Tyler and I enjoy spending our weekends exploring and taking road trips, like our day in Berkeley. A few weeks ago we ventured out to Point Reyes Seashore and Drakes Beach stopping in the cities along the way. We had lunch on the water at Drakes Cafe, a little watering hole with simple eats nothing fancy. On our way through the north bay, the weather was gorgeous, about 85 degrees. Then once we hit the beach, it fell to 55 degrees..FREEZING! hence the photo with me in a beanie & scarf..
For our weekend explorations, we pick a city on the map and start driving, actually Tyler is the one who always drives. :) With my trusty iPhone in hand I search Yelp for yummy eats, antique & thrift stores and our adventure begins. We love heading toward the beach or cities on the water, many which are about 40 minutes to an hour away from our house.
In Point Reyes station we walked through town and stopped in Ernesto's art studio, had a little snack of garlic bbq corn on the cob and shopped a few boutiques including a cute shop called Vita Collage. As always, I captured a few snapshots of interesting buildings and textures.
I've always been fascinated with doors and have a photo collection of wonderful doors I find on our adventures. 
On our way back home, we took a detour through San Anselmo exploring more shops, enjoyed a cup of gelato and discovered a fun little art store called Doodlebug that specializes in teaching kids art classes. It's is jam-packed with art supplies, fibers and a bin full of Collage Pauge :) Also, made a quick stop at Dharma Trading, which has a huge store full of black clothes, bags, fabrics and supplies for dyeing. I've shopped in their online store for years, it was great to see all their fun art supplies in person. It was a great day of new finds and exploring!
{tips for exploration...}
document your explorations in photos.
take lots of snapshots--> textures..doors..artwork..sidewalks..plants..trees..all provide great inspiration for art journaling.
search google or yelp for local eats and shops.
be flexible and let things unfold as you go.
collect free ephemera...maps, newspapers, postcards for journal fodder.
search out things that you love or collect.
seek out artists and local art studios.
if you are a passenger, take photos during your drive. I love to see what happens when I snap action shots on my iPhone. PLEASE don't attempt to take photos if you are driving.
drive, bike or walk without a plan..take back roads you normally don't take. you'll discover so much..
pick up business cards & put them in your sketchbook or journal. take notes about the store to remind you of what you found.
write a list of words that describe your journey. the things you encounter.
take notes on the weather.
sketch the local flora, trees, plants.
look at the boutique displays for ideas for decorating your house or studio.
sit on a bench on a busy street and people watch. quickly sketch things you see.
collect driftwood, feathers & stones on the beach.
share your explorations on instagram {connect with me @treicdesigns}
be open for adventure.
do you have a favorite town you've explored recently? I'd love to hear about it :)
happy exploring...enjoy the journey! xo~T
