Final Destination

In case you're wondering...we made it to San Francisco!!! Our final destination. I can't believe the trip has come to an end. Katie and I thought about continuing up the coast to Portland and Seattle, but there's this thing called a job that I start on Monday and another thing called money that is dwindling. So the time has come to say goodbye. Katie and I felt like we sort of became one person and for those of you curious-minded people, yes, we still talk to each other and no, we never even fought once! And I can speak for her because we're basically the same person. hehe ... So if any of you are considering a road trip, no matter how large or small, I would highly recommend you recruit Katie for the trip. She has endless amounts of energy, is good with directions, rarely sleeps, and is in a perpetual good mood. Not a bad combo of traits for a road trip partner, or friend for that matter! Love you, Katie, and miss you already!!!!!!

So I think I left off with the blogging somewhere in central California on the road to San Diego and a LOT has happened since then. We took a whirlwind trip through San Diego, stopping in La Jolla, Old Town, Balboa Park (one of my favorite places of the whole trip), and Coronado Island to watch the sunset. We then searched for a parking spot near our hostel for about half an hour. We stayed at Lucky D's hostel and I would highly recommend it. $24/night including waffles for breakfast and a good location next to the Gaslamp Quarter. We went out that night, of course, and checked out some of the bars in the Quarter. We were sort of bombarded by marines that night and I was not in a chatty mood.

We woke up and left the city Sunday morning so we could meet up with Katie's friend, Josh, in LA. Josh lives in Redondo Beach in South Bay, an area that I liked way more than I expected. There is more of a small beach town feel and none of the uppity-ness or fake-ness you expect from Hollywood or Beverly Hills. There was a Mexican fiesta going on in Hermosa Beach and people were out in droves. It was extremely difficult to park at the beach but we figured out a system involving some carpooling and bike riding. And the walk along the sidewalk involved passing by volleyball players, rollerbladers, and bikers galore. We hung out on the beach most of the afternoon and jumped in the Pacific...a chilly 55ish degrees. We were told that this is the Red Tide season, where the algae starts feeding on the bacteria and pollution in the water and gives the ocean a reddish appearance. That didn't stop us from jumping in though (-:

That night, thanks to Josh, we got on the list at several clubs in Hollywood, one included table service, champagne, and confetti! Felt like high rollers (-:  Sadly, no celebrity sightings.

Monday was a little more laid back with a trip to a more secluded beach in Palos Verdes and a sushi dinner overlooking the Pacific. And Tuesday was our touristy day. We went to Griffith Park, where we got a glimpse of the Hollywood sign and also checked out the observatory. We drove around Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, and Rodeo Drive. Then we checked out the Getty Center, which has amazing architecture and great views of the city. We met up with Josh and got a tour of Red Bull headquarters and then met my high school friends Bryan and Grace for dinner in Santa Monica. We followed dinner with a trip to a local British pub and a crazy game of darts where I showed my mad dart-throwing skills....NOT! Thanks, Josh, for letting us stay at your place and showing us around LA! 

We left early early on Wednesday morning and drove north to Kernville, which is at the southern tip of Sequoia National Park. There, we hung out with my friend Thomas, who's a raft guide on the Kern River. We had a relaxing afternoon and hiked to the river where we got to swim and slide down some rocks! Very refreshing. On Thursday, Thomas took us on a mini rafting trip of the Kern River where we did mostly Class 2's but one Class 3. Sequoia National Park was one of my favorite places of the whole trip. We had perfect sunny days, warm weather, and I felt so far away from everything. It was a nice, peaceful note to end the trip on. Thanks, Thomas!!!

On Thursday afternoon, we left for the Pacific Coast Highway and drove that up to San Francisco. I felt like I was in an old Alfred Hitchcock movie and just needed a convertible. The views were absolutely breathtaking and I'm glad Katie was driving because it was one of the windy/curviest roads ever! 

So despite being sad about the end of the trip, I'm happy to be in one place, and especially to be reunited with my dear college friend and roomie of 4 years, Christina. She wanted me to explain that the picture of her in the robe has a purpose. The theme of her house party was breakfast (hints the robe). 

Katie left today and it's hard to not have my other half by my side! I'm loving the Headlands so far and excited to get started with the summer camp. I'm going to sign off for now, but it's probably not the last you'll hear of me. Blogging is addicting! It's hard work and on this trip, we really couldn't keep up with ourselves. But I'm sure I'll continue with more tales of my life in the future... just check facebook but don't feel obligated. I'm sure nothing else can compare to the awesomeness of this trip. I miss all of you who aren't here!!!