In the words of Katy Perry “You could travel the world but
nothing comes close to the golden coast”. From being picked up in a convertible
mustang in the middle of Hollywood to go to the OC for the day, to surfing the
shoreline in San Diego, from wine tasting in Napa Valley, to exploring the
eerie Alcatraz, the West Coast really is a postcard perfect destination. The
three weeks I spent in California will be remembered fondly as some of best in
my Year Abroad. Perhaps it was California's laid-back, outdoorsy lifestyle or
maybe the famous landmarks? The sun, sea and sand combination never fails to spark a humongous smile across my childishly excited face.
I flew from New York to San Francisco to stay with some of
my University friends from home that were studying abroad at UC Berkeley. There’s
nothing quite like being reunited with friends, we obviously had a ton to catch
up on and spent the first couple of days in hysterical fits of laughter as we
told stories about the various incidents we’d found ourselves in over the last
year. From riding in the back of pick-up trucks to Fraternity parties to
tailgating at American Football games, one thing that has become very apparent is
that none of our experiences have been the same. The United States is so
diverse and every state I’ve visited (13 of them!) has offered a unique
perspective on life.
Berkeley, San Francisco, Sonoma, Napa Valley, Santa Cruz,
Salinas, Monterey, the Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Hollywood, LA, The OC beaches,
San Diego and the Big Basin Redwood National State Park…. I have over 1000
pictures of endless coastline, white beaches, vineyards, hunky boys holding
surfboards, delicious Mexican cuisine, hair bleached blonde from the endless
sunshine and trees so tall they can’t even fit in the frame!
With California being the 3rd largest State in
America (after Alaska and Texas) I could probably fill an entire girlie novel with
my many adventures and mishaps. So instead, I’m going to give you my personal
top ten things to see on the Golden Coast:
1) Walk the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
An absolute tourist must! The
Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge "possibly the most
beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world". This
iconic bridge stretches across the channel between San Francisco Bay and the
Pacific Ocean, and if you don’t fancy walking, you can always hire a bike!
2) Get drunk wine tasting in Napa Valley
Talking of hiring bikes…. When I
was in Sonoma we hired bicycles on our first day of wine tasting and cycled
between the wineries taking in the gorgeous scenery. Warning: you cannot be a
lightweight if you choose to partake in this activity!
3) Drive down the breath taking coastline - Highway 1
The road trip of all road trips.The exhilarating drive of a lifetime down the twisting,
cliff-hugging, 123-mile route along highway 1 is definitely not one to miss!
4) Surf in San Diego
You cannot go to California and not attempt to become a
surfing goddess. Although, it definitely looks easier when some tanned surfer
dude is riding the waves compared to little me getting bashed about by the
strong rip current. Maybe I’ll attend surf school next time..
5) Nourish your body on Mexican food
I’m not talking about Taco Bell or Chipotle or any other
Mexican fast food chain that will leave you with nothing but regrets and a
poorly tummy. With the Mexican border only 16 miles from San Diego, California
offers delicious one off Mexican cafes and restaurants up and down the coast serving
authentic and incredibly yummy Quesada’s, Burritos, and Nachos.
6) Hike up to the Hollywood sign
We took a hike up Runyon Canon and the Hollywood Hills, and
the view from behind the Hollywood sign is pretty amazing. If you don’t fancy
the trek to the top, you can always take a romantic picnic to the Griffith
Observatory and watch the sun set behind the Hollywood sign.
7) Tan on one of the beautiful beaches in the OC
Miles upon miles of white sand; Laguna Beach, Huntington
Beach, Newport Beach. I spent a necessary couple of days chilling under the
bright blue sky and my favourite had to be Laguna Beach. Glass mansions next to
quaint beach cottages line the cliffs above the sandy coves; I think a seaside
house along this particularly scenic coastline would be rather lovely indeed. A
little piece of paradise.
8) Get lost amongst the trees in the Big Basin Redwoods
State Park
A great place for games of hide and seek. These trees are
enormous! The Big Basin Redwoods State Park is the oldest State Park in California
and has the largest uninterrupted strand of ancient coast redwoods south of San
Francisco.
9) Visit the eerie island ‘Alcatraz’
Alcatraz Island and Prison is one of San Francisco's most
popular attractions. So if you like tourist days out this should definitely be
on your list. Famous inmates included; Robert " Birdman of Alcatraz"
Stroud and Al Capone. The “rock” and it’s grim past as America’s maximum
security prison was certainly an interesting and thought provoking place.
10) Watch the sun set over the Bay Area in Berkeley
If you don’t mind a steep hill (or two) it’s worth trekking up
to the fire trails in Berkeley. On a clear evening you can see the entire bay
area – the city, the University and even the Golden Gate Bridge in the
background. I went up there on my last night in California which was an
excellent way to end my road trip up and down the coast with a little time to
reflect and watch the sun set in the distance.
And if that wasn’t a sufficient amount of reasons as to why
you should press pause on life and get on the next direct flight to California,
surely living in a sandy wetsuit and pretending to be half-hippy/half-baywatch
model should be incentive enough to go to lie beneath the palm trees and
compare flip-flop tan lines with your friends?