.... Road Trip!

This past weekend, J and I had the opportunity to take a road trip with a few of our amazing friends.  To say that I love road trips is an understatement... I ADORE road trips with a passion!  I love piling in the car with my favorite people, going to a different place, and having a heck of a good time.

All of our friends happen to be HUGE fans (and season ticket holders) of our local MLS team: Real Salt Lake.  This past Saturday was the season opener against LA Galaxy.  J and I aren't huge soccer fans but we enjoy the good time that a game usually brings :)  So.. Friday afternoon, we loaded all 9 of us into the band van and started our drive to LA.

I had just purchased a new book and was super excited about using the trip to read it... yes, I am that nerdy.  We stopped halfway in Vegas at our favorite spot: the Double Down.  The Double Down has been a tradition for YEARS!

They have this shot called "Ass-Juice" that is divine and so it is a requirement that we all stop at this little dive bar anytime we are in town. Not to mention they sell toilet shot-glasses ... yes, we own one already.  Don't judge :)

By the time we rolled into our hotel, it was LATE or I guess technically early morning.  We stayed in Inglewood where we found a hotel/hostel to save money.  The moment we pulled up, all of the females in the car were ready to bolt!  It was a scary-movie, serial killer type of spot.  But alas, the boys thought we were ridiculous and said we were staying.  By the time morning came around, the hotel was MUCH less frightening and as J put it, "Everything looks scary at 4am!" .... truth.

Saturday morning, the boys dropped J off at our friend Matt's house.  Our main reason for even joining the trip was so he could do some co-writes with Matt.  Matt has been on tour in Europe for a while so it happened to be perfect timing for J's visit to see him in LA.  They wrote 4 songs in the few hours they were together... and they had a blast! :)

While J was getting his groove on, the rest of us went to our FAVORITE restaurant in Marina del Rey: C & O Trattoria!  It has been a long standing tradition that we can't go to California without eating here.  They have garlic knots that are famous!  Seriously. 

This place is extra special to me because it is also where we ate in 2007 right before J proposed on the pier.  I might have teared up at the table because I am a huge sap... and seeing me all teary could have possibly made Jessie teary too...  maybe. ;)

We walked around Venice Beach for a while and then grabbed J on the way to the stadium.  The game was AWESOME!  We beat LA Galaxy 3-1 !  We sat in the supporters section so it was awesome to be surrounded by some many fans that had made the drive to CA.  Not to mention, our goalie's entire fam was hanging out.  He had rows of family both in front of us and behind us.  It was a neat experience sitting right behind his wife and son, and getting to see their reactions to the game. 

Overall, it was a quick but AMAZING trip!  So blessed to have such wonderful friends and to have been able to make the road trip :)