*notcot in travel , 11:50

Inspiration: LA-SF-LA Roadtrip - 10.19.15

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Just home from roadtripping since wednesday… and going through @NOTlabs instagram and the pictures on my phone, i can’t figure out where to start! So many different adventures from catching up with old friends and making new ones while reviewing Artist in Residency projects at Autodesk’s Pier 9 and running around to see whatever surprises we could find in between! Shawn and i drove from LA up the 5 (through the middle of CA) to SF, then worked our way back down the coast. We stayed in Potrero Hill, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Cambria. Played with 1 month old ostriches (and some beastly adults and emus too!)… unboxed Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator in the car… watched sunset over Sutro Baths… lusted after robot arms, CNCs, water jets, swing conference tables and so many more toys at Autodesk Pier 9… discovered the craziest central california glazed almond treats… have a CW&T Pen Type-B we’re putting through the paces (donut magnet!)… discovered Bravo Farms with the Flavor Farmer, Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream, BBQ, market and more as quite the pitstop… buying more rare succulents at Grow… and so much more. See why it’s near impossible to sum up quickly? But one thing is for sure - we’re home, we’re rested, and thoroughly inspired to make more awesome happen!

So to get a taste of the most inspiring randomness, robots, packaging, views, creatures and more from LA to SF and back… see the next page!

The craziness that is Bravo Farms - the newest of 4 locations and the first just off the 5 - this huge building holds everything from a general store, wine/cheese/beer, BBQ restaurant, ice cream shop, antiques, shooting gallery, dog park and beyond! sf1.jpg

Here’s the shooting gallery! sf2.jpg

When we got into SF - first stop was checking out the Alite Outpost in person finally! sf3.jpg

Sadly the ridiculously adorable Tiny Warrior Coffee was closed inside! sf4.jpg

Wandering through a few stores quickly before close - we got lost in Dijitalfix - so much good stuff! The backroom is what sucked Shawn in the longest though… sf5.jpg

… and we couldn’t help giving in to one of the Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators… and unboxed it in the car! See the full unboxing here. sf6.jpg

Now the MAIN reason we headed north was to review projects for the Autodesk Pier 9 - Artist in Residency program. One of the most amazing things (amongst many!) inside their pier super studio… swing conference table! Head over to this post for the FULL Autodesk Pier 9 Tour sf7.jpg

Behind the amazing octopus garage door are the industrial robots! sf8.jpg

Love this warning sign! sf9.jpg

Just a peek at some of the many things going on inside! (See more here) sf10.jpg

Fun to see and touch a lot of the 3D prints and experiments in person! sf11.jpg

One of our favorite projects was this Hummus 3D Printer by Luis Rodriguez - it’s incredibly fast! (Also yummy)

The amazing CW&T left us a surprise - an early Pen Type B!!! And it is amazing! (If you’re interested - go see more at Kickstarter!) My favorite is the donut magnet tucked inside that holds the sleeve on regardless of whether the pen is open or closed. sf12.jpg

Had to pop by my old neighborhood and see what was up at Upper Playground… and grab a cheesesteak across the street. sf13.jpg

Wandering out to outer sunset - we got a peek at the fun pelican mural of the Sea Stack pop up. sf14.jpg

Headed to Sutro Baths for a stunning sunset… sf15.jpg

… it just kept getting more and more dramatic. sf16.jpg

As we started to head down the coast we stopped off for food at Half Moon Bay… we saw this 80 series land cruiser (like the NOTFZJ!) but what surprised me was the Green Egg grill bumper set up! Amazing! sf17.jpg

That night we stayed in Santa Cruz on the water - the pier was glowing! sf18.jpg

… and morning was equally stunning. sf19.jpg

While in Santa Cruz - we had to go see the Verve Coffee Roasters HQ! Stunning building! Delicious coffee… and divine s’more cookie. sf20.jpg

Stopped off at Monterey Bay… sf21.jpg

Picked up some treats at Stewart & Jasper. The flavors and quality are incredible - see the whole story and my favorite flavors here. sf23.jpg

Sunset in Big Sur! Where we had a great dinner at the Big Sur River Inn sf22.jpg

… then continued our way down to Cambria to spend the night. We woke up to this view! sf24.jpg

… and walked out the lovely wooden paths to see the views from the edge. sf25.jpg

On more new all-in-one roadside stops - we popped by Centrally Grown. Gardens, market, restaurant, gift shop, and more just across from the ocean! sf25a.jpg

While there, we picked up some beautiful See Canyon Hard Ciders. sf25b.jpg

Heading into Cambria’s main streets - found a funky little hummingbird for the garden… glowingly beautiful glass octopus… and of course stopped by our favorite GROW Nursery with exquisite rare succulents! (See more about Grow in our feature from 2012) sf26.jpg

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No trip home down the 1 is complete without a stop at Ostrichland USA too! And this time there were even 1 month old babies! See all my pictures here. sf28.jpg

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