5000 Miles Away From the Beach.

Today marks one year to the day since I flew to California. One year ago I was sat in Heathrow Airport waiting for my flight to take me on my adventure, the biggest I've ever had. I was reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac, an American writer of the Beat Generation, and these words stood out to me, I've had the page bookmarked ever since:

"What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? - it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-by. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies." - Jack Kerouac, On the Road 

I thought of how appropriate the words were in that moment. Just a few hours before I had said goodbye to my family and I was now alone, but I was only excited for what awaited me. Going to the USA seemed like a dream come true, I had waited years for this and had completely surprised myself by not being nervous at all; I realised I was ready.

Just a few highlights

Now this quote is relatable again. It reminds me of all the people I've met and had to say goodbye to over the last year, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I've had the time of my life and had experiences I could only dream of before. I can't believe it's been a year since I went, time has flown by. It has been a hectic, crazy time and I've struggled to keep up with this blog but I'm determined to finish it, even if it is a little late!

I now have to look forward to what comes next, to keep the memories I have made, the lessons I have learnt, and use them. I have to look towards another dream to pursue and I have a few, most of them involve travelling of course. I think once you've experienced just how easy it is to pack up a car or book a cheap plane ticket and go see a new place in a day, a weekend or a week you don't want to stop seeing new things. It's a big world we live in and I want to continue to experience, in Jack Kerouac's words, the "crazy ventures" it can bring.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller

I have two more posts on New York and San Francisco and then I will finally have finished documenting my time in America, 5000 miles away at The Beach!

Roadtrip up the Pacific Coast Highway: Santa Monica, Malibu and Santa Barbara.

We had wanted to do this trip for months and so after university had finished we finally had the time to actually plan it and go. We wanted to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, famous for its beautiful coastal scenery to Santa Barbara, stopping along the way at Santa Monica and Malibu. 

Our first stop was Santa Monica, we walked along the pier, famous for being the end of Route 66 and went on the Ferris Wheel which had amazing views of the LA area, mountains and coast. We then had fun relaxing on some swings on the beach. We also walked down the main street which is great for shopping and got a burrito at Chipotle for lunch.

Santa Monica Pier

Route 66

Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

View from the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

Waves

Santa Monica's Main Street

We then drove further up the coast to Malibu which is known for its beautiful beaches and stopped to have a walk along the beach.

Malibu Beach

Surf/Swim

Driving up Pacific Coast Highway

We had booked to stay in the Holiday Inn at Carpinteria which is before Santa Barbara on the coast. We dropped our bags in the room and walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. The view of the mountains on the way really reminded me of those in Hawaii, it was hard to believe we were not even that far from LA. It was a quiet town with not much to do but it had a great beach for the sunset. We found a spot and had fun taking photos. We went to I-Hop to have pancakes for dinner and then went back to the hotel to relax in the hot tub under the stars.

The Mountains of Carpinteria

Carpinteria Sunset

Silhouettes

The next day after breakfast we continued driving and reached Santa Barbara. It was a very windy day making the walk down the pier a bit of a struggle, however it was clear just how picturesque the town was, with the mountains, ocean and old style Spanish buildings. It almost felt like you were in another country.

Santa Barbara Pier

We stopped by Tourist information to get some information, we were given a map and told to start at Santa Barbara's Courthouse in the Old Town which is a lovely area with lots of shops and restaurants.

Old Town Santa Barbara

The Courthouse, built in 1926 after an earthquake destroyed the earlier building, is an example of how the town has been influenced by the Spanish Colonial style. It has beautiful interior decoration with patterned ceilings and walls, large murals and also tile mosaics. The mural room's paintings reveal some of Santa Barbara's interesting history and the extensive murals make the space very dramatic. However, the most impressive part of the Courthouse is perhaps the view from the clock tower. You can see 360 degrees, to the coast, the mountains and to all the pretty tiled buildings of Santa Barbara.

Courthouse

Patterns

The Mural Room

Mountain View from the Clock Tower

Ocean View from the Clock Tower

After we had visited the Courthouse we walked through a little area, La Arcada, which had some nice small shops and restaurants. There was even a fountain which had turtles swimming inside. The atmosphere was very relaxed and felt quite European.

La Arcada

Mozart Trio

We went to the Santa Barbara Mission after lunch. Built in 1786 it was the tenth mission of twenty-one in California, which sought to convert Native Americans to Christianity to help their attempt at colonisation. Over the years parts of the mission have been rebuilt due to earthquake damage. The missions are the oldest buildings in California and have historical significance for the state. This was the second mission I had been to and it was smaller than the first, however still interesting and pretty to see. It is intriguing to see some of California's history, where it began and how it has influenced the state to this day.

Santa Barbara Mission

A Franciscan Friar

Spanish Colonial Style

The Chapel

I loved this road trip, the places we visited were so picturesque and I wish we could have gone for longer. I'd like to drive all the way up Highway 1 to San Francisco so I guess it just means I'll have to go back and do it one day!!

Death Valley.

The last few months have been full of new and wonderful experiences! One I didn't expect to have was to see Death Valley, in the dry, hot and desolate Mojave desert. Sara and I were invited to go one Sunday at the end of April with a couple of Spanish friends and a fellow English, and it was a great road trip! It may have been a little dangerous in the expansive wilderness with a lack of gas, but it was exciting nonetheless. The landscape was unlike anything I had ever seen!

Just before we entered Death Valley we came across an almost deserted town which seemed to be very similar to the stereotypical ones you see in horror films. We then drove into the wilderness on the road into Death Valley:

First stop, Ashford Mill Ruins:

Next stop, Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America:

The salt flats:

We then saw the salt formations of Devil's Golf Course:

Next we drove to see the colourful rock of Artist's Palette:

Exploring in-between the rocks:

We then walked a trail which took us to see Red Cathedral:

Next stop was the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes:

And finally the Ubehebe Crater:

Trying to catch up now that I am nearly at the end of my year abroad. Until next time!

Roadtrip 2: My First Thanksgiving, San Francisco and Yosemite.

So I'm home for Christmas after an amazing first semester in the USA. I can't believe how fast it has gone, but I've done so much, had the time of my life and made some of the most amazing friends!

So I'm still catching up due to how busy I was at the end of the semester with uni work and finals; here it goes:

For the Thanksgiving Holiday I went on a road trip up to Northern California to spend Thanksgiving with an American friend Kim, whose family very kindly hosted five of us. We also took the opportunity to see San Francisco and then to visit Yosemite National Park while there.

On the first day of our trip, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and took photos!

We then went down to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 which is a really cool place by the water with little shops and restaurants, and it overlooks Alcatraz. I really liked the atmosphere of this part as it has a small town feel in a big city. This was the first thing that made me think that if I were to live in the USA I'd choose San Francisco.

Sonnee, Sara and I with Alcatraz in the background:

Pier 39:

We then drove to Kim's house and had a lovely dinner with her family and a dip in the hot tub! Afterwards we went on a midnight walk and saw the stars :)

The next day was Thanksgiving and after a relaxing morning we drove to Kim's Aunt and Uncle's for Thanksgiving dinner, which I have to say was one of the best meals I've had the whole semester. The drive there showed us a very different California than what we've been used to in Long Beach with countryside. I felt like I was on the east coast as it was so different, let alone in the same state. Its great that California itself has so many different landscapes to explore!

On our way we passed through Sacramento, the Capitol of California:

Thanksgiving sunset in the American countryside:

After our dinner overlooking this view we played darts which was really fun and then had an entertaining drive home singing our hearts out! Our first Thanksgiving in the USA was great; I think I might celebrate it every year now, just to eat delicious food! Thanks to Kim's family!

On the next day, we got up very early and went into San Fran to try to fit as much into one day as we could. We had a beautiful day for it, there was no fog, just amazing blue skies and sunshine.

Firstly we went to Golden Gate Park, where we had a wander around and admired the fact that it was so peaceful in the middle of a city.

We then went to see the famous "Painted Ladies" houses in Alamo Square which has an amazing view of the city.

We saw the Mrs. Doubtfire House on Steiner St., which was surprisingly small but exciting to see nonetheless, and there was again an amazing view down the street.

And this is me saying, "Look Sonnee, Robin Williams stood here!"

Next up was the Pacific Heights neighbourhood where we sat and ate our lunch. This again had amazing San Fran style houses and views.

We then drove down Lombard Street, which is the windy road which has eight tight turns in the space of one block. This is the view from the top!

Next, on our way to park the car down at Pier 39, we went down a street with a really cool view of Alcatraz, which was pretty much the only place we didn't seem to visit, but I can do that another time!

Fisherman's Wharf:

We got a San Fran cable car from by the bay, and while we waited we had this stunning view!

Me and Steph on the cable car, ready to go! 

Up the hill:

Down the hill:

We got off at Union square which was our next stop.

Next up was the Financial district, where the Transamerica Pyramid is:

We walked from here to the Beat Museum, which I really wanted to visit having read On The Road, a novel by beat writer Jack Kerouac. I loved learning more about it as I find this era of American literature and history really interesting.

A glimpse inside the museum:

The car used in On The Road:

A really cool mural and street art nearby:

We then walked through Chinatown back to Union square and caught the cable car to Pier 39 to get the car. We drove to Haight Ashbury where we had dinner; this was the place to be in the sixties and it still has a lot of its hippie history.

Afterwards we visited Pier 39 again to look at some of the shops and then went to Telegraph Hill/ Coit Tower to see the view of the city at night.

The next morning we started our drive to Yosemite National Park, but along the way we found (what we considered to be) a national treasure, Copperopolis. This was a tiny town which didn't seem to have any one to serve except passing visitors like us, as it was in the middle of nowhere, yet it had two restaurants, an ice cream parlour, a nail salon, a pet shop and a few other shops. People were dressed traditionally and there were horse-drawn carriages doing rides around the square, it was a new town built to look old. It didn't seem to belong in California at all. It was the kind of thing that we thought could only be found in America, and this coupled with the name, led to us realising that many jokes could be made out of the town. And thus, Copperopolis has become a legend amongst my friends.

Copperopolis Town Hall:

Having had lunch in Copperopolis we spent a bit longer there than planned and so didn't have time to see much of Yosemite that day. But we did arrive before dark and were able to take photos at the sign. We also found out when we arrived to our campsite that there was an outdoor ice rink, and so our plans were made for the night!

Our campsite:

Our little tent:

We went ice skating where I had a couple of hilarious falls and then we made smores on the campfire.

The next morning we walked to Mirror Lake, which disappointingly didn't have any water in, but at least we got to walk in it!

Our different reactions to there being no water:

On our way back to the campsite we found this! This was more of a mirror lake than actual Mirror Lake:

After some breakfast we went to see Yosemite Falls. There wasn't much water flowing, due to the time of year, but it was there! The lack of it made it more of an adventure for us and more exciting as we climbed the rocks up towards the base of the waterfall.

After going to see Bridalveil Falls we started our drive back down to Southern California. However, we stopped along the way to see this, which is Tunnel View, one of the most famous at Yosemite and definitely one of the most beautiful. What an amazing end to our Thanksgiving week!

This was a really long post and very late, but I hope you enjoyed catching up on my travels. My experiences have all felt quite surreal while in the US but sitting writing this in England makes it all feel more real and makes me appreciate it that much more! This trip was one of the best experiences of the semester and thanks to Kim and her family we had a great Thanksgiving! Also a shoutout to Steph for driving us around the whole time, thank you. :)

My next post will be about visiting the Queen Mary back in Long Beach! Hopefully it will be up soon now I've got this big one out of the way!

Hope anyone reading had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year!