Outside Lands Music and Art Festival: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

What's better than mixing music AND travel? Nothing! Especially when it involves a group of bad ass friends that love music as much as I do. This was my second year to San Fran for the festival and the line-up certainly did not dissapoint; Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, Incubus, Black-eyed Peas, The Dead Weather (oh, how I heart Jack White), Modest Mouse, and the list goes on.
We flew in Friday morning on Virgin America, which by the way fuckin ROCKS. Mood lighting, Absynthe shots, and texting between seats is the most fun I've ever had at 23,000 feet. Limo'd (cheesy, I know but, come on, there were 6 of us) ourselves to the JW Marriott in Union Square and settled into some very posh weekend digs. Not very gypsy of me but, I've never been a girl to discriminate against high thread count sheets and room service. Go ahead, live vicariously.....

Union Square. That's me in the middle with the rad purple shades

What's better than one gypsy? Two! Me with bestie, Autumn

Jammin to the Peas. Who would've guessed Fergie & Co. were the highlight of the weekend?

Fri & Sat were the sunniest days S.F. had seen all year and then the fog rolled in on 'Sun'day, of course

Gypsy in training

2nd time seeing The Dead Weather in less than a week

Jack White (sigh). Rock my world

Twin Peaks Stage at the main entrance. Check out below the awesomeness happening on stage

Transporation Nightmare: Getting around Outside Lands

Here's the deal with the Outside Lands Music Fest. While Golden Gate Park is an amazing venue for a festival there aren't many hotels within walking distance so, you might as well stay where you want and either rent a car or use the public transpo. The bus system, the Muni, is the easiest way to get around San Francisco EXCEPT when you're trying to get out of Golden Gate Park at the end of the festival. Every bus will fill up to capacity at the exit of the Main Stage and then you're SOL, losers. We walked three miles (yes, that's right) toward our hotel until we suckered a town car driver into stuffing all six of us into his car. At that point he could have strapped us to the roof and we wouldn't have cared. We were staying at the JW on Post St. over 5 miles away and even though it was easy and cheap to hop on the Muni or grab a cab to get to Golden Gate Park, getting out of there was a nightmare. On night 2 we arranged for a limo to pick us up on one of the street corners outside of the park (aaahhhh, no 3 mile walks) and on the third day we left early to catch our flight home so, transpo was no big deal. Bottom line is if you plan on jamming out to the headlining band through the end of each night, be sure to pre-arrange getting your drunk ass home. xo jahnel