Before attending the CFC-Y Conference (https://thejamiegrace.wordpress.com/2019/07/15/onward/), I went around California from June 25-July 5 with my friend Ashlen. I have traveled to many places before and this was not my first time in California. But, since I am older now, there was more flexibility with time and I got to do things that my parents might not want to do or see since they travel a lot too and see cool things. However, California is beautiful and I am so glad I got to see it for myself. I am not really sure why, but everything tastes better and the atmosphere in California seems prettier. I did tell my Dad in November that California seems to have everything and you will never be bored. Mom and Dad, pretty sure there were some things that equate to Cupola LOL it might not be suited for you, but I hope we can go back and do some of these things. I actually told my older sister, if California living expenses were not tremendously beyond the roof, I would love to consider making it a home at some point in my life. 2 words to describe this trip: walking and eating. A lot went on in 12 days and here’s what we got to do and see and some of my suggestions and recommendations:
June 25:
- Twin Peaks: This is where you can see the view of San Francisco and the bay area. It is high up in the mountains and freezing cold. It is also free, so highly recommend coming here if you want your breath to be taken away. We took photos there and did not wear jackets because we wanted to be the Floridians who didn’t.
- Sailboat tour in the Bay around the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz: This was actually super last minute. We were just looking around at Pier 39 and saw pamphlets for it. The sailboat tour was 1 hour and 30 minutes and you get a complete viewing from the water and get to sail in the bay. We literally could not refuse it was hilarious.
- Pier 39: One of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco. It is known for clam chowder, the shops, and the sea lions that are over there. It is really cold at night. San Francisco is cold in general at night. The wind and the water make it always a requirement to wear a jacket and pants.
June 26:
- The Redwood Forest: WARNING if you get motion sickness easily take medicine. The ride going up takes about an hour alone just to get up the mountain. And use the bathroom beforehand. We walked about 4 miles that day and the trees are indescribable. I called every tree i saw the tree of life. We were climbing on some of the trees that we could climb on and the weather was perfect. We barely broke a sweat in Cali and if we did, it’s because we probably were in the sun or walking SO much.
- UC Berkeley: Ashlen and I stayed with my friend from high school, Shang at his house in Berkeley. It is about 25 minutes from San Francisco. Berkeley is a very nice campus and it is pretty big. I think every other college is huge just because mine is small, but it actually is big. Monsters University’s animated college was actually based off the structure of UC Berkeley’s campus. There are skunks on campus at night which as a Floridian I was really shocked but scared to get sprayed on LOL.
June 27:
- Silicon Valley: Apple Headquarters and Google Headquarters – So Cupertino, CA is the hub of most of the technology headquarters. Honestly, there isn’t really much to do there besides walk on the headquarters. But if you’re looking for tours or rides, they don’t offer that much. It’s just cool to say you’ve been there. Googleplex is HUGE. The section we walked on this year, was not the same area I went to last year with the Merino family. Both Apple and Google sell merchandise and souvenirs so we bought some stuff.
- Baker Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge: Baker Beach is a beach in San Francisco where you can get a great view of the bridge to take pictures, which is why we went. We also climbed up these sand stairs and it was literal hell. I always told myself “i’m not even phased by all the slopes and walking” but we all know I was still tired. Ashlen was like, “J we really need to work out.” I only wore a quarter zip sweater and I was freezing, but the walking made me warm. However, I got closer to the waves and the water and my pants got wet, so there’s that. Shang was mad watching me trying to get off the rocks while the tide was high. Walked off the beach with sandy toes and salt water jeans.
June 28:
- Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39: San Francisco’s most famous waterfront community. There is Ghirardelli Square, more food and shops, and one of the most west coast apparel store: Patagonia. Ashlen and I went to Patagonia twice because there is none in Florida. We went with Shang and one of his roommate’s Izzy.
- The Original Full House: 1709 Broderick St. We all know that it was most of the time a set on Full House, but this address is where they did film the opening credits for the show. It is just a normal house in a residential area, but as a fan of the show I did want to see it with my own eyes.
- The Painted Ladies: A row of old victorian style homes in San Francisco. It is strictly just a picture taking place. Nothing extravagant, so don’t expect to go inside one. We already surrendered to the parallel parking system just to walk around to take pictures, but the weather really justified the trips. A lot of these things are just a must to see at one point in your life if you’re up for adventure.
- Tesla: One of Shang’s other roommates, Kevin, was using his Dad’s Model X Tesla. I asked if we could just sit inside of it, and he actually drove us around the block so we could have the Tesla experience. It was one for my book, because it was my first time.
- Grizzly Peak: This is between the Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Grizzly Peak is a summit hill in Berkeley. You can easily drive up so no hiking required. It’s really pretty especially at sunset and I’m glad Izzy told us about it.
- The Palace of Fine Arts and China Town: We didn’t actually get to go inside the Palace, but we took pictures outside of it. It looked really gorgeous at night, and we even saw a fox. I thought it was a dog so I was like ASHLEN A DOG and when she looked closer it was a fox. I ran so fast to the car LOL. Chinatown was a nice place to walk through. I’ve been to New York’s, so I didn’t really know what to expect. But, it did bring me some peace for the soft spot in my heart for Beijing. It felt good to be somewhat back or to pretend at least. We didn’t get to eat at Chinatown, but it is a neat place to visit. I would definitely go back.
June 29
- Taking the Pacific Coast Highway: The California 1 highway is an absolute MUST. It is beautiful beyond words and imagine this: it’s a highway with consistent views of the beaches and mountains. It runs along the pacific coastline. We took it from Berkeley to Monterey when we went to the aquarium. I would not suggest going on a weekend though. We went on a Saturday, so traffic was heavier than normal. But it is definitely a sight to see. We stopped to take photos because we had to.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: Ranked as the 8th best aquarium in 2014 by US City Traveler, this aquarium is located on the ocean’s edge. My favorite animal to see was the penguins. The aquarium puts a lot of emphasis on the conservation of the ocean and is a rehabilitation center for some of the animals.
- Santa Cruz Boardwalk: Honestly, I think this was better than the Santa Monica Pier. We went to the Santa Cruz store as well and I bought a jacket and a shirt. The cool part about the boardwalk is that it is free and you can walk around without going on rides. The fries we ate were so good too. It is more aesthetically pleasing to look at and its bigger. It was a busy day, but I did not feel that it was too overcrowded. It is mostly suggested for younger groups of people, but I think adults and parents can still have a nice walk on the beach while walking around the boardwalk.
June 30: Arrive in San Diego
- Little Italy: We took Bird Scooters around here and Seaport Village. It’s a cute neighborhood and right by the airport, so you can see planes coming and going. Walk or take a scooter to enjoy the vibes and weather of San Diego.
- Balboa Park – “Where culture, nature, and science collide” this huge place is like a Disney World to me. There are museums, zoos, venues and gardens. Locals come here to take pictures for prom, weddings, and events. We walked around for a bit and even went to the world nation exhibits. It is 1,200 acres big. It is free to walk around and only some exhibits and places require an admission fee. It is a must if you are in San Diego. There is a lot to do there and you can spend your entire day there.
- Seaport Village – The Unconditional Surrender or the Kissing Statue is the famous statue with the nurse and sailor celebrating the end of WWII. We got to take a picture with it, and it is 25 feet tall.
- Coronado- We ate at Hotel Del and got to take nice pictures here as well. The Coronado bridge is 11,170 feet long and connects San Diego to Coronado. A beautiful hotel from the 1880s.
- La Jolla – I have been here so many times during my time in California that honestly the water temperature doesn’t even hurt anymore. We got some gelato at Bobboi which most of the gelato contains organic ingredients. It is close to the water, so we just walked after taking pictures.
- Birch Aquarium – Not as big as Monterey Bay, but still a cool place to visit. It is also located on the coast of the ocean. There are 5 exhibits with over 3,000 animals. We got to hold star fishes and hermit crabs.
- Mount Soledad – Definitely a must in San Diego. Mt. Soledad is where the cross is located on the mountaintop and the cross is 43 feet tall. The 360 views of the city as well as seeing all the people who served for the country.
- 85 Degree Bakery & The Boiling Crab – 85 degrees is a pastry/bakery franchise and the Boiling Crab is a San Diego thing. For all people with a sweet tooth and love for seafood, these two are definitely for you. I ordered a pound of shrimp tossed in the Whole Sha-Bang which is garlic, lemon and rajun cajon all in one. The table is covered in plastic, so at the end of the dinner we just take the plastic off and it gets thrown away.
July 1:
- Old Town Temecula: Definitely a cute place to walk at, grab a cup of coffee with views of the mountain. It was one of our less busy days, which we were both grateful for some rest because our flight to San Diego was so early the day before.
July 2:
- Whale and Dolphin watching at Mission Bay – We didn’t to see any whales, so they gave us a ticket to come back anytime and it never expires, but we saw a lot of dolphins and some sea lions. There were also a lot of birds. We took Dramamine before the boat ride because, we are both prone to sea sickness. But, later on after we ate lunch at this amazing taco place called La Perla Cocina Mexicana, we passed out on the sunset cliffs for about 45 minutes. We were so tired because of the dramamine.
- Sunset Cliffs – So if any of you guys ask Ashlen, she’ll tell you I busted my butt on the cliff. I think she lives to see me be a klutz. But Sunset Cliffs is in Point Loma. It is really pretty and we hiked down the cliffs to the beach. At one point we had to use a rope to get down and up but that was truly the California experience.
July 3: Los Angeles
Get ready for all the traffic, people and just waiting around because this is by far one of the busiest cities I have ever visited. It beats out Manila and is almost as bad as Beijing.
- Santa Monica Pier – Honestly, it is not worth the hype. It looks better in pictures than in person, and we felt cat fished. Still, it is one of those things you always want to see for yourself, but it was a let down since we saw Santa Cruz’s Boardwalk before the Pier. But the pier is ALWAYS crowded, and it isn’t even that big. I probably wouldn’t go back since parking is hard, parking is hard and general in Cali, but I would not go out of my way. The highlight of the Pier was having Patagonia store close by.
- Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign: I haven’t seen these places since I was probably 5 or 6 years old, so it was cool to be back and actually remember it. The walk of fame is so long and we had to keep going to actually make it to relevant stars. The stars are scattered too, so Harry Potter’s was far from Ellen Degeneres’, that’s how long it is. There is a map that shows you online where each star can be found. We went at night, so it wasn’t busy which we were both thankful for. For the Hollywood sign, it actually is farther out of LA, but we still went up the mountain to see it. Griffith was closed and so were other entrances, so we took pictures in a residential area because that is literally where the views of the sign is. We also got to take pictures on the way down from the sign of Los Angeles from up top.
- Salazar’s: Ashlen and I met up with my family friend Kristin and her husband Conrad for dinner and we ate tacos. Carne asada is a huge thing in Cali so we got some carne tacos, and the ambiance of this restaurant is very hip and chill. It is outdoor seating and the Cali weather makes the experience better. It is dark so we couldn’t see the table, but it was still worth it. This restaurant is always busy, that they don’t even have a phone number. You have to go there yourself if you want to know how busy it is because no call aheads or reservations are allowed.
July 4th:
- The San Diego Zoo: This zoo is 100 acres with over 600 animals. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is 58- acres, but this zoo literally felt like Animal Kingdom. They have a tram and a ski lift to take people around.
- Big Bay Boom for Fireworks – The famous spot for Independence Day in San Diego. 4 shows simultaneously play and up to 500,000 people come to watch the 20 minute show.
July 5th:
Kayaking in La Jolla: A MUST in San Diego if you like outdoor activities or not. The pacific ocean is freezing cold and Ashlen and I both jumped out of our kayaks at one point for fun. It felt good though. Our tour guide took us into a cave and it was beautiful. On one of the cliffs, there is a house where Dr. Seuss actually wrote some of his books in. I also learned because of the San Andreas Fault, the tectonic plates are constantly shifting and so the tour guide explained how it is kind of useless to have houses on the La Jolla cliffs. Eventually they will sink into the water, and a house already did fall into the water. We got to see sea lions as well. Our kayak flipped over because of how strong the swells were and I was racing to make sure my wallet and phone were still okay. Yes, my phone is waterproof and I have AppleCare worst case scenario. Unfortunately for Ashlen, she had to get a new phone when she got back to Florida. I let go of my paddle and hat and the tour guide asked me to swim back for it. I wanted to leave my hat behind but Ashlen went back and swam for it so shout out to the big sis.
California is a totally different culture. It is not the cheapest trip, but it definitely is worth it. Be prepared for your ears popping because of the elevation, parallel parking, cooler weather, lots of traffic, but more importantly a really good time. I was actually impressed with how environment friendly California has become. They do not use plastic straws in most places, and even the trash system is very strict about recycling. You will never be bored in California and I feel that just looking at the mountains is already enough to take your breath away.
These few pictures don’t even justify the beauty of California but all 500+ of them are on my Facebook:
Jamie Vergara 