Warm California Sun

OHBI gals can't stay away from the ocean for too long so we made another trip to Santa Cruz. As per usual this dreamy beach town did not disappoint. We visited some of our favorite tourist spots and even discovered some new places to share with y'all. Keep on reading to plan your next beach getaway in the warm California sun! 

The Beach Boardwalk isn't a newly discovered place for us but sitting on the beach and listening to the Gin Blossoms live was a new experience. We needed a major chill pill when we started to feel like we were reliving the 90's in all their glory. It was amazing! Every summer the Boardwalk hosts free Friday night 'Bands on the Beach'. The concerts feature various artists and run from June to September. If you're planning a trip today (August 25th)  you can find Smash Mouth rockin' the stage. In spirit we'll be singing "You're an all-star" with y'all because YOU are! 

Since the moon was throwing some serious shade towards the sun this week with the total solar eclipse, the tide was higher than usual. It almost reached the stage during the last song "Hey Jealousy" and omgosh there was definitely a moment of panic! Although the tide rising wasn't going to sweep us away into the ocean we couldn't help but jump to our feet and prepare to run for our lives. We definitely played it off as dancing and low-key sang to our ourselves (the tide is high but we're holding on)! The world ending by a flood of water is just one of S' irrational fears but she quickly forgot about it after riding the Giant Dipper. After all, the rides are the best part about visiting the boardwalk and of course all that deep fried food. 

Verve Coffee Roasters is always on the top of the list of places to visit in Santa Cruz. We checked out a different location that just so happens to be where all the beans are roasted and shipped out. We were told 20 thousands pounds of beans ship out to their various locations weekly including Tokyo, Japan (so cool). We may have gotten a little too excited and ordered about half of the menu, YIKES. NO REGRETS because everything was delicious as always! We tried a few new drinks including the iced cascara jamaica and the espresso tonic. So freakin' good! And they satisfied all our caffeine needs! We couldn't help but order this pretty in pink raspberry brioche topped with sugar rocks. It was almost too pretty to eat... JK we eat everything put in front of our faces. 

Y'all. We've got two words for you. CHOCOLATE TASTING. All of our chocolate dreams came true when we stumbled upon Mutari Chocolate on our way home from the beach. Mutari offers a tasting flight of sipping chocolates or hot chocolates. Obviously we chose to taste both flights and we're so glad we did! Each craft chocolate has such a distinct and unique flavor it's almost indescribable. We even sampled a piece of chocolate that was  100% pure cacao which we won't even attempt to describe because we have no words except "TRY IT"! The sweetest part of this chocolate heaven was the uniquely large clock with Tom Selleck and the significant amount of thigh he was showing off! We couldn't help but laugh. If you want a good chuckle check the clock out here! 

Do you have a green thumb? If yes, teach us your ways! If not, welcome to the "easy to care for plant lovers club" AKA Succulent Lovers Club. DIG Gardens has got our backs when it comes to all things succulents. DIG has two large rooms filled with home decor, the most adorable greeting cards, candles, and of course all of the plants you could ever dream of! They even have an extended outdoor area filled with more pants, outdoor furniture, and planters. 

For breakfast we checked out a new spot, The Buttery. Is butter a carb?!? We're asking for a friend. This charming spot offers all the usual breakfast faves and every pastery ever invented. Check out all of the food we ordered that we know are full of carbs including a breakfast croissant sandwich, quiche, and for a sweet treat an apricot danish. (Still waiting to hear back about the butter). 

Before heading back home to reality we stopped in Capitola because

1. RAINBOW colored buildings located all throughout the downtown area including the famous Venetian Hotel  *SWOON*

2. Marianne's Ice cream, any flavor you choose won't leave you disappointed.  

Both are equally important enough for us to take a ten minute car ride out of the way. 

When the tide is high IRL and you're barely holding on, a beach get away is exactly what you need! With the warm summer nights getting shorter and shorter, we hope y'all are feeling inspired to hold onto what is left of this summer season and take a trip to the beach! 

Share your adventures with us on Instagram by tagging us @ohhoneybeeinspired or using the hashtag OHBIgirlgang. Let us know if you find any new places we should check out!

xoxo  

S&A