Hi there! It's time for us to see another beautiful side of our country. We're New Englanders Matt & Britt and we're taking a little trip to California. On our list are the big coast towns and cities from South to North, venturing through national parks and forests, Wine Country and beyond. We also plan to indulge in all kinds of food, see as many beaches as possible and just enjoy the days to the fullest. But mostly, to relax and soak in the rays. We plan to stay with locals to have the most authentic visit without actually living there. Pictures will document our days. Enjoy! ​☼

Day 1 - Arrived in L.A.

*beep... beep... beep..* *ring-ring!* - the sounds that awoke us at 3:30 AM on Tuesday at the Days Inn. It's time to go to California. We caught the 5:30AM flight to Baltimore and from there trekked onto the 8:30AM to LA. The first flight was expected to take 45 minutes (amazing). But about 15 minutes into the flight the pilot comes over the air announcing the we are running about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Matt couldn't even finish his coffee! Like what? Crazy. Anyways, the flight was half-full and short... a perfect way to start our early travel day. The flight to L.A., although longer and near capacity was equally smooth and easy - and we're thankful. We couldn't help but reminisce on our past flights with screaming babies and poor air conditioning so needless to say we were content. It helped we had a seat between us that was empty (thanks to my stealthy fake-sleep and no-eye-contact skills acquired on the morning bus ride to high school (remember, Jen?). We arrived in sunny L.A. at around 11:30 local time to a 65 degree day with a light breeze. For the ladies out there - LA has the best weather for fashion. You can rock a sweater-short outfit or a jeans and tank with ease. You can layer jackets with a pair of sandals or rock skinny jeans with boots - its incredible. We grabbed food at Urth Caffe as recommended by a local on the car rental shuttle and checked out Santa Monica Pier and the beach. So, so beautiful. Mountains act as a backdrop to the wide open, sandy beaches and towering palm trees. The views are straight out of a movie scene... literally. We have yet to run into any celebs but we're keeping an eye out! LA has crazy fast-moving traffic throughout all parts. We are staying at an Airbnb rental in the Culver City area with biking/walking paths and an organic coffee shop across the street. We ate dinner at Cha Cha Chicken where regulars lined up to order the most delicious, authentic Caribbean food Matt and I have had in a while (sorry, East Main Fish & Chips). I got shredded chicken over stewed vegetables with two sides of dirty rice and beans and plantains and Matt got the salmon with dirty rice and plantains. Considering our bodies thought it was around 11:30PM and we were running on minimal rest, we went to bed early with plans to visit Griffith Park and beyond tomorrow!
Our Airbnb host - Federico + Sofi's apartment

Day 2: LA

Rise and shine, LA! That was the message below my snapchat this morning... A wonderful thing. We woke up early, well rested and ready for some exploration! Matt grabbed us some coffee and tea from across the street and we ventured to our first stop for the day - the Griffith Observatory. Los Angeles is a very large, spread-out city. Driving one end to the other could take you over a hour! We reached the Observatory in about 45 minutes where we parked and started our ascent up... Did I forget to mention we were hiking to the observatory? It was so cool. Matt and I both enjoy hiking and would always rather take the scenic route. We first hiked a trail leading us to some spectacular views of the infamous Hollywood sign. A few pictures later we hiked to the observatory. Not only were the views astounding and nearly panoramic of all of LA, but the purpose and story of the observatory were equally compelling. It is free of admission. This was rewarding in more ways than one... Not only was it well-kept and informational, but Matt and I both noticed how many different walks of life are able to enjoy it. A public area like this knows no class, race or belief. We saw and heard people from all across the world enjoying one of the most beautiful cityscapes while respecting and learning from the observatory's indoor informational center. After hiking back down, we grabbed a torta from Leo's Tacos in Hollywood for lunch. Next stop: Hollywood Boulevard! We walked from end-to-end pointing out the actors, actresses, musicians and directors that we recognized. All-the-while glimpsing up a every so often to see the Times Square-esq madness that is the TLC Chinese Theater... home of the famous celebrity handprints and inspiring messages to all the onlookers passing by. We headed "home" for some R&R and continued to our next stop around dinnertime - the Buffalo Exchange. If you know anything about me, it's that I love finding unique, thrifty clothes. This place topped all the others... Clothes were stylish, bohemian, sexy and... organized! If you've ever shopped in a thrift store, you'll find this is almost never the case. I bought a olive green light jacket that ties at the hips. Comfy, stylish and sexy... Just like LA. We finished the night with dinner at The Galley, Santa Monica's oldest restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious dinner under eclectic, funky lighting and decor.

Day 3 - LA +

Another solid night's sleep made the 7AM wake up seem almost natural this morning. Today was our last day in LA and our last day in Federico's apartment. We packed up, grabbed breakfast across the street and briefly stopped-off in Beverly Hills. We toured the area of Rodeo Drive and checked out some intriguing art galleries (one of them was an Andy Warhol exhibit! So unexpected.) But the main event for the day was the Museum of Tolerance. It is refreshing to know there is a place out there that dedicates itself to examine and exploit racism, bigotry and prejudice in a socially-scientific way. The Museum of Tolerance is an interactive, multimedia museum that brings viewers through time to see how hateful words can and have turned into some of the most devastating social movements of hate and prejudice, such as the Holocaust. A near hour-long interactive diorama walk-through explains when, why and how Hitler came to power. They explained how Jews were the scapegoats for Germany's failing economy and were subsequently seen as the reason Germany was falling apart - the same way modern American radicals blame immigrants or Muslims for the issues in America. The parallels continued on. Hitler used very hateful, ignorant speech and propaganda to lure in supporters similarly to the way a current presidential candidate provokes anger in his crowds to shift the minds of listeners to blaming particular groups for their country's issues all the while marketing those words through major news outlet coverage. But I digress... We left the museum with our next stop about three hours North - San Luis Obispo! We finally reached the Pacific Ocean and cruised its coast until stopping for some epic scenery. Imagine wide, open sea for miles on your left meeting the sandy, dry mountainous land to your right... Divided by the Pacific Coast Highway (or Route 1). The mountain cliffs that drop off to the PCH and then into the ocean are incredible... scary almost! With good company, California sunshine and music on blast... Its all good.

Day 4 - San Luis Obispo

Our day started with a walk to a breakfast nook nearby. Matt got the Caramel Sutra latte and a pesto chicken flatbread while I got the Rainforest latte (soy chai mate latte) and a yogurt, acai, banana and house made granola parfait. Afterwards we took a little trip inland to explore the vineyards of Cali's Central Coast. With a brief search on our phones, we found SLO's wine trail, the first stop being Sextant Winery. A more modest take on the often-hyped culture around wine tastings, this little place had a down-to-earth feel with goats and sheep nearby as well as a small farmhouse. We tried five kinds of wine, snacked on a pulled pork taco as recommended by the staff and walked the premises. Next stop - another winery of course! However, there is only so much wine one can take before noon... So we decided to stop at a local farmstead for some fresh fruit and honey. The woman that maintains the fruit stand invites the nearby elementary school class to tour her crops while teaching them about composting and about the plants being grown. After buying some time, we ventured through the vineyards of Tolosa Winery for another tasting. We friended Barrett, our wine educator, and he kindly gave us some suggestions for food, drink and accommodations for our upcoming travels in NorCal. Feeling buzzed, we took off to explore SLO a little more. We saw the Bubblegum Alley (yes, it is exactly what you're imagining it to be) and browsed through the hip stores. SLO is a relaxed, college town with the happiest people in our country (according to Oprah.) And we can see why... The weather is absolutely perfect, beaches are around the corner, wine country is 15 minutes away and the mountains act as a backdrop for the entire town. We bought our first piece of art from a local gallery and had two cookies before taking off for Pismo Beach. This place is beautiful... Wide open beaches with minimal people and a gorgeous boardwalk stretching into the Pacific. We talked at length with Bob, a local who moved back and forth from the East and West Coast and who finally settled in California for all of his adult life. His perspective may differ from those who have never left California, but one thing can be agreed on... this state is wonderful. After much note taking in our phones and a friendly farewell, we left Bob and his sweet dog for Splash Cafe's New England clam chowder bread bowl and shrimp cocktail. Our last stop was intriguing... the Swinging Bridge. This little green bridge is held up by nothing by rope and has a capacity of only five people. It was built for a man who owned two homes separated by a brook. It wasn't until about 30 years after it was established that sides were built. The bridge swung as we slowly walked across... that is until two teenagers hopped on it right as we passed the bridge's center - from there, I ran.

Day 5 - Highway 1

Today we left SLO for the better part of Highway 1. We drove along the coast for miles and miles... Nothing but crashing waves, blue waters and cliffs lined our route to Monterey. We first stopped at Hearst Castle. Hearst built this castle in the early 20th century out of a pure passion for travel and nature. He grew up on the lands of San Simeon and traveled with his mother to Europe at a ripe age of only 10 years old. He took those cultural influences, along with the silver he discovered (and sold for a fortune) and built this crazy beautiful home. A bus took us five miles up the winding hills just to get to this place! It's beautiful and Hearst made it known he wanted the land to be preserved so people can enjoy it today the way he did years ago. We hit up a little beach across from the Castle's entrance for a brief walk and some fresh air. On the road again! Big Sur has to be the most beautiful land in this country. It is breathtaking how natural and rugged the land following this path truly is. Highway 1 hugs tight corners around mountains, ventures over some crazy bridges and takes you through pure wilderness. After multiple stop-offs and dinner at Nepenthe, we arrived in the beautiful seaside city of Monterey. Lights wrap around the tree trunks that line main street, little pubs and places to eat each have a theme of their own and everything has that perfect by-the-water feel. As I write, seagulls gawk outside of our hotel room as the cool ocean breeze rushes in.
Incredible panoramic along Route 1 by Matt.

Day 6 - Monterey

You know how it feels when you have your first day off in the New England spring weather? It's sunny, uplifting and reviving... That was today. We relived that warmth and relaxation in the beautiful seaside town of Monterey. We did nothing but relax and observe life around us... It was the first day it felt like a "vacation." Travel is very active... It's more than the pretty photos and happy memories, it takes work, organization, a good attitude and cooperation by all. But today, none of that was needed... We just enjoyed what was around us without any plans to dictate our day's path. First we toured a farmers market with vendors of jewelry, food and crafts as well as live music and dancing. There we had some bratwurst and a mango on a stick - freshly peeled behind the counter! We walked Monterey and the surrounding paths that overlook Monterey Bay. The sunshine warmed our clothes while the light wind blew. We stopped at a beach and watched as the waves crashed over the rocks below. A brief lay on a nearby hill reminded us of how wonderful it is to do absolutely nothing. I mean, isn't that what Sundays are for? We weren't the only ones. Couples, friends and families biked and walked the surrounding area... Many of which stopped at the benches overlooking the marina or were exploring the rocky formations along the shore... All to gain the same thing - a new perspective. This place has endless views to admire. We sat at a smoothie bar overlooking pelicans diving into the water and otters swimming about - all while drinking a smoothie made of never-frozen local ingredients. With it being a holiday weekend, the area is pretty busy. But nothing we haven't experienced in the Northeast. A brief walk down the marina brought us up close to seals sunbathing on the rocks! We ate some seafood and drank margaritas before taking a longer-than-expected nap. A bite to eat from a restaurant only a short walk away ended our restful, simple day.

Day 7 - Monterey

It's decided... Otters are my favorite sea animal. They are so FREAKING cute. We learned about sea otters, jellyfish and sharks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we spent a majority of our morning and early afternoon. Sea otters clean themselves just as a cat would, constantly wiping down their face and body with their paws. They float on their bellies and like to snuggle up into one another. Matt and I not only watched them from the walkway along the bay, but we watched them swim about in their massive tank at the Aquarium. Although the crowds were less-than-ideal thanks to Memorial Day, we managed to enjoy all of the exhibits and complimentary programs. All in all - a good start to our day. We walked to a nearby restaurant for some snacks and a beer and made our way to our next hotel in Monterey. After check-in, we took a little trip on the 17 Mile Drive. It's a scenic route of coastline, elite mansions and preserved woodlands about 10 minutes from Monterey in a town called Carmel. We saw only homes with gated entry, untouched trees and coastlines and even an area blocked off from viewing for seal pupping! Much love, Pebble Beach... much love. We stopped off a few times to take pictures and dip our toes in the sand before leaving Carmel for dinner. Completely stuffed and beat by that California sun, we called it an early night - tomorrow, we whale watch!

Day 8 - Santa Cruz

A wild day of whale watching! Today we joined about 20 other people aboard for whale watching in the Monterey Bay. We set sail around 10AM and spent about four hours riding the crazy ocean waves in search for dolphins, humpback whales and killer whales - and we saw all three. The whole experience was worth while, but for those who are prone to any sort of motion sickness - this is not for you. Almost half of the people on board were affected by sea sickness and leaning over the edge... I was pretty close myself. It was the worst when the captain would turn off the boat and let it rock with the waves - oof. That far out into the ocean, these waves are wide apart and deep. However, it was worth it in the end. How wild is it that we are able to witness these beautiful, huge creatures in their natural habitat. Although, I must say.. today's adventure should have been called "whale chasing." We saw two packs of three killer whales chasing after some dolphins ahead. Captain Scott accelerated the boat and followed along their path for quite a while - it was beautiful. Matt captured an awesome video showing how the pack pops up along the surface. We also watched humpback whales feed on krill at the water's surface - the only downside, we learned the true meaning of "whale breath"... holy crap was it stinky. Also - don't be fooled by overcast! Matt and I were repping the lobster-look for the remainder of the day. After the whale watching commenced and we were back ashore, we grabbed some delicious fish tacos on the wharf and headed out for Santa Cruz. Our host greeted us at the door and brought us to the backyard cottage - our home for the next two nights. Like nearly all of our Airbnbs this trip, the room is super cozy, well decorated and fixed with organic toiletries and coffee. We explored downtown and had dinner on the wharf while overlooking the surfers in the distance. The sunset was our backdrop on our ride home.

Day 9 - Santa Cruz

A visit to Santa Cruz requires a stop at the Natural Bridge State Beach. We parked our car in the free 20-minute section and walked our way down to the water where we captured some sweet shots of the Natural Bridge. As I stood in the shallow water for a "candid" the water rushed halfway up my calves and soaked my only pair of jeans - oops! This overcast, cool weather threw both Matt and I off completely. We packed for, oh I don't know... California weather! We have only had a couple days where shorts and a t-shirt felt comfortable. However, we can't complain... It certainly beats sweating all day and shade-hopping. So we continued on to drive the coast for some more scenic shots. This time, we pulled off and walked our way down some boulders to watch as the thunderous waves crashed below. We can see why Santa Cruz was the first place to record surfing. We sat in awe of how powerful and loud the waves were and also how so many others just walked on by without stopping! We were clearly new to the whole scene... This is just one of many beautiful sites Californians get to experience on a daily basis. We continued onward to park and watch surfers sprawled like ants below catching waves. It is sort of inspiring! You almost wish you knew how to surf while watching these people and their finesse. We briefly walked downtown and stopped at a few head shops and bohemian stores after grabbing a bite to eat. Our next stop: a local brewery! Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery to be exact. They serve organic beers and hard ciders with an open, industrial outdoor seating area that is also dog-friendly. Matt tried the sampler and I had a pale ale. We moved across the street to Tap and Kitchen for some calamari and a couple more beers before heading home. We rested and relaxed for an hour or so before enjoying some of the best Mediterranean cuisine we have both ever had at Laili Restaurant. Matt had pomegranate chicken with potatoes and veggies and I had a cauliflower dish that reminded me so much of home thanks to our vegan chef at work, Steph. And to top it all off, the service was excellent, the prices were totally reasonable and the ambiance was comfortable and warming. A perfect way to say farewell to Santa Cruz.

Day 10 - San Francisco

​With our return flight booked and accommodations for the next week booked, we move on to San Francisco. A little perspective for anyone who has not traveled into a new city: there is no “good” time to arrive. Matt and I have experienced European cities at many different times of day and we have experienced traveling to a US city where our accommodations were taken care of by a local… Neither result in a smooth first few hours. Our brains were a little foggy from hunger and we arrived at a time when the Golden Gate Bridge tourism was HOPPING. So we swiftly left that area for a later visit and grabbed food. After parking half-an-hour walk away from our first food of the day, we arrived to a crowded restaurant with a 15 minute wait – uh, no thanks. We ate at the café next door that actually gets all of their delicious food from the restaurant we wanted to go to because the owners are married! The coffee and snacks were great. That was the precipice of a really good day. Speaking of precipices - WOAH - these roads are insane. They give you a perspective that cannot be truly captured via photograph - you have to drive them. They are wicked steep and must take a toll on the local's vehicles between all of the high acceleration and heavy breaking. We settled into our Airbnb accommodations in Mission District and took off to tour the Haight-Ashbury section of town – the birthplace of the counterculture movement in the 60s. We rented bikes and cycled through Golden Gate Park for an hour. A little (pathetically) winded and jello-legged, we walked the funky streets, browsed many hippy stores and Amoeba Music - infamous for its huge, organized selection of music. We couldn't help but admire San Fran's crazy beautiful architecture. Think Victorian homes with endless combinations of color lining the streets in a perfectly organized fashion. After a quick drive-through of Castro Street’s gay pride community, we checked out the farmers market two blocks from where we are staying and bought delicious sweets (gluten free, super moist mini cakes and lemon ricotta zeppole – uhm, YUM). As the sun began to set, we walked to Dolores Park for some fantastic views of downtown San Francisco with the park in the foreground. People sat on the hill, benches and walked by admiring the view. We broke the law like badasses and played on a playground where “Adults must be accompanied by child." But don’t worry, we were prepared with a back-up plan - tell anyone questioning us that we just lost our kid… Solid. The sun had set and as we walked to Bi-Rite Creamery, we passed people our age playing bike-polo, basketball and tennis. Matt and I both love how many public places are available and well-lit here in San Fran. Families with children were enjoying the park after 8:30PM and “kids” of our generation were on fun dates and spending time with friends in a safe, public environment. It is one of the only things I truly envy about city life… Outdoor, well-maintained public spaces. As Matt and I repeated to each other throughout the night in jest, “San Fran’s not sooo bad.”

Day 11 - San Francisco

The day started as most people's do on a Thursday - with a tour of Anchor Brewery! Our 10AM tour gave us a look into steam beer and Anchor was the only brewery to continue service post-prohibition on the West Coast. They were also the first brewery to make an IPA and craft beer ("flavored" and "seasonal" beers) on the West Coast... giving birth to the craft beer phenomenon that Californians know so well today. Though they were not the "inventors" of steam beer, they were the first to sell steam beer post-prohibition which made buyers associate steam beer with anchor. Over 100 breweries in California produced steam beer due to technological restrictions. Steam beer is when the cool, coastal, foggy San Francisco air would be the only thing to cool down vats of ward atop of the Anchor brewery. The ward would be very hot having just been processed and the cool air produced steam as a result. After tasting five beers and chatting with DC local, Jeff, we headed out. As we approached the Golden Gate Bridge, you could see it's red archways and cables - finally! We gawked above as we drove over this beautiful bridge to pull over on the Sausalito side to take photos. This thing is beautiful... it's a suspension bridge spanning across the Golden Gate strait and on occasion you can feel it's swinging and bouncing motion as the thousands of cars pass over it. We drove up a scenic road across from the tourist area and was able to get some spectacular views of the strait covered in dense fog and watch how it rolls over the hill and down into the bay. We had even walked the bridge a bit and was amidst the fog as it was passing through - so cool. We grabbed lunch in Sausalito and drove to Muir Woods - home of the Redwood trees! The route there was reminiscent of our trip up Pikes Peak - windy, narrow at times and next to some gnarly drop-offs. We walked the national park for an hour or so, exploring its beautiful well-manicured paths and reading about the history of these nearly 2,000-year-old trees. We were both in awe - craning our necks just so our eyes can reach the tree's tops. We grabbed dinner in San Fran after being denied by some of the most popular places (surprise-surprise, we went out around 7:30 on a Friday night). One place had a two and a half hour wait - uh, no thanks. We ate some authentic Indian food and after a failed attempt to get a donut on National Donut Day we had Bi-Rite Creamery's delicious ice cream once again. Luckily the hilly walk home helped burn off some of the calories!

Day 12 - San Francisco

After a busy day yesterday, we let ourselves sleep in just a bit (it is Saturday after all!) before venturing out into this beautiful city. We hitched a ride with Uber to Chinatown. I had ignored the recommendations to visit Chinatown based on my limited (but unappealing) knowledge of NYC's busy, touristy Chinatown. But this place was so cool! I loved it... It was so culturally dense between the Chinese food, decorations, grocery stores and clothing stores. Every-so-often we passed a tourist trap, but nothing too pushy or crowded. We arrived around noontime and the crowds were at a minimal the entire time. We looked up restaurants near us and chose Clay Pot based on its high reviews. We knew it was going to be good when we were the only non-Chinese people in there. And the food was beyond good... considerably low prices with large portions. Matt and I observed as the Chinese interacted and ate, all of which fascinated us simply because its all a little different than how we would interact or eat at an "American" restaurant. We browsed some stores afterwards, bought some Chinese candy and moved on. We walked to Lombard Street - infamous for being the "crookedest" road in the world with eight hairpin turns. It was originally made this way after a property owner complained it was too steep and caused speeding. They definitely don't need to worry about speeding - nearly thousands of people crawl down the street, repping selfie sticks and atrocious driving. Success! Matt and I laughed at the chaos as we waited for the cable car atop the hill. It was packed, and brought us to downtown San Fran. From there we took a long walk to the Haight-Ashbury section of town for more perusing and hippy shopping. On our route we passed the Painted Ladies -a strip of Victorian homes painted each painted with three colors to accent their architecture. A couple crepes later we were headed back "home" to refresh before dinner. We ate at a nearby steak and grill house - Matt had fish and I had the steak. Though the dinner wasn't perfect - between our side dish being brought out way before our entrees and my steak being close to rare when I asked for medium-well, we still left feeling full! Or maybe we were just content knowing we were going home with a box full of donuts from The Jelly Donut. Either way - it was a good day.

Day 13 - Lake Tahoe

Goodbye San Francisco - hello Lake Tahoe! With only a three hour drive ahead of us, we grabbed some smoothies and breakfast on the go. Hours later, we gained elevation (of about 6,000 feet!) and cruised through the Eldorado National Forest... Miles and miles of pine trees and conifers with wide, rushing streams of water bustling throughout. We rolled down the windows and breathed that fresh forest air. After checking in to our hotel, we changed into our bathing suits and headed for the lake! Sierra Nevada mountains are the background to this massive fresh water lake over 6,000 feet above sea level. The campsites for this lake are gorgeous... We smelled nothing but kerosene and grilled food as we walked down the steps. We walked the beach, laid in the sun and tested the waters for a bit before grabbing lunch. Next on the list, naturally, was mini golf. I was ready to kick Matt's butt... We were tied for a majority of the game. I got a hole in one... But that didn't stop Matt from undercutting me a few holes later and taking the game by two points! Oh well... We walked through a casino nearby before going to a brewery pub and laughed as we people-watched. Sunset crept in as we toured the nearby beaches and took pictures by the lake. After some needed showers and swift unpacking and repacking, we settled in to our cheap (but wonderfully comfortable) hotel. Tomorrow - we leave for Yosemite!
Zephyr's Cove at sunset

Day 14 - Leaving Tahoe for Yosemite

Today was our only day dedicated to travel. We grabbed breakfast in South Lake Tahoe and headed five hours South to Yosemite National Park. The route wasn't all that scenic until we hit our destination - a casino/resort! We'll be here for a few nights while driving to Yosemite for day trips filled with exploring, hiking and gazing at the incredible sites around us. Follow along!

Day 15 - Yosemite National Park

Long, windy roads through Sierra National Forest brought us to the South entrance of Yosemite National Park. Once paid and ready to go, we still had about an hour of driving to get to Yosemite Valley - the most sought-out section of the Park with it being home to Half Dome, El Capitan and cascading waterfalls. We pulled off for an overlook with Half Dome in the far distance and the little highway and cars below, traveling in and out of view as the road became hidden by trees. On our way to the visitor's center we stopped at Bridalveil Falls... we quickly parked and walked as close as we could. The closer we got, the cooler and more misty the air became... It was spectacular and so refreshing. The current temperature was around 85 degrees, so this was the perfect stop-off. After reaching the visitors center we toured the area by foot, checking out Yosemite Falls - another wonderful, rushing waterfall. This time, we sat atop the boulders that lined the river as the water rushed down. We took advantage of Yosemite's awesome shuttle service, allowing us to venture to areas like El Capitan Meadow. There we looked through telescopes to watch the climbers tackle one of the most difficult climbs in all of the park - El Capitan which from Valley floor to peak is 3,000 feet high. Yosemite has a program where these telescopes are occupied by actual climbers ready to answer any questions you may have. The telescopes really helped put into perspective how tiny humans are against this massive rock. To the naked eye, the climber is just a colored dot. We gawked at the rock formations above... And at how small we truly are. If you love nature... and love adventuring through nature, then Yosemite is your place. People are constantly exploring different areas of the land. And there is always more to see! It's incredible. We drove up to Glacier Point for a stunning panoramic view of Yosemite Valley below. Tomorrow - we hike!

Day 16 - Yosemite National Park

​Today may have been my favorite day of this entire trip. Matt and I couldn’t help but say to each other, what a perfect way to end this trip to Cali. Yesterday we explored Yosemite all day, but it was sort-of from a distance. Today, we experienced Yosemite head-on. We began by hiking to Mirror Lake from Lower Yosemite Falls, about a 4-mile excursion through dense forest, cliff-like edges and open meadows. We stopped at Mirror Lake to share an orange before heading down to our next (and unknowingly biggest) adventure – hike Vernal Falls. Our intention was to see both Vernal and Nevada Falls, but after three hours of already hiking around Yosemite and tackling the extreme grade that brings you to Vernal, we decided to turn around after Vernal. The path started steep, on a clear manicured path hugging the mountainside with not much separating you from tripping over the edge. We made periodic stops along the way, we made it to the footbridge where we were promised a water refill station – and there it was in all its glory! We filled our five water bottles, marveled at how the rushing water from Vernal falls swept under the bridge at faster speeds than imagined. Signs warned people not to wade with a sad story of a mother of two boys who were doing just that before getting swept under the current and killed. From this point on, the hike steepened. We were following the waterfall’s path upward… with it to our left. As we reached the bottom of the falls, the air got cooler… and wetter. This path to the waterfall is appropriately named the Mist Trail. We got DRENCHED. I frantically tucked my camera under my shirt before stuffing it in our waterproof backpacks. The trail only got crazier, soon we were walking through rain-like conditions up granite steps (the most slippery of kinds) without a hand rail, only the powerful, loud falls to our left. Puddles lined the steps and crevices as we made our way up. The wind picked up as we ducked into a cave for a brief pause before hiking upward. The path then took a turn inward towards the massive rock ledge, as we looked up all you can see is rock. We took the extremely narrow (say, two-feet wide) rock-ledge path along this wall (with a handrail! – though shaky) and finally made it to the top of Vernal Falls – a 1,000 ft. elevation gain! It was spectacular and so thrilling. We took pictures and basked in the warm sun as it dried our clothes, slowly but surely. Fearful that we would have to take that path back down (which didn’t look fun by the fearful looks of the faces and playful slips we saw as we ascended) we read about an alternative path – YES, PLEASE. Though the Clark Point cutoff to the John Muir Trail took a little longer, it brought us higher (another 500-600 ft. elevation gain), gave us areal views as we walked along the edge of the mountain and kept us dry and free from crowds. We soon descended to meet back where the path had become strenuous. Luckily, I had this amazing guy’s hand to hold as leverage when he wasn’t insisting on walking behind me so that he could catch my slips as they happened (and he did, because yes, they definitely happened). We safely crossed back over the bridge at the water station and made our way to the bottom. It was the perfect way to end the day… the perfect way to end our first Yosemite experience and the perfect end of this trip.