San Francisco Love Song

I was quite certain that I would fall head over heals for San Francisco once we finally had the opportunity to become acquainted. It was a hurried affair, but I can assure you, this is True Love.

After the Sequoias, SF was our next top destination for the Great California Road Trip. We had limited time, but my main wish was to walk a lot and just marvel and photograph all the wonderful buildings. The day we were there it was sunny and absolutely perfect. I tried to throw away all inhibitions over the embarrassment of appearing the Blatant Tourist and managed to only walk into one bike rack while lost in rapture over the architecture.

I am not generally a girl who loves cities, but that must only be because I was waiting for the right city. It felt like home. It was everything I dreamed it would be, but different and even more wonderful.

In the 60′s my mom lived in California for a while. She likes to distinguish the fact that she was flower child vs. a hippie. (Either way I just wish she had had the foresight to hang onto her wardrobe for her future daughter!) She has a picture of herself at the corner of Haight Ashbury so I had to get mine too for side-by-side framing of course!

The Haight District was Hippie Heaven for me and we spent the greater part of they day there vintage shopping, picture taking, eating, and just enjoying the general splendor.

This Victorian vintage shop was so lovely it was almost heartbreaking. I wish I had a better image to show you.

Here is another vintage shop that I almost completely lost my head in. An entire old meat locker filled with old hats and vintage suits. The afternoon ended with my fellow well-hatted and very dashing… (Sorry no pics, he is internet shy.. sigh…)

After returning home I discovered I have a cousin who lives (or used to) within blocks of these stunning stained glass windows.

For the sake of time and other interests we skipped the busy Fisherman’s Wharf and didn’t plan ahead enough for Alcatraz. We did make it to Coit Tower and walked up and down Lombard Street. We managed to fit in quite a bit in 24 hours and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to go back and maybe, maybe someday I will even be lucky enough to call it home.

{all images are property of Gypsea Tree}

The Gypsea Among the Trees

I am back from my California Road Trip and oh my it was wonderful! Any journey that involves a pilgrimage to one of the largest trees on the planet has to be amazing don’t you think? Since visiting Sequoia National Park was the original inspiration for this trip I will start with that.

General Sherman is the largest tree in the world by volume and is about 2,700 years old. It is truly a tree of wonder. Originally I was diappointed that I could touch it, but we took many hikes through equally impressive groves of these ancient giants and I was able to touch and marvel to my hearts content.

No picture can quite do them justice. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend planning to do so. It is so incredible that after the first few hours I literally ran out of adjectives. It is pure magic to walk in these ancient places.

We covered a lot of ground in eight days. We only camped one night here, but it was just wonderful. I think we decided that this was  perhaps our favorite part of an incredible trip.

I saw lizards for the first time and was quite taken with them. They are so delightfully quirky!

I also saw a couple of bears! I was very concerned with bear confrontations at first, but after seeing the first one it put my mind at ease. He couldn’t have been more indifferent to my presence. Bear management is carefully attended to. I was glad to see the extreme importance they placed on protecting the wildlife and environment of the park.  It was impressive to see how well managed the park is. It manages to be accessible to everyone yet still  retain its mystery and wildness for those willing to explore a little deeper.

{please note all images are property of Gypsea Tree}

More of my California adventure will follow!

Are you all enjoying these summery days as well?

An Early Gypsy Friday

(click to view larger image)

I have not abandoned Gypsy Fridays, but I suddenly can’t wait until Friday to do a gypsy post. I have had these images lovingly set aside for months now and I’m very happy to finally post them.  I love the above photo fiercely. I could look at it all day. There is something heroic about that gypsy woman that makes my heart sing. I wonder what kind of a woman she was? She seems like someone who could discover a little bit of  joy in everything, even the in the hardest of times.

I doubt the little ladies in the image above are gypsies, but I would like to think that they see the absolute wonder in that beautiful wagon they are posing with. The workmanship is extraordinary. I can’t wait to have wagon of my own to write and dream in. I always imagine having a wagon anchored in my backyard to serve as a creative studio.

(For when I’m not off traveling of course! )

{image sources unavailable. please let me know if you know anything about these!}

Gypsy Flight

I curated my first treasury!

{Please view it here at Etsy!}

Like a Ghost

I’ve been very busy and working overtime this week so I can get off early on Friday for my birthday. I may be a little scarce for a bit, but I will be back soon! I hope you are all having a lovely week!

I’m a little obsessed with Etsy’s Treasury East. Isn’t this one beautiful?

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Here Comes the Sun

A few days ago I was layering with wool sweaters. Today I could almost, almost get away with sandals. Oh Sunshine, please stay here for a while!

I get a strange delight out of taking pictures of the sun. It makes me feel as if I’m tricking the laws of nature because I don’t look at it while I’m taking the picture, but later I can stare directly at the image all I want and not worry about going blind or any of those other horrific things that can supposedly happen… I feel so clever!

Yesterday we ate dinner down by the water and I was happy to spend a little time in the sunshine afterward. I’m trying to remember to bring my camera with me more often.

I’m still constantly rocking back and forth between the elation of leaving my job for something new and the panic of venturing into the unknown.

Travel plans are in constant flux. I think we have decided we will have to rule New Zealand out for now as getting there is just too expensive. The last few days I’ve been thinking more and more about South America. I’m realizing that what I am needing now is someplace quiet. I don’t want to spend a lot of time in any major cities. Wild beaches and tropical jungles sound particularly appealing.

…But then again, who knows, tomorrow I may want to go to Paris!

The Curse of the Indecisive.

{all images property of Gypsea Tree}

Thank you

Thank you so very much for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I felt so encouraged! I’m working on responding to everyone individually, but I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU in a post dedicated just to all you wonderful people who stop by here! The simple act of writing things down made me feel as though a great weight had been lifted. My sister Melanie had some great insight on the idea of “the job” and it resonated so completely with a lot of what has been swirling about in my own head. I have many decisions to make in the upcoming weeks…

In the meantime, I’m getting very excited about the prospect of travel. At the moment New Zealand is at the top of the destination list. (For a little New Zealand inspired post visit Steam Spectre.) I have some travel-posts rattling around in my mind and I plan to share some of my travel “research” here at Gypsea Tree.

Where would you be going if you were going to take a trip in the next few months?

{photo credit: Gypsea Tree}

A Different Kind of House on Wheels

It’s no surprise that I rather love the internet. When I started blogging over a year ago I was absolutely amazed by the discovery of the blogging world. Falling into various pockets of blog communities was an endless discovery of  different “cultures” that I hardly new existed or had only dreamed of. One such culture was Steampunk. I have always been a great fan of the aesthetic and the ideas behind it, but I was only vaguely aware there was name for such a wonderful culture. When I was little I loved the idea of machinery that moved and looked like the inner workings of an old clock. In games, my little brother and I would often pretend it was the old fashion days and we would explain modern convention with the phrase, “It runs on cogs”. Yes, we were nerdy. I think I was barely 11 when I tried to sew a corset for myself because I wanted to be like a real Victorian lady. If I was a little more daring I would love to immerse myself in Steampunk, but for the time being I am an ardent admirer.

This incredible house appeals to both the gypsy and the neo-Victorian in me. Isn’t it breathtaking?!?! I believe it was photographed at Burning Man. I will include the link where I found them below.

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A Perfect Pair

Don’t you love it when some of your favorite things all come to together creating something perfectly magical? Ruthie commented a few posts ago that a friend of hers was in Ireland on a gypsy caravan. Ireland is one of my favorite places in the world and gypsies… well, you know how much I love anything gypsy! So I did some googling and found this awesome site. Oh my: perfection! All I need to conclude this dream holiday is this beloved fellow gypsy friend.

Who else wants to join?

Restless

I am currently reading Frances Mayes A Year in the World. How I wish I was traveling right now! I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to take some amazing backpacking trips throughout Europe and they have been some of the happiest times of my life. I can’t wait to travel again. Today I would like to be in Spain!

How about you? Do you have any exciting trips planned this summer?