2022
This Thanksgiving, I was at the West Coast for eight days. It was a fun-filled and relaxing vacation with friends. I love to visit places where people are already staying, which means you get to learn and do more there.
Day-1: Los Angeles - I started the trip in Los Angeles. I had been there once the year before, I was excited to check out the places I had missed previously and to definitely try out some in and out burgers (since I have been seeing a lot about them on YouTube!). The burgers were pretty good and very inexpensive. We also visited the art district where there were these colorful paintings on the walls. They were creative and mesmerizing. Additionally, I got to learn about this artist called Colette Miller who started the Global Angel Wings Project (http://colettemiller.com/angelwings ).
Day-2: Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign - We walked the Hollywood sign hike and watched the sunset from Griffith Observatory. I loved seeing the LA city light up as the sun went down. The walk back was quite dark though, thank god it was a short one.
Day-3: San Diego - and oh my that city! It was absolutely gorgeous. We watched the sunset at La Jolla and got to see the sea lions. In the morning, we walked around Balboa Park. The buildings here date all the way back to 1915 and there are multiple museums in the park. An entire day can be spent within here.
Day-4: Solvang - this Danish style city was so pretty and beautiful. I will have to write an entire post about it. We spent the day there, tasting Danish cuisine, visiting a mission (19 of the 21 missions across California) and rode a surrey. On the way back from Solvang, we stopped at Santa Barbara to eat some seafood for dinner.
Day-5: Joshua Tree National Park - This was my first visit to a National Park in the United States and I was not disappointed. This park acts as the meeting point of the Mojave desert and Colorado desert. We visited a few spots such as the skull rock, hall of horrors and Keys View. We watched the sunset from the top of Keys View, one of the windiest and coldest spots of the park. Post the sunset, we stayed behind for star gazing, again a first time experience. Away from the lights of the city, you can get a good view of the starlit sky.
Day-6: Warner Bros Studio Tour - We get to see various sets and aspects of the movie-making business. Los Angeles is the city of stars after all. I was very excited to see the famous friend's couch.
Overall, a very fun packed trip, where I got to spend time with my closest friends and visit a lot of new places. California being so huge. I believe there will be a trip back there next Thanksgiving too.
