Sequioa National Park Feat. JORD Watches

Allison Sherman February 25, 2017

Zach was lucky enough to have a few days off of school this past week so we took advantage that it was over Valentine's Day and took a little trip together up to Sequoia National Park! Originally we had planned to do five day, four-night loop around to Sequoia, Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes, stop by Death Valley and spend the fifth night in Ridgecrest. Unfortunately, there was way too much snow and a lot of roads were closed so we’re going to save that trip for a warmer time. We ended up booking two nights in Sequoia at Wuksachi Lodge. It was way up in the mountains on a windy, narrow road and I actually got motion sickness!

Over the past two days, we explored the area, the lodge, went to the General Sherman Tree (biggest tree by volume in the world!), the Giant Forest, etc! It almost felt like we were in a fairytale like Jack and the Beanstalk because the trees were so huge! There was so much snow too, close to an 8 ft. snow bank in some places.

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Jord Wood Watches as well on this trip! All of their watches are vegan and super high quality! It’s pretty difficult to find animal-free, sweatshop-free, sustainable products, (especially watches), so I was thrilled for the opportunity to work with Jord. I’m wearing one of their newer styles, the Reece watch! It’s really important to me to that the companies I wear and use share my same values towards sustainability and ethics. I’m not always the perfect eco consumer, but each purchase can be a step in the right direction if you make it one. I would highly recommend ordering from Jord for your next watch purchase!

Overall, the trip was pretty relaxing and the perfect little romantic getaway with my boyfriend, Zach. We ate way too many snacks and not enough actual meals (two to be exact) lol but that’s what you get for being a vegan with only one lodge restaurant for two days! Next time, I think we’ll go back in the summer so we can actually hike some of the trails and not have to worry about driving through the snow, getting snow tire chains, etc. Cheers to a wonderful few days with my honey!

Luxury Wooden Watch

Maui, Hawaii

Allison Sherman January 26, 2017

So when your parents invite you on vacation you say yes, always... unless for some reason you REALLY can't get out of work, school, or have some serious life complication or situation you're dealing with. Because when parents take you, you don't have to constantly calculate if what you're about to do will fit in your budget... and they love you unconditionally and are actually really fun to hangout with (my parents are at least). I know I know, I got pretty lucky!

This winter break, Zach had a longer break from graduate school than usual so we went to Maui in the third week of January to avoid the peak times. To be honest, I can't remember the names of half the places we went to because most have super Hawaiian names that I can't even pronounce haha.. but I will do my best to recall!

One of the big highlights was the Road to Hana. I do not recommend this drive if you get squeamish about dangerous roads, heights, or rocky cliffs, however it was really beautiful. There are multiple waterfalls, black sand beaches, scenic landscape you would see in Jurassic Park, and gorgeous coastline. Perhaps one of the best stops on the Road to Hana is Coconut Glen's, non-dairy coconut based ice cream aka a vegan's dream. Side note: before I went vegan my favorite ice cream was peppermint (no, not mint chocolate chip - the REAL seasonal peppermint), and I have never been able to find vegan peppermint ice cream before... until COCONUT GLEN'S! Not going to lie, I got seconds it was so good. No shame people.. No shame. They had other great flavors too and awesome coconut candy (and I'm not even a big coconut fan).

Another big highlight to the trip was scuba diving Lanai with my dad with Extended Horizons. We saw dolphins twice above water and once while diving and I was freaking out.. they're my fave animals along with small dogs! We saw multiple whales on the boat too. The place we dove is called Cathedral 1 because of its underwater tavern-like formation. It was probably the coolest spot I've ever dove. Also, the dive staff and captain were awesome and so informative!

We spend a lot of time on different beaches, went to different hotels during the day, visited the Nakalele Blowhole, and went on a whale watching booze cruise. The cruise was on a catamaran called SeaMaui and was such a blast. We had a lot of whale sightings, got a little buzzed, and noshed on some food.. not too shabby.

Overall it was a wonderful trip with my parents and boyfriend, Zach. Until next time Hawaii!

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Allison Sherman January 10, 2017

One of my oldest and best friends, Kelsey Hughes, and I decided to go on a day trip to Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, AZ about an hour or so out of town. I was amazed on how much there was to do out there! We just went on the main trail which passed through multiple greenhouses, a bridge, a creek, and a short scenic hike around the area.

I recommend going here during the winter because everything is outside, not much shade, and your going to be drenched in sweat, likely getting a sunburn in 90+ degree weather if you don't. Unlike most national parks, scenic areas, and nature spots, there is an actual address to pinpoint where you are going and there is a huge parking lot which makes life way easier. You likely won't have cell service all day either and there aren't any food or snacks to buy so make sure to pack your own food! This is definitely worth a trip and makes for an awesome get-out-of-town day trip with friends!