Back in 2012 my family and I decided to a California road trip stopping off at the west coasts most iconic locations including the likes of LA, San Diego, Santa Monica, Huntington beach and San Francisco, just to name a few. We travelled from south to north and it was a holiday I will never forget. Because it was so good and due to California being one of the biggest states in the US, we felt there was more to experience and explore, therefore explaining our return the golden state earlier this year.
We started our journey off in the north in San Francisco. For me I was super excited because I love cities, especially ones that burst with culture and history. We started our holiday off right with a breakfast of campions at Loris Diner, an all-day breakfast diner served in a kitschy dining room packed with 1950s memorabilia. Seated next to a blue 1950s Cadillac we enjoyed a hearty feast of all the breakfast staples from pancakes to breakfast potatoes. Loris is definitely the place to visit if you’re after and all-American breakfast, it was so good we returned the next day to do it all over again!
After a very satisfying breakfast our first stop was Alcatraz, something we didn’t do first time round. I have always been interested in crime in 1930’s America and gangster crime, so to be there and learn about the inmates and the lives they lived before and whilst at Alcatraz was something really intriguing. I also discovered how after it closed its doors as an operating prison it became a place of refuge for the native Americans, Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native American activism across the US, with public protests through the 1970s. Propaganda graffiti from that era still remains on the walls on the exterior of the prison to this day.
After a day of shopping and numerous visits to Macy’s it was time to travel to our next destination, but before that we were fortunate enough to be invited to have a private, all access tour of the San Francisco 49ers Levi’s stadium. I’m definitely not the athletic type by any means, but I really enjoyed myself and it was even one of my favourite memories of the whole trip. We were also granted access to the changing room, though technically we weren’t allowed in there, which was in use at the time as the players where preparing for the season.
Next we started to travel down south to Monterey. The coastal city is famous for its aquarium and Cannery row, however more recently due to the popular and fantastically good TV series Big Little Lies, it is now seen as the infamous filming location of the series. Due to me binge watching the whole first series on the plane on the way over, I certainly had a fan girling moment when we crossed Bixby Bridge. We also went on a very early morning whale watching boat trip, where we saw dolphins and whales (no surprise there) I have to say Monterey is so idyllic and I have definitely fallen in love with it as I feel it resembles east coast America.
Following Monterey, we had a long ride in the car down big sur. I give big props to my dad for driving all that way on the edge of the Californian coastline, it was a very hair raising, tummy turning experience. At the end of the big sur we were at our next destination, LA. I mean, what is a trip to California without visiting the city of angels? I was lucky enough to stay at the iconic Beverly Hilton hotel again, which in itself is an experience. Within the first 10 minutes of pulling up to the hotel I saw Brenda Song who is a Disney star of my childhood, how very LA. We obviously had to hit the shops and do some fabulous window shopping down Rodeo. We spent a day doing the tourist staples like a tour of the stars and universal studios, which you’re never to young not to enjoy. The first time I went to LA I was 12 and saw the city through rose tinted glass. I was mesmerised by the whole celebrity and glamorous culture associated with the city and dreamt of ending up the Hollywood hills. But now on returning I can clearly see the realities of the city, including the massive homeless problem that exists there. Though I can see myself returning again, I’m not in any rush nor have any desire to end up there in my future.
By the second week of our holiday it was time to sit back and relax and catch some proper rays. Our first destination of choice was Palm Springs. Palm Springs is a family favourite as the temperature can reach well past 40 degrees, which means a cracking tan can be developed. Situated adjacent to Palm Springs is the Joshua Tree National Park, where we had a one to one star gazing experience with an astronomer. With his extremely advanced telescope we were able to explore space in a location with next to no air pollution. I even managed to see a shooting star; it was truly something I will never experience ever again.
To end this amazing journey, we decided to rent out a house in Agoura Hills, which was a wonderful and relaxing way to end the holiday with no distractions. I am so grateful that I was able to experience those past 3 weeks and I cannot wait to experience more of America in the future.
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