Nicaragua and Amigas

Last year I went on my first solo travel adventure. I chose Nicaragua because of the awesome waves and weather and that Nicaragua was also the home base of Surf with Amigas surf and yoga retreat. After finding Surf with Amigas and saw it was run by a pro surfer and the days would consist of surfing, yoga, volcano boarding and experiencing local culture all with a bunch of cool girls, I knew I had found my dream trip. I felt completely safe in Nicaragua despite the reputation I knew it had. The waves, weather and girls were all AMAZING!!!!

I arrived in Nicaragua knowing nothing about the culture, not knowing any of the girls that would be at the retreat and really no idea what to expect. I was blown away at the awesomeness of it all! I stayed in the very poor community of El Manzano Uno at El Coco Loco, an eco friendly "resort". There were no hot showers, flushing toilets and there were even bats in our cabana but it was absolute paradise to me. Peaceful, beautiful and simple are the best ways I can describe El Coco Loco and the community of El Manzano Uno.

Outside of my cabana. The hammock on the porch was perfect for relaxing afternoons.

Surfing the bay right by El Coco Loco

The Volcano we hiked up then boarded down. It was huge!!

I love jumping pictures! At the top of the volcano!!

Volcano boarding

Having dinner up in the hills

Inside my cabana

The showers and bathrooms were all outdoors

The most peaceful way to take a shower. Outdoors in the middle of beautiful nature.

The main part of the resort where we'd eat all the meals and hang out.

Outdoor yoga studio overlooking the ocean 

Sunset on an empty beach

Fun girls!!!

Heading out to go surf. Loved this board!

First time riding a horse ever! I was terrified!!

Relaxing after another awesome surf session

The California Coast

We just got back from an amazing, trip taking the coastal route from San Diego to the Oregon border. Since we have both grown up in Southern California, we didn't really need to explore much in this region so our exploring part of the trip really began in Central California.

The coastal towns are so small and mellow once you leave Southern California. We brought a book full of surf breaks with us and stopped at some of the better waves. It was a great experience to explore the Central and Northern California culture. We talked to local surfers and hung out in hippy towns. We hiked in forests, along deserted coasts and along coastal bluffs. It was a phenomenal trip and we recommend it to everyone! Our favorite stretch of coastline in the state would probably have to be the Sonoma County Coast, just north of Bodega Bay. It is isolated, scenic and absolutely beautiful. Once you leave Southern California, the hotels are very affordable too. We did the trip in 5 days up and 2 days down. Here are some of the main highlights from the road trip:

Hiking in Patrick's Point State Park

Redwoods State Park

Exploring the Lost Coast

Smith River

Sunrise on the Sonoma County coast

Cute little surf town of Capitola

Surfing Santa Cruz

The hook surf break

Big Sur

Delicious cinnamon rolls in Pismo Beach