Shawna and I just got back from an amazing and very memorable trip to the Bay Area. We were up there to shoot Tres and Sarah’s wedding in Napa, which was completely amazing – we’ll have a separate blog post later this week showing off their beautiful wedding. We arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday, which ended up being quite a busy day for us. We spent some time with my Grandmother, had happy hour with prospective clients who live in SF, and then dinner with Paul and Laura, whose wedding we are shooting in a few weeks. The next morning we drove down to Woodside, close to where my grandparents use to live. I always remember it being a beautiful little town in the oak woodlands west of where Stanford University is located. The weather was perfect. We went to a little store in Woodside where we picked up some food for lunch, then continued west in search of some redwoods. The plan was to drive through La Honda, then down into Loma Mar to Memorial Park. This is a very special place for me. When I was little I did overnight camp at Memorial Park, which is a beautiful, quiet park in the redwoods, with a fun little swimming hole along a tiny creek that runs through the park. Growing up in San Mateo, I don’t think I realized how special of a place San Mateo County is. Not only is San Mateo a beautiful, historic little town. The county contains redwood forests and beautiful isolated beaches. We went for a great hike through Memorial Park, then drove west to Pescadero where I rented a private cabin for us at Costanoa Lodge. While we would have appreciated a bathroom in our cabin, the place was incredible! We sat by the fire in robes given to us by the lodge, then spent some time in the jacuzzi, sauna, and had a great dinner in their restaurant.
There is something really special about being in the redwoods that I didn’t realize was so ingrained in my soul. Being back there awoke memories and feelings from my childhood that are amazing and special. Being in the forest, feeling the power of the trees, smelling the earth – I always feel so peaceful and energized after experiencing the woods.
This was such an incredible trip at such an incredible time. We leave for Italy for our own wedding in less than a month and besides this trip to shoot Tres and Sarah’s wedding in Napa, we leave in a week to shoot Danny and Elizabeth’s wedding in Cape Cod. The fact that I get to have all these amazing experiences with the woman I love makes me so happy and grateful!