Category: Photo Diaries

Quick pause on my Ecuador explorations since how can you go to the Museum of Ice Cream and not share all the amazing pictures?! No, the fact that I’m lactose intolerant and going to a museum based on dairy was not lost on me, but at least I got to play even if I can’t eat it. In case you’ve never heard of it, The Museum of Ice Cream (MOIC) was started in NYC  and from the first day I saw it, I was jealous that NYC was getting yet another cool museum/experience. Luck was on my side as they decided to make it a touring event and San Francisco was a destination! Thanks to Amex I was able to get pre-sales tickets to one of the most coveted events in San Francisco. My friend Alyssa and I showed up at MOIC on Sunday, November 5th (yes, I’m still that backlogged here…) for a 9pm entrance prepared for similar silliness as the Color Factory I previously visited. As another place considered an “Instagrammer’s dream,” how could we not take a million pictures?

Please note my discontent with the lack of dairy free ice cream.

Words of love one week after the Sonoma fires began and Dub Nation that was put up that morning when Steph Curry and his family visited.

Cotton Candy – something I could actually eat!

Casually trying to pull a popsicle out of the wall

Alyssa wouldn’t pose with the unicorn, but I still got a rainbow pic. Same same.

Hangin in a tiny mirrored box

Time to prep for the sprinkle pool (that would later have us finding sprinkles everywhere for a few days)

 

Life sized candy!

One last swing

Time to say bye!

It was really great how they limited the number of people entering at once. That said, getting a 9pm entrance meant we had just under 1.5 hours. In a place like this you don’t want to rush! I think if I hadn’t been to the Color Factory already this would have topped my dreams as the most fun “immersive art exhibit” (as some have described it), but I gotta say… MOIC came in second in my heart. In any case, if it comes to a city near you then definitely try to get tickets!

Now I’ll get back to detailing Ecuador 🙂

 

xx

nicole

Lauren and my Labor Day Weekend activities didn’t end with The Color Factory. Having never visited wine country together, we planned a day that included visiting some wineries and catching some sun. I couldn’t guarantee SF would be warm so I concocted the idea to visit a spa and use their pool.

I landed on a GiltCity deal for The Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa and was easily sold. If we did a 50 minute treatment (or 2 that added up to 50 minutes) we could have access to the Moonacre Spa and pool for 2 hours before our appointments. We decided this was the weekend of “treat yo self” and booked their “Perfectly Muddled” and “Splish Splash.”

The heat continued through the weekend so we scrapped our plans of pool time and stuck to enjoying the spa. We ended up being the only people in the spa at that time so we got lots of extra attention.

From the moment we walked in, the spa was made to be photographed and was “inspired by the tradition of American roadtrips in the 1950’s” with a modern twist and offerings.

Walking through the changing room into the general spa waiting area

A close up with a cheeky “how-to” partake in the different spa activitiesThe water station where you could choose which infused option you’d like including one infused by crystals. Spencer Pratt would be all over this, but I’m sure he already puts his beloved crystals in the water he drinks.

Before starting our “perfectly muddled” treatment, we  began with exfoliating ourselves in these glorious outdoor showers

Then, our lovely host mixed up a bowl of mud for each of us to coat ourselves, beginning with just the front side of our bodies. We laid out and nearly fell asleep before we were back to the showers to rinse off.

This is the part were I could insert a picture of us laying out while our mud dried, but I’ll save your eyes this time. We then repeated this by coating our backs as best as possible before laying down and having them finish painting us. Repeat the nearly dozing off and we were back to the showers.

Try not to be jealous of our robes (they were actually cozy) or our sweet sandals they provided (which purely served as function).

Next they brought us into the most glorious bathing room where we picked the salt we wanted for our baths (from the options on the wall as we walked in).

We were left to lay in our nice warm tubs and relax for the next 30 glorious minutes before our time was up. We tried for the steam room, but unfortunately I went full panic mode and thought I couldn’t breathe… so that brought our trip to an end.

All in all, I cannot wait to go back up and fully intend to find a weekend to stay overnight and fully enjoy the hotel. As Travis from Clueless would say “Two thumbs, way up” Just a quick forewarning though, it is close to the Calistoga speedway so there was some noise, but it was only noticeable at first. As we left, the staff filled us in that they’d only been open 3 months since full renovations! *pats self on back for finding this still hidden jewel*

Next I’m going to FINALLY talk, in very great detail, about my trip to Ecuador! Stay tuned, because we fit in A LOT in the 2 weeks I spent there.

 

xx