Summer of '18, CA - Part 1/2

 
I was in California for the better part of the summer last year for my internship. With a bunch of friends, I took a couple of trips to some of the popular attractions over the span of three months. And boy did I have fun!
 
In this two-part series I will take a ride down the memory lane and list down the places we visited (with pictures). Maybe you can go to some of these and be inspired to share your experiences as well.
 
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Trip 1

Los Angeles
 

Stops

Warner Bros Studio Universal Studios Hollywood
OUE Skyspace
Santa Monica Pier
Venice Beach Broadwalk
Santa Barbara Harbor
   
If I remember correctly, it was the first long weekend when we planned to drive to LA. We started before daybreak to arrive early. This being the first trip, had everyone stirred. The drive route added to the excitement. While on I-5, we crossed lushed farms, cloud-cloaked hills and serene reservoirs. We were at the Warner Bros Studio by 9 AM. We clicked photos at the replicated set of "Central Perk" of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, surfed through Harry Potter Museum, checked out Batman's props artillery (they had the bat signal, bat-pod and everything; even the bat-mobile, and it does come in black).
   
The tour stretched till around 4 PM and we made out way to our next destination - The OUE Skyspace, California's tallest open-air observation deck. It is situated on the 70th floor. The view from the top was breathtaking, standing tall at 1000 ft above downtown LA. The highlight of the visited there was the "Skyslide" that is a fully-enclosed, all-glass slide that takes you down one floor from the 70th. The fun-part you ask, the slide is on the exterior of the tower. I'm positive that reliable safety measures are ensured.
   
The elevator ride down to the first floor seemed long. We grabbed a quick bite and headed straight for the beach at Santa Monica Pier. The lively crowd, live performances and the calm sunset on the beach was a great conclusion to day 1 of the trip.
   
Stuffing pancakes from a local IHOP, we made our way to Universal Studios the next morning. You just can't get enough of it I tell ya. The exhilarating rides, exhibitions, shows, movie-set tours. If you've seen it in a movie, they got it. A fan's paradise. It's like the day was shorter. And before we knew (and definitely before we wanted), it was sundown. We caught the last light on the Hollywood sign that day before turning in.
   
The next day we drove to Venice Beach. I distinctly remember feeling serene walking barefoot alongside the calm waves under the overcast sky. People played basketball at the courts nearby while the street-side shops bustled with liveliness of a new day. The trip was nearing its end as we (well, mostly the friends who'd driven us) dreaded the long drive home. We had lunch at a Thai restaurant and settled in to head back.
   
We pit-stopped at Santa Barbara Harbor which turned out to be a good bonus since it wasn't on the itinerary. They sure have their collection of vintage cars there. The drive back was not bad either. Clouds hanged low, sea on the side and mild music for our souls weary with contentment.
   
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Trip 2

San Francisco
 

Spots

Muir Woods
Point Rayes Seashore
Pier 39
 
With a small group of friends, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge on a foggy day. We were headed to the Muir Woods National Monument. We began at the what I believe was "Dipsea Trail" that was about 5 miles long loop and had large landscapes and trees reaching for the arching sky. We switched between trails as we pleased. We reached the end of the trail around noon.
   
Next stop, Point Rayes National Seashore. The drive there was scenic, a complementary prelude. It was only after we reached there and started walking towards the Lighthouse visitor center that I realized that this was the exact location where a lot of the banger Instagram shots I had seen had been taken.
   
I could hardly contain myself. Winds so strong, you could lean against them; I almost lost my glasses to them! The sky was clear enough to see the curved horizon and the teal water. We just missed the stairs down to the actual lighthouse though, bummer. It closes at 3 PM, and hour before we reached. I would love to go there again for sure.
   
We took off as we were to reach back to SF by sundown. We stopped at Pier 39 when we did, grabbed a bite and headed home to regain that leg strength.
   
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Trip 3

San Francisco
 

Stops

Pier 39
Golden Gate Bridge
Half Moon Bay
   
A friend was visiting me and we planned a little trip to catch up. We took the first Caltrain from Sunnyvale in the morning and arrived at Pier 39 for a quick breakfast. We decided, we'd walk to the Golden Gate bridge from there. It was a pleasant day, mostly clear skies. We went past the Fisherman's Wharf and grabbed two scoops of choco-crunch ice-creams from Ghirardelli, snapping pictures along the way. It is crazy how many spots SF has around the bridge to hang out.
   
We were at the Torpedo Wharf around 2 PM and started to make our way back to where we could get a cab to our next destination which we still hadn't decided. After a Google search based on the time we had for the day. We dialed in Half Moon Bay as our Uber destination. By the time we reached, it was around 4 PM.
   
The weather turned overcast, just the way I like. We ate at the Half Moon Brewing Company and started our long walk to the state beach. We crossed Miramar and Roosevelt beach on our way there and the walk alongside the seashore was something out of a fantasy; tranquil and aesthetically prepossessing. We caught the sunset at the perfect time, it was still cloudy, beautiful nonetheless. We had a bit of a scare towards the end since it was getting dark and what cabbie in his right mind would come in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, one did and took us right home.
   
Pretty good for a one day trip if you ask me.
 
More adventures in the second part.
 
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--- Tushar Turkar
Tushar Turkar is a Masters student in the Computer Science Department