Visiting California was one of my biggest trips in the United States. I was there for 1 week in mid-July and visited a number of cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Yosemite. I also have extended family in the area, so my family and I visited them. For this page, I will specifically be talking about two fun activities I did while in California: the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz and hiking in the famous Yosemite National Park.
My family and I spent the first 3 days of our trip in Los Angeles, and then flew down to San Jose, where we met some family. From there, we
drove to Santa Cruz, and booked a tour of the Mystery Spot. I won't spoil too much of this for you, but on the left, you see a picture of me
at the entrance... and getting photobombed. I definetly recommend visiting this attraction if you are in the area, you will be surprised
and confused with the phenonmenons that nature offers us.
After that, since we were in the area, we decided to take a stroll along the Santa Cruz boardwalk, and enjoy the Californian sunset.
There are also amusement park rides and food stalls with different types of food. The vibrant atmosphere and variety of activities makes it a
versatile hangout spot for people of all ages.
Our trip to Yosemite National Park was a sporadic decision made literally 10 hours before we left. My family and I enjoy nature walks and hiking, so when we realized that Yosemite was a mere three and a half hour drive from where we were staying, we decided to visit for the day. We woke up at 5 AM, packed some snacks, and set off to the National Park with some of our extended family. We visited the park in July 2018, which was the time of the huge wildfires in the park. We knew this before we left, and knowing the risks, we did visit the park, with the intention of staying for less than half a day. The park was closed indefinetly a couple weeks after we visited, so we were still okay. With that said, when we reached the park and stepped out of the car, the burning smell was very prominent and it was a bit tricky to see distant things. The National Park is known for its beauty, but the pictures that you see are a bit hazy due to the smoke. We still enjoyed visiting the park, and we hiked up to the top of a waterfall, which was really cool. After our hike, we bought pizza at the park for lunch and enjoyed playing with the squirrels before heading back. The park was maintained well and we really enjoyed spending the day there, despite the smoke. If you plan a trip here, just make sure to check that it is not closed for any reason and be prepared if you know that it will be smokey due to wildfires.