California
The main reason for my California trip was because we threw a big client appreciation event downtown Los Angeles. The event was held in a penthouse suite at the AT&T center and the views were phenomenal. It was an incredibly successful event and I was able to stay through the weekend to visit with some family and friends... so on to the fun stuff!
My baby brother lives in LA and I stayed with him through the weekend. I wanted to get out of the LA/Hollywood area and enjoy the nature. We decided to go horseback riding in Malibu and I am so happy that we did. Park Place Stable was more than accommodating to get us in. For $60 for an hour, you get a lovely guided tour through the mountains. It was so peaceful.
My favorite part was when we galloped. It was quite funny because our group consisted of City Slickers and we were all amateur riders. My friend Michelle had the brilliant idea to pick up the pace a bit. A few kicks and our horses were haulin' ass... literally!
At one point, my horse Fiona, just took off. I thought the rest of the group was going to find me face planted in some cacti (plural for cactus... who knew it was spelled that way?!), but I surprisingly managed her pretty well... as did everyone else. SO glad that we stepped out of our comfort zone and did this.
Just down the road from Park Place Stable is the Malibu Cafe. This place was awesome. The epitome of California. Riding the horses definitely worked up our appetite... and thirst! We found a nice little spot to relax, sip on some sangria and munch on some good food.
The atmosphere at this place was so chill. Live music, corn hole, adirondack chairs, chandeliers in trees and whimsical umbrellas made this place into an adult playground. I could have stayed there all day and into the night, but we all wanted to go to the beach.
We finished our day on Venice Beach, which is where my friend Joey lives (in the most CHARMING apartment just steps from the beach). Some California wine, red solo cups and a beach blanket is all we needed to wind down the day and catch up on lost time. We even snuck Michelle's little fur child, Max, onto the beach with us where he acted as my muse for a few rounds of photos.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera available for this, but my friend Leslie took me to the Cornell Winery & Tasting Room. I am mildly obsessed with this place. It is a quirky little destination as you can drink wine, go shopping, see peacocks and get some down home cooking all in one place. I just love finding places like this off the beaten path.
All in all, it was the perfect California trip. Family. Friends. Mountains. Ocean. Food & Drink. I could not have asked for more.
Florida
Right from LA, work took me down to Florida about an hour east of Tampa to a luxury resort that we manage called Streamsong, While I was working most of the time, it was able to explore in the evenings and even squeeze in a boat ride/fishing trip.
If you are a golfer, you need to get to Streamsong. If you are in need of some desperate R&R, get to Streamsong. If you live in Florida and need a little "stay-cation", get to Streamsong. The owners of this property built an impeccable resort that is gaining notoriety among golfers from all across the nation. I'm not even a golfer yet I was blown away and how beautiful the courses were, effortlessly blending in with the natural terrain.
Here are just a few snaps of my stay, including some gators and the most gorgeous sunsets I have seen in a long time!
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