We are always thankful to travel. Especially together. The experience is bonding and so special to us. We are always especially thankful when we get to travel for work. We got to do just that earlier this year. Megan + Chris invited us along to capture their destination wedding festivities in The Riviera Maya. Mexico was a first for the both of us. A definite location on our travel list, but had yet to make a priority. Perhaps because of its close proximity or maybe due to its reputation of being overly touristy. Either way, we were excited to finally experience Mexico while photographing a beach wedding. Val's b-day was just six days after the wedding, so naturally we extended our stay to celebrate in warmth.

Our trip began at the gorgeous all-inclusive Azul Sensatori where we spent 3 days for the wedding. Monday, we packed up and moved south to an adults only all-inclusive at The El Dorado Royale where we spent the next 5 days. Our trips are always well documented, but we might have over done it this time having eight different kinds of cameras: D700, Minolta x700, Fuji Instax Polaroid, Go Pro, iPhone, Nexus 5, Nikon CoolPix S8100, and for this trip we were generously provided a Sony A7S and a Zeiss 16-35mm from ATS Rentals just for fun.

Top 3 favorite things:

1.) .80 c Al Pastor tacos at Los Otates in Cozumel. The best tacos we had all week. The back story...We took a day trip to the island which included a 45 minute ferry ride, a 15 minute cab ride, and then a 3 hour vomit-filled boat snorkeling excursion. Val gets car sick even if she's the passenger in a car here in town. To say this was not her favorite day is an understatement. At least the fish were well fed. The end of the day led us to Los Otates where we ate Al Pastor tacos for the first time.

2.) Tulum! Slow moving. Less touristy. Fresh and authentic food. Warm and beautiful waters. The seafood is incredible and the warm waters were impossible to leave. They were especially nice knowing a blizzard was taking place back home. ;)

3.) Sitting on the beach with nothing to do. Typically, a vacation for us involves a lot of exploring. It's not that we're not relaxing or sleeping in, or taking time to just chill, but we just usually enjoy getting out there and seeing things. It's a bit of an adjustment for the both of us to literally sit on a beach and do nothing for hours. However, it was nice enjoying all you can drink while lounging beach side.

Mexico was grand. We brought a shit ton of hot sauce home along with a tan. Well, Val brought the tan home. I brought the hot sauce. Until next time,

Jeff + Val

California. Ever since we rented a car in Spain and took that liberating drive along the Costa Brava, we’ve been mildly obsessed with the idea of doing this in every place we vacation. And so, last November we planned a somewhat unplanned, nine day road trip beginning in Los Angeles and ending in San Francisco. We drove the famed Highway 1, otherwise known as, The Pacific Coast Highway. A road trip is its own special category of traveling. It’s less about the destination (although, California did not fail to impress) and more about the journey. We cranked the music. Filled our car with snacks and drinks. Pit stopped. Took detours. Got lost. Pulled over for photo ops when we wanted. Unexpectedly discovered. And, took in the slow-living, laid-back vibes of California.

The distance from LA to San Fran is a short 385 mi. In this small stretch we experienced everything from: city vibes, to heavenly beaches, mountains, rolling vineyards, to-die-for coastal views, preserved Danish towns, and endless views of the Pacific. It was incredible.

Top 3 picks:

3.) Choosing a favorite location was about impossible. We loved the beaches, wine country, and we loved San Fran. But, there was one magical stop that was unlike any other— that is Big Sur. Upon entering this rugged, highly romantic, and unspoiled region of California, you instantly lose all cell reception, and all cares in the world. The air smells different, it’s quiet, the people are sweet, tranquility surrounds you, and the pace of life is sloooow moving. We felt like we entered a bubble. The unparalleled combination of mountains and the Pacific were dreamlike.

2.) Food! A majority of our prep and research prior to the trip was food focused. Obvi. We enjoyed nothing but excellent meals thanks to Eater.com (Google the city + "Eater 38"). Here are some standouts: Genwa Korean BBQ in LA. Phil’s Fish Market in Monterey. Tosca Café in San Fran. Big Sur Bakery in Big Sur.

1.) The Esalen Hot Springs. More specifically their Night Baths in Big Sur. How we ever stumbled upon this slice of heaven on earth, is still a little fuzzy. But, it was the greatest find. There are no pictures to detail this adventure. And honestly, it’s unnecessary. The experience will forever be engrained in us. Picture this: Cliff-side hot springs, 150 ft. high, overlooking the Pacific. Every night from 1 a.m. – 3 a.m. 20 lucky visitors get to enjoy the night baths (clothing optional) for a mere $25. For two hours we enjoyed serene hot springs, moon shining on us, while melodic waves crashed onto the shore. We’re still trying to decide if it was all a dream.

We've been planning our move ever since,

Val + Jeff

In order, a few scenes we relished in: LA, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Malibu, Solvang, Cambria, San Simeon, McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer State Park, Big Sur, Monterey, Caramel-by-the-Sea, San Francisco, Petaluma and Napa Valley.