A recent workshop organized by Luisa Iruela-Arispe and Brant Weinstein and sponsored by the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO) brought 200 developmental biologists together at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California, to share some of their latest findings. This superb meeting synthesized data from a variety of model systems ranging from Urbilateria (a common ancestor to vertebrates and invertebrates), fruit flies, frogs, zebrafish, and mice to human genetic disorders. Participants enjoyed lively discussions on developmental vascular biology while experiencing the natural beauty of the Pacific Coast.