Road Trip to San Luis Obispo
I guess it’s time for an Alex reveal! Dun. Dun. Dunnnnn. I’ve been talking about him in almost all of my recent posts on this little blog, so it’s time that I let y’all have a little peek at my adorable, funny, and loving boyfriend. Here he is!
Alex’s birthday falls in October, and I wanted to make sure that it was one to remember. I LOVE planning trips and events. It is definitely my specialty. Quality time is my highest-ranked love language, so I have a knack for making moments extra special with my partner. To me, spending time with my loved ones is far more precious than gold. I get an absolute kick out of spoiling my loved ones with dinner parties, surprises, and sentimental gifts. I like to make sure that my friends and family know how special they are to me on their special day.
This birthday road trip was months in the making. I already started planning and researching all of the possibilities for travel at the start of August. From curating a guest list of his best friends to doing a deep dive on travel TikTok, I came up with the perfect plan to make his 23rd birthday extra special. This was my first time traveling on my own with a partner. Although I was slightly nervous at first, I quickly learned that I didn’t have much to worry about at all. I loved every minute of the trip. I will be sharing some fun stories/lessons I collected on the road.
1. Travel TikTok comes in handy when you’re looking up for places to go
I hate to admit it, but TikTok is surprisingly useful. In preparation for this trip, I had a loose itinerary and a list of things that I wanted to do with Alex. It so happened that my curated list of things to do from the travel bloggers of TikTok helped me come up with some must-see sights for the cities that we were passing through. I was able to have a general idea of what beaches I wanted to see and restaurants I wanted to go to based on my TikTok travel list.
We made a stop at Malibu and visited the Getty Villa Museum. It was a beautiful setting. I felt like I was transported to Europe on a beautiful summer day. That was the vibe. We walked around the museum admiring its beautiful tile floors and marble pillars. The exhibits were super cool too! I marveled at the statues of Greek Gods and the intricate detail on the gold coins, pieces of jewelry, and other valuable trinkets. If you ever find yourself in Malibu, I would highly recommend paying a visit to this museum. Thanks, TikTok for this great recommendation!
2. I learned to love Alex’s quirks and daily rituals
There’s a new level of vulnerability that comes with living together for the first time. Initially, I was apprehensive about going on this trip. What if we hate each other’s guts by the end of it? But as we drove together, I quickly learned that I did not have much to worry about. There was not a singular dull moment on the trip. We were both smiling ear to ear throughout our little vaycay getaway. I learned about his odd sleeping habits and crazy driving skills. But I found that the more we opened up to each other, the harder we fell in love.
3. Our taste buds are not as sophisticated as I thought
I always thought I liked wine. After a lot of convincing, I managed to get Alex to agree to go wine tasting with me in San Luis Obispo. He asked one of his friends for recommendations, and we picked out this spot called Talley Vineyards. The drive was scenic and quite breathtaking. I liked seeing the endless rows of grapevines on the side of the road. It made me all the more excited to do my first big alcohol-related thing.
Upon arrival, they poured us some Rosé. It was strong. We quickly drank the Rosé to stomach the bitter taste. After the Rosé, our attendant poured us a Chardonnay. The attendant told us that the Chardonnay was smooth and reminded her of crème brûlée. I don’t know what type of crème brûlée she’s had, but it must be very different from the crème brûlée that I’ve had. It reminded me nothing of the sort. The tasting was like this for the entire hour. Our attendant told us about the “oaky” notes and “fruity” infusion, but we tasted none of it. All we could taste was strong, bitter wine.
Alex and I laughed the entire time we were tasting. We munched on apple chips and made a whole mockery out of this sophisticated activity. Needless to say, it was definitely a fun experience, but one that we would never do again. I was wrong. I don’t like wine. I like *Stella Rose* which is basically spiked grape juice (lol).
4. Every restaurant that we went to was a hit
Alex and I went to a host of different restaurants throughout our trip. Here are all of the restaurants we visited throughout our trip and our favorite dishes:
- Blue Ocean (La Jolla) — Flying Pig Ramen
- Porto’s Bakery (Glendale) — Chicken Empanada and Guava French Toast
- Santa Barbara Shellfish Company (Stearn’s Wharf) — Crab Cakes
- The Belgian Cafe (Solvang) — Banana Supreme Waffle
- Finney’s Craft House (San Luis Obispo) — Prosciutto and Arugula Flatbread
5. Gimbals are the best tool for capturing moments hands-free
In June, Alex and I filmed our first travel vlog together on his phone. We went to Florida together for a family vacation and captured the highlights of the trip. It came together beautifully, and I love looking back at those moments on my phone. However, there were a few clips that were too shaky for me to use. For this particular road trip, I wanted to vlog as well. To assist with filming, I purchased a smartphone gimbal to get smooth shots of the trip and have some hands-free clips. The gimbal was the perfect investment to get better clips. Because of this nifty little gadget, the vlog perfectly captured all of the fun that we had throughout our trip.
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Emily
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