boot camp burn

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try out the guest week of Body Inspired Fitness's boot camp in Santa Monica. Yes! This boot camp is so fun, and offers such a great workout that varies every class. No matter where you are at in your fitness level, Angela and her team will inspire and encourage you every step of the way to reach your goals. With summer here, this is a great way to get in shape and train outside instead of trudging away in the gym. I'm so excited to start this new six week session!

Read the reviews here, and be sure to join me for the next guest week at the end of June.

we love stairs!

adventures: costa rica, part 2

Even though the weather was hot and humid, that didn't stop us from getting out and exploring Playa Santa Teresa and the surrounding towns and beaches.

I had to rent a surfboard from the popular Denga Surf Shop. There are a handful of surf shops around, but this guy is the only shaper in the area. I traded in my 9' longboard at home for a 6'10" to try out on the faster waves in Playa Hermosa.

Because of the beach break, the waves were a lot faster and heavier than I'm used to in Southern California, but I loved being out in the wonderfully warm water for hours. Even the cows enjoy the beach!

Dinner would not be complete without a sunset, so what better place to enjoy it than at the popular Brisas del Mar overlooking the whole town and ocean. 

Next stop: Montezuma. This touristy little town was very beautiful and quaint, but I'm glad we didn't stay there because it didn't really feel like you were in Costa Rica. What are paved roads doing in town? 

From Montezuma, we wound along the coast on more dirt roads until we got to Cabo Blanco, the country's first nature reserve at the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Finally...monkeys (among other creatures)! We did the shorter hike through the reserve, which took about 1 hour. This is not the zoo--you enter into these animal's habitat, which is actually a little bit scary when you don't know exactly what all the noises you hear belong to!

hard to tell, but there is a huge spider in that right hole that i almost stepped on.
i can't imagine what spider season is like if this was the dry season!   

don't feed the monkeys 

some sort of badger--there was a herd of them traveling along the dried up river 

And of course, the day would not be complete without a sunset

pura vida!

getting there: costa rica, part 1

We were due for a vacation, so headed off to Costa Rica for eight days. Little did we know what to expect, and how long it would take us to get to paradise in the picture below. It was worth it.

The flight was easy--five hours from Los Angeles to San Jose. Getting out of San Jose alone took a good 30 minutes of zig zagging around to find "the" highway. Once we were on the highway, I thought, "No big deal--we'll just take this the whole way to the ferry, then get back on it when we get off the ferry, and take it all the way to the hotel." Not so much. The highway ended, and we found ourselves driving through lots of little towns. The main road to get to the ferry wasn't exactly the main roads we're used to. This main road barely had room for two cars to pass, all while trying to dodge dogs, children, bikes, and motorcycles. After a few wrong turns, we made it to the ferry. The crossing took about one hour. Once we got off the ferry, it seemed fairly straightforward--stay on this road all the way to Santa Teresa. Wrong again. "This road" ended up being a dirt road that wound along the coast for what seemed like five hours, but was probably two or three hours. The only paved sections were the parts of the road that were extremely steep. And the bridges were narrower than the roads, and barely fit one car. 

After passing many fields, forests, bungalows, Coca-Cola shacks, and cows, we started seeing signs for our hotel, Nautilus Boutique Hotel. 

After a few more dirt roads, we arrived in Playa Santa Teresa. The main road going through town was only a couple of miles long, lined with restaurants, small hotels, and large pieces of land--some with mansions on them, and others with shacks. The street was crowded with people, dogs, and motorcycles. 

Santa Teresa early in the morning

Our hotel was a beautiful oasis, with each guest having their own bungalow and patio surrounded with dense foliage. The owners were so welcoming, and everyone there so kind and helpful. 

Upon arrival, I immediately jumped into the refreshing pool

Olam, the vegetarian restaurant and favorite juice stop at Nautilus

Nap time

Enjoyed our patio every evening with a glass of wine

Every night, the whole town headed to the beach to enjoy the sunset. On our first night, we walked down the beach to a restaurant called Habanero to watch the sunset while drinking a margarita and eating the fresh catch of the day. I think I ate the fresh catch of the day and/or ceviche every day, if not most meals.

 

pura vida!

summer in the marina

It's been a busy summer, and is going by entirely too fast. The beach has had more June gloom than normal, so we love it when the sun comes out and bask in it's warmth for as long as it decides to stay.

The colors of summer are my favorite--the sun shining on the sea gives it that warm inviting feel 

(even if the water is 60 degrees!)

Even the surfboard designs seem to be following the bright color trend!

You can always find crowds in the water, regardless of the weather

It's nice to curl up on the couch with some good coffee after a morning surf session

Emma loves the cool weather

Summer is a time for feasting on our favorite fresh foods and locally grown produce 

...and paleo carrot cake

...and birthday drinks!

A little trip to Deus Ex Machina satisfies both his and hers loves

And summer would not be complete without a beach sunset