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.