The Postal Service Concert

This weekend I went and saw a band used to be one of my favorites, The Postal Service. I can't say that I listen to them much anymore but I love their music and still managed to remember the lyrics to most of the songs. The band is made up of the talented Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset, and Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley. The band got their name because they used to make their music. Tamborello would produce it then send it to Gibbard who would edit it and add vocals.

They have a really nice sound. I would say it's a kind of electro indie? I've always been bad at pinpointing what genre different music belongs to. It's mellow with awesome vocals and great lyrics .
The show was a lot of fun. I went with my parents, my best friend, and a few family friends. The music is pretty mellow and most people were just standing still, but our group was dancing, singing, laughing and having a grand ole time.

Their performance was on point, they were great performers. The set up they had on stage was really cool with led lights and bright changing colors and patterns.

I would see them again in a heartbeat!
Here's their most popular song, always a classic.

HWY 1 Music

This song is the epitome of Big Sur, in fact it's even called Big Sur. Mason Jennings has such a great voice and awesome lyrics, his music just makes you feel good. This song will always remind me of cruising up the coast and listening to music. I love this song.

And then there's this song, which is just super chill and perfect for the drive.

Salmon Creek

With Spring break around the corner I am getting very excited to go home. I am from a tiny town in northern San Luis Obispo County called Cambria. Most people know of it because of the Hearst Castle which is a mere 5 miles from where I grew up. To say plainly, I grew up in a beautiful place. Being just south of Big Sur, my friends and I loved driving up the absolutely breathtaking coast and either going to the beach at Sand dollar or hiking on the many hikes Big Sur has to offer. It’s safe to say Big Sur is one of my favorite places in the world (so far!).

 Sand Dollar Beach

 A couple of my best friends and I at one of the many lookouts in Big Sur

Since I’m excited about visiting some old hikes I thought I would write about one of my favorites, Salmon Creek. Salmon Creek is in southern Big Sur and has a quite the epic waterfall that flows heavily during the winter. 

The hike is heavily shaded by trees, the air is crisp and fresh, and the sights are amazing. I'd have to say my favorite times at Salmon creek is when we wear our bathing suits, throw on some old tennis shoes that we don’t mind getting wet/dirty, then follow the creek up as far as we want. We swim when the waters deep enough, bask on warm rocks, and climb around exploring. This type of hike is definitely reserved for summer time when it's warm enough. The water is always cold, but extra exxxtra cold during the winter.

 We even suited up and went in the water this January, it was freezing to say the least.

I can't wait to be cruising up hwy 1 with some of my best friends and good vibes. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Big Sur TAKE IT. You will not regret it.

XXYYXX

Some XXYYXX tunes to listen to. #yourwelcome

XXYYXX Show

This week I did not get the opportunity to go on a hike. Instead I got to attend an XXYYXX show at the DNA lounge in the city. I posted an XXYYXX song the other week, his music is brilliant.

His music is really chill but the vibe at the club was very energetic. It could have been the result of the large amounts of MDMA pumping through the majority of these hipsters veins, but it was probably because of the bass heavy pleasureful music XXYYXX bumps. Everyone was dancing and having a great time, it was a blast. XXYYXX is made up of Marcel Everett who is shockingly only 17 years old!! He is amazingly talented and his music is for a lack of a better word the epitome of chill. His heavy bass experimental sounds come together for relaxing yet groovin music and a great time. If he comes to the area again I am buying tickets no questions asked.

"Everything's a memory, with strings that tie to you."

Songs to Accompany Bodega Head Hike

I dig this song. Been a Black Keys fan for a while now. I went through a month long phase where I listening to this song way too much. I still love it, hope it never gets old.

This song is a classic that I will always love. Telepopmusik produces some chill vibes. I love chillin to this music, its always perfectly calming and inspiring. I'm a sucker for pretty female vocals and these do not disappointing  The lyrics always seem to fit with how I feel. This song is gorgeous.

I had the flu this weekend and it was far from pleasant. Started on Thursday and lasted til Saturday with a rampant fever and sore throat. I woke up on Sunday finally feeling better, and my friend invited me to go on a hike with them. I was more than thrilled to tag along and finally get out of the house. First we had to get some food, and my friend Nick was excited to take us to his favorite little crab Shack. It was called Spud Point Crab Co. and it was delicious. The line was long, but I am always down to wait in line for food because I know that long line = amazing food. I got a crab sandwich that was very tasty. My friend got their famous clam chowder and I tried some, it was possibly the best clam chowder I've had. It was an amazing array of flavors and I think I tasted pesto in there which was a great touch. Definitely going back.

We went on the Bodega Head Nature Trail in Bodega Bay. It was a sunny, beautiful day with some wind but not as much as I expected. It was a nice walk along the the rugged coast.

We walked down the side of a cliff and explored a little beach. The hike down to the beach was a little sketchy and definitely needed to be approached with caution. The little beach was really nice and protected by the wind. We poked around some tide pools and hung out on the beach for a while.

We walked farther up the path and noticed people whale watching. They told us they had been seeing a whale pop up. After 5 minutes of watching we saw the whale come to the surface of the water. It was very exciting to see! 

Marin Headlands

This week was unusually warm, getting myself to leave the house to go on a hike was not a tough task. My friend who is from the area suggested we check out the Marin Headlands. The whole drive from Rohnert Park was sunny and warm, but as we approached Marin we looked over the bay to find a large cloud of fog rolling in. It was an unfortunate yet beautiful sight.

The air was quickly getting colder, so we spent most of this "hike" in the car, viewing the sights. Whether you hike the Marin headlands or just drive through, it s a pleasant experience. The views were breathtaking even though visibility was not great.

At one point we were barely above the sea of thick white fog.

Amazingly enough, we came across an adorable coyote wandering around close to the road. We slowly stalked him along the road until he ran away.

I definitely want to explore the Marin Headlands some more. Even though weather didn't end up being ideal, I still had a great time listening to some sweet beats, looking at incredible views, and chillin with this nugget on my lap.

MT. TAM

This past week I had the pleasure of hiking mt. Tamalpais for the first time. Being from Rohnert Park it was a little bit of a drive, but well worth it. The drive allowed for great music and and great conversation. We got lost at one point and ended in a rather sketchy residential road that seemed to be in the middle of a forest. We eventually found Panaoramic hwy which had a spectacular 360 view of Marin and even San Francisco. We listened the great tunes while meandering deeper into the forest. This song was definitely played, a favorite of mine at the moment. I can listen to XXYYXX on repeat all day long.



The road continued deeper into the woods until we saw the ranger station and parking lot. Being cheap college kids we drove back down the road a bit and parked to avoid the parking fee.

We were told to check out the ravine hike out of the many hikes mt. Tam has to offer. It was about 6 mile long loop and quite the work out. The loop started with another amazing view of the ocean, and since it was such a clear day, a distant view of the city. 

We continued down deep into the ravine covered in lush woods. The sound of running water was soothing as we trekked down hundreds of stairs. We crossed many man made bridges that were not only aesthetically pleasing, but fun to walk across.

We ran into some people that told us if we kept to the left we would make it to the beach, but that it was a far walk and we wouldn't make it back to the top before sunset if we went. We decided to play it safe and continue on through the ravine. The air was fresh and damp, the area is lush and heavily wooded. The hike had a lot of stairs going up and and down, I recommend it for more intermediate hikers. It was a great day and would do it again in a heart beat.

We cruised home listening to groovy tunes and dreamed of the food that awaited us back home. 
This is a fun song from one of my favorite bands of all time.