California is awesome, there's no skirting around the fact. It is grand, exquisite, beautiful, humbling, big, delicious and sunny. For my birthday, I treated myself to a tour de California at the end of August, making good on promises to friends around the state that I'd come visit them.
I started with FYF Fest in Los Angeles, a few days to roam Venice and West Hollywood. Then took a comfortable Greyhound bus to Santa Barbara, where I spoiled myself with solo hiking and beach sunsets.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was renting a car out of SB and driving to June Lake (near Mammoth Lakes). That road trip was a delight, beautiful views on the I-101 S, the rolling hills and orange tree farms on I-5 S, and the Mojave Dessert, Sequoia National Forest, and White Mountains that followed me up US-395 N to Mammoth.
Never having been to any west coast national parks, my time in Yosemite was jaw dropping. Grand and exquisite are the two adjectives that come to mind.
The trip ended with a brief 18 hours in Oakland, with Lake Merritt as my compass, before flying back via SFO.
I'll be back, California.