California Road Trip: Part II

Big Sur had been everything it promised to be and more, and it was with heavy hearts that we left the coast for the Sierra Nevadas and Sequoia, Kings Canyon & Yosemite National Parks. As we crossed the San Joaquin Valley, the cool sea breeze gave way to a stifling heat neither of us had felt before. Barren desert stretched to the horizon as the sun beat down her heavy rays, the sky a stark blue and the searing heat unrelenting. Four hours later we pulled into our campsite on the banks of Lake Kaweah, to find it riddled with rattlesnakes and slowly cooking at 45 degrees. We were as uncomfortable as we could be and had already had 2 snake encounters before the night drew in. Keeping our hair wet however, we managed to keep our bodies relatively cool and heat exhaustion kept us sleeping soundly until dawn.

The forested canopies of the mountains were such a welcome sight, as we drove into Sequoia National Forest. Trees predating the Roman Empire and standing 4 stories tall towered above us, as we explored this ancient forest. Perhaps the most beautiful and striking moments were standing at the edge of meadows - huge areas of wild grasses and plants; surrounded by the giant Sequoias and mountains, these were like something out of a fairytale. We saw three beautiful bears in this incredible landscape, and wondered how on earth a zoo could even begin to compare.

Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite revealed to us some of the most incredible landscapes we've ever seen, and we spent a week travelling through their wild interiors. We encountered a bear from 10 ft, we hiked through forests painted with wildflowers and of course, drove through a tree. Dramatic and mind blowing, it's hard to put into words the raw beauty of this small part of the world.

California Roadtrip I

This June, my boyfriend and I went to California for the road trip of our dreams. I wanted to share a few photos as it was an incredible experience, one that I would recommend to everyone and one that has inspired me and rejuvenated me. We spent the first couple of days in San Francisco, adjusting to the new time zone and walking until our entire bodies ached. The Marina, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown... nowhere escaped our wandering feet.  A cold wind snapped at our faces as we ate warming soup out of bread loaves and watched the sea lions laze on Pier 39. A Banksy loomed down on us in North Beach as we sought shelter from the weather in City Lights Bookstore. It was bustling and it was lively and two days was only enough time to see a whisker of what this city has to offer.

We hired our camper van from Escape Campervans, whose entire fleet of vans have been hand painted by local artists. They have bases in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, LA and Miami, so if you're ever in those areas I would recommend them without hesitation. We drove our psychedelic wonder down the coastal Highway 1 to Big Sur, where all the clichés are true. Majestic and wild, the pacific crashes into rugged rocks 500ft below and redwoods soar skyward. We explored beaches with purple sand and turquoise lagoons, where 60ft waterfalls spill over cliffs onto the sand below. The place was pure magic. We saw two pods of whales on their annual migrations, shooting sea spray high into the air as we watched from the cliff tops. We hiked through canyons as old as civilisation and drank coffee in quaint seaside towns. Big Sur was an experience like no other, and it was only the beginning.