“Let me take you by the hand and lead you though the streets of London,
I’ll show you something to make you change your mind
”

— "The Streets Of London" by The Beatles

Oh, London. Nothing could make me love you less. The art, the food, the people, the history...it's all so intriguing. Even your bout of ragweed in the summer. On our summer trip to London, Tess + I decided to have a day of adventure, following what our hearts + social media desired us to do. Neither of them failed us.

From Tap Coffee to Carsten Höller's latest exhibi t to champagne + hot dogs, our day quickly became an unforgettable child-like, adult experience fleshed with culture, edible + visual treats, and bike races through Hyde Park.

This summer, I've been visually pushing myself and my creativity to create a streamlined style and work on video. I haven't shot video in three years, mainly because a lack of good editing software + an ancient computer. Either way, I'm so happy I've jumped back into it + even collaborating with my musician brother, Wyatt, on soundcloud as WHSKY.

A visual experience highlighting Carsten Höller's latest exhibit, Decision, at the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre in London. Shot entirely on an iPhone 6. Music by WHSKY.

Food in London is truly representative of the many people + cultures that mesh together within this city. For lunch, we made our way to Charlotte Street, the foodiest food street to grab a hot dog + champagne at Bubbledogs. One of the loveliest food combinations ever. Seriously. And on top of that, my hot dog, the Trishna, was a crazy fusion of American + Indian food, paired with a fruity rosé champagne.

And naturally, after one eats lunch, one must eat ice cream. Tess + I trekked about one mile across Fitzrovia to Covent Garden to hit up the Magnum Pleasure Store to make our very own Magnum Bars. These rich bars were decadent. My milk chocolate was topped with raspberries, pistachios ,+ black lava salt, drizzled with dark chocolate. It was so good, we even left some crumbs from the pigeons.

Our afternoon was calming + full of child-like fun as we rented bikes to explore through Hyde Park. We raced, let the breeze flow through our hair and saw a lot of iconic London sites. We rode past ambassadors' homes, saw the Joy of Life Fountain, Royal Albert Hall, Serpentine Lake, Diana, Princess of Wales Fountain, Kensington Palace + Gardens, + Speakers' Corner. Tess even attempted to run over joggers with her bike. Thankfully, she failed.

Our day of Tess + Lauren ended with dinner at Le Mercury in Islington, East London. The food was astounding and extremely affordable french food. In addition to that, the staff was extremely hospitable and could take a good joke, which is always good when we go out to eat. We started our dinner with a camembert to share. My main was the Poitrine de Porc, a slow roasted honeyed pork belly, with confit celeriac + granny smith apple. Every succulent bite made my heart just blissfully melt. Oh, it was so good. But even better, I ended my meal with a white wine poached pear with vanilla ice cream. Oh, I'm dying inside just reminiscing about this meal. Either way, it was wonderful and I highly recommend it if you travel to London.

Up next: my day with Uncle Dana + Aunt Lin, high tea at Sketch, Harrods, + Platform 9 3/4.

Jumping back a few days from my last post, Puerto Vallarta was our meeting point for the Dueñas crew where we were able to catch up amongst ourselves. We split our time between PV and our road trips, which gave us some time to recover in the pool after our rears took the brunt of many topes. The colors of PV were vivid and bright, the drinks were flowing, and the sweat never quit pouring.

It was awesome to seem my brother in PV! He moved out of Goldsboro to Albuquerque at the very beginning of the year so instead of seeing this fool regularly, it's been quite a bit of time. I'm glad that we can still pick up where we left off, goof off, and still take total hipster shots in front of cool walls.

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe lies in the center of Old Town. It is a rather neat little cathedral with a nugget of history for our family. Back when my great grandfather was traveling with his band, he came ill while on his tour. He left his trombone with the priest. My great grandfather was never able to return to get his beloved instrument before he passed. The priest held onto it for many years as one of the only worldly possessions he had, promising that it would get returned to my great grandfather, until he then passed as well. Our family is currently in the process of tracking down this trombone in Mexico, and hopefully one day, by the grace of God, it will appear.

Pacifico beer can shot by my dad on his Nikon FM, that I now use.

It really is amazing how wonderful family is. It's crazy, hectic, and loud, but the moments spent with each other truly make for experiences that we will remember. For us, it's about our culture, heritage, music and coming together to celebrate that as a family. A day never passes when there is some memory I recall that is tied to my crazy-talented and unforgettable family.

These posts are dedicated to my Tío Noe, who kept the music alive, our hearts full of song, and our heads full of scary thoughts of La Llarona. I'm sure you and grandpa are playing guitars and singing your corridos from the clouds. You will be missed.