Tag Archives: best friends

california, part 2: santa barbara + ventura.

So it’s been over a month since we’ve been back from our trip to California and I’m just getting around to sharing more of the photos…June was a whirlwind (but fun!) month, to say the least. One of the things I love so much about where I grew up is that you can get to so many other places within just a few hours, making for countless day trip opportunities. Santa Barbara has always been one of my favorite coastal cities, and Kevin had never been, so we decided to make a day out of it before heading south to Ventura later to meet up with Jolie. It was pouring rain for the majority of our drive, which made for a stressful trip, so by the time we arrived we were good and ready for some food and a drink! We grabbed a seat at the bar at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., tried a couple of beer flights, and ordered a pizza from a nearby shop.

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After lunch we headed over to the Santa Barbara Mission. I’ve been a few times but this was Kevin’s first California Mission visit! It was still raining so we didn’t do much exploring but enjoyed checking out the museum, gardens, cemetery, church, etc. All of the missions are gorgeous in their own way but I’ve always really liked this one, and it was fun showing Kevin around!

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After exploring the mission for awhile, we headed back down the 101 to Ventura. We spotted a brewery right off our freeway exit so we decided to check it out! It turns out they had just opened a couple days earlier! All the staff were super friendly, and we really liked all of their beers!

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After trying out some beers at Topa Topa, we met up with Jolie at her apartment and ate and drank our way down Main Street – sangria and pizza at Cafe Fiore, beers in mini boots and pulled pork nachos at Saloon BBQ, and a dessert trio with wine at Paradise Pantry. Everything was delicious, and I loved getting to experience downtown Ventura – such a cute area and super walkable! Of course, the highlight of the evening was getting to spend some quality time with my bff.

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We spent the night at Jolie’s and got up early the next morning to head out for a beachfront run – it was a little humid, but otherwise perfect breezy running weather, with gorgeous views!

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A great overnight trip filled with lots of delicious food and drinks, ocean views, and time with two of my favorite people in the world!

A few places to check out if you find yourself in Santa Barbara or Ventura:

santa barbara: figueroa mountain brewing co. | lucky penny | old mission santa barbara
ventura: topa topa brewing company | cafe fiore | saloon bbq co. | paradise pantry

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the coffeehouse series: cafe voce / shanghai

I’m so happy to finally be kicking off the coffeehouse series that I wrote about awhile back, and even more happy that the first post in the series comes from my bff Ruth & her husband David. R & D are currently living in Shanghai, China, where Ruth is teaching and pursuing her Master’s degree. Ruth and I have bonded over many a coffee date throughout our friendship, and even though this year we’ve been especially far apart, the next best thing is following along with her and Dave’s adventures via her beautifully-written blog, no.17,  and of course, instagram. Here, Ruth shares about a favorite neighborhood spot in the Former French Concession, Cafe Voce…

How did you first discover the shop?
One of the first things that Dave and I did when we moved into our studio in the Former French Concession was take a walk around the area. This was the first coffee shop that we walked past, and we decided to go there the next day for brunch. We sat in front of the window and people-watched, and from that vantage-point, it felt like we weren’t really in China.

What’s your favorite drink to order there?

Voce has a toasted almond latte on their drink menu, and that’s what I’ve ordered since the first time I went there. I’m obsessed with all things almond, and that latte has just the right amount of extra flavor and sweetness. They have a weekday afternoon tea special (as many places in Shanghai do), and my favorite combination is the almond latte with mini lemon mousse tarts – perfect for a midweek pick-me-up.


Can you share something unique or special about the shop?

The first time (out of many, as we later discovered) that our power and internet went out, I had a paper due. It was past 8pm, and I still needed wi-fi. I threw my laptop in my backpack, and Dave and I rushed over to Voce, hoping that there were still open and that they had internet. I was so relieved to find out that Voce stays open until 11 pm on most days and had free wi-fi. I submitted my paper and then we chatted on Skype with my parents. Since then, Voce has been our go-to hangout when we need someplace nearby to work.

Many thanks to Ruth & David for sharing one of their favorite Shanghai spots. If you’re interested in guest posting about a favorite coffee (or tea) spot in your own city, please get in touch: hollyannefricke@gmail.com.

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wine tasting.

a couple weekends ago bff jolie came to tucson for a visit, and we decided to go down to sonoita + elgin (about 1 hour southeast of tucson) for some wine tasting. k graciously offered to be our designated driver and photographer, and we all had a blast going from winery to winery and enjoying the beautiful weather and mountain backdrop. a perfect arizona day. 

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