One of my most memorable vacations that I will always remember was a trip to Southern California in the summer of 2020. I saw so many things from the Hollywood Hills, the "Walk of Fame", Santa Monica and Venice Beach, the Sequoia National Park, Joshua Tree Park, San Diego, and much more.
Joshua Tree State Park, in the middle of the day in scorching heat. Photo by: Ellie Dee, 06/20
Our trip started at 6 am with a train to catch to take us to the airport. After our quick train ride, we arrived at the airport for our flight which was about 6 hours long, luckily with no layover. It was only my second time ever on an airplane, and being 28 weeks pregnant made it an interesting flight, someone graciously gave me their seat at the end.
When we arrived at the Los Angeles Airport, I kept my eyes peeled for any possible celebrity sitings. The only thing on site was palm trees and the classic "In and Out" burger calling my name.
We stayed in Long Beach, California only a mile from the ocean. The beaches were not as nice as I had expected them to be but I found some really cool sand dollars and shells.
Long Beach, California. Known for its "long beaches" and beautiful sunsets. Photo by: Ellie Dee, 06/20
The weather was absolutely beautiful throughout southern California, a perfect 75 degrees every day. Other parts of California were another story, we experienced temperatures as high as 120 degrees in the Mojave Desert.
The most interesting thing about California to me is the extreme geographical changes that occur widely throughout the state. Touring different parts of California makes you feel like you traveled to many states, all in one.
Some of the beautiful different tropical plants and trees you can spot throughout California. Photo by: Ellie Dee, 06/20
One of the coolest things I got to do while in California was go on a celebrity house sighting tour and see over 20 celebrity homes. We also got a personal tour of the Beverly Hills Hotel and got to see where many famous actors stayed and Marilyn Monroe's favorite bungalow.
Visiting California was a dream come true of mine and I'm beyond thankful I got to visit it before I had my, now three-year-old twin girls, because it will probably be a long time until I'm able to go back and visit.