My trip began in San Diego, and I traveled northward to Seattle, WA via buses and trains. I've been to California on at least 20 separate occasions and lived in Orange for a year, but I never made much efforts to see the state's natural beauty. It's easy to forget how beautiful coastal, mountainous California can be when you're lured by the city lights, but I had a little taste last month when I visited San Diego, Orange County area, Pt. Reyes, and Big Sur and of course, on the scenic bus rides.
Big Sur, right smack in the middle of the state's coast. I had read in that it was jaw-dropping, and it was. Off in the distance, you can hear seal lions calling from below.
I had no idea I would stumble upon purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. I collected about three pounds into my hat. At the end of my trip, my backpacks weighed a total of 80 lbs thanks to additions like sand, books, jars of peanut butter, pickles, etc. Worth it!
Hiking and camping at Pt. Reyes.
Hello starfish! (Pt. Reyes)
On a Vietnamese bus from Orange County to San Jose.
My cousin's daughter, Johanna getting a kick out of my teenage mutant ninja turtle mask. So glad I carry odds and ends.
The city of Laguna Beach has implemented laws to protect the marine life. Sadly, you'll hardly find any seashells; if you do and you're caught taking them, you'll be fined something like $250 per seashell. Tours are given about the species and habitat in the tide pools.
One of many sea anemones found at Laguna Beach.
I attended mass at the Mission San Diego de Alcala. The basilica was founded in 1769 as the first Franciscan mission in the then Las Californias Province.
Large hacienda doors open to quite a narrow church.
