California, Round Two!

 

I'm happy to say shortly after the first trip to California I got an offer to go back down for another try. This time the pace was much more relaxed and there was time to explore some of the more naturalistic aspects of the USA's largest state. It was our roomies Shaun, Sy, and I, driving Shaun down to his California home for the school semester.

We explored this amazing pebble covered beach with immense rocks covered in tiny pits, some of which had pebbles trapped in them. We got to see tide pools with crabs, anemones, tiny fish, and I even saw an eel!

I made sure to go see the Golden Gate bridge this time around, it was pretty epic. The sun was setting and it was kind of foggy, just right for some interesting photos. Nearby, we accidentally stumbled upon an old abandoned military base which we explored and got some more interesting photos. That place was creepy, lots of cells and holding areas.

On the way back up it was getting late. We were broke and exhausted from driving so we decided to sleep in the car in the parking lot of our destination for the next day. Sy wanted me to see this wonderful kitschy "theme park" in the redwood forests called "Trees of Mystery." It was basically a person's property where they walked around looking for unique trees that they named and turned into attractions. There were also huge wood sculptures that illustrated a story as you walked toward the exit. They added hiking trails, a sky ride ski lift, and gift shop and started charging admission. It harkened back to the golden era of roadside attractions. It was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. I could definitely see how a young one could be enchanted by the place, and I got a kick out of too.

The Redwood forest is most certainly my favourite spot in CA thus far. I would go back to that grand beauty in a heartbeat. Thanks California for showing me your better side :)



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