In January 2022, Axel decided to take Victoria up the coast in a 2018 Nissan Armada (that got 8 MPG) because his truck was in the shop after getting struck by a semi (he's still with us). It was Victoria's first time going up the Pacific Coast Highway. We stopped in San Simeon (where we eventually got engaged), and took our time going through Big Sur, stopping at little book stores and cafes along the route. We got dinner in Monterey - the leftovers (that Victoria just couldn't throw away) stunk up the car for the rest of the weekend. We got to Cazadero in the DARK and found our little cabin on the Russian River. We spent the next few days eating and drinking our way through the Sonoma coast and Russian River, trying to stay warm in the "dead of winter". The Armada worked in our favor because a cliff-side picnic at Goat Rock Beach quickly turned into a trunk feast. One of our fondest memories was buying wine books from a little book shop and reading them on the grass in the Sonoma Park amongst swans and ducks and the quaintness of a small plaza. Axel organized all of our wine stops at William Selem, Flowers Winery, and Scribe Winery, but we also stumbled upon cool tasting rooms in Healdsburg. We took the 1 back home, stopping in the little town of Harmony (population 18), which has become a tradition to stop through every time we pass. This was the first trip I ever went on with a boyfriend and it was MAGICAL I felt like a PRINCESS - Victoria