the sunflower field

A couple weeks ago we went with some friends to a tiny parking lot pumpkin patch for some pumpkins. But we didn't get the full-fall experience there so Saturday we took a trip to the Rancho Bernardo Pinery Pumpkin Patch for tractor rides, a corn maze, and sunflower fields. But really we all know I just went for the goats...

You would think wandering through sunflower fields would be all fun, romantic, and what not but really I'm laughing because Sam's ready to hightail it outta there because of the bees! So many bees!

Sam and I are so happy to have some more law school friends to adventure with and Cortney and Aaron are great because they put up with all of our antics and craziness. 

finding fall

Samuel had a short, two-day fall break which we wrongly thought was a full week...Hence the spontaneous road trip to find fall! We've always wanted to go up to Julian, CA to pick apples/get their famous apple pie. The orchards closed a couple weeks ago but we decided to venture up there anyway because fall break was rapidly coming to end and because you only live once. And it was perfect! 

We stopped at Lake Cuyamaca, a little lake town we stumbled upon with the coolest temperatures we've felt since Christmas 2014 in Utah. The brisk air was heaven after countless weeks of high 80's and 90's. But I guess we're not quite used to 50 degree weather anymore because we froze our little bums off as we ventured around the lake. 

At Julian we started with dessert first- some yummy homemade apple pie at Julian Pie Company. We each got different flavors and toppings but devoured each piece without a picture. We walked across the street to a little bookstore and then wandered around the rest of Main Street which wasn't hard to accomplish because it's the tiniest Main Street I've ever seen! Then we finished with an early dinner at one of the tiny restaurants.

The drive up to Julian was well worth it! We loved the scenery and were so happy to find a town that experienced fall. We got to wear jackets!! Seriously that was the best part about the whole trip! It was cold enough for cozy clothes and for turning on the car heater. Thank you Julian for the best hour road trip we could ask for! We'll be back next fall for some apple picking!!

a business trip

Dad let me join him on his Farmers Insurance "business" trip to Asheville, North Carolina. We've never been to the south before so we decided to hit up some other places while we were close.
PS. I apologize in advance for the crazy amount of pictures to come.

First Stop: Nashville, Tennessee 

We got in around dinner time and drove up and down Broadway. My girl TSwift was performing that night but $400 is not pocket change people! I justified my absence with the reminder that I was there at her beginning. I'm talking back to when she was just a baby opening for Rascal Flatts, when Our Song was the greatest song known to man, and it was 2008 and I was still using a crimper on my kinda-curly hair. The proof is in the pudding...

Maybe someday when Sam is rich we can go together...and I'll make sure to get rid of my stringy bangs and half smile. Anyway back to Nashville--We asked a local for an authentic southern dinner place and struck gold with the one and only Peg Leg Porker. Their slogan: "Limpin' Ain't Easy". We devoured our real Tennessee BBQ Pork which was delicious if you were wondering. Luckily we beat the rush and the rain and were already eating as the line made it's way out the door into the rain. 

We toured the rest of Nashville by car but had to get out to see the Parthenon up close even if it was pouring rain. It's supposedly a full-size replica and the inside serves as an art museum. 

 

We stayed in the cutest Airbnb house just outside Nashville. Like it really was my dream home. 

Here is a cute little corner of the room I stayed in. 

Second Stop: Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, our main destination is where Dad's rewards trip took us. He had some workshops but I got to do all the fun things like the fancy dinners, nightly entertainment, and go white water rafting down the French Broad River. 

We stayed at the Omni Grove Park Inn. It had the prettiest view of the forest and Smoky Mountains. 

We toured the Biltmore Estate- the largest home in America! I'm talking huge!! It's on 8,000 acres and is so incredibly gorgeous. No photography was allowed inside but here's some pictures of the exterior and the gardens. Can you imagine the up-keep for this place-inside and out?! And the owner only had one kid! But everything from the 4 stories, 43 bathrooms, lawns, gardens, vineyards, to crop fields were manicured perfectly! Like I wonder how many gardeners they have?

Third Stop: Atlanta, Georgia

In Atlanta we got City Pass which let us tour the Coca-Cola World, the aquarium, and the zoo. We also ate some authentic Southern food i.e. fried chicken at Mary Mac's Tea Room but also went more traditional with some Shake Shack for dinner. We finished up our time in Georgia with visiting the Atlanta Temple and the Martin Luther King Historic Site.

So thankful for dad and happy that he brings me along on these fun trips. But I can't wait to go back to my Sammy tomorrow!!

|| Erin