How to Stay Warm in Vancouver When You're a Beach Bum

For New Year's I made my monthly trek up to Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver. Home to my boyfriend, Lululemon, Ryan Reynolds, and a thriving beach volleyball community, I'm convinced Kits Beach is the only part of Canada where a California flower like me could survive!


So how does a summer-loving beach girl like me stay warm in Vancouver in the midst of winter? By playing indoor beach volleyball at 6Pack, riding bikes to artsy Granville Island for warm chicken noodle soup, saying hello to dolphins & tropical fish at the Vancouver Aquarium, getting a workout snow tubing at nearby Cypress Mountain, and searching for the best latte in town. And the winner is..... the Vanilla Latte at JJ Bean in Granville Island. It tasted like toasted marshmallows and came with a heart made of foam. The only part of the trip that wasn't warm? The annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day. Brrrrrrrrr!

My limited edition Hendu's Hat :)

On the Road » California Coast to Jersey Shore

I'm en route to Belmar, New Jersey for tournament #3 on the road. These past 6 months have been quite the whirlwind filled with workouts, practices, scrimmages, and local tournaments to help prepare me for a summer of pro beach volleyball with several tournament stops nationwide from May to October.

Me and beach volleyball partner Laryssa in Fort Lauderdale

Training with my beach volleyball partner Laryssa began back in January, when we hired coach/player/skyball master Dana Camacho to sharpen up our skills and teach us some new tricks. At 7am, we're usually the first team out on the sand in Hermosa Beach. By 9am I'm off to the gym for a quick shower before work, but yet still manage to somehow bring sand into work with me! (My coworkers are pretty much used to it by now.)

Last month we traveled to the East Coast for two solid weeks where we played in the National Volleyball League's first stop in Baltimore, followed by the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series first stop in Fort Lauderdale. The trip kicked off our season with a great start, garnering a 13th and 17th finish, while still leaving us hungry for more... Our goal being to climb to the Top 10 in the nation this season.

The NVL Baltimore tournament was the same weekend as Preakness, and the semi-finals and finals were set up in the middle of the infield festivities. What an amazing sight to see a beach volleyball court in the middle of this famous horse race with hundreds of people watching throughout the day. The best part?! Watching the men's and women's Olympic teams Jen Kessey/April Ross and Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers compete in the finals, gearing up for this summer's London Olympics.

Here are some pics from the trip, and a video I took of the champion horse I'll Have Another as he raced by us on his way to Preakness victory! Sadly, I'll Have Another was in the running for a Triple Crown (a la Secretariat) but had to pull out due to injury. Let's hope for a healthy and speedy recovery!

Me and Laryssa playing in the NVL in Baltimore

Watching the night games in Baltimore - what a great city skyline!

Going for a run in Baltimore

Found this great staircase to do some sprints on - is that the Baltimore Ravens stadium in the background!?

Weekend Matchup

My mission to explore LA with fresh eyes led me straight to the "coolest museum party in town".  Not since attending Science Camp as a kid had I been back to the Natural History Museum - I was long overdue!  I suckered my childhood friend Monica into pitching in for a dual membership at $30 each (includes free tickets to First Fridays for one year).  Food trucks lined up outside the museum and we headed straight for Auntie’s Frye Bread for some tasty Native American fusion.  Inside the museum we toured the dinosaur exhibits, played with toys in the gift shop, partook in some Penfolds wine drinking, petted and took pictures with a very scary 15-foot long T-Rex who growled at us, and enjoyed us some Matthew Dear!  And all this before 10 o’clock ;)

Weekend Matchup

Photos/Design: Andrea Peterson

STAY INSPIRED: Quote for the Weekend Warrior

Traveling at Home in LA: The Getty + Luxe Sunset Boulevard

This post kicks off the “Traveling at Home in LA” blog series where I channel that traveling spirit and adventurer in me who fades away in between vacations. A duo of LA travel finds will be featured each time...cafes, live music scenes, shopping, cool bars, hotels, museums, outdoor activities - you’re all on my list! (Did I mention my 2012 resolution is to get out of the 'South Bay bubble' more? Two birds one stone ;)
 

Vy and I at the LACOT meetup, hosted by the Luxe Sunset Boulevard

After coming back from New Zealand, my first venture out of the South Bay bubble is for an after-work function (baby steps!). My Contiki coworker, PR guru Vy, invited me to join her at to the L.A. Consortium of Online Travel’s monthly meet-up for travel bloggers and tourism pros. Tucked away from the 405 and spread out on 7 acres is the Luxe Sunset Boulevard. The hotel is a comforting two stories tall and from the outdoor patio we can see the Getty directly above us.

Arriving a bit early, we grab a glass of wine and delicate hors d'oeuvres prepared by the hotel chef and have a look around. Plenty of cozy nooks line the lounge and courtyard. We take a peek inside one of the hotel rooms and are amazed at how spacious it is.  

Above photos from www.luxesunsethotel.com

After an hour or two of more wine and fresh ceviche, mingling with other LACOT travel writers, and hearing guest speaker Johnny Jet's inspiring talk, Vy gestures it’s time to call it a night. Wait! No! I pat my pockets for my hotel room key and slowly snap out of it. My grand plan to have my latte by the Luxe pool the next morning and wander up to the Getty afterwards pops like a bottle of champagne. Alas, it's only a work event and I have to return home for work in the morning, boo.

After the beach, the Getty Center is always the second place I take friends when they visit LA for the first time. Admission is free, the tram-ride up to the hilltop gives it the excitement of a theme park, the art is endless, and the views of LA are unparalleled. I could spend all day hanging out in the gardens and picnicking. If you've never been and you live in LA, shame on you! Plan your next visit and check out the Event Calendar for Museum Exhibitions, Performances, Films, and Food Events. On Saturdays in summer, the Getty hosts an outdoor concert series featuring live world music. I've never been, but I bet you can hear it from the Luxe!

Photo credit: blog.paolotaverna.com

Photo credit: www.perkeyfineart.com

Photo credit: About.com

Photo credit: Flickr weinong

Travel at Home Tip: 

Check out Luxe Hotel’s 360° Package for a weekend getaway in your own city. Available for all 3 LA locations including Sunset Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, and City Center in Downtown LA. Includes room upgrade at check-in, complimentary breakfast, bottle of Shiraz wine, use of iPad2 during stay (sweet!), and town car transportation to and from airport if needed. Cost: $360/night.  (Two night minimum.)

STAY INSPIRED: Rumi's 'The Tavern'

Taken at Knob Hill in Redondo. Photography & design by Andrea Peterson.

Inspired by one of my favorite Rumi poems, "The Tavern". Reminds of summer days a few years ago playing Aces on 8th in Manhattan Beach, followed by a long night at Shellbacks or Barnacles. Or an afternoon in Marina Del Rey, followed by burgers, beers and pool with some local pirates at Hinano's.

The Tavern

- Rumi

 All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
 Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
 I have no idea.
 My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that,
 And I intend to end up there.

 This drunkenness began in some other tavern.
 When I get back around to that place,
 I'll be completely sober. Meanwhile,
 I'm like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary.
 The day is coming when I fly off,
 But who is it now in my ear who hears my voice?
 Who says words with my mouth?

 Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul?
 I cannot stop asking.
 If I could taste one sip of an answer,
 I could break out of this prison for drunks.
 I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.
 Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.

 This poetry. I never know what I'm going to say.
 I don't plan it.
 When I'm outside the saying of it, I get very quiet and rarely speak at all.

 We have a huge barrel of wine, but no cups.
 That's fine with us. Every morning
 We glow and in the evening we glow again.

 They say there's no future for us. They're right.
 Which is fine with us.