Labor Day Roundup: Trading Sales for Sails

I don't know about you, but the end of what is supposed to be a long, relaxing weekend usually leaves me feeling more exhausted than I did on Friday. That could not be more true for me than it is right now. Let me back up.

My husband and I left Dallas on Monday, August 31, with our puppy, Pippa, all of our earthly belongings, and high hopes for the new place we would call home. To say I was nervous was an understatement; I couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen once we made it to SF, and that made the road trip from Texas to California feel even longer. No matter how anxious I was, the road trip couldn't have gone any better, and we safely made it to SF without any major issues (thank goodness).

Pippa was very attentive on busy highways and on slow roads, but she mostly slept.

We were lucky enough to get to see some of our friends on our last night in Texas. Our first leg of the trip included a stop in the town Logan and I attended college (Lubbock--go Tech!), and we had dinner at one of our favorite college spots, Ruby Tequila's. It was so fun to reminisce and catch up with friends and Logan's younger brother.

On the second day of our trip (Logan's 27th birthday!) we stop at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The mounds and mounds of sand went on for days; it looked like snow from far away. We may have lost an hour by stopping, but it was totally worth it. Just a little tip if you ever stop here on a road trip: make sure you have a good amount of water for yourselves and your fur babies. That dry, desert heat is no joke!

After approximately 30 hours in the car, numerous gas stops (don't want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service in a Uhaul), and tons of anticipation, we finally made it to San Francisco! Logan handled the Uhaul like a champ. And Pippa earned a new toy for her good behavior in the truck (and inevitably, it is already dead).

We were speed demons in getting our apartment set up because I despise mess and clutter, and it's in my my nature to get organized as quickly as possible, so despite the cold I was battling and the exhaustion we both felt, we got our apartment completely set up and organized in less than 24 hours. Teamwork makes the dream work, my friends.

View from the bottom of the staircase of our apartment building. We are in SoMa (south of Market) in downtown.

Our first breakfast in our apartment was a chocolate croissant and lattes from Socola Chocolatier + Barista. I will definitely be a regular.

All I wanted while unpacking on Thursday night was a glass of wine and thai food from Osha, which is underneath our apartment. Talk about convenient!

My husband made a delicious breakfast for us before a trip to the wine country, and we enjoyed it on our new kitchen table from Nebraska Furniture Mart. Perfect size for a small space!

On Saturday we took a trip to Stinson Beach with my sister (who came in from New York for the weekend) and a couple of her friends. I was amazed at how warm and cool the beach was. I've definitely never worn leggings at a beach before!

Our lunch at the beach came from a beachside burger+shake shack. I had a turkey pesto sandwich, Logan had a fish sandwich, and we split some fries. It wouldn't have been complete without the shakes!

Please notice Logan is wearing a long sleeve shirt (over a white T-shirt) and I am wearing leggings--at a beach. This is a first for this Texas couple!

The water was so cold I immediately bolted for the warm sand as soon as I snapped this photo. #honestyisthebestpolicy #doitfortheblog

On Sunday we spent the day wine tasting and vineyard roaming out in Sonoma. The drive was beautiful, and we drank some of the best wine I've ever had in my life. I'm not usually a red drinker, but I found myself enjoying most of the reds we tasted. We made three stops, which was perfect for a day trip.

Our first stop was Landmark Vineyards. We didn't have much time here, but we'll definitely be back for a longer stay. Their wines were fantastic, and they have a beautiful outdoor area where you can eat, play boccee ball, and hang out with an amazing view of mountains and their vineyard.

Landmark's gorgeous outdoor area.

Check out those grapes! (And shout out to my sister for this awesome shot.)

Our second stop was Buena Vista Winery. Buena Vista is California's first premium winery and was founded in 1857. As a history buff, I loved hearing about the winery's heritage. The wines were spectacular, and my sister (who hates checking bags when she travels), loved one of the bottles so much that she purchased one and is flying it back to New York. Trust me, that's a big deal.

Enjoying a glass of one of Buena Vista's chardonnays. I typically dislike Chardonnay, but I really enjoyed this one, as did my sister and husband.

My sister and I like to believe we are witches (read: Harry Potter), so when we saw this maze, we had to test it out (Triwizard Cup, anyone!?). She found the exit before I did, but I like to think she won because 1) she had a head start, 2) I have a cold, and 3) I was wearing heels.

Our final stop of the day was Ram's Gate, and let me tell you, this one is incredible! I enjoyed everything about it, from the wines, to the cheese and meat tray, to the view. I fell in love with their 2011 pinot noir, and that is not something I imagined myself saying prior to our trip. The view was breathtaking, and the atmosphere was incredibly cozy. We will definitely be back!

Casually checking out the white wine grapes.

This black and white photo of the vineyard leading down to a pond overlooking the mountains took my breath away (figuratively speaking). I couldn't get enough of the view.

Okay. Are y'all ready for the absolute best part of the weekend!? I have never been sailing before, and let me tell you--this was the best way to end our first weekend in San Francisco. Casper, a mattress company based in New York, hosts what they call a Labor Day Sail instead of a sale. They depsise showrooms and all the gimmicks that come with huge holiday sales. So instead, they host a sail and all proceeds benefit charity: water. The cool thing about Casper is that you have 100 days to try it out at home, and if you don't like it, you can send it right back. Satifaction guaranteed, am I right?

We sailed around the Bay Area equipped with appetizers and an open bar. They also squeezed a Casper mattress on the sailboat that people could sit on and try out, but there was absolutely zero pressure to sit on the mattress, let alone buy one. However, as soon as we sat on that mattress, Logan fell in love. I think I know what type of mattress we'll buy next...

Logan loved the Casper mattress and the #caspersail!

We were able to enjoy this spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge while sailing around the Bay.

Logan loved his Lagunitas IPA, complete with a Casper koozie and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We also sailed around Alcatraz. We are planning on doing a night tour of the island soon!

It's safe to say we had a successful first weekend in San Francisco. I cannot wait to see what this adventure hold for us, and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!