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The Best Self-Guided Craft Beer Bar Crawl (on Bikes!) in Los Angeles

Self-Guided Craft Beer & Bikes on the Strand Bar Crawl in South Bay, Los Angeles
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A self-guided craft beer bike tour in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Drink locally brewed craft beer on the Strand in South Bay, Los Angeles, California!

The South Bay is our favorite part of Los Angeles. The South Bay in Los Angeles is home to several cute little beach towns, such as Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach, as well as the beautiful high bluffs of Palos Verdes. It’s where we always stay when we’re in Los Angeles. It’s conveniently close to LAX, and removed from the crazy Los Angeles traffic hell. What’s more, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach are all connected by a wonderful bike and walking path along the beach known as The Strand. Walking along The Strand, you’ll find everything you’ve ever wanted out of your Los Angeles beach experience: tan, fit people playing volleyball; long haired dudes surfing sick waves; chill bros whizzing by on rollerblades carrying Starbucks. It’s classic Los Angeles. Not only are these towns home to great beaches, good surf, plenty of sunshine, and delicious food, they also have a variety of local craft breweries and tap houses! So we figured, what’s the best way to visit beach towns? By bike, of course! And thus, The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl was born.

     The self-guided tour we’ve laid out below makes a great day long date for two (or like, your entire group of friends). It takes you to 8 bars and breweries in 3 towns: Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. And the best part? The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl can be done for as low as $100, including bike rental and so much beer! Oh and did I mention you’ll sample at least 29 beers? You might want to split a couple of those growlers.

Hey, we’ve created a super handy FREE downloadable Google Map & PDF for the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl. It’ll make this whole drinking beer and biking thing a lot easier, trust us. Enter your email address below to have the map delivered straight to your inbox.

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Here are some of our favorite spots just a few hours north of LA along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

Without further ado, we present to you our Los Angeles Craft Beer & Bikes Self-Guided Bar Crawl. 

The Strand bike and walking path in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, California.

The Strand bike and walking path in Redondo Beach, California. Photo Credit: “Redondo Beach – 038” (CC BY 2.0) by SupportPDX

Redondo Beach, California

     The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl  – SBCB&BBC for short (okay maybe the name doesn’t work as an acronym) – starts in one of the larger South Bay beach towns, Redondo Beach, located just north of Palos Verdes.

Here are some random facts about Redondo Beach that I found on Wikipedia just now:

  • Lia’s Dad grew up in Redondo Beach. Which isn’t really that interesting, but it does give us sort of half local’s cred, because Lia’s been coming here for her entire life to visit family. Also, her dad still knows the location of every Starbucks and surf shop in town. Yes, my father-in-law grew up surfing, too. We’re all California stereotypes here.
  • Redondo Beach was home to the filming of the classic television series, Baywatch.
  • Fox’s The O.C. (which everyone knows is way better than Baywatch) was seen filming at Redondo Union High School, Redondo Beach Pier, and local parks.
  • The area of Redondo Beach that starts in Palos Verdes is known as “RAT” (Right After Torrance) Beach. Cute.
  • Redondo Beach was described “The Gem Of The Continent” in the Los Angeles Daily Herald in 1887. Aww, that’s sweet.

Chill vibes. Anyway, all you really need to know is that there’s a sweet pier, some docks, and a bunch of great places to drink craft beer.

South Bay Beaches in Los Angeles on The Strand

South Bay is our favorite part of Los Angeles. Great vibes, good surf, plenty of sunshine, and tons of craft beer! Photo Credit: “Los Angeles – USA” (CC BY 2.0) by -marika bortolami-

Where to Start the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

Before we can start the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl, you’ll need to park your car and rent a bike – both in Redondo Beach. We recommend starting early, like around lunchtime. 

     Look for parking in Redondo Beach near the bike rental spot that we recommend, Perry’s Cafe and Beach Rentals*. Conveniently, you can also get a delicious brunch at Perry’s before you rent your bikes! Check out the breakfast menu and the bike rental prices. (If you’re rad and have your own bike, just skip to step 2 and park nearby.) After a hearty brunch (the better to help you soak up all the craft beer you’re about to drink), rent your bike (better make it an all-day or 24 hour rental, just in case) and begin the half-mile jaunt to the first stop on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl.

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     *Important Note: Perry’s is only open during the high season, which starts in May. If you’re visiting South Bay in the off-season, we recommend renting at Marina Bike Rentals instead, and skipping the first stop – it’s a bit too far. Instead, your first stop will be at King Harbor Brewing, below.*

The South Bay craft beer & bikes bar crawl on the Strand in Hermosa, Manhattan, and Redondo beaches in Los Angeles.

Don’t get excited. This is 2 flights. Also, friendly advice: don’t start the day off with 2 flights.

The Redondo Beach Brewing Company

     Your first stop for beer is the Redondo Beach Brewing Company. While the name might be a slight misnomer (they don’t actually brew their own beer here), the Redondo Beach Brewing Company has an impressive beer list with about 40 taps, most of which are from Los Angeles or nearby. The vast selection ranges from sours, to Belgians, to porters and stouts. A flight of 4 beers at the Redondo Beach Brewing Company costs $11.

Our favorite Los Angeles area (and nearby) craft beers at the Redondo Beach Brewing Company were:

  • Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin Ale from Boonville, CA
  • Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Vista, CA
  • Modern Times Black House Nitro Coffee Stout from San Diego, CA

     Once you’ve finished your first flight, hop on your bikes and head to the next spot. As The Strand becomes the harbor, you’ll be met with dozens of boats to the left and a parking garage on your right. Lock your bike up in the rack and head down a set of well marked stairs to the docks, where you’ll find your next two stops.

King Harbor Brewing Company, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

King Harbor Brewing Company, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

King Harbor Brewing in Redondo Beach

     Your second stop on the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl is King Harbor Brewing, whose in-house brewed list of craft beers is packed with hits. Your first thought might be “This place is small. They brew here!?” Well, not here, exactly. This is the tasting room. The actual brewery is located about two miles away. But don’t worry about the specifics. Just focus on the beer. There are 16 locally brewed craft beers available on tap. The flights here are “Choose Your Own Adventure” and the price is scaled depending on the beer. You can pull off a flight here for $12 and up.

     One of the most popular craft brews from King Harbor Brewing is the Coconut IPA. I think I should confess something: I’m not that into IPAs. I know. I can already feel my friends in the Bay Area disowning me. Look, they’re usually too floral, too bitter, and lack real complexity outside of the hops of choice.  Bearing that in mind, I LOVED the Coconut IPA from King. It has a toasted coconut taste, with the floral quality of IPA, and a lighter body. It’s the perfect beach beer.

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Our other favorite locally brewed craft beers from King Harbor Brewing were:

  • Darkness Before Dawn: A very dark, full-bodied creamy stout.
  • Blackberry Before Dawn: A very dark, full-bodied creamy stout made with blackberries, which add a slight tartness.
Naja's Place, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl in Redondo Beach, California

Naja’s Place has gnarly taps and surfboards on the ceiling. Rad, dude!

Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach

     A grueling 1 minute walk down the Redondo Beach  boardwalk puts you at Naja’s Place, where you’ll see the most beer in one place on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl. They have a stunning 88 beers on tap here, and all of them are from California! Given the decor (or lack of), intimidatingly long menu, and super knowledgeable bartenders, it’s clear this place is all about the beer. Fair warning: this place gets packed on the weekends and evenings.

     Naja’s Place does not have flights. Beer prices range from $7 to $9 a pint for most beers, and $8-$10 for specialties. After much discussion with the helpful bartender, I decided on the Stoutella from Knee Deep Brewing. The name says it all: a Nutella Stout! If you ordered the Peanut Butter Stout at Redondo Beach Brewing Company, expect something similar, but with a chocolate and hazelnut finish. My mouth is watering just remembering it.

     When you’ve finished your beer, hop back on your back and continue down the strand towards Hermosa Beach.

The Hermosa Beach Pier boardwalk in South Bay, Los Angeles, just off the Strand.

The Hermosa Beach Pier boardwalk on a foggy yet beautiful day.

Hermosa Beach, California

Hermosa Beach is an adorable little beach town. The Hermosa Beach Pier is the main spot in town, and nearby you’ll find loads of excellent places to eat, drink, and shop. One weird quirk that I’ve never understood is that all of the street signs are in a sort of Lord of the Rings font, which is super adorable.

Here are some other sweet truth bombs about Hermosa Beach:

  • A very long time ago, Hermosa Beach was a lot of farmland and barley, with herds of sheep and the occasional horse roaming about. Picture a sheep on the beach. How cute is that?
  • The very first Hermosa Beach pier was built in 1904 out of, presumably, driftwood and dental floss. It quickly washed away and was replaced in 1913 with a much more robust version.
  • Hermosa Beach has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year, and the rest of them are all misty, gray, and foggy. We can attest that it’s still really pretty, even in the fog.
  • There is a Surf Hostel on the Hermosa Beach Pier! Check it out!

Gnarly facts, bro. Your first stop in Hermosa Beach is a little bit before the pier and just off the Strand.

Surfer statue in Hermosa Beach Pier on the Strand, South Bay, Los Angeles, California

Just a mad chill surfer bro statue in Hermosa Beach, California. Hang ten, dudes.

Hot’s Kitchen in Hermosa Beach

     It might be a little off the pier, but even locals agree: Hot’s Kitchen has the biggest beer selection in Hermosa Beach. Taps range from local selections to ubiquitous domestic beers and even some imports. You’ll find beer flights available, plus daily $4 craft beer “Dank Deals” (that’s what they’re actually called. You’re in Los Angeles, remember?).

Here are a couple locally brewed South Bay craft beer recommendations:

After Hot’s Kitchen, ride your bike to the Hermosa Beach pier and lock it. You’re hoofing it for a little while.

Street signs in Hermosa Beach, California

Check out these quirky street signs! All of the street signs in Hermosa Beach have this incredibly cute little Lord of the Rings style font. Which I love because I’m a giant nerd.

Abigaile’s in Hermosa Beach

     A block or two up from the Hermosa Beach Pier is Abigaile’s. Part craft brewery, part fine dining, part… punk rock? Totally, dude. It might sound like an identity crisis, but this place owns it. They serve up craft beers brewed in house (you’ll see the actual brewery equipment behind the bar!), locally brewed beer selections from around Los Angeles and California, and incredible food like bone marrow, chicken and waffles, and goat cheese brussel sprouts. You know, the kind of stuff that make our foodie, hipster ears perk up.

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     On weekends the place is packed with brunch goers, but by the time you arrive, they should have died down. Grab a seat at the bar to make it easier, and order a beer flight. This is a good place to grab some snacks as well (but save dinner for the next spot). Lia really likes the sausage stuffed fried olives. I, on the other hand, think olives are best served in the trash, so it’s your call.

Beer flight at Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, California, on the Strand in South Bay.

Everything is better when served on a California shaped wood slab. Especially locally brewed craft beer at Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, California.

Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach

     Located a couple blocks up Pier Avenue, this place seems to have been made for us. The decor is all wood, succulents, and Mason jars (we’re stereotypes, and I’m not even mad about it). Another pointless reason we love this place? Their flights are served on California shaped wood boards. We have the same one at home, because everyone in California is obsessed with California. You can buy your very ownCalifornia wood board on Amazon too! Anyway, their flights are $12, and you’ll find some excellent selections. These were our faves:

  • Blood Orange Amber Ale from The Dudes in Torrance, CA. Tastes like an orange creamsicle.
  • The Patsy Coconut Rye Stout from Barley Forge Brewing Company in Costa Mesa, CA. A light bodied stout that tasted like coconut cream.

If you’re getting hungry for dinner, this is the spot. The food is on the pricier side, but it’s worth every penny. If you can, arrive around happy hour (3-6PM on weekdays). Our food recommendations (I’m not going to lie. We ate here like 8 times):

  • Seafood Chowder: It has bacon in it and it’s amazing.
  • Furikake House Fries: Truffle oil, seaweed flakes, parmesan, and incredible house made ketchup and mustard.
  • 30H pulled pork sandwich: braised with craft beer, of course.
  • Flat iron steak: with fingerling potatoes and smoky grilled piquillo peppers
  • Pear and burrata salad: with truffle oil and hazelnuts. Add scallops, too.

Save dessert for another spot. Chill, bro – we totes gotcha covered. Fersh.

Clock tower in Hermosa Beach, California, on the Strand in South Bay.

These gorgeous old clocks on the pier, as well as beachy street art, add charm and character to quirky little Hermosa Beach, California.

     Now is a good time to take a little breather and walk down the pier (and look for the resident dolphins). If it’s around sundown, definitely find a spot on the beach to relax and watch the sun set. Hermosa Beach’s sunsets are breathtaking, and no trip to California is complete without watching an ocean sunset. If you’re lucky, some mad chill surfer dude with a ukelele will be serving up chill vibes nearby. (That’s not like, a joke. That’s realistic. One time I went surfing in Hermosa and as I walked back across the beach, a surfer bro with a guitar gave me the hang 10 and asked if it was “crunchy” out there. It was totes crunchy that day, actually.)

After your romantic moment of California happiness (peace and love, brother!), hop back on those bikes and continue up the Strand towards Manhattan Beach.

Manhattan Beach Pier by demxx, on Flickr
Photo Credit: “Manhattan Beach Pier” (CC BY 2.0) by demxx

Manhattan Beach, California

Redondo Beach has its docks and marina charm; Hermosa Beach has chill, grungy surfer vibes; Manhattan Beach is, by comparison, posh. It shares the same love of beach volleyball and surfing as its neighbor beach towns along the Strand, but it’s decidedly more upper crust. Its hilly downtown can be explored from the starting point of the gorgeous Manhattan Beach Pier.

Here are some useless facts about Manhattan Beach that probably won’t be relevant to you at all:

  • Their school districts are REALLY good. There’s like 8 different school rankings on their Wikipedia page.
  • Speaking of their schools, Hannah Montana’s school was actually on location here in Manhattan Beach. You’ll catch views of the Manhattan Beach Pier in the show’s intro, too.
  • Some other notable TV shows and movies filmed in Manhattan Beach: Starsky & Hutch, Tequila Sunrise, Veronica Mars, Jerry Maguire, Point Break, Against All Odds, and the video for White Walls by Macklemore. And a bunch more.
  • The Beach Boys used to hang out and surf in Manhattan Beach, and they mention it in Surfin’ USA.

Totes chill, dudes. Chyea! Anyway, park your bike at the pier and hike up the hill to the next stop.

Cali Creamin vanilla cream ale at Brewco in Manhattan Beach, South Bay, Los Angeles California

This is the Cali Creamin’ nitro vanilla cream ale. Its incredibly foamy head tastes like Butterbeer. SO good!

Brewco in Manattan Beach

The penultimate stop on the tour is a tap house and sports bar with a rotating So-Cal craft beer menu. When we visited, they offered 2 pre-set beer flights. If you’ve had your fill of California craft beers (bummer, dude) Brewco has a great selection of Belgian beers. But in the spirit of keeping it local, these were our fave craft brewed California beers:

  • The Nothing Imperial Stout from Smog City Brewing in Torrance, CA. Aged on raw cacao nibs. Dark and bitter. Just like my heart. What? I’m totes JK, dudes.
  • Cali Creamin’ Nitro Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. in Vista, CA. This delicious vanilla cream ale has a frothy, creamy vanilla head that reminded me of Butterbeer (like, at Harry Potter world in Universal Studios. You know. The good stuff.) It was definitely one of our absolute favorites of the day.

Down your beers and hit the street one last time for the very last stop on our craft beer bar crawl!

Simmzy's beer flight in Manhattan Beach, South Bay, Los Angeles, California.

The beer flight at Simmzy’s is served on a tiny surfboard, because of course it is. I love you, South Bay!

Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach

Our very last stop on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl is Simmzy’s, which is a totally chill sports bar with, of course, a fantastic selection of locally brewed craft beers. There are 24 drafts on tap. These were our faves:

  • Mocha Machine Porter by Beachwood BBQ from Long Beach, CA. Smells like coffee, tastes like coffee.
  • Gypsy Tart Brown Sour by Bruery Terreux from Anaheim, CA. Flanders-style brown ale; tart, sour, dark and syrupy.

You did it, bro! Celebrate your success by drunkenly inhaling a stuffed Apple Caramel Doughnut from Simmzy’s. Or, if you need a pick-me-up, stop by Manhattan Beach Creamery for a cupcake and a Cold Brew Nitro Float (that’s coffee with an ice cream float, not beer).

The apple caramel stuffed donut from Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach, California, in South Bay, Los Angeles.

The apple stuffed doughnut covered with salted caramel, chopped pistachios, and vanilla ice cream from Simmzy’s is incredible after a long day of drinking a ton of craft beer. Or like, anytime.

The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl: Locations

Here’s a handy list of all the places along the Strand that you’ll be visiting on this self-guided craft beer bar crawl. But to make it even easier, we’ve compiled the entire post into a handy dandy FREE printable map with directions (and a Google Map, in case you’re more of a digital dude).  I know, we’re the best, right? Sign up to below to have the map delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Hook & Plow: 425 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach CA | Open 11 AM-10 PM daily
  • Brewco: 124 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 11pm
  • Simmzy’s: 229 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 11pm
  • Manhattan Beach Creamery: 1120 Manhattan Beach Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 10, 11 on weekends

Looking for even more amazing South Bay craft beer breweries? Local expert Craft Beer Guy has a comprehensive list of South Bay breweries! If you’d like to spend more time in Los Angeles, here’s a quick guide to Fun Things to Do in Los Angeles on Back Street Nomads, or the most Instagrammable places in LA, the home of Instagrammable things (and people!) on My Suitcase Journeys. Oh, and if you’re still hungry, check out some of the best tacos in LA on Bacon is Magic.

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Here are some of our favorite spots just a few hours north of LA along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

Hey, we’d love to hear how your bar crawl turns out. Tell us all of your ridiculous bar crawl stories in the comments below!

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A self-guided craft beer bike tour on the Strand in South Bay, Los Angeles! Drink locally brewed craft beer in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach.

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13 Comments

Comments

  1. Vrithi Pushkar says: March 18, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    I love Craft beer. I need to do this when in California. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. kellybarcus says: March 26, 2017 at 4:49 am

    The Strand is one of our favorite places to ride our beach cruisers. And love the idea of making your own pub or food crawl. We did that once in SF where we rented bikes and rode from chocolate shop to chocolate shop! It was so much fun!

    Reply
    • Lia says: March 27, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      That’s an awesome idea! Although the hills in SF make biking a much more challenging task. The Strand is quite a bit easier for a novice bike rider like me!

      Reply
  3. Eloise - MyFavouriteEscapes.com says: March 26, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    I’d love to visit California one day. And now that I’ve read your article about all the craft beers, I’m even more interested!!!!! 😉

    Reply
    • Lia says: March 27, 2017 at 5:52 pm

      We’re only slightly biased, but California is the best place in the entire world and you should definitely come visit 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dhaval Parmar says: March 27, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    This is an incredible and comprehensive list! Totally bookmarking this for the next time we visit there!

    Reply
  5. Luke Marlin | Backstreet Nomad says: April 3, 2017 at 8:09 am

    This is such a great guide, I just wish I had read it before I was in CA last December!

    Reply
  6. Lloyd Brown says: April 13, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Thanks for the mention; cheers!

    The Craft Beer Guy 😉

    Reply
  7. Dan Clinton says: July 27, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    This looks awesome.
    The link for map isn’t working, any idea why?

    Reply
    • Lia says: July 28, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      You’re totally right, thanks for calling that to my attention! I removed the links. Instead, please use the forms to get your downloadable map. It’ll be sent right to your inbox!

      Reply

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  • [POKHARA, NEPAL] Snowy Himalayan peaks. Lush green hills. A peaceful, shimmering lake dotted with bright blue boats. Skydivers and paragliders soaring high above. Welcome to Pokhara, Nepal! Best known as the gateway to the Annapurna Circuit, Pokhara is also the soft adventure capital of Nepal. . After the overwhelming, dusty chaos of Kathmandu, arriving in Pokhara felt like a breath of fresh air - literally and figuratively. Literally because I'd been wearing a mask to protect my lungs all week. And figuratively, because Pokhara is a peaceful, beautiful, quiet lake town. I'm more of a country girl than a city girl (I grew up on a farm in Kentucky, remember?) and Pokhara was absolutely perfect. . We arrived in Pokhara at night, and it felt like we'd entered another world. Bright lights lined the streets, enticing us with food from every country, dance and karaoke clubs, shops full of cashmere blankets and singing bowls, and outdoor gear for the trekkers who flock to Pokhara. . Although we weren't here for a trek, we did explore Pokhara's bright green hills on a hike to the Shanti Stupa, a Peace Pagoda perched at the top of steep stone stairs. Our group bounded up the stairs, eager to stretch their legs after several days of 12+ hour drives along dusty, unpaved roads. But I took about 10 sweaty steps in the 85-degree heat and opted to take the scenic route instead (I am VERY ill-equipped I am for hiking in hot places, y'all, Northern California spoils me). . After our hike, our guide drove us to a handicraft market - Pokhara has some of the best in all of Nepal - but instead of shopping, we walked right through the market and emerged at the ornate entrance of a cave. Inside the cave we found a cow statue and a waterfall. Nepal is full of surprises..Early the next morning, we woke up at 4am and sat in mountain traffic for 2 hours so we could watch the sun rise over the Himalayas. We stood in the rain and watched fog rolling in over the hills, but the mountains were completely hidden from view. Somehow, I wasn't disappointed at all. I know I'll be back to catch that view. . Do you prefer big cities or quiet towns? Drop me a comment below!
  • I've been struggling to find the best way to tell the story of Nepal. Nepal is full of sound and movement. How can pictures and words do justice to the pounding feet of Tharu dancers, the spinning of prayer wheels, fields of rippling elephant grass, torn prayer flags fluttering in the wind? . Nepal is an explosion of sights, smells, and sounds. The word "overwhelming" comes close, but falls short - overwhelm causes anxiety. Nepal feels more like slipping into a welcoming, friendly crowd and letting its momentum whisk you away on a joyful, chaotic journey. . While I sift through hundreds of photos and video clips from my 2.5 week trip to Nepal and, the best I can do is to give you moments. Snippets. Bite-sized pieces of Nepal to hold and examine and savor. I know it's not enough, but you'll just have to visit Nepal to get the whole experience. . My first bite-sized chunk: the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu. A stupa is, for all intents and purposes, like a large, round temple. Except instead of going inside of it, you circle around outside of it, walking a sacred Pradakshina path. The Boudhanath is very, very old and so enourmous I couldn't capture it in a vertical photo; just the very top, high above me. Surrounding the stupa are walls of shops and monasteries, and in between is a circular sea of people. Around and around they go, chanting, praying, singing. . During the month we visited, it was said to be auspicious to circle the Stupa 13 times. I managed 2 before I got dizzy from all the circling and pulled off to watch. There is no good place to be standing still in a sea of movement, so I made my way up to an ornate monastery overlooking the Stupa, where I met a monk. He had a cell phone. I didn't know monks could have cell phones. My new friend told me that he'd been a monk for over 20 years and yes, sometimes he wished he wasn't. He was so open, and I found myself struggling to ask him the right questions. I kept coming back to "why?" But our languages fell short, and without spirituality, I couldn't fully grasp his answers. So instead, we watched the sun set over the Stupa together in the rain. . Where have you visited that defied description?
  • [DREAMING BIG] What a whirlwind this past month has been. I literally made a complete 360 across the globe as a hosted speaker and delegate at two incredible travel conferences, and MAN, am I pinching myself. . FLASHBACK: In June 2016, three long years ago, I was back at my old job. I had put in my notice and nervously published my first ever blog post, titled "Today's the Day I Quit My Job to Go Travelling" (yes, it comes up on Google, I just checked 😂). I was doing my best to tie up loose ends, assuring my supportive but anxious co-workers that I'd be back after a year (probably), and internally screaming. Did I really just throw away a job I genuinely enjoyed in favor of chasing a crazy, scary dream?. Worst-case scenarios plagued me. What if the savings I'd been carefully piling up for 5 years ran out? What if we got sick while traveling? What if we were robbed, mugged, knifed, or kidnapped? What if traveling stressed our fledgling marriage to the breaking point (probably the most unlikely scenario of all)? What if we couldn't find jobs when we returned? What if, what if, what if?? . But in all those what-ifs, there were a few that never even crossed my mind: what if our travel blog took off? What if it started earning us money before our savings ran out? What if it enabled us to spend more time together and with our friends and family? What if it replaced and outpaced my old corporate salary? What if I didn't return to an office job at all? What if, 3 years from now, I found myself being flown all the way around the world? . I never imagined myself on an international stage speaking about blogging. I never dreamed that I'd find myself here in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, learning about the rich and beautiful cultures of Nepal. . How could I? I had only published a single blog post. . And yet, here I am. Pinch me; I must be dreaming. . Do you have wild, crazy dreams that seem too impractical to be achievable? Dream big with me in the comments! . #visitnepal #HTM2019 #GatewaytotheHimalayas #LifeTimeExperiences #thisissustainable⁣
  • I’ve been having the most incredible few weeks in Austria and Nepal! I haven't posted because I’ve been too busy actually, like, DOING things, but I’ll catch y'all up soon! In the meantime I want to share something I've been mulling over on. long, bumpy, dusty van rides through Nepal. .⠀ Something I’ve realized this week that the best part of being a travel blogger isn’t actually the travel (although it's rad). It's being able to create memories in incredible places with people I love. It's eating pasta in Italy with my Mom. It’s wandering around the streets of Cartagena, Colombia at 2am with my BFF. It’s late night beignets in New Orleans with my husband and one of his closest friends. It’s browsing dusty old bookstores in Boulder, Colorado with my two best friends from home.⠀ .⠀ And it’s also creating memories with new friends. Like attending a TV taping and meeting Anne Hathaway’s parents in Los Angeles with @passportsandplates and @happytowander and getting Mexican with @megcale. Sharing childhood stories over pizza in Graz, Austria with @huesofdelahaye and @the_mindful_mermaid. Chatting over schnitzel in Vienna with @bordersofadventure and @carlyhulls. Yodelling in Graz with @livesharetravel and the entire #PropelGraz conference crew. Shopping for cashmere blankets and singing bowls in Pokhara, Nepal with @kelleytravels and @honeybirdtravel and then meeting up with @twowanderingsoles (FINALLY!) for dinner. And so many more perfect moments. Like, what kind of amazing job do I have that I get to hang out with wonderful friends in beautiful places all over the world?! Pinch me. This is really my life?!⠀ .⠀ I’ve never felt luckier than I have this month. Even though I’m always sad to travel without Jeremy, I haven’t been alone for a moment - I’ve had friends with me every step of the way. So today I'm feeling deep, incredible gratitude. Who knew that starting a crappy little Blogspot blog with an MS paint banner would eventually lead me here?!⠀ .⠀ What are you feeling grateful for today? Or if you’re having a sh*t week and gratitude is the last thing on your mind, tell me about a memory you shared with someone in an amazing place! . 📸: @happytowander
  • Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary!!👰🏻💕🤵 we've had 3 amazing years of being legally obsessed with each other. 🎉This is the first year we’re actually celebrating! We left for our year-long honeymoon right after our wedding and were still honeymooning on our first anniversary (we spent it on a long bus ride in Mexico). Last year I was attending a travel conference, and today I was actually supposed to be on a flight to a conference… but instead I’m arriving late and we’re going out for dinner and to see Hamilton. Priorities! . I wanted to share some mushy wedding photos and tell you a little about our wedding in the form of FUN FACTS! 🤓Hold onto these in case of Liaremy Trivia later...⠀ . 🌲 We got married in a redwood grove at the Berkeley Botanical Gardens. We felt tiny and insignificant and it was pefect. ⠀ .⠀ 👠I didn't want to be distracted by sore feet, so I went barefoot. At the time we were frequent barefoot hikers, so it didn't seem that nuts. In retrospect, it definitely seems nuts. . 📝We created themed Wedding Speech Mad Libs for our guests to fill out, in the style of stereotypical obnoxious wedding guests (IE the still-attached ex, the jealous single older sibling, the uncomfortably drunk friend from college, etc). Sadly, someone threw them away before we had a chance to read them! Luckily we got to see a few performed live. . 🍋In an effort to save $$ I did as much DIY as possible. I DIY’d my makeup, invitations, centerpieces, & favors. I made my bridal party forage lemons and eucalyptus sprigs from our neighborhood for decoration. We wrote our ceremony from scratch and had a friend officiate. Special thanks to our amazing community of loving, generous friends/manual laborers (y’all are the best). .⠀ 🎤We had a karaoke reception MC’d by our favorite Karaoke DJ, the amazing @rogerniner! Our first dance/performance as a married couple was Time of Your Life, attempted lift & all. . ❤ Each day since our wedding has been filled with disgusting, mushy, unconditional love. Marriage is the best! 10/10, we highly recommend it. . 💍Tell me a story about the best wedding you've ever attended in the comments!
  • Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, so even though I like to think I appreciate Jeremy every day, I want to give him an extra shout-out (even though I'm a few days late, whoops). He deserves it. .⠀ Jeremy, aka Mr. Garcia, is the kind of teacher who would do anything for his kids. Extra office hours. Texts on nights and weekends. Phone calls on vacation. Weekends spent planning an educational field trip to Colombia with @take_flyte_org (psst: the donate link to help support the trip is in our bio! Everything helps😉).But it's not just about dedicating his time. Every day he strives to better his ability to instruct both his kids and lead his team (he's also a grade lead, & attending night school classes - free time? what's that?). He provides emotional support, guidance, and encouragement. He provides unconditional love and acceptance. He cheers his kids' successes and gives them the ol' "I know you can do better" disappointment speech when they don't meet expectations. And he does it all with plenty of jokes (although to be fair, most of them are terrible).⠀ . Mr. Garcia is the kind of teacher that you remember from high school years later. The wise-cracking, tell-it-like-it-is hard-a** who will always be there when you really need help and support. The "tough but fair" teacher. The teacher who demands your respect, but knows when to break character and crack jokes. The teacher who gets your meme reference but turns it into an awful joke that makes you cringe. The teacher who listens to the same music as you, but plays it off like he isn't cool. The teacher you add on Instagram and Facebook and come to with your struggles in college and hit up for a beer after you turn 21 (his first graduating class just turned 21, we're reeling). He's that kind of teacher. And the world needs more teachers like that. . In the era of school shootings, being married to a. high school teacher is a little terrifying. But Jeremy always tells me that the best way to prevent a school shooting is to tell his kids how much he loves them every single day. And he does. . Do you have a teacher who made a positive impact on you in high school? Tell me all about them in the comments!
  • You wouldn't know how STRONG I am by looking at me. You wouldn't know how many years I've spent training myself - both emotionally and physically - to develop that strength. You wouldn't be able to tell how far I've come. How hard I've pushed myself. How much I've trained. . To become strong emotionally, I trained my mind. I learned how to look at myself in the mirror and say kind things - sometimes out loud, sometimes SHOUTING over the negative voice in my own head. I had to learn to forgive myself for being a flawed and imperfect person. I had to pull myself from the brink of death and recover from repeated instances of trauma. I even had to learn how to eat again. . To become strong physically, I had to train my body. I had to learn how to activate muscles that had NEVER been activated. I had to accept how weak I was, that I lacked physical strength and mobility, and lean into those weaknesses in order to correct them. I learned to identify those weaknesses and failures as data - useful information that could inform my training and help me improve.. When I started powerlifting, I couldn't even lift the bar. I couldn't even get into a squat without falling over - that took me a full year to fix. When I started hiking, I couldn't go for more than a few minutes at a time without needing a break to catch my breath. When I started rock climbing, every inch up the wall felt like torture. . When I started recovering from my eating disorder, the biggest challenge was owning up to the pain I'd been inflicting on my own body. It was apologizing to myself for the torture I'd put myself through, and making amends with my tormentor: myself. .I'm not perfect. But in powerlifting, you have to fail in order to build more muscle. I find the same is true for emotional strength.. Today, I am STRONG - both emotionally and physically. I still train my mind and my body, because training never stops - it's a lifelong practice. And the more I train, the easier it gets to face challenges that I face - because my training has prepared me for it. . In what ways are you strong? Let's celebrate our strengths (and lovingly, fearlessly acknowledge our weaknesses) in the comments!

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