californiaaaaaa
this trip was one for the books
the past 12 days the family and i have been driving hundreds of miles all across california, taking in view after view.
it was a little crammed with the four of us (plus a dog) in our little RV but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. we were with each other every second of everyday. literally. we're all back in one piece and closer than ever.. so it obviously was a success. also we tested out harvey's (the dog) swimming ability and it came back positive: he's a natural swimmer. oh, and my brother alec learned how to tie his shoes like an adult so those were some added bonus's to the trip.
but lets get this show on the road, and introduce the places we spent hours driving to, and the pictures i snapped on the way. (hah excuse the pun.)
first stop: sequoia national forest
one of my favorite hikes in sequoia was one we came across on accident. we followed it to thee most incredible view. it overlooked all of yosemite, and it didn't even compare to the overlook hike we did next. i had to take a couple minutes just to intake it all. i know what people mean now when they use the phrase, "it took my breath away".
this was the overlook hike we did next, "moro rock". it was straight up, walking on the edge of a cliff, which ended to a great view. it was probably just as good as the last, but the dozens of people took the moment away.
the sherman tree was a big deal here. it is only the biggest tree IN DUH WORLD. that deserves some recognition. the tree was too big to get on camera, but we took a pic in front of it's trunk, so same thing right?
^^^
random views on the way. which there was way more too count.
sequoia was absolutely beautiful. the trees were incredible, just ask my dad.. he had to stop to take a panorama of every single one we came across.
next stop: yosemite
okay, okay this hike was the greatest. it was 1.5 miles of extreme inclines that led to the biggest waterfall i have ever seen. the closer we got to it the colder it got. it dropped thirty degrees from when we started. it was freezing, and we were getting soaked with mist but the hike was definitely worth it. there was a hike that connected, which would've added 3 more miles, that i was dying to do, but my mom is afraid of heights (which it was on a cliff); so i guess i'll be saving that for my next trip here.
yosemite was HANDS DOWN my favorite of the places we went. i was in awe 99.9% of the time. we didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the things i wanted to do there.. i am definitely going to have to make a trip back there in the near future. this place should be put on everyones bucket list.
next stop: san francisco
this was our final destination. we pulled up in the middle of the night in the sketchiest RV park. i was a bit skeptical at first, but actually got to know some pretty cool people during my visit here. my dad got a spot on the beach so we could spend our days there; little did we know the sun hardly ever showed, and the average temperature during the summer was about 60. so our plans quickly went down the drain, but it opened up space for new and better things.
the first thing on our 'list to do' was check out china town. it was the obvious choice to us, and probably the closest thing i'd ever get to a vacation (from my parents) to china hah. it definitely wasn't anything i expected it to be. it looked a lot more glamorous on shows, but it was worth a visit. we ate some real chinese food (which i think i prefer panda express's version better hah), learned how to use chopsticks, and got my a pair of my very own chinese slippers.
while in china town we came across our very own store. WHO KNEW. my dad pretended to be the owner to the (i'm hoping) new employee, and she totally believed him for a solid couple of minutes. if anyone ever needs a turtle shaped piano, a lion fountain, a life sized statue of a giraffe, this is the place to get it.
ghiradelli chocolate falls under the 'must have' category. no doubt about it. i'm going to be honest here, this was probably my favorite part of our san francisco experience. no shame. it was heaven. (fyi those one the ice cream cone was mine)
while we slowly made our way to pier 39 we took our time touring the city. i don't think i would ever. ever. consider living here, but i am tempted to build one of those colorful houses. i was obsessing with them the whole time. i think it's time utah steals the trend.
we made our way to pier 39 which is pretty much a tourist trap. alot of good foor and games, if you're willing to spend the money. my dad wasn't the fan of the money part, but we got to participate in a few boat rides and such.
who even comes to san francisco and doesn't see the golden gate bridge? the day we went it was cold and windy but the bridge was top priority. we gathered enough courage (and clothing) and headed on our bikes to the bridge. it was really fun.. except for the part when my brakes went out and i almost ran into an oncoming stamped of asian bicyclists. that moment definitely fell into "my life flashed before my eyes" category.
btw if anyone goes to san fran, boudins and ghiradelli ice cream better be on the agenda.
s/o to @kourtneykezos for giving those great suggestions ^^^
next stop: home sweet home
aka my bed
-lex