an affordable place to stay for nature lovers and families. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that you’re exploring our beautiful state!!! XXOO
When my Ian was little, we would put all our favorite adventures on cards…and then randomly pick one and off we would go. Devils Lake, the Cave of the Mounds, horseback riding in the Baraboo hills…any time together in nature was our joy. Now, living on a farm, we can walk for miles behind our barn…up the hill, past the tree line…..quiet, pure beauty awaits.
Kari
Going thru a difficult time….hubby suddenly finds himself unemployed. We’ve been sitting and staring at each other in shock (mid fifties…not a good time to be job hunting). So yesterday when we found the temperature at 80* and the sun blazing overhead, we jumped in the car and drove one hour to our favorite beach spot. Two piña coladas and one sunset later, we are new people. Nature is the BEST!
Tomorrow, Disneyworld with the grandkids…oh yea!
Hey loves~
Teri…my girl, you & your darling just need to hang in there…thank god you jumped in the car and sought out some nature goodness..I am telling you it does work, top to bottom…somehow it is magical…sending goodness your way + luck, and more goodness…. love!xx
V-LOL- you always make me smile…love your words girl! thank you!! xx
KARI- that is so cool…i think we need to put ours on little cards..love that idea!! We just kind of pull out the map and start pointing and talking…we keep it all very simple, and make lots of unplanned stops to keep it interesting…and in nature it really ALWAYS is!
CALILYNN~ I cannot tell how the beauty of this state blows my mind. Everywhere i have lived in the world i have found to be beautiful Chicago, Paris…and…. growing up in Wisconsin, i still think it is such a cool place, lakes, meadows..so much to see, but so different than this. I sometimes feel like when i am driving anywhere here….( even to the grocery store, i always tell john, how can a trip to the grocery store feel so good? can it be this beautiful…you just need to always be alert….!)i am in a Steinbeck novel…everything is so grand, but so easy going…the mountains quite honestly blow my mind, not sure which has stolen my heart more, the ocean or the mountains…perhaps the combo….and the endless rolling meadows dotted with black cows and horses….all very romantic….yes, we are hoping to go camping in the sequoias this summer…i have not yet seen them…cannot wait!
Happy to all of you that jump in here so often….you are all in my thoughts….I know you know this!
xx
T.
Trace~
these photos pull me right in… love them…and you for sharing them, along with your wise words reminding us to connect with nature. It does the very same thing for my soul…When things are ‘weighing heavy’ on our hearts John and I go walking by the sea… collecting the beautiful sea stones that then become the canvas to my art…It is one of the most restorative gifts….Mother Nature is SUCH an amazing blessing.
~I’m looking forward to when you share some of your “gypsy daydreams” with us ….
Oh Gosh! This is gob-smacking goodness!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! slightly different than the view out my window – Ma Nature just gave us a 12 inch dump of snow! All is beautiful however and we do thank her kindly!!!!!!!
Oh Tracy…how beautiful indeed!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us!So Is it an artist thing? how we all appreciate Nature the way we do? I mean most of us are artists here, and I don’t feel like all the people around me just embrace it, and enjoy it and Thank God for it the way I do everyday of my life!!!Anyway I know all of you birds appreciate Nature, and we probably enjoy life more than people that take it for granted! My Mom and my Husband both have a great love of Nature, but not my entire family or all of my friends see it clearly, ya know what I mean? You can tell when it’s missing from someones soul, sad, I think.Oh well glad to know I connect to so many people right here! Thanks again T.!!!!!!! I can’t wait for each morning to watch the sun and the birds with my coffee, It’s my favorite time of day! Wendy I am jealous!!!!!I really miss snow this year!!!!! Some flurries today…in the sun, it was beautiful, but I wanted more, at this point though I’m kinda ready for spring now!
Oh Tracy, I love the coastal highway, traveled it years ago but never got to stop along the way (and smell the roses!). We did get to travel to the Big Island to visit my oldest son recently and enjoyed all the bounties of nature, drinking in the beauty and tasting exotic fruits, sushi etc. I lived there 3 years and he taught me so much that I never knew.
2.5 hours away get a way!
Now we’re back in the midwest just waiting for spring to break through so I can smell the earth once again. I’ll be heading to lake Michigan as soon as the temp rises to bask in the sunshine
xo
C
Birds & Bees? Oh T…you remind of our Spring awakening to be comming soon!!! I have been up that coast starting from San Fran a few years ago, & I am always so floored by our Country’s beauty. Someday I will be back again to finish it up. I love reading your adventures and you make me see so much I may have missed. It’s true about the long drive, sometimes you have to wait to see the beauty that is so far away. We are so lucky to be living in an era of cars and many different types of transport. Our ancestors would have loved to travel today like we do.
My nature of peace is right outside my home along the River. There is always something going on around or in the River, from fish jumping up out of the water to escape a predator, to ducks, geese, and cranes feeding and of course our American eagle.
Every day is mesmerizing and peaceful
TRACY beautiful photos. So good to hear you are enjoying your time with your family. I think I needed to hear about getting out and enjoying nature. Always good words of wisdom about seeing our beautiful world. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all! This is one of my tough weeks, hopefully all will go well. I really enjoyed my weekend, however!
~~~~~TRACY~~~~~ SMILE TODAY…..I CAN SEE YOU….Thanks for popping in, it is so much fun when you are one of us!!!!!!! Tracy you would be happy in a dark room…..lololololo!!
HEYYYYY Tracy………got my Turquoise Ming Foo Dogs………found them in San Francisco, in China town……..placed them in my Kitchen window, like you did one time…..and I think of you and your JOY……….pass it on, just pass it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOOXOXOXOx Where to next Dear…….coming to see me maybe……lololol.