I know, I know...I haven't posted anything in a very long time.
I guess I've just been enjoying my summer too much to want to sit down and write something.
But, I finally got inspired today and I thought I'd share some of the
fun adventures I've had the privilege of going on so far this summer.
Although, I do basically live in the dead center of California's
hot and dry Central Valley, I've been able to get out a lot and go see my favorite places-
the sea and the mountains.
I am so very thankful that I am only a few short hours from both of these places.
The ocean makes me happy and content; the mountains, trees and fresh pine smell soothes my soul and makes me feel grateful to be living on this beautiful planet.
This photo is actually from a little ranch nearby my home, I just thought it was so pretty.
It also perfectly portrays my hometown, that I'll always love.
I went to visit a friend staying in Santa Cruz and spent all day at this beach, off of 26th avenue.
The sky went from cloudy to sunny all day,
but I wasn't complaining as long as there was soft sand under my toes.
These two photos are from Manresa State Beach, near Santa Cruz. I went there recently and went paddleboarding for the first time! I totally get what all the hype is about now! When you're so far out in the water and it's just quiet and peaceful, you can't help but just be happy about life. It's a great workout as well, all that balancing definitely works your core and leg muscles. We saw dolphins while we were out in the water too!
It was such a beautiful day.
We rented the paddle boards from Capitola Surf and Paddle. The staff was super friendly and the boards were great! Check out their website right here and if you're in the area needing any board rentals I would highly recommend them!
Now, this is one of my favorite spots in the Sierra Nevada Mountains: Pinecrest Lake! I grew up coming here on family and church camping trips. My whole family spent all day swimming and playing in the water,
kayaking, hiking, and picnicking by the lake. You can rent kayaks, paddleboats, speed boats, and party boats all right there at the dock for fairly reasonable prices.
This is a beautiful place and the water is clean and gets pretty warm during the summer!
We stopped midway through our hike and did a little cliff jumping.
It always takes me a little while to build up the courage to jump;
but felt amazing once I landed in the deep, cool water.
(not quite sure what I was doing with my hands when I was jumping...)
PS: I'm wearing the Beach Riot Tarzan Top here...love it so much! Totally stays put and the back is to die for!
I never tire of the majestic redwood trees surrounding every
road, pathway, cabin and house in that area.
There's a fun place on the lake where they have a bunch of huge logs floating and tied together; the challenge is to try and walk all the way out to the end of them without falling!
Pretty difficult...we got almost the whole family to try it out!
This gorgeous piece of nor cal beach is a little less well known. It's just off the 1 North heading out of Santa Cruz, and is a little hike through some pretty terrain to get there, but well worth it! There was only like 10 other people there when I went traipsing about it on this gorgeous day.
I just love how the rock formation looks like a natural made lighthouse;
I could have sat in this spot all day.
I took a trip to Yosemite last month and the drive there was literally just as awe-inspiring as the national park itself. We stopped the car atleast 5 times while driving there, just to get out and take in the gorgeous views.
These three photos are from Mono Lake, a place I had never heard of, but am so glad we came across! There's tons and tons of seagulls and other birds there, that claim all the little islands in the lake as their home. The reflection of the clouds on the lake was one of the prettiest things I'd ever seen and the tall, glorious mountains around it, just add to the overwhelming beauty of it all.
We hiked to the top of Nevada Falls in Yosemite, its not too difficult and the trail up is right next to the waterfall, so you get a nice little cool-off from all the mist blowing in your face.
The view from the top is obviously gorgeous and there's tons of little spots to take a load off and enjoy a snack and some drinks before heading back down, or (if you have the energy) continuing up to the next spot!
I went down to LA back in June to see a concert and the last night we were there, we headed over to Venice Beach for a little stroll and then drinks at this amazing bar/restaurant. Its called the High Rooftop Lounge; its on the roof of Hotel Erwin, right in the midst of all the Venice Beach action.
The drinks are amazing, they have delicious appetizers to munch on, comfortable little booths with blankets for when the breeze picks up, and ofcourse the view is unbeatable!
Best time to go is right around sunset, so you can catch the million dollar view like in the picture below. You can make a reservation here at their website, so you don't have to wait for a booth when you show up!
This little piece of heaven in the next few photos is just outside of Watsonville, out in the boondocks. We went driving through there on the way home, pulled over and walked down an empty road with a canopy of trees and vines. I felt like I was in a scene of Twilight or something! If you just stopped and stood there, you could literally hear nothing, except for the sound of birds chirping and wind whistling quietly through the trees.
We climbed down into this little creek, crossed a moss covered log and did a little exploring.
Its such a cool feeling to explore a place that you know very few people have wandered through. I couldn't help myself from just standing there and smiling.
I'm a firm believer in the need to emerse yourself in nature's beauty, if not as much as possible, then at least every once in a while. It has a way of putting things into perspective, giving you a fresh outlook,
and reminding you how beautiful life can be.
Free mental therapy, you could say.
So, if you haven't had the chance to do some "wanderlusting" lately,
you need to before the seasons change again!
Until next time, keep dreaming. xoxo
