freedom!

Last weekend, 

my mom offered to take L & C camping.

I love my children

and enjoy spending every moment with them. 

However, 

when the opportunity arises for an

adult weekend,

I grab it!

So, while the kids were off with friends

and family at 

Dollywood
in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee ~

we snuck down to Atlanta.

First,

we went to 

Ann Mashburn.

agadabout.com

Loved it.

Then, we stopped by 

Sid Mashburn.

gq.com

Super loved it!

While we were in the area,

we checked out

JCT Kitchen for lunch.

It was the coolest.

offthebroiler.com

Let's just say...
I'll be dreaming about the 

parmesan truffle fries

for quite some time.

We found a great deal on 

Expedia for

The Mansion
on Peachtree

and decided to try it out.

It was crazy fabulous.

Staying at The Mansion
was definitely
our most pleasurable experience
at any hotel.
Ever.
The service was
impeccable.

Before long,
we were hungry again.

So we made our way over to 

Aria for dinner

using The Mansion's

complimentary car service.

(We loved that!)

atlantarestaurantblog.com

We began the evening with

Sparkling Rosé, Nigl, Brut, Kamptal, Austria 08.

It was crisp, refreshing, 

and a wonderful treat.

We lingered over dinner,

talking about the road less traveled,

the choices we've made,

our past,

and our future.

How precious
are those brief

moments in time

to reflect

on our lives,

as opposed 

to the constant daily

 treadmill

we are so busy 

racing on.

Thanks Mom & Joe

terranea

After leaving San Diego,

we drove to one of my 

favorite places

IN THE WORLD ~

Rancho Palos Verdes!

It's the location of my favorite coffee house.

Starbucks by the Sea

Seriously,

is there anywhere better to drink coffee?

Stopping by this particular Starbucks

compels me to 

 sit on the outdoor patio

near the fire pits 

and drink coffee overlooking the ocean.

I could do it every day.

(Until the cliffs fall into the ocean,

but that's another story.)

Anyhoo,

we stayed at 

Terranea.

Terranea is a gorgeous resort,

with great pools, 

a world class spa,

villas, casitas,

and charming bungalows.

I liked the fact that

'sustainable oceanfront dining' is offered on site.

(very Hampton)

Mar'Sel is supposed to be out of this world,

but we ended up 

(probably too often)

at Nelson's ~
a delicous, kid friendly place.

Where we sat outside

admiring the view ~

even on cloudy days.

torrey pines

At this rate,

it'll take me a month

to write about our short week

of spring break.

We spent one day hiking in

Torrey Pines State Park.

We arrived to only a glimpse of the Pacific.

And we had our choice of hiking trails.

We just wanted to make sure we didn't choose

a path this guy was on.

The view was breathtaking

as was the hike.

I couldn't believe we could hike

all the way down to the beach

where we were rewarded with 

the warm sun,

cool breezes, 

rolling waves,

and playtime!