Happy Monday everyone! I hope that you all had a fantastic weekend and are ready to take on the week! I am leaving on Wednesday for Mexico for 5 days, and then the following week will be leaving on a 3 week journey through Europe, so this weekend I really wanted to spend time with friends and family locally.

On Friday night, we had a big BBQ at our house with 4 families that we are close with. We fired up the pizza oven had a blast just spending time with each other. Check out my guide to making the perfect homemade pizza here!

On Saturday, I woke up early to drive to one of my closest friends from high school's home in Arnold, California. Lauren and I became great friends during our time at Sacred Heart, but have gotten even closer throughout our college years.

Lauren's family has a beautiful cabin in Arnold which is about 15 minutes from Bear Valley. During the summer months, it is the perfect place to go on some of the most incredible hikes! So, we decided to take on one of the most difficult but rewarding hikes that I have ever been on! It took us about 4 hours to complete and at the highest point, we were at about 9,000 ft elevation. I have to tell you though, that the view of the lake at the top of the mountain was completely worth it!

Here are some of the incredible pictures that we captured.

On Sunday, we decided to explore the nearby town of Murphy. I was pleasantly surprised by the quaintness of the area. Since we were pretty exhausted from our hike the day before, we wanted to check out Murphys Pour House which is a delicious craft beer taproom and sandwich shop. 

I think what really made the Pour House special was the atmosphere. Most of the restaurant's seating is outside. There were probably 15 or 20 picnic tables under the most beautiful trees with lights strung from tree to tree. I would love to come back to this restaurant in the evening! 

Thank you so much Lauren for an incredible weekend away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

XOXO,

Rachael Claire