California Dreaming

Lately I´ve been thinking, I´ve been thinking… a lot about California sunshine and travelling. I have been to California exactly one time before and it was one of the most amazing trips. So today´s post is dedicated to my trip to Cali and also a bit to future trips, because I want to share with you the things we did and things I wish we would have done/ I want to do next time. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration for your own trip. 



Our trip started in Los Angeles and we spent most of the week around there which was awesome, but if you want to travel more around, I ´d suggest flying to San Francisco instead. From there on you can drive down to San Diego. Now, I have never rented a car in the US before as I am pretty sure you have to be at least 21 or sometimes even 25 years old, be certain to check that out before coming.

What I love about California is the fact that you not only have beautiful beaches, but also amazing National Parks which to be honest I (sadly) haven´t visited yet. They are on my list for the next visit for sure.;) I love spending time in nature. Therefore a good option after San Francisco would be to drive inland and visit three mature parks. Yosemite National Park is the one on top at  my list, probably because I have seen more photos of it then other National Parks.  Besides Yosemite there are a few other National Parks in that area. However I believe sometimes less is more when it comes to travelling for a longer period of time. Don´t squeez in to many parks and sights, because it can make it harder to appreciate every single one. ( That´s how I sometimes felt when travelling thru Australia, everything is so gorgeous you need some time to really take it in) My top NP picks in California are Yosemite, Seqouia und Death Valley National Park.




Afterwards drive towards Los Angeles and towards the beach, yeah! We spent one whole day at Venice Beach and Santa Monica and I highly recommend it. We also walked thru Venice " Canals" or more like waterstreets with very interesting and beautiful houses. There is a lot to do at the seafront, the Santa Monica Pier is a must and can be a nice place to watch the sunset. We watched it whilst we were on the ferris wheel at the Pacific park which is located on the pier. I would recommend staying in a place near the Sea. LA itself is a pretty average city I think, but Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Co. are right around the Corner. For me the Walk of Fame and walking/ driving down Rodeo Drive was another highlight of the trip and it was fun to see famous (movie) sights like the Beverly Hills Hotel. If you´re a person who finds joy in visiting "movie sets" in real life, here is your place. There are also various film studios that you can visit, for example the universal studios. We took a tour thru their sets and visited the actual Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. Moreover the original Disneyland is located in the LA area, but if you are a bit older and not a absolute giant Disney fan you might want to leave that out and perhaps spent more time at the beach instead.;) I think there is nothing quiet like just sitting at the seafront and watching the surfers catching the waves, anyone agrees with me?





From LA drive down Highway 101 towards San Diego and I would just stop at all the beaches that look beautiful, haha. Well maybe do some planning and pick your top 3. One Beach/Town I really want to visit is Huntington Beach. Probably because  Hollister made it look so appealing to me and it really does look like a great surfing spot which is a sport I really want to improve in.


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Have you been to California? Which places did you like the most?
If you have any recommendations let me know in the comments!

Have a great week!
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13 comments

  1. San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles (wineries everywhere) are well worth a visit. Cambria and the beaches close by are lovely. You can see elephant seals north of Cambria.

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    1. Elephant seals sound amazing, thank you for your tips.:)

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  2. Oh wow I'd love to go to California, it looks like the most amazing place and it's definitely on my travel bucket list xx

    Gemma • Gemma Etc . ❤️

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  3. Beautiful pics!

    Federica
    www.federicadinardo.com

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  4. Aww California weather I miss you. Thanks for this post. It was nostalgic. We moved from California to Washington, and missing the weather very much right now in an 18 inch snow.

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    1. I am glad you liked it:) Wow, that is a big weather difference.

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  5. Sounds like you had great fun. I didn't know about the mature parks. Good to read about that.

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  6. We have family in California and I love visiting them! We just came back from a few days there and visited Balboa park in San Diego for the first time. What joy!
    Thanks for an excellent post about California awesomeness :)

    Karen | https://OurCarpeDiem.com

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    1. Thank you for your comment, that sounds awesome. Balboa Park looks beautiful!

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  7. What a great tip in flying up north more! I love San Diego.

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